Love's Magic, Episode Four
By Joanna

"Look, Takeo!"

Takeo looked over to Sae, who had dropped his hand on their walk to school to go and examine something by the side of the road. She was standing at the base of a tree near the park and peering up towards the top branches, her hand shielding her eyes as she stared. While she looked, a tiny smile crept over her face. When he arrived at the spot, Takeo looked and saw she was looking at a nest of baby birds.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" She turned to him with a smile and slipped her hand in his again as they continued walking.

"It's... it's a great day, Sae." Takeo was still having trouble without stuttering around his new girlfriend, but he was getting much better. He smiled softly as he recalled the last few hours. They had had a great time the night before, he had taken her out to dinner. It was so hard to believe that she was finally his after he had desired her for so long, but was too frightened to actually try. She was hiding something, but he pushed that to the back of his thought process. Whatever pain she was going through with her family, she would tell him when it was time and not before, so it wasn't worth worrying about it.

They had arrived at the front steps of the school. He pushed the door open for her, and they walked along in silence. It was time for Saturday Magic Club practice, and he was sure she was thinking she had better things to do just as he did. Neither would say anything, because in a rage the day before Takeo had cancelled club. Of course, the night before, he had told her about the entire fight with Aburatsubo. He didn't want to mention it again because it had made her cry. When they arrived at the club room, he opened the door to let them in and closed it behind them. He sat on the table, his back against the wall, and pulled her to him as they waited for everyone else.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after a few minutes.

"How nice this is," Sae sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Nanaka was so happy for me when I told her about what happened yesterday, and you know how opinionated she is. Have you told Aburatsubo?" A visible grimace appeared.

"I haven't," Takeo told her. "If he doesn't like it, then that's his business. I certainly haven't given him the job of picking my girlfriends. He and I are going our separate ways for college, at least. It doesn't matter to me, Sae. He's become jealous and bitter this last year of high school. I don't know why, and I'm not going to ask him to explain it to me. It's not worth it."

"Well," Sae said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "some things are better left not said." As if to explain her point, he felt her pull him towards her and their lips met in a kiss that set fireworks off in his head and blinded him. Everything about Sae was perfect, and that was all he cared about. She was truly right about Aburatsubo. If he wanted to salvage the friendship, he had Takeo's number. They would have let the kiss go on a good deal longer if they both hadn't heard the door slide open behind them.

"Is this what the two of you do behind my back?"

Takeo winced. It was Aburatsubo, the voice was cleary recognizable. He just didn't want to pull away from Sae right now, his face just inches from hers. He was becoming too much of a hinderance to care about anymore. Sure, he was a great friend. That had lasted for a very long time. Right now, he had to be there for Sae and that was much more pressing than trying to assure Aya of his sexuality. Those days were long past gone. It was time to act mature, and like adults.

"Yes, Aya," Takeo said, his voice stern. "This is what most guys do with their girlfriends in private places."

"The two of you are dating, now?" Aburatsubo's face was writhed with pain. "You're lying to me, Takeo-kun. We have so much left to do, and only a few weeks of high school left! Let's call off the meeting, come down off that desk and admit to Sae that everything you do to her is meaningless."

"Are you Aya?" Takeo examined his friend in the light of the hallway that was shining behind him. Everything looked the same, except for the facial expression he wore. It was definitely Aya, no replacements, no exceptions. The way he look now brought pain to Takeo, but everything he said was clearly aimed to make Sae feel useless and fake. It had to be stopped.

"Aburatsubo," he said when he found the courage to speak again, "I won't have you speaking to my girlfriend in that manner. If you want to relive yesterday, go ahead and continue with what you're doing. I'm sure it's on your list of priorities to forget what happened, but it did. Maybe you think I'm being cold to you, but I want to make sure you remember. Think about it before you try any more of your advances." He paused. "Get in here and sit down. We're starting club."

***

"Sae, I'm sorry." Takeo repeated the phrase for at least the fifth time on the way back from club and to Sae's home. "If I had known Aya would have acted--"

"It doesn't matter." Sae smiled softly. "I hadn't expected him to react to the situation any other way. You see, Aburatsubo will always love you, and he has ever since I've known you. He could have any girl in the school, but he's chosen you. It's good to feel special like that, and it's why I'm uncomfortable in--"

Fear coursed through Takeo's entire body in the split second in between Sae's words. He knew what the sentence was going to finish with. She was uncomfortable in her current relationship because Aya was splitting them apart. She felt guilty, as only Sae could, in that she might be holding Takeo back from pursuing a relationship with Aburatsubo. Takeo didn't want that. He wanted Sae, and only Sae, and he most certainly wasn't going to lose her to someone whose intentions were to break them apart.

"Stop!" he heard himself blurt out as he spun around on the sidewalk and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't say anything, don't finish the sentence. Please." He sighed. "I don't know what to do about Aya, but it's not going to spoil our afternoon. I don't want this to be over before it starts, all right?"

"All right." Sae gave him a small smile that instantly swept the worry from below Takeo's feet. He took her hand and they continued to walk down the sidewalk in silence for awhile before they arrived at the pier, where he had first instructed her in how to ride a broomstick. Had it really been three semesters ago? It seemed as if it were just yesterday.

"I'm glad I brought some bread for the ducks." As the two of them settled down on a bench near the water, Sae searched through her bag in search of the bag of bread she had brought to throw in the water. Takeo smiled at her and let his thoughts drift far away from the bench.

This moment was so perfect. Every moment, every movement since the kiss the night before had been flawless. There would have been no changes, in his mind at least, in this relationship. It had taken long enough for them to both realize their love for each other, probably too long, but it was all right now. They were together, and Takeo would have it no other way. He had so many surprises in store for Sae he couldn't wait to tell. To begin with, she was going to be the new president of the Magic Club after this school year was over. He was sure she was ready to take on the responsibility, although they might need to work to perfect her magic in the few weeks of summer he had off before going off to college. He'd be home on the weekends then, anyway, and only a phone call away.

"Look at that duck!" Sae was laughing on the bench next to him. The ducks seemed to amuse her, and at almost seventeen years old she had the ability to act like such a child. The way the sunlight from the water reflected on her face as she stared at the ducks made her even more beautiful than she usually was. Takeo smiled to himself and realized that he truly was lucky. Most of the other boys in school would be after her if she would have them, and she wouldn't because she was too shy.

"What are you doing tonight?" Takeo asked her as he picked up a piece of bread and tossed it, not really thinking.

A sad look crept over Sae's face. "Saki's out with her boyfriend, and so I have dinner on my own tonight. Then I guess I'll do some homework and see what's on television." She shuffled on the seat next to him and he noticed she was slowly moving away.

"I have a better idea," Takeo said happily. "Why don't you come for dinner at my place tonight? I want my parents and my sister to finally meet you. I think they'd look forward to it." He watched her and realized the response would be negative, so he spoke again. "Come on. Don't be alone tonight. I'd be breaking my promise to you."

Sae swatted him playfully on the arm. "I guess you would be, then. You wouldn't be my knight in shining armor, then, would you?" She got up and kissed him softly. "I'd better go and get ready, then. Tonight's a special night." She picked up her bag and walked off in the distance towards her house. Takeo sat on the bench, still shocked at his luck.