[She still almost pulls away. Almost, but only almost. Her hands stay where they are held in his, and from an outsider the changes in her demeanor are probably unnoticeable. The way her shoulders tense briefly, the way her her eyes widen just a fraction, the way her fingers tighten around his immediately as if in search of something to hold on to.
Almost dismissible, but still there, the momentary fear of dipping her feet into the sport again after what it had meant before.
Still, she doesn't shut down completely. It's impossible to let darkness swallow her up when Hiroto looks at her so happily, his eyes bright like the beacon of a lighthouse through the fog. His words hold her in place, too. Just you -- just them, just like the days after Aliea ended and they moved back in with Hitomiko, free to play their own soccer without hurting or being hurt by anybody else. Just them, something just for them.
Her fingers tighten again, but this time deliberately so, eyes flickering to him like those of a traveler looking to the North Star.]
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Almost dismissible, but still there, the momentary fear of dipping her feet into the sport again after what it had meant before.
Still, she doesn't shut down completely. It's impossible to let darkness swallow her up when Hiroto looks at her so happily, his eyes bright like the beacon of a lighthouse through the fog. His words hold her in place, too. Just you -- just them, just like the days after Aliea ended and they moved back in with Hitomiko, free to play their own soccer without hurting or being hurt by anybody else. Just them, something just for them.
Her fingers tighten again, but this time deliberately so, eyes flickering to him like those of a traveler looking to the North Star.]
... Is that -- is that okay?