"Good morning, Aburatsubo."
The brunette pulled himself out of his thoughts, of Takeo as usual, and smiled as Sae fell in step beside him. He was in a grade ahead of her, so they didn't often see each other through the day, besides at lunch hour.
It was funny, really, that the girl whom had been his biggest rival just a short while ago was now one of his closest friends. It was because, now that he didn't have to worry about trying to steal Takeo's heart away from her, Aburatsubo had finally allowed himself to see what a sweet girl she was. A sweet girl who was going through the same thing he was, attempting to build a relationship of love with someone whom she'd never thought could possibly return her feelings.
They were two of a kind, it seemed, as Nanaka reacted to Sae's romantic much in the same way Takeo responded to Aburatsubo. They'd begun to confide in each other, sharing their worries and hopes and offering encouragement to each other. Neither of them had anyone else they were close to who could possibly understand the situation they were in, and so a strong friendship had grown between them.
"Good morning," he replied. "How are things going for you?"
She gave him a wan smile. "I still can't seem to be able to master that new spell," she said with a sigh.
"You'll get the hang of it," Aburatsubo encouraged. Sae had such natural talent, it was only her own insecurity that held her back. In more than just magic, he suspected. "How about things with Nanaka? You went to the movies last night, right?"
The red-head blushed, as she did every time Nanaka's name was mentioned or she was around the other girl, and she gave him a sheepish look. "I accidentally dumped my soda on her," she admitted, obviously embarrassed. "And it was just after the movie started. She said that it was okay, but her skirt was still soaked when the movie was over. We ended up skipping the dinner because she had to go home to change."
Aburatsubo couldn't keep himself from laughing, although he quickly snubbed it out when he saw the miserable expression on Sae's face. "Hey, you should look on the good side of it," he said quickly. "It shows how much she cares about your feelings, that she sat through the movie with wet clothing."
Sae gave him a dry look.
He ruffled her hair gently. "Things like that, even if you're embarrassment over the situation makes it seem like a momentous mistake, happen all of the time. And you shouldn't just dismiss her reaction, Sae. It really does show how much she cares."
Sae was quiet for a moment, then she gave him a smile. "You're right," she replied. "Nanaka might make fun of me for how clumsy I am, but it's never stopped her from being my friend. Why should it stop us from being girlfriends? I shouldn't worry until it happens, right?"
"Exactly!" Aburatsubo cheered, making a mental note to make sure he remembered that for himself.
Sae laughed a little, shaking her head. "I never thought it would be so difficult," she confessed. "In my head, things just proceeded so smoothly. Every date would turn out exactly the way it was supposed to. We would just hold hands at first. Then, one day, I'd steal a kiss, and Nanaka would tell me she loves me too, and everything would go perfectly from there. I should of known that real live could never go as easily as dreams."
"Tell me about it," Aburatsubo sighed.
"Things not going well with Takeo?" she asked curiously, apparently eager to change the subject from her own romantic problems.
The brunette gave a half-grin. It was funny to hear such a thing from Sae, whom he'd thought was so much in love with Takeo. Sometimes it was still hard to get used to the idea that she didn't actually feel anything but friendship. "Hardly," he admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying every minute of it, but it still feels like we're just friends."
"It's hard, isn't it?" Sae said quietly. "To want more, but to be so helplessly unable to make it more. Every part of your heart hurts when she pulls away."
Sae was talking of herself, but the words couldn't be more true for Aburatsubo as well. They echoed in his mind even after the bell had rung and they'd made their way to their separate classes. Yes, it did hurt, but what could he do but wait?
