𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 cyno ( ✓ )

#34 , what would i do?

"take care of (name) for me, and please celebrate her birthday with the cake i bought for her. see you later, tighnari."

with that, cyno left, leaving tighnari with unanswered questions and the weight of concern hanging over him for (name) and cyno's relationship. the room echoed with the unresolved emotions of an unexpected farewell.

in the gentle afternoon light, (name) and tighnari chatted on their walk. laughter and memories filled the air as they updated each other on their lives.

since cyno left, tighnari had been a steady friend, connecting (name) to the times she shared with her absent companion.

as they shared stories and jokes, the familiarity of their friendship shone through. (name) couldn't help but smile, grateful for tighnari's presence in her life during what could have been a lonely period.

however, amidst the lively chatter, (name) noticed a group of familiar faces approaching from a distance.

her friends, including sara, itto, heizou, and ayaka, were heading in their direction. a bittersweet realization washed over her as she turned to tighnari, "looks like my gang is here. it's been great catching up, tighnari."

tighnari nodded, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "yeah, it has been. take care, okay?"

with a warm smile, (name) bid farewell to tighnari, joining her friends as they enveloped her in their lively banter.

tighnari stood alone for a moment, watching them with a mixture of happiness for (name) and a tinge of sadness.

as he turned to continue his walk, he found himself face to face with scaramouche, (name)'s mischievous twin. scaramouche leaned against a nearby tree, eyeing tighnari with an amused smirk.

"what's with the long face, foxy? missing her already, huh?" scaramouche teased, always quick with a remark.

the fox boy sighed, "you know it's not easy for (name). i'm just trying to be there for her."

scaramouche's smirk grew wider. "sure, sure. but you know, it's pretty obvious."

tighnari furrowed his brow, "obvious? what are you talking about?"

scaramouche chuckled, "it's written all over your face, foxy. you like her, don't you? even though she's still technically cyno's girl."

tighnari's ears drooped, a flush of embarrassment coloring his fox-like features. "i... i can't help it. i care about her a lot. but she's with cyno, and i respect that."

scaramouche shrugged, "well, just saying, foxy, sometimes feelings don't play by the rules. watch yourself."

with that cryptic advice, scaramouche strolled away, leaving tighnari to contemplate the complicated web of emotions he found himself entangled in.

meanwhile, (name) walked through the park with her friends—sara, itto, heizou, and ayaka. their lively chatter filled the air, matching the colorful sky.

as they strolled, (name) noticed a couple on a bench, sharing ice creams and reading a book together. the scene hit her with a wave of memories—moments she used to share with cyno, moments that now caused her heart to ache.

she remembered the times they spent on that very bench, enjoying ice creams and losing themselves in books. the couple's simple happiness mirrored what she and cyno once had.

a wistful smile crossed (name)'s face as she continued walking. she didn't want to bring down the cheerful mood with her thoughts, but the park now felt heavier with the weight of those memories.

as (name)'s smile softened into a thoughtful expression, heizou, perceptive as always, sensed her change in mood.

with a friendly nudge, he linked his arm through hers, steering her gently away from the couple on the bench.

heizou grinned, "hey, (name), have you tried that new popcorn stand near the fountain? i heard they have some crazy flavors."

trying to pull her focus away, he continued, "i mean, seriously, they have one that tastes like pizza. pizza-flavored popcorn! can you believe it?"

heizou's antics were met with a small laugh from (name), appreciating his effort to distract her. "pizza-flavored popcorn? that sounds weirdly intriguing."

heizou nodded enthusiastically, "right? let's give it a shot! i bet it's either going to be a flavor explosion or a disaster, but either way, it's better to be safe than sorry!"

sara, catching wind of their conversation, couldn't help but interject, "and who told you that you can whisk (name) away from us?" she remarked sharply, her disapproval evident. heizou, unfazed, simply stuck his tongue out, still clinging to (name)'s arm.

heizou, with a playful glint in his eye, declared, "you guys go ahead; (name) and i have a little date."

without giving them a chance to respond, he began gently tugging (name) away, directing them towards the popcorn stand he'd mentioned.

sara, deciding to stick with ayaka and itto, rolled her eyes at heizou's theatrics. "fine, go have your 'popcorn date.' we'll hold down the fort here."

ayaka chimed in, "honestly, heizou is like a whirlwind. always stirring things up."

itto, ever the hype man, chuckled, "just let him have his fun. it's heizou being heizou."

as they headed toward the stand, heizou maintained his lively banter, "you know, (name), popcorn preferences can reveal a lot about a person. i, for one, am a classic butter and salt kind of guy. what about you?"

(name), amused by the unexpected turn of events, laughed, "i guess i'm about to find out. surprise me, heizou!"

with heizou leading the way, still playfully clutching (name)'s arm, they reached the popcorn stand. the vendor, a cheerful individual with a colorful array of popcorn flavors behind the counter, greeted them.

heizou, never one to settle for the ordinary, leaned over the counter, engaging in an animated discussion with the popcorn vendor about the quirkiest flavors available.

"let's see, we've got truffle parmesan, chili lime, and... oh, here's a wildcard – dill pickle!" heizou exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.

(name) raised an eyebrow, "dill pickle popcorn? that's a bold choice."

heizou chuckled, "bold is my middle name! but hey, if it's not your thing, we can always go for the classics. no pressure."

(name) smiled, appreciating heizou's enthusiasm. "let's mix it up a bit. i'm curious about that dill pickle flavor."

heizou thanked the vendor, securing a bag of the unconventional popcorn. "dill pickle it is!"

as they received their popcorn bags, heizou handed one to (name) with a mock bow. "to our impromptu popcorn date!"

chapter written : december 12 2023