It was finally the time of year when love was in the air. Conversations between girls had suddenly become hushed and full of apprehension and excitement, and boys suddenly found it within themselves to hold open doors and compliment the objects of their affection. Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and nobody could wait. Talks of crushes and chocolate filled even the third year classroom Luka occupied, as the mature, older students seemed to devolve into giggling, shy first years, casting shy glances and emitting tiny, hushed squeals.
Luka wished she could be just as giddy and full of energy, but with all of her studying and late nights under her belt, all she could do was yawn and stretch in her seat as everyone filled out of class for the day- the girls gushing about making chocolate or buying gifts and the boys stiffly walking among them, hoping it was them they were whispering about.
Yes, Luka wished she were among them, excited about confessions and chocolate, but she felt much too exhausted- but was she unhappy? Goodness no! Even in her tired state, she couldn't be happier. Whatever wall had kept her and Miku apart had crumbled, leaving the younger girl to come home with her almost every evening, and leaving her satisfied every night. Whether it was simply leaning over her as she studied –letting her aqua-green hair fall over her shoulders and over Luka- or relieving her stress with kisses and caresses, Luka had no reason to feel sad regarding the time of year. But as much as she wanted to happily giggle and gossip, even she had her limits. The only thing she seemed to be enthusiastic about doing that day was yawning.
The only person who seemed to also be stuck in their seat was Gumi, who was hunched over what Luka could only assume were study materials. With one last, tired stretch and groan, Luka finally rose from her seat and approached her.
"Wow, you normally are never this serious about school work." She teased as she arrived next to her –only to realize there was no such thing on Gumi's desk. Instead, there were several, colorful pieces of paper that appeared to be ripped out of the pages of magazines that were normally sold to a much younger audience (hence the large print and cute, colorful illustrations). Each one demonstrated basically the same method to making chocolate, and in looking at them, Luka couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
"Making chocolate for Kaito, huh?" She asked, trying to mask her amusement by sounding curious. "Must be pretty difficult –If I remember right, you boughtme chocolate on Valentine's Day when we were a couple."
"Yeah, I need the little kid instructions." Gumi laughed uneasily. "I tried going off a regular cookbook and gave up immediately." She paused and leaned back in her chair, still staring down at the recipes as she heaved a bothered sigh. "Though, to be honest, I don't even know if I want to anymore."
"What, making chocolate can't be that hard." Luka told her with a laugh, trying to be positive for her clearly distraught friend. "I can even help you, if you want."
"It's not that!" Gumi's words suddenly took on a sharp tone that made Luka jump. Her friend threw her hands over her mouth, clearly surprised by her own tone as well as Luka. And those hands that she'd pressed to her lips in surprise slowly drifted to her face in defeat as she hung her head. "Sorry… I didn't mean to yell."
"No, it's fine." Luka assured her. "What happened? Did you and Kaito have a fight?"
"Not exactly, I wouldn't call it a fight. Neither of us even raised our voices." Gumi explained, moving her hands once again to the side of her face, fingers laced through her grass-green locks as she began to recount what had happened the night before.
Her and Kaito had stayed up late, deep in their studies (Luka didn't seem to want to believe that bit, but Gumi insisted that her and Kaito really were just studying), not realizing the time until both of them started to nod off. Kaito had stood and assured her he could make it back home on his own when she offered, giving her hair a gentle, kind ruffle, like someone would give their dog. And maybe it was because Gumi was still partially asleep, but she began to say words to him that, even after having been together for nearly two months, neither of them had shared.
"Kaito… I lo-" But before she could finish, Kaito was more that willing to jump all over cutting her off, his once kind smile looking a bit uncomfortable as he babbled and stumbled over how he really had to go. Gumi tried again and again to tell him, but every time he'd successfully interrupt her until he finally slipped out of her bedroom door, giving a half wave and a forced, nervous smile.
"Stupid Kaito! All because of him I couldn't get any sleep!" Gumi complained, resting her head on her desk. "I tried to find a reason why in the world he wouldn't let me tell him my feelings, and I kept on coming up with one, horrible answer…" She looked apologetically to Luka, who in turn looked back at her with worry in her eyes. "…I think… Kaito still really likes Miku."
"WHAT!?" Luka gasped, taking a step back in surprise as she tried to process what Gumi had just said. There was no way, that flame should have been long gone by now! "But they settled everything a long time ago! And you two have been going out since Christmas, there's no way he still has feelings for Miku." Maybe it was her getting defensive, but the volume of her voice soared as she tried to deny to both herself and Gumi that Kaito had no more feelings for Miku at all.
"He hasn't told me that he loves me, not even once, but back when he had that short thing with Miku he'd always bring up how he loved her!" Gumi argued. "Maybe I'm just a fling like everyone else, and Miku's the one he's holding out for."
"N-Now wait just a minute-!" Luka began to bellow back before the door to their classroom slid open, and one half of the very subject of their conversation poked her head in and beamed at Luka and Gumi. The two of them ended their conversation immediately, and Gumi stood up from her seat, gathered her various papers and shoved them roughly into her bag.
"Hello!" She greeted cheerily, the time of year obviously having its way with her, tinting her cheeks pink and giving her a spring in her step. Had there not been so much tension left behind from her and Gumi's unfinished conversation, Luka would have swooned over how lovely Miku looked. "Are you two coming to choir club today?" She always came by to check, mostly to see if her and Luka would be walking home together or not –Luka could skip a day or two for her studies, but if Miku dared to miss a day, Miss Meiko would give her a much-deserved earful.
"I don't know, are we, Gumi?" Luka asked, but her friend didn't answer, and instead she threw her bag over her shoulder and silently trudged out of the classroom –but not before hitting Miku with a glance that made her shiver. It wasn't a hateful look, or an angry one. It was more a look of hurt jealousy that Miku couldn't really understand. But, even so, she felt bad and her mood was dampened a bit as Gumi walked passed her and left her and Luka to stare at one another alone –Miku in apologetic confusion, and Luka in concern.
"Did something… happen?" Miku dared to ask as Luka walked over to her and petted her head reassuringly.
"Not really, it's no big deal." Luka lied, flawlessly weaving her falsehood and capping it off and a loving smile as she pressed a light kiss against her companion's forehead, to which she giggled lightly. She lifted herself up a bit more and balanced on her toes, expecting a second kiss on a different part of her face, but Luka pressed a finger to Miku's lips instead of her own lips, giving the younger girl a teasing wink.
"Later –you're more eager when you've had to wait." She smiled. Miku pouted in response, but made no argument against Luka's gesture and planted her feet back, flat on the ground.
"So, are you coming to club today?" Miku repeated her question, her voice sounding eager.
"I'd love to, but my dad has a tutor coming over today, and he made it very clear I wasn't to be late." Luka explained apologetically, deciding not to add that he also wished that she didn't bring her "silly companion" to the tutoring session. After all this time, he still refused to refer to her as anything but that. "You can come over after club gets out, though. I'm sure my tutor will be gone by then, and I can give you all the kisses you want." Miku smiled wide at the proposition, but it quickly faltered a bit.
"I… Actually made plans." She rubbed the back of her head nervously before raising her voice in panic. "It's nothing bad, I promise! Ritsu just wanted me to come over to his place so we could make chocolate! I-I've never really had anyone to make chocolate for, so…" She trailed off, a blush growing on her face.
"I believe you." Luka laughed, resting a hand warmly on Miku's shoulder. "And it's awfully sweet of you to want to make me chocolate. I'm perfectly fine with something store-bought."
"No way!" Miku sharply declined, shaking her head. "I was going to, but Ritsu told me that making chocolate is a lot more special. Something about being able to taste the other's feelings…" She trailed off before looking up at Luka sheepishly. "And I want you to be able to eat chocolate that's filled with all my love." Both girls were blushing now, and Luka was unable to suppress a laugh filled to the brim with passion as she met Miku's expectant gaze.
"Chocolate filled with your love, was it?" She asked with a smile. "I guess I'd have to eat it gently, as if I were eating you." She watched in amusement as Miku's blush intensified and she shuffled about in surprise at her lover's surprisingly sexual comment.
"Y…Yes please." Miku spoke in hardly a whisper, fidgeting nervously as she pictured the very thing Luka had portrayed. It wasn't quite clear if she was referring to the chocolate or herself, but either way, she was giving Luka permission.
"Well, if you're going over to Ritsu's place afterwards, I guess I'll have to endure one night without you." Luka sighed, but with a smile on her face. "If your time is spent putting your love into chocolate, I guess I can't complain."
"Then… could you…?" Miku shyly asked, propping herself up on her toes again and looking up at her lover longingly. Luka chuckled and cradled Miku's face in her hands- feeling the intense heat radiating from off of her cheeks. An eager gasp was just barely audible as she leaned in, taking in the younger girl's scent.
"I guess one couldn't hurt." She beamed before pressing her lips lovingly and longingly against the lips of her beloved. She was eager to taste the chocolate that she would make –no matter how it tasted- but she was certain that Miku's lips tasted sweeter and were more addictive than even the finest confection available. Chocolate wouldn't kiss her back, after all, or quietly moan and send shivers up her spine. Chocolate wouldn't make her feel so overcome with emotion and heat like Miku's lips did, but whether it was sweets made by her or her lips, Luka would decide to greedily indulge in both.
'I'm still mad at Kaito, aren't I?'
Gumi looked down at her shopping basket where a few, essential items for making chocolate had been tossed. She'd even bought wrapping for it: red, shiny tin foil and a small length of pink ribbon. Looking down at her soon-to-be purchases filled her with frustration, but she couldn't bring herself to put them away. Instead, she proceeded to the checkout line, several other girls buying the same sort of thing scattered among the afternoon shopping crowd. They all seemed to happy, smiling down at their selection or chatting with one another over who their chocolate would be for.
'Mine's for a guy who might not even like me.' Gumi thought gloomily to herself. 'I'm only making it because I'm an idiot.'
She'd been a bit upset with Luka, and had glowered and Miku, but really she wasn't mad at either of them. Sure, Luka didn't want to even consider the thought of someone having feelings for her precious junior, and Miku was probably the catalyst of Kaito's sudden nervousness about Gumi's feelings, but they were more or less blameless in the whole thing- just a protective lover and an innocent girl. And, in part, she couldn't even bring herself to be angry with Kaito, who was the cause of her new-found distress. Most of her anger and frustration was aimed at herself.
Gumi, who insisted on buying ingredients for chocolate for a guy who probably didn't really love her. Gumi, who couldn't get thoughts of him out of her head. Gumi, who still felt exactly the same for him, despite the fact the object of her affections longed for someone else's lover. Gumi, who was close to tears in a crowded, public place.
"Next in line, please!" One of the cashiers called, and Gumi was ripped from her thoughts as she hurried to the register. The girl who scanned and bagged her items smiled warmly at them, and then to Gumi, who sadly couldn't share the same sort of expression and stared back blankly at her –a look that evolved into one of uncomfortable frustration the wider the checkout girl smiled. Why in the world was she so happy for her when Gumi herself was absolutely miserable about it?
"So," She cheerily began as Gumi began to collect her bags. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"An idiot!" Gumi found herself snapping before briskly turning and leaving the store, leaving the checkout girl and everyone within earshot shocked and confused. She stomped out into the crowded streets, immediately hearing gossip and giggles about chocolate and dates. She wished everyone would just shut up about Valentine's Day so she wouldn't have to go back to wondering where Kaito's true feeling rested. There she was, like a love-struck fool with her heart in her hands, and Kaito was probably pinning after someone who had already given her heart away. Maybe the chocolate was her last-ditch effort. She'd put her all into her chocolate –all of her love and probably tears as well- and hope, by some miracle, her feelings reached him. He had gained her companionship with carrot cake, so the thought wasn't much of a stretch.
"Gumi!" A voice called out to her from the crowd, rising above the idle Valentine's Day chatter that seemed to follow her everywhere. Gumi's heart skipped a beat as she turned around, coming face to face with Kaito, who greeted her with a smile that would be at home on a dog greeting it's master –goofy and overwhelmingly pleased. It made Gumi want to smile back, but she withheld herself.
"Oh, hello." She tried so hard to sound unmoved, but emotion still found its way into her voice.
"Hey, what do you have there?" Kaito questioned. "Doing some shopping?" Gumi nervously hid the bags behind her back –an act that was impulsive, and she figured right away that doing so would give away exactly what she was carrying. And she was right, seeing as a smug grin crept across Kaito's face as he leaned in close. "Or are those ingredients for chocolate?"
"I-If it was, do you think I'd tell you?" Gumi asked him as harsh as she could, but her words were lost on Kaito, who laughed.
"You don't have to make me chocolate, Gumi." He assured her. "But, if you're so eager to give me something on Valentine's Day, you can always use your body-" Suddenly, Kaito felt the wind being forced out of his lungs as Gumi half punched him in the gut and half shoved her bags of ingredients onto him. If she hadn't whipped around and run away immediately, he would have caught the frustrated tears in her eyes.
She hadn't even given the chocolate to him, and he already refused it, and instead suggested something else- something any girl would give without a shred of actual love. It made her wonder, again, if she was just a plaything for him –just a placeholder for the person he truly wanted. He didn't want her chocolate, and he didn't want her love. He just wanted her body so he could try and forget about the girl who got away. Was that what she'd always be? She'd more or less been that person for Luka, who ended up letting her go in hopes she'd meet the girl who she longed for, and now she was that person to Kaito, who was using her like a tool. And as she ran down the street, trying to hide her tears, she still found she was angry at no one but herself.
Gumi, who could never find true love.
"Hey, Ritsu…" Miku spoke up as they were cleaning up the small mess they had accumulated from making chocolate. The older boy had his long, red hair tied back tightly in a ponytail and a frilly pink apron on (upon asking if it was his mother's, Ritsu corrected Miku and assured her it was his)- the very image of a girl someone would normally find in a themed café somewhere. Miku withheld mischievous grins all evening, wondering if she should take a picture of Ritsu, dolled up just to make simple chocolates, and see if she could tempt Gakupo with it.
The two of them had arrived at Ritsu's house –a surprisingly normal looking flat outside of town- to no one else being home, and he'd explained that's how it was usually. Both his parents worked in town, but their jobs usually forced them to work long hours. His mother was a manga artist who was always just barely making her deadlines and his father was a designer who seemed to like to take his work home with him, if the cuts and lengths of fabric and sketches stacked about were any sort of clue. This was definitely the type of environment someone like Ritsu would flourish in.
"Mmm?" Ritsu mumbled as he stood on tiptoe to reach a high shelf in order to put one of the mixing bowls they'd used away. For a moment, Miku was torn from what she'd wanted to talk about when she caught a brief glimpse of cute, pink-colored underwear peeking from beneath Ritsu's skirt as he stretched to tidy up. Gakupo must like the oblivious, innocent types, it seemed, since the redhead didn't even seem to notice.
"W-What are you going to do once Gakupo leaves for college?" Miku quickly regained composure, stumbling at the starting line as she began to ask. Truly, Ritsu was the only one she could possibly relate to, even if he was a grade above her. His own lover was still graduating before him- and apparently going to a prestigious, stuffy college in a completely different city- so he was the one person she could talk to about the problems she'd be facing who would be able to see her eye to eye. Ritsu planted his feet back firmly on the ground and made a cute, thoughtful noise. "I mean, you two are inseparable, won't it be hard to see him go?"
"I guess so." Ritsu nodded, seeming oddly upbeat for someone considering what life would be like without his almost constant companion. Miku couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy over how collected Ritsu was regarding the subject. Come to think of it, him and Gakupo hardly fought, despite the older of the two's fowl nature. Her and Luka seemed to constantly get by on the skin of their teeth, but it was smooth sailing for Ritsu and Gakupo. She almost wanted to ask him what their secret was, and try to use it to her advantage. "I lived for years waiting for Gakupo, though, not knowing if I would ever see him again. Having to wait a year, knowing where he is and knowing I'm in his heart is really nothing in comparison."
"That's true, you have that under your belt." Miku laughed. Years of waiting to see if his prince charming would return had given Ritsu the patience of a saint. But Miku was still so young and naïve- easily led astray and broken over the smallest thing. Her life hadn't prepared her for having to wait two whole years for the person she loved the most and longed for even now, only after having been apart from her for a few hours. Miku's heart ached at the thought of waiting, so much she had considered several times simply dropping out of school, finding a part time job and living with Luka. Of course, the older girl would never approve, so the occasional thought never became more than that.
But Luka was more than ready for being apart from Miku. She was exactly like Ritsu, in the sense that she had waited for Miku all the time they'd been apart growing up, even going as far as to turn down other, potential romances. She'd held out for her until her final year of high school, and with the amount of studying she'd be doing in college, the years would just fly by while they dragged on for Miku. The loneliness, she figured, would drive her absolutely mad.
"And you and Luka have gone through a lot over the past year." Ritsu responded positively, untying his apron. "All those hurdles will have made you a lot stronger by now. You'll be apart, but your love won't be going anywhere, that's for sure. I'm not going to pretend I know everything, but I'm sure you two are going to be fine." He reached over and patted Miku on the head.
"Are you sure?" Miku asked him. Just hearing that someone else had a little faith in her and Luka filled her heart with a little warmth. Ritsu chuckled lightly before turning his attention to the oven where their confections were baking.
"Me and everyone else are pretty sure." He told her with a smile. "If you've gotten this far after everything that's happened, a couple of years apart is going to be a walk in the park." Miku sighed and looked at the oven as well, resting her head in her upturned palm.
"I really hope you're right, Ritsu."
Luka had never seen Gumi so worked up before. From the moment she stepped into the house, she had talked nonstop about how frustrating Kaito was. She had tried several times to get a word in edgewise, but to no avail, and Gumi continued to rant about and rail on Kaito until she was red in the face- or maybe that was the alcohol. Maybe it was their attempt to sooth their clearly upset guest, but her maids had found it suitable to break out the leftover champagne from new years and serve it to the two girls. Luka had refused, but Gumi openly accepted, and had only paused in her fervent tirade to knock back whatever glass she was on. Luka knew it was wrong, and so did the maids, but there was something about angry Gumi that made everyone not want to tell her no.
The two of them were in the kitchen, where Luka was half-watching over a batch of sweets she had in the oven. She knew it was customary for just one person out of a couple to give chocolate on Valentine's Day, but she couldn't help herself. Unfortunately for her,and probably Gumi, being in the kitchen meant that drink was more widely available, and her now tipsy friend had resorted to sitting down after she had to catch herself on a counter mid-rant. The amount of alcohol she had consumed and how angry she was were finally conflicting with one another.
"I swear, he's still lusting after Miku!" She bellowed. "I wish he'd just hurry up and dump me already so I wouldn't have to go through all of this crap! I even planned on making him chocolate- what kind of idiot am I!?
"You're not an idiot, Gumi." Luka tried to reassure her, giving her maids a warning look as they began to inch forward with the bottle of alcohol, now almost empty of its contents. "You just need to give Kaito some time, and you two have plenty of that. You're both applying for the same college, after all."
"I hope he fails to get in!" Gumi shouted. "I hope I never have to see him again so I can stop hurting so much!" It appeared that her anger was devolving into sadness as her voice became much more solemn and lost the angry bite it had before. She rested her head in one of her hands and groaned quietly. "Because no matter how much he might love someone else, I still… I still…"
"Gumi…" Luka softly spoke as she approached her friend, who was now defensively covering her face as her shoulders shook. She gave a nod to the maids attending to them, silently asking for them to give them a moment alone. This was almost exactly what it was like when she told Gumi their relationship wasn't going to work- save for the fact Gumi hadn't been drunk, of course. She was hunched over, trying to hide the fact she was crying from Luka and miserably failing. Her sobs were audible and she shuddered like a leaf in a breeze. No matter how much she wiped at her eyes or how tightly she bunched herself up into a ball, it was clear when Gumi's tough exterior left her.
The moment was also a bit different from when Luka decided to end their relationship because, now, Luka wanted nothing more than for Gumi to succeed in her attempts at loving someone.
"I love that stupid piece of crap!" Gumi cried into her hands, her voice muffled and hard to understand because of that and the fact she was slurring her words in her sadness. "I love him so much that it hurts and he doesn't even care!"
"There, there." Luka comfortingly whispered, resting her hands on Gumi's shoulders and pulling the shuddering girl close to her just a bit. "You won't know for sure until you confront him about it. I bet you haven't even told him you feel this way, huh?"
"N-No…" Gumi sniffled after a long, stubborn pause.
"Alright, it's settled then. If all this is hurting you so much, you need to talk to Kaito about it." Luka told her sternly as she tightened her grip on her shoulders and pushed the crying girl back. She waited patiently until Gumi finally uncoiled herself and tore her arms slowly out of the way of her face so she could give her a confident, hard look. Gumi gazed back with her arms still near her face, ready to throw them over her eyes again as she looked back at her friend with a watery, unsure stare. "Tomorrow couldn't be more perfect- I'll even arm you with some of the cookies I'm making."
"…What if it turns out he doesn't like me?" Gumi asked her with a quivering voice. "What if I'm just some loser he's keeping around to fill space? What if-" Before she could continue to ask questions and make herself increasingly more upset, Luka playfully bopped her on the head.
"Hey, none of that. I'm sure everyone has a little good in them, even creeps like Kaito." She told her with a reassuring smile as Gumi rubbed her head, acting like Luka had given her a truly hefty blow. "If there's anything I've learned this past year, it's that people can surprise you. Now come on, get up. I'll have the maids watch the cookies while I clean you up."
"…Do you think Kaito loves me?" Gumi asked in an almost sleepy manner as her friend helped her to her feet. Gumi swayed for a bit, her gaze focused on the ground. Luka remained thoughtfully silent for a moment as she led her friend out of the kitchen. She remembered how he'd acted before Christmas- how overwhelmed he seemed about finding the perfect gift for Gumi. When she was helping him find the right gift, she was all he seemed to want to talk about- and not a breath of Miku left his lips.
"You know, Gumi, I think he loves you more than you think."
The fateful day had finally arrived, and the air was heavily scented with floral scents and chocolate. The soft giggles and whispers had evolved into loud professions and happy cries. Spring had hardly even begun to show its face, but it certainly felt like it was in the air. The chilly day was made warm by the feelings of love that seemed to drift through every hallway of the school and situate itself into every corner of every room. Everyone seemed content, buried under their own feelings and sweets. And when lunchtime finally came around, Miku finally decided it was time to join in the festivities.
She practically skipped down the hall, the clear, plastic bag clutched closely to her quickly beating heart. Several ribbons were tied around the bag, each a different shade of pink, and each, little ball of chocolate had been individually wrapped as well. If she hadn't personally made them herself, it seemed like they'd been store bought. It was all thanks to Ritsu, though, who had helped her every step of the way and held her hand through most of the process (or else things wouldn't have gone over as well). But despite the help she had gotten, Miku was sure that every ounce of love she had for Luka had been melted into each, individual chocolate.
And, as her thoughts drifted as they naturally did toward her lover, who should emerge from the crowd but Luka herself, looking just as happy to see Miku as Miku was to see her. The younger girl scampered up to her, a wide smile on her face and a deep blush on her cheeks.
"H-Happy Valentine's Day!" She happily squeaked, clumsily juggling the bag she had in her hands. In her excitement, she had lost her grip, and fumbled with it a few times before handing it over to the older girl. "I… I made these for you. Ritsu helped a little, of course…" Luka chuckled happily and gingerly accepted the package, untying the ribbon right then and there.
"I bet they're delicious, just like you." She purred pleasantly as she reached in and pulled out one of the individually wrapped balls of chocolate. Miku gasped a bit and blushed all the more, her gaze averting shyly as Luka played with the tiny sweet between her fingers. It was so like her, to playfully tease something before taking it all in. She unwrapped the piece slowly and pressed the now naked chocolate to her lips, leaving it there to soften against her warm skin before finally allowing it to pass through into her mouth. It was just one, little chocolate, but watching the simple act of Luka eating something she had put all of her feelings into made Miku's body grow hot.
"I-Is it good?" She asked dreamily.
"Very." Luka sweetly smiled. "I can taste all of the love you put into these." As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a bag of her own, which caught Miku by surprise. It was clear plastic, just like Miku's, and inside were several tiny, heart-shaped cookies, each one dusted with tiny, pink, crystalline sprinkles.
"I figured I'd make you some too, and we could share them together." She explained. "And, just so you know, I put all of my love into these, too." She gave Miku a playful wink, making the younger girl blush impossibly even more.
"W-Would you like to eat them on the roof, then?" Miku asked. She desperately wanted to be alone with Luka. All the things she wanted to do with her obviously couldn't be done in the hallway. Luka seemed like she was about to agree, but cut herself off.
"The roof's actually being used today." She told her. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find somewhere else where we can be alone." She reached out and took Miku's hand, leading her down the hallway as Miku wondered just who in the world managed to reserve the roof. It must have been a big confession of love Luka had learned about, and whoever it was, she wished them the best.
"Gumi, are you here?" Kaito called as he opened the doors to the roof. She was easy to spot, standing right in the center of the roof with her hands behind her back. She met his gaze with an apprehensive stare, looking unsure and nervous, but at the same time confident.
It was difficult to read Gumi's thoughts, especially now, after what had happened the evening before. They'd met up in the shopping center and, without warning, she had shoved ingredients for chocolate on him and ran off without another word. Honestly, that had robbed Kaito of a lot of sleep, but he dared not mention it to anyone. A girl acting upset around him usually was something he could shrug off, but not this time. He had no idea what had made her upset, either, and he had brought the items she'd forced upon him to school just in case she wanted them back by some chance.
"Good, you're here." Gumi spoke in a serious tone, straightening up a bit as a light breeze blew past the two of them. "There's… something I wanted to ask you."
"What about?" Kaito asked, trying to peer around her to see what was behind her back. "What's that you've got- chocolate? Is it for me?" He smiled at her playfully, but Gumi seemed to be having none of his antics and took a step away from him, hitting him with an upset glare that peeled the smile from off his face. "Did I do something wrong again?"
"Again?"
"Well yesterday you ran off after you left me with your groceries, so I figured I must have done something to upset you." Kaito nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry if it was the 'body' comment, but you don't normally attack me when I make those kinds of jokes."
"It wasn't that!" Gumi snapped, seeming to immediately regret how sharply she'd begun and softened her words a bit. "It's just… the other day, I tried to tell you that I loved you, but you cut me off! It made me realize you've never once told me that you loved me, you just make suggestive comments and pay me compliments…" Gumi's strong exterior began to melt even faster than she'd expected, and she found herself looking away the moment she felt the smallest hints of tears rush to her eyes. "I just… don't know if you even like me, or if you're just hung up on Miku! And it hurts because I like you a lot, Kaito! I… I love you, and you won't even let me tell you! I wish you'd just tell me instead of leading me along all the time!"
Without warning, the sudden, warm feeling of being embraced consumed Gumi, and she looked up with tear-filled eyes to find Kaito had wrapped his arms around her. She dropped the small bag of cookies she had been given by Luka and opened her mouth in shock- unable to say anything, but was able to produce more tears.
"I'm sorry." Kaito softly spoke. "I was… afraid."
"Bullshit!" Gumi sobbed, unable to push him away.
"It's the truth!" Kaito defended, pulling away just enough that he could look her in the eyes. Her bright green eyes had become more brilliant, enhanced by the salty drops that collected around the edges and in her eyelashes. "The last person I let get close to me… Miku… obviously didn't turn out so well. I was nervous and was afraid of it happening again. But… I really do love you, Gumi! There's no one else!" Gumi stood stalk still, allowing herself to be hugged once again as Kaito moved back in to tightly embrace her. Her arms hung limply at her sides to begin with, but soon, she found herself slowly raising them to embrace him back, a fresh flow of tears beginning to exit her eyes.
"Kaito… you… you idiot!" she cried as she buried her face against him. "You coward, you idiot! You made me feel this way for nothing!"
"I know, I'm sorry." Kaito sighed, resting his head on hers. "But I promise, I won't let you feel this way again. Even if I don't know what's ahead, I refuse to let you feel unloved." Gumi continued to sob, hiding her face against his body. "Here, I'll make it up to you. I've been getting chocolate all day, we can pig out on it together." Finally, Gumi pulled away, wiping at her tears with a smile on her face.
"God…" She mumbled, feeling a weight being lifted from her shoulders as she spoke. "…I love you, you idiot."