Trouble with love

Part 12 The water slide

It was the following day, and Nishikata was at the water park, waiting just outside the girls' changing room for Takagi-san to finish changing. 'I can't believe I'm actually here.' He thought to himself. 'If any of my friends found out, I don't know how I would pass this off ... though ... I am actually ... on a date ...' He let out a sigh, and not long after, he heard someone walk up to him and as he looked over, he saw Takagi-san standing there, in her new bathing suit.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting." She said as she smiled. "There was a line in there like you wouldn't believe."

He blushed and quickly turned away. "There was a line in the men's room as well, so I wasn't waiting long."

"That's good to hear, now come on." They began walking towards the main section of the water park, as Nishikata kept staring in any direction where Takagi-san wasn't. "So you are still a little embarrassed."

"I'm not ... that embarrassed." He replied.

"Well whatever the case, if you keep looking away from me, then we might get separated again."

Nishikata's eyes went wide as he remembered the summer festival. "I ... that would be bad."

"So what do you plan to do?"

'What do I do?' He thought to himself. 'I can't just stare at her, I'll look like a creep ... so ... I guess I only have one option.' "Well ... i-if that's the case then ... should we ... hold hands?"

Takagi-san looked at him in complete disbelief. "I didn't expect that from you."

"Well, we're boyfriend and girlfriend, right? It's ... it's not that strange, right?"

"I guess not, if you don't mind people finding out that is." She held out her hand and Nishikata nervously took it. 'He actually asked to hold my hand.' She thought to herself as she began to blush. 'I know it's happened before but ... it always makes me feel so happy.'

They began as Nishikata tried his best to remain calm. 'If any of our friends see us like this, then the cat's out of the bag, and then they'll know that I'm dating her ... not that ... it's going to be a secret forever ... Actually, now I'm curious.' "Hey Takagi?" He began.

"What is it?"

"So ... have you told anyone ... that we're a couple yet?"

She began contemplating for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope, it hasn't really come up yet so ... do you want us to keep it a secret?" She asked as she got closer to him.

"I ... I don't have any desire to keep it a secret or anything, I just ... I was just asking."

"If you say so." She looked around at all of the attractions before setting her eyes on the water slide. "So ... what do you want to go on first?"

"I ... what do you want to do first?"

"Well ... we did say that we would do the water slide together."

"I ..."

"Separately, of course."

Nishikata let out a silent sigh of relief before Takagi-san continued. "I mean ... unless you want to go down together ... do you?"

"Huh? No, I ... I mean ... I ..." 'She did say that we would fall in love ... but we're already together, so what's it really going to do?' "I mean ... I don't know ... didn't we have a contest or something?"

"That is true." She began walking towards the slide as Nishikata followed. "You go down first, and I have to catch you."

"Yeah ... that was it."