The plan was simple.
Dress down. Go out. Pretend not to be madly in love in public.
The execution? Less simple.
"Is this too obvious?" Kaelira asked, holding up a bucket hat, a mask, and the largest sunglasses Aria had ever seen. "I look like I'm hiding from aliens."
Aria, in contrast, had shown up in a cozy oatmeal sweater, a tote bag covered in pressed flowers, and her usual sleepy-but-cute energy. She tilted her head at Kaelira's outfit and grinned.
"You look like someone trying not to look like Kae… which, ironically, makes you look more like Kaelira."
Kaelira groaned, adjusted her hoodie drawstrings, and tucked a loose strand of hair into her cap. "I'm nervous."
"You're the biggest pop star in Korea and this is what makes you nervous?"
Kaelira's voice went soft. "You. Me. Together. Outside."
Aria's heart did a somersault.
⤹ ❀
They chose a small indie bookstore nestled in a quiet alley near a university. It smelled like paper, cinnamon, and soft jazz. A sleepy white cat was curled on the counter, barely glancing up when the bell jingled.
Aria made a beeline for the poetry shelf. Kaelira followed, pretending to browse but mostly watching Aria out of the corner of her eye.
"Do you always read the last page first?" Kaelira whispered, noticing.
Aria shrugged. "Only if it looks like it's going to break me. I like being prepared."
Kaelira leaned closer, their shoulders brushing. "That's cheating."
Aria turned, eyebrow raised. "And sneaking kisses behind potted roses isn't?"
Touché.
They paused at the romance shelf, where Aria picked up a book titled "Everything Soft, Everything True."
Kaelira leaned in, reading the back cover over her shoulder. "That sounds like us."
Aria didn't say anything, but her cheeks flushed pink.
They were halfway through a stack of zines when a pair of students entered—and one of them gasped.
"Wait, is that—?"
Kaelira instantly ducked behind a tall display of cookbooks. Aria nearly dropped her tea.
"Act natural," Kaelira whispered.
"Nothing about you crouching next to pasta cookbooks is natural," Aria hissed back, half-laughing.
They grabbed a random novel and hustled to the register, the cat meowing lazily as they paid and slipped out into the alley, hearts pounding.
Once they were safely around the corner, Aria burst out laughing. "We are so bad at being subtle."
Kaelira grinned. "Wanna be worse?"
She grabbed Aria's hand and pulled her toward the next stop.
⤹ ❀
They ducked into a hole-in-the-wall café with window seats and fairy lights strung across the ceiling. The menu was handwritten in chalk, and a very intense barista was crafting foam art like it was the Olympics.
They ordered two croissants (almond and strawberry cream), and a shared honey milk latte.
Aria sat by the window, her fingers tracing lazy shapes in the condensation. Kaelira sat across from her, tugging down her mask just enough to sip.
"I've missed this," Kaelira said softly.
"What, croissants?"
Kaelira smiled. "No. Just... being normal. With you."
Aria looked at her, really looked—at the way her cap was slightly askew, how her fingers tapped the cup when she was nervous, the gentle curve of her mouth when she looked at Aria like she was the only person in the world.
"You know," Aria said, voice barely above a whisper, "I don't care if we get caught. Not really."
Kaelira blinked. "You don't?"
Aria shook her head. "I mean, yeah, it'd be messy. And people might talk. But... I'd still choose this. I'd still choose you."
Kaelira looked like someone had knocked the air out of her lungs. She reached across the table and linked their pinkies under the tablecloth.
"That's all I need to hear."
They shared the last bit of croissant and left with powdered sugar on their sleeves and something sweeter in their chests.
⤹ ❀
Their last stop was a lifestyle shop with random things—stationery, house plants, glitter pens, and socks with frogs on them.
Kaelira was holding a ceramic duck mug. Aria was debating whether she needed another notebook when a soft hand brushed hers.
"Oops," Kaelira said, pretending to grab for the same pen. "Accidental hand-hold?"
Aria raised a brow. "You've been doing that since the bookstore."
Kaelira leaned in, eyes mischievous. "You're not complaining."
"...No," Aria admitted, "but you're definitely pushing your luck."
"Wanna see how far I can push it?"
Before Aria could answer, someone came down the aisle with a loud, "Excuse me!"
Both of them froze.
It wasn't a fan—it was just a woman with an armful of planters—but the panic-induced heart attack lasted a full five seconds.
They burst into laughter once she passed.
"I swear," Aria said, gasping, "we're going to die from nerves before anyone catches us."
Kaelira grinned. "At least we'll die cute."
⤹ ❀
They ended their day on a rooftop overlooking the quiet streets. The sky had turned soft and peachy, the city humming low and golden below.
Kaelira took off her hat. Aria pulled her hoodie tighter.
They sat on a blanket they found in the van, sharing a bag of convenience store snacks like teenagers skipping class.
"I don't want this day to end," Kaelira murmured.
Aria leaned her head on her shoulder. "Then don't let it."
Kaelira turned toward her, brushing a thumb over Aria's cheek.
"Is it okay if I kiss you here?"
Aria's smile was soft. "It's okay if you don't."
Kaelira blinked. "What?"
"You don't have to prove anything," Aria said. "You just have to be here. With me."
Kaelira didn't kiss her that moment.
She held her instead—longer, tighter, the kind of hug that said you matter without needing the words.
And Aria, pressed against her heartbeat under the soft sky, felt like the world had finally given her a place to bloom.