Surreptitiously In Love

One step late.

この気持ちは何ですか？("Kono kimochi wa nani desuka?") — "What is this feeling?"

"So, what brought you here? It's really nice to see you again!" I grinned at Kanako as she sit across the coffee table. I can't help but take short glances at the door.

What's taking her so long?

Kana laughed as she put her hands in her lap. "I just thought of visiting you. And I'm here to claim my birthday gift, although I'm too advanced." Once again, she propelled a laugh, in which I reciprocated.

"Birthday gift? Seriously?" I shook my head with a smile, "I'll just mail that to you. What kind of gift do you want?" Jokingly, I asked.

Kana looked at the ceiling. "Well, let's see. Some fashionable clothes, how about that?"

"That would cost me a lot!" I laughed and she also did. It's been a while since we talked like this. In banquets, we couldn't talk like this since there's a lot of people, a lot to talk to. Plus, we're both busy in our own trainings.

"Anyway, Aren accompanied you earlier, right? She didn't tell you anything embarrassing, right?"

Kanako laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry, she didn't. But she did ask me some questions though. About the person you like."

I moved backwards upon hearing her answer. "So..?"

"She thought it was me," Kanako chuckled, "Or another skater." Kanako rolled her eyes and sighed. "It seems like you don't trust your personal assistant with your personal things, huh."

"It's not like that." I frowned. "I just.. can't tell her. Yet."

We stopped. Kanako looked at me and rose an eyebrow. I returned the gaze, telling her "What?" through my eyes. She also leaned back and stayed quiet, as if she's trying to read my mind. To cut the momentum, I looked down, coughed, and cleared my throat as I was about to continue, but Kanako had done it first.

There it goes.

"Yuzu, about Aren-chan..." Kana started. I gazed up to her when I heard Aren's name. Which reminds me..

"She's been out for how long. I wonder what happened?" I answered, but Kanako shook her head.

"That's true, but no, not that.." She said. I looked at her and she seems hesitant to resume. "What do you really think of her?"

I was confused. "Think of her?"

"Think of her. Are you sure you only think of her as an assistant? Or perhaps.. something else?"

"Eh?" I squinted my eyes.

Kanako sighed and scratched her head. "You really suck at this, huh.." she muttered, "Okay, how about this. She's a really nice girl, isn't she?"

I blinked. Aren is, she really is. I nodded at Kanako's words to show that I agree to her. "Yes. She works hard for the team. Even though she's only supposed to work for me, she ends up packing Javi and Nam's things too,"

I couldn't help but laugh. "There was this one time when she tried to carry all of our bags, and ended up hurting her shoulders. We had to carry our bags ourselves, and she kept nagging us about it because “it's her job.”"

"And she's really cute, right?" Kana continued, leaning slightly forward.

Once again, I jounced my head. "Mhm! When she laughs, her eyes does this cute thing that makes me smile.."

"And.. her hair."

"Yes, her hair bounces when she runs from Coach's office to the rink. It goes left and right, and it's cute too!"