the girl in the corner.

episode 15: night out.

it had been about three days since that one night where i revealed my insecurities to riki. since then, i noticed he'd been sweeter and more attentive towards me, and that also angered momoko severely, but i digress.

today at school, riki purposely ignored momoko's existence, and she soon caught on and avoided him. i saw her glance at me during fifth period, and she looked so upset i couldn't help a smile. i thankfully concealed it from her.

riki and i agreed to go somewhere after school. during the one month that we'd been friends, we would always take late night strolls in the park or walk together around the neighborhood, so he invited me out, suspecting that i was getting bored with our old amusements. truth was, i never got bored of these things as long as it's with him.

it was almost eight at night, and i was getting ready to meet riki at our agreed time. my twin sister, sayaka, walked into our shared bedroom as i was using her makeup, and i quickly dropped the eyeliner i was holding upon her entrance. her eyes were on me as she stood at the doorway with her phone in her hand. she eyed me up and down and asked where i was going, dressed up like that, and with who.

sayaka and i were never on bad terms, it was more like we grew distant as we discovered our personalities growing up. we would still spend some time as sisters and share our stuff, but i still felt inferior around her.

i told sayaka that i was going out with riki—she was the only one who knew of my friendship with him, and she was the only one who knew i liked him. we would still share secrets, we have no one but each other, after all. she smiled cheekily as she hurled herself on her bed at one side of the room, and asked me questions about him, ones she never got to ask, i believe. i answered her patiently and thanked her for letting me use her makeup, and she only grinned and told me to "get the guy." i blushed at that and grabbed my handbag, walking out of the room.

our parents weren't at home then, so i told sayaka to tell them where i was when they came. i made sure she locked the door securely after me and went on my way to the park, where riki and i agreed to meet.

as i neared the gate, i saw him standing there using his phone. i realized that night that i'd never seen him in anything other than hoodies and baggy clothes or the school uniform, so he looked exceptionally good in these different clothes. i called his name to catch his attention and he lifted his head. his eyes briefly roamed over me as a smile slowly grew on his lips, and he trotted up to me.

"you look pretty today." was the first thing he told me. truthfully, he'd been telling me that every day since that night by the lake, and it always manages to bring a smile to my face. i quietly thanked him and returned the compliment.

he had one hand in his pocket while the other was on my shoulder, holding me to him in a firm hold, as if i'd get snatched from him. i tentatively reached my hand to his, and upon feeling my fingertips brush over the back of his hand, he slipped it off my shoulder and held my other hand. he's been doing this whenever our hands touch, it certainly made my heart flutter.

we'd spent about two hours going to a number of local shops and a couple cafes around the district. riki had bought me a bunch of accessories and other stuff, no matter how many times i told him i can pay for them. he also insisted we buy matching things; he found two pairs of matching rings and bracelets, and some phone cases too. we'd bought them and wore the accessories as soon as we paid for them.

at the end of it, we were taking our usual stroll around the park. we passed by the lake, and i glanced at it repeatedly. he seemed to notice me eyeing it, so he took my hand in his and squeezed it in a reassuring manner.

"suzuki, no matter what, you're always beautiful to me, alright?" he whispered into my ear. his deep voice made me shudder despite myself, and i could only nod and squeeze his hand.

he ended up walking me home. i didn't have the replica of our apartment's key with me, so i rang the bell for sayaka or one of our parents to open the door for me. i told him to go back to his own house now, but he told me he won't go until he was sure i was home. i told him i'm literally standing in front of its door but he only shrugged and gave me a bewitching smile. i sucked on the inside of my cheek as the door flew open and revealed my twin sister.

she glanced between me and riki as the taller boy gave her a polite wave, and she returned it as well. i quietly introduced the two to each other before bidding riki farewell and stepping inside the apartment. sayaka quickly locked the door after myself and asked me in an excited whisper what we'd done. she ended up getting most of the night's events out of me.

as i lay in bed, a few minutes till midnight with my phone in my hand, i kept reviewing the photos and videos we took tonight, and a smile inevitably found its way on my lips. tonight was fun, and i'd never had such fun on a night out. of course, it's not like i never went out with someone, my family always has plans on weekends, but tonight was exceptionally fun.

i slid my thumb over one of the matching rings we'd bought that i wore on my index finger with a smile. tonight, i only fell for him harder.