This is the final chapter! It's the longest and probably the chapter i've been the most anxious to release. I put my all into it, and enjoyed writting it so much! I could write paragraph upon paragraph on my thoughts and why I wrote it this way, but I think it's better to let you interpret it yourself! The biggest problem I've encountered was Ataru, the story still takes place before "after you've gone' So i did my best to make it feel like the story smoothly transitioned to a lovestruck Ataru to one so fed up by his feelings he lash up at her! The ending is not the most romantic ever, which is intentional! I prefered trying to make something a bit bittersweet, a bit more melancholic with an hopeful touch! I really hope you enjoy this final chapter, and that you enjoyed the story as a whole, for those that've read it all! Thank you so much for reading, I'm happy so many people enjoyed my little story! By the way! The story isn't over yet! It may be how their second date end, but there's still a small epilogue on the way! (It's hard finishing publishing this the same week as the show is ending!)
Ataru and Lum sliently finish up their date, this chapter is all about going back home. And understanding, in some way, where their real home is.
Walking, walking, walking... It always seemed to come back to this. Heading back toward the station on a similar road, they had a long way to go. But Ataru felt somewhat eager. Heading back home with Lum didn't seem like a terrible idea anymore. They walked in silence, the same silence they had fallen into while looking at the sky. They had barely exchanged any words since, both afraid that speaking might cause this fulfilling feeling to vanish and their date to end.
Back on one of the many roads of the amusement park, they kept their pace. There were far fewer people now. Night was approaching. The setting sun was about to disappear. Around them, mostly couples remained; all the families had obviously gone home. All they could hear were the laughter of teens accompanied by the sound and music of attractions that were near.
Nobody paid attention to them. Nobody cared that Lum was resting her head on his shoulder; it became the norm at this hour. All the couples they passed were doing the same. If Ataru wasn't convinced they were looking like an average loving couple today, destiny was sure to remind him a lot. And yet, he didn't try to push her away. Maybe Ataru thought it was too late. That today was an exception. That it was just a way to get her to come back home. Whatever his excuse was, his sole drive was the warm feeling in his chest. Those butterflies were enjoyable. And it was all because—or thanks—to Lum.
Soon enough, they saw the exit of the park. – The literal representation of their ending date – Ataru instinctively slowed down, as if trying to enjoy the moment for as long as he could. It wasn't the only thing that those gates would take away. They'd lose the hairbands. Those funky little things announced to the world that they were, in fact, a couple. Ataru still didn't like them very much, but losing them meant he wouldn't have an excuse to go along with her clinginess either. Maybe it was time. It's been nice, but it may be better to wake up now.
Ataru closed his eyes. It was hard. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to put an end to this dreamlike feeling. He didn't want to make her lose it either. But he had to. If he didn't, could he handle it on the other side? "Hey, Lum." He whispered softly. His eyes still closed.
"Hm?" Lum's eyes barely opened as she answered. As if she was still dreaming.
"Don't forget the hairband and wristband." He reminded her. Was that a conversation starter? A way for him to tell her that it was time to wake up?
"The exit is still far." She replied, closing her eyes again. "I'm as stubborn as you, darling. It's not over until it's over." She teased, a small smirk appearing on her face as she closed her eyes again.
"Right." He sighed. She's so naive. How lucky. Ataru couldn't comprehend this side of her. She didn't think as much as him—or at least didn't show it. She was just enjoying the moment. He was usually the same. But today, he couldn't. With her, he couldn't. She wasn't worrying about the date ending. She was enjoying the few romantic moments they had left. Probably already imagining what their future dates could be like. She really was like a princess, her heart pure and always guiding her toward happiness.
He conceded. And went back into silence. Strangely, the warmth hadn't left him. It seemed like even talking wasn't doing the trick. Was it a curse of some sort? Was that Lum's plan all along? Everything was possible, he didn't exclude any possibilities, apart from love, of course, there was no way it was that.
Reluctantly, they slowly arrived at the exit. A staff member greeted them. He knew he had to give them up now, he had to end the date, end this façade. But he couldn't. Just a few more seconds.
"We'll need to get the couple's hairbands and wristbands back, please." She politely asked.
"Ah, sure."
Faking a smile, he reached for his hairband first. As soon as he grabbed them, he couldn't help but clench them tightly. This is it. He slowly handed it over, then followed it with the wristband. Now they only needed the matching set of ears.
"Lum." Ataru shook his arm softly, as if waking her up. "The hairband."
Lum opened her eyes, finally. In a robotic fashion, she slowly removed her hairband. She did the same clench as Ataru's upon grabbing it, not moving from her leaning position. Those things were with them on almost every ride, a constant reminder of what they were today. And she had to let go of it. As she was removing the wristband, she had to let go of Ataru's arm and shoulder.
Upon grabbing them, the staff member bowed to them. "Thank you. I hope you had a romantic and fun time today. Please come again!" Ataru waited for a second, but realized Lum wasn't planning to answer. "Really fun, thank you." Romantic... Was it romantic? I guess the boat ride kind of was... The coaster too, moonviewing and all. The maze was only the two of us too... and the ferris wheel... Ah! She got me! Ataru clenched his free fist. How could I let myself succumb like that?! He knew the answer, deep within him, but refused to acknowledge it. He was too scared.
Again, Ataru took the initiative and walked out. They were now walking hand-in-hand, like they were when they first arrived. He gave a quick look behind , he stared forward, focusing on where they were going. The vibrant lights of the park and its joyful sounds were gone. Everything was fading to black. And the joyous music turned into silence. The only source of light being the street lamps around them.
Finally, it was done. They went to their date. Had ton of fun. Spent the day together. By all accounts, it was time to let go now... He shouldn't give her the wrong idea... She shouldn't think he's been enjoying it that much. And yet. Until the station, at least... or maybe the phone booth... All he could think about was how far he could go and how long he could expand it. Gain a few more minutes, a few seconds even.
Next to him, Lum's mind was straightforward in comparison; she only had one thing in mind; Darling... Her smile hadn't vanished; it was as strong as ever. She knew it wouldn't last forever, that tomorrow he'd argue it was just an act. But she didn't care. Her darling was here right now, and he reciprocated, in his own way, her love. She would enjoy this silence for as long as she could.
They took the same road and turned onto the same street as on their way to the park. If they passed through the festival... it would last longer, maybe they'd be able to stop for a bit... Ataru plotted. Then something hit him. Shinobu and Mendō are in there! He shook his head. For the first time in his life, he'd wished he wouldn't get the chance to meet Shinobu. As for Mendō.. well, it was an everyday happy thought.
Ataru closed his eyes, then sighed. He never thought it would be this hard to simply say no to Lum. "Hey, Lum, let's take a detour." He slowly whispered.
"Don't you want to go to the festival?" She asked, not looking at him.
"No. Let's just head straight to the station." He asserted. His tone was, in fact, strong, but Lum could notice the slight hint of regret hidden in it.
"But why, darling?" She protested. "I wanted to go to the festival with you!" She exclaimed, swaying his arm around.
"Don't annoy me, Lum! I said I didn't want to, that's it!" He yelled at her, using his strength to stop the swaying.
"Mph!" She pouted. Lum knew he was enjoying—at least somewhat—the date, so why now? She thought back... reminiscing about as much of today as she could. It was filled with romantic moments, but none of them had a proper answer. And then it hit her. "It's because Shinobu will be there, isn't it?" She said, stopping in her walk.
"Ah!" Was he THAT easy to read?! "So what?" He looked away, back to their old arguments.
"Darling!" She screamed. How did he dare? After all, they did today!
"What are you getting so angry at?!" He asked, yelling, genuinely confused.
"Huh?!" She paused for a second. Shinobu is at the festival, and he asked not to go; he's trying not to see Shinobu. That was a first, him dodging a girl in favor of spending time with her... She still didn't have much faith in him. "Darling!" she screamed again, this time with a joyful tone.
"Again?!"
"You don't want to see Shinobu, right? You'd rather it's only the two of us! How romantic you are, Darling!" She jumped in place, hugging his hand.
Ataru looked at her for a second, raising an eyebrow. "When did I ever say that?! I don't want her or Mendō to see the embarrassing situation you put me in!" He blurted out. It wasn't a lie, but it clearly wasn't the full truth.
Right, Shūtarō will be there too. She looked toward the far-away light of the festival. Maybe it would be better to not see them. "You're right!" She nodded.
"I..I am?"
"Mhm, I don't want them to interfere in our date either!" She clenched his hand. "It's better when it's only the two of us!" She stared directly at him, smiling.
She's doing it on purpose! Lum.. you..! "That's not..." How could she always see right through his ruse? That's what he truly wanted, right? To not be bothered. To not have to go back to his usual self. If he met any of his friends right now, he'd have to let go of her. Of this feeling. "Alright, believe that if you want, as long as you don't drag me in the festival."
They resumed their silent walk. But after their short exchange, things had changed. They were back in reality, still enjoying the moment—even if Ataru wouldn't admit it—but now with a seed of melancholy growing in the back of their minds. Lum sighed.
"Darling..." She softly called his name.
"What?"
"Our date... has it ended?" She asked, looking down, frowning. The question was genuine.
Ataru didn't reply at first. What could he even say?! If he said yes, then he'd have to explain why he's still holding her hand and acting like that. If the answer was no, then it means he wanted to expand it as much as he could. He couldn't let Lum think that either. "How am I supposed to know?" He blurted out, partly as an answer to his own doubts.
"Let's end it properly at the station, then." She slowly replied. Still not looking at him.
"Fine by me." He nodded, even if he knew she wasn't looking toward him.
"If it was up to me, I'd make sure it never ends." She finally smiled, looking at him warmly. Ataru couldn't help but blush as he didn't answer. What an embarrassing thing to say, and yet...
Their date would end on this road, it was decided. Starting tomorrow, things will go back to normal. They'd be alone once again. Ataru dreaded this idea. Another day without her... Lum, in the same vein, wasn't eager to be away from her Darling once again. Her only consolation would be that she could at least brag about her day to Ten and her other friends!
They passed close to the festival, only a few streets away. They could hear the cheering and music. It seemed like it had a good ambiance. Neither Lum nor Ataru regretted their choice to choose each other over the festival. In a way, they were in their own small world, away from crowds. They entered the long, well-illuminated street where they had eaten earlier. It was a popular spot at night. The small crowd didn't bother the couple much. Nobody was paying attention to them.
"There's still bunch of people." Lum noted, a bit disappointed.
"With the festival and the restaurants and such around, it's obvious."
Lum paused for a second, as if deep in thought. "Darling, let's take another detour."
"What?! Why?" Ataru asked. He was surprised by her request at first, but it made sense. She wanted to extend the date, or maybe she just wanted to be alone with him a bit longer.
"I don't want anyone to recognize us, and it'll make the date last a bit longer!" She explained in a cheeful tone, as she dragged him toward an adjacent street. Bullseye. Ataru got it completely right; He had a similiar reasoning. It was probably one of the reasons why he really didn't want to go to the festival either.
Ataru didn't fight as she dragged him in. It was better than any answer he could have given. He forced a stoic expression on his face. But deep inside, he was grinning slightly. They walked away from the street and the rest of the world. For a bit, not even going toward the station anymore. Once silence took over again, they continued. The sound of their thoughts was probably loud enough, a noisy ambiance and a crowd were the worst things that could happen. They slowly approached the station, they could see it uphill. It was only a few minutes away.
"Darling..." Once more, Lum softly called him.
"What is it, Lum?" He replied in a similar soft tone.
"Thank you for dating me today." She smiled. It was finally a good time to say this. "I had a ton of fun."
"Ah." It was time, huh. "You did?"
"Mhm." She nodded franctically. "It was thrilling! As much as our first one!" She added, slowly letting go of his hand and placing her own behind her back.
Taken aback by his hand being freed, he took a bit of time."I-it was?" Instinctively, he placed his own band behind his head. "I felt like we did even less." He remarked.
"It doesn't really matter where we go." She corrected him slowly. "Spending the day with my Darling is thrilling enough." She leaned her head toward him, closing her eyes and smiling. Her tone became softer and softer with every word.
Blushing, Ataru looked away. "How tacky..." he whispered, as if he didn't want her to hear.
"Come on, Darling, it's only the two of us!" She pouted playfully. "Be honest!"
"I already told you earlier!" He argued. Crossing his arms.
"More details, I gave you a lot, didn't I?" She begged, leaning toward him.
"I never asked you to, Lum!" He exlaimed.
"Darling!" She yelled.
"Fine! You're annoying!" He screamed back. That was easy. Lum thought. "It was mostly enjoyable. And I liked the food." He searched for anything that wasn't adjacent to the Oni. Anything. He compared today with other dates, mainly with Shinobu. Those were different; he always got in trouble for glancing at other girls. But with Lum, the thought never even occurred to him. Wait, why am I comparing Lum with Shinobu?! That was dangerous. Shinobu was the love of his life, she was close to his fiancée before Lum arrived. So if he put Lum on the same level as Shinobu... What a prosperous idea.
"You're not lying?!" She beamed
"No!" Ataru let his arms back down from behind his head. "Why would I lie about that? It was.. an entertaining day." He paused for a second, taking a deep breath. He then made a serious expression.
"Thanks.. Lum."
Moved by his sincerity, Lum hesitated to jump in his arm, kiss him, or anything really, but she realized it wasn't the time. She simply smiled. Looking at him. Her smile was as honest as she could be. "No need to thank me, Darling! Let's date again soon!" She placed her hands together in a clap.
As Lum was talking, Ataru couldn't help but stare at her. Then suddenly, it happened. Her feet left the ground. She was starting to float up, slowly. "Ah..Where are you..."
"Oh!" She kept floating, she completely forgot to tell him. "You paid for a lot of things today, so it's better you don't pay for my ticket, I'll fly to my UFO!" She was about to fly off, but something inside her forced her to stop, just for a moment. She wanted to hear him one last time.
Ataru shook his head upon hearing this remark. He couldn't be too nice. "I'm not that poor!" he yelled, feeling a knot form in his stomach at the thought of her leaving. Taking the train back alone... getting home alone... It may have been a terrible idea to go on this date after all, his feelings from this morning just got worse. He felt genuinely anxious at the thought.
"It's just a nice gesture!" She argued back, descending a little. She could notice his eyes glazing all over. She wondered what was up in his mind. She'd have loved to take the train home with him. But she had the devilish idea of letting him think about today... "Well then, Darling, see you!" Lum waved at him, keeping a bright smile. She slowly started to go up as she continued to wave.
Ataru couldn't let it happen, she was escaping his grasp. Like last time. No... He jumped and grabbed her wrist. "Hey, Lum, wait, wait!" He yelled, he didn't control his emotions at all as he screamed her name, making Lum freeze and allowing him to get hold of the Oni. "Wait!" He yelled again as she descended. His face went straight, looking downward, as soon as his feet touched the ground again.
At first, Lum didn't say anything. She wasn't expecting him to grab her like that. To be so devastated to see her leave. She knew love was growing, but could it really be growing THIS fast?. "What's wrong, Darling?" She asked, kneeling a bit to see his face, tilting her head.
His hand slowly lost it's grasp on her arm, at the same rate his confidence dropped. "Lum... I wanted to ask you something." He quietly answered. He was still looking directly down.
"Mmh?" The idea of marriage, or something super romantic, flashed through her mind. But she laughed them off. Not today!
"Will you drop me home?"
"You mean?..." She kneeled back up instantly, her mouth opening in joy. "Darling! You want to go to the UFO with me?!"
That's what it sounded like. Maybe it truly was the reason. Deep down, this may be why the idea occurred to him. He couldn't know, nor did he want to. "N-no, don't be dumb!" He blurted out, waving a finger in front of his face. "I'd just take a convenient, free taxi." He nodded nervously.
Maybe Darling's too scared to take the night train alone! She chuckled. She wouldn't dare say that out loud; he could take this as a challenge. "Sure!" She replied. "I'll call it here then!" She had planned to reminisce about their date while flying over the bright city, but this seemed like an even better option. "COME OUT, UFO!" Lum yelled. Her spaceship appeared above them as soon as the sound of her voice reached the sky. Then, she flought behind Ataru, trying to grab him from under his arm. He dodged.
"W-wait, Lum!" He kept an eye on her. "No funny business! Just drop me home, okay? I don't want a tour or whatever!" Ataru asserted. He was reassuring himself that he was doing that for his own benefits.
"Don't worry, Ten's probably sleeping, can't risk waking him up!" She remarked, trying to reassure him. She tried to grab him again while saying this. This time, she was successful.
"Jariten?!" Ataru whispered. I completely forgot about that brat. He was never his best friend. But it felt somewhat more personal here. The two started to ascend together. Lum was a bit slower, having to carry Ataru.
"He's been missing you, too, Darling!" She reassured him. Ataru only looked down, admiring the city.
"Whatever." Ataru snearked. He didn't believe her for a second. Not that she was lying, but she was way too naive with the kid. And too nice. He probably told her that for his own good.
Lum chuckled. Darling's having so many mood swings! He wanted us to be alone! As she smiled, she looked around a bit. "Oh, Darling! Look! The festival!" She pointed toward the illuminated area below.
It was too far away to make out any details, but they could still make up the fountain they sat on, and that the number of people had drastically increased. "Glad we skipped that." Ataru added.
"Really? Seems like your kind of thing usually." Lum noted, a bit perplexed.
"We're.. I mean.. I'm not properly dressed, no babe would take me seriously." He giggled nervously.
Hearing the small slip up. Lum smiled. He was still thinking about it—their date at a festival... "You're unbelievable, Darling." She sighed, acting like she hadn't heard the first part.
Ataru kept his eyes down toward the festival, not replying. How did the idea even come up?! What's wrong with me?! If Lum was here... I wouldn't get a chance to meet any babe! He wondered if it was a bad dream, if he truly was sick to the point that his life goal didn't give him the same drive, the same motivation.
Silence took over them as they continued their journey up. All they could hear was the quiet sound of the levitating UFO and the few birds that rarely passed by. There was no city sound, no other people. And our couple gave up on horizontality to adopt verticality. Looking ahead served no purpose anymore; it was all about the now. And the ups. It felt like Orpheus and Eurydice could finally escape from the world down there.
Soon, they were inside the UFO, Lum slowly landed down, allowing Ataru to be free again. The sound of someone entering woke up the young Oni. "Lum-chan, you're back, did you finally dump that id-" Ten froze, seeing Ataru next to Lum. "What's HE doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Jariten." Ataru giggled, grabbing the small Oni by the head and shaking him. "You've grown so much!" He sarcastically joked. He knew he wasn't allowed to spit fire in Lum's UFO.
"I'm giving Darling a lift home!" Lum replied, smiling, as she didn't bother looking at her cousin. She went to the controls of her ship. Sitting down and starting to type stuff on her screen.
"We're going back down there in his house?" Ten cried. Escaping Ataru's grasp. He wasn't as rough as usual, Ten remarked.
Ataru was almost thankful the brat was here. At first because of the question he asked. But also because it forced Ataru to act properly, and not allow Lum to win too much. Just imagining what could have happened if it truly were only the two of them up here... it sent shivers down Ataru's spine.
"We've only been on two dates! That wouldn't be proper!" Lum answered, giggling.
Ten sighed in relief. "Phew." As Ataru sighed in sadness.
Lum plressed a few buttons, and instantly, the UFO started to move. "We'll be here in a few seconds now!"
"That's it?" Ataru blurted out without thinking. Ten turned around toward him, confused.
"What's wrong, Darling? Are you disappointed?!" Lum turned on her chair and faced him directly.
"W-what? No, I was just surprised!" He looked away. Unfortunately for him, the way he faced was toward Ten, who was raising an eyebrow. "Those things really are fast.." He laughed in embarrassment, looking all around.
"You're an idiot." Ten whispered, floating away. Even he could see how dumb of a lie it was. "Lum chan, drop him and let's go to sleep!" He yawned.
Lum gently cradled Ten in her arms, her eyes tender. "Don't be silly, I'll help him down. I'll be back in a few minutes." She stood up, still holding Ten, and floated toward a room. "Wait just a second, Darling."
"Sure." Ataru replied, arms crossed.
As Lum disappeared, Ataru was all alone now—in her spaceship, in her home, in her world. It wasn't his first time in her UFO, but he never really took a look at it before. It was all her. From the colors to the items. To the random mechanical junk here and there. Maybe he wouldn't mind spending more time exploring. I could snatch a few gadgets on the way too! He added, making sense of the thought. He stayed in place but turned around to see as much as he could.
"Do you want a tour?" Lum broke the silence, she was floating right above him, holding her head with her two hands as she looked like she was laying down in the air. She was back wearing her usual tiger-striped bikini.
"Of course not!" He yelled in surprise, not expecting her to spy on him like that. If she had asked without surprising him, he may have agreed. "Oh, your clothes..." He finally noticed the change in wardrobe.
"I prefer wearing this!" She spun around in the air, showing it off. "It's way more comfortable!"
It really IS Lum... Ataru stared at her. It was the girl he went on a date with. Nobody else. He had no excuses, nothing to hide behind.
Seeing his lack of response or compliment, Lum stopped and came back down near him. Without a word, she flew behind him and grabbed him again. Ataru was about to protest, with how casually she grabbed him without asking. He didn't wanted her tp get used to that. Casually being allowed to grab him like that... And yet, he didn't say a word. Maybe he trusted her too much, maybe he didn't have any strength anymore. Whatever it was, she had won.
Slowly, Lum and Ataru were back outside, now floating right above the Moroboshi Residence. On the usual spot Lum's UFO had been resting for the past few days. The couple descended slowly. It was clear Lum was purposefully taking her time, trying to delay their separation. Ataru obviously noticed, she just had to let their weight do the job and go down, but he couldn't say anything. He was taking advantage of it too, after all.
Lum took a small glance upward, toward the sky. "It's a shame..." Lum quietly mourned, as if not meant to be heard out loud.
"What is?" Ataru asked, a bit moved by her sad tone.
"The sky is all cloudy, what a waste." She sighed. "It would have been nice to enjoy the stars, together, just for a bit, wouldn't it?" She purred, placing her head down on top of his.
"Hey, cut it out!" Ataru yelled. Now that was embarrassing. "But yes, sure, what a shame, next time." He continued, a bit saracstically. The truth was that he was scared of such an idea, it was the same one she had proposed earlier.
"You really mean it, Darling?" She tightened her grip around him, as if he were a plushie. They started their descent toward the Moroboshi residence.
Ataru coughed a bit at her tigheting hug. "Don't do that!" He screamed. "Just check the forecast next time and you'll see them!" He advised her.
"I don't have newspaper up there, or Earth's TV." She mumbled.
Ataru took his usual annoyed tone. "You're annoying! Fine, I'll check myself! But you'll owe me one!" He argued, trying to cross his arm. Unfortunately, Lum holding him made it hard.
"Alright! You're so kind, Darling, thank you!" She slowed down her descent a bit, in pure love.
Ataru blushed. "You're lucky it's almost falling star season, or I wouldn't bother!"
Lum's eyes started to shine. "It's perfect! It's a date then, Darling!" She exclaimed.
"Don't say stupid stuff like that, Lum!" He warned her, he couldn't really be just planning another date, could he?
"Fine, but I'm happy you're doing me a favor!" She smiled.
Ataru's blush didn't falter as he stopped answering. They were dangerously close now. A few seconds later, they landed on the balcony of his room. The same one he'd spend countless nights gazing at her UFO, hoping to see her again. And here they are now. Back together. Just for a few moment. It lasted only a few seconds, but for the both of them it lasted hours, just them. And yet, it still wasn't enough.
"Here you go, Darling" She weakly smiled.
"Ah.. thank you.. Lum." He scratched his head.
"Thank you again for today, Darling." Her smile grew a little. "I hope we'll go on a lot more!"
"Stupid... As if I had a choice."
Taking a few steps back, Lum sat on the fence of the balcony. She took a good look at Ataru one more time as he glared at her. And she allowed herself to fall backward. Ataru reacted with a little gasp, reaching toward the railing with his hand instinctively, forgetting she could fly just for a second, absorbed by her. And suddenly, like a star, she flew by, going back up.
"Darling! I'll leave it to you for our next date!" She yelled, waving at him, "But make it soon! I miss living with you!"
"Me?!"
"Yup! I'll be pretty busy, so you'll have to be the one to contact me this time!" She teased, doing a spin in the air. "Call me, Darling!" In a final wave, she flew up, looking straight toward her UFO.
She was lying through her teeth. She has nothing planned. At best, she'd spend most of her time on the UFO to look over her Darling and find a good spot for the memories she's mades today. But that was it. What a day! She thoughts with genuine happiness. Darling's so obvious now! She chuckled to herself. She entered her UFO again. Lum was aware that today was unique, that he porbably wouldn't act the same during their next date or during their everyday lives. But it didn't matter to her. The fact that she was able to see this gentler side of him was enough. And only for her... It was the best part of the date. Even if it wasn't intentional, Ataru had opened himself to her a little more. She was certain now that he'd call her. She knew that she could trust him. It would take a long time, but she knew he'd do it. She was starting to understand him better and was having an easier time seeing through his tough act.
She was gone. Lum was back up there. Away from him. Ataru entered his room again. It was silent, empty, and dark. The same things he craved while they were together a few hours ago. But now, he despised those. He wanted light—someone, something—to fill this empty room. And he knew exactly who his mind was craving. What a day... He thought with genuine conflicting emotions. I don't get it. He added, talking about himself. He didn't know anymore if it was a trap from Lum, all part of her master plan, or if it was really just him all this time. Whatever was happening to him, it got worse. He had convinced himself that another date could fix it, but he couldn't be more wrong. He completely forgot about his initial goal, too. Having her come back home. Calling her... What an annoying girl! This morning, he spat on the idea and laughed at it. But now, he was thinking about it. Truly. The same way that for the first time, he was also truly thinking about her. He lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Stupid Lum.. Can't believe I miss her...
As they both went to sleep, unsure if sleeping was even an option. Lum, closed her eyes. Darling's such an idiot... Ataru, in the same vein, closed his eyes, hoping he'd finally be able to rest, and thought about her again. Lum's such an idiot...