37.
She sighed and crossed her arms, her chin lifted and her eyes narrowed. Makoto hunched his shoulders, glancing up and down the empty sidewalk. He had asked to talk in private, but now it seemed that it hadn't been such a great idea.
"I told you to be on time so we wouldn't get disqualified. And you came back and got disqualified. We all worked really hard you know." She turned her head and put her hands on her hips. For a long moment she was silent then she giggled. "But I saw my brother's old self again. So I forgive your irresponsibility, captain."
"R-really?"
"Miss Amakata already said it was okay, didn't she? I wasn't really angry." She folded her hands behind her back, leaning forward. "Anyway, the race is over. And youdid win, even though you aren't allowed to go to nationals. What did you want to talk about?"
"About—us. I want to talk about everything plainly." He frowned, clenching his hands for a moment. "Even after everything that's happened I haven't been able to clearly say how I feel, and I'm not sure I've been able to show it either."
"You have! I mean—now that you're saying this, I'm sure you have." She looked up at him stubbornly. "It's not as if I've been any better. There's no rule that I can't say anything, and I haven't. I should have said something at the festival."
He chuckled, raising his hand to his mouth for a moment. "That would have been the best place, wouldn't it?"
"No, I think this is better."
"Gou—" he hesitated, looking at her hands, and she smiled and reached out first, as usual. He squeezed her hands and bowered his head. "I like you. Will you please be my girlfriend?"
"Are you sure? I took you on a date to a haunted house."
"It's okay if you're with me."
She ducked her head to hide her blush. "D-don't say embarrassing things!"
He smiled, tilting his head. "Gou?"
With a gentle tug she pulled his hands closer, and he raised an eyebrow when she stood on her toes. Ah, she's trying this…
When she tilted her head up, he leaned down and kissed her temple, and she dropped back to her flat feet. She tugged his hands and stomped her foot. "I wanted to be first!"