Trouble with love

Part 14 Clearing the air

The pair had reached the resting area, and Nishikata was picking up the drinks as Takagi-san's words were still echoing through his mind. 'I bet you want to kiss me as well, isn't that why you went down the slide with me?' He shook his head as he inserted money into the vending machine. 'Is it ... really okay for us to kiss? We are only dating temporarily after all.' He glanced back at his girlfriend who was still sitting at a table, waiting for him to return. 'Let's handle this one step at a time, I like her, I already know that, she ... might like me back ... but ... do I want to kiss her?' He began to blush as the thought of his lips pressed against hers raced through his mind. 'I bet that would be nice ... kissing her ...' He shook his head and punched in the two drinks before returning to Takagi-san and handing her one. "H-here, like you requested."

"Thanks." She said with a smile as she took it from him. "So, are you still tired?"

"Huh?"

"From going all out during volleyball." She opened her juice and took a sip.

"No, I'm feeling better now, I just needed to catch my breath."

"That's good." She took another sip and looked down at the can. "So, what do you want to do next?"

"I ... anything is fine."

She looked up at him and gave him a flirtatious smile. "You want to go down that slide again?"

Nishikata froze and stared at his still unopened juice. "You ... want to go on that ... again?"

"Yeah, it was fun going down together once, I figured we could try it again." She looked down for a moment before looking back up at him. "How do you think it works anyway?"

"The slide?"

"Yeah, the falling in love part."

Nishikata blushed and looked away. "Well, it's only a rumor, but ... it makes people ... fall in love?"

"True, but last year, Mano wanted to go down with Nakai, who she was already dating, so do you think it makes people fall more in love?"

Nihikata felt his insides begin to squirm as he adjusted himself in his set. "I-I ... I don't ... I mean ... maybe, if it's true, that is." He opened his juice and began sipping it.

"Right, but ... when you think about it ..." She gave him a sheepish smile. "How many times do you think we would need to go down before becoming all lovey dovey."

Nishikata nearly choked as he tried to remain calm. "Wha- how ... we ... I ..." He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "What do you mean by 'lovey dovey'?"

"I mean holding hands, snuggling every time we sit down together, holding each other closely." She gave him a sly smile. "Kissing every time we're together."

Nishikata felt like his insides had turned to jelly as the redness in his face intensified. "Well ... I ..."

"Maybe we would have to go down five times before we hit that point."

Nishikata looked away.

"No, that would be too much ... maybe ... four times?"

Nishikata still didn't reply.

"Perhaps ... only three? Or two?"

She began leaning closer and Nishikata glanced back at her. "Or just maybe ... we would only need to go down once before we reach that point."

"Yeah, well, maybe we wouldn't need to go down at all!" There was an awkward silence as Takagi-san just stared at him surprised.

'Did he just ...' She smiled. "That ... almost sounded like a confession."

"Huh?!" Nishikata exclaimed. "But ... I ..." He turned his head slightly to the side. "Well, we are ... a couple ... so ..."

"But do you want us to be all lovey dovey?"

Nishikata tightly closed his eyes. 'I ... I ... kinda ... but ...' "I ... I mean ... we are a couple ... so-"

"Stop." She interrupted. "Stop saying that you're doing something just because we're a couple. Us being a couple means that we can be closer, not that we have to."

"But then ... what was the point of making me go through with it then?"

"You should know the answer to that, it gives us an excuse to do things couples would do. That means we won't do anything you're not okay with."

"Well ... you could have said that earlier."

She gave a guilty smile. "Well, I kinda figured it was obvious, but I kinda get that it could have been misinterpreted. But in all honesty, have we done something you're not okay with yet?"

Nishikata tried to open his mouth to say yes, to say that he wasn't okay with a bunch of things that they've been doing, but his voice box wouldn't let him. 'I guess ... it's technically a lie anyway ... we haven't done a single thing I wasn't okay with ... but there's no denying it now, she definitely knows that I love her ... I mean I already knew that ... but now there's no arguing it ... I need an excuse.' "Well, like I said, you might tease me, and it annoys me to no end, but ... you're still the cutest girl in school ... and it's ... enjoyable ... being with you."

"Do you want us to stay a couple then?"

Nishikata blushed as he shut his eyes tightly.

"You don't have to answer that, I got my point across."

"Which is?"

"No more using 'because we're a couple' as an excuse to do something together, we only do something because we both want to, understand?"

Nishikata reluctantly nodded. "Yeah ... I got it."

"Good, now, back to my question."

"Question?"

"Yeah, do you want us to go down that slide until we're lovey dovey?"

Nishikata blushed as he tried to respond. "I ... it's just ... the thought of it makes me unbelievable nervous."

"That's okay." She stood up and took his hand. "Now let's go, there are still a bunch of slides we haven't gone on."