Flowers, serenades, all that weird romantic stuff. Everyone just can't get enough of it. I can do without those, though.

Of course, the fact that it was voluntary made it much more enjoyable than the last kisses.

It was beyond that, though. Words can't quite capture the splendor of the kiss. I remember that my face heated up with the fire of our lips' touch. I remember the fingers that grasped my cheeks and the cool touch of his skin on my hot cheeks. I remember wrapping my arms around his neck without being even a bit awkward about it. It was just the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

Does this mean what I think it means? Does he have feelings for me? Do I have feelings for him? What is going on? What just happened? I looked for the answers in his earnest eyes. They just stared back at me, dazed and awestruck. I think I spent an eternity watching the glazed honey eyes go back to their normal chocolate shade.

"Well it's nice to have done that without you having a nosebleed," Kyohei remarked, trying to be playful. My voice was beyond my control, so I responded with a blank, questioning stare.

"Hey, Nakahara?" Kyohei's playful voice became concerned.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. But… was that… what was that?" I finally managed to stutter.

"I don't know; I just felt like it."

"You just felt like… like… like kissing me?"

"Well, yeah. I don't think you would've believed what I said if I didn't prove it somehow."

"What you said… was it genuine?"

He looked surprised. "You don't believe what I said after that kiss?"

"It's just… it's hard to believe, you know? That someone like you could like someone like me."

"That's exactly how I feel about you, Sunako."

"As in you're also shocked at how you like such an ugly person?"

"See, this is why you need to stop avoiding mirrors. You're beautiful, Sunako. I just didn't think you would, you know, like me back because I'm so 'radiant'."

I felt a pang of hurt with that comment. I never really acknowledged the pain that Kyohei suffered from his good looks. I mean, ever since I met his mom, I knew he must have had an unpleasant life. His mom's bipolar, for crying out loud. She yelled at him for being an adorable kid. She had violent mood swings that led him to live with in the Nakahara mansion. To have your mom take care of you for one day and to threaten to scar your face the next would be awful. His mom did this all because of his good looks.

Even worst, he had stalkers and fangirls, even rapists, who wanted to touch him. He could never let down his shield for fear of being taken away. It must have been tough for a child to endure.

"I'm sorry, Kyohei. I'm just… looks are a pretty sensitive topic, and given my uh, past love situation, I just… I'm sorry I judged you by your radiance." The word, love, was really hard to force out.

"No, no. It's fine. It's totally normal." He shrugged and sat down on the marble balcony ledge before continuing, "I mean, if you're thinking about when you went to my hometown, don't compare yourself to those girls."

"I'm just as bad as them, probably even worst."

"Well, I don't think so. You take care of me unconditionally, Sunako. No one's ever really done that for me, except my mom. But, you know, she's crazy. You also ignore my good looks, and that's a really refreshing change."

"Yes, because nose bleeding due to your radiance is ignoring your looks."

"Nose bleeding is much better than rape." He chuckled. I sat next to him, and gave him a small embrace.

"It's going to be okay, Kyohei," I whispered. He hugged me back, and I felt his chest rising and falling with his breath. I heard his heart beat while I felt mine raced.

When we untangled our bodies, we just sat there for a while. I let the silence provide comfort for Kyohei while he was strolling through his past, while I ran through mine.

I remember those days. I remember the days when my friends would push me to tell Akito I had a crush on him. My heart beat louder than I could possibly imagine, and I felt those butterflies in my stomach. I caved in to my friends' encouragement. I checked my appearance, making sure I was decent enough. Then, I forced my body to walk over to him. It took every ounce of courage and bravery I had to say the words "I like you."

"But I don't like ugly girls."

I don't want to go through this all again. I don't want to re-explore this twisting road called romance. If I walk this road together with Kyohei, where will it lead?

Not wanting to be tormented by the memories, I repressed them once again. When I returned from my thoughts to the world, Kyohei was staring at me.

"What?" I glared at him. I hate it when people stare at me. It feels like they're taking in the full impact of my ugliness. It feels like Akito's words.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Nothing."

I think he already knew what I was thinking, but he kept quiet about it and dropped the topic. He let the silence fill up the space where the memories were, and gave me time to recover from my memories.

The usually peaceful silence and darkness of the night sky was crowded with confusion, though. Where was this road leading? Kyohei and I already have a bunch of trust and support for each other. Is romance really necessary? I mean, sure, I like it when we kiss. I just don't want all the consequences that come with pursuing love. All that stuff is too complicated.

I could end this confusion, like I always do. I could act stupid and dismiss whatever has happened between us. I could choose the safe path that I've always chosen. I could let this episode of Kyohei and Sunako romance end. Should I?