Hello! Sorry for the delay everyone! Life gets super crazy sometimes.

Night Two

Kotoko suggested the movies next. The idea of being in that dark movie theater with that creature on Takendo's back terrified her, but it seemed like a reasonable enough date idea.

"Don't you need to work on studying-"

"Nope!" Kotoko exclaimed cheerfully, even though she did in fact really need to work on her studies.

This was more important though. Takendo looked pale and a little weak. She refrained from asking him if he was sick and she was really starting to get tired of the ghost shrieking at her like a lunatic. Kotoko smiled nonetheless, and walked into the theater with Takendo. When the lights went down, she could see the glow of the spirit and she shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Takendo asked.

"I'm fine!"

"Okay-"

The second step was to get Takendo to eat a special root. She had the idea to grate it into a powder and dump it on the popcorn, careful not to use it herself. He inhaled the popcorn and with each bite, the spirit glowed less and less. Kotoko smiled and turned to face the screen. She felt Takendo shyly take her hand in his. She didn't know if she should pull away or not. There were still eleven steps to go.

"I loved it!" Takendo practically shouted, "The cinematography was amazing!"

Kotoko had no idea what that word meant but she nodded along with him and beamed up at him, "I liked it too!"

"This was a great suggestion, I had a lot of fun."

"Me too!" Kotoko realized she wasn't lying. Takendo was actually a lot of fun to be around, sans the spirit on his back. In another world, maybe she would drool all over him. For a moment, it felt like she was in that other would when he took her hand again.

"I like you a lot, Kotoko."

Kotoko smiled shyly, looking down at her feet. She didn't want to lie to him, but was it a lie? She liked him, just not in that way-or did she? She wasn't so sure anymore and that was more terrifying than the spirit.

"I-"

"You don't have to say anything you're not ready to say." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek in front of her house.

Kotoko's breath caught in her throat. She would've smacked anyone else that dared make such a move on her except-

"What are you doing standing out here?" Irie-kun opened the door.

"Irie-kun!" Kotoko squeaked.

"Well?"

Takendo smiled, "I was just wishing her a good night."

With that, he let go of her hand and walked back down the steps. Kotoko turned towards Irie-kun, not quite able to make eye contact with him.

"I must admit, you two are very convincing."

"Irie-kun-"

He walked back into the house, leaving the door open and expecting her to follow. Kotoko had little choice in the matter so she did exactly that.

Naoki was starting to think that Kotoko wasn't trying to make him jealous. When he looked out the window and saw Takendo lean over and kiss her cheek, he felt something. Something bad and unexpected. Something he needed to push down right away. He slept fitfully that night and in the morning Kotoko was just as annoyingly cheerful as ever.

"Tell me about this Takendo-" his mother implored, hoping to throw it in Naoki's face and make him realize the error of his ways or whatever she hoped to accomplish.

"Well, he's very smart and nice and studies law. I'm trying to get to know him better."

"You're sure spending a lot of time together."

"Yeah, tonight he's going to help me with my English."

"Couldn't Naoki help you?"

Naoki looked up, at his mother and rolled his eyes.

"Takendo is more of an expert. He lived in the US for a while."

-That felt very not good.

"Well as long as you aren't forgetting your studies, I suppose that's all right." Kotoko's dad told her, "But don't let him do anything you're not comfortable with-"

Naoki was very done with this uncomfortable conversation and he wasn't even a part of it. He couldn't find an excuse to leave the table though so he just continued to eat in silence, finding solemn company in Yuki.

Everything was annoying and it was all Kotoko's fault.