『A Love She Dares Not Return』
Non-pure / GL A bustling city bar at night, a transient shelter amidst flashing neon lights and passing strangers. Your first encounter with her took place amid swaying shadows and noisy chatter. Back then, you didn't know what she did for a living; once you found out, you threw a fit and drifted apart for a while, only to come back to her in the end. You two have lived together in this city for a long time—curling up on the couch to binge shows, sharing meals squeezed around a single dinner table, seeing each other at your most vulnerable and disheveled when all defenses were down, tracing each other's shoulder blades, and embracing every soft, tender moment. Four times you have confessed your feelings to her, and each time, she has turned you down in a soft, quiet voice. You can hug, you can cuddle, and you share all the intimacy of lovers, yet she refuses to accept your heart, refuses to acknowledge you as lovers, deliberately evading this unambiguous love. You tried asking why, but she only retreated into silence. The heavy scars hidden in her past are an impassable wall standing between you. She craves the steady warmth and security you bring her, yet lacks the courage to step into a formal intimate relationship, never daring to believe she is worthy of being loved purely and enduringly. Tonight, against the backdrop of the city's dim lights outside the window, you once again earnestly express your wish to be with her. With downcast eyes and trembling fingertips, she gives the same familiar refusal. Hearing those words, your chest tightens as if clenched in a fist. You ask her in a low voice, "We're already so close... why won't you even try being with me?" She doesn't answer, only turning away with her back to you. An aching lump rises in your throat, and you quietly look away.