Where did the day go? I just started doing some homework and suddenly it's 4 o'clock. I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I should. It's hard to focus with Rei-chan on the brain. He doesn't know I know, but I know that today was the day of his date-thing with Rin-chan. Like a courtesy date. I didn't know that was a thing, but hey. That's the kind of thing I like about Rei-chan. He might break the rules from time to time but he knows who he is and what he is and he's probably the nicest person I've ever known. There's not much else to it. I don't really need a reason, do I? I love him. Isn't that enough? So all day, I've been hypothesising (normally that would be Rei-chan's job, but he was otherwise engaged). I know Rei-chan had some sort of decision to make, between a boy and a girl. I know that dating Rin-chan was meant to help him solve it. So the conclusion I draw from that is the Rei-chan couldn't decide in between Gou-chan and me. Or, at least, I hope the boy is me. But Gou-chan is definitely the girl. So, the possibilities are: Rei-chan likes me, or he doesn't like me. I assume he likes me, because the other alternative is too depressing. That assumed, Rei-chan is breaking it off with Rin-chan after today, so I think he's made up his mind. Which means that pretty soon, he's going to confess to one of either Gou-chan or me. But who? There lies my dilemma.

I take a step back from myself and laugh. The inside of my head sounds like Rei-chan. That sort of cause-and-effect analysis style stuff is his thing. I guess he's rubbed off on me more than I realised. All the more reason to hope he's chosen me. But I can't let myself think about that. So I take up my pen again and try to do more maths, but I just end up thinking of Rei-chan again. I can't get him out of my head right now. So much so I almost don't hear my phone.

Nagisa,

I have your answer. I'll be at the station near your house in about ten minutes. Can you meet me there?

I try to rationalise and think and calm myself down but I just can't stop my heart from beating. I try to stop myself from being excited and from hoping just in case things don't go to plan but I can't stop myself from imagining him saying yes and then us being a couple and all the things that come along with that. I try to go in bulletproof, ready for him to say no, but I just can't make myself believe that's going to happen. "Mum! I'm going out to grab some books from Rei-chan!" It's only half-untrue.

"Come back quickly! If you miss dinner, I'm not cooking anymore for you."

"He doesn't live that far away." And with that, I've pulled on my shoes and started half-running towards the station. I still have all ten minutes, more or less, and it doesn't generally take me more than three minutes to get there just walking. But I have so much excess excitement and anticipation and energy that my body runs without me telling it to.

I make it to the station with about seven minutes to spare. So I busy myself trying to figure out which train Rei-chan will be on. I have no idea where he's coming from, and there's three lines running through this stop. So there's six possible trains he could be on – either direction on any line. I look at the timetables and arrival boards, checking for any trains arriving in six minutes. I don't have much success. It's probably only five minutes now. And all of the trains arrive in within about five minutes of one another, so not only could he realistically be on any of them, but he'll be in a huge crowd of people. That's why I wanted to stand on the platform – to make sure we didn't miss each other. I check my watch. Four minutes. I consider buying a ticket just so I can get through the barriers and wait inside the station, but I didn't bring my wallet anyway. Three minutes. A train arrives, although I can be fairly sure it's not his. A crowd of people come up from the underground platforms and start pushing their ways through the barriers. My eyes strain, searching every single one of them to try and find his face, or his hair, or his glasses or something. Two minutes. Another train must have arrived because the people just keep coming. But still no Rei-chan. He's taller than most of the people in the crowd, so he would be easier to spot. I think. I hope. One minute. The sun pushes out from behind a cloud and shines straight into my eyes, exactly the way you don't want the sun to do. So I have to look away, just for a second, and protect myself from the glare.

"Nagisa?" My heart threatens to break my ribs. He's here. "Can we go someplace more private?"

We only have to walk a few blocks away to find a run-down hotel, with an empty carpark. We hide from prying eyes. This is our moment. I think. "I don't want you to feel like you have to say yes, Rei-chan. If you don't feel the same way, it's fine." I don't know what makes me say it, but I just have to make sure what he says is what he really feels. He's the kind of person who'll put his own feelings on hold to try and make someone else happy. But it'll mean nothing if I know his heart's not really in it.

He blushes and fidgets a little and my breath catches in my throat. He's going to say no, it's just not that way. He's going to say sorry, but I love Gou-chan. Sorry - "I love you too."

I breathe out for the first time in the past twenty seconds. "Well, then, that's settled."

"Is that really all you have to say?"

"No." I grab the collar of his shirt and pull him towards me. I have to push up to the balls of my feet to do it, but I manage to press my lips on his. My hands move off his collar, wrapping around his shoulders instead. He was a little shocked at first, but he's relaxed a little now. And his instinct drives his arms till they sit around my waist, and we just stay here locked like this for a little while. When we surface for breath, I finish my sentence. "The rest just doesn't sound as good in words."

"I agree." He's blushing furiously, but it's obvious enough he liked it as much as I did.

"I've waited a long time to do that, Rei-chan."

"You know… so have I."

"As in, with me specifically, or just with any-old-one?"

"Anybody I loved would have been fine, but I don't think anyone else would have felt quite like that."

I smile at him. "Thanks, then."

"So… what's next for us?"

"I guess we have to go public, don't we?"

"Not if we don't want to."

"What's to hide, though? Gou-chan already knows I'm into you."

'What!? How?"

"She confessed to me the other day."

"Really?"

"Well, like, not formally. But it was there. And I think she'd already figured it out. So I kind of had to tell her."

"Rin knows as well."

"What!? How?"

"It's a bit of a long story, but I accidentally let it slip."

"I already know the long parts, so just skip to the end."

"What!? How?"

"You and Rin-chan just got really close all of a sudden, so I was worried he might be a rival for me. And, seeing as I'd already confessed, it was kind of necessary that I eavesdrop."

"So what exactly did you hear?"

"On Monday, I heard you two fighting on the way to the station. You said "There's something wrong about calling this love." Gou-chan was with me, and we both got a shock out of it. That was how the confession happened."

"Is that all?"

"No. On Tuesday, after club meeting, Gou-chan and I spied on your conversation again."

"How?"

"Let's just say there's a little hidey-hole in the change rooms that I have to show you sometime, okay?" I wink at him.

He gulps. I think he figured out what I meant by that. "So you know about the date?"

"And about your dilemma. The he and the she?"

"I couldn't make up my mind. I felt like I loved both you and Gou. And I accidentally told Rin on our date today that my first kiss belonged to 'him'. So he knows." He turns away, like he's about to say something embarrassing but sweet. "I do love Gou. And Rin. And Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai. But it's a different kind of love. The only one for me is you."

"So you're not annoyed that I couldn't trust you or anything?"

"That's just a natural human reaction. I can't blame you for it."

The silence hangs heavy between us. It's not an awkward weight. It's a sensitive one. This the kind of silence Mako-chan and Haru-chan have, like they're talking to each other, but without words. I decide to break it anyway. "So are we officially an item?"

"Before we can say that, I think we should tell our parents."

"That's only right, isn't it?" I totally thought he was thinking that. Does that mean I can read his mind? Have my boyfriend senses gotten as good as Mako-chan's? That makes me absurdly happy.

"Will you come with me, Nagisa? It'll be easier with you around."

"I was about to ask you the same thing."