The next time Rei Otohata saw Aya Hoshino was just a glimpse. A brief moment that was enough to create a story.
There she was, smiling with a group of guys in uniform - the soccer team to be exact. He recognized the guy closest to her, Keisuke Yamato - the same guy who interrupted their previous meeting. Yamato had his arm around a blushing Aya, as if he was flaunting her to his team. She was too busy to notice him pass by; he was getting late for his next class.
And although Rei wasn't one to jump to conclusions, this just adds to his confusion.
Strike one.
Was that the only thing he's gonna be late for?
.:.:.
Strike two was in a cafe. And unlike before, this time she noticed him.
"Yo." He greeted as he passed by casually, hands in his pockets, tipping his head slightly as a sign of a greeting.
"Hi, Rei." Aya looked up and greeted him with a smile.
"Are you waiting for someone?"
"Hai. I'm waiting for..." she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Otohata! Hey, man! Do you want to sit with us?" Keisuke Yamato said, walking to the table with their orders. "Oh, and Aya, I got you a chocolate cake. Your favorite wasn't there. I guess they ran out. Is that okay?"
Anyone who heard that statement would be able to imply one thing: this wasn't their first time here. Because just like Rei Otohata, Keisuke Yamato knew Aya Hoshino's favorites.
"That's fine Keisuke." Aya paused and looked up, and spoke to him, "Rei, are you meeting someone?"
He was silent for a while, it took a little while for his mind to register that she was talking to him, as if, nothing was wrong. It made him wonder, is this how normal is going to be between the two of them? "...no. I'm just ordering to go. I'm on my way to a shoot."
"By the way. Did you get a call from Ran?"
"Is this about the Gaigosai?"
"Mmhmm. They decided that they'll visit our festival. Will you have free time for them?"
"I'll see." Rei said as he went over the counter to get his order and made his way out.
"Good luck with your photo shoot, Rei." Aya said with a wave while Keisuke piped in shouting "See you around, man!"
It's not a secret that Yuuya and Rei are best friends. Both are known to be good looking, model-material even, from afar, they would seem like the perfect friends - giving off the cool and warmth vibe. While to the eyes of the others their dynamics may seem a little strange - given the fact that Yuuya can sometimes be a fool and Rei sticks with his foolishness and sometimes even solve the problem it causes - one thing that they may overlook, is that although Rei is the brain in their friendship, Yuuya was the heart. He feels, understands and says the right thing... well, from time to time.
Yuuya Asuo was surprised to get a call from his best friend. But when he said, "We need to talk, Yuuya."
Yuuya dropped everything he was doing and listened to his best friend. After all, it was very rare for Rei Otohata to ask for Yuuya Asuo's time.
.:.:.
Rei Otohata was used to giving people advice. He usually listens and just say whatever he is thinking; people usually find some sense in whatever he said and thank him for it. He never asks for advice... that was until now.
He just finished telling Yuuya what happened the past few days between him and Aya - well, technically he told him bits and pieces. Letting Yuuya fill in the void with his assumptions.
"Are you saying that Aya-chan is cheating on you?"
Was she cheating on him? He never considered that. She had always been devoted to him, hadn't she? Back then, the incident with Katase, that only happened because she thought they broke up, right? But what if...
"Did she break up with you?"
Again, a yes or no question which he doesn't know the answer to. But this time, he didn't answer it with silence,
"I don't know."
.:.:.
"Well, I'll be damned. Even I don't understand what happened, man. I mean, Aya-chan calling herself selfish? That's new. And I thought you guys were going steady already? Plus, what did she mean by 'stop with the...' Eh? Oi. Rei. Did you just hang up on me?"
Yuuya babbled and kept complaining about the other line being dead. Realizing he was getting nowhere, with a sweat drop, he called his best friend to continue their talk.
With just one ring, he was answered. "Hn. You done?"
"Hey! Why did you hang up? I was still talking Rei! You're being unfair!" Yuuya childishly whined, he sometimes can't believe how this ice prince is even friends with him.
"I called your name several times but you wouldn't stop talking. So I hanged up the phone. I figured when you're done talking you'll realize it and call me back. You need not repeat everything I said, Yuuya. It's just the two of us. I told everything you were saying."
"Err, ahaha, you're right. You're right. I was just processing everything." Yuuya said in his typical goofy self. But after a moment of silence, their atmosphere became more serious, with a different tone he asked,
"Tell me this, why didn't you answer her?"
.:.:.
Indeed. Why didn't he answer?
Did he love her? It was the question that he kept on asking himself ever since that day.
Rei Otohata kept quiet. Luckily for him, his best friend knew what he was doing. Thinking, analyzing... ah, reflecting was the word. He will allow himself to admit that he is at a lost. For this reason, he'll allow himself to dwell in the past for a moment. Try and see what he can find. After all, this was not his forte.
When they were in high school, he had always been drawn to her. For some reason that he cannot explain, he observed her unconsciously. He first saw her when Ran Kotobuki confronted and hit her - he knew then that she was weak. But it was her weakness that made him want to protect her - even from himself.
The things that he did, when he offered to walk her home, when he listened to her rants and problems, when he took the cookies she made even if he didn't like sweets - those things felt so natural. Nobody needed to urge him to do those things. He wanted to; and he felt satisfied whenever he saw her smile and happy because of the simplest thing he did. He would be lying if he said he didn't notice how she blushes with just hearing his voice or whenever he was near her.
And maybe, it was his fault that she fell in love with him. He'll even willingly take the blame for that. After all, he did pay more attention to her than to anyone else. But why did he? It was a question that he himself, again, didn't know the answer to.
But when Ran flat out told him that he was her first love and to take care of her, that's when he messed up. For some reason, what felt natural for him to do became something he was pressured to do. Then it made him question himself, can he do it? Can he make her happy? Will he be able to meet the expectations of being someone's first love?
He decided that he wasn't good enough. Not for her.
It went downhill from there. Combining the fact that he isn't good with conveying his emotions and that she was an indecisive cry baby - well they all know how that went.
But he never said he didn't like her. Never did he say that she was not good enough for him. Because deep inside, he knew, she was.
His thoughts were cut when Yuuya finally decided that he gave him enough time, "Oi, Rei. If you're not yet done thinking I'm hanging up."
.:.:.
"Of course I love her. I wouldn't have dated her if I didn't. I guess, it's my fault that she thinks otherwise."
Yuuya Asuo smiled at his best friend's answer. "There you have it, man. I'm glad you finally realized it."
"Hn, don't get so cocky Yuuya." With that, Rei Otohata ended the call.
He could almost imagine Rei, the ice prince, smirking. As if that realization alone lifted every burden he had. He was glad his best friend finally came to his senses. He knew it took a lot for him to finally admit it. But at least he did. Aside from that, he also felt happy for Aya. She had always supported him back when he was still in love with Ran and although that didn't go well, he's happy that at least now, she might get her first love - because now, Rei knows he's in love with her too.
"You'll never know what might happen tomorrow, Aya-chan. Don't give up yet." Yuuya muttered silently to himself. Remembering the words she herself told him back when they had a snowboarding outing.