More than Ice Cream
"Happy birthday, Kaito." Yuiko said quietly to the blue-haired man standing across from her.
"Oh, thanks Yui!" He replied with a smile.
"Um… I was wondering…" She could feel her cheeks flushing scarlet as she spoke, and hoped that he wouldn't notice. "W-would you… like to go to the ice cream parlor with me? …I wanted to do something to celebrate."
"I'd love to."
Maybe talking to him wasn't so hard after all… She thought to herself.
"Yui, are you feeling okay? Your face is red… Do you have a fever?"
I take that back. "N-no. I'm fine."
"Let me see…" Kaito reached out, and touched her forehead gently with the back of his hand.
This caused her to blush even more; she thought that she would die from embarrassment.
"Hm… You feel normal. Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded, and he moved his hand back to his side.
"Well, are you ready to go?"
"Sure."
As the two left the house, she hoped that things would go well, but couldn't ignore the sinking feeling that plagued her heart.
***
Kaito and Yuiko sat next to one another at the counter. Both of them held an ice cream cone, though his towered over hers.
"So," he began between bites of the frozen treat, "what have you been up to lately?"
"Nothing much." She appreciated his attempt to make small talk, but she really didn't have a lot to say. "I'm sorry… I'm not actually all that interesting."
"That's not true. You play the piano, don't you? I think that's pretty cool."
"You…do?"
"Yeah. I hope you don't mind, but I listen in sometimes. You're very good, Yui. Maybe you'd consider accompanying me."
Once again, she felt a wave of embarrassment sweep over her. She wasn't used to complements, and had no idea how to respond. "I-if you would like me to, then I'd gladly do that." That was the only reply she could manage, though she wanted to tell him how honored she was. This was the first time someone had asked her to do such a thing.
"Oh! Your ice cream is going to drip!" Kaito exclaimed suddenly.
Yuiko quickly licked the melting scoop of coffee and caramel flavored ice cream before the drips reached the cone.
"You've got some on your chin." He chuckled, and handed her a napkin.
She giggled too, and wiped the ice cream away. Although Yuiko didn't notice it, her laughter caused a smile to appear on the blue-haired man's face. The two of them seemed to relax a bit, and the awkward atmosphere between them lightened.
"You really love ice cream, don't you?" She asked jokingly, though she already knew the answer.
"Yeah, I do." He looked down at his cone, which no longer held anything. "But… there's something I love even more than ice cream."
"Eh?" That statement certainly caught her off guard. "What would that be?"
"…That would be you."
"M-me?" The surprises just kept on coming; she'd never expected him to say that.
"Am I right in saying that you like me too?" He inquired, his question genuine.
"So you knew then…"
He nodded.
Kaito was obviously more perceptive then most people gave him credit for being; he was very good at hiding it too. Then again, she wasn't good at concealing her emotions.
Suddenly, Yuiko did something that Kaito would have never seen coming: She leaned over, looked into his deep blue eyes, and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Now it was his turn to blush.
"Happy birthday, Kaito." She whispered.