One step forward, two steps back

Part 18 Payback

Takagi and Nishikata were on their way back to Takagi's house, with Nishikata feeling more than a little triumphant. 'I've managed the impossible, not only did I manage to get Takagi to blush, but I also managed to confess at the same time. Maybe things are finally turning around.' He glanced over at Takagi, who looked just as happy as he did. 'Sure, it's probably not bothering her, but that doesn't matter, the more important thing is that I actually managed to get together with her.'

"You feeling proud?" Takagi asked.

"Proud?"

"That you managed to tease me, even if only a little."

"Oh, that. Well ... I'm glad that I finally managed it, but the real win was ..." He glanced down at her hand, which was firmly grasped in his. "When you said yes."

"Oh? So if you had to pick between becoming my boyfriend or embarrassing me?"

"I'd definitely pick becoming your boyfriend a hundred times over."

She gave him a somewhat accusatory expression. "Yet you still held off on that to try and get an opportunity to tease me at the same time."

"Well, I figured ... I try to tease you all the time, it would be fitting if I confessed while doing the same. In the end, what really mattered was telling you how I felt, not whether you got embarrassed or not."

She gave him a soft smile. "I know, but since you did tease me, I'm still going to have to get back at you."

Nishikata was filled with a sense of dread. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"Well, if I told you then it would ruin the point, now would it?"

Nishikata sighed and nodded. "You know ... I don't know what you have planned ... but I'm going to say this now, it was still worth it, and nothing you do is going to change my mind."

"I know."

They continued their way to Takagi's house and were standing in front of the door. "So ... until next time?"

"One more thing?" She asked before wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

"Okay." He said as he wrapped his arms around the small of her back.

They slowly pressed their lips together, before Takagi began to put her weight on him more and more, causing him to lean back some. At first, Nishikata didn't think much of it, but before long, she began to squeeze him tighter and tighter as she tried to kiss him more passionately. 'She's being awfully forceful.' Nishikata thought to himself. 'I guess she's really been holding this in a long time.'

He felt Takagi's lips move, as if smirking, and as soon as he heard what sounded like someone clearing their throat, all the color drained from his face. Both he and Takagi slowly opened their eyes, and Nishikata quickly noticed that the front door to Takagi's house was now open, and standing in the doorway was a woman that looked like Takagi, only much older.

Takagi smiled sheepishly as she hid her mouth behind her arms. "H-hi mommy."

'M-mommy?!' Nishikata thought to himself. 'I am so dead.'

"So." The woman began. "I take it that this is Nishikata?"

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Nishikata said as his voice cracked.

They were frozen there for a few seconds before Takagi slowly let go of Nishikata and began moving into her house. "I'll see you around." She said before disappearing into her house, leaving Nishikata alone.

'I'm so dead, I'm so dead, I'm so dead.' He thought to himself as he looked at the woman who didn't look too pleased with him. 'What do I do? I need to say something, I can't keep standing here!' "Um ... hi?"

The woman continued to stare at him intently for a moment before slowly bursting into laughter. "Oh my goodness, you're exactly as she said you would be."

"I am?" Nishikata asked, feeling like he had just fallen for another trick.

"Pretty much." She stopped laughing and took a deep breath. "However." She gave a smile that contradicted an intense menacing aura that she was giving off. "You're going to take care of my daughter and not do anything you might ... regret, right?"

Nishikata nodded nervously. "Right."

"Well, that's good." She slowly closed the door, stopping only to peek out. "It was nice to formally meet you."

She closed the door, leaving a trembling Nishikata. "Oh ... yeah ... that ... was nerve wracking." He placed a hand on his chest and let out a sigh. "And I've really stepped into a whole new world of teasing."

He began walking back to his house as he gazed up at the starry sky. "But man ... it's still worth it."