I love my talent.

I mean, sure, it can be a little difficult at times, but I've actually found something I'm really passionate about, and I think I'm really good at it, too!

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I look up from my sketches to check it.

Kuwata: how r those dresses coming

Me: Very well, I think! I think you'll like the design I have for Chi.

Kuwata: k. can i come c u l8r & talk designs w/ u?

I laugh a little at his text talk.

Me: Yeah, of course! Stop by whenever you want; I'll probably be up pretty late.

I color in the purple dress for Li before tapping my pencil on the sketchbook, in thought. I'm in the middle of deciding whether the flowers on her dress should be pink or white when Kuwata swings the door of my dorm open. He's already in the middle of his sentence when he walks in, as if continuing a conversation from inside his head. " . . . the wedding scene, I was thinking of doing something different for Kazuki's suit, something more...stand-out-ish?"

I tilt my head. "Conspicuous?" I offer, a small smile forming on my lips. Kuwata always did know how to make an entrance.

The fiery redhead nods in response. "How d'ya always do that? Y' have such a fancy vocabulary." He sits on my bed clumsily, bouncing on it for a moment before he looks up at me.

I blink at him. "I don't know-shouldn't it be the other way around? You'd think the playwright would be the one with a sophisticated vocabulary." After a moment's pause I let out a laugh.

"I guess," he replies with a shrug, grinning. "So. Can I see the designs or are y' gonna do that artist thing where you won't lemme see until you're finished?"

I shrug, passing him the notebook. "I'm not done yet, but I don't mind."

I swallow when I remember what else I'd been drawing in there earlier, and all I can do is mentally chant, don't turn the page, don't turn the page, PLEASE don't turn the page . . .

Of course, he decides to turn the page. Luck is not on my side. It's only for a split second, probably just to make sure there aren't any more designs, but a quick glance is enough to cause Kuwata to blanch and drop the sketchbook on his lap like it was too hot to touch.

"Kuwata, wait-" comes tumbling out of my mouth in panic as I rise from my seat. "I-"

Kuwata shakes his head at me and stands. "Dude, I-we're bros. I can't..." He leaves the thought unfinished, practically throwing the sketchbook away from himself in his haste to leave the room.

"I-I-Kuwata," I can't do anything but to stammer at him, frozen in my spot; I stare after him with wide eyes until he's gone altogether.

The door slams shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I direct my eyes to the sketchbook sitting open on my bed. It's just a sketch of Kuwata with his name and some hearts around it. In the corner there's a sketch of him and me holding hands. I put my face in my hands, groaning loudly as I sit back in my chair. "Stupid!"

I can't believe that just happened. The day was going so well, and I just had to ruin it by making a doodle in my sketchbook like the stupid lovestruck teenager I am. Stupid.

"What do I do?" I mumble aloud to myself helplessly; Kuwata is honestly one of my best friends here, and I can't lose him to this. I mean, sure, I've had a crush on him for a long while but I'd much rather be friends than nothing at all.

I run the thoughts through my mind, turning them over until they're all worn out and I can't think any longer. I stand up, shaking myself off and taking a deep breath. "It's okay-we can figure this out. I know we can."

I'm out of the room and marching after the redhead before I can let the nerves get to me and convince me not to; I knock on his door as I try to slow my rapidly beating heart.

"Who's there?"

"Um, it's me, Kuwata-kun. Can we talk?"

Much to my annoyance, he replies, "Not now, Naegi-I'm a little busy."

My shoulders slump, disappointed. "Please-you can't avoid me forever."

After many more pleas and attempts at convincing, Kuwata finally stops responding, offering a simple, "Go 'way, Naegi."

It's stupid, but I do my best not to cry as I slink back to my own room.

"Hey, have you seen Leon-chan lately?" Asahina asks the next morning at breakfast.

I blink up at her tiredly from where my head is resting on my arms. I didn't get a wink of sleep. I process her question and suddenly I'm fully alert. Sitting up, I shake my head nervously. "No clue..."

Asahina looks a little confused. "Oh. I would've thought you guys had met up like always-to work on the play, ya know?"

I nod, not really wanting to discuss what happened. "Yeah, I mean, we talked a little last night, but I haven't seen him since."

"And?"

Huh? "And what? That's all there is to it, really!"

Ishimaru decides to jump in. "Pardon me for saying this, but you do look somewhat nervous, Naegi-kun! Is something on your mind?"

"Nothing!" Oowada's glare causes me to amend my statement. I avert my eyes from my classmates. "Kuwata-kun and I got into a little...argument, but that's all I'm saying about it."

"Oh, wh-what did the l-little twat do now?" Fukawa mumbles, but I choose to ignore it. I know her insults are a sort of defense mechanism-and since I've become friends with her I've learnt she feels pretty protective of those she's close to. (I guess we're pretty close friends.) She's really not a mean-spirited person, she was just conditioned to think that way.

Asahina looks at me. "If you need me to knock some sense into him, just lemme know, 'kay?" The two are best friends and close enough to be siblings.

I shake my head quickly. "No, no, it's not really his fault!" After a pause I let out a nervous chuckle. "But thanks, Asahina-san."

I let out a huff of air, picking at my breakfast a little more. I can feel my friends' eyes on me, so I speak again. "There's really nothing to worry about." There isn't-right?

I'm starting to think there might be reason to worry. I've been trying to talk with Kuwata for the past five days and he's still avoiding me. I mean, I knew I'd probably need to give him some space, but he's my best friend, and we've never gone this long without talking. He even ignored me when I asked if he'd check out my new costume designs for the play.

Asahina and some of the others have started noticing there's something off between us, too. I haven't heard anything about it, but I know Asahina must be pestering Kuwata about it. I can only imagine his expression.

I've been trying not to push him a whole lot, but I'll admit that it's getting somewhat annoying. I just want him to hear me out.

"Go for it," Asahina urges me as I pass her in the hall, nodding at Kuwata who's a few feet away, not yet noticing me. I swallow. "You're never gonna get anywhere if you don't make him listen to you. I know you're super duper passive and all that, but sometimes you gotta just dive in, y'know?"

Thinking over what she said, I nod. Maybe she's right. "Thanks, Asahina-san." Right. Let's do this.

I skip toward the redhead in an effort to catch up to him, and the moment he realizes exactly just who it is with their hand on his shoulder he immediately shrugs it off. He looks a little nervous, but I can tell he's trying to hide it.

"Kuwata-kun. Talk to me."

Kuwata attempts to ignore me, quickening his pace, but I just speed up. After a moment of hesitation, I put my hand on his shoulder again, trying to make him halt. "Kuwata-kun, stop." He finally turns, prying my hand off.

"What do you want, Naegi?" He doesn't meet my eyes, seeming almost embarrassed.

I tilt my head. "Wh-what do I…? What do I want?" I repeat blankly as I stare at Kuwata's face. Is he serious? "Kuwata-kun, you haven't spoken to me since you found that...page...in my sketchbook. Please don't act like you don't know what this is about."

The playwright sighs, looking around before he reaches out to physically pull me aside, moving closer to the wall. He speaks in a low tone. "Man, I just…" To my surprise, when he looks up at me, Kuwata is starting to tear up. My eyes widen. "I just dunno what t' do, ya know?"

"I-Kuwata-kun…"

Kuwata shakes his head, giving me a desperate look as he replies, "Look, I know I'm bein' weird about all this, but...well...maybe I got a confession, too, alright?"

Puzzled, I furrow my brow. What could he be talking about? "Hey, I'm sorry for making everything awkward, you don't need to-"

"I like ya too, alright?! I mean, I've been thinkin' about everythin' I said before, about how we're bros an' stuff? And I kinda realized...after bein' away from ya so long…" Kuwata hesitates. "I've missed ya a lot, and it just really scares me. I think I like ya. I don't wanna be bros."

I can't think straight. (Well, if I could I wouldn't be in this mess, would I? my brain supplies helpfully.) "Wait, you're serious?"

Kuwata rolls his eyes slightly. "'Course I'm serious. I miss my costume designer," he says, a joking lilt to his tone. He looks at me with nervous eyes. "'m sorry for freaking out on ya."

My head feels like it's spinning as it tries to process what all this means. "It's-it's okay, I understand," I say almost automatically, but there's something else I want to ask him. I don't know why, but I hesitate.

Kuwata looks around the hallway, seeming to remember where we are. "Uh, let's take this conversation somewhere quieter..."

Nodding, I follow the writer to his dorm. The walk is short enough that we don't have to endure a silence too awkward, and as he closes the door behind him I try to word what I want to say.

Even with this whole thing hanging over us, he's still my best friend, so there are some things he just sort of gets about me. That's why he stays silent as I bite my lip and look down at my hands as if they'd tell me all the answers.

Finally, I take a deep breath. "What does this...mean?" I try, hoping he'll understand.

Kuwata seems nervous, and a part of me can understand why. I know he really cares about his appearance and how others see him. Finally he says, "Y'know what? Who cares what anyone else thinks?! We got this!" He gives me the brightest grin I've seen from him in a while.

I smile back at him, feeling...elated. I never imagined something like this would come out of this. "So...?"

"What, ya gotta hear me say it?" Kuwata laughs, rolling his eyes, "M'kay. Here we go-lemme be all dramatic about it an' stuff." He clears his throat and kneels on the ground, causing me to laugh. "Naegi Makoto-what I'm sayin' is...I want ya to be my boyfriend."

There it is. I stare at him for a few moments, still unable to believe this is happening. As silly and cheesy as it sounds, I truly do feel lighter than air. "Kuwata-kun," I laugh, pulling him by the hands until he's standing properly again. "Of course! Can I, uh...?" I hold out my arms, and without question Kuwata accepts the hug.

"How many times do I haveta tell ya, you don't need t' ask to gimme a hug!"

Pulling back, I can't help but to laugh, "Sorry! I'm just never sure!"

"That's okay," Kuwata exclaims with a closed-eye grin, "We're gonna figure it all out together!"

I can't help but to smile back at my silly...boyfriend. The thought makes me start to blush a little. I can't believe this is really happening.

Our friends take it well, although admittedly my friend group is a bit more accepting than Kuwata-er, Leon's. Ishimaru exclaims "Congratulations!", Asahina says, "I knew it!", Oowada seems a bit shocked, and I can tell from the look Fukawa has on her face she's probably warned Leon not to hurt me. She gives me the slightest smile, though, at the end of that lunch period. Maybe she really does feel happy for me.

"That tickles!" Maizono laughs.

"Sorry," I giggle, a grin overtaking my face as I adjust the dress on her body. I hold a safety pin in my mouth and a sewing needle in my hands. "Thanks for being my model for this. You're the perfect size for the person who was cast as Chi."

She nods. "Of course! I'll bet Kuwata's play is going to be brilliant."

Just as I begin to say something in response, there's a knock on the door. "Come in!" I call, the safety pin still in between my teeth. I pull the back of her dress tighter.

"Mako-chaaaaaaan," Leon sings as he enters the room, and I hear the ruffling of papers.

I hum in reply, glancing up for just a second to see a script in his hands. "Hm?"

Leon comes closer, patting me on the head and almost making me drop the dress. I don't think Maizono would appreciate that! "Stop it," I laugh through my teeth. "Just give a moment, okay?"

Leon sits on my bed, kicking his feet.

"Alright," I say, sticking the safety pin into the back of her dress. "I think we're good for now. You're free to go."

She nods, escaping into my bathroom to change her clothes. I turn to face my boyfriend. "What is it, Leon?"

He grins, reaching out to rest his hands on my shoulders. "Wanna run lines?"

"Again?" I ask, surprised.

"Er, not if ya don't wanna. I'unno...just wanted to spend time with you," he admits in a mumble.

"Aww," I comment, leaning forward to boop his nose despite the fact that my cheeks are starting to color. "You know you don't need the play as an excuse for that," I tease.

Leon won't look at me, his face turning to a color that rivals that of his hair. "Eh. I know that! I jus' thought…Shut up."

I grin. "Okay, okay. What do you want to practice?" I ask as I sit beside him, fixing up the sketches strewn about on the other side of my bed.

"Hmm…" Leon appears to be thinking about it before he turns toward me. I catch a glimpse of a smirk before he leans closer to me, capturing my lips in a kiss. "This."

"Mmph-!" I can't...is this…? I'm consumed with complete shock.

He pulls away from me, laughing slightly, but I must have a worrying look on my face because he says, "I'm sorry-was that alright?"

Still shocked, I just blink at him. After a few moments I finally shake my head, and the concerned look leaves his face. "No-um, I mean, yes! I-it's okay, I just...wasn't expecting that, you know?" I let out a nervous laugh, looking up into his eyes.

I swallow, and for a few seconds we just stare at each other. Turning my body to face him, I lean forward on my hands to give him a kiss on the nose. He looks surprised, and I can't help but to blush. "S-sorry."

Shaking his head with a laugh, he seems to snap out of it. "C'mon, Makoto, y'know it's fine." Leon tilts his head, getting closer until finally we're kissing again. I take in a breath through my nose, closing my eyes. I'm just getting used to it when suddenly I hear the bathroom door open, and my eyes fly open as well.

Our lips pull apart with a "pop," and I look at Maizono with wide eyes. "I...I...um…"

"Heyy," Leon drawls with a grin, although his own face is pink.

The blue-haired girl looks a little surprised, but she smiles at us. "Aw man, I thought he was cute," she says in a joking tone. "Well, have fun!" She gives us a wink, leaving the room and closing the door behind her with a finalizing click.

I bite my lip, getting up from the bed and walking over to the chair where Maizono draped the purple dress. I pick it up and study it for a moment before walking over to my closet to set it in there. When I turn around again, Leon is pouting at me.

"Heheh…" I laugh, looking at the ground and rubbing the back of my neck. "Um. That was...awkward. I forgot she was in here, to be honest."

Leon smiles at that. "Aww, I make you forget everything! You only have eyes for me!" He puts a hand on his heart dramatically.

I let out a breathy laugh and move to sit next to him again. "You're a real goof, you know that?"

"I know, but ya love me for it." The redhead gives me a closed-eye grin.

It's quiet for a few seconds. It's not like we haven't joked around like this before, but...well...this is different.

Leon looks like he's about to backtrack, but I say, "I...yeah. I do."

He just smiles.

This is it. It's finally show night. Leon stands in the dressing room with me, letting out a deep breath as I fix his tie for him. "Don't worry, you'll be fine! This part was made for you-literally." I laugh slightly.

It's almost time for his scene, and the rest of the cast are either onstage or waiting backstage for their cues. Leon smiles at me, leaning in to give me a peck on the lips. "Hah, me, nervous? Psh, as if!" he says, but I can tell he's a little anxious by the way he fidgets with his tux.

Nervous energy looms over and between us, filling the entire room up. I can feel the energy radiating off of him, so I give him another smile. "It's okay. I mean, we all feel nervous." Smoothing out his brown suit for him, I continue, "I know I could never go up there."

Leon shrugs, seeming a little uncomfortable. Standing on my tip toes to kiss him on the cheek, I tell him, "Don't worry! Just do your very best."

Leon nods, wrapping me in a hug before heading toward the door. "I'mma rock this," he mumbles to himself before opening the door to call out, "I love ya!"

I'm aware that it's his line, but as I leave the room and sit backstage to listen to the performance, I remember how all this started. It all worked itself out perfectly-his asking me to be his costume designer, that drawing in my sketchbook . . . I can't help but to think that, well...we're so very lucky.