Jitsu -A different story-

"Thanks for the help, hehe."

"I could say that it's kind of an honor for me to do this for you… But actually, after what you said, I got a little worried and it's better to be safe than sorry." After Kurono said those words, Shizune couldn't help but laugh once again due to the situation.

They had both just left the apartment after saying goodbye to everyone, and seeing the stairs they had to go down, Shizune couldn't help but comment that she hoped she didn't trip since she was wearing some new heels that Rena had given her. That very thing had made Kurono quickly offer his arm for Shizune to take and help her go down carefully, ending up with no problem and reaching the safety of the ground.

Despite that, Shizune didn't show any signs of wanting to let go of Kurono's arm, instead, she moved her body even closer to his as she thought that she might not have many opportunities to do something similar during their little date, which Kurono noticed, but he didn't say anything against it as they both walked towards his car.

"It might be a shame I wasn't the first one to tell you tonight, but you look beautiful, Shizune." Kurono had taken his time to let those words out once they reached the side of his car. It was true that a few moments ago, inside the apartment, there was no shortage of compliments that both Rena and Akio gave Shizune for how she looked, but at the same time, Kurono needed to let Shizune know that he thought she looked beautiful too.

"It took you a while to say it…" Shizune's words weren't what Kurono was expecting, as she had turned her face away while saying them, which subconsciously made Kurono think that Shizune had been upset by that simple detail, but in reality, he had nothing to worry about. "Hehe, I'm just kidding. The truth is that I understand what you're saying, and I'm glad to receive those kinds of compliments, but for me, the fact that you're the one who says it makes it that much more special and makes me really happy."

Seeing the smile that Shizune gave him after saying those words, Kurono felt lucky that someone like her loved him deeply. The simple fact of hearing those sincere thoughts from her made him know that once again he overthought everything a lot when the reality was that, in all this time that Shizune had been by his side, rarely did anything complicated happen or that they couldn't solve by talking to each other. "Besides, I can tell you myself that you look very handsome too, so much so that I'm worried that other women might notice you too much." After hearing that, Kurono couldn't help but laugh as he looked at Shizune's expression, who had also joined him in laughing lightly. It was pretty obvious to Kurono that Shizune was simply joking around with him, but he also understood what Shizune wanted to tell him before.

Maybe Kurono didn't have a very exaggerated opinion of him, he could accept the fact that he was a person who tried to take care of his appearance, as well as his physique, and maybe that was a small attraction that he himself could accept about him, but just like Shizune said, he could appreciate the compliments that other people can give him, but for him the most important thing was Shizune's opinion, and it was enough to know that she liked him just the way he was.

"I know you know I only have eyes for you."

"I know, I always have it in mind, but I like to hear it directly from you." Shizune's face was once again adorned by that simple but beautiful smile that further highlighted her beauty at that moment. It was clear that Kurono couldn't help but be enchanted by it and that many ideas came to his mind, but at the same time, he was aware of the occasion and that he could leave all that for another time.

As was already common between them, Kurono was quick to do the small detail of opening the car door for Shizune while helping her get in, and Shizune thanked Kurono once again before he also got in through the driver's side.

"I know that this kind of detail is not very common and that some people may think that the equality aspect is lost just because of that or that it is somewhat exaggerated, but I have always appreciated and liked that you have that attention with me." At first, Kurono did not understand what Shizune meant, but his mind worked fast enough to understand that she was talking about how he opened the door for her whenever they went somewhere in his car.

Maybe it was something without much relevance, something that could be ignored or just mentioned as what it was, a simple detail, but Kurono thought for a moment before starting to say something in response to Shizune's words.

"Even though it is the first time you mention it after all the time we have been together, I am glad that it is not really something that bothers you or something similar. I know it's not a common thing to do, but besides it really is a small gesture that I like to have with you, I think there's also another small meaning or reason." Kurono was preparing everything to start the car as he said those words, but once he finished, he was aware of Shizune's curious expression as well as her question.

"Is there another reason for you to do that?" Shizune was really curious. She didn't think that just mentioning that would make Kurono act that way, so she couldn't help but blurt out that question.

"I don't know if I should define it that way, although in reality it was your words that made a memory come to my mind and I took it as such." It was then that Kurono became thoughtful once more, but at the same time, a small and sincere smile was forming on his face before continuing with what he wanted to say. "I simply remembered that it was something I used to do when I was a child."

Those same words continued to leave Shizune quite curious, but at the same time, they made her feel somewhat confused until she continued listening to Kurono's explanation. "What I mean is that among all the memories left from when I still lived with my parents, one of them was that I liked to open the car door for my mother when we all went out together, although she clearly helped me do it too since my strength was not enough" It was then that Shizune finally understood what was on Kurono's mind. "It may not be something incredible, but it was a nice memory, sorry if I seemed a little melancholy."

"You don't need to apologize." Shizune had just shaken her head as she said that and took Kurono's hand in one of hers. "This just makes me realize that, despite everything we've shared, there are still many things we can discover about each other. At the same time, this little detail has another equally special meaning, so please don't stop doing it in the future."

Again, Kurono thought about Shizune's words before nodding at them. It was quite clear to both him and Shizune that a year ago when they had started this relationship, they had both learned and discovered many aspects of each other, which had made the feelings between them grow over time, reaching the point where many irreplaceable memories were generated, and at the same time the appreciation, affection, and mutual love between them was the most precious thing they had at this moment.