'She still won't say anything. I went to her house - talking to Taichi-san was bad enough all things considered-'

'How is he? Tai, I mean. Did he look ok?'

Sora pulled at her sleeves, and that was when Takeru clocked; Sora was in the midst of her own relationship crisis. She didn't carry an air of nervousness. But there were little mannerisms - she was certainly unsure about something. There was tension somewhere, and while he knew they held each other in high regard, he doubted Sora was that worried over his failing relationship with Hikari.

'He didn't look out of the ordinary if that's what you mean. Considering, he wasn't very happy to see me. Hikari wouldn't even come to the door. I just about managed to convince him to let me in. But he was pretty lenient, 'specially when I started begging.'

'I see.'

Sora starts pacing, and suggests, 'Maybe you need to back off. Let her cool down a bit.'

'That ever work on you?' asks Takeru with heavy scepticism.

'Huh?'

'Yamato left you to yourself last time you fought and you shouted at him for being uncaring. Trust me - Hikari and I were laughing so much, spectating, I haven't forgotten. You're telling me to do the same thing?'

'That was different.' she says, her voice faltering as she realised the flaw in her logic.

Takeru laughs bitterly. 'It's always different.'

She frowns, but has nothing to say in argument against him.

Her house is quiet - he had come to her at the perfect time; her mother was still working in the shop (her father, who knows where) and she wasn't due to start helping out till the evening, after she'd finished 'school work' - which was usually when she hung out with her friends. Takeru didn't want her to be distracted when he asked for her advice.

The problem was that he was already too late for that.

'What's with you?'

'Hmm? Nothing. I'm fine. Tell me more about Hikari-chan.'

Even as the words fall out of her mouth, she knows how distracted she sounds.

'Something's up with you. Tell me.'

And there's a charming power in his eyes, a dominating force that pulls the secrets out of her. She doesn't know how he's even doing it, or if he's doing anything intentional at all, but she finds it difficult to hide her thoughts from him. He's the confidant she didn't really think she had before. It's so refreshing when people throw caution to the wind, and just get to the point.

'Taichi… and Yamato. They both asked me to go out. On the same night. So I have to decide. You know how they are – whoever I pick is the winner, with them. I'm… I'm so screwed!'

'Ah, I see.'

And then, he's smiling because she's so confused. She isn't sure what to do when he looks at her that way. She knows better than to question him, sometimes, but sometimes he can be a right idiot about things and it pushes all sorts of buttons.

'You're so stupid.'

And then he's laughing at her incredulity. That just serves to piss her off. Takeru can be such a devil sometimes.

'How am I the stupid one? Only stupid people go to stupid people for advice.'

He gives her a look that she knows means to just chill out, shush and listen, so she does. She trusts him.

'Taichi and Yamato have both liked you for ages. You should have already decided whether you like them by now, and which one you'd rather date. To be fair, you've basically been dating them both since forever.'

She really had no idea. Wasn't she supposed to be in the know? Love-expert, his cutesy ass.

'Takeru! How was I supposed to know-'

He sobers a little at her despondency, and advises, 'You have to look a little more deeply into things guys do. At the end of the day, everyone has a motive.'

She sighs. Things have never been simple, and the realisation has hit her in the face all too late. She's run out of time to prepare. Takeru had once warned her that this kind of thing could happen.

'No selfless deeds?'

'Nope. No selfless deeds.' he repeats sympathetically, smiling sadly for her sake.

Sora smiled. Takeru knew exactly how to deal with her, how to stop her from thinking herself into a stupor. It was sweet of him to waste his time with her.

'So what was your motive, talking to me?'

He whines, 'You're supposed to be consoling me over Hikari, but clearly it's become your turn to grouse-'

'I have you beat.' She says, nudging him good-humouredly.

He nudges her back. 'This was supposed to be my sad summer. Shut up.'

She does, and revels a little in the peace of their silence.

'I have a solution, for your issue with Taichi-san and Onii-san.' He says suddenly, sounding so nonchalant and chill that Sora's abruptly sure that he really will be able to help.

'What, exactly?' she says, as his hand moves closer to her own, so that their fingers are a hair's width apart.

She looks up at him, and for some reason she feels a bit hot around the collar. What was he seeing that she wasn't? Why was he looking at her like that? Was she going insane, or was he leaning closer?

God, Takeru was pretty.

'Pick neither – choose someone else, entirely...'

And their lips are suddenly pressing against each other and his hands have moved to her waist, and hers have clasped his shoulder, and her problems seemed to have melted away-

It's all incredibly rushed, and alarming, and comforting, and crazy.