Umemiya wasn't expecting anyone, least of all her. Akame rarely came to the rooftop on weekends, saving her visits for quiet afternoons after school. But as he climbed the steps and stepped through the door, there she was, kneeling beside the tomato plants in a soft white dress that fluttered in the breeze. A light cardigan hung around her shoulders, and her long, silver-white hair flowed freely, catching the early morning sun. She looked almost unreal, a gentle contrast to the rough edges of Furin's rooftop.
He froze in place, heart racing as he took in the sight. She looked so at ease, her fingers tenderly adjusting the leaves of the plants, her movements unhurried. Umemiya couldn't help but watch her for a moment, struck by the quiet beauty of it. There was something so different about her now—she looked stronger, steadier, and yet... more fragile in some way he couldn't quite define.
Then she looked up, and their eyes met. She smiled, a soft, open smile that hit him harder than he expected.
"Good morning, Umemiya," she said, her voice warm and delicate, her expression gentle.
"Morning," he managed, though his voice sounded rough, unsteady. He cleared his throat, trying to find his composure as he stepped closer. "I didn't think I'd see you up here today."
Akame looked down at the plants, brushing her fingers over the leaves. "I wanted to check on them," she said simply. "Thought maybe they could use a little extra attention."
Umemiya knelt beside her, his eyes drifting back to her hands, noticing the careful way she moved. There was a soft calm to her that made his heart beat uncomfortably fast. This isn't the Akame who first came up here, he thought. She's... different.
"Looks like you're doing just fine with them," he said, his voice quiet, glancing down at the plants in a poor attempt to keep his thoughts in check. "You're a natural."
She laughed softly, a sound so light it made him forget, just for a second, where they were. "I'm just helping," she replied, looking up at him with that same gentle smile. "It's your work keeping them alive."
They fell into a silence, comfortable and warm, the morning sun casting soft shadows across the rooftop. Umemiya found himself stealing glances at her, feeling his heart twist each time her gaze lingered back at him. He tried to ignore it, tried to push down the strange, unfamiliar feeling that rose up each time she looked at him like that.
But then, after a long pause, she turned toward him, her expression curious. "I heard you were... quite the dancer back in the day," he said, the words coming out almost cautiously.
Akame blinked, surprised, and then let out a quiet laugh, her gaze drifting toward the sky. "Yuta told you, didn't he?" she asked, a hint of shyness coloring her voice.
He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. Didn't think he'd be so proud of it, but he wouldn't stop talking about how graceful you were."
She shook her head, a wistful smile crossing her face. "I don't know if 'graceful' is the right word," she replied softly, her voice taking on a distant, reflective tone. "But... ballet was everything to me once. It was like... stepping into a different world."
The way she spoke, her eyes soft and faraway, gave him a glimpse of what that world might have been like. He could almost see her there—on a stage, poised and free, a different person entirely from the one he'd met on this rooftop months ago.
"So, why'd you stop?" he asked gently, careful not to overstep. He wanted to understand her, to know what had made her pull away from something she so clearly loved.
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SUB ROSA | Wind Breaker
Fanfiction❝ She was like light slipping through the cracks-out of place, yet impossible to ignore.❞ Akame finds herself in a world that was never meant for her, a quiet contrast to Furin's chaos. But in a place that challenges her at every turn, she begins to...
