The lights of the studio had dimmed, and the echoes of their final performance still lingered faintly in Kaede's ears as she stepped outside with Mirei. It was already 7.30 pm. The air was crisp with a soft evening breeze, and a quiet stillness settled over them as they walked toward the back entrance, away from the lingering chatter of staff.

“Do you have any other schedule after this?” Kaede asked, her voice casual but with a hint of hope.

Mirei pulled out her phone and quickly messaged her manager. “Let me check.”

Kaede waited in silence, fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. A few seconds passed before Mirei turned to her with a little grin. “Approved. I’m free.”

Kaede’s eyes sparkled. “Great! Wanna have dinner with me?”

Mirei smirked playfully, “Was hoping you’d ask that.”

They picked a quiet, tucked-away restaurant known for its cozy private rooms. After slipping off their coats and settling at the low table, they placed their orders — something light but warm to soothe their energy after the long shoot.

As they waited, Kaede pulled out her phone and tapped on the streaming link of their live show replay. “Wanna watch it with me?”

Mirei leaned in closer, their shoulders gently touching. “Of course. Let’s see how we did.”

They both watched silently at first, chuckling a few times at their quiz answers and awkward faces caught by the camera. Then came the performance part. The magical Disney cover first — the audience had gone completely still during that, and the comments were already flooding with awe and praise.

Mirei nudged Kaede’s arm, eyes on the screen. “You’re really cool, Kaede. Look at that stage presence. Just… wow.”

Kaede blushed and grinned. “You helped me a lot with the interview, though. I was nervous as hell.”

“I didn’t notice,” Mirei replied with a proud smile. “You sounded so confident.”

They continued watching, but Kaede noticed Mirei's body tensing slightly as they neared the final performance. Her hands fidgeted, and her gaze dropped.

Kaede, without a word, reached across the table and held Mirei’s hand firmly. “It’s going great,” she said softly.

Mirei sighed. “But it could’ve been better… I almost ruined it.”

Kaede shook her head with quiet conviction. “No, you won’t. I won’t let you.”

Mirei turned to her, caught off guard by Kaede’s words. Her eyes softened. “Thank you… Kaede.”

There was a moment of stillness between them, a quiet connection that didn’t need many words. Mirei looked back at the screen, then down at the comment section. “Should we… look at the comments?”

Kaede gave a confident nod. “It’s okay. I’ll read them. There will always be someone who hates us or tries to drag us down. But we don’t need to carry those voices.”

Mirei stared at her girlfriend in awe. “You really have a good mentality, Kaede.”

Kaede shrugged lightly, offering her a small smile. “I need to.”

The food arrived not long after — warm bowls of soup and grilled dishes that filled the room with a comforting aroma. Between bites, Kaede read through the comments aloud.

“‘Their chemistry is insane.’ ‘I never expected them to harmonize this well.’ ‘This duet needs to happen again!’”

Kaede grinned and turned the phone to Mirei. “Look! 90% of these are so positive!”

Mirei leaned in and smiled softly. “Glad they love it. Not many pointed out my mistake in the end…”

She gave a faint, bittersweet chuckle. Kaede instantly reached for her hand again.

“It’s really nothing, and you were amazing,” she said with complete sincerity.

Mirei’s eyes glistened just a little as she whispered, “Thank you.”

They continued eating, the heaviness slowly lifting from Mirei’s shoulders. Laughter returned to their voices, the warmth of the meal filling more than just their stomachs.

At the end of dinner, Kaede suddenly remembered something. “Mirei, your promotions ended, right?”

Mirei leaned back with a sigh of relief. “Well… yeah. Finally, I can breathe for a bit.”

Kaede hesitated for a moment, then scratched her cheek nervously. “Umm… do you have any free day coming up?”

Mirei narrowed her eyes teasingly. “Someone wants to take me on a date?”

Kaede’s cheeks turned pink as she fumbled with her words. “W-well… not really a date. I just wanna do something with you…”

“Kaede.” Mirei leaned in closer, grinning. “Just be honest.”

Kaede looked down shyly, letting out a tiny laugh. “W-well… okay. Yeah.”

Mirei tapped her lip in thought. “I think I have one day. It’s not a full day off, but my schedule finishes in the afternoon. If you don’t mind that…”

“Not at all! That’s perfect!” Kaede said, her eyes lighting up. “When?”

“18th of March,” Mirei replied, then added, “But I’ll double-check with my manager and text you again later, okay?”

Kaede nodded enthusiastically. “Sounds great!”

Mirei then leaned her chin on her hand and asked curiously, “So… what do you want to do?”

Kaede tried to play it cool, not wanting to reveal her true plan — a surprise proposal. “J-just… have fun together.”

“Why’d you stutter?” Mirei smirked. “You already have something in mind, don’t you?”

“N-nothing…”

Mirei giggled, then said with playful innocence, “Then can I propose my date idea?”

Kaede froze mid-breath, coughing violently at the word “propose.” She quickly reached for her water.

Mirei’s eyes widened. “Are you okay?! Why are you choking suddenly? You scared me!”

Kaede waved her hand and finally recovered. “S-sorry…”

She cleared her throat, face flushed, and mumbled, “I have a plan. Just wait for it…”

Mirei smiled warmly. She wanted to tease her more, but something about Kaede’s shy excitement made her heart flutter too much. She leaned back and whispered, “I can’t wait.”

As they walked outside after paying, the sky had turned deep blue, stars twinkling faintly above the quiet city. They shared a gentle hug before heading in opposite directions — each with their own thoughts, their hearts just a little fuller than before.

Later that night, Kaede, fresh out of the shower and in her pajamas, checked her phone. A message from Mirei popped up:

“Confirmed! 18 March will be our date!”

Kaede smiled, her heart skipping. She replied:

“Okay. Love you.”

She set her phone down and looked up at her ceiling, letting the soft glow of anticipation fill her chest. The date was set. And with it… her chance to ask the most important question of her life.