The following days Taka and Karin were the number one favorite subject of conversation and gossip. They were an unofficial couple, in the way that neither of them had announced anything, but just walked together to and from school and sat next to each other during lunch. Of course rumors were spreading like wildfire and there were a lot of guesses. Some jealous girls told each other and themselves that Taka was only with Karin because he felt sorry for her, but it was of course just wishful thinking.

Taka didn't seem to mind. Karin on the other hand, was somewhat nervous and when ever someone would ask her about her relationship with Taka, she would stammer and be at loss for word, but Yamato would come to her rescue and take her away from the questions and curious eyes.

The truth was that Karin too was unsure about their relationship. They had confessed to each other, but that was about it. They didn't talk about it when they walk to and from school. To be honest they didn't talk that much and when they did it was just random small talk. How did you sleep? How was school today? And things like that. Not that it bothered her. She had no experience in relationships, and besides she wasn't even sure if they really were in a relationship or not.

"Karin-chan?" Someone said behind her. Karin had been staring out the window for about five minutes in her own world.

"Ah! Eh? Y-yes?" Karin replied confused and surprised. She wasn't even sure who had spoken to her.

"Are you alright?" Kimiko sat on Karin's table and looked her in the eyes.

"Ah Kimiko-chan. Yes I'm fine thank you."

"You have been spacing out a lot lately." Kimiko said. Karin wasn't sure what to reply since it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Is everything OK with you and Taka-san?"

"Eh? Uh… I… I mean we… " Karin began her usual stammering, but then she stopped and took a deep break. "Well… the thing is that I'm not sure if there is a "we"."

"Come again?" Kimiko looked very confused. Maybe Karin-chan has a fever or something.

"Uh… what I meant was that I'm actually not sure if I and Taka-kun are in a relationship." Karin said and blushed. It felt somewhat strange to say things like that.

"Really? It seems kind of obvious to me that there is something going on between the two of you. I mean you are always together now and things."

"Yes, true. But we have never talked about it… I mean there hasn't actually been a statement yet… What I meant is…" Karin rattled on.

"Karin-chan… I understand what you mean." Kimiko assured. She had a little fun imagining Taka talking about romance and relationships before she went on. "Well did the two of you confess to each other?"

"Y-yes." Karin nodded.

"OK. Uh… Did you kiss?"

Karin didn't reply, but the fact that she lit up with a bright red color told Kimiko that they hadn't kissed.

"Well… The confession should be enough to say that the two of you are dating or in a relationship." Kimiko said and smiled. "But if you really are in doubt you can just ask him, right?"

"Yes..." Karin said.

When school was over, Karin walked to the gate and like usual Taka was waiting there for her. He was leaning against the gate while reading a book. Yamato and a couple of other teammates were also there. It was Friday and they were talking about what they were going to do in the weekend.

"Hello." Karin greeted and bowed. The boys like usual gave her an over exaggerated greeting. "I've told you before to greet me normally." Karin said.

"Hello Karin." Yamato beamed. "How was your day?"

"Good thank you and yours?" Karin said. Yamato started talking about his day and like usual he talked about is as if it was the best day in his life.

"My grandmother will come and visit us later today and she says she has brought a gift for me. It is probably a sweater or something like that. So I'll be forced to wear it while she's there." Yamato said and then looked at Taka and chuckled. "Hey Taka. There is a butterfly sitting on your head."

"Huh?" Taka looked up from his book. And as Yamato said there was a yellow butterfly sitting on Taka's head. Karin couldn't help, but to laugh at it. Taka looked so cute with the yellow butterfly on his head and a confused look on his face. Taka gently shook his head and the butterfly flew of and away.

"Shall we go?" He asked Karin and she nodded and followed him.

They walked in silence for a bit. What could hurt to ask? It's just a question, she told herself, but she couldn't help but to feel embarrassed by it.

"Taka-kun." She started. "W-would you like to come to my place?"

"Yes please." He said and a vague smile appeared on his lips.

When they got to the house and went inside. There was a very awkward silence, but it was luckily broken by Taka.

"Are your parents not at home?" He asked while he looked around in the dinning room and kitchen.

"My mother is on a business trip and my father is at the office." Karin said. "He will be working late he told me, so there is no one else around besides us." She said and immediately started to mentally kick herself for saying something like that. It sounds like I'm totally hitting on him. Taka looked at her for a little while and then looked away. Like always there was an awkward silence, very, very awkward. Again Taka was the one to break it.

"What's this?" He asked and pointed at the fancy cook book on the table. Karin had been looking in it the previous evening. She was fairly good at cooking, but all the recipes looked so complicated and she only knew who to cook dinner and cakes that weren't complicated at all.

"Uh… a cook book… I bought it before your birthday, but we never got the chance to use it so I was looking in it last night to see if there was anything I could do." Karin said. "There is one cake that I want to make, but it will have to wait until I have some more practice."

"Which cake is it?" He asked and Karin found the page with it. It was a strawberry cake with chocolate and cream. "It shouldn't be that hard to make. Do you have all the ingredients?"

"Eh?..." Karin was puzzled. Did Taka know how to bake? "Do you know how to make it?"

"Yes." He said and shrugged. "When I was a kid I had a nanny that taught me how to cook."

"Really?" Karin smiled. The picture of a little Taka learning how to cook was just so sweet.

"Yes."

"Will you make the cake?"

"I was thinking that we were going to make it together. I can teach you how to make it."

"Ah… that'd be nice." Karin smiled. She found all the ingredients and they started making the cake.

"Shall I stir this now?" Karin asked after a while. Taka looked up from the strawberries he was chopping and nodded and Karin started to stir.

"Wait, try holding it like this." Taka said and held an invisible bowl and spoon and stirred. Karin tried to copy him, but couldn't get it right. Taka put down the knife and went to stand behind her and grabbed a hold of her hands and that way showed her how to do it. Karin blushed bright red when he touched her hands, but tried to not let it get to her.

When the cake was done, Karin set the table and they sat down.

"Hyaa… It's delicious." Karin exclaimed. "You are a good cook Taka-kun."

"You helped." Taka said and ate a piece of the cake.

Go on, Karin encouraged herself. Just ask him. It's ridiculous to keep on like this. She ate her last piece of cake and put the fork down.

"Taka-kun." She started. "Uh… are we… are we…eeh…"

"Are you asking if we are together?" He asked.

"…Yes… I know it sounds stupid to ask, but I just… your birthday…" Karin started her usual stammering.

"It's OK. I wasn't sure myself. So if you don't mind then, will you be my girlfriend?" Taka asked. There was a little more color in his face than usual, but not nearly as much as Karin.

"Yes." She said. She wanted to add something else, but couldn't think of anything. Taka sent her a smile and she smiled back. There was yet again a silence, but it was awkward this time. Though Karin felt like she should do something, so she got up and took the plates and went to the kitchen sink to wash them. Taka followed her, but she didn't notice. When she put down the plates he put a hand on her shoulder and made her face him.

"Ta-Taka-kun? What… what are you doing?" She asked.

"Isn't that one of the things couples do?" He asked and looked into her eyes. There was no doubt about what he intended to do.

"Y-yes…" Karin said and returned his gaze. He leaned forward, slowly. All of a sudden Karin let out a giggle. "S-sorry Taka-kun… It's just… you breath was tickling me."

"Oh…" Taka said and then he chuckled. "OK. Let's try again."

This time he moved a little faster and their lips met in a kiss. Karin's lips were as soft and smooth as they looked. Karin had clenched her hands into fits, but as the kiss went on she loosed up and lifted them up around Taka's neck. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but suddenly the front door opened and her father came inside. Both Taka and Karin nearly flew away from each other.

"D-dad. What are you doing home so early?" Karin asked as her father came to the kitchen.

"Well it turned out that the paper work didn't take that long after all and besides isn't boring to eat alone?... Oh… who are you?" He asked when he saw Taka.

"Ah… this is a teammate of mine. Honjou Taka." Karin said. "Taka-kun this is my father."

"Nice to meet you." Taka said and bowed.

"I see… Karin-chan is he your boyfriend?"

"D-dad!" Karin exclaimed.

"Yes I am." Taka said.

"About time you got one Karin." Her father chuckled. "Taka was it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Would you like to have dinner with us?"