Chapter 57: Evangeline

I hesitated.

For some reason, taking her hand felt like stepping into something I wasn't sure I could handle.

But with a resigned sigh, I let my fingers wrap around hers.

"Alright… let's just see where this goes," I thought.

Evangeline's grip was firm but playful as she tugged me forward, her pace quickening like she had a destination in mind.

She looked so happy… way too happy.

Like there was something she was hiding.

"Where are we going?" I asked, but she only shot me a grin over her shoulder, her blue hair catching the faint glow of the streetlights.

"You'll see." She said, while looking right into my eyes.

Her green color was more intense, like she perfectly knew where we were going.

I kept following her in silence, with curiosity in my mind.

For some reason, I trusted her.

The grip on my hand was tight, but also soft.

Evangeline's hand was very delicate and her touch felt nice.

In other occasions, I wouldn't have done things like that , but I felt a strange connection with her, like we already knew each other.

It is very complicated to explain in words, but i didn't feel any kind of embarrassment.

It was like holding my little brother's hand to describe the feeling of familiarity I was feeling with her.

She led me down the quiet streets until we arrived at a small park tucked between two rows of houses.

There wasn't much to it.

Just an old bench, a faded slide, and a pair of swings swaying lightly in the breeze.

As we stepped into the park, a strange feeling hit me.

It wasn't anything obvious, just this faint pull at the back of my mind, like I'd been here before.

Déjà vu, maybe. That's how you call this feeling.

"Mon chéri," Evangeline started, glancing back at me with a mischievous smile, "if you keep being so sweet to Suzuki, you're going to steal her heart for good, you know."

She said that phrase out of nowhere, like she was trying to distract me from my own thoughts.

I frowned, but I couldn't deny it.

I was fully aware of how Suzuki felt about me, and yet… I didn't understand myself.

Why had I bought her that ring? It wasn't like me to do something so impulsive.

Moreover… throwing illusions like these to such a gentle soul like Suzuki… it wasn't a good thing to do… I knew it… and yet…

"Is that what you want?" Evangeline teased, interrupting my thoughts. "To make her fall for you?"

I shook my head. "No. I just… I didn't want her to be sad."

Evangeline laughed, a soft, knowing sound. "Ah, that's exactly why she's falling for you. You have no idea, do you? Have you realized how she's gonna feel if you keep being this gentle with her?" Evangeline said, with a soft but sweet voice, while looking at the moonlight.

I didn't even have the time to answer, because I couldn't find proper words.

I just scratched the back of my head.

She then let go of my hand and made a beeline for the swings.

But instead of sitting down, she climbed onto one and stood, gripping the chains with both hands.

"So? What are you going to do?" She said, with a warm smile.

"I… don't want her to think of bad things…" I said, while looking on the ground for some seconds.

"Mmh… I know , Fumi. I know. You were just trying to help yourself, don't you?" Evangeline said, with a soft voice.

I looked straight into her eyes.

"Eh..? What do you mean?" I asked , curious.

"Well… you don't want people around you to be sad or experience what you're feeling. You did the same for me. You're an open book." Evangeline said, while starting to swing a little.

"I guess… I don't know… to be honest. But you're probably right."'I said with a sigh.

Evangeline didn't reply. She just smiled reassuringly, like she was saying "it's okay."

But then, I noticed that her swinging became a little bit faster.

She was trying her best to go faster.

"H-Hey! You're going to hurt yourself," I said, trying to reach for her.

She just laughed—a wild, carefree sound that echoed through the empty park.

"Just live the moment, Fumi! Don't live in your pain! There's no price to happiness! It's free! Hahaha!" She shouted.

Her words sent a shiver trough all my all my spine.

So many emotions flooded into my mind.

She began to swing way faster, the chains creaking as she pumped her legs.

Her laughter grew louder, filling the night air.

"Evangeline, seriously—!" I tried to say, trying to take some steps towards her.

But she didn't stop.

She swung higher and higher, her hair flying behind her, her laughter ringing out like some kind of challenge to the universe.

I had to take some distance just to don't get hit by her.

.

But suddenly, I got hit by another thing

Seeing her swinging so happily actually brought some strange feelings inside my mind.

Flashes of fragmented memories.

The rush of wind against my face.

The exhilaration of standing on a swing, pushing higher and higher.

Carefree laughter, like hers.

I blinked, and the memories were gone, leaving only the strange sensation of something I couldn't quite grasp.

"Come on!" she called, slowing to a stop.

She turned to me, her face lit up with excitement. "Your turn."

"I haven't been on one of these in… years," I muttered, staring at the swings like they were foreign objects.

"Then it's about time," she said with a grin.

With a sigh, I stepped forward and climbed onto the swing next to hers.

I stood, gripping the chains tightly, feeling the unsteady wobble beneath me.

The cold feeling of those rusty metal against the palm of my hands felt strange, and nostalgic, in a certain way.

So, as I pushed off, something clicked.

I don't know how to explain it… maybe muscle memory or something deeper.

Before I knew it, I was swinging, standing tall, the wind rushing past me.

It felt… natural.

We swung side by side, higher and higher, her laughter mixing with mine.

I laughed. I actually laughed.

For the first time in forever, I felt alive.

Like I wasn't just going through the motions.

Like I wasn't pretending to be someone I wasn't.

It was different from when I was at park with my friends.

Another side of me came out and took confrol of my body and mind.

For ten minutes, it was just us—no worries, no expectations, no masks.

I even forgot who Ema was.

Eventually, we slowed to a stop, both of us breathless and grinning like idiots.

We made our way to the bench, collapsing onto it side by side.

I felt… lighter, like a weight I didn't even know I was carrying had been lifted.

"You're smiling," Evangeline said softly, leaning back on the bench. "I like it. You should do it more often."

I didn't respond, but I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching, the warmth lingering in my chest.

Silence stretched between us, comfortable and easy.

And then, without warning, she reached out and took my hand.

I looked at her, startled, but her expression had changed.

The teasing glint in her eyes was gone, replaced by something softer.

Vulnerable.

"Fumihiro," she began, her voice quiet, "there's something I need to tell you…"

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, I felt my heart skip.

Whatever she was about to say, I had the feeling it was going to change everything.

"Fumi… I…" she said, with an almost embarassed tone of voice.

I felt her fingers rubbing my hand, like she was trying to gather some courage.

"Fumi…" she said…