Elcall: thanks for voting!
xxxxx
Subaru watched as Asahi wrote something on a pink piece of paper.
"Yo, Asahi," he asked," what's that?"
"It's a letter to Ko-har-u-chan!" He replied cheerfully. "It probably won't arrive in Italy until a few days later, so I'm sending it today!"
"Oh..."
"Hey, Subaru, what's wrong? You look really down."
"Nothing..."
"I... like you!"
"Really? I like you, too!"
"R-really?"
"Yep! You're rude, but kind when it counts. I really admire you for getting to the top of the boys division, too!"
He watched Asahi smiling as he wrote.
And Yume doesn't even understand love...
He sighed.
"Asahi," Subaru said.
"What?"
"Why do you like Koharu-chan?"
"Because she's always nice to others and always tries very hard. Plus she genenerates a kind aura! And she's cute."
Asahi smiled.
"And her laugh is pretty. Just thinking of her giggle makes me really happy."
"Asahi."
"What is it?"
"Why don't you just send her an email? Handwritten letters take more time, and they're more expensive."
"Subaru, Subaru, Subaru." Asahi clucked his tongue.
"What?"
"This is precisely why Yume doesn't understand how you feel."
"What do you mean?"
"When you write to someone, it's more personal and from the heart than a computer generated font. Also, Koharu-chan's handwriting is really cute! Okay! Back to writing!"
He turned around and continued to write.
Subaru stood there. He felt... what was the word? Alone? Ignorant? Idiotic?
All this time, he thought he liked Yume, but... how, if he didn't even know what love was?
He remembered his conversation with M4 a while ago.
"I have no time for love," Subaru had said.
"Love isn't something you choose, it's something you fall in," Nozomu had replied.
"Just thinking of her laugh makes you smile," Asahi had added.
"How can you reach your audience if you've never fallen in love?" Kanata had asked.
(This is all from memory. I think it's pretty accurate, but if it'd messed up somewhere, don't hate on me.)
All this time, I thought Yume was the dumb one..., Subaru thought, but what if I am? Yume knows she doesn't like someone, and she'll just say it. But I... I thought I liked her, but I can't even understand love.
He stepped out of the room.
"Huh?" Asahi asked. "Where are you going?"
"Jog."
Subaru ran around the track over and over again.
I don't understand love...
Drip. A single drop of water fell on his head. Pitted-patter. The rain fell harder. He fell onto his knees as the rain grew harder and harder.
"Boiled Octopus?"
Subaru's eyes widened. He looked up. Yume was standing over him with an umbrella.
"You're gonna catch a cold. C'mon, you need to go back to the dorm."
She grasped his hand and pulled him up.
"Let's go!" She shouted.
"Umm... Yume, you're still holding my hand."
"Does that matter?"
"Uh-no."
"All right, let's go!"
Subaru blushed as she pulled him along.
Who cares if I don't get the full meaning of love. For me, this is enough.
