"Damn it! I can't think anything at all!"
Clutching my hair with my own two hands, I wailed inside my room.
It had been quite some time that we had been dating but it was still a secret. We had decided to keep our relationship a secret from others. It was something that I insisted and he agreed on.
But I don't wanna keep this relationship a secret any longer.
The first reason was, that I wanted to go out with him in broad daylight and enjoy my time with my boyfriend however I wanted.
And the second was that I wanted to ward off those girls, especially Ichinose-san and Shiina-san. I have seen the two of them tryin' to get all close to him and I felt jealous. I wanted to keep him all for myself and that was why I had decided to make our relationship public.
I told about that to Kiyotaka and he agreed immediately.
Since I was the one who had wanted to keep our relationship a secret from the others, I had told him that I would try to think about how exactly to make our relationship public.
I wasn't getting anywhere with that, resulting in my current situation.
How should I make my relationship public without garnering much attention from others?
We couldn't suddenly go like; "Oh, sorry for not telling you. But we have been dating all this while!"
That was a no go.
I had tried of thinking many ways but none managed to convince me.
I looked at the clock and it was already time for school.
I hurriedly got ready for the school and left the dorms.
"Happy Birthday, Karuizawa-san!"
The moment I reached the classroom, my friends bombarded me with birthday wishes.
Today was March 8, which meant, my birthday.
Although I had some things going on in my head, I couldn't possibly let it show on my face.
Because for me it meant showing my weaknesses to them, which I couldn't afford as the leader of the girls in the class.
Everyone in the class wished me, including Hirata.
"Happy Birthday, Kei."
"T-Thank you!"
My voice was clumsily high, although I didn't intend to.
Of course, I would be surprised if he pops out of nowhere and talks to me like that.
Those who had wished me slowly went to their seats but for some reason Kiyotaka stood before me, completely unmoving.
What? Does he have something else to say?
He was looking at me and I felt as if he had made his mind for something.
Wait. Could he be planning to give me a gift in front of the whole class?!
Okay. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
I definitely was looking forward to getting a gift from him but not in front of all these people.
No way. I haven't prepared mentally for it.
I remembered the gift that he had given me the last time.
What if he gives me something like that?
But it took but a moment to prove that what I was thinking was all but wrong.
What he said next was something that I could have never ever imagined.
"I love you, Kei."
I love you, Kei.
I love you, Kei.
I love you, Kei.
His words echoed on my mind and it gave me a weird sense of déjà vu.
""Huh?!""
The whole class, including me, erupted all at once.
Everyone was shaken and I, was shaken to the very core.
What? Did he just propose to me in front of the whole class?
"A-Ah, Karuizawa-san!"
As I was just about to stumble, one of the girls from my class caught me.
After getting her help, I slowly managed to somehow stand firm on the ground.
I was feeling unusually hot and I knew that my face was beet red.
My head was spinning round and round trying to figure out what was happening right in front of me.
Without giving a care to my state, Kiyotaka spoke again.
"I don't want an answer from you right now. You could take your time. I would accept whatever answer that you give me afterwards."
Saying that he walked to his seat and sat down as if nothing had ever happened.
Immediately afterwards he was surrounded by Keisei and his other friends.
And as for me, I was surrounded by almost every girl in the class, except a few.
Slowly approaching me from her seat, Satou-san gave me a wry smile.
Afterwards, I was bombarded by questions all day long and didn't manage to talk to him at all.
When I finally managed to get in touch with him, it was already 9 pm, and we were inside Kiyotaka's room.
"What the hell were you thinking, Kiyotaka?!"
The moment I reached the living room, I asked him with a loud voice.
"What was going through that head of yours that led you to this?! Do you even know what have you done?!"
No, he probably didn't know.
He might have been thinking that it would be easy for him if it gets over quickly so he could focus on other stuff. As business-like as usual.
"I know what I have done and what effects it would have. That was precisely why I proposed to you in front of everyone."
"What do you mean?"
"Kei, it has been almost a month since you have said that you would think of a way to make our relationship public but you haven't been able to, right?"
That was true. I had tried thinking but no matter what I couldn't come up with something reasonable.
"And because of that you are stressed out. I know you are trying your hardest not to let it show in front of others but you know that you couldn't fool me with that act of yours, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"I mean. You were trying to make our relationship public in such a way, so as to not to feel much suspicious. And because of that, you had been stressed out and that, to be honest, worried me a bit. So, I decided to propose to you in front of all."
Pausing to look at me, he again continued.
"If I were to propose to you in front of all, then you would definitely have to give a response. And given my current standing, it wouldn't be suspicious for you to accept my proposal, not to mention, it has been a long since you had broken up with Yousuke. This way, we could get into a relationship without much loss for you and it would also be easy for us to go public, right?"
I didn't speak and just stared at him.
My feelings were overflowing.
"Woah!"
Without so much as a warning, I ran to him and hugged him with all the force I could muster, resulting in both of us stumbling on his bed, with me on top.
He had been actually worried about me.
He had known that I was feeling a bit under the weather and stressed out so that was why he had decided to propose to me today in front of everyone.
He definitely knew that people would pester him about his actions afterwards but he did it nonetheless. All for my sake.
Nothing could make me happier.
"Kei."
"Hmm?"
Still lying on top of him, listening to his heartbeat, I spoke.
"Here. Happy birthday."
He handed me a silver chain with a completely normal design. It wasn't like the gift he had given me before and it wasn't that girlish in design. Actually, it seemed like it could be worn by both girls and boys alike.
"Hmm?"
There were actually two pairs of the same chain.
Two? For whom is the other one?
Wait, is it for some other women?
I felt like a volcanic eruption was going on within my body and I was almost about to explode, but once again he betrayed all of my expectations.
He slowly wrapped one of the chains around my neck and the other around his.
"Since we would be dating anyway, it wouldn't be weird for us to wear matching chains, right?"
T-That damage is way too high for my heart!
Did he want us to wear matching pairs? He? That love-dead boy that I loved the most?
I couldn't believe it.
But I was also so so happy at the same time. I have never felt this happy ever before. I didn't even know that such happiness even existed.
For a moment, I thanked those who had bullied me.
If not for them I would have never applied for this school and I would have never met him. I think I now knew why people said that whatever happens is all for the good.
I had tried to fight back until now, but no, not more. I was at my limits.
I moved a bit closer and placed my lips atop his. Our lips gingerly acquainted with each other and out of nowhere, Kiyotaka took the lead.
Lascivious sounds filled the room and after some time I withdrew my lips from his.
What the hell?! That was way too passionate!
"What's wrong, Kiyotaka?"
He seemed like he was thinking about something.
"You know, you said to me before that I should try to do 'what feels natural', right?"
Yes. I remember saying that to him so I nodded my head in affirmation.
"I am a bit happy that doing 'what feels natural' is bound to be rather immodest."
"What?!"
My face flushed scarlet. I was trying to say something but Kiyotaka stole my lips with his. After a long kiss, we separated. We both looked at each other and smiled.
"I love you, Kei."
"I love you too, Kiyotaka."
Then, as if, we couldn't help ourselves, we pressed our lips together, again and again.
The bed quaked and then came the sound of rustling clothes.