“A Summer That Almost Felt Forever”
The evening sun slowly sank beyond the trees, painting the old wooden veranda in warm shades of gold and amber. For once, there were no devils to hunt, no bloodshed, no orders to follow. Just the quiet sound of summer insects and the distant rustling of leaves.
Denji sat comfortably on the engawa, his headphones connected to an old silver Discman resting in his hand. His eyes were closed, a peaceful smile resting on his face as music played softly through the earphones.
Reze sat beside him, her knees drawn against her chest. She leaned into his side, listening to the faint music escaping from his earbud. His arm rested naturally around her shoulders.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Tiny fireflies drifted through the garden, glowing between the purple hydrangeas. Reze watched them with a faint smile before turning her gaze toward Denji.
“You look really happy,” she murmured.
Denji opened one eye.
“Yeah. I guess I am.”
Reze smiled and gently took his hand between hers, resting it against her cheek.
“Is this what you wanted?”
Denji looked at her for a moment.
“Something like this.”
A quiet breeze passed through the garden, carrying the scent of summer rain.
Reze lowered her eyes.
“Then… let's stay here a little longer.”
Denji smiled again and closed his eyes.
“Okay.”
The music continued.
For those few precious minutes, the world outside seemed impossibly far away. They both knew that moments like this could never last forever.
But neither of them wanted to think about tomorrow.
Tonight, beneath the fading summer sky, Denji and Reze simply stayed together—holding onto a fleeting happiness that felt almost too beautiful to be real.