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It's Rin standing at the top of a mountain, wind in her hair, framed by the setting sun. And Rin might be trembling because of the height, but she's beautiful, regardless of how much Aokbab tells herself this absolutely cannot be allowed.
Rin looks down briefly, grips the railing tighter. "I feel like I'm falling."
And Aokbab doesn't look away. Because she too, feels like she's falling.
Is the world really this small? Aokbab remembers Arata Isozaki, and drawings. She remembers her lost sketchbook and the note from the helpful stranger who had found it. She remembers Rin lying next to her in bed. Rin repeating the words from that note, the words that had salved a piece of Aokbab's broken heart all those years ago. She remembers Rin screaming her lungs out on the gondola. Rin kneeling in front of her in the courtyard.
Was the universe trying to tell them something? Because Rin is reaching out, tentative. Rin is taking Aokbab's hand, placing it on her cheek. Rin speaks words about love, even if it's supposed to be someone else's story.
This is not Rin and Aokbab's story. So when Rin asks for a response, challenges Aokbab to play along, Aokbab gives in.
But Aokbab does not pretend. She says "I too love Kitakyushu, when you're here with me," and Aokbab is not playing. She cups Rin's face with both hands, rubs a thumb over a cheek.
And Rin looks at her like she knows, eyes boring into Aokbab's soul. Rin smiles.
Aokbab leans closer.
It's not their first kiss. This one is Aokbab's fault. But Aokbab is kissing Rin, and Rin is kissing right back. Because even if this didn't start out as her love story, Aokbab decides it might be time to write a new one.