Thursday – Midnight – Mountainside Road
The night air was cold.
The moon hung low over the shadowy curves of a private mountain highway. Far from the city, from school, from anyone who would question what a boy like Aeron was doing behind the wheel of a machine that looked like it belonged to a god.
The black supercar waited at the foot of the track, its sleek frame catching reflections from the stars.
Ayaka stood beside it—wearing a black jacket over a dark blue dress, her white eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
> "Are you sure you want this?" Aeron asked.
"I've never been more sure of anything."
He didn't say anything else.
He opened the passenger door for her.
She got in.
And with the soft hum of ignition, they disappeared into the night.
---
Inside the Car – Minutes Later
The sound of the engine was thunderous—yet controlled.
The interior pulsed with blue light, mirroring Aeron's unreadable expression.
Ayaka didn't speak at first. She simply stared at him. How his fingers gripped the wheel. How his body relaxed when the car reached full speed. How… he breathed easier here than anywhere else.
> "You're beautiful when you're like this," she said softly.
He glanced at her, then back at the road. "Don't say things you'll regret."
"I won't."
The car surged faster—cutting corners, weaving down the tightest curves with perfect precision. Ayaka's heart pounded not from fear, but from awe.
He wasn't just driving.
He was flying.
> And she was the only one allowed to fly with him.
---
At the Summit – Moments of Stillness
He parked at the top overlook.
Silence replaced the rush.
City lights flickered far below, but up here—it was just them.
"I thought you only drove alone," Ayaka said quietly.
"I do."
"Then why me?"
A long pause.
"Because I knew you wouldn't scream."
Ayaka smiled faintly. "No. I'd never scream if I'm beside you."
She leaned closer.
He didn't move away.
> "This place… it's like your heart, isn't it?"
"Empty?"
"No. Wild. Untouched. And beautiful in a way no one understands."
Her voice broke.
> "Let me understand it."
> "Let me stay."
---
Back at the Mansion – Meanwhile
Mirei stared at the garage camera feed.
The car was out.
She clenched her phone.
> "He took her with him."
Her expression darkened.
She didn't need confirmation.
Only Aeron's mother had access to that system—and she wasn't the type to lie.
> "Ayaka… you were always one step ahead."
> "But I won't lose him. Not to family. Not to anyone."
---
Side Story – Tatsuki's Realization
Tatsuki, half-asleep in his room, scrolled through his secret group chat.
[Yume]: "Ayaka's missing. She's not picking up."
[Misora]: "She went with Aeron. She told me."
Tatsuki sat up straight.
> "Wait… she told you?"
He remembered how Ayaka always hovered near Aeron.
How she once glared at Hiyori during lunch.
> "Holy crap."
> "She's in love with him."
He grabbed his phone.
> "This just got complicated."
---
Closing Scene – The Drive Home
Aeron drove slower on the way back.
Ayaka's head rested on his shoulder.
She didn't say anything else.
She didn't need to.
> That night, nothing happened between them.
> But everything changed.
And when they got home, Himari stood by the gate—arms crossed, waiting.
She smiled knowingly.
> "So," she said, "did you find your freedom tonight?"
Aeron simply walked past her.
Ayaka followed close behind.
And Himari whispered to herself:
> "It's already begun."