I want to meet you in a more ordinary place．

I want to meet you in a more ordinary place Vol.15

A few weeks have passed since the Umbrella Corporation nightmare, and Leon and Claire have returned to their chosen daily lives. But seven years later, their reunion at the airport sends quiet ripples through their hearts.

Leon works in Washington, D.C., as an agent reporting directly to the President. His days are hectic, filled with mountainous paperwork, and he sometimes receives sudden emergency dispatches overseas.

As he holds his gun at the ready and faces looming threats, Claire's face sometimes crosses his mind.

Her burning sense of justice and eyes that never give up, no matter the situation.

Her strength to protect what must be protected seems to gently illuminate Leon's lonely heart.

Meanwhile, Claire travels the world working for the NGO TerraSave.

She helps people suffering from the effects of bioterrorism and searches for signs of new threats.

Her daily life is constantly fraught with danger.

Still, her belief in helping the weak drove her on.

In those exhausted moments, she often remembered Leon's calm judgment and the knowledge that she could rely on in times of need.

His unsociable kindness felt like the only ray of light that could soothe Claire's tense heart.

One day, Leon visited the TerraSave office to share information.

It was pure coincidence that they ran into Claire there.

"Leon! It's been a while."

Claire's cheerful voice echoed through the bleak office.

"Oh, Claire. I never thought we'd meet here."

Leon looked a little surprised, but quickly regained his usual poker face.

The two began talking about work, but the conversation naturally drifted to personal matters.

"How have you been lately? You're still not doing reckless things, are you?"

Claire asked teasingly, and Leon gave a wry smile.

"You're the one who's always taking risks, aren't you?"

They began to sense, vaguely, that their words of concern for each other were filled with feelings beyond friendship.

From then on, they started meeting up more often.

They would share meals together under the pretext of catching up on information, and would keep in touch on each other's days off, pretending it was just a coincidence.

As they went to the movies and made small talk, they discovered sides to each other that they hadn't known before.

Leon discovered that Claire had a surprising sweet tooth and a preference for old rock music.

Claire discovered a side to Leon that she never would have imagined: he loved animals and preferred to spend his days off quietly at home.

One day, the two happened to be at the same cafe.

A strong autumn breeze blew outside the window, and the murmuring of the cafe echoed pleasantly inside.

With hot coffee in hand, the two talked quietly.

"Days like these are nice once in a while," Leon muttered.

"Yes, it's quite a relief."

Claire smiled gently as she gazed out the window.

Looking at her profile, Leon felt a warmth spread deep in his chest.

Since the incident at the airport, Leon and Claire had become one and only to each other.

The bond they had shared, a hellish experience that had saved each other's lives, had grown into something so deep and irreplaceable that it could no longer be explained by friendship alone.

They had quietly but surely fallen in love.

And that love became a ray of light that shone upon them amid the darkness that pervaded the world.

The seasons passed, and the signs of winter were beginning to appear.

Leon and Claire's relationship had deepened even further.

Their reunions, which they had previously disguised as "coincidences," had now become a completely natural part of their daily lives.

The two made time out of their busy schedules to spend as much time together as possible.

One day off, Leon invited Claire to go hiking on a trail in the countryside.

As they walked among the trees that were beginning to change color, Claire said happily, "It's been a long time since I've been in such nature."

Leon, too, felt a sense of cleansing soul as he spent some peaceful time alone with Claire, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

During a break along the way, Leon peered through Claire's binoculars.

"Is that a bird?"

Looking in the direction Claire was pointing, Leon saw a brightly colored bird perched on a branch.

"Wow, you found it!"

Seeing Claire's innocent, delighted smile, Leon's mouth naturally relaxed.

Leon was captivated countenanced time and again by Claire's gentle expression, which he never showed on regular missions.

As their relationship deepened, their feelings for each other became clearer.

Claire noticed Leon's deep loneliness, and the kindness beneath it.

He was quiet and rarely showed his emotions, but he was always there for Claire in times of need.

When she was injured during a dangerous mission, he rushed to her side before anyone else and nursed her back to health with a concerned look on his face.

His clumsy kindness warmed Claire's heart.

Leon, too, knew Claire's burning sense of justice, but also her fragility.

She always cared about others, and was not afraid to put herself in danger to protect the weak.

But behind that strength was proof that she had overcome much sadness and pain.

Leon did not simply want to watch over Claire; he began to wish strongly to heal her emotional wounds and support her.

One night, Leon invited Claire to dinner.

In a quiet restaurant, the two sat across from each other, their appearances a little more formal than usual.

The conversation flowed, and wine glasses clinked.

"Claire, lately... being with you... makes me feel at peace," Leon muttered.

His words caused Claire to gasp for a moment.

It was rare for Leon to express his feelings so directly.

"Me too, Leon. When I'm with you, I feel like I can overcome any difficulty."

Claire's eyes met Leon's deep blue ones.

At that moment, a tangible current ran between them.

They both knew, without needing to put it into words, that they shared a special relationship.

The following week, Leon visited Claire's office. However, this time it wasn't for work.

"Claire, if you'd like...would you like to spend the weekend with me?"

Leon's words were a little reserved, but his expression was filled with determination.

Claire accepted his earnest gaze and smiled gently.

"Yes, of course. I'd be happy to."

Leon's expression softened slightly at his response.

Their relationship was no longer simply that of friends or comrades in arms.

Their presence added color to their daily lives and provided them with emotional support.

It was the moment when the two, who had been groping in the darkness, finally found each other's light.

Their love would bring new hope and a warm bond to the two living in a harsh world.

And it was only just beginning.

Their relationship was steadily but surely progressing to a deeper level.

As they spent weekends together, they revealed their true selves to each other and discovered the comfort of being their true selves.

In front of Claire, Leon began to let go of his usual agent persona and show a gentle smile.

Claire, too, felt her always tense heart relax when she was with Leon.

One weekend, Leon invited Claire to his home.

Leon's usually drab room was now decorated with a lovely potted plant that Claire had brought, adding a touch of warmth.

Claire showed an interest in Leon's old jazz records, a hobby of his, and the two of them chatted about trivial things while listening to music.

"Leon, you're surprisingly romantic."

Claire chuckled as she listened to the soft sound of the record needle.

"Not really."

Leon replied curtly, but there was a hint of joy on his face.

As Leon began preparing dinner, Claire offered to help.

Leon gently watched as Claire chopped vegetables with unfamiliar hands. When their hands happened to touch, a sweet silence fell between them.

It was a comfortable moment, a moment of communication without words.

Someone I wanted to protect

But their daily lives were always tinged with a dark shadow.

One day, Leon was sent overseas on a top-secret mission.

The night before his departure, Leon called Claire.

"I might not be able to contact you for a while."

Claire heard a hint of anxiety in Leon's voice, despite his usual calmness.

"Be careful, Leon. Be sure to come back."

Claire's words were filled with deep concern for him and a hope that he would be safe.

Leon thought of Claire many times during his mission.

Her smile, her strength, and her kindness.

To Leon, these things were more important than anything else, things he wanted to protect.

Every time he faced a dangerous situation, Leon hoped to be reunited with Claire and vowed to return alive.

A few weeks later, after successfully completing a mission, Leon was the first to contact Claire.

The moment he heard Claire's voice, Leon's heart was filled with relief and joy.

On the day they were reunited, Claire gently embraced him, as if to check that he was safe.

"Welcome back, Leon."

In Claire's arms, Leon felt truly at ease for the first time.

Even though he refused to succumb to any threat, in front of Claire, he was a human being and desired her warm affection.

"I'm home, Claire."

Leon put his arm around Claire's shoulders and buried his face in her hair.

That night, Leon took Claire's hand and looked straight into her eyes.

"Claire, I'm so glad you're here."

His words were filled with gratitude and deep affection.

Tears welled up in Claire's eyes.

"Me too, Leon. I'm glad it was you."

Their relationship was no longer one of friendship or the bond of comrades in arms.

It had transformed into a true love, one where they deeply loved and supported each other.

In a harsh world, they had found each other, irreplaceable beings.

And that love would continue to be a light that shone on them forever.