Akane

Takada-kun's just left for the washroom. We spent a bit of the afternoon hanging out with Hino-kun and Adachi-san. It was our way to celebrate us finishing the first week of middle school. We visited a few places at the nearby mall and had lunch at the food court. Takada-kun chugged down a bottle's worth of bubbly spring water while we ate. I can't believe it took him this long to go to the bathroom.

While we were shopping, Takada-kun and I bought some trinkets and accessories with our allowance money. I'm actually wearing one of the trinkets on my wrist. It's a silver bracelet with a full moon on top. The moon may look like a blank grey circle from afar, but it's got these really detailed craters if one looks close enough.

He's been in the washroom for a while now. I hope nothing else has happened to him. The sun's still up, but I don't think it will be long before it sets. I'd love for us to sit down around here and enjoy the sunset. We're supposed to have a full moon with clear skies tonight, too.

A few more minutes of anxious waiting and I breathe a sigh of relief. Takada-kun has finally left the washroom. With his usual fervour, he runs right over to me. He stands in place upon arrival, his hands clasping together as tight as he can make it. He then blows them with all his might and rubs them so hard. I don't think anyone could be as intense as him. He'll hurt himself if he keeps that up much longer.

My hands jut out at his without a second thought, forcing his hands to stay still. I begin to massage them back and forth. An icy chill spreads from his hands onto mine. It's followed by a cold tingle that passes through my arms and down my spine. No wonder he was rubbing his hands so hard.

Takada-kun's grinning now. Before I know it, both our hands stay warm. I smile to myself. Even someone cursed like me can warm Takada-kun up. I didn't think it was possible but now his hands feel warmer and snugger than ever.

I then walk ahead, pulling him along with me. I still have to take him there, to the other side of the park. My heart almost bursts open from his latest round of compliments. I really wanted him to gush about me more. I love it when he praises me, adores me, and gushes about me.

I have to pull myself together. I have something important to talk about. I can't get flustered so easily. Especially not with what I'm about to say.

But does he already know what I'm going to do? I can't tell. I can only hope he doesn't.

The park benches are coming into view, But there's two red lanterns on the ends of each bench. Those weren't there when we were last here. I wonder why they're there now. I'm hoping Takada-kun remembers this place. We weren't exactly here, but we were nearby a few years ago. We were crouching behind the barbed fence, beyond the trees. I can't forget the conversation we had that night. But we never got around to finishing it.

Takada-kun releases my hand and plops down on the bench, making the seat creak. He spreads his legs out and rests his arms on the top wooden plank. He draws out a happy sigh and invites me to sit beside him. It's just a few seconds before he shuts his eyes.

I follow suit and sit to his left. His hand is now resting on my shoulders. It's so strange to see him look so still. Even with the sun shining on his face, he looks like he's dozing off to sleep.

The quiet of the spring air breaks with his loud snoring. His relaxed hand splays outward and brushes along my shoulder. Every now and then, I would feel the gentle taps of his fingers. I wonder if he's dreaming about all the things we could do for our next sojourn.

Oh wait. He could also be sad about us being in different classes. How could I forget his reaction after we saw our class lists? "Nishimura-san! We won't be in the same class! How are we going to hang out?!" The image of his hands flailing about repeatedly plays inside my head.

I remember what I did next. I gasped and grabbed his hand tight. I was trying to think of something, anything that would help Takada-kun feel better. I had to repay him somehow. He's already been so kind to me.

I did my best to find him whenever I could. Each time I got a hold of him, I invited him out somewhere. He always jumped up with a fist pump before I could finish speaking. I thought I was going to fall over every time.

But now that I think about it, he was always there to pull me up. I should have seen it coming. He always cheers me up whenever my class teases me. Most of the teasing stopped when elementary school ended. But I won't forget the times he kept me afloat whenever the loneliness overwhelmed me.

Beyond the bench where we sit, the petals from the Sakura trees form a dazzling sea of pink that colours the horizon. The brilliant pink covers the grey from the skyscrapers beyond. Some of the petals also break free from the branches where they hang. They glide with the breeze, allowing the winds to take them where they may before falling to the ground. They look so pretty, but they also tell me not to wait too much longer.

He's starting to slouch a bit. He's been acting unusual the past week. He still compliments me every now and then, but he doesn't whisk me everywhere like he used to. He's also been blushing a lot more often today. I was walking ahead of him with Adachi-san and waved bashfully at him. Instead of waving back at me, he gave me a sheepish grin and turned away. I had just enough of a glance to see his face go all red too.

My cheeks are growing hot again. I can't believe I invited him to this park. I can't believe I dragged him all the way to this bench. I can't believe I asked him about this bench. It was such an out-of-the-blue question I'm not surprised Takada-kun's just teasing me when he says he's never seen this bench before. We even had a conversation about what we saw on this very bench, for crying out loud!

I know that Takada-kun can be really clueless at times. But he isn't this naive, right? Does he already know what I'm going to do? It's impossible for him not to know! He always speaks his mind like he's holding a megaphone in my face. He could have also forgotten though. It's been years, and maybe he's thinking about other things. Maybe he's moved on.

If he hasn't spoken up as of late, maybe I did something to hurt him. He was sad about us not seeing each other at school very often. If there's one thing I can't ruin ever, it's Takada-kun's happiness. And maybe I'm not trying hard enough.

Oh no! I spoke too soon!

His arms are starting to loosen. In fact, they're slipping from me, as if he were being pulled down by some mysterious spell.

I don't want him to fall and hurt his arm. But I can't just wake him now! I'll startle him! Seeing that I can't just rise and pull him back up, I sneak up from the bench without disturbing Takada-kun. His arm sags toward the bench seat, but thankfully his hand grips the bench.

I have to think fast. Without giving it a second thought, I lean toward his face and gently grab his arm. Slowly but surely I start to pull him back up on the bench.

His face looks so cute close-up. Huh, I never realized how pink his lips look. I have to admit, it would be nice to finally do what he wanted to do all those years ago.

Oh no.

Takada-kun just opened his eyes. They blink for a few moments, but they shoot right open in horror.

"Ahhh! Nishimura-san!"

Oh no!