Her heart began to race with each passing second; as a result, she began losing the pace of her own breath as the dialing sound came from her phone. She was going to ask him out; the guy who lived a floor below her - Makoto. The sound of her phone dialing caused small droplets of sweat to run down her face; her lips trembling; not with fear, but with complete and utter nervousness.

It was late summer already and as tradition followed, the time for the summer festival had come. Yukari hadn't given it much thought with the Dark Hour and Tartarus constantly on her mind. However, Makoto had lately been spending time with her. His voice was always calm and unassuming; his attitude reserved yet patient. And every time she thought he would revert back to his old uncaring self; he surprised her with a thing or two.

Though that was precisely why she was so nervous, Makoto had gotten too close to her and she didn't know if he meant anything by it. It wasn't that she liked him, they were just friends after all; at least that's what she tried telling herself. Though she didn't want to make it seem like she was going to it alone either.

Other guys and her other friends had asked her out, all of which she turned down. However, it probably wasn't the best idea to limit herself so much; maybe hanging up right now would be better she thought.

"It's not like he'll say yes anyway…" she sighed

"I barely pick-up and you're already disappointed…"

"M-Makoto! Hey! You didn't catch that did you?" She said nervously.

"Catch what?" He asked, oblivious to Yukari's failed attempt at a distraction.

"N-nothing! It was nothing!"

"Uh huh."

"Sorry, that wasn't what I called for. I-I um…" she stuttered, trying to reorganize her thoughts. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the summer festival with me tomorrow?"

A silence fell between the two as she asked him. She had checked to see if the call had been dropped, but he was still on the line; remaining speechless. A few seconds passed by and still no answer. Yukari was beginning to regret asking him, she should've known better; he had probably already made plans with another girl from school… Of course, no one ever waits until the last second to do these things! she thought.

And then he finally answered.

"Yeah, I'll go."

Her thoughts came to an utter halt, hearing him say yes to her offer. "R-really? Do you mean it?! " The excitement in her voice was too much to contain, so much so that even Makoto chuckled a bit at hearing her reaction.

"It'll be fun," he laughed over the call. "I'll pick you up then?"

"We live in the same dorm Makoto."

"I could say the same to you, calling me instead of seeing me downstairs," Makoto teased.

"Haha, you're so funny aren't you," she said in a sarcastic tone.

"If need be," he continued to tease. "Anyway, I'll see you then, goodnight Yukari."

"Night."

She hung up and laid on her bed with an overly wide smile plastered on her face. She had a date for the summer festival; the thought of it all sent her heart fluttering. Well, "date" was too strong of a word, more like she had company for it… company she didn't mind having.

"Maybe he feels the same way…"

"It's so beautiful," Yukari said, her eyes looking at the surrounding area of the shrine.

Stands filled with food, games, and bright lights populated the peaceful shrine. Kids ran around the area, while adults walked around enjoying the scenery and spectacle of it all. Many young girls were dressed in Yukatas, each with their distinctive pattern and color; some of which caught the attention of the young brunette.

"Oh! That yukata is so cute! I wish I had known they made some like that…" she said, admiring one of the girls that had just passed them.

"But you look nicer Yukari," Makoto blurted out, though if he was honest with himself he wasn't sure what caused him to do so. He just hadn't seen a brilliantly pink and white checkered design before; it didn't help that her hair was different today as well. Although not too different from her usual style, the simple change to have it curve upwards at the base of her neck captivated Makoto. By the time he had finally made eye contact with her again, he realized he had been staring too long. His face turned a slight shade of red as he tried to mouth an apology. He knew himself to be particularly reserved, yet for whatever reason he couldn't help himself this time.

"R-really? Wait then that means you've been checking me out huh?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"I-I uh…" he was flustered to his surprise. Again he wasn't one to show his emotions so easily and now he just didn't know what to say, or what to do. All he could do was stand there with his mouth agape - speechless.

"Haha, I'm kidding," she giggled, it had been a while since she last received a genuine compliment. She smiled at the fact as light pink dust spread across her face. "It's nice to hear you say that Makoto."

Makoto felt relief wash over him; the last thing he felt like doing was upsetting the girl he liked… "Liked? I like her?" He thought to himself. However, before his thoughts could continue, a loud rumble of his stomach made itself known to him and the brunette.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," she teased, taking small jabs at his side. However, a sudden familiar smell caught both of their attention, leaving both of their stomachs in a light growl. "W-we should get something to eat! Is takoyaki fine?"

"Y-yeah that works!"

The teens made their way to the nearby takoyaki stand. Multiple flavors of the tiny snacks were lined up in rows, each one looking more delectable than the last. Shrimp, squid satay, mozzarella, and smoked mackerel were just a few that caught Yukari's attention.

"Oh they all look so good, which ones should we get?"

"Why not get one of each?" Makoto suggested.

"Huh, I guess you're right!" she nodded, as her mouth began to water with anticipation. "Excuse me could we get one of each from this selection?"

"Sure thing miss! Coming right up!" The chef spoke. The sound of the frier started up and soon their food was ready. However, when the chef handed the delicious snacks over he threw in an extra ball; winking at Yukari. "It's for your boyfriend right over there."

Yukari blushed at the remark, taking the small snacks with a smile. "My boyfriend huh?" She thought to herself. A devilish smirk formed on her lips as she turned back to the blue-haired teen.

"You hear that? The chef thinks you're my boyfriend," she laughed a little, as she took one of the snacks into her mouth - biting into it and savoring its contents.

Makoto did the same laughing off the remark as nothing more than a joke. Though the more he tried to dismiss it the more and more the thought of it began to stay inside his mind. It wouldn't be so bad, after all, they had spent a lot of time together; enough that one person could consider them a couple. But in the end, it was just a joke; a joke he wished was more than just a joke…

The night went on as they went from stand to stand. They played games, bought souvenirs, and even won some small prizes. There was even a fireworks show towards the end of the festival. The spectacle of which lit the night sky with all sorts of colors coming from sparks that they left in their trail. Yukari was so entranced by each one as they continuously shot into the air. Makoto inched himself closer to her, just barely brushing her knuckles against his own. She in turn took notice and eyed the young teen with a smile; signaling him to move even closer as she slowly began to lean into him.

Normally, she would have been a flustered mess at anyone getting that close, but with him it was just fine. Makoto felt it was strange but quickly adjusted to having her head huddled underneath his neck. It was quite strange because for a "not couple" they had gotten awfully close to one another.

As the final fireworks launched into the sky, trails of blue and pink sparks were left behind before finally exploding into more heart-shaped lights.

To say that night had gone well would be an understatement. For Yukari especially, it was a night to remember; a night in which someone she knew would finally stay and not go away. She looked up towards the young-man sitting at her side; Makoto noticed sending back a warm smile.

"We should go out like this again sometime." She let out a gentle laugh.

"Yeah, I'd like that," He nodded.

After the show had ended the pair began to make their way towards the exit of the shrine. Even though they had agreed that another "date" was possible, part of Yukari couldn't help but hate how the night was coming to an end. She wanted to be close for just a while longer; she wanted to finally admit how she felt, she wanted to know if he felt the same.

However, before she could fantasize further, a loud cry from a nearby child caught the attention of Yukari; she tugged at Makoto's arm telling him to stop as she tried to look for the child. She took off immediately in search of the crying kid; Makoto followed closely behind trying to understand what had suddenly gotten into her. When he caught up to her, he saw her with a young boy in a yellow shirt, trying to comfort him.

"Hey it's okay, you're safe now. Mind telling me what your name is?" She asked in a low soft voice.

"I-its R-Ryuji," the young boy hesitated.

"I see, do you know where your parents went?"

"I-I don't know…" The young boy had started to break down again as he remembered his missing parents. "I-I was playing with the other kids, but when I came back, my mom was gone!"

Yukari clenched her fists as she heard the boy's story. If there was one thing she absolutely couldn't stand it was careless parents. The thought of the parents simply giving up on looking for their child disgusted her, even if they tried going to the police she still thought it was wrong to simply leave the area.

Makoto could sense some of the tension building up inside her. He figured that whatever it was probably reminded her of her past, which made it all the more difficult to approach. He moved closer to the two of them, putting a hand on Yukari's shoulder, telling her that he understood somewhat.

"Let's take him to the police station, we'll wait there until his mom comes." Makoto offered, extending his hand out to Yukari.

"Makoto…" she was shocked for a minute but quickly recovered, nodding to him and taking his hand. The boy latched himself on to Yukari, and together the trio set-out to the police station.

They left the shrine grounds and escorted the young boy to Paulownia Mall. Luckily for them, the trains had been rather empty, making it easier to reach the station. A quick ride later and the teens informed officer Kurosawa of the child. The officer immediately began making calls to anyone who might've reported a missing child. It didn't take long before the young boy's mother was contacted and soon came by to pick-up their son.

About half an hour passed as they waited for Ryuji's mother to show up. Eventually, a woman with black hair had walked into the police station yelling for the boy's name.

"Mom!" Ryuji cried out, running to his mom. However, Yukari stuck out her hand blocking the boy from going to his mother.

Makoto looked at her with concern; he had a feeling a scene was about to be made, but before he could do anything Yukari had already snapped.

"H-how dare you! Leaving him alone at the festival like that!" Her voice shook. "Do you know what could've happened?! What if we weren't there and some stranger got to him first?!"

The mother couldn't even look at Yukari in the eyes, for she was ashamed that she had given up so easily.

"I-I know, I should have stayed there longer, but I began to panic and I reported him missing! I didn't just sit there and do nothing!" The woman pleaded.

The mother's words struck deep in Yukari's heart. The reason she had lashed out was that she had imagined her own mother. So many years of neglect she had put up with and now she had taken it out on a total stranger. She was ashamed of herself and didn't want to face the boy's mother; all she could do was mutter a soft apology.

"I-I'm sorry… here's your kid, I-I uh need some air…"

"Yukari…" Makoto muttered in a quiet breath.

He followed her outside, leaving the mother to be reunited with her child. Makoto found Yukari sitting near the fountain with her head huddled between her legs.

He approached her quietly, taking a seat next to her. He knew it wasn't his place to get her to talk, so he just waited there; patiently looking up to the glass ceiling of the mall. Yukari eventually spoke up as she took one deep breath, raising her head to meet with his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry you had to see me like that… I just can't stand it when parents don't take care of their kids properly… you must think I can get pretty ugly now huh."

"No, I don't think that all. Actually, I like it that you care so much; it shows that you'll be a great mom someday," He said earnestly.

"Y-you think so?" She felt a warm sensation form in her chest as she heard his words. They weren't the most original words ever, but the way he said them held so much more value to her than he realized.

"It's just that I have resentment towards my mom. Remember what I said about the flowers? Well, that's also where she began to ignore me a lot when I was a kid," she drew out a long sigh. "So that's why I got so mad at that kid's mom, maybe I saw myself too much in that kid, but still I couldn't stand to see him all alone at night…"

"Even so, I think that was very admirable of you, I don't think I could've handled it the same way."

"Thanks," she smiled. "Hey, Makoto?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you, if you…" she wanted to ask him the question; she wanted to know how he felt towards her, but the more she tried the less she was able to utter those words. "I- nevermind it's not important right now…"

"Are you sure?" He asked.

A part of him felt like he knew what it was about, but he remained unsure if that was the case. Too little time had passed since they met, that he felt that maybe he was the only one caring those feelings; unbeknownst to him that she felt the same way.

An awkward silence fell between the two as they began to leave the area, with neither of them finding the courage to ask one another again.

"We should get going before it gets too late," Yukari said.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go home."

The teens left the mall quietly, this time walking with each other at a small distance. The atmosphere around them was too awkward at the moment for them to stand right next to each other. Whatever chance they had at telling each other how they felt was now gone. Nothing, but the brisk pace of their footsteps could be heard throughout the quiet streets.

It wasn't long before they reached the dorm, finally bringing an end to the awkward night. Yukari hurriedly climbed up the stairs and locked herself inside her room, desperately trying to avoid having to look him in the eyes. Meanwhile, Makoto sat in one of the sofas at the center of the lobby; gripping his head with his hands. For as successful as the night had been, he truly felt like things shouldn't have ended the way they did.

"If only I could tell her."

"If only I could tell him."