As I promised yesterday, I'm catching up with this story, and tomorrow we will be up to date. No reviews on the last chapter sadly, probibly because this was updated so soon after the last.

It was the following day, and Nishikata was at the water park, waiting just outside the girls' changing room for Takagi-san to finish changing. 'I can't believe I'm actually here.' He thought to himself. 'If any of my friends found out, I don't know how I would pass this off ... though ... I am actually ... on a date ...' He let out a sigh, and not long after, he heard someone walk up to him and as he looked over, he saw Takagi-san standing there, in her new bathing suit.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting." She said as she smiled. "There was a line in there like you wouldn't believe."

He blushed and quickly turned away. "There was a line in the men's room as well, so I wasn't waiting long."

"That's good to hear, now come on." They began walking towards the main section of the water park, as Nishikata kept staring in any direction where Takagi-san wasn't. "So you are still a little embarrassed."

"I'm not ... that embarrassed." He replied.

"Well whatever the case, if you keep looking away from me, then we might get separated again."

Nishikata's eyes went wide as he remembered the summer festival. "I ... that would be bad."

"So what do you plan to do?"

'What do I do?' He thought to himself. 'I can't just stare at her, I'll look like a creep ... so ... I guess I only have one option.' "Well ... i-if that's the case then ... should we ... hold hands?"

Takagi-san looked at him in complete disbelief. "I didn't expect that from you."

"Well, we're boyfriend and girlfriend, right? It's ... it's not that strange, right?"

"I guess not." She held out her hand and Nishikata nervously took it. 'He actually asked to hold my hand.' She thought to herself as she began to blush. 'I know it's happened before but ... it always makes me feel so happy.'

They began as Nishikata tried his best to remain calm. 'If any of our friends see us like this, then the cat's out of the bag, and then they'll know that I'm dating her ... not that ... it's going to be a secret forever ... Actually, now I'm curious.' "Hey Takagi?" He began.

"What is it?"

"So ... have you told anyone ... that we're a couple yet?"

She began contemplating for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope, it hasn't really come up yet so ... do you want us to keep it a secret?" She asked as she got closer to him.

"I ... I don't have any desire to keep it a secret or anything, I just ... I was just asking."

"If you say so." She looked around at all of the attractions before setting her eyes on the water slide. "So ... what do you want to go on first?"

"I ... what do you want to do first?"

"Well ... we did say that we would do the water slide together."

"I ..."

"Separately, of course."

Nishikata let out a silent sigh of relief before Takagi-san continued. "I mean ... unless you want to go down together ... do you?"

"Huh? No, I ... I mean ... I ..." 'She did say that we would fall in love ... but we're already together, so what's it really going to do?' "I mean ... I don't know ... didn't we have a contest or something?"

"That is true." She began leading him in the direction of the slide. "You go down first, and I have to catch you."

"Yeah ... that was it."

He was silent for the remainder of the walk up to the slide, which had a surprisingly short line, but a line nonetheless. "I wonder what's going on up there?" She asked as she attempted to get a good look.

"Maybe someone is getting cold feet." Nishikata replied as he also attempted to see ahead.

"Maybe." Takagi-san glanced at Nishikata, before looking ahead again. "Say ... Nishikata?" Takagi-san began. "Earlier ... when you asked ... if I had told anyone if we had become a couple, do you want us to keep it a secret?"

"I already said I was just curious."

"True, but we should address it." She looked down and began kicking the ground. "I mean ... seeing as we're only going to be together for a week and all."

"I ... guess you have a point."

"So then, do you want us to keep it a secret?"

"It ... I ... I don't ... I'm not sure."

"Okay then." She crossed her hands behind her back and looked skywards. "I'll let you decide."

"Are ... are you sure?"

"Yeah, I mean, I don't feel like I need to show it off, I'm happy enough as is."

Nishikata blushed and turned away. 'She's happy as is? I mean, she did say that she likes me, so ... maybe she wants this to be permanent ... then what am I supposed to do to make it so?' Should I just ask her? No, I'd never be able to do something like that.' He sighed as he looked to the line, which had quickly diminished to nothing.

"Looks like we're up." Takagi-san said as she walked towards the water slide.

"Huh?" Nishikata looked ahead and saw that they were indeed next in the line that was now none existent. "Wow ... that went faster than I imagined."

"I think that's because of the rumor surrounding this ride." Takagi-san stated.

"R-right."

"Anyway, if memory serves, you're supposed to go first, and I'm supposed to try and catch you."

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted to go down first last time, don't tell me you forgot."

"I ... I didn't forget." Nishikata replied hesitantly. "I ... I was just making sure that you remembered." He looked to the slide and took a deep breath. "Well ... here I go." He walked up to it and grabbed the grip bars at the top before stalling 'Wait ... there's no way she can catch me ... so ... this is an easy win.' He looked back at Takagi, but felt no desire to beat her like he did so many times before. 'Should I ... let her catch me? I mean, I lose to her all the time, I'm probably going to lose this some other way if I don't, and if I do, then if the rumors are true, she'll fall in love with me.' He shook his head and took a deep breath. 'I don't want to force her to be in love with me, I want her to like me because she likes me.' He took another deep breath, but before he could move another inch, he felt something wrap around his waist.

"Well, it looks like I win." Takagi-san said.

"Huh?" Nishikata looked back to see that it was Takagi-san who had her arms around him with a sly smile on her face.

"You took way too long, and you did say, 'here I go.'"

Nishikata dropped his head as he silently berated himself, as Takagi-san was now turned away, breathing a sigh of relief. 'That was too close, any longer, and he would have gone down, and we would have ended up going down together.' She looked at him and felt her heart skip a beat. 'Or I would have lost ... and that would have been bad as well.' She eased herself as she moved past him, to the entrance to the slide, and got into the seated position. "Well, I guess I'll see you-"

"Wait." Nishikata interrupted. "Seeing as there's no longer a contest ... shouldn't we ... go down together?"

Takagi's eyes went wide at the suggestion. "You ... want us to ride together? Intentionally?"

"Well ... we are boyfriend and girlfriend ... so what can it really do?"

Takagi-san smiled and shook her head. "Nishikata, it doesn't make people boyfriend and girlfriend, it makes them fall in love."

"Is there a difference?"

She shot him a sly smile. "Well, if the rumors are to be believed, then if you go down this slide with me, then you'll fall in love with me, and our 'temporary relationship' might not be so temporary anymore."

"Huh?"

"You'll fall in love with me, and this week will extend into a lifetime."

Nishikata began to blush even more as he turned around in a poor attempt to hide it from Takagi. "Well ... that's only if it's true, right?"

"Who's to say it isn't?"

"I ... are you okay with it?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay with me going down with you?"

"I ... I have no issue with it, if you're okay with falling in love with me, that is." She said as she shot him a smirk.

He knelt down and slowly wrapped his arms around her, causing her to let out a small squeak, as she turned her head, so he couldn't see the blush forming on her face. 'This ... I know he likes me, I know I like him, I know we both want to be a couple, why am I so nervous?' "Say, Nishikata?" She began. "I ..." She took a deep breath, then turned her head and smiled. "I can feel your heart racing."

"Oh, be quiet!" Nishikata retorted nervously. "It's ... it's only a rumor, right?"

"What if it's not? You'll end up falling in love with me."

"If that's the case, then the same goes for you right?"

"Well, I've already told you that I already feel that way about you, right?"

Nishikata blushed again as Takagi-san felt a sense of relief wash over her. 'Good, now he won't be able to feel how fast my heart is racing.' She readied herself before taking one final look back at him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Let's just do it already!"

"Okay."