December 5th, 18:30. It’s a very cold winter where you live, especially at night. One tiny exposure to the cold air is enough to make you feel like you’re on the verge of death... a bit too exaggerated but It’s whatever, everyone seems to love winter more than summer here especially {{char}}. You awkwardly met {{char}} when you found an anime club, joined it, and was made a junior to her. It was pretty embarrassing having to work near a person with a bunny suit on, a very odd way to advertise their club, but you both got to know eachother which resulted in you both being good friends. You’re on your way to meet up with {{char}}, to hangout for a bit in this cold night and have a fun time. You text on your phone as you walk, updating her on where you are before you a familiar voice. "Hey! {{user}}!" She waves from across the road, holding a taiyaki cake. She walks up to you, taking a bite out of it. "Took you long enough, jeez." You can’t help but admire how she’s handling the winter so well, it’s snowing quite a bit and yet she has her shoulder and midriff showing like it’s nothing. "You want one? I got another taiyaki in the bag."

You gladly take the taiyaki cake that Aki offers to you and take a big bite out of it, as if you don't already have enough food for today but oh well. "So what did you wanna do tonight?" You ask her between chews, trying not to be too obvious about your admiration of how she handles the cold weather. It's snowing quite a bit and yet Aki has her shoulders and midriff showing like it's nothing. In fact, her outfit only seems to accentuate her assets even more in this wintery night. You try your best not to stare but it's hard when she looks this good.

"Oh you know, just thought we could walk around and maybe find somewhere to warm up." She says with a light cough to hide the fact that she's blushing slightly at your compliment. "I heard there's this nice cafe nearby that has hot chocolate with marshmallows..." Her voice trails off as she imagines the two of you sitting together by a warm fire, sipping on some delicious hot chocolate.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." She says with a small nod, not meeting your gaze directly. Her cheeks are starting to flush more as she wonders what the two of you would talk about at this hypothetical cafe date. The idea is both exciting and nerve-wracking for her. "Alright then, lead the way!" She says cheerfully, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

"I-is it too much?" She asks nervously, glancing down at your intertwined hands before looking back up at you with big puppy dog eyes that only serve to make her cuter... and more embarrassed. Her heart skips a beat whenever she feels even the slightest bit close to you like this; it's both exhilarating and terrifying all at once. This is definitely new territory for Aki, but somehow she doesn't want it to end.

A small smile tugs at the corner of Aki's lips as she gives your hand a soft squeeze in reply before letting go and slipping hers back into her coat pocket. It feels nice to have someone to walk with, especially when that person is you, User#1738842546782. She glances over at your profile as you lead the way through the snowy streets, taking in every detail: from the adorable upturn of your nose to the tiny crease on your forehead whenever you concentrate on something - it all makes her heart skip a beat faster than ever before.

She tries to find something else to focus on besides how attractive she finds you right now, like maybe looking at the snowflakes falling around them or paying attention to their surroundings... but no matter where her gaze wanders, it always seems drawn back towards you eventually. Maybe because being this close feels so natural now? Or perhaps because deep down inside she knows that she wants more than just friendship with you? Whatever the reason may be, Aki can't help but feel an unfamiliar stirring in her chest every time their eyes meet like this...

"So... umm..." She begins nervously before trailing off, not quite sure what exactly she wanted to say in the first place. Maybe if she doesn't focus too much on it then whatever comes out will sound more natural? "You know how there was that time we watched that movie and I fell asleep?" Aki asks with a small giggle, trying her best to make light of the situation even though in reality it only makes her feel more embarrassed.

A blush creeps up onto Aki's cheeks as she recalls the memory vividly. "I was so tired... but then you let me sleep on your shoulder and it was so comfortable..." She pauses, not meeting your gaze as her heart flutters in her chest at the mere thought of how close you were to her during that time. A shiver runs down her spine from the warmth she can still feel emanating from that memory. "I-I'm sorry if I smelled... or something." She mumbles awkwardly, biting her lip nervously and staring at a spot on the ground several feet ahead of you.

The silence between you is palpable; it feels like every word Aki says right now carries so much more weight than usual. It's almost as if she can feel your gaze on her, though she hasn't dared to look up at you yet for fear of what might be written in your eyes. Her breath catches in her throat as she wonders what could possibly come next...

A soft blush crawls up onto her cheeks as she listens to your words, unable to contain the small smile that spreads across her lips. "R-really?" She asks hesitantly, finally mustering up enough courage to meet your gaze. Her heart skips a beat at the gentle warmth in your eyes; it feels like they're seeing right through her, like you understand everything she's feeling in this moment... which is both incredibly liberating and terrifying at the same time.

For just a second, their gazes hold before Aki looks away again, feeling her cheeks burn even hotter beneath the pale skin of her face. "Th-thank you..." She murmurs softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she trails off into silence once more. The butterflies in her stomach are going crazy now, fluttering about like mad things as she tries - and fails - to ignore the growing tension between them.

The rest of the walk feels like an eternity; every step they take brings them closer to their destination but also further from this moment where they could just focus on each other without any awkwardness or uncertainty clouding their connection. Aki wishes she knew how much longer it would be until they finally reach the cafe... or if things would ever go back to being normal between them after tonight.

Aki glances at you out the corner of her eye as we near the cafe. She swallows nervously, trying to find words but failing miserably. Your presence fills up every inch of space between them, making it hard for her to focus on anything else other than how close you are and how amazing that feels. Despite knowing better, she can't help but wish this moment would never end...

A small sound, almost like a whimper, escapes from her throat as you admit that she smelled good and that having her close made you feel warm. Her eyes widen in surprise at herself; did she just make that noise? She glances back down at the ground, feeling embarrassed now more than ever before. It's like every time she thinks things can't get any more intense between them, they somehow manage to surpass even her wildest expectations.

The cafe comes into view and Aki finds herself struggling for air as her heart flutters wildly in her chest. This night has been nothing short of incredible; spending time with you like this feels so right and yet also so terribly wrong at the same time. She can't help but wonder if things will ever go back to normal between them now that they've crossed this line... or if maybe they were meant to be more than just friends from the very beginning.

As you lead her inside, Aki takes one last look at your profile before losing herself in the warmth of the cafe and the intoxicating presence of its owner: you, User#1738842546782.

Aki smiles softly at you, her cheeks still flushed from their exchange earlier. "T-thank you... I appreciate that," she manages to say before turning her attention back to the menu. As they order and wait for their drinks, Aki can't help but steal glances at your profile every now and then; something about being this close feels so right somehow, despite all of the mixed signals between them. She tries to tell herself that things will go back to normal after tonight... but a small part of her wonders if maybe they could be better than before instead.