a/n: happy new year, my loves!! also cackling to myself bc i wrote this months ago and i'm reading this again wtf did i even write ToT
✩ ICE-CREAM STORE ONEESAN 2 ✩
Watanabe Haruto was sure everyone around him was suspecting his frequent visits to the park. Though his sister loved visiting the park, Airi too found the multiple visits suspicious, wondering if her brother actually wanted to take her to the park or had some other motive.
He actually had another motive. And that was none other than getting to know the ice-cream store oneesan better.
Ever since that day, no matter how hard Haruto tried, he couldn't get you off his mind. And unable to come up with another excuse, he merely used his sister to visit the 'ice-cream store oneesan' she liked very much.
He never spoke much, just watching you and his sister play around the park with a love-struck look on his face.
But today was different. Today, Haruto was determined to make a trip to the park alone and hopefully get himself to confess his feelings for you. It was almost six months since he had met you, and he had never been surer of the feelings he had been feeling whenever he thought about you.
At first, he didn't think it was possible, but after being around you, Haruto came to realise that maybe it was possible.
I have fallen for Y/N ... truly, madly, deeply and unexpectedly.
A grin came over his features as he arrived at the park, his feet taking him towards the ice-cream store you worked at like clockwork.
"Welcome to—Haruto!" Your greeting fizzled out, a warm smile on your face as you took off the apron you wore. "I'm just getting off work for the day. Where is Airi?" You scanned his surroundings, brows furrowing as you didn't notice the young female's presence.
"She didn't come today," he announced quickly, seeing the way your eyes widened in fear his sister was lost again. "I just came with a bunch of friends, and I thought I'd drop by after they left," he lied, hoping he didn't sound like a love-struck idiot.
You nodded, secretly not wanting your interaction to end. "Do you want to have some takoyaki? If you have the time, obviously." Your eyes looked at the tall male, watching him intently for an answer.
"That, uh, sounds great ... really. I'd like that."
"Well, let's go."
As a reflex, whenever you played with Airi, you grabbed onto Haruto's hand, pulling him out of the store as you two walked towards the takoyaki stand in the park.
You didn't seem to realise, and Haruto didn't bother pointing it out either, feeling his heart threaten to beat out of his chest as the butterflies erupted in his stomach.
"Which one would you like? Everything tastes amazing here," you spoke, glancing over the menu before turning to Haruto. "I'm getting the original."
"Um, yeah, I'll take the same." Haruto nodded, drifting your gaze to your hands as you wondered why he was staring at them. You apologised, quickly pulling away your hand, not noticing the way his smile faltered for a millisecond. "No, no. It's alright," he assured.
After getting your orders, the two of you sat on a bench overlooking a pond, just enjoying the silence as you munched on your snack.
Few words were exchanged between you two, and Haruto appreciated it, unsure of how he would sound if he were to speak at that moment.
His mind was clouded with the words he was planning to tell you, but the speech seemed to disappear the moment his eyes landed on you, seeing the way the rays of orange-red sunlight fell on your face, completely mesmerized by the visuals.
It's now or never, Watanabe. Just get it done with. If it fails, you just have to give up on coming to the park. That's all to it ... other than a broken heart — but let's just go for it.
He gave himself a pep talk, feeling nervous as he turned towards you, gaining your attention.
"Y/N ..." Haruto trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you something."
You felt your heart race at those simple words, trying to look nonchalant as you looked at him. "Oh? What is it?" You were nervous, wondering if you had done something wrong.
You can stop playing with my sister. I don't want to meet up with you anymore. You expected the worst, feeling the tumbling of your stomach get worse with each passing second. Maybe that's why he came without Airi ... to tell me to stop hanging out with them.
Two nervous hearts sat next to each other; the ringing of their own ears was too loud to hear the hammering heartbeats of the other. If they heard, they'd have known that whatever they felt, the other felt the same about them, too. But Haruto took the lead, confessing the feelings he was sure he had felt when he first saw you.
"Uh, umm ... excuse me for saying this suddenly, Y/N, but I L-O-V-E Y-O-U."