Hi, readers! Here's the second chapter. And let me tell you something, my friends. This chapter is a fun chapter.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own GochiUsa. It belongs to Koi.

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

Chapter 2

On Monday, Rize could barely focus on any of her classes at college. The reason? When she went home today, she'd have to confess her undying love to a certain kouhai of hers.

Okay... She wasn't going to use the word 'undying' when she confessed. She'd die of embarrassment.

But it was the truth. Her love for Syaro truly was undying. Rize might not have realized her feelings too long ago but she was sure her feelings wouldn't change. She'd love Syaro forever, no matter how cheesy that might sound.

Even if Syaro rejected her today.

After Rize went back home, she freshened up, went downstairs and nervously paced in the large room the front door of her house led to. Her friends wanted her to tell Syaro how she felt. So Chiya said she'd tell Syaro that Rize wanted to talk to her. Chiya would tell Syaro to visit Rize on her day off.

As luck would have it, Syaro didn't have to go to work today. So Rize was now awaiting her arrival.

Rize chewed her lip as she walked from one end of the room to the other. She could feel her heart pounding like crazy. Was it because she was terrified? Probably.

But Rize knew there was another reason too. She hadn't seen Syaro in well over a week. So she couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of finally getting to see the love of her life.

Rize stopped dead in her tracks, her cheeks burning. Oh, dear. What was she even thinking? She'd managed to turn into a lovesick fool. She hoped she didn't say anything extreme in front of Syaro by accident. Rize didn't want to scare her off.

The doorbell rang. Rize gulped. This was it. Syaro was here. There was no going back. Today, for better or for worse, she was going to tell Syaro how she felt.

Rize walked over to the door and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then she opened her eyes and pulled open the door.

Syaro looked up at Rize, a nervous smile on her lips. "Hi, Rize-senpai."

Rize couldn't bring herself to say anything in response. She simply stared at Syaro, her chest tightening. Honestly, why did Syaro have to look so cute all the time? She was so adorable that Rize could barely restrain herself from pulling Syaro into a bear hug.

But she had to control herself. Now wasn't the time to hug Syaro. Or the place. If any of the maids saw them...

"Rize-senpai?"

"Huh?" Rize let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen you in a while so..."

Syaro's eyes dropped to the ground. "Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

A pang of guilt shot through Rize. Syaro looked upset and it was all her fault. If only she hadn't hesitated so much. If only she had talked to Syaro sooner.

Rize stepped to the side. "Please come in, Syaro."

With a nod, Syaro did as told. As Rize shut the front door, she hoped everything would go well. Even if Syaro didn't return her feelings, she needed Syaro to at least remain her friend.

Rize turned around to face Syaro. "Let's go upstairs, shall we?"

"Yes, senpai."

With a small smile, Rize led Syaro up the stairs and to her room. Yesterday, Rize had thought long and hard about where she'd confess. She eventually decided on her room. The reason was simple. If anything went wrong, Syaro could simply walk out of the room and Rize could crumple up on her bed and cry.

A foolproof plan, indeed.

Also, nobody would interrupt them so that was a bonus. Rize was nervous enough already. Someone walking in on them was the last thing she needed.

Once they reached her room, Rize let Syaro in and entered the room herself, shutting the door behind her. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Then she patted the spot next to her. "Come here, Syaro."

As Syaro took her seat in silence, Rize wished her heart would stop racing. It would make it easier for her to think. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would jump out of her chest at any moment.

But the fact that Syaro was dressed as usual made Rize relax somewhat. Plain clothes and the usual black ribbon in her hair. It was familiar. Comforting.

Rize herself was dressed as usual too. She had her hair in twintails like she normally did. She wanted to be herself when she told Syaro how she felt. So she didn't dress up at all.

Syaro stared at her lap. "Chiya told me you wanted to see me, senpai. Is anything wrong?"

Rize shook her head. "Everything is fine. It's just that I haven't seen you since the accident so..." Rize's eyes dropped to Syaro's ankle. "Can you walk properly now?"

Syaro gave Rize a small smile. "Yes, senpai. My ankle doesn't hurt at all anymore. I don't even need the bandages."

Rize smiled. "That's good."

"And what about you? Is your elbow fine?"

Rize showed Syaro her elbow. "I don't need bandages anymore either. Just a band-aid."

Syaro frowned. "Are you sure that doesn't hurt?"

"It hurts a little if I move my arm. But it really is a little. I can barely feel it."

Syaro looked away. She didn't seem convinced. Rize knew Syaro felt guilty but she really shouldn't. It wasn't Syaro's fault. It was an accident. And Rize didn't mind the pain if it meant she could keep Syaro safe.

Rize cleared her throat. "I, um... I'm sorry I didn't call you all week. It's not like I didn't want to but..."

Syaro looked up at her. "But what?"

"But I..." Rize's breathing became heavy. "I've had a lot on my mind."

Syaro's features pulled into a concerned frown. "Rize-senpai, are you okay? You look kind of red." Syaro leaned forward and placed a hand on Rize's forehead. "You don't have a fever, though."

Rize gulped, the close proximity making her head spin. Syaro was so close. Maybe making Syaro sit right next to her wasn't the best idea. Rize's eyes dropped to Syaro's lips for a split second before she jumped off the couch and took a few steps forward.

That was dangerous.

"Senpai? What's wrong?"

What's wrong is that I want to kiss you!

Rize took a deep breath to calm herself down. She walked over to the middle of the room and turned around to look at Syaro. Yes. This was a safe distance.

"There's something I need to tell you, Syaro. It's really important so... Just hear me out, okay?"

Syaro blinked, confusion splayed across her face. "What is it?"

Rize bit her lip. This was it. She took in a deep breath and let it out. She was aware Syaro was watching her but she needed to calm down if she wanted to actually say what she needed to say.

Rize looked straight at Syaro. She didn't know what was going to happen when she finally said it but she had to say it. She wasn't a coward, was she?

Then why did it feel like her knees were going to give out?

"S-Syaro, I... I haven't been able to talk to you this week be-because... Because..."

Syaro creased her brow. "Why are you stuttering, senpai? You can tell me what's on your mind. You don't have to hesitate so much."

Rize chewed her lip. "I... I... I realized that I've fallen in love!"

Syaro blinked. She clearly wasn't expecting the sudden declaration.

Okay. Rize was sure now. She really was a coward. Why did she have to say only half of what she needed to say? Of course Syaro would look confused. Rize needed to tell Syaro who she was in love with. Or it wasn't a confession at all!

Syaro broke into a bright smile. "Oh, is that so, senpai? That's great news!"

Rize stared at Syaro. She seemed spectacularly happy. The smile on Syaro's face was the brightest smile Rize had ever seen. It could easily fool anyone.

Anyone but her.

Rize knew for a fact that the smile on Syaro's face was a fake one. Syaro might seem happy but Rize was sure she wasn't. She wouldn't be flashing such a magnificent fake smile if she were genuinely happy.

But why was Syaro upset? Was it because she was caught off guard? Or was it because she'd rather not hear about Rize's love life?

"So, are you already dating, Rize-senpai? Or did you not confess yet?"

Oh. So Syaro thought Rize was in love with someone else. That was probably to be expected, though. Rize hadn't actually told Syaro who she had fallen in love with.

But in that case... Rize's heart beat faster as a thought occurred to her. Was it possible that Syaro was upset because she didn't want Rize to be in love with anyone else? Did that mean that Syaro...?

"Senpai?"

Rize shook her head. "I'm not dating anyone. I'm still single."

"Oh." Syaro's smile faltered for a split second before returning to normal. "So who is it? Is it some guy from your college?"

Rize shook her head again. "It's not a guy. It's a girl."

A look of surprise flashed across Syaro's face. Rize wondered why. Did Syaro expect her to fall in love with some strong and burly soldier-like man or something?

"So... What's she like?"

Rize bit her lip. This situation was becoming kind of strange. But she might as well answer Syaro's question.

Rize cleared her throat. "Well, um... She's super cute."

Rize didn't miss the look of hurt that flashed across Syaro's face. It was only for a moment but Rize was sure she saw it.

Syaro's fake smile grew wider. "Oh. That's nice. And?"

"And she's very hardworking."

"Well, I'm sure senpai wouldn't love someone who's lazy."

"And she tries her best no matter what. She's quite stubborn at times but I like that."

"That's sweet."

Syaro's fake smile was growing even wider. It was becoming easier to understand how fake it was. Rize felt a little bolder now.

"And she's blonde."

"Oh."

"And she likes to collect teacups."

Syaro let out a laugh. "Just like me!" She furrowed her brow. "Wait. Seriously?"

"And she's afraid of rabbits."

"...Huh?"

"And she gets drunk on caffeine."

Syaro's eyes widened. She stared at Rize in silence, completely frozen in her seat.

"And..." Rize gulped. "And she's you, Syaro."

Syaro didn't react. She simply stared at Rize with wide eyes. Rize swallowed thickly. She'd managed to shock Syaro into silence.

As Syaro continued to stare at her, Rize squeezed her eyes shut. This was becoming too much for her to handle. All of her confidence was crumbling down. She'd ruined things, hadn't she? Syaro didn't feel the same way, did she? Syaro was going to walk out of her life, wasn't she?

All of a sudden, Rize felt something soft and warm crash into her with great force. Her eyes snapped open at the impact and she took a step back, steadying herself at the last moment. She was lucky she didn't fall.

Rize looked down. It wasn't something that had crashed into her. It was someone.

"Sy-Syaro?"

Syaro's arms were wrapped around Rize in a tight embrace and her head was buried in Rize's chest. She was shaking, soft sobs escaping her lips.

Rize's features pulled into a deep frown. She'd somehow succeeded in making Syaro cry again. What was wrong with her? If she loved Syaro then shouldn't she be trying to make the girl happy? Instead, all she could do lately was make Syaro upset.

Rize raised her arms but stopped short of actually touching Syaro. She wasn't sure she should.

"Syaro, I'm so sorry. You didn't want to hear that, did you? It's okay if you don't feel the same way. You don't have to cry about that. You don't have to worry about me. I..." Rize swallowed thickly, blinking back the tears. "I can handle it if you need to reject me."

Syaro shook her head against Rize's chest, her sobs growing louder. Rize frowned. So that wasn't it? Then what was wrong?

"Wait." Rize felt the blood drain from her face. "Don't tell me you're crying because you don't want to be friends anymore! Syaro... I... I'm really sorry!" Rize gritted her teeth. "Damn it! I knew I shouldn't have said anything!"

Syaro let out a laugh. Rize creased her eyebrows. Why was Syaro laughing?

As Syaro continued to laugh through her tears, Rize let her arms drop to her sides. She didn't have a clue what was going on. What was she supposed to do in this situation? And what on earth was going through Syaro's mind?

Syaro slowly pulled away. But she left her hands on Rize's back, not breaking the hug. She looked up at Rize, smiling through her tears. Rize froze. That smile.

That smile wasn't fake.

"Rize-senpai..." Syaro sniffled. "You're misunderstanding. I'm sorry for confusing you but... But this is really overwhelming and..." Syaro let out another laugh even as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm just so happy!"

Rize blinked. "You... You're happy? You're not mad?"

Syaro shook her head. "Of course not!"

"So that means...?"

Syaro's eyes softened as she looked up at Rize. Rize's breath caught in her throat. She'd never seen Syaro look at her that way before. The look in her eyes... It made Rize's heart race faster than it ever had before.

Syaro smiled. "It means that I love you too, Rize-senpai."

Rize felt weak in her knees. Seriously? Syaro returned her feelings? For real?

"Y-You..." Rize gulped. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

Syaro shook her head. "No, senpai. I..." She looked way, a bright blush on her cheeks. "I've been in love with you for a few years."

Rize's eyes widened. "A few years? But we only met a little over two years ago, Syaro."

The blush on Syaro's cheeks deepened. "I've had a crush on you since we met. Not exactly the day we met but... Around that time."

Rize's eyebrows shot up. "A crush? On me?"

Syaro pouted. "You had a fanclub at school. Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Well, my fanclub didn't really know me. I mean, they only saw my cool side. But you..." Rize frowned. "Wait. If you had a crush back when you first met me, that was when you saw only my cool side too."

Syaro looked up at Rize, eyebrows creased. "So?"

"So how do you still have a crush on me now? You know what I'm like."

Syaro giggled. Rize frowned. Did she say something funny?

Syaro slid her hands off Rize's back and brought them in front of her. Her hands shaked as she put them on Rize's shoulders. Syaro looked up at Rize, a small smile on her lips.

"Senpai, I don't have a crush on you anymore."

Rize's frown deepened. "... What?"

Syaro's smile grew wider. "I know who you are, senpai. Who you really are. And that's why I can confidently say that it's not just a crush anymore." A tear rolled down Syaro's cheek. "What I feel is a lot stronger. It's love."

The frown on Rize's face vanished, realization setting in. So that was what Syaro meant. Rize bit her lip. "So... Even though I'm like this...?"

Syaro let out a small laugh. "I love you for everything you are, Rize-senpai. I already told you last week, didn't I? I wouldn't have you any other way."

A smile tugged Rize's lips upward. It was finally beginning to sink in. This was really happening. This was really happening.

"I love you, Syaro." Rize's eyes softened. "More than anyone in the world. I know that sounds cheesy but... I truly mean it."

Syaro smiled up at Rize. A sweet and beautiful smile. But tears were still running down her cheeks. Syaro had been waiting for this for a long time, hadn't she? Of course she was overwhelmed.

But Rize didn't want to see her cry anymore. So she brought her hands up to Syaro's cheeks and wiped the tears away. Rize smiled at Syaro, wondering how she could look so beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful.

Rize's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned forward. The moment she met Syaro's lips with her own, a tingle went up her spine. Syaro's lips were soft and warm against hers. And Rize wanted more.

Rize slid her hands off Syaro's cheeks and let them find their way to her back. She didn't break the kiss. Not for even a moment. Pulling Syaro closer, Rize deepened the kiss. Syaro gripped Rize's shoulder and kissed her back.

And in that moment, Rize felt complete.

The next day, Rize and Syaro stood before Chiya, Cocoa and Chino. They told their friends they were going to make an announcement. So after school and college were out, everyone gathered at Rabbit House.

Rize smirked. From the look on her friends' faces, she could understand that they already knew what the announcement was going to be. But she still needed to make an official announcement. And she needed to thank them too. She owed them all. Big time.

Rize cleared her throat. "Thanks for gathering here today. What I... No. What we are going to say is very important. So listen up."

Cocoa seemed like she was ready to jump. Chino was suppressing a smile for sure. And Chiya's signature smile was even wider than usual.

Rize grabbed Syaro's hand and gave it a light squeeze. Syaro looked up at her and smiled. Then the two of them turned to look at their friends and made their announcement together.

"We're dating!"

Cocoa started jumping instantly. "Finally!"

Chino gave them a satisfied nod. "Congratulations."

And Chiya... She engulfed Syaro in a bear hug with tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Syaro-chan!"

"Can't... Breathe..." Syaro choked out.

Chiya loosened her hold on Syaro. "I'm sorry. But this is such a happy day!"

Syaro furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around. "It's great that you're all happy but why isn't anyone surprised? Don't you want any explanation or anything?"

Cocoa giggled. "We know enough already. We actually know more than you."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Rize scratched the back of her head. "It means that they were the ones who forced me to confess. Thanks for that, you guys."

Syaro's eyes widened. "What?!" Syaro stared at her friends. "All of you knew senpai was going to confess? And what do you mean you forced her?"

Chiya wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'll tell you everything later, Syaro-chan."

"But if you forced her then..." Syaro frowned.

Chiya giggled. "Don't be upset, Syaro-chan. I'm sure Rize-chan would have confessed eventually. It's just that we didn't want to wait."

As Syaro looked up at Rize, Rize felt her cheeks heat up. "Uh... Chiya's not wrong. But I was scared you'd reject me so..."

Cocoa shook her head, a disappointed look on her face. "I still can't believe you'd think that."

Rize raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry I wasn't as confident as you were. But seriously, did you know that Syaro had feelings for me?"

Cocoa let out an exasperated sigh. "Everyone knows!"

"Everyone?" Syaro squeaked.

"You're not very good at hiding your feelings, Syaro-chan. I have no idea how Rize-chan didn't realize it."

Rize folded her arms across her chest and looked away. "It's arrogant to just assume that someone likes you."

"We both know that arrogance has nothing to do with you not figuring it out."

Rize glared at Cocoa. Coca simply smiled at her.

Rize turned to look at Chiya. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Rize-chan."

"Come with me for a bit."

Rize walked away until she was out of everyone's earshot, Chiya following after her. Rize leaned a bit closer to Chiya. She didn't want anyone to hear them.

"So, Chiya. That friend you were talking about that day. The one who you said had a crush on her friend but wouldn't tell her friend about it." A light frown made its way to Rize's face. "You were talking about Syaro, right?"

Chiya smiled softly. "I can't deny that now, can I?"

Rize let out a sigh. "So Syaro's the one who used to get upset. Because of me."

"Don't worry about that, Rize-chan. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know."

"I know that but..." Rize bit her lip. "I wish I had figured out my feelings earlier."

Chiya chuckled. "It's better late than never. Right, Rize-chan?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Rize smiled. "Thank you, Chiya. For being such a great friend."

Chiya blinked. "What are yo-"

Rize grabbed Chiya's hands. "I understand now why you meddled so much. You didn't want to see Syaro hurt anymore, right? You wanted to see her happy."

Chiya smiled. "Yes. Thank you for understanding."

Rize smiled back. She was glad Syaro had a friend like Chiya. And she was glad that she had a friend like Chiya.

"It's time to celebrate, everyone!"

Rize turned around to find Cocoa proudly holding a tray of coffee. Rize and Chiya walked over to her. Chiya seemed quite excited at the idea. And for some reason, so did Syaro.

Rize lifted an eyebrow. "Cocoa, can't you get Syaro something else? Do you want her to get drunk or something?"

Cocoa gave her an enthusiastic nod. "Syaro-chan is fun when she has coffee."

"But-"

"It's okay, senpai." Syaro grinned. "I'm in the mood to have fun today."

Rize shot Syaro an incredulous look. "Seriously?"

Syaro grabbed a mug and took a sip. "Why not?"

Before long, Syaro was on a caffeine high. Rize stared at her as she jumped around the café. It was a good thing there were no customers right now. An audience was the last thing Syaro needed.

Rize's lips quirked upward in a small smile. As embarrassing as the situation was, it was nice seeing Syaro so happy. Really nice.

"Senpai!"

Syaro crashed into Rize and engulfed her in a hug. With a huge smile on her face, Syaro snuggled against Rize's chest. "You're sooo comfy, Rhize-shenpai..."

Rize felt her cheeks flare up. This was mighty embarrassing. Syaro never did stuff like this before when she was drunk. Now that they were dating, was a drunk Syaro bolder or something?

Rize tried to ignore the way her friends were laughing at the sight. This really was way too embarrassing. Way too much. But...

Syaro was her girlfriend. And this felt right.

And so we're finally done!

…Maybe.

I could obviously end the series right here. But I could also continue this series and write about what happens after Rize and Syaro start dating. That could be fun.

If anyone thinks they'd be interested in reading that, do let me know.

Read and review, folks!