Wingman ⌠Cell Phone Novel⌡

again

⌠ 1 ⌡

I never thought that I'd actually be in this situation.

I had daydreams of it,

running through my mind every day for the first few weeks.

I waited for her to pop out of nowhere, maybe in the hallways,

or lunch, or even the library.

She would walk up to me, a small smile on her face.

A complicated expression- relieved but wary.

I forgive you.

The three words I wanted to hear more than anything.

When had I given up on seeing her?

"Hey, Sakai."

"Yeah?"

"Just talk to her."

"No."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I hear shuffling from across the table.

"Takanashi?"

She gets up with a loud hmph and stomps over to where Yura and Sugawa sit.

⌠ 2 ⌡

Takanashi grabs Yura by the shoulder and turns her around.

"You're that girl that Sakai's been moping over?" She sneers, almost evilly. "What's this? She's not even that pretty."

Now she's smirking at me. "You've got bad taste, don't you?"

I get up quickly to pull Takanashi away. "The hell? Why are you making a scene?"

Yura and Sugawa give us shocked glares while other customers glance over at us in disdain.

"Um... I'm really sorry about this," I say.

Ignoring the stares, I pull Takanashi towards the door.

"Nice going," I hiss, but she just gives me a wild grin.

Before I can drag her out, I hear a voice behind us.

"Kei... Keichi. Wait."

I turn.

Yura.

"I need to talk to you."

⌠ 3 ⌡

Late spring air, mixing with the smell of coffee.

We sit at a table right outside the cafe.

She looks off into the distance.

There's an uneasy feeling churning in my gut.

"Keichi."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"...I should be the one saying that."

"No, I—"

"How is Sugawa doing? Is she fine now?"

She cups her chin in her hands.

"She's... doing better, I suppose."

"I see."

"Eri told me. She said it wasn't your fault."

"..."

"But I couldn't talk to you. Or go to the library."

"...Why?"

"B-because. I needed to know."

Now she looks into my eyes.

Her brown irises look almost crimson in the sunset.

"Were you playing around with me?"

The question lingers in the air like the breeze.

⌠ 4 ⌡

The sound of traffic. 

Fumes. 

Headlights just being switched on.

"Maybe at first. But it became different," I whisper.

"How?"

"Those days. In the library."

"Were you happy?"

"Yeah. Were you?"

She takes a sip of her cold coffee. She doesn't answer.

"Do you like me?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"You're special to me. I know it."

"..."

"But I can't. Not yet."

A group of children run by the cafe, laughing.

"I'm being selfish, I know."

She waves to one of them.

Then, she turns to me and smiles.

"Can you wait for me?"