wingman | Cell Phone Novel

library boy

⌠ 1 ⌡

"Hey, Sakai."

Her voice cuts through my thoughts.

"You're that guy from the library, right?"

I finally look up.

She's peering into my eyes.

Or has she been staring this entire time?

"You... recognize me?" I say.

"Of course I do."

"Shocking. People usually forget me."

"Guess I'm not most people then."

Her small grin is infectious.

⌠ 2 ⌡

"You know," she says, fixing her skirt. 

"I've been waiting for you to say something."

"Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a while."

"Is that how you usually are on a date? That's no good."

"You consider this a date?"

"What else would it be? Look at those two up there."

I look ahead of us to where she's pointing.

That guy. 

Already, his arm around Sugawa.

"Even though I'm only here because Eri said she was nervous..."

Akiyama grumbles.

"So, we were both forced to show up."

"Pretty much." 

"But..." She leans closer to me. "I'm glad I came anyway."

She smells faintly of strawberries. 

My pulse quickens.

"Why say that?"

"Hmm," she says and steps away.

"You really can't take a hint, can you?"

She walks ahead until I'm in her shadow.

"You just caught me off guard, okay?" I speed up to match her pace.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You'll do better?"

"Promise."

"Fine, I'll let it slide just this once." 

She laughs and turns around.

Her brown eyes find mine.

The deep sunset

tracing her profile.

"Sakai-kun, you know? I've been dying to talk to you."

"Um..."

"It's just- your books looked really interesting."

"Trust me, they're boring."

"No really. I even tried to sneak peeks when you weren't looking." 

"Why didn't you just ask me about them?"

She blinks. "Wow. I guess I never thought of that."

Maybe...

Those dreary afternoons

together

were almost like a 

peaceful dream.

A pocket of the world,

hidden from everything else.

We didn't want to change it.

⌠ 3 ⌡

I smile and shake my head. 

"Well, I can't blame you. I was curious about your books too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They always looked... I don't know. Weird, maybe?"

"Eh? What was that?"

"N-nothing."

"Right. Must've been the wind."

She cups her ears, pretending to think hard.

"Thanks for your forgiveness," I tell her. "Ohime-sama."

The awkwardness had

already faded,

and our laughter carries through the spring air.

We'd fallen behind the other two, but I didn't notice at all.

It was the first time

I wanted the moment to last.

Or maybe that was just my delusion.

The sunset spreads like a fire in the sky.

No rainclouds on the horizon.

And we are walking,

side by side

rain girl
and
library boy.