Chapter 6

A week had passed since I had confronted my clones. Actually, they had confronted me.

For some reason I was feeling excited about today, though I was also feeling a little nervous.

But I was advised that I should just be myself around him. It had worked for one of them, after all.

I had been watching him for the past week from the rooftop of a building.

Perhaps this could be considered stalking, which suddenly made me feel ashamed of myself, but in the end it had worked out, and I was informed that he was finally out in the open and was sitting in a park bench. All is fair in love and war, they say.

I thought Shido-san's behavior was a little peculiar. It could have been because of his talk with Tohka-san, but that felt too much like wishful thinking.

Regardless, I decided to recompose myself after getting a little flustered and hid behind a tree after I spotted him.

I took a few deep breaths, and was about to step out when a voice called out from the other side.

"So, are you a clone or the real one?"

The question caught me completely by surprise and I froze, but suddenly I felt several pushes from behind my back.

I panicked for a moment, but then gave everything I had to make sure that I looked how I always did when I was around him.

When I stepped out, he was there. His face was serious, but that wasn't really bothering me.

He was here.

And so was I.

And I was going to make this another happy moment.

Epilogue

"I'm sure you know the rest."

The sky was losing a bit of its red orange color. Tohka-san looked at me, wide-eyed.

"That's what happened?"

"Yes, that's what happened."

She remained stunned. She had blushed every now and then when I mentioned her with Shido-san. She apparently seemed guilty, but I wasn't too bothered by it. At least, I wasn't going to admit that I was.

Tohka-san began to move in her seat a little.

"Sorry…"

I tilted my head.

"What for?"

"For making you tell me something like that."

I gave a chuckle.

"It's fine. Like I said, I didn't have anything to lose by telling you. If anything I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me?"

Tohka-san looked a little cheerful.

"Of course. If you hadn't confessed to Shido, then I may have never been honest with myself."

I looked at Tohka-san with sincerity.

"Thank you, Tohka-san."

"O-Oh, it's nothing."

Tohka-san waved her hands.

"And I'm sorry."

The apology made her stop waving her hands.

"What for?"

"It must have been difficult for you."

I was referring to Shido's answer to her confession. Tohka-san's hands fell onto her lap. She looked outside the glass window.

"It's fine. Really."

She made a soft smile.

"I said everything I needed to back then."

She turned to look at me again and pointed at me.

"But you better make sure he's happy. He chose you after all."

I chuckled at Tohka-san's behavior.

"Of course."

"And of course he should be making you happy too."

"There's not a day when I'm not happy with him."

"Then everything's okay."

Tohka-san folded her arms and nodded with approval. I laughed some more at her sudden confidence boost.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Tohka-san had already gotten out of her seat.

"Yes, let's."

I had also gotten out of mine. We left the café after paying for what we ordered and started heading home.

"I'm getting kind of hungry."

I turned to look at Tohka-san blankly.

"But you just ate at the café."

"Muu. But now it's getting to dinner time."

Tohka-san had a troubled look on her face. We both laughed at how hopeless she was acting as we continued walking.

"I'm home!"

Someone had smoothly announced her presence as she entered the front door.

I remained on the couch but was now sitting upright. I tried to hide my joy in hearing that voice.

"Oh, welcome back."

Kurumi had entered the living room after taking off her shoes. Her lips formed a thin smile.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

She laughed at my observation.

"You can tell?"

"More or less."

Kurumi continued to smile as she approached the couch and sat next to me.

"Is Tohka not coming over?"

"She wanted to drop off her kinako bread first."

"Again? She really likes her kinako bread."

"Yes, she does."

I had stopped reading and put the book down onto the coffee table. The moment I did so, I turned to look at Kurumi. We made eye contact.

"What's wrong?"

The moment I asked, she pushed me down to lie on the couch, which made me yelp. She pinned me there and brought her face close to mine.

"K-K-K-K-Kurumi!?"

"Kiss me."

"Hah!?"

The request was very sudden.

"I missed you and I haven't seen you all day."

She was being very direct today. My heart couldn't take it.

So I compromised.

"A quick one."

"That'll work."

I brought my face forward quickly, pecked her on the lips, and then backed off.

"Can you get off of me now?"

And just like that, her smile widened. It seems she understood that having Tohka and possibly even Kotori see us like this would not end well.

Kurumi removed herself from me.

"I'm never going to get you."

What I was implying was that I felt like I would never understand her.

"I'm already yours."

Kurumi spoke those words casually. And just as quickly as she had spoken, she got out of her seat and walked back into the hallway with a snicker.

"That's not what I meant!"

I followed her to the hallway, my face feeling a little hot. I spent the rest of the day with her and Tohka who had come over.

Miku had come back from her concert.

Yoshino and the others were a little tired, so they decided to pass on hanging out for tonight.

And eventually Kotori had made it home.

I had read books all day while Kurumi was gone, but now it felt like the sun had come back up.