"Moshi-Moshi. This is the Saiki household. Kurumi speaking!" The woman said in her distinctive cheery voice.

"How are you doing, Miss Kurumi?" Kokomi's voice was just as cheery over the phone. "It's Teruhashi speaking."

"Oh my, Kokomi-chan. I'm doing quite fine, thank you! So nice of you to call! Give me one moment, ok, dear?" She took a second to put away the ladle she'd happen to bring with her, taking another second to turn down the heat on the stove.

"Sorry, I had to just take care of a few things." She adjusted the phone on her neck. "What brings you, dear?"

"Sorry to bother you while you were busy. I was wondering if Saiki-kun might be home?"

"Its no bother, dear. Kuu-chan hasn't come back yet, but I can take a message if you'd like."

"A-" There was a pause. "It's fine." Her voice had completely recovered. "I think it'd be better if I tell him myself. Sorry to keep you."

"It's no trouble dear. Call whenever you like."

"..Thank you."

Kokomi let out a breath as she hung up, slumping on her make-shift chair. Her eyes wandered over the ceiling tiles for a few seconds, before she pulled herself up. Stepping out of the stall, she took a second to take herself in the mirror. The restroom was empty save her, and she took a moment to make sure her face was clear and presentable, before stepping out onto the restaurant floor. She caught the gaze of one of the waitresses, who bid her a smile.

Out of polite courtesy, the bluenette ordered some juice to drink, and quickly finishing it, made outside. The mall was across the adjacent street, and only partially in view from this distance.

Kokomi spared one moment to look back, before walking away.

Trying to minimize the customary street reactions, she made a deliberate attempt to dial down her aura. And just idly walked. She didn't have a particular destination in mind, but she just wanted to be on her feet. It helped her think.

This.. had been an eventful day.

The exams, followed by the incident with the first-years, followed by this.

Saiki-kun wasn't home yet.

Did that mean he was still with Aiura-san...?

She internally shook her head. She didn't want to go there. If she started coming up with scenarios, it would never end.

It occurred to her that she could try giving one of the guys a call, and ask if they had ran into Saiki again, but knowing the boy, she knew the odds were against her. With the way he'd reacted, bolting out the door right after the exam, and suddenly showing up with Aiura-san out on the courtyard, a part of her almost wondered if he was deliberately trying to avoid her.

But.. But that didn't make sense, did it?

She paused as she noted the light on the intersection, taking a second to take in where she'd ended up as she waited for the light to turn green. Tuning out the trail of Offu's around her, she could make out a few familiar cafes and stores further along the street.

As the light turned green, she continued walking, idly taking in the area around her.

Christmas themed decor had been slowly but surely creeping into each and every store. Usually, she'd also be taking mental notes - of new places, of new menus and new clothes on display, anything that could make conversation fodder. But that was the last thing on her mind right now.

These were different streets, but it made her think back to the first time she'd really ever paid attention to Saiki Kusuo. When she'd run into him in the streets by accident during their summer break all those years ago.

She still remembered the whole thing clearly. He'd had in his hand a plastic bag filled to the brim with barley tea cans. He's probably wasting his entire break just watching TV, and drinking barley tea by himself, she'd thought. And she'd make his day, she'd thought, if she gave him some of her time. What guy didn't like being acknowledged by a pretty girl, she'd thought.

She didn't even remember his first name back then, thought it was Kunio or something, but thought he'd be elated that she at least remembered him from school.

She remembered trying to talk to him, and when it looked like he was ignoring her, she remembered being completely stumped. Who was this plain looking boy who had the galls to ignore the one and only Teruhashi Kokomi. She'd almost figured the boy to be an illusion.

And that was the start, really.

Little by little, she started to be more conscious of the boy at school. She'd make a small mental note every time she ran into him in the school hallway. The times she walked past his bench in class. The times she saw the teachers call out to him.

She remembered being just a bit embarrassed when she realized she'd gotten his first name wrong, and remembered spending an entire week brushing up on all the details she could dig up on the boy.

She remembered that time she'd met him on the street alongside Nendou and Kaidou, and it dawned on her that, no, she really couldn't get the boy to Offu.

Everything after that… Well.

Ramen Shop, read one of the signs she walked past, and she couldn't help but instinctively think back to the one time she had followed the guys into one. A perfect pretty girl wouldn't whine over food, she'd thought. She'd show Saiki her adventurous side, she thought. That she could get along perfectly well with his friends and keep up with their pace.

And then she couldn't bring herself to eat Ramen again for three whole months. Ugh. Made her mouth crinkle just remembering how bad the food was. Saiki stayed Saiki, however, and at the end of the day, she had had to wonder if she'd made any impression at all.

She remembered that time with their horrible mall date. She remembered thinking to herself, yes, she'd finally snared him, when he'd accepted to go. Only for him to be such a douche to her the whole time. One-sidedly pummeling her in arcade games. Dragging her along shopping for scantily clad figurines. And generally not giving a hoot about what she was feeling or where she might want to go.

She'd almost completely given up on him by the end of it, only for him to suddenly drag her into the photo booth. For a second she'd almost thought that he was trying to feel her up. But no, he'd gone completely stiff after pulling her inside.

Again, she found herself internally shaking her head. She'd never quite figured out what had been up with him that day, but he'd gone in pretty hard on his image change.

Some sort of misguided attempt at playing 'bad-boy', she'd wondered. Maybe he thought that was what girls were into?

Trying so hard, despite probably just being nervous on the inside.

Nevertheless, she'd gotten a glimpse into a side of him she'd never seen before, or since. That counted for something, right?

As she walked past a few mannequins on display, out of habit, she found herself checking out their outfits. A satin evening dress with voluminous, floor-length skirt and a ribbon tied in a bow at the back. Another, a Floral Garden Dress, its fabric a soft pastel, intricately decorated with embroidered flowers and shimmering sequins, the skirt cascading in layers of tulle. It gave it a dreamy and ethereal look. Another yet was a bohemian ensemble featuring a flowing maxi skirt in vibrant, earthy tones paired with a breezy off-the-shoulder blouse. That one she actually really liked.

Out of instinct, a part of her wondered what Saiki would think if he saw her in it, but she shook the thought away.

There... was that time at a clothing store that she'd run into Saiki, Nendou and Kaidou. She'd been out shopping for clothes, and somehow it ended up in a game of dress-up. She'd played along, of course, and she'd even had some fun over it, but Saiki Kusuo had bailed right as his turn had come...

She really had started reminiscing all of a sudden, hadn't she? Once she'd opened up the flood-gates, all these memories just came flooding back to her.

There was the time Chiyo had mistakenly assumed that Kokomi had a crush on Nendou-kun. (Why? Chiyo? Just Why?) The time her brother had gone over to Saiki's house to threaten him without her knowledge. The time she'd come to the Saiki household for cooking lessons, only to have to deal with the pesky neighbor's kid, Yuuta. That one time she'd gotten paired with Saiki for art-class, and she'd been so antsy, trying to not let her feelings show on the portrait, only to learn that Saiki's rendition of her had just been a blank canvas. (Bro..?) The time she'd gotten jealous of Aiura and tried out all sorts of makeovers to get Saiki's attention. She'd gone Gyaru even, dyed her hair, changed her mannerisms. To end up getting no reaction from the boy at all in the end.

Gosh, that boy was hard to understand at times!

Then there was that one time she'd even tried asking him out to the amusement park herself, only to get mobbed by half the school. That one... it almost reminded her of today.

It had been the last day of the semester then too, hadn't it? She had somehow found Saiki Kusuo dangling off a window... The thought almost made her chuckle.

...Fufu.

It'd been so strange. The face he'd made when she caught him. And the way he had tried to play it off...

Fufufu!

In the end, she'd never got to ask him what that had been all about, did she?

She'd... She'd failed to ask him out back then too, hadn't she? She had inadvertently let out a scream. And a whole crowd had shown up to check up on her. Not far from what happened today either.

Things had worked out in the end, if only because of Kurumi-san. The woman had been so helpful over the phone, and they had somehow gotten the date set up. And though it'd been odd in the moment, she could definitely look back and laugh at the whole Cider-man No.2 mess that had unfolded as a result.

A part of her had wanted to rely on Kurumi-san again. If she'd asked her nicely over the phone, Kokomi had no doubt that she'd have been able to ask Saiki out to a Christmas date like she'd planned.

But, something… something about that prospect had made Kokomi feel just a little... squeamish. Despite herself, the girl couldn't completely keep the grimace off her face.

It was just that…

Could she really say that things had worked out, back there?

Her gaze lowering, her eyes idly made out the patterns in the tiles below her.

Yes, she'd gotten the date she had wanted. But, could she... should she really count that as a win?

...Everyone adored Kokomi. Everyone vied for her attention. People would kill to have just a second of her time. To just have her briefly acknowledge them. Of course Saiki Kusuo would have been flattered over a chance to go on a date with her...

Is what she would have thought.

But, thinking back, had that really ever been the case?

Saiki Kusuo was a hard boy to read. Even when the rest of the class was cracking up over some joke, Saiki would be that one person who never once cracked a smile. Even when everyone else was getting swept up in the energy of the sports festival, Saiki alone always managed to shrug it off.

The boy never wavered, not once.

She wasn't sure when exactly it started, but a ludicrous thought had started bubbling inside of her. An absolutely ludicrous thought.

How… How much of her company had Saiki Kusuo ever truly enjoyed?

Was he really just bad at expressing himself, like she had originally figured?

Or...

He had shown up to their amusement park date with Yuuta, the neighbor's kid.

Why?

Was he just nervous about spending time alone with her?

Did it turn out like that just by chance?

What had been going on in his mind? He was fiddling with the camera the whole time, completely ignoring her. At least until she got dragged onto the stage.

Did he like taking pictures that much? She'd never seen him interested in photography before. Or since.

Would he prefer company if she asked him out on a date in the future? Like a double date?

Or would it be better to just ditch dates in favor of group outings? It'd still count as progress, wouldn't it?

And, the most important question of them all.

Did Saiki Kusuo really enjoy himself that day? Really? At all?

The girl idly kicked a pebble.

If it hadn't been for Kurumi-san that had compelled him to go, would Saiki Kusuo actually have accepted? Would he have wanted to go?

It had worked out in the end... Had it?

What- What would it take for Saiki Kusuo to enjoy himself? What was a good date for Saiki Kusuo?

Manga Cafes? Libraries? Arcades? Movies? Camping? Star-gazing?

Had a coffee-jelly cafe date really been the best date idea she could come up with...?

And even it had fallen apart…

She would never admit to it, but there was a part of her that was scared at the prospect of relying on Kurumi-san again. It would be the same as admitting that nothing had changed.

She'd already failed to ask him out in person. Again. After years and years of trying, what did she have to show for it?

As she came up to another intersection, she took a short moment to survey her surroundings. She had walked past most of the shopping district, coming to a quieter part of town. Off in the distance, she could see the line of trees overlooking the river-side. The closest bridge in this area was upriver if she remembered correctly. Looking around she idly took in the streets around her.

The people reacted to her as usual, but she'd been fortunate enough to not have anyone go out of their way trying to talk to her. The setting sun lit up the far horizon in a deep deep indigo.

Really, she should be back home, working on finalizing her outfit for her 'date.' That was what she'd penned down on her schedule this morning. She wasn't a girl that liked wasting time either. And yet, today, she really didn't feel like she could be bothered with thinking about anything else...

God, she really, really did like Saiki, didn't she?

The girl couldn't help the warmth rising up her cheeks at that thought. She really did like him. The conviction bubbled in her, slowly, but surely. It wasn't momentary butterflies. It wasn't. It wasn't just the thrill of the chase. At least not anymore. She wasn't sure how to best explain it, but the fact was that she knew she liked him, no matter what anyone might say.

That realization made her spirits lift just a little at least.

It'd been nice, taking a little break, out into town, huh? Walks were nice like that. It really did clear her head. Taking one deep breath, the crispy winter air, waking her right up, she gave herself an internal nod.

What would Kokomi be if not an optimist?

Let's try again tomorrow, yeah?

She'd figure out a way to get things to work. She was tough like that.

Watching the intersection light turned green, she made her way across the street, sparing one look back at the shopping district, when-

Kokomi's expression remained completely unfazed as she looked forward again, but internally, she felt a certain shock settling in her. One by one, she tried to recall all the times she'd looked around while she'd been walking. Inconspicuously as she could, she sneaked another peek back.

Tearing her gaze away, she had a flurry of thoughts flowing through her. The critical side of her chided herself - why did she not notice sooner. She should have better environmental awareness than this!

Kokomi had not at all rushed as she'd made her way through the street, and the traffic had been hardly bad. There was no reason the car that had been behind her all the way back at the cafe, should still be on her tail.

She couldn't see through the window with it being all heavily tinted. It was some sort of luxury sedan. Sleek black. BMW make. Shady enough with the heavily tinted windows. But the fact that it'd followed her all this way was ringing alarm bells in her mind.

Was it Saiko? Was he stalking her, not satisfied with her rejection? It was certainly possible, considering how pushy the boy could be, but something about that deduction felt off.

Acting as though she'd just received a phone call, she paused on the other side of the intersection. Once the traffic light turned green, she watched as the car rolled over across from her, but then stopped by the side of the road, rather than proceeding ahead.

Wasn't that some kind of a traffic violation? At any rate, it was more or less confirmed.

She couldn't dismiss the possibility that it was Saiko's men, but she felt like she was missing something. Acting like she'd just learned something important over the phone, she looked the part of someone who just remembered something she had to do. Correcting course, she headed back to the shopping district.

Better to stay in a crowded area till she got a better grasp on the situation. The car followed her over, just as she expected.

Now came the hard part. How should she best shake off her pursuers?

As she passed by the clothing store from earlier, a thought came to mind.

"She went into some store." The man adjusted his glasses as he pulled up onto the other side of the road.

"Oh?" A voice rang over the car's hand-free system.

"It's a bit hard to see in from here. Do you want me to-"

"No," came the prompt answer. "Keep your distance."

"Understood."

There was a brief pause.

"Impressions so far?"

"I thought you were exaggerating when you said I'd be able to tell, even without any rough descriptions, but..."

"She really does stand out a bit, huh?"

"An understatement!- Oh someone just came out!"

"...?"

"Oh nevermind. I thought it might be the girl, but it looked like it was a family or something."

"A family?"

"A middle-aged couple, and a girl young enough to be their daughter."

"Oh?"

"To think there was a Udon place this close! Thank you so much dear for showing us the way. This old man was being all grumpy because he said he wanted to get some anyhow."

The man beside her just scratched his neck in mild embarrassment. The girl gave a polite bow as they parted. She was dressed in a flowing maxi skirt with intricate prints, paired with charcoal-hued leggings that peeked out beneath the hem. Her lacy blouse was obscured by a loose cardigan, its texture juxtaposed by a scarf with faux-fur lining. A curly shoulder-length brown wig adorned her head, a red beret atop it. A pair of stylish sunglasses finished her look. In her shopping bag was her school bag, along with her school clothes.

With her forcefully dialing down her aura as much as humanly possible, she could somewhat pass for a normal well-dressed girl.

It had been a bit awkward trying to quickly get into her new getup, without making the shop clerks suspicious, but her charisma had been able to smooth it over in the end.

Confirming that the vehicle hadn't in fact moved in after her, she could feel some measure of relief at being able to properly see her plan through. It'd be a bit weird showing up home in this getup, but she'd manage.

Looking up, she saw that it had really darkened quite a bit at this point. Stars, she could make some out, even against all the city lights flaring to life.

It'd really been a long day, hadn't it? All this action, and somehow she still wasn't able to get through to Saiki. A part of her considered just showing up at his place like this, and waiting it out till he came and asking him out for Christmas. But that'd be way too forceful, wouldn't it? It wouldn't be the sort of situation he'd be able to easily decline, especially with his Kurumi-san around.

She'd just have to take her losses for today.

Saiki - 1. Kokomi - 0.

It was with that not so cheerful thought in mind, that she decided to head back home, when all of a sudden she felt herself bump into someone. Gosh, she was being really careless today. Was she really so out of it that she didn't see the guy?

"I'm sor-"

Her words caught in her mouth. Her first instinct was to bolt, but the man had gripped her hand before she'd realized it. This guy.. he was dangerous.

"Teruhashi-san." He didn't say it like a question, like one would when unexpectedly running into someone you knew on the street. His eyes scanned her over, one brow raised curiously.

"Quite a get up. You really gave him the slip."

The scar running along his chin, cutting through his graying beard, looked that much more prominent with him looming over her. He was easily a head taller than her. Almost as tall as Nendou.

"K-Kenzo-san?" That was what Saiko had called him, if she remembered correctly.

The man cocked his head slightly, before a small smirk played on his lips. "Fujita Kenjo," he made a mock bow. "At your service."

Kokomi returned the bow, awkwardly as it was with one hand in his grip, and the other holding a shopping bag. There was the option of quickly shirking off her head wear and pulling an Angel Flare to get some attention from the people nearby, but unless she could somehow get him to let go, it wouldn't do her any good.

"Ne, ojou-san." He said, somehow completely unfazed by the looks he was garnering from passersby. "Do you have any idea what the Saiko family's collective net worth is?"

A bit confused at the sudden question, she could only shake her head. "N-no."

His smile grew even wider.

"Do you want to guess?" She again shook her head.

"Boring girl," he chided. "But I suppose it doesn't matter." Slowly, almost cautiously, he brought his other hand to cradle her face.

"What a face." He slowly shook his head. "What a face."

Externally, Kokomi kept up her distressed facade. Internally, she was half-alarmed, half-indignant. She was Teruhashi Kokomi for God's sake. Who the hell did this old man think he was touching her face all casually?

A part of her seethed. But the more analytical part of her was pulling a blank on how to get away. Her best card would be to cry for help. Adding an Angel Flare on top of that, maybe even a Super Angel Flare if she got some time to charge, she should be able to draw enough attention to turn the tides, but she had the distinct feeling that it could go really, really bad. In particular, she thought she might have seen what looked like a gun holster around his belt. It hadn't been there when he had his jacket off at the mall.

Who was this guy?

As her thoughts were running rampant, he continued to admire her face. "I can see now why Metori wouldn't bite, no matter how many pretty girls we introduced as potential marriage partners. Why would he? This face, this face could turn the world upside down if you knew how to use it. How on earth do you keep under everyone's nose with a face like that?" He sounded genuinely puzzled. "One viral photo, and you'd have every idol agency in the country coming in after you." He shook his head. "Well, not that it really matters to me at the end of the day." Letting go of her face, he reached for his phone, presumably messaging the driver of the BMW.

"Join me for some dinner?" He worded it like a offer, but his tone conveyed it as anything but. "We're going to have a talk."

Kokomi amped up the distress in her expression, some of it genuine. This guy... he knew her name. It wouldn't be too hard to get her house address if he was connected to someone like Saiko.

If she got Saiko's help... No. If she couldn't figure out a solution not involving him, she'd end up relying on him permanently.

Too awkward a prospect to be tenable. But at this point, did she even have a choice?

It was part act, part genuine trepidation, but her feet dragged as he tried to tug her along. His grip was rough and callous. Her wrist might end up sore if she kept resisting.

She wasn't sure why, but a part of her went to a certain pink-haired boy. It was a completely nonsensical thought, but she couldn't help the thought as it bubbled into her.

Saiki... Help.

Of course, it was a futile thought, as she felt herself pulled along. Wincing, she let go of her shopping bag, trying to use both hands to do something, when-

CRRREaaaaaasssHHHH!

Both heads simultaneously turned to catch sight of a familiar black sedan sunk half-way into the body of a telephone pole on the other side of the road. Kokomi wasn't quite sure what happened the very next second. One moment, she had his hand around her wrist, the other moment, she had her back pressed against something cool, her eyes seeing dark, and her heart beating in her chest. Someone had a hand on her wrist, but it was a much gentler touch.

No way...

Utter disbelief on her face, she slowly turned to look over, to see Saiki Kusuo sitting right next to her. In his other hand was her shopping bag.

The boy had his eyes looking forward, but gave her a side glance. She wasn't sure why, but it made her cheeks feel all warm.

"S-"

He frowned, making a Keep quiet gesture. For some reason he then closed his eyes, letting go of her wrist. For a second, Kokomi had the mind to just stare at him, taking in his features, but she quickly shook the thought away. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that the two were sitting behind a dumpster, facing into a dark alleyway.

Her sunglasses weren't on her anymore, presumably dropped somewhere as the boy had pulled her along.

She could hear a crowd buzzing in the distance, presumably gathering around the crash. It sounded farther than she'd have guessed though.

It was as if the two had covered over twenty meters in the span of a blink...

She presumed Saiki was waiting for the man to go attend to the crash site and give up looking for her.

It seemed like it might take a while. Idly, her head turned upwards. It was darker here, but the city light still drowned out most of the stars. A bit of a shame.

"Ne, Saiki-kun," she found herself whispering, eyes glued to the dark where the sky would be.

"How..." She trailed off.

She didn't know how he did it. She didn't know how he knew she was in trouble. But it was enough that he was here right now.

You... You really are watching over me, aren't you, Kusuo?

Opening his eyes, the boy made a distinct expression that she almost read as a no, but of course that made no sense. It wasn't as if he could read minds or anything. The two stayed there, more or less motionless, save for Saiki handing her her shopping bag. As she took it, she found herself watching the boy's face. He'd changed out of his school clothes, wearing a patterned black and green shirt, with khaki pants. A lightweight scarf was loosely draped around his neck. A bit dorky, but it suited him just fine.

Cute, a part of her thought, though the boy seemed to frown suddenly for some reason as she did.

The two sat in silence for a few more moments when.

'He's gone.'

She jumped a little at the suddenness of it, especially considering he'd just sat there the whole time, not doing anything. But she supposed he probably had some basis for saying it. The hub-hub had faded, with the streets outside returning to normal.

Kokomi watched Kusuo get up. For a moment she wondered if he'd lend her a hand to stand up, but mentally shook her head. Of course not. Getting up, she took stock of herself. Her wig was slipping off her face, and she'd lost her beret. Her new dress had gotten dirty too.

A shame, but if that was the cost of getting to have a nice moment with Saiki, she'd take it.

Taking a second to dust herself off, she took off her wig and stuffed it into the bag. Taking a second to fix her hair, she looked over to see Saiki looking over to the road side, a thoughtful expression on his face. For a second she wondered if he'd offer to walk her, but she dismissed the idea as soon as it popped into her mind. Of course not. Saiki Kusuo wasn't the sort to do that.

'Do you know the way through here?' He said, pointing further into the alleyway. 'It'll take you next to the river if you head straight, then turn left where it forks."

Was it bad to take the road?

She didn't know the way, if she was being honest. But she was generally pretty good with directions. But then again, she wasn't sure how she felt about walking into a dark alley-way on her own. She did have her phone, and there were a few lights from the adjacent buildings further up, but...

"Is... the road side no good?" The boy said nothing, but had a complicated expression on his face. Was he.. Was he worried for her? It certainly was possible that she might run into him again, if she stepped out carelessly.

Then there was the whole fact that Saiki seemed to understand her whole predicament without her even needing to explain it. How, she didn't know. But she was too tired to care. He was here for her, and that was enough.

Would- Would it not be fine if she could rely on Saiki a little bit? Just for tonight?

At the same time, she wasn't sure how she'd go around asking that of him. She mentally shook her head.

"I-I think I got it. Left further up, right?"

He looked at her, a sort of conflicted expression on his face, before sighing.

'I'll walk you.'

Kokomi's heart soared.

It's... weird.

I've walked down this street on the way back home thousands of times, and yet, it feels almost alien to me. The street lamps feel so much... warmer. The stars are out, and a part of me almost wants to think it romantic.

Saiki-kun is keeping a comfortable pace next to me, although he's yet to say anything to me since we left the alleyway.

Honestly, I stopped minding his silence a long time ago.

I used to think Saiki-kun was the type who had difficulty speaking up unless first spoken to but I've learned that that's not quite the case. The boy will speak up if he wants or needs to. Though I do wish he wanted to speak with me more often.

Another street light passes overhead. It's really managed to get pretty late, huh? It's quiet save for the echo of our footsteps and the occasional barking of a dog in the distance. The street home is strangely empty today, but I'm not complaining.

If it meant being able to spend time with Saiki-kun like this, honestly I don't think I'd even mind running into Kenzo-san more often.

As the thought crosses my mind, I notice Saiki-kun bring up a hand to the bridge of his nose.

He does tend to make that expression from time to time. I wonder if his glasses tend to get uncomfortable after wearing them all day?

I'm tempted to just look at him, but I've the mind to keep my eyes on the road. I don't want to get caught staring again.

I... I wonder what's going through his mind right now.

Walking me home like this.

Just the two of us.

I want to think there's at least some part of him that finds the prospect exciting, but... I wouldn't bet on it. Saiki-kun is Saiki-kun, after all.

The rest of our walk passes by in a flash, with not a word spoken between us. Time really does pass quickly when you're enjoying yourself, huh?

As the front gate of my home arrives closer, a part of me feels disappointed at our walk is coming to a close already. As we halt in front of the gate, I turn around to thank Saiki-kun again when I notice he's already making to leave.

"W-wait..." The slight desperation in my voice catches me by surprise, but the message gets through as the boy halts. He turns his face only slightly towards me but he's ears.

"Uhh.." I say most articulately. Jeez... Why is this so hard? I can normally talk circles around everyone I meet. Why is Saiki-kun only so different?

"T-Thank you. F-For showing up when you did. I wasn't sure what I would do for a moment. And you even walked me home. "

I can already anticipate his response.

"I-It's not nothing." I insist. "I'm... I'm actually good at avoiding troublesome people most of the time." I can't help a small chuckle. "It's almost become a craft."

I don't know why, but I can't seem to take my eyes off the floor.

"Today though... I-it was a little scary," I admit. I'm a bit surprised at my own honesty as I say those words. Acting weak and scared has always been a textbook way to get guys to do things for me, but its rare that I actually do feel nervous like I did today.

As I'm talking, Saiki-kun slowly turns to face me fully. It feels good to have his full attention like that.

"So.. So, I-I just wanted to say. Thank you. I'm glad you were there for me."

For all his indifference, his blank, annoyed stares, and seeming lack of interest in people, Saiki-kun really is watching over everyone in his own way, isn't he?

He regards me for a moment, and for a moment I think he's going to sigh.. when.

'You're.. welcome then. I guess...'

His face is blank as ever. But...

I can't help the surprise on my own face. Despite myself, I can feel my cheeks flush. Despite myself, I can't help the enormous smile that brings to my face.

G-Get yourself under control, girl.

Willing myself back under control, I remind myself of what I needed to do. Before he can turn and make a motion to leave. This was my chance. Maybe my only chance. To invite him out for Christmas.

"S-Saiki-kun... I-I've been meaning to tell you-"

My mind flashes to this morning. The anticipation, and just a bit of anxiety as I headed to school.

My mind flashes to this afternoon. Chasing him down the hallway. Seeing Aiura-san holding onto him...

I know I had the perfect pitch prepared somewhere in my head, but my mind's drawing a blank.

What was I supposed to say to him?

"T-the t-thing is..."

"It doesn't have to be today..."

"Keep dilly-dallying and someone else will confess to him before you know it."

"I don't want to confess... But I don't want to regret not confessing even more..."

"I like you, Teruhashi Kokomi. Go out with me."

"Coward."

"I-I like you, Saiki-kun!"

...

I felt my eyes clamp. My chest heaved-

Wait...

Wait.

Wait. waIT, WAIT!

I didn't-

Oh my god. OH MY GOD.

I could feel the heat rising to my face. That wasn't what I had meant to say! That wasn't what I had meant to say at all!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I had only meant to ask him out for Christmas! What was I doing?! What on earth was I doing?!

My cheeks were burning up.

Embarrassing!

It was so embarrassing!

I could have sworn I would be reeling all night.

...In hindsight, that would have been better.

I'd always wondered... What face Saiki would make when he inevitably confessed.

It was a sort of weird, intrusive thought that came from time to time, and each time, it always played out as one grand spectacle or the other in my head. Fireworks off in the distance. A grand orchestra playing in the background for some reason. I liked to wonder what his face would look like. Would he look embarrassed? Would he look serious? I liked to imagine a light tint of his cheeks, a hesitant smile on his face. He'd have gone out of his way to dress just for the occasion, and have the most passionate, creative lines thought up. It'd be so embarrassing for him, stepping so out of character, but it would mean just that much more, coming from someone like him.

And I'd...

Saiki... He looked caught off-guard, for a moment. Who could blame him? I was the one confessing and it still caught me off-guard. But then his expression changed.

And it poured over me like cold water.

The anxiety, the embarrassment. All the weird ideas floating around in my head. It just- It all felt so stupid.

He had that look.

That light pinch of his eyebrows.

Thinned lips.

Saiki was never the easiest boy to read, but I liked to think that I'd gotten at least somewhat more proficient in making out his expressions.

Looking back, I have to wonder if it'd have made the words that came out next any easier to swallow if I hadn't been able to read his expressions at all.

And, yet, even then, there was still that small part of me that was holding out hope, telling me that I must be imagining things. That there was no way it could turn out like this. That any moment, his eyes would light up, and h'd break out into a giant smile, and-

And-

"I'm sorry..."

I heard my heart stop.

"But I can't return your feelings."