Hana smiled. “Then I guess you’d better come in and wait for the rain to stop.”
She was, in every sense of the word, moe . That indefinable quality of clumsy, heart-tugging charm that made you want to protect her, even as she held the umbrella.
They started walking. The rain drummed a softer rhythm now. Yuki navigated the puddles with careful, hopping steps, holding the umbrella high so Hana wouldn’t have to duck. Every few paces, she would glance up at Hana, as if to make sure she was still there. Moe girl touch advance
Hana took the cardigan. As she slipped her arms into the sleeves—which were, predictably, too short for her—the girl smiled. It was a small, shy curve of her lips that transformed her entire face.
The girl’s face brightened. “That’s two blocks over! I can show you.” She stepped closer, bringing Hana under the umbrella’s canopy. “But first, you’re shivering.” Hana smiled
This was not how her first solo outing was supposed to go.
Yuki froze. For a heartbeat, the world was just the rain and the space between them. Then, Yuki leaned, just a fraction, into Hana’s touch. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she looked up, and her dark eyes held a question Hana hadn’t known she was waiting to answer. They started walking
“You look lost,” the girl said, tilting her head. A single droplet of water clung to the tip of her nose.
It wasn’t a demand. It was an invitation. A final, perfect advance.
“Will you be okay getting back?” Hana asked, her voice suddenly rough.