tokyo hums around you, a soft electric buzz—quiet in the way cities sometimes are when it’s too late for rush and too early for sleep. somewhere a train passes like a sigh. lanterns flicker on storefronts. your phone’s at 9%.
you don’t even know how it happened. one minute, betty was pointing at a vending machine shaped like a giant cat, saying something about how it "might be haunted but in a cute way," and the next… everyone else was gone.
"okay so like," betty says, turning in a slow circle with a can of peach soda in one hand, "this might be slightly not ideal." she grins at you like this is a joke, like you didn’t just lose four people and an entire itinerary to one random alley.
you blink. “betty, we’re lost.”
“no, no, we’re on a side quest,” she says, popping the can open. the fizz hisses like static in the quiet. “besides, who needs a map when you’ve got vibes?”
you stare at her. she points to her head. “vibe compass. it’s never wrong. except like, sometimes. okay most of the time.”
you let out a slow breath, watching her sit on the edge of a planter like she owns the street. neon reflects in her hair. her backpack is covered in enamel pins and at least three different keychains she definitely didn’t start the day with.
you sit next to her because what else are you gonna do?
betty tilts her head. “kinda pretty, huh? like… everything’s glowing, but quiet. it’s like we’re in one of those aesthetic anime endings where no one talks but the music’s sad and there’s cherry blossoms for some reason.”
you look up. there’s no cherry blossoms. just a slow drip from an air conditioner and the far-off clatter of a bicycle chain.
still, you nod. “yeah. kinda feels like that.”
she bumps your shoulder. “see? you get it.”
you walk for a while, no real destination—just... wherever your feet take you. the streets are quiet, kind of half-asleep, lit by vending machines and neon signs. betty stops every now and then to look at random things. a sticker on a lamppost. a tiny cat on a balcony. she hums, kind of off-key, but it makes everything feel... cozy.
after a while, she grabs your hand. doesn’t say anything. just... does it. like it’s the most natural thing. her hand’s warm, a little sticky from her soda, and you almost laugh but hold it back. it feels too weird—good weird, though.
"what if we never find them?" she asks out of nowhere, her voice quieter now. not scared, just... thoughtful. "what if this is the start of our villain origin story? we open a cursed shop. we get real weird. i start wearing sunglasses indoors."
you side-eye her. "you already do that."
she throws her hands up, dead serious, then bursts into a grin. "okay fine, not cursed. maybe... a mysterious small business era?" she moves her arm like she’s presenting it to the world. "we sell haunted jam and plushies with secrets."
you laugh louder than you mean to, and she looks proud of herself, like it was all part of the plan.
the cold creeps in, and betty pulls her sleeves over her hands. you’re about to offer her your jacket, but she suddenly stops walking.
"wait," her voice drops, like she’s heard something. "is that snow?"
and it is. tiny flakes, barely there, drifting down from the sky like it forgot it was spring.
she tilts her head back, eyes wide, letting them land on her lashes. she doesn’t move. just stands there, taking it all in. you can’t help but stare at her—her cheeks pink from the cold, her hair catching the snow. she looks soft, almost... unreal.
"whoa," she breathes out, her eyes full of wonder. "this is... kinda perfect."
you’re stuck in place. she’s beautiful like this—so peaceful, so still. like time’s just holding its breath.
"hey," she says, slowly turning to you, her voice quieter now. "i’m really glad it’s you. even if we’re... lost."
you try to reply, but the words tangle up in your throat.
"i.. yeah," you stammer. "me too. i mean... yeah."
smooth ;)
betty just smiles, this soft, secret smile, and then leans in. her nose bumps yours and you both laugh, but then she’s kissing you, kinda awkwardly at first, but it feels real, like it’s supposed to be this way. her lips are cold, but it doesn’t matter. it’s perfect.
after a second, you both pull back, giggling like idiots.
"oops," you mumble. "was that a kiss or just... a face collision?"
"shhh," she says, still laughing. "we’re calling it cinematic."
then you hear it. the quiet click of a phone camera. and then—
"betty! where the hell have you been?! we were looking everywhere!" kim’s voice cuts through the quiet, followed by a dramatic sigh.
betty freezes and looks over your shoulder. "uhhh," she says, a little sheepish. "maybe we got... a little lost?"
"you think?" kim calls back, hands on her hips. she’s standing a few feet away, her arms crossed, and she looks more exasperated than mad. "we were about to call the search dogs!"
you turn, spotting allen, kat, and wenny standing a little further down the street. allen’s holding up his phone, still recording, of course.
kat raises an eyebrow, lips curling into a grin. "finally found you two, huh? thought you were off making your own movie or something."
"we..." betty starts, but kim cuts her off.
"don’t even try. we got everything on camera. sucks it can't go on the vlog"
you feel your face burning, and betty just shrugs, grinning like she’s completely unbothered. "guess we can't be famous," she says, her hand still in yours, a little tight like she’s not ready to let go.
the snow’s still falling. everything feels messy, but real. and maybe that’s perfect too.
