He Was a Friend

/33/ She is cherished. /

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Louise thanked the server who gave them their orders.

They are currently inside the Gundam Cafe, and she ordered the Hyaku Shiki Omurice, which was a demi-glazed rice with egg and beef stew. He, on the other hand, ordered Char's Zaku Curry, a three-times spicier than normal curry rice.

"Sooo... Going back," she started, as she snapped her chopsticks into two and looked at him hesitantly before continuing. "You were saying that you've been thinking these past days."

Snapping his own chopsticks, he then went on his disrupted story-telling.

"Yup. So... I was... confirming my feelings. I mean, actually, they were always there since a long time ago. I just... mistakenly thought that I was just being protective."

He looked at her to check how she's reacting to what he was saying. At that moment, she was separating the grean peas on her omurice, listening to him – yet trying her utmost to avoid his gaze.

This is so nerve-wracking. I feel a lot more nervous now than yesterday, when I was presenting to hundreds of people, he complained, while combing his hair backwards in an attempt to relax his nerves. His eyes kept on watching her every move every time he says something.

"You've been complaining about it since long back, like how conservative I am when it comes to you. Saying I act more like your father than your bestfriend. And I've always brushed that off by telling you to get a boyfriend so that I don't have to do that. But honestly, I can't imagine," he hissed, then  cleared his throat. "I can't imagine you having one. No, it's not like I can't imagine it. But I don't imagine it. I can't accept it happening, actually," his expression is uncontrollably getting dimmer and dimmer as he consider the possibility of what he just said.

At this point, his gaze met with hers, because needless to say, she felt his darkening mood from his tone — which she has always been attentive on. He heaved a long sigh to reset his emotions, seeing how even his voice is getting sharper as he explain.

Whew. Calm down, Eric. You got this. He tapped his fingers on the table, to ease a bit of the tensed atmosphere.

"Even during college days, I didn't tell you but I got upset when you went to a different university than me," he confessed. "We've been in the same school until then. Somehow, the idea of me, not having my usual right to be next to you all the time, just..." he drifted, trying to find the correct term that best fits his emotions then.

"Just scared the s*** out of me," he continued hastily, with a hint of frustration.

She looked so embarassed on what he was saying that time, that she finally stopped eating and just continuously stirred her Last Shooting Parfait, a colorful parfait that she additionally ordered. She is wary enough to keep looking back at his direction, but always immediately looks somewhere else when his eyes met with hers.

He can't help but notice how red her ears are. He chuckled after noticing that, and somehow, felt his mood lifted a bit higher.

"I thought it was a given that I'm always the closest to you. I forgot that... that right can be taken away from me anytime, by a higher level of existence called boyfriend. I stupidly forgot, that I was not a boyfriend. I mean... it was just so natural that I'm with you and you're with me, that I missed that crucial point."

For such a long time now, too.

He was feeling more and more anxious as time goes by so his restless hands just involuntarily opened the paper bag beside him and took out the RX-78-2 limited edition Gundam mug that he bought just before they ordered. Those merchandises were at the cafe's storefront, near the food counter.

"I didn't have a label. I only have a bestfriend label, which has a limit," he grimaced, dissatisfaction all over his face. "I didn't like that limit at all. I selfishly want to be the first person to know everything about you. The first, and only person, to be specific."

He crossed his arms on top of the table, and rested his chin on it, as he continued to explain, while switching his gaze to her and the Gundam mug beside his face. His gaze laid upon her left hand just in front of his eyes, also resting on top of the table. He got her hand in between his arms, and rested on it.

She flinched as he did, yet she didn't really tell him off.

It's warm. Ah... I should've done all of these sooner.

"And it certainly didn't help that Art was thinking the same thing. He even confessed to you first. And since university days, he's also stuck to you like how I was. It's not like I can't stop that. You guys were in the same course, in the same batch, and now, even own a cafe together. Things have really gotten out of my control. He was really a tough one, and I can't get rid of him like the other guys," he sulked.

She immediately got her hand back, and asked sharply, "What other guys are you talking about?"

He zipped his mouth shut after realizing his mistake.

Oops.