Chapter 256: Chapter 256- Dating

"The wound is fine. It’s healed. I was going to find you after I was done here."

Luke grinned, striding closer. "Good to hear, man! I was starting to get worried. Anyway, I was looking for you because I needed to tell you—YOWCH!"

His sentence ended in a sharp yelp as Vivi, with a sweet yet utterly terrifying smile, delivered a swift, precise kick to his shin.

"What my dear Luke means to say," Vivi interjected, her voice sugary sweet as she looped her arm through his, "is that it can wait until later. We’re clearly interrupting their date." She then turned her smile towards Luke, though her eyes held a dangerous glint. "And besides, didn’t you promise to take me shopping? Or did you forget already?"

Luke was still hopping on one foot, his face contorted in pain. "Geez, Vivi! That hurt! Why is a girl like you so—?"

He was cut short as Vivi’s smile widened, her head tilting to the side in a way that made Luke’s blood run cold. "Hmm? Did you say something, Luke?"

Luke immediately froze, the color draining from his face. He swallowed hard. "...No. Nothing at all."

Satisfied, Vivi turned back to Julian and a thoroughly flustered Aya. "Sorry about him. He has no sense of timing. You two enjoy your evening!" She then began pulling a thoroughly subdued Luke away by his arm.

As they were dragged off, Luke managed a weak wave. "S-sorry! Talk later, Julian!"

Julian simply shook his head, a faint, amused huff escaping him as he watched the chaotic duo disappear into the crowd. He then glanced down at Aya, whose face was still bright red from Vivi’s blunt mention of their "date."

"Shall we?" Julian asked, his voice soft again, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.

Aya, her heart still fluttering from the entire encounter, could only nod shyly. "Yes..."

Aya watched them disappear into the crowd, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Why don’t they just get together already?" she mused softly.

Julian blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "Wait, they aren’t dating?"

Aya shook her head, her smile turning a little wistful. "Not yet. From what I know, they’re both still hiding their feelings for each other."

Julian let out a short, dismissive breath. "That idiot."

Aya giggled softly. "What can we do? Maybe Luke is afraid that their friendship would be ruined if they started dating."

Julian glanced down at her, curiosity flickering in his calm eyes. "How did you figure all that out?"

"They’re just... very easy to read," Aya replied, her voice warm with amusement.

Julian nodded slowly, taking in her words. He was quiet for a moment, the sounds of the city filling the space between them. Then, he asked a question that seemed to come from a place of genuine, uncharacteristic contemplation, his gaze steady on her. "Is it really that different? Dating... compared to being friends."

Aya’s breath hitched slightly at the directness of the question, her cheeks warming again. She thought for a second, her eyes softening as she looked at their intertwined hands.

"It is," she said quietly, her voice full of sincerity. "When you’re friends, you walk side by side. But when you’re dating..." She tightened her grip on his hand just a little. "...you want to walk facing the same direction, hand in hand. It’s... the difference between liking someone’s presence, and choosing them as your destination."

"So, Do you think a person can be perfectly comfortable as a friend, yet afraid to take the step into a relationship... even if, logically, they know they would likely just act the same, only more intimately?"

He looked back at Aya, genuinely seeking her perspective.

Aya listened carefully, her expression softening. She hummed gently in thought before answering. "I think... the feeling would be fundamentally different," she said, her voice gentle but sure. "As friends, there’s a safety net. A line you don’t cross. You can be close, but there’s a limit. Once you become a couple, that line vanishes. You’re fully exposed. You have the right to be jealous, to expect more of their time and heart, and they have the same right over you. That vulnerability... is terrifying for some people."

She glanced at their joined hands, then back at him. "They might tell themselves nothing will change, but deep down, they know everything could change. And the fear of losing what they already have... can be stronger than the hope of gaining something more."

Julian absorbed her words, a faint, wry smile touching his lips. "What a troublesome way to think."

Aya nodded in agreement, a small, understanding smile on her own face. "It is. But... it’s also a very human feeling."

"Yeah." Julian acknowledged her point. He then looked directly at her, his gaze intense and unwavering. "Then I suppose it’s a good thing I’m not afraid of things like that."

"Me neither," she whispered back, her voice firm despite its softness.

Julian glanced at her, a look of mild surprise crossing his features before it softened into something more appreciative. "I never realized you were so perceptive about these things."

Aya smiled, a little shyly. "It’s because I’m a good listener. People often come to me to talk about their problems." She paused, her gaze turning thoughtful. "And maybe... because I’m someone who doesn’t talk much myself, they feel comfortable telling me everything."

Julian considered this for a moment, then a slow, genuine smile touched his lips. "In that case," he said, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone, "it means I can talk to you about anything, doesn’t it?"

Aya’s eyes met his, shining with sincerity and warmth. "Yes," she replied, her voice firm and gentle. "I will listen to all of it, Julian. Everything you want to say."

Julian’s smile widened into a rare, full grin. "You said that so proudly, though. ’I’m a good listener,’" he teased, gently mimicking her earlier tone.

Aya’s eyes flew wide open, her cheeks flushing a brilliant scarlet. "I-I did not! That’s just what my friends call me! I didn’t say I think I’m a good listener!" she protested, her voice rising in flustered panic.

A low, warm chuckle escaped Julian, It was a laugh Aya rarely heard, and it only made her heart beat faster.

"J-Julian!" she whined, utterly embarrassed. In a fit of playful frustration, she began lightly pounding her fists against his chest. "Don’t tease me! Stop it!"

Julian simply let her, his laughter softening into a deeply amused smile as he endured the gentle, harmless assault, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long, long time.