By animeninjaNIPPON

"I probably shouldn't bring this up, but it needs to be said," Haga stated, adjusting his glasses, a gesture that always made him look charming.

"Maybe not," I replied. "We both know what's going on."

Haga stepped back defensively. "What are you implying?"

I could have screamed. Every other moment with him made me feel like I was being prodded with the blunt end of a knife – Haga was screwing with my mind. Despite all the romantic things I said about him in the depths of my mind, I wasn't so sure I wanted either of us to get our feelings out in the open (considering the situation). But the way he toyed with me like a common Duel Monsters card made me just want to swallow my pride, step right up to him, and say –

"I love you, Insector Haga."

I hadn't really meant to say it out loud, but I meant every word of it. His eyes widened. He clearly hadn't expected to hear me say it, but he didn't seem surprised.

He looked up at me slowly with naive interest, and then smiled. "I love you too, Dinosaur Ryuzaki."

It shocked me to hear him confess, but I was glad he did. My heart's joy overflowed into my eyes and threatened to pour down my cheeks. Haga slowly moved his hand to my wrist then seized me in a passionate embrace. I hugged him back as tightly as I possibly could – he had been so nice to me, and I wanted to give him all the love I had.

"Let's be…an item," he whispered to me.

"OK," I whispered back. As soon as it occurred to me that I had just signed on to a relationship, I released Haga and stepped to the side. "Wait a minute. If I'm gonna be your boyfriend, does this mean I'll have to go to the mall every weekend to celebrate every weekly anniversary with you and go to concerts and all that superficial crap that the boy-and-girl couples do?"

He looked at me as though I'd snorted a bag of crushed shrimp chips. "What? No!"

I gave him a relieved smile. "Even if I wanted to do that kind of stuff," he continued, "we wouldn't be able to. Given the circumstances and all, I mean." When he put it that way, it didn't seem so cheesy after all.

Haga looked down at his watch. "I gotta go, Ryuzaki," he said sadly, turning to leave. I grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him back.

"Hold on," I said. "Last time we were together like this, you said goodbye and I didn't see you for a month. I want to be with you again." He looked up at me with a mischievous grin.

"Meet me here tomorrow night," he replied deviously. I kissed him innocently on the cheek.

"I'll be here," I promised.

End of part nine