"Ryoko…not that I mind," Ryoshi laughs nervously, "but why were you watching us in the bushes? Usually it's the other way around…"

"W—well… I came all this way, right? So there's no way I'm gonna watch something stop you from leaving… possibly… you know!" I mutter.

Ryoshi smiles softly. "You know I'm going home with you, Ryoko."

We both seem to realize how awkward that sounds at the same time, and he rubs the back of his head nervously. I blush and turn away.

"…'kay. Well, I was just making sure. I did spend my wishes on this, you know."

"Yup."

"Mhhm."

I stare at the ground. Based on what happened earlier, I'm pretty sure no one is engaged to anyone else, so that's good. Say something, idiot! I scold myself.The crickets choose this moment to start making their weird cricket noises, which makes it even more obvious that no one is saying anything. We decide to take a seat, on two pool chairs left on the edge of the yard.

"I owe you an apology," I say suddenly. Ryoshi looks confused.

"Wait, why? I didn't mind you showing up!"

"I know," I whisper. "It isn't that."

"Oh… what's wrong?"

I inhale. "When she was saying all that crap to you, I kept thinking how much of a bitch she was, but…" I'm too scared to face him, so I face the sky. The stars are shining now, the clouds cleared away. There's actually a silver moon out, sparking above the two of us, above the whole world. I am not the first to look into the eyes of the boy she loves under that moon, but the way we are makes me believe ot, just for tonight. He makes me feel that way.

"…but I do it too. I do it more, and worse, 'cause you actually care what I think. So… so…" I stutter.

"So, I'm sorry. I mean, you can be a screw-up, but… you're not useless, so. I'm sorry for saying that."

I feel so vulnerable I want to curl up in a ball and hide, but obviously I don't. I wait for him to say something, anything, the second of silence feeling like an eternity.

"When you love someone, you forgive them, right?" Ryoshi says. I look up at him.

"You forgive me when I screw up like I do. And even if you didn't, I'd still forgive you. Because I love you, remember?"

Our gazes knot together. I press my lips together out of habit, and his eyes lower to them. I blush.

"Yeah." I answer quietly, trying to ignore the ecstatic buzz in my veins. Every little sound in the night seems to disappear for a moment, and I realize that I've drawn myself much closer to him than I was a minute ago. How did I end up here?

Yes… how did I end up here? A few months ago, Morino Ryoshi didn't even exist in my world. And then he came out of nowhere, some scared kid begging for my time. How it's all changed since that afternoon, the first time I heard his now familiar voice cry out my name, and I thought, 'What a waste of my time.' How different everything is.

"Ryoko? What are you thinking about?" Ryoshi asks, his arm, brushing my waist.

"Us." I answer, before I can think better of it.

"Yeah. Me too." He admits. A comfortable silence passes between the two of us. I lean against the back of my pool chair, curling up inside it.

"What are we going to do, then?" I say faintly.

"That depends."

"I guess it does, huh." I murmur, the crickets almost masking my voice. A wind blows my hair backwards, and I hug my knees to my chest.

The time for my walls is over, but that isn't bad. I'm lucky to have Ryoshi. I shouldn't wait anymore. Neither of us deserves to.

I look Ryoshi in his emerald eyes. I've never realized how beautiful he is, the moonlight glittering in his irises. I get that boys aren't supposed to be, but he is. He smiles, and I relax into the night without deciding to. His gaze is filled with adoration and all the kindness I'm afraid to dream of.

I think it's time.