A battle-scarred wasteland stretched before them, an expanse of endless, reddish, cracked earth. To most, it would seem insignificant, unremarkable. But to Caspian and Tatsumaki, it held meaning. This was the place where they had first met.
Caspian stood once more on the fractured ground, the memories of their initial encounter lingering in the air. Tatsumaki faced him, her hands at her sides, and a frigid, unreadable expression etched across her face. The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken words and unresolved tension.
"There's no one else here. You can drop the act."
"It is not an act, Caspian. Do you not trust me? Why did you keep me in the dark? Is this…" Tatsumaki bit her lip, her frigid expression threatening to thaw. "…am I a joke to you?"
While I may never lack strength. There are many more things that I do lack...
Caspian took a step forward. "I—"
"Stop!" Her hand shot up, palm facing outward, signaling him to halt. "Just answer me."
Right… I need to tell it to her straight. I'm tired of this cat-and-mouse game of emotions.
"A joke to me? Never. You mean more to me than you can imagine. Tell me, how am I supposed to pull you out of the dark when you've been avoiding me?"
"I—"
Caspian cut her off. "Let me finish. I'm not usually good at speaking from the heart, but right now, the words are just flowing out.
As for trust, isn't it the other way around? Aren't you the one who doesn't trust me enough? You probably think I'm going to leave you eventually or fail you when it matters most."
When he saw her body jolt at his words, he walked toward her with steady, confident strides.
"Stop!" Tatsumaki raised her hand again, but this time, Caspian's right hand caught hers, their fingers intertwining.
Caspian gently squeezed her hand, gazing into her watery emerald-green eyes. "You must be crazy to think I would ever abandon you." He pulled her closer, looking down at her.
"Let go…" Tatsumaki hammered his chest with her clenched fist, but there was no strength or psychic power behind it—only vulnerability.
"I won't ever let you go." He brought his left hand to her lower back. "I promise I'll always be there for you. Let me be the unshakeable strength that can call upon in your darkest hour. Tatsumaki, I love you."
Tatsumaki's watery eyes finally gave way as tears streamed down her face. "I-I… I love you too!" The tension that had gripped her entire body melted away as she threw herself against his chest, her fist that had been striking him now clutching his upper back. Her soft sobs filling the delightsome moment.
Eventually, her sobs faded. Caspian, noticing this, pulled back just enough for their eyes to meet, a silent understanding passing between them about what would come next.
Caspian leaned down as she rose onto the tips of her toes. In that moment, their lips met, his brushing against her small, soft ones. What began as a tender kiss gradually deepened, growing more passionate. As his tongue gently explored, he tasted the sweet hint of her caramel apple lip gloss before her tongue met his in a slow, intimate dance.
He felt it again, just as he had with Mosquito Girl in the karaoke room. That wild, relentless thumping of his heart. The thrill, the rush of love and lust. Caspian knew now, without a doubt, this was his anchor, his tether to humanity. It grounded him, kept his emotions alive, and staved off the creeping boredom of being beyond all other lifeforms.
Tatsumaki pulled back, breaking their kiss. Her face was as red as an apple, her eyes still slightly swollen from her earlier sobbing.
"I guess this means we're… something, maybe a couple... now, perhaps?" Caspian said, not letting silence settle between them.
Tatsumaki's expression softened into a radiant smile as she nodded. To Caspian, it shone brighter than the setting sun behind her. The horizon burned with a deep orange, reminiscent of the evening they had first met.
As the two lost themselves in each other's eyes, Tatsumaki's cellphone rang, shattering the moment. Her phone, enveloped in her aura, floated up to her ear.
Does that dress have hidden pockets?
"What? Are you serious? Can't this wait unt—Fine!" She hung up the phone and let out an irritated exhale.
"Good. Never lose that cute temper of yours."
Her blush deepened as she said, "Don't you dare say things like that to me around others. I mean it."
"Alright, alright, I won't. Don't worry." Caspian raised his hands in surrender. "So, I take it you have to leave now?"
"The Hero Association needs to speak to me in person. Probably to question me about what happened today."
"And what do you plan on telling them?" Caspian asked.
"That depends. Are you going to explain to me what happened today? How you seemed to have known what was going to happen before it did?"
"You want me to tell you right now? I thought you had to go?"
"The Hero Association can wait for a while longer."
For the next several minutes, Caspian recounted the day's events and his so-called 'prophetic abilities.' He left out the part about dying and being transmigrated into the main character of his favorite series, for now...
Tatsumaki crossed her arms, her emerald-green eyes narrowing slightly as she processed his words. "Hmm. And about that 'Lord Boros' back at your apartment, his aura is stronger than any monster I've ever encountered. How can you be sure he won't go on a rampage? You know he destroyed A-City, right?"
Caspian shook his head. "Boros is a great guy. Sure, he's made a couple of mistakes, but who hasn't? And now he has a second chance to do good. All he wants is to experience fun, thrilling fights. Having someone that powerful on our side could change the future in ways you're not even considering. I hope you'll trust me on this."
"You're ridiculous… And I'm more ridiculous for agreeing to go along with it. But fine, I trust you." Tatsumaki sighed, though a small smile betrayed her exasperation.
"That's my girl! Hey, before you go…" Caspian stepped closer, stealing a quick kiss from Tatsumaki before pulling back. "…I wanted to ask if you would like to go on a date with me to a summer festival being held in K-City three days from now?"
Tatsumaki looked stunned but happy, her fingers touching against her lips as if savoring the sensation. "A festival… I might enjoy that."