Konata sat in her cluttered room, the glow of her computer screen casting a faint light on her face.
Without giving herself time to overthink, she grabbed her phone and typed a message to Kaiden.
Konata: Hey... can we talk? I really need to see you. Please?
She leaned back in her chair, a sly grin spreading across her lips as she read Kaiden's latest text. It was short and to the point—just like Kaiden when he was upset.
Kaiden: Okay. I'll meet you at the park in 15.
Perfect. He was still willing to talk. Konata had learned early on that as long as she could keep someone talking, she could keep them wrapped around her finger. She tossed her phone onto her bed and gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror. She still looked cute, which was all that really mattered. This would be easy.
She grabbed her jacket, taking a moment to adjust her pigtails, and headed out. Her dad called something after her, but she ignored it, already focused on her plan. She knew exactly what she needed to do to get Kaiden back on her side.
The park was empty when she arrived, except for one boy sitting under a tree, munching on an apple. He had a mop of brown hair and bright green eyes that practically glowed in the late afternoon sun. She recognized him immediately—Apple Boy. Everyone called him Apple Boy because he was always eating apples. He was kind of goofy , in a scrappy sort of way, and he always seemed to be around.
Apple Boy looked up as she approached and grinned. "Hey, Konata! What's up?"
"Not now, Apple Boy," Konata said dismissively, waving him off. "I'm waiting for someone."
Apple Boy raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Trouble in paradise?"
Konata shot him a look but didn't answer. She wasn't here to waste time with him. Just as she was about to tell him to buzz off, she spotted Kaiden walking up the path, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Showtime," she muttered under her breath, putting on her best sad-but-sweet expression.
Kaiden stopped a few feet away from her, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. "You wanted to talk?"
Konata nodded, making her eyes look as big and innocent as possible. "Yeah, Kaiden. I just... I really needed to see you. I feel terrible about everything."
Kaiden's expression didn't change. "You mean about kissing Joe Ninja in my bedroom or about dating Matt30 right after?"
Konata flinched, but only a little. She had to play this carefully. "Both," she said, her voice soft and remorseful. "I made a mistake, okay? I got caught up in the moment, and I wasn't thinking. I've been feeling so confused lately... about my feelings, about everything. I guess I was just looking for something... I don't know... exciting?"
Kaiden narrowed his eyes. "And kissing Joe was exciting?"
Konata shrugged, "I don't know. I was trying to figure things out. I thought maybe if I did something different, I'd know what I really wanted. But I was wrong. I'm sorry, Kaiden. I never wanted to hurt you."
Kaiden looked at her, his expression softening just a little. Konata could see the crack in his armor. Good. She needed to widen that crack, get him to open up. She took a step closer, reaching out to touch his arm. "Can't we just... start over? Pretend none of this ever happened?"
Kaiden hesitated, and for a moment, Konata thought she had him. But then he shook his head, pulling away. "I don't know, Konata. I don't think it's that easy. You can't just play with people's feelings like that."
Konata's smile faltered for a split second before she regained her composure. She needed to switch tactics. Time to go for the guilt trip. "So, what?" she said, her voice suddenly sharper. "You're just going to give up on us because I made one mistake? I thought you cared about me, Kaiden."
Kaiden's face twisted in confusion. "I do care, Konata. That's why this hurts so much. You didn't just make one mistake. You played games with me."
Konata sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on, Kaiden. Don't be so dramatic. It's not like I cheated on you or something. We weren't even really dating."
Kaiden's eyes flashed with anger. "We weren't dating? What was all that then? The texts, the hanging out, the... everything?"
Apple Boy, who had been watching the whole thing with mild interest, suddenly piped up. "Sounds like you two need to figure out what you really want. Maybe some honesty would help?"
Konata shot him a glare that could have melted glass. "Nobody asked you, Apple Boy."
Apple Boy just shrugged and took another bite of his apple, unfazed. "Hey, I'm just saying. Maybe you shouldn't mess with people's hearts if you don't know what you're doing."
Konata turned back to Kaiden, her frustration boiling over. This wasn't going the way she had planned. "Look, Kaiden, I'm sorry, okay? I messed up. But I'm trying to fix it. Isn't that worth something?"
Kaiden looked at her, his face softening again. "Maybe," he said quietly. "But I don't think we can just go back to the way things were. I need time to think."
Konata felt a flare of annoyance but kept it hidden behind her innocent facade. "Fine," she said, her voice soft and sweet again. "Take all the time you need. Just... don't forget about me, okay?"
Kaiden nodded, turning to leave. "I won't," he said over his shoulder. "But I need some space right now."
Konata watched him walk away, her expression unreadable. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned back to Apple Boy, who was still munching on his apple and watching her with a curious expression.
"What?" she snapped.
Apple Boy shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips. "Nothing. Just wondering what your next move is. You've got a real knack for keeping things interesting, Konata."
Konata rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Apple Boy. Go eat an apple or something."
Apple Boy laughed. "Already am." He tossed her an apple from his backpack. "Maybe you need one too. Helps with clarity, you know?"
As she walked away, she took a bite of the apple, her mind already spinning with her next plan. Kaiden wasn't going to get away that easily. Not if she had anything to say about it.
NOTE: WHAT THE APLEBOYYYYYYY
