My alarm went off at seven. I groaned dramatically into my pillow before blindly reaching across the nightstand. Missed. Tried again. Success. Silence.

"...Five more minutes."

My phone buzzed almost immediately. I cracked one eye open.

Soshiro ☺️

I smiled before I'd even opened the message.

Soshiro:
Morning.

Me:
Illegal.

Three dots appeared almost instantly.

Soshiro:
It's seven.

Me:
Exactly.

Soshiro:
Thought reporters liked mornings.

Me:
That's propaganda.

His typing bubble appeared again.

Soshiro:
You awake?

I sent him a picture of my blanket pulled over my face.

Me:
Barely.

A few seconds later—

Soshiro:
Very convincing.

I laughed quietly into my pillow.

Me:
You're supposed to agree that I deserve another hour.

Soshiro:
Negative.

Me:
Traitor.

Soshiro:
Professional opinion.

I stretched before finally sitting upright in bed. Today's ceremony. My stomach immediately filled with butterflies. I stared at our conversation for a long moment.

Should I ask? Maybe not. He was probably already busy. Maybe—

No. Just ask.

Me:
Can I ask you something?

The reply came less than a minute later.

Soshiro:
Always.

I smiled.

Me:
The Tokyo Times awards ceremony is tonight.

The typing bubble appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.

Me:
No pressure.

Me:
Seriously.

Me:
I know how your schedule is.

His reply took a little longer this time.

Soshiro:
What time?

I bit my lip.

Me:
Starts at six.

Another pause. Long enough that I found myself setting the phone down.

Maybe headquarters had called. Maybe— Buzz.

Soshiro:
Headquarters meeting ends around five if it stays on schedule.

Soshiro:
Can't promise.

I nodded to myself. That was exactly what I'd expected. Then another message appeared.

Soshiro:
...But I'd really like to be there.

My heart melted. I stared at the screen for several seconds before smiling to myself.

Me:
That's enough for me.

His response was immediate.

Soshiro:
Save me a seat anyway.

"You invited him." Himari wasn't asking. She was grinning.

I looked up from my desk. "I did."

"And?"

I held up my phone. "He said he'd try."

She snatched it before I could protest. "'Can't promise... but I'd really like to be there.'" She looked at me over the top of the screen. "...Oh."

"What?"

"That's..." She handed the phone back. "...Really sweet."

"It is."

"He didn't make a joke."

"I noticed."

"He didn't flirt."

"I noticed that too."

"He just..." She smiled softly. "...Wants to support you."

I looked down at our conversation again. "I know."

The workday crawled. Every article I edited somehow led back to checking the time.

11:14.

12:37.

2:05.

3:41.

By four o'clock, Himari finally tossed a pencil onto my keyboard. "Enough."

"What?"

"You've read the same sentence six times."

"I have not."

She pointed at my monitor. "You corrected the same comma twice."

"...Oh."

She stood and clapped her hands. "Go."

"My shift isn't over."

"I talked to Mr. Takahashi."

I blinked. "...You what?"

"He said if you leave now, he'll pretend not to notice."

"You bribed our editor?"

"I complimented his tie."

"...That worked?"

"It was a really nice tie."

I laughed, shaking my head.

"I hate that you're good at talking people into things."

"I learned from you."

By the time we reached my apartment, the afternoon sunlight stretched across the living room floor.

Himari immediately opened my closet. "No."

"What?"

"You are not wearing black."

"I like black."

"I know."

"This is an awards ceremony."

"So?"

"You won."

"I haven't won anything yet."

She pointed dramatically. "You were nominated."

"I know."

"So today you dress like someone who deserves to be."

I leaned against the bedroom door. "I feel attacked."

"You should."

Clothes began flying onto the bed. "No. No. Absolutely not. Ooh..." She held up a deep emerald dress.

I stared. "I forgot I owned that."

"That's because you keep buying clothes and then living in sweaters."

"I like sweaters."

"You like hiding."

"I do not."

She looked at me. "...You absolutely do."

I sighed dramatically. "...Fine."

Twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the bedroom.

Himari looked up from scrolling through her camera. Then immediately stood. "Oh."

"What?"

"You look..." She smiled. "...Like you're about to accept an award."

I looked down at the dress. Smoothed imaginary wrinkles from the fabric. "You think?"

"I know." She walked over and adjusted a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Now." She stepped back. "One question."

"Hm?"

"If Hoshina makes it..."

I looked toward the window. The evening sun had begun to dip behind the buildings. "...Yeah?"

"What are you going to do?"

I smiled to myself. "I don't know."

"You've imagined it."

"I have."

"So?"

I laughed quietly. "...I think..I'll just be happy he came."

For a moment, Himari simply looked at me.

Then she smiled. "I hope he does."

"So do I."

Neither of us knew, as we gathered our things and headed for the ceremony...

That somewhere across the city, a certain Vice-Captain was already looking at his watch for what must have been the tenth time that afternoon, silently calculating exactly how fast he could finish the rest of his paperwork.

...

The ballroom buzzed with conversation. Crystal chandeliers reflected warm light across rows of round tables dressed in white linen, each one filled with journalists, editors, photographers, and city officials. At the front of the room stood a stage with a simple podium. Behind it, projected across a large screen, were the words:

Tokyo Times Annual Press Awards

I smoothed the front of my dress for what had to be the hundredth time.

"You've already fixed it three times."

I looked over. Himari grinned into her champagne glass.

"It's still perfect."

"I know."

"So stop touching it."

"I can't."

She laughed. "You're nervous."

"I am."

"You've spoken in front of crowds before."

"I know."

"So what's different?"

I looked toward the empty chair beside ours. Nothing. I looked away before Himari noticed. "...Nothing."

She noticed anyway. "You invited him."

"I did."

"He said he'd try."

"I know."

She reached over and squeezed my hand. "If he can't make it..."

"I know."

"You know why."

"I know." And I did. Kaiju didn't care about award ceremonies. Neither did emergencies. Neither did headquarters. If he couldn't come... I wouldn't be upset...Right?

The lights dimmed. The ceremony began. Awards came and went. Photographer of the Year. Investigative Journalism. Community Outreach.

I clapped. Smiled. Listened.

Every so often... Without thinking... My eyes drifted toward the ballroom doors. Still nothing. The presenter adjusted the microphone.

"Our final award this evening recognizes a journalist whose work has consistently highlighted the people who quietly hold Tokyo together."

Himari immediately grabbed my arm. "Oh."

"No."

"Oh yes."

"No."

"The recipient of this year's Community Storytelling Award..." A pause. "...(Y/N)."

The room erupted into applause. "...Oh." I blinked. "Oh."

Himari shoved me upward. "Go!"

"I—"

"Go!"

My legs somehow carried me toward the stage. The applause blurred together. I accepted the glass award with trembling hands.

The presenter smiled. "A few words?"

I hadn't planned any. Naturally. I stepped toward the podium anyway. The microphone echoed softly. "I..."

I laughed nervously. "I wasn't expecting this."

The audience laughed with me.

"I've always believed the most important stories aren't necessarily the loudest ones." My eyes wandered over the audience. The people who clean our streets before sunrise. The neighbors who know everyone's names. The nurses. The teachers. The volunteers. The people who make a city feel like home." Another smile. "I've simply been lucky enough to tell their stories."

I looked toward the doors again. Empty. A tiny part of my heart sank. Just a little. "I suppose..."

The ballroom doors quietly opened. A man slipped inside. Dark Defense Force uniform. Hair slightly disheveled. Breathing just a touch harder than normal.

Hoshina. He paused near the back wall, clearly hoping not to interrupt. Our eyes met. He smiled. Small. Apologetic. Proud. Something inside my chest melted.

"...And," I continued, somehow finding my place again, "I'd like to thank everyone who's trusted me enough to let me tell theirs."

He lifted one hand in a tiny wave. I couldn't help smiling back.

The rest of my speech came easily after that.

By the time the ceremony ended, guests had begun mingling. I was halfway through another congratulations when I excused myself.

There he was. Still standing near the back. Like he hadn't wanted to take attention away from the event.

"You made it."

"I did."

I looked at his uniform.

"You came straight from work."

"Mhm." His sleeves were still rolled. There was dirt near one shoulder. His hair looked like he'd run a hand through it a dozen times.

"What happened?"

He exhaled. "Headquarters meeting ran long."

"I figured."

"Then paperwork."

I nodded.

"Then Kafka accidentally filed three reports under the wrong division."

I laughed. "That sounds about right."

"Took longer than expected to sort out."

"And yet..." I looked at him. "...You're here."

He shrugged like it was obvious. "Said I'd try."

"You also could've texted and said you couldn't make it."

"I could've."

"But you didn't."

"No." He smiled. "I wanted to be here."

The simplicity of the sentence hit harder than any elaborate speech could have.

"I only caught the last few minutes."

"You caught enough."

"I heard your speech."

My cheeks warmed. "You did?"

"Mhm."

"You liked it?"

"I already knew."

"Knew what?"

He looked at me for a long moment. "That you're good at making people feel seen." Silence settled between us. Comfortable. Gentle. "I wanted to see you." He continued before I could answer. "I know my job's always gonna come first when people need me."

"I know."

"And you know that."

"I do."

"But..."

He stepped just a little closer. "...That doesn't mean you come second."

My breath caught.

"I finished every bit of work I could."

"I can see that."

"I drove here still wearing the uniform because there wasn't time to change."

I smiled. "I can see that too."

"I almost missed your speech."

"But you didn't."

"No." He smiled. "I didn't."

I looked down at the award in my hands. Then back at him. "You know..."

"Hm?"

"I kept looking at the door."

His eyebrows lifted slightly. "I know."

"You noticed?"

"I noticed."

"I was hoping you'd walk through it."

His expression softened. "I was hoping I would too."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he reached over. Not for my hand. Not to pull me closer. He simply adjusted the ribbon of my award where it had twisted.

"There." I laughed quietly.

"Thank you."

He looked at the award. Then at me. "I'm proud of you."

Four simple words. No teasing. No jokes. Just honest.

I felt my eyes sting. "So..." I smiled to hide it. "Does this mean you're taking me out to celebrate?"

A grin slowly returned to his face. "I was wonderin' when you'd ask."

"I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass."

"Good." He offered me his arm with a dramatic flourish. "Lead the way, award-winning reporter."

I slipped my arm through his. "Thought you were supposed to be escorting me."

He chuckled. "I am."

"Then why am I leading?"

"'Cause I know you'll pick somewhere with orange juice."

I laughed. "You know me too well."

His smile lingered as they walked out together. "I've been trying to."