Happily Ever After? [Nagikae AU]

Chapter 13: Like (short chapter)

She was, different now.

It had been a long while since then, it was June.

Miki hadn't been as much of a cinnamon roll like she used to be. Did she grow up that fast?

The mere thought of that made me angry at myself.

"Nagisa, you're kinda making me wait here." Sugino said.

I looked up at him. "Oh, sorry."

He gave me a smile. "It's cool. Now, to Gym."

Kaede then talked my shoulder. "You should really get up already."

We all laughed.

---

"Who do you like?" Sugino asked as all four of us left the grounds.

"Hm, I know for sure you like Kanzaki, Sugino." Karma teased.

His cheeks flushed. "Shut up! We all know you like-"

"Don't you dare say it!"

Sugino laughed. "Anyway, who do you like, Nagisa?"

I immediately thought of Kaede, but no way in hell am I gonna say anything.

"I don't really have a crush on anybody." I glanced at Kaede. "You?"

She looked away with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

"No one in particular. Hehe..."

I shrugged.

We walked silently next to each other. Until Sugino just had to break the silence.

"I think you and Kayano would look cute together. Don't you think so too, Karma?"

"Absolutely. I've thought of actually trying to set them up before. But they never give me the right chance." He said.

"That's sad... for all four of us."

I rolled my eyes. "Please stop."

"Never."

---

"So you've killed people." Miki said as she and I entered the house.

"We've established this, Miki. Yes."

"I wasn't asking. I was gonna ask you something about it."

I looked at her, with sudden intrest. "Never thought you would talk about it."

She ignored my comment. "How was it? Taking someone's life. Was it a rush of excitement, fear, anger, or all of them."

I thought for a minute. How was it for my first kill?

"It was... a rush for sure. Regret and unimaginable fear and guilt right after." I said.

She smiled. "Wow..."

Why is she smiling? You are not supposed to be smiling.

"How's killing now?"

"... You still get a rush but it's not the same as the first time. Nothing is the same as the first time. Except regret. Regret will always come after."

She was till grinning as she stared off. "Regret. That feeling sucks but you get over it."

"This isn't like normal regret this is like No words for it regret."

"So regret stays with you... hey, I have a question." Miki said as she sat closer to me. "If you got a girlfriend, and you REALLY liked her. Would you tell her about this? Would you give her your trust if you liked her so much?"

I sat still for a minute. "I don't know..."

Miki smiled sweetly. "Would you tell Kayano?"

I began to feel myself heat up. "We-well, Miki, she and I aren't that close so I could nev-"

"But you like her, a lot. Don't you?" She said. "Brother, you're not the only one who knows how to read your sibling." She giggled.

I looked away at the floor, still red. "But I never did anything to indicate that I liked her!"

"But you just admitted it." Miki smiled.

...

"Aren't you a clever girl?" I cracked a semi-crocked smile.

---3 days later---

"Ask her out already, Bro?" Miki poked me.

"Wasn't planning to," I grabbed a bag of chips. "Why?"

Her eyebrow twitched a little. "I thought you said you liked her?!"

"Uh-So?! It's my life I don't have to humiliate myself by asking her o-!"

"Nagisa!" A familiar voice called out. "I've been ringing your doorbell for the past 5 minutes."

I froze. "Miki, Answer the door, please."

"Okay."