Saionji Nanase finished speaking and watched Natsume Chikage, her nerves stretched taut.
"I promise I'll take the bracelet you give me when the time comes." Chikage fell silent for a moment, then reached out and took her hand. "But I can't give you an answer now. I promised Rin that, no matter what, she'd be the first person I answered. Could you give me some time until then?" Nanase had been surprised enough that he hadn't rejected her outright. Now he was holding her hand, too, filling her with joy.
"Mm. I'll wait for you." Nanase smiled and put the bracelet away for now.
After that, neither of them spoke, but an intimate warmth gradually settled around them beneath the stars.
Shy and at a loss, Nanase pretended to gaze up at the sky to hide how happy she was and how fast her heart was beating.
Meanwhile, Chikage used Divine Power to look into their future.
He had always felt that he and Nanase would end up together someday.
She was innocent and adorable, shared his interests, and was curious about everything. She seemed so full of life.
Besides, being with her always brought him unexpected delights.
Deep down, he was very fond of her.
Divine Power slowly gathered around Nanase. She couldn't see everything the way Mido Orihime could, but her sixth sense was sharp. She vaguely felt a sudden warmth spread through her body.
The supernatural never crossed her mind. Blushing, she assumed that holding Chikage's hand had made her heart race and warmed her up.
Then scenes of the future appeared in Chikage's mind.
A dreamlike island in the sky appeared before him, so beautiful it hardly seemed real.
Birds and beasts he had never seen before drank by a river. Even tiny sprites played in