from a passerby's point of view, kazuha wonders just how she silly looks right now.

she's standing outside the convenience store while peering in by the glass walls, chuckles escaping every now and then as her eyes followed her playful girlfriend inside. sakura is deliberately appearing and disappearing behind the shelves every time she moves into an aisle, and upon realising that kazuha was keeping her eyes on her as she shopped inside, she became a little playful.

sometimes, when she hid behind a shelf, she leaves kazuha guessing whether she was going forward or backward to a different aisle. and then sakura would jut her head out and smile teasingly at her girlfriend whose eyes light up every time she pops up again.

it's hard to contain her giggles with sakura being so lively while choosing their ice creams and beverages, communicating by lip-reading and gestures that evokes amused smiles and silent giggles since they were separated by the glass walls, kazuha absolutely adores her playful side. she's wearing a cap and her head feels hot underneath, the sun feels uncomfortably hotter but sakura diverts her attention from the balmy summer air, and the only warmth she feels is blooming inside her chest.

kazuha's eyes refuse to leave sakura throughout, watching with a fond smile on her face as her girlfriend pays. literature isn't (and never will be) her forté, but if sakura's side profile was a stanza, she would study all her points and curves again and again.

even as sakura walks out with a bag in hand, kazuha is all smiles, eyes forming into crescents when sakura beams at her while flailing the bag in her hand.

"oh my, and here i thought you don't sweat." sakura looks at kazuha in surprise when she notices sweat coating the latter's forehead under her cap.

sakura places the plastic bag in the bicycle's basket, with kazuha's helpful hands over hers and it briefly became a two-man job just to put a light load into a basket. it's a small thing, sakura knows this, kazuha would subconsciously in anyway, touch her softly, deliberate or not. like that time during cleaning duty when kazuha merely held her hand for a moment before letting go.

it's a tendency of hers that brings out the butterflies in sakura's stomach so easily. sakura can't pinpoint why kazuha does it, and truthfully she doesn't mind because her touches are as soft as flower petals grazing her skin, like a leaf falling gently into her palms and when it disappears, only the mellow feeling lingers.

"the sun was glaring right at me for a good five minutes..." kazuha whines, pulling on the collar of her cropped tee as she huffs through her nose.

the convenience store had no veranda, so she had to stay outside with her bike where the sun bathed her in its harsh rays. she badly wishes for another torrential downpour, where she preferred the cool air against her skin to being roasted like chicken.

"did you wait long? sorry, you should've come inside to cool down a bit." sakura's eyebrows knot in a frown, an apologetic smile on her lips.

"it's no trouble if it's you." kazuha swiftly replies, so quick to eradicate sakura's guilt, earning a demure grin from the cherry blossom.

sakura wordlessly lifts kazuha's cap and puts her hand through the hole where it then hangs on her wrist. kazuha's curious eyes just watches silently as sakura fishes out a handkerchief from her sling pouch, shows it off to her with a reassuring grin.

kazuha tilts her head downwards instinctively, knowing what comes after. and she's smiling widely when sakura starts dabbing her damp forehead with the soft fabric, leaning in unconsciously with every pat that she only realises it when sakura puts a hand on her shoulder to hold her in place. her dainty hand travels up to her chin, fingertips softly cradling her jaw, and kazuha obediently turns according to sakura's gentle prodding.

"better now?" the older girl asks with a caring smile after wiping kazuha's sweat dry, folding her handkerchief before shoving it inside her pouch.

when a verbal reply doesn't come, sakura looks back up at kazuha with an arched brow after zipping up her pouch, only to be met with enthusiastic nods, twinkling eyes and a broad grin. (she's sure a tail is wagging behind somewhere.)

nakamura 'just happy to be here' kazuha is certainly a fitting middle name, it's more accurate especially when she's around sakura.

her unbreakable gaze on sakura makes the latter embarrassed, feeling her cheeks warm up due to kazuha's blatant staring. sakura is certain anyone who passes by could clearly see that this girl is so head over heels for her, and kazuha being unabashed about it was making her blush furiously.

"jeez, you and your inability to not look lovestruck whenever you're staring at me..." sakura mumbles with pinched lips, and in her embarrassed state, she pushes kazuha's cap back onto her head with the visor covering her eyes.

kazuha lets out a small noise when her vision gets blocked, then adjusting her cap with a sheepish smile on her face. sakura digs through the plastic bag in the basket, and she pulls out a bottled drink and a pink popsicle.

"here's your soda... aaand your ice cream."

"just what i needed, thanks!" kazuha rips the ice cream wrapper in record time, so desperate for something cool down her body.

she bites down half of the popsicle in haste and instantly regrets it when her teeth starts to hurt due to the cold, her struggle drawing laughter from sakura who's seated on her bicycle saddle with both feet on the pedal, the kickstand propped so she doesn't fall over.

"your ice cream isn't going anywhere,"

"i wush... hah... scared id wud meltshh huah...!"

sakura drowns in laughter, finds kazuha constantly moving her ice cream within and speaking gibberish so endearingly silly.

(she learned her lesson and ate the second half slowly.)

after her amusing ice cream episode, kazuha finds herself struggling to open her bottled drink. it's a comedy show for sakura at this rate, while she's happy that she's making her girlfriend laugh to her heart's content, embarrassment is quick to colour her cheeks pink.

this is so uncool... kazuha glares at the bottle before gritting her teeth and twisting the cap with all her might for the nth time.

"why is this- so... tight!" she grumbles under her breath, and sakura is sure that kazuha would start spitting out profanities at the poor bottle. with the warmness of the sun, she's already slightly irritated, the bottle might be her breaking point.

she's already doing so with her glares, even if she wasn't someone with a temper, kazuha's kindness and softness could only handle so much.

the saying 'even a worm will turn' exists for a reason.

"let me try," sakura tugs the bottle from kazuha's hold and pushes her ice cream cup into her girlfriend's reddened hands.

her poor girlfriend had spent five minutes popping her veins trying to open the drink, even hunching over with the bottle pressed into her stomach as her hands desperately tried to twist it open. when kazuha gave in and straightened her posture with a pout, sakura was briefly put under a spell as her eyes 'involuntarily' traveled to her girlfriend's abs.

there were a few water droplets trickling down her defined lines thanks to the bottle's condensation. it was an ironic sight, because sakura saw kazuha as some kind of she-hulk who was struggling to open a bottled drink.

(sakura was a strong soldier, she looked away faster than the average human would.)

with her tongue poking out the corner of her lips, sakura attempts to open the bottle. she casts a dramatic glare at it because it gave her girlfriend a hard time (how dare it!) and holds it tight. kazuha's watching at the side with sakura's ice cream in her hands, unconsciously taking a scoop into as she mentally cheers for her girlfriend.

with puffed cheeks and a silent grunt, sakura twists it once.

then they hear it, a fizzing sound.

kazuha freezes, jaw hanging at the sight of the bottle cap in one of sakura's hand and the open bottle in the other. it felt like she was the chosen who successfully pulled out the excalibur sword out of its stone.

"come on zuha, are your muscles only for show?" sakura chuckles and teases her girlfriend, holding out her drink with a proud smirk on her lips.

kazuha takes it with a defeated sigh, handing over her ice cream.

"i loosened it for you," she asserts, taking lungfuls of the soda after.

while it was true that all her efforts probably loosened the cap, the one who gets the glory was usually the one who can successfully uncap it in the end.

"if that's what you'd like to think," sakura snickers, giggling with the ice cream scoop in .

kazuha scoffs, takes her revenge by pushing her bottle against sakura's neck. the cold instantly makes her jerk away with a squeal and kazuha laughs when she gets a piercing look.

"you're taking a really long time to finish your ice cream," kazuha points out, arms folded as she looks at sakura who's taking small bites from her second ice cream cup.

"i'm savouring it, do you want another bite or something?" sakura looks up and raises a brow, kazuha simply smiles when her big eyes gaze up into hers.

"i'm fine, let's get going. the cashier is staring at us because we've been staying out here a while." kazuha tells her, feels a pair of eyes boring into her back and it's no doubt the cashier's.

"but i'm still- oh," sakura doesn't say a word after kazuha releases the kickstand with the back of her heel and firmly holds her bicycle's handlebar, pushing it with sakura still in her seat.

"well... i'm totally fine with this arrangement." sakura hums in content when kazuha casually walks with her on the bike, pushing it with ease as if she weighed nothing.

"don't drop me," sakura quickly says, one hand holding onto kazuha's arm in fear of falling over.

"i won't," kazuha glances at her, donning an amused smile on her face.

"can your other hand hold the back of my seat? don't topple the bike please, i'm serious." sakura taps her arm in panic, eyebrows furrowed when she feels the bike waver a little due to the bumpy pavement.

"have a little more faith in me," kazuha says, and while it sounded charming, sakura was busy looking as if she was holding her life on a line.

(she is, kazuha's arm is her lifeline.)

"i do, i just don't have faith in me ." sakura truthfully says, and it's because she doesn't have really good balance.

being filled with anxiety would make her quake in her seat and it would probably cause the bike to waver and disrupt kazuha's control and then she would fall over.

...such was her imagination.

“keep doing this and i'm gonna be your passenger princess forever,"

"i mean, you already are since you ride with me sometimes. should i get a license next year?" kazuha makes a contemplative expression, one side of her lips quirked up as she hums to herself.

sakura marvels at her idea,"a car or a motorcycle license?"

"cars of course, motorcycles are scary..." kazuha turns to look at her as if she grew two heads, looking mortified when sakura brought up the second option.

sakura shrugs, and as if she wasn't scared of falling off kazuha's bike just a moment ago, says the next most unexpected thing.

"actually, i was thinking of getting a motorcycle license."

"eh?!"

it's near dinner time, dusk arrives in the form of an orange-red hue and billows of grey clouds blanketing the sky, signifying the end of cram school hours.

it's the end of a long day for sakura, countless hours of being buried in textbooks and drowning in words counts as an eventful day in her book. even as someone who likes studying, it didn't mean she was spared of the physical and mental fatigue that it bestows her after.

and it seems that the universe acknowledged her weariness and offered something, or rather someone, to extinguish all that exhaustion away.

all it takes is one glance, really.

when sakura exits the gate among the crowd of students, her eyes gleamed with recognition when they fall upon a familiar figure standing by a bicycle near a tree. sakura scoffs in disbelief, corners of her lips involuntarily stretching into a wide smile that her cheeks started to hurt.

she meets kazuha's eyes, taking in the sight of her delighted girlfriend who's waving enthusiastically at her from afar. there was so much energy in her wave that it makes sakura wonder how she herself alone was capable of bringing so much happiness to someone else.

ah that's right, sakura muses, chuckling to herself because she realises that it's such a silly thought.

because kazuha is right there, like she's always been. that's her happy pill.

and it's really all it takes for her weariness to fade away, it disappears as if it was never there in the first place. sakura feels the tug on her heartstrings, and with every wave kazuha directs at her, feels like the younger girl was pulling her closer with an untangible string. without much thought, sakura finds herself approaching her girlfriend as if on automatic. it's like her body had grown accustomed to gravitating towards kazuha on instinct without second thoughts.

home in the form of nakamura kazuha sounds cozy and loving. sakura hopes that in the long run, the same heart-shaped grin would still be there to colour her most mundane days, unchanging and full of affection just for her.

as she tightens her hold on her bag and ambles towards her girlfriend, sakura bites on her lower lip to suppress the stupid smile growing on her face. her body is just barely resisting the urge to run and tackle the hell out of kazuha and chastise her about not having to fetch her, all while kissing her senseless for just being the best lover she could ever ask for.

the weight on her shoulders are nonexistent whenever kazuha enters her line of sight. she was the kind of comfort sakura would crave and seek at the end of a long day.

at the same time, kazuha's walking towards her with her bike in tow, that relaxed smile plastered on her face already feeling like a warm hug.

they meet in the middle, kazuha props the kickstand on her bike before she turns to fully face sakura, who had been staring at her with a tremulous smile on her face.

"surprise?" kazuha wriggles her fingers with a toothy grin on her face, and sakura just breaks into laughter because she sounded a little awkward.

maybe because sakura had told her many times that she didn't have to pick her up today or at all from cram school, yet here she is. kazuha would go out of her way to do so whenever she was available, and sakura only allowed it when it didn't end late in the evening like today or when the girl had volleyball practice prior.

alas, kazuha doesn't listen to her at all when it comes to things like this.

"you are one stubborn girlfriend, kazuha." sakura says and despite her firm tone, a smile slips out.

"i think you mean the best one," kazuha beams and corrects her, sakura chortles at her confident answer which held nothing but the truth.

kazuha sees the hint of tiredness in sakura's eyes, it's evident when the older girl doesn't back or chided her for not heeding her words. kazuha knew the cherry blossom was merely being considerate when she had told her there wasn't a need to pick her up. kazuha knows she doesn't have to, she just wanted to.

to be able to spend even another second of her day with sakura grants her inexplicable joy. no matter how ephemeral their moments are, kazuha considers each and every one of them as cherished treasure.

"it's been a long day, you worked hard."

so kazuha opens her arms, with only a benign smile across her lips and looks at sakura with a tender gaze. and sakura all but dives into her arms, face buried in the crevice of her neck while her arms coiled around her midriff.

the impact causes kazuha to stagger a step back but she was quick to regain her footing, and it surprises her when she feels sakura's arm tightening around her back, hands grabbing fistfuls of her jacket.

"...i missed you." comes a small, muffled voice.

kazuha hears a long sigh that drags out after, feels the warm breath tickling her skin, and she knows that rather than exhaustion, sakura had let out a sigh of content. and kazuha is so glad, to be able to become someone sakura could lean on, like she could with the latter.

"i missed you too. honestly, i wanted to snatch you out of cram school." kazuha returns the embrace, nuzzling her cheek against the head resting under her chin.

"really now? kidnapping?" sakura laughs lazily, amused at her girlfriend's statement.

"warranted kidnapping, you study too much. maybe relax that smart, pretty brain a little bit?"

all sakura responds with is a low hum, kazuha thinks she could fall asleep right there with how sakura is leaning all her weight against her now, practically growing limp in her arms.

her languid gestures make kazuha giggle, the latter having to push herself off the human jelly within her arms and guide sakura to her bike's passenger seat.

sitting comfortably in place, sakura still finds it incredulous that the only reason kazuha's bicycle had a passenger seat was because of her . initially, there wasn't one but during the early days of their relationship, kazuha had installed one on her bike with the intention to bring sakura around for rides whenever she could.

(sakura learned that kazuha had practically begged her dad to fix one up for her, the story still makes her laugh to this day.)

and when it was installed for the first time, sakura still remembered how kazuha was overflowing with pride when she showed off her bike to her like it had been a porshe or a ducatti. with kazuha's twinkling eyes and a million dollar smile as she boasted about her bike, followed by the latter turning into a stuttering, blushing mess when she realised sakura was able to ride with her for the first time then, sakura was so sure that this was the girl she'd want to spend the rest of her life with.

the memory makes her smile silly, and it earns her a raised brow from kazuha, who seemed to be digging through the paper bag in the basket for something.

"you know you're wasting your time picking me up when you could be lounging at home, right?" sakura utters out of the blue, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the rider's saddle and watch kazuha with tired yet curious eyes.

it startles her when kazuha suddenly whips her head towards her in a blink of an eye, it was so fast that sakura was afraid she'd snap her neck. she's met with the deepest frown she's probably ever seen on her girlfriend, it was as if her words had been so offensive to warrant such a look from her. eventually, kazuha's face dissolves into a much softer look, but sakura still sees the hint of disapproval in her eyes.

"my time spent with you is and never will be a waste of time, kkura." kazuha asserts, clearcut and not a hint of waver in her tone. it was a statement so firm that doesn't leave space for protest.

so sakura stills, wide eyes staring into deep, dark brown orbs that look back at her with utmost assurance. the short period of silence allows the heat to crawl up her neck, when it reaches the tips of her ears, sakura looks away with a face akin to the colour of a tomato.

"...you really know how to make a girl's heart flutter." sakura mumbles, leaning back and crossing her arms across her chest, fingers picking on the fabric of her uniform.

"just yours."

darn you...! sakura shuts her eyes for a second or two, teeth clenched as she prayed for her embarrassment to vanish. she thanks the lord that kazuha is merciful, she doesn't bring up her state of absolute fluster and instead brings out something better.

"oh yeah, i brought a little something for you. call it a pre-dinner."

sakura tilts her head questioningly, narrowing her eyes on the small box of what looked like baked goods which kazuha had within her grasp.

"croissants?" sakura's eyes gaped reading the label on the box.

kazuha nods, bringing the box closer to sakura before dramatically swinging it open to reveal a batch of croissants in its glossy, golden glory. the aroma was quick to invade her nose and sakura could feel watering already, unconsciously swallowing as her eyes widened in delight.

"and not just any croissants, they're pork belly and kimchi croissants!" kazuha snickers, clearly proud of knowing her girlfriend's tastes and giggles when sakura briefly looks up at her asking her a silent question.

to kazuha, it was a rather bizarre combination but to her girlfriend, it was probably michelin quality.

(kazuha is certain sakura would have drooled a puddle the more she stared.)

the athlete raises her brows once and grins, nudging the box towards sakura who wastes no time reaching out to take one croissant out of its place. internally, kazuha is laughing at how her girlfriend was trying to compose herself so she wouldn't look too desperate, but kazuha figures her out anyway.

"i had my mom pre-order them since they sell out fast, it's from a top-notch bakery." kazuha pointed out, putting the box back into the paperbag and opted to watch the cherry blossom enjoying her appetizer.

the smile on her face that comes after a big bite was the brightest one she has exhibited today, not forgetting how unimaginably big and rounded sakura's eyes get when something is genuinely delicious to her. it boosts kazuha's satisfaction further, for being able to extract such joyful emotion from someone who clearly needed it.

"i can tell! thanks a lot, zuha... they're so good!" sakura practically melts, her knees would be buckling if she wasn't already sitting on kazuha's bike.

"there's plenty, you could share it with your family." kazuha jerks her thumb behind her shoulders towards her bike's basket where the paperbag sat.

"...hm, i kinda don't want to. it's too good!" sakura frowns and speaks with her right cheek full, the croissant gone within seconds and now she's dusting the crumbs off her fingers. kazuha bites back a smile, the endearing sight tickles her stomach.

"that's up to you, but you know how our moms are friends. knowing mine, she would ask yours if she tried it."

knowing that it was a most likely scenario, sakura purses her lips and pulls a pensive look before responding with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"fineee, i'll share..."

"i'm glad you like them, i was just worried you might be too hungry." kazuha smiles sweetly.

she clearly remembers how sakura had studied so hard this one time that she hadn't realised the new year had arrived. after hearing the anecdote sakura shared, kazuha became a bit more adamant on wanting sakura to take breaks during studying and most of all, making sure that she eats proper meals daily.

"ah... i'm so happy i could kiss you right now."

kazuha was in the middle of swinging her leg over her seat when sakura uttered those words abruptly. it catches her so off-guard that when she unintentionally paused in the momentum as she was hauling a leg over, she nearly lost balance and held onto the frame of her bicycle for life to steady herself. sakura jumps slightly when she feels the bicycle shake, literally almost getting thrown off her seat and instantly looking at kazuha with a startled look.

"...really? right now?" kazuha chokes out as if she hadn't almost face-planted moments prior.

one thing about kazuha is that she treats every kiss offered like it's her first time, which was something sakura finds a little peculiar but also adorable. it's because kazuha gets genuinely so happy and has high expectations for it more than sakura thinks she should. she's always ever ready to receive kisses and from what sakura has observed, kazuha likes it even more when it's her who initiates it.

similarly, right now, kazuha's eyes are shimmering with anticipation. she forgets about even mounting her bike and merely stands like a statue in front of sakura.

the cherry blossom laughs airily, she kisses two of her own fingers before pressing them against kazuha's warm lips.

"later, i promise." sakura tells her and smiles cheekily when kazuha blinks in confusion, then the latter gives her a giddy smile before nodding merrily.

kazuha finally mounts her saddle, without trouble this time.

"are you free for ramen? or if you're too tired, we could just go home." she glances back when she brings up a suggestion, with the intent to treat sakura to a fulfilling dinner.

sakura hums in amusement at her offer, lips curling up in a smile.

"i think my mom wouldn't mind me having dinner with you, so yeah let's go for ramen. i'll text her later." sakura releases a short sigh, stretching her arms for the first time that day and grunts when she hears her bones pop.

(is it supposed to crack that much? kazuha doesn't know.)

"great, wouldn't want her to worry." kazuha says, twisting her body slightly and catches sakura's hand when she stretched, gently massaging slender fingers.

"it's fine, all i have to do is send a selfie of us together and she'll calm down instantly." sakura reassures her, glancing at her fingers within kazuha's palms.

are her hands really that small?

"...seriously?" the revelation causes kazuha to stop her ministrations, looking at her girlfriend in disbelief.

"yes, it's very suspicious that she likes you so much. i mean... i'm her daughter?" sakura narrows her eyes in suspicion, looking somewhere else as she's left to wonder.

on the other hand, kazuha lets the information process in her head. she breaks into a smile then, trembling with elation knowing what it could mean in the distant future. she probably looks like a fool trying to keep her grin at bay, heart swelling just knowing that she was favoured by someone none other than sakura's mother.

(ultimately, it contributes a fat chance for her to carry the miyawaki surname many, many years later.)

sakura brings her out of her delusions when her arms snake around her waist, fingers prodding at her stomach as she gives kazuha a questioning look when she didn't move. did she mention how much she likes it when sakura embraces her from behind?

"why are you not moving? your passenger awaits dinner." sakura reminds her, and kazuha chuckles dryly.

if sakura noticed how her cheeks turned pink (from her delusions), she didn't say anything about it. kazuha's hands wrap around the handles, but she makes no move to accelerate. glancing back with a cheeky smile, she looks at sakura with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"like an arcade game that requires a coin to start, i require something to step on the pedal."

"so, your feet." sakura deadpans, not a stranger to kazuha's patent intentions.

her flat answer elicits a pout from kazuha, who still isn't making any effort to start pedalling.

"you're really not going to move unless i kiss you, huh?" sakura chortles, lightly pinching kazuha's stomach when she nods instantly without shame.

"it's part of the transportation fee, miss. oh by the way, this kiss won't count as the one you promised earlier." kazuha smirks playfully, knowing sakura wouldn't refuse.

the cherry blossom guffaws at her bold statement, and eventually returned her a similar mischevous look.

"yeah? how's this for a fee?"

the bicycle rocks left to right when sakura suddenly attacks kazuha with a swarm of tickles to her sides, the latter immediately shrieking in surprise as she laughs boisterously while trying to keep her bike steady.

they cause a bit of a ruckus, but they weren't really disturbing anyone with how the students were long gone by now. when sakura feels her stomach churning in hunger, she stops her relentless tickle attack and places a firm kiss at the corner of kazuha's lips.

and as expected, kazuha's face became 10,000 kilowatts brighter.

"now, go!" sakura urges with a grin, patting her girlfriend's abs and pointing forward. kazuha just laughs and steps on the pedal, inviting the evening wind into their faces.

"onward!"

bonus

"having fun?"

she's getting a little dizzy, watching sakura riding on her bike and going round and round while she walked slowly. her girlfriend's smiling happily though, so it was worth the minor nausea, she'll survive, kazuha thinks.

the giggles that blessed her ears after makes her smile too.

"if you mean circling around you like an eagle watching its prey then yes, i'm having fun!" sakura exclaims, her voice entering kazuha's ears like an 8d audio as she surrounds her.

"you're a good looking predator," kazuha laughs but then pauses when she realises the weight of her words. "...nevermind that sounded super weird and awful. why did i say that." she shakes her head, face blanching as she grimaces at her own blunder.

"'you're pretty' would have sufficed." sakura chuckles, finally skidding to a stop before cycling straight this time, matching her girlfriend's walking speed.

kazuha holds the handlebar as sakura pedals slowly alongside her, prepared to stabilise the bike in any case it wobbles. especially since sakura's legs could barely reach the ground due to the high seat post adjusted mainly for kazuha herself because of her long legs. while it was funny to watch her girlfriend struggle to keep her bicycle upright with her trembling toes, she would probably get a heart attack if sakura ends up really falling over and hurting herself.

(on second thought, maybe she really should have adjusted the height of the seat post before allowing sakura to mount it.)

sakura smiles at her gratefully, leaning forward on her elbows without having the need to grasp the handle with how kazuha was practically controlling her steering while she did all the pedalling.

"i'm just surprised you let me ride your bike, like what if i accidentally scratch it? fall and break it? i know how fond you are of this bike." sakura looks up at the taller girl whose smile never faltered. she wouldn't blame kazuha if she gets blacklisted from riding her bike, she probably wouldn't trust herself either.

"that's fine," came kazuha's unexpected, apathetic reply for a bicycle that costed almost half a thousand, and that didn't even include whatever extra or modification parts installed on the bike.

sakura raises a brow, curious as she tilted her head. she casts a look of disbelief, expecting kazuha to get upset at the very least.

"eh... you won't get mad?" sakura prods.

"why would i get mad?" kazuha looks at her with a genuine confused look, as if the question was beyond absurd. sakura could think of many reasons on why kazuha should get mad if ever that happens.

"'cause it's pretty expensive, isn't it? what if i damage it so bad you'd wanna break up with me?" sakura asks half-jokingly, only to get a weird look and then a laugh from her girlfriend.

"that's a little too far-fetched, why would i want to break up with you for just a bicycle? it's replacable but you're not. isn't it obvious what i prioritise more?" kazuha truthfully says, she shakes her head at the cherry blossom as if expecting her to already know such obvious answer.

sakura sighs in defeat, leaning on the heel of her palm as she stares ahead with a small, calm smile. on the contrary, her heart was beating a mile a minute — just the usual response to kazuha's smooth talk.

"i don't know how much more sweet talks i can handle from you, zuha."

"but i'm being genuine?" kazuha mutters, eyebrows pinched. she's honest to the bone, even though her words ooze with unintentional rizz.

"that's what makes it more heart fluttering!" sakura clasps her own searing cheeks, before landing a soft punch on kazuha's shoulders.

"well, if it makes us even, just hearing your voice over the phone makes my heart race." kazuha discloses.

sometimes, the cacophony of her heart pounding overshadowed sakura's voice over the phone that she would have to ask the girl to repeat whatever she had said.

other times, she spaced out, she swore sakura's voice was some kind of magic spell and it would lull her to sleep. when sakura about frequently sleeping on call, kazuha made sure to never lay on her bed whenever they talked to avoid the same circumstance, wanting so badly to have a proper conversation without accidentally sleeping her off with her girlfriend over the phone.

(sometimes, she'd drink a cup of coffee just to keep herself awake and then after the call, she'd lay awake longer than she should — the caffeine keeping her up. and so she would use the time to muse about the girl who currently has her heart, mindlessly scrolling through their photos together which she had organised in a precious album in her phone.)

"i know, and you have this doltish little smile that doesn't ever come off when i'm with you." sakura smirks teasingly.

"so you're aware of how much you affect me." kazuha exhales, feeling a twinge of embarrassment when sakura casually exposes her.

"kazuha, your eyes ooze with affection when you look at me and you don't even try to hide it in public. it'd be weird to not notice, babe." sakura rolls her eyes and chuckles.

kazuha just barely registers her slip. and when she does, she immediately spun her head towards sakura who was strangely stiff in her seat, eyes looking in the distance as she mindlessly whistles.

"i- wait... what?"

"what."

"what??"

"what."

"no, what'd you just call me-"

"oh my god! isn't that chaewon walking her little fluffy cloud demon?!"

kazuha just stares with an open mouth as sakura suddenly steps on the pedal and accelerates. true enough, chaewon was indeed walking her dog, shiro, in the distance. as sakura leaves her in the dust (she thinks she caught a glimpse of her blushing red face), kazuha is left to her own musings.

her mind is occupied, feeling as if a single word changed the trajectory of her life.

babe...? sakura has never called her that and she just happens to let it slip today? kazuha suddenly feels her cheeks burn, because not only was the way it rolled off sakura's tongue attractive, it also meant that they would probably start calling each other that in the future.

kazuha grins to herself, eyes locked onto sakura who was greeting the two puppies. her chest bursts with bliss, and with a blinding smile, she jogs towards them.

if one were to look closely, they could probably see hearts on kazuha's trail.