Hey, for once I didn't completely forget to update this story here, what's are the chances?
Dapper64: Well, if I'm being completely honest, is no longer my main site (hasn't been since I joined this fandom) and nowadays, I mainly use Wattpad as my base of operations ... so to speak. That mean I post my stories there first, which is usually on time, then here, which ... isn't as on time. Also, I post AT LEAST every Monday, and maybe Wednesday, and Friday once in a blue moon.
Jezzyboi: Yeah, the moto series is great, but I'm actually not sure if it's already being translated. It'll have to be something I need to look into later.
Scorpio2292: Glad you're enjoying it.
It was the following day, and Nishikata was sitting at his desk at home, writing something on paper, as he thought about the previous night. "I can't believe I fell asleep, I almost didn't get home in time." He sighed and lied down on his bed. "I didn't even have the chance to tell her how I felt … though, that's probably a good thing. I have no idea what I was thinking before."
He sighed and continued writing. "Takagi, I'm sorry … I shouldn't have snapped that day, and … GAH!" He crumpled up the paper and threw it onto the pile of discarded paper that was once the trash can. "Why is this so hard?" He stared at his phone for a moment before placing it back down. "I need to think of something to say before this week is up, otherwise I'll lose her … maybe forever."
He shook the thought from his head and continued trying to write. "I'll find the perfect apology and confession, even if it kills me!"
It was at that moment, his phone rang, causing him to slip and almost fall off his chair, before scrambling to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey Nishikata, you sound eager for some reason."
Nishikata blushed. "Wha- NO! I mean … I just … I'm not over eager to talk to you."
"You realize I didn't say why you sounded like you were over eager, right?"
Nishikata's blush intensified before Takagi-san burst into laughter. "I can just imagine your face right now, I bet you're blushing up a storm."
"I am not!"
"If you say so. Anyway, my parents apparently planned for us to visit my grandparents today, so we can't go on a date."
'Why does it always make me blush when she says that word?' "I … well … if you're busy, then there's not much that can be done. But we were together for the last four days and couples don't spend every waking moment together."
"True, but this is a result of a contest which was supposed to result in you spending all week with me." She paused for a moment. "But I guess you get a day off."
"Do you …" He took a deep breath and braced himself. "Do you want to extend it by a day? I mean … just so that we can keep the full amount of time that you had planned?"
"Hm, no, I said that we'd be together for a week, not that we'll go on seven dates. I'll just have to get the most out of it tomorrow."
"Okay … if you say so."
"Yeah, anyway, I'll see you."
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up the phone, and stared at it for a moment. "So … that's one less day I get to spend as her boyfriend …" He stared at it for a few more moments, before shoving all of his papers off his desk in frustration. "DAMN IT! Why can't I just confess to her already?"
He shoved his phone into his pocket, before getting up to collect the fallen papers. "At least I'll have a day to think over what to say … not that I'll be able to think of something." He continued for a while, before hearing his phone ring once again. "Huh?" He looked at his phone and read the caller ID, showing that the call was coming from Takao. "I wonder what he wants." He answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Nishikata!" Takao exclaimed. "Are you busy today?"
"No, I don't have anything planned for today."
"Great, the other guys, and I were planning on hitting up the beach today, you in?"
He thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, what time?"
"We were headed out in about an hour, we'll see you there." He hung up, leaving Nishikata to ponder this fortuitous situation.
"I guess I'm lucky Takagi was busy today, I'm not sure how I would have explained spending time with her without telling them that I was dating her." He put his phone away before going back to his papers. "I need a day to destress though, so this all worked out in my favor."
He continued until an hour had passed, and it was finally time for him to leave to meet up with his friends. He changed into his bathing suit and gathered his various beach supplies, as well as his wallet and cellphone. "Well, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
The beach was, thankfully, only a short walk away, where he found it rather crowded. "I guess I should have expected this." He said as he looked up to see the bright blue sky. "The weather is so nice."
"NISHIKATA!" Nakai's voice called out.
Nishikata turned in the direction of the voice to see Nakai waving at him as he walked over. "Glad you could make it."
"Well I was free, so there was really no reason not to."
"Yeah, it's beautiful out, isn't it?"
"You can say that again."
"Yeah, now come on, Takao and Kimura already picked out a spot for us."
Nishikata followed Nakai over to an area towards the center of the beach, where an umbrella was already set up, with Takao, Kimura, and Hamaguchi already sitting underneath. "Hey guys! I found him!" Nakai called out as they approached.
"So then the gangs all here." Hamaguchi stated. "So, what shall we do first?"
"Should we have another race?" Takao asked.
"No, I remember what happened last time and I don't want a repeat of it." Hamaguchi stated.
"Well, I'm going to take a nap." Kimura said as he lay down on the blanket he was sitting on.
"Oh, come on!" Takao exclaimed. "You can sleep at home!" Kimura didn't respond, having already fallen asleep. "Go figure." After a moment, Takao got a devious grin on his face. "You guys go on ahead, I need to take care of something first."
"I … wouldn't recommend doing that." Nakai said as Takao began shoveling piles of sand onto Kimura.
"I'm just going to pretend to know nothing." Hamaguchi turned while keeping his head pointed at his friends. "Any of you want to come?"
"I'm in." Nakai replied.
"I still need to apply sunscreen." Nishikata added. "I'll catch up later."
Hamaguchi shrugged as he and Nakai walked off, leaving Nsihikata alone with Takao and a sleeping Kimura which was slowly being buried in sand.
'I wonder what I should do first.' Nishikata thought as he began applying sunscreen to himself. 'When I was younger I used to build sand castles, but I was never really all that good at it… I bet Takagi loves building sand castles.' He quickly shook his head and tried to calm himself. 'NO, NO, NO! I'm spending time with my friends, Takagi isn't even anywhere near us. Not to mention, she'd probably think it was childish or … no, this is Takagi, if she was here, then she would love to build a sand castle with me.' He sighed as he placed lotion on the back of his hand. 'And now I have to apply lotion to my back … why am I so stiff?' He continued applying it, struggling to get every inch until he was completely done. 'Finally.' He stood up and looked around. "Now to find the others."
He walked off and began looking for his friends. "Now where could they be?"
He soon found them tossing a frisbee around. "GUYS!" He shouted as he walked over.
"Nishikata!" Nakai replied. "Want to join?"
"Sure."
Nakai tossed the frisbee to Nishikata, who caught it before tossing it to Hamaguchi. The three of them continued to throw the frisbee around for some time, tossing it out of the other's immediate reach, forcing the other to run and catch it before it hit the ground. It eventually began to turn into a contest of who could catch it the most without letting it fall.
"It's coming your way Nakai." Nishikata said before tossing it directly at Nakai. He stood there, as if ready to catch it, only to fumble it, causing it to fall to the ground. "Looks like another, fail for you Nakai."
"It's only like … three since we started keeping track, right?"
"Try thirteen." Hamaguchi corrected.
"Oh, well, I guess I'm a little off my game today." He tossed it towards Hamaguchi, only for it to fly way over his head, forcing him to go running after it.
"Nakai, isn't that a bit too far away?" Nishikata asked.
"Yeah, I'm probably just getting tired."
Hamaguchi eventually came back with it while breathing heavily. "Hey guys? How about a break?"
"Yeah," Nakai began. "Let's go back to our spot and relax for a bit."
The three of them began walking back, where they found Takao sitting reading a manga, and Kimura almost completely buried, with only his head sticking out.
"I see you've managed to keep yourself busy." Hamaguchi said in Takao's direction.
"Yeah, well, burying him was quick, so I didn't really have much to do after."
"You could have joined us." Nakai suggested.
"And leave poor buried Kimura alone? What kind of heartless person do you think I am?"
"You don't want me to answer that question." Nishikata replied before spreading out a towel and lying down.
Takao leered at Nishikata as the others pulled out their towels and also lied down. "So, have you guys put any thought into what kind of highschool you want to go to?" Nakai asked.
Nishikata shook his head. "Not yet, every time I think about it, I get nervous."
"I hear ya, you know Mano wants me and her to go to the same highschool?"
"Sounds like something she would do." Hamaguchi stated.
"I know, right? Don't get me wrong, I like her but … how do I put this?"
"She's controlling?" Managuchi asked.
"No, I don't mind that, it's just … she always has to plan things out, sometimes to a ridiculous degree."
"Really? That's your issue with her?"
"It's not an issue, it's just … gets in the way of just enjoying ourselves sometimes." He sighed and dropped his head. "But I guess she does have a point, if I don't go to the same highschool as her, then spending time with her would be harder."
"Sounds like you've got it bad." Takao stated. "Unlike every other conscious person here, I'm not going to fall so deeply in love with a girl that I can't even say no to her."
Hamaguchi looked at something behind Takao like he was having trouble seeing it. "Is that Sanae-san in a bikini?"
"WHERE?!" Takao asked as he spun around.
The others laughed at him as he realized that he had been played. "HAY!"
"You're the one who won't be able to say no to the person you're in love with."
"I can totally say no to Sanae-san, and for the record, I'm not in love with her!"
"Don't know who you're trying to fool, but I don't think it's working."
"SHUT UP!"
The others laughed. "Okay, okay, enough about that, who wants to get some lunch?" Nishikata asked as he stood up.
"I could go for some lunch." Hamaguchi answered.
"Same here." Nakai added.
"Okay then." Nishikata turned around to try and look for the nearest place to get something to eat, but as soon as he turned around, he saw a girl from his class standing there, staring directly at him. "Um … hi?"
"Hi … Nishikata-kun." The girl replied nervously. "I … um … well …" There was a slight blush on her face, as she struggled to find the words.
'Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going.' Nishikata thought to himself.
"You see … I'm sorry if this isn't the best of times but … it's …" She took a very deep breath before delivering her question. "WILL YOU GO ON A DATE WITH ME?"