"Here."

"...Excuse me?"

"Here! You said you wanted to hug me, didn’t you?! You’ve worked hard, so think of it as a dog biting its owner and being forgiven just this once! If you want to do it, then hurry up and do it!"

I swallowed the urge to look at her face beneath the mask.

Instead, I cautiously leaned in and embraced her.

Soft warmth. A firm yet familiar presence.

Once I had my arms around her, I realized...