Chapter 11: Risa’s side, again.

I was so embarrassed after giving Kyo a peck on the cheek that I ended up running into my house. As I was leaning against the door, I heard my brother’s voice and they soon started talking. Truth be told, I felt bad for eavesdropping but leaving meant they would hear me.

As their talk progressed, Maika’s name eventually left my brother’s mouth. My heart thumped against my chest as I’d been too scared to ask Kyo how he felt about her. However, from the way they talked, I had nothing to worry about.

Hand on my chest, I tried to calm myself down until my brother’s girlfriend called. For some reason, Kyo would be visiting her right after he left. My mind started racing. Would he go alone? What would they even talk about? A mouthless anxiety gripped my heart from the inside.

Later, I must’ve taken a bath and eaten dinner, but those memories are all too hazy for me to say for certain. I eventually found myself looking at my PC’s screen, waiting for him to log in. As soon as he did, we started playing the game but I could barely hold my mind in place.

Kyo noticed I was acting strange and asked me about it, worried. Did he really go to her house? What did he talk about? Curiosity was eating me, but I couldn’t just ask him directly. Thus, I answered his worries vaguely. Still worried, however, he suggested we meet after school tomorrow. Despite being anxious, the joy of seeing him again was just too much to resist, so I agreed and we logged off the game.

I felt tears running down my face as I plopped down on the bed. My mind inadvertently went to the worst-case scenarios possible, sickly imagining what could happen depending on what their talk had been. I didn’t feel myself slipping away.

I arrived at the rendezvous point with a restless mind. My unwarranted imagination didn’t help as I had thought of almost every bad outcome possible just last night.

“Risa, sorry to keep you waiting,” he showed up, though as soon as he took a look at me, his face mellowed into concern. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

“Y, yeah, I’m fine…”

“…Let’s find somewhere we can have a seat,” his hand wrapped around mine as he pulled me along. It was nice to feel his strong grip.

Not long after, we reached a coffee shop with few customers, sat down, and ordered two cold drinks.

“Risa, are you feeling sick?” He asked me as soon as we were settled down.

Unable to reply properly, I shook my head in denial. In turn, he looked at me while contemplating something for a few moments.

“Did you hear something from Kenichi? Or did you maybe hear our talk by the door yesterday?”

I returned with a shudder. Ugh, I’m so obvious…

“I see… Maybe I ended up causing a weird misunderstanding and worried you sick,” he stopped for a moment and sighed. “I went to Maika’s house yesterday and talked to her, but…”

He carefully and slowly explained what they talked about in her house. I felt as if a tight grasp on my heart had been released after he made it clear he held no feelings for he, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but put myself in her shoes and grimace at how bad she must’ve felt.

However, what I took from this talk was something else. Although he tried not to show it, I felt—I knew he had been hurt a lot… I just want to heal him.

“And,” he continued. “I know you told me before we could start as friends, but I don’t want that. I’ll say it again, but will you go out with me as a proper girlfriend?”

His words were so sudden my mind turned off for a moment. As soon as it hit me, I couldn’t hold back these happy tears of mine. All I had to do was say yes, but I could barely form words.

“O, of courshe… I, I’d love zat…” I didn’t trust these babbles to be enough to convey my feelings, so I nodded incessantly as well.

“Thank you, Risa. I’d love that too,” indescribable warmth spread from his hands’ gentle squeeze to my whole being. Then, we talked about countless things, including those I’ve been too shy to ask in the past.

I felt we had become much closer than before.