All for Love (Fin)

I

After the fear, next comes the anger, and then the pain.  And it is during the feeling of pain when the tears start to threaten to fall from one’s eyes.  At this time, one doesn’t immediately feel that it is not right to cry, so one just lets himself cry.  It is after this that one feels that tears are not the answer to the fear, anger, and pain.

 “Nani kore…” I hissed as I immediately wiped the tears with my sleeve.  I am late.

 I drew a deep breath, and tried to shift my eyes and my mind from her – and him – her and him kissing in the midst of the crossing.  She had her back to me, as his hands held her small face, and her own probably helpless against his chest.  I can’t move.  I can’t even divert my attention.

 She doesn’t think that I am willing to share her with anyone, right?

 Kuso.  This is all that I’ve been fearing.

+++

“It’s y-yours… if you want it.  I won’t think you want to go out with me.  Promise.”

 She was at the borderline of being comical and cute as she stood there, with a hand reaching out a chocolate box to me.

 “Y-Yuki-chan…”

 I swallowed.  Hers wouldn’t be the first chocolate I received today.  But as I stood there, with the world’s loveliest girl handing me what she claimed was the only chocolate she made, I felt as if hers was the only one who could make me feel… weird.

 Yuki-chan had her eyes closed shut.  I actually felt happy seeing her waiting for me a block away from my house just to give me the chocolate.  W-well… since that night when I accidentally heard her talking to herself about me… I had become… different.

 I drew a deep breath.  I could feel my heart beating furiously against my chest.  This was even harder than those chasing games with the oniis.

 “Thank you.  Please go out with me.”  Finally, I said it.  The things I had been waiting to say.

 She didn’t respond.  She just stood there, with her eyes closed shut, unmoving.  For a while I thought I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

 But after about five seconds that seemed like forever, she opened her eyes and looked up at me.

 “Huh?”

 Oh, God.  Her eyes…

 I held the chocolate box and carefully took it from her.

 “Dou imi…”

 I gulped.  “Please go out with me, Yuki-chan!”