Dead Man's Tales: HSOTD

Their third date was a spontaneous picnic at the park. Kozen had texted her one morning, asking, "Feel like taking a break from homework?" She didn't need to be asked twice.

They spread a blanket under a big cherry blossom tree, surrounded by petals that fell softly around them like pink snowflakes. Miku had brought sandwiches, and Kozen had surprised her with a box of mochi for dessert.

"This is nice," Miku murmured, gazing up at the branches, her mind lost in the moment.

"Yeah," Kozen replied quietly, his eyes flicking to her face. She felt his gaze and turned to find him looking at her, a strange, unreadable expression on his face.

"Uh… what?" she asked, a little flustered under his intense stare.

"Nothing," he replied, his voice softer than usual. "Just… you've got, uh…" He gestured vaguely to her cheek.

"Oh, do I?" She brushed at her cheek, missing the spot entirely.

"Here, let me…" Before she knew it, Kozen had leaned in, reaching out to gently brush a stray petal from her cheek. His hand lingered there for a moment, and her breath caught. She could feel her heart racing, her face heating up, and she realized he was much closer than she'd thought.

They both froze, and for a second, the world around them seemed to vanish, leaving only the soft rustle of leaves and the distant laughter of children playing. She could see every detail of his face—the flecks of green in his eyes, the faint scar near his eyebrow, the way his lips curved just slightly.

Then, almost without thinking, Miku leaned forward, her eyes fluttering shut as her lips brushed against his. The kiss was brief, a little clumsy, but it sent a rush of warmth through her like nothing she'd ever felt before.

When she pulled back, she opened her eyes to find Kozen looking at her, a mix of surprise and awkwardness on his face. She felt her cheeks turn a deep shade of red, and they both let out nervous laughs at the same time.

"Uh… well," Kozen stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess that… happened."

"Yeah," Miku replied, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry. That was… um, kind of weird, huh?"

"Not weird," he said quickly, giving her a lopsided smile. "Just… unexpected. But… a good kind of unexpected."

They both laughed again, the awkwardness easing into something warm and comfortable. After a moment, Kozen reached over, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hey… for the record," he murmured, glancing at her with a soft smile, "I'm glad it happened."

Miku's heart melted, and she squeezed his hand back, feeling like she was walking on air. It was strange, and new, but somehow, it felt right.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was a week later, after another one of those perfect days together. Kozen had planned this date as a surprise, and Miku had been curious all day, trying to guess where they were headed as they strolled through the bustling downtown area. She clung to his arm, laughing and making guesses.

The night had a chill to it, the kind that made Miku wish she'd brought a thicker jacket. The streetlights cast long shadows, and the faint hum of the city was all that filled the air as she and Kozen strolled together, laughing about anything and everything. They'd ended up outside an old, rundown building that was currently running a haunted house event—rumored to be one of the scariest in town.

Miku glanced up at the cracked, eerie windows and the faded sign that read "House of Haunts: Enter if you Dare!" and shivered. She liked ghost stories, but haunted houses were another story. Still, with Kozen by her side, she felt just brave enough.

"Think you can handle it?" 

Miku shot him a daring look, despite the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Please, I can totally handle a few cheap scares. The question is, can you?"

Kozen chuckled, offering his hand. "Alright then, let's go, tough girl."

The moment they stepped inside, Miku regretted her words. Fog machines filled the air with an ominous haze, and haunting, eerie music echoed through the darkness. Figures moved in the shadows—ghouls, ghosts, and all manner of creepy creatures, some of them too realistic for her comfort. Miku felt her courage waver as a dark, cloaked figure drifted past them, whispering something low and sinister.

Miku clutched Kozen's arm, squeezing tighter every time something leapt out of the shadows.

"You okay there?" he asked, laughing softly as he patted her hand.

"Totally fine," she lied, though her grip on his arm said otherwise.

They continued down the dim hallway, shadows shifting along the walls, and suddenly, a maniacal laugh sounded right behind her. Miku yelped, instinctively jumping onto Kozen's back, clinging to him with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

Kozen burst into laughter, adjusting his grip to hold her up securely. "Alright, alright, I've got you," he said, grinning as he hoisted her a little higher.

"Shut up," she muttered, burying her face against his shoulder as he carried her down the narrow hallway. She could feel his steady heartbeat against her chest, and despite the scares, a warmth spread through her.

Kozen smirked, squeezing her leg lightly. "Not so tough now, huh?"

She groaned, burying her face in his neck. "Just… keep walking, hero."

The next room was somehow even darker, with ghostly figures projected on the walls, moving as if they were watching them. Miku tightened her arms around him, her fingers brushing his chest, and she noticed the surprising firmness beneath her hands. She couldn't resist giving his pecs a little squeeze, giggling despite herself.

Kozen shot her a look over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted, blushing but grinning as she leaned her chin on his shoulder.

They finally came to a quiet corner, away from the jump scares and eerie noises, and Kozen set her down, his hands lingering at her waist as she steadied herself. They were close—closer than they'd ever been. She could see the way his gaze softened, could feel his fingers warm against her hips, and the whole world seemed to fade away.

"Kozen…" she began, her voice a whisper. "What… what are we?"

He looked at her for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then, he lifted a hand to gently brush a loose strand of hair from her face, his fingers grazing her cheek.

"I don't know," he murmured, his voice soft. "But I know I want us to be something."

Miku felt her cheeks flush, her heart pounding as she held his gaze. She knew this moment would be burned in her memory, a feeling she didn't want to end. Without another word, she leaned forward, closing the distance between them until her lips brushed his.

The kiss was soft, tentative, and a little clumsy. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but there was a sweetness in the awkwardness, a warmth that spread through her chest as he gently kissed her back, his hand moving to cup her cheek.

Just as they were getting lost in the moment, a voice from the shadows startled them both.

"Ohhh, young love!" came an exaggerated, ghostly moan.

They pulled apart in a flash, turning to see one of the haunted house employees—dressed in a tattered ghost costume, complete with pale makeup and dark shadows under her eyes—watching them with an amused grin. She gave them a thumbs-up, her voice dropping into a low, spooky tone.

"You two should practice some more, but for a first kiss, though, that was cute. Good job, you two."

Miku felt her face go bright red as she covered her mouth, mortified. Kozen let out an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

The employee gave them a mock salute before disappearing into the shadows, leaving them standing there, both red-faced and slightly dazed.

"Uh… well," Miku stammered, trying to find her voice. "Guess we, uh… had an audience."

Kozen shook his head, still chuckling softly as he looked down at her. "Didn't expect that, but… I guess it makes it memorable, huh?"

She let out a breathy laugh, feeling her embarrassment melt into a quiet joy as she looked up at him, her heart still racing. "Yeah. Definitely memorable."

They walked in comfortable silence for a moment, the warmth of their shared kiss lingering in the air between them. Finally, Miku glanced up, a grin tugging at her lips. "So… are we going to listen to her advice? Practice, I mean?"

Kozen raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk returning as he looked down at her. "Are you suggesting we… try that again?"

She blushed, looking away with a shy smile. "Maybe. You know… for practice."

With a soft laugh, he took her hand, interlacing their fingers as they continued walking down the street, the night stretching ahead of them, full of possibility. And as they strolled beneath the glow of the streetlights, they both knew that this—whatever "this" was—was only just beginning.

[ 6 Days Till the Apocalypse ] 

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.