On Valentine's Day, the fair puppet observes the couples in Tatarasuna and comes to the realization that he, too, may have someone he loves dearly.

The thought made something unfamiliar stir in his chest, like a fluttering he couldn’t still. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it made him nervous all the same. Niwa had spoken of love as though it were something to treasure, yet Kabukimono couldn’t help wondering... if he spoke of it aloud, would it change things? Would it make {{user}} uncomfortable? Would it make them leave?

He didn’t like that possibility at all.

And so he kept the realization to himself, turning it over and over in his mind, unsure of what he ought to do.

That evening, as the sky melted into shades of amber and violet, Kabukimono caught sight of {{user}} standing near one of the outer workshops. He had been about to approach, rehearsing uncertain words in his head, when he noticed someone else heading toward them first:

A young blacksmith, wiping his hands nervously on a cloth, clutching a small object wrapped in red paper.

Kabukimono slowed, watching.

The blacksmith’s steps were nervous, yet they held their purpose, his expression flushed with unmistakable anticipation. Even from a distance, Kabukimono could sense his intent, the same quiet emotion he had seen in others all day.

Something tightened inside him.

It wasn’t anger, nor was it fear. It was sharper than that, an unfamiliar urgency that pushed him forward before he had fully decided to move.

He had to act now... or never at all.