Hey everyone! Sorry, I took so long. But here we have a bonus chapter I decided to come up, along with an announcement. Since there aren't many major NagiKae moments that had happened in the story, I'll be filling this entire chapter with it ;)
Also, about the announcement, you'll find it at the end part of the chapter.
=================================
The Awaited Day
---
Nagisa's POV
The next day, after I woke up in the morning, I quicken my pace in doing my morning routines, and scour through my wardrobe, looking for something fashionable to wear.
"Oh God oh God oh God oh God! I'm late! I'm so late!" I dash through the hallways, looking for other set of clothes that might suite for today's taste.
"Mom! Where's my polo??" However, I was unable to find it all on my own, so I shouted for Mom's assistance.
"You mean your favorite? It's in the living room." She shouted from across the kitchen.
Meanwhile, I didn't waste any time. I quickly went to the living room and searched for it.
There it is!
Along with a pile of folded fabric, I found my favorite aqua-blue polo that I only use during rare occasions-especially today.
Now that my clothes are set, I checked myself in the mirror dozens of times-fixing my hair and straightening up my face.
While doing so, Mom worriedly approached me.
"What's the rush?"
"Sorry, no time to explain! I'm just very late!"
I pass by her that was standing along the hallway, giving her a quick response as I continue to run by the exit.
But after opening the door, to my surprise, I found Dad with a surprised reaction on his face.
Temporarily switch to Normal POV
"Oh, Nagisa! You're up early." His father spoke to him after a split second of confusion.
"Early?! Can't you see I'm in a hurry??" Nagisa exclaimed as he constantly jogged right in front of his dad but remained at the same spot.
"Oh, um, off you go then!"
After moving aside from blocking his path, Nagisa quickly ran outside, leaving both of his parents in a daze.
His father remained outside the apartment and glanced towards his wife that was also looking at him with the same expression.
"Is it a girl?" His father hypothetically asked.
But Hiromi only shrugged her shoulders while carrying a plate and a tablecloth with her other hand.
———————————————————
Switch to Kayano's POV
Hmmm... I hope I did my hairdo pretty well.
I consciously gaze at the reflection of my face while trying to fix my hair by a small public mirror.
If you're wondering, I've already been waiting for 19 minutes in front of a mall, and I just happen to find a mirror at a place like this.
Jeez...maybe I'm overreacting a bit. Okay, Akari! That's enough!
"Hair, check! Makeup, check! Cute dress, hmm...check! Awesome, I'm all set!" I corrected myself while doing embarrassing poses, but didn't bother reflecting about it.
With everything all set and ready, now all that's left is to wait for him to arrive.
But to my surprise, the moment I turned around, he was finally caught in view-running towards me like his life depended on it.
"Oh my!"
"I'm...I'm sorry... I took...so long~~~"
He tried to speak out the words, but his heavy panting made it unclear. However, I understood what he muttered.
"It's okay, Nagisa. In fact, I just got here as well!" I tried to sound as cheerful as I can be, hoping that his exhausted state wouldn't figure out my act.
Because...
Well, that whole thing is lie. I've been waiting for you for almost half an hour!
Shame on you, Nagisa! You're a failure as a boyfriend!
...
Just kidding~ ♡
"Anyway, here you go, Nagisa!" Seeing his pitiful state, I handed over a cold plastic bottle of water.
"T-thanks..." Still barely recovering, he takes the bottle from my hand and immediately drinks half of it contains.
After that, he sighed heavily and notices the vacant benches near us.
"I'm going to rest for awhile~" Wiping away his sweat from his forehead, he timidly sits on the bench after giving the bottle back to me.
Meanwhile, receiving the bottle at the same time ignoring his way of wasting a few more minutes, my mind was suddenly invaded by some weird thoughts. Unexpectedly, I found myself staring at the lid-part of the bottle, yet I couldn't look away.
Nagisa...just...
Out of curiosity, I moved the bottle towards my lips in a slow manner while also slowly closing my eyelids.
I couldn't control myself anymore. It's like my arms are moving on its own!
"...chu~"
Then, when the lid-part of the bottle touched my lips, I suddenly feel warm and comfy. The air around me was so tender and warm in just the right amount. My cheeks heaten as I remained my lips at the part where Nagisa just placed his', savoring the few seconds of bliss.
...
...
...
"!!?!"
Wha-what did I just do?! Why did I...?!?
But then, in all of a sudden, a beam of lightning flashed through my spine. At that moment, I eventually realized what I was doing, and quickly took the bottle away from my mouth.
Why am I kissing a plastic bottle?!
"Kayano?"
"HUEEEEEEE!?!"
Uh-oh! I was startled when Nagisa suddenly called my name. Because of that, I accidentally let go of the bottle-throwing it up in the air while losing my balance at the same time.
I was going to fall to the ground, how unfortunate. But as I was, I noticed Nagisa trying to catch me, but he was too slow from being extremely exhausted, so he couldn't.
Things couldn't get much worse.
I fell to the ground, and worst of all, the bottle I accidentally threw above the air pour down the remaining water on me, and the next thing I knew, my dress was drenched.
"KAYANO!!"
———————————————————
Switch to Normal POV
"This is beyond humiliating." Thought Kayano to herself as she locked herself in one of the dressing rooms inside the clothing section of the mall.
She starts to reminisce about the next thing that happened right after the accident.
Flashback..
"This is bad...if I wear these clothes until they dry, I might get a cold." Kayano worriedly said.
"Yeah. It's best if you change." Nagisa replied.
•
•
•
"Well?"
"What?! Are you being serious?! Nagisa, you're a pervert! Asking me to strip right in front of you-"
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!!"
(sigh)
"Alright then, you stay here until I get back." After all that commotion, both of them eventually calmed down to assess the situation.
However, Nagisa's words were a bit confusing, so Kayano decided to ask...
"What are you-"
"I'm going to buy you a new dress." But Nagisa cut her off before she could finish asking.
"That's why, you wait right here."
Kayano was still a little confused about what Nagisa mentioned earlier, but now, she understood.
However...
"W-wait!!"
"Hm? What is it?" Before Nagisa could grab the handle to exit the dressing room, he looked back at Kayano when she stopped him.
"Um...I'm afraid it's not just my clothes that are wet..." Kayano restlessly budges to herself, hoping that Nagisa would understand what she meant.
And he did.
"EEHHHHHH!!?!"
End of Flashback
After everything that happened, Kayano is now hiding in one of the dressing rooms while waiting for Nagisa to bring him a new set of clothes to wear for their date.
But after realizing her situation, she becomes more embarrassed than ever.
"Achoo~" She sneezed.
Of course, the air around her was conditioned; in other words, due to its temperature, her resistance to a cold is even lower.
"Oh no... Maybe I should..." Thinking that it might be the best choice of action, she decided to take off her dress, leaving only her undergarments on her.
But after doing that, a startling knock sounded by the door.
(knock~ knock~) "Kayano? I'm coming in."
"Ah!! W-w-w-wa-"
"Eh...?"
Both eyes met.
However, one was deeply mortified. Her slim but naked figure froze to one place while the other was extremely dumbfounded to what he just saw and was also carrying a plastic bag with everything Kayano needed inside.
Time left a few second-gap for the two to stare at each other. But the situation isn't supposed to be normal for the two of them.
Then finally, when Nagisa realized everything, he initiated the move. He awkwardly gave the dress to Kayano while remaining silent.
Kayano, albeit being mortified, eventually accepted the dress as Nagisa walks away and slowly closes the door behind him.
...
...
...
"I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!!"
"LYING! YOU'RE LYING!! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY LYING!!!"
———————————————————
Switch to Nagisa's POV
A few minutes earlier...
Easier said than done, picking a dress for a girl is extremely hard! How should I know what she prefers to wear?!
Come on, Nagisa! Think... Think!
As I tried to focus while at the same time glancing around my surroundings, I noticed a one-set sleeveless scarlet dress that seemed to catch my attention.
Thinking that today is summer, maybe it won't hurt for her to wear a skin-revealing dress like this for once.
In fact, as I checked its price, it's actually pretty cheap! The discount's crazy-90% off!
I guess this will do.
I picked up the dress and tried to check its size. Since Kayano's a little bit smaller than me, this dress seems to suit her perfectly!
"Oh, I see you picked today's special offer! Would you like to give it a try?"
While I was busy determining the dress' size, I suddenly heard a voice from my right.
When I looked around, I noticed she was a sales assistant.
But this surprised me even more.
The sales assistant revealed to be...
"Nakamura!?"
"Sup', Nagisa?" She raised her hand as a greeting.
"W-what are you doing here?" I ignorantly asked her.
"What am I doing here? I'm working, of course." She briefly answered.
I see. So she's working here. How come I didn't notice? Maybe I was just being too busy and all.
"Oh, I see..."
"Well? Are you going to try it? Or what?" I was a bit confused where Nakamura was getting at.
But then it hit me. I realized she was trying to mean me wearing a girl's dress.
"W-what?! No, I'm not! I'm just going to buy this for-"
"For Kayano, I get it, I get it."
Huh? How did she-
"How'd you know?" I asked.
"Duhh. I saw the two of you sneaking your way towards the dressing rooms, and I kinda followed to eavesdrop on you." She explained.
You did, what?
"Anyway, I approached you because you might need a little help." She mentions this while making a suspicious smirk but I ignore it.
Astonishing as little as it is, I eventually understood what she meant. After realizing it, I was relieved.
You're a lifesaver, Nakamura-san!
———————————————————
We were now in front of a lingerie shop inside the mall, and I was completely uncomfortobale after seeing things I shouldn't have.
Damn, this couldn't get much worse! It's okay, Nagisa... They aren't worn, so they don't count.
"Alright, let's go."
"Wait!" Before Nakamura could enter the shop, I stopped her.
"I think I'll stay here. I don't really think it's a good idea for a guy to be in a place like that."
"Oh, stop being a wuss and come on!" But she insisted in dragging me along without giving me a chance to resist.
Nakamura gave me a hard time. I struggled across the sea of women undergarments, making possible that I don't stare at them as much as I can.
Even though that I'm already an adult, things like these still bugs me. I mean, it's inappropriate, right? The very thought of being used to these kinds of things is just...disgusting.
But anyway, thankfully we got out there as quick as I expected. Nakamura only asked me the size, and before I knew it, I was finally out from that dangerous territory.
"Here you go, Nagisa." Nakamura hands over the paper bag with the bought lingerie inside.
"Thank you so much, Nakamura. You really saved me." I received it gratefully.
"Don't mention it. Anyway, say hi to Kayano for me." And with that, Nakamura turns to the opposite direction and walks away while raising her right arm as a goodbye.
Meanwhile, after our little reunion, I immediately ran back towards the 'clothes' section, and went back to the dressing rooms, lookimg for Kayano.
Once I arrived, I lift my hand to knock by the door; two paper bags in my other hand.
"Kayano? I'm coming in!"
Without hesitation or a thought to be reluctant, I pushed the door open.
"Eh?"
And that was when it started.
---
Back to the present...
"Will you forgive me already? I-I know! I'll treat you to something!"
Trying to bargain in exchange for forgiveness, I non-stop pestered her for anything I'd do in order for her to stop hating me.
"Please Kayano, I'm really sorry!"
But no matter how I try to apologize, I couldn't get to her. She was grumpily walking along the mall while averting her eyes from me. I could see it on her face that she was still mad at me.
Damn. What am I gonna do?
Huh?
Before I could give up, we passed along a certain corner where an advertiser was handing out free tickets. At first, I thought they were movie tickets so I rushed back to see.
It turns out, it was an entry ticket for the newly opened amusement park nearby.
That's it!
I found a way to clear my name.
After getting two tickets from the kind gentleman, I quickly searched for Kayano and called out her name.
"Kayano!"
Unexpectedly, she turned around to look at me with a dumbfounded face and saw me raising two tickets above my head.
I gestured towards her, hoping that she'll understand where I was trying to get at.
———————————————————
Switch to Normal POV
The quarrel had subsided, but Nagisa was very surprised seeing Kayano all excited.
It was like she forgot what just happened.
But he couldn't help and laugh when Kayano was being restless while the two of them head towards a newly opened amusement park; exiting the mall and walked along the flow of people.
First, they passed the entrance with the tickets Nagisa had got for both of them. And the next thing they knew, the place was heavily crowded.
"Wow! Look at all these people!" Kayano amusingly said.
Meanwhile, Nagisa was busy searching for a ride. But when he couldn't find a free one, he realizes the situation happening around them.
"Kayano..."
Nagisa calls out to her before they started moving along.
"...here, hold my hand."
He takes out his hand, offering Kayano to hold it.
"I-it's not like I'm pulling a move or anything. It's just that...you might get lost...so..."
Kayano was a little surprised and glad at the same time. Because of the intense crowd, she almost forgot about him. And thanks to Nagisa being thoughtful, she was relieved.
"Okay!" Smiling cheerfully at the end, she grabs Nagisa's hand without leaving him a few seconds to think and drags him along.
"Let's go!"
Thanks to her aggressiveness, they got to ride after ride and enjoyed themselves for the rest of the morning.
They rode on bumbers, on tiny ferry rides, but what got them excited the most is the rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, once they arrived and got to their seats, Nagisa tried to pretend that he wasn't scared or anything, but he'd be having a hard time since they were placed on the front seats.
There were visible blue lines at the side of his forehead already, and his hands were sweating.
"Alright. Everyone, please hold on tight as the roller coaster is about to begin."
(Innocence51: Okay, I haven't been to amusement parks in my whole life, so I don't really know much about this... I only saw these things on screen ;P)
When he heard the guy-in-charge announcing that the coaster is about to take off, his hands started to shake.
It was already obvious that Nagisa was extremely anxious.
Kayano-seeing this decided to help him instead of making fun of him, like how she usually does.
So, out of worry, she places her right hand to Nagisa's shaking hand, catching him by surprise.
"Eh?"
"Could it be that you're scared of heights, Nagisa?" Kayano asked him.
"W-what?? N-no, of course I'm not!"
Failure on putting up an act when it's already obvious, Kayano felt the urge to tease him. But in their current situation, she made sure that she wouldn't.
In her eyes, he looked like a child experiencing the roller coaster for the first time. But in her mind, he's just a frail man who needs some support to overcome his fear.
He already saw enough of things he feared to happen. So, she thought to herself that it's her job to relieve him from those kind of things.
She gently squeezes Nagisa's hand out of comfort, and makes a heartwarming smile.
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll keep a hold of you."
Nagisa's self-conscious state was gradually disappearing and gazes at Kayano with an astonished look.
Unaware that the ride has already started moving towards the top most peak of the starting point, he remained his stare at her while Kayano looked towards the front with a smile on her face.
Once it arrived at the pinnacle, the coaster slowed down.
And in the next few seconds, it came down dashing in an extreme speed.
Nagisa started to shout his lungs out. The G-force he was experiencing was almost enough to knock him out unconscious.
But there was one thing that prevented that from happening.
The burst of laughter next beside him-Kayano was merely enjoying the ride.
The wind blowing her hair away, revealing her entire face visible; yet, there was no stopping to the coaster's maneuverability, there was also no stop to her laughter of enjoyment.
"This is ridiculous! This isn't her first time?!" Thought Nagisa to himself as he tried to look at her for awhile but couldn't due to the rough movements of the ride.
His heart was almost at its limit, although his fear to shout was missing. He was still a little scared. But, when he saw Kayano's hand entertwined with his', and only applying more force to its grip, he felt a little relieved and safe.
"This is funny..." He thought to himself.
Because he's supposed to be the one granting her safety. But it was the other way around this time.
---
A few minutes later, the roller coaster had come to a stop. Passengers had departed from the ride. Some were struggling to even stand up, and some were...normal.
Of course, if we're mentioning normal people, Kayano is one of them.
"Wow, that was so fun!" Kayano stretches her body to rid of the cramps and made a remark about the ride.
But as she looked back at the stationed coaster, he saw Nagisa all drained and was strangely colored in white.
"Woah, are you okay?" Kayano asked him.
*Vomitting noises
"Of course I'm not."
Switch to Nagisa's POV
I feel terrible.
My stomach's about hurl.
And my head's all hazy that I couldn't stand up straight.
Damn, I'm never riding a roller coaster again... Never.
"Gosh, I didn't know that you were prone to motion sickness." Kayano suddenly said this out of nowhere. But literally, that's a misunderstanding.
"W-what? N-no I'm not! It's just that-"
"Oh look, Nagisa! They got pictures from the ride!" Before I could debate to her conclusion, she didn't let me finish.
"Would you listen to what I have to say?"
But it was no use. She ran towards the nearest reception center, ignoring me.
When she got over there, she was browsing through all the pictures that were displayed. Then after awhile, she came back running towards me with 3 photos on her hands.
"Look at this! Ahaha~" She was clearly pointing out a picture where I was screaming like my life depended.
Then, she showed me the next embarrassing photo.
Honestly, I'm so ashamed to myself. I call myself a man, but I ended up shrieking all the time.
I'm not really scared of heights. It's just because it was my first time to be in a roller coaster, and seeing it from movies, the speed that it travels looks so fast. But compared to reality, it's way much faster!
"Ahahaha~ Hey, hey, Nagisa? Which one should I keep?" Then all of a sudden, after Kayano let out a laughter, she suddenly asked me this.
"...what? You're asking me to pick?"
"Well, duh! Personally, I'd like to keep one as a memento! And I'm just asking which should I really prefer."
...Eh? What's the point in asking me? Y-you're the one who wants to keep one, so, you should decide for yourself.
"I guess your silence means a no, then.. Fine, forget about it!"
Oh crap...! For some reason, she suddenly got mad. Woops! Guess I'm back to square one.
I mean, what did I do wrong?
...
Arghh! Damn it, Nagisa! That's not the main problem here for now! C'mon...think, think!
"How about you keep all of them?"
"Eh?" Oh thank goodness! So she's not that mad to turn deaf ears on me! What a relief!
"Well, I mean, they're all showing an embarrassing side of me, but, I could tell that you liked all of them...so, why not?"
Kayano seemed to be a little bit surprised. But in just a few seconds, she suddenly switched expressions and started to smile.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Then that settles it!" She gleefully said.
One moment, I thought I'd be back in trying to resolve our quarrel. Though, it's not that surprising anymore if she still remembers.
But, there is one thing that does...
Her smile.
Sometimes, all the smiles I see on her face are just makeovers-fake, that's what I mean. Though, there are cases that she really makes them genuine.
And the smile she's making today is a part of that. She laughed, she felt excited, she enjoyed herself. Personally, there's nothing else I want but to see her like this everyday.
If only...
"Come on, Nagisa! We still got a whole day to spend!"
Realizing that I was spacing out, not knowing that she had already paid for the pictures, gave the photos to me which I unconsciously held for a few seconds-she breaks my trance as she calls out to me afar.
I was a bit hesitant. There might be more scary rides other than this one, but...I can't ruin this day for her.
Since this is our date, it's my job as her boyfriend to keep her happy all the time.
I mean...what kind of a boyfriend am I if I don't? And who wouldn't do such a thing?
Wait, why am I asking this to myself? Screw it, forget it!
———————————————————
Time Skip >>>
It was already noon, but we weren't done for today. The last ride Kayano wants to go with is the last, but not the least, the huge and magnificient ferris wheel.
"Come on, come on, come on!" I could tell that her excitement is still at max given that she looked hyped and all, so, what reason would best explain why I wouldn't?
But even so, I don't have the moment to think about that. She drags me everywhere wherever she wants to go before I could complain, but on the other hand, I couldn't.
She talks to me about how awesome and fun it was when riding the Tower of Death, which I don't really find it that way. And also, she even told me that I'll be paying for today's lunch for the both of us!
But...even so, I can't complain.
(Innocence51: The tower of death meant nothing but that certain ride where you get lifted up high enough and then the machine drags you down below much quicker.)
After dragging me all the way, we took part on one of the ferris wheel's gondola, and Kayano and I sat on the same seat which is the one on the left.
Right after the one of the staff closed the door of the gondola, the huge ferris wheel started to turn.
The huge ride is moving! Ooooh, and this sensation! It's the same as the ones I feel when I ride an elevator!
It was slowly raising us up to the top.
Then, when our gondola was raised high enough, Kayano and I gazed towards the window and admired the beautiful orange sky.
It was already this late? Look how a day it has been...
It was a day full of surprises, but also a little tint of thrill. We managed to cover all the rides and arcades in a single day...and I just lost 45,000 yen at the same time.
That's a 55% loss of my total salary each month, so it was a big deal.
But, seeing Kayano acting like this, I'd say it was pretty much worth it.
This is the last ride... No, this should be the last ride. I don't want my wallet to be empty on me, anyway.
*Shakes and screeching noises...
Wh-what...? What just happened?? Did something happen to the ferris wheel??
"Attention to all passengers! Right now, we are experiencing a mechanical issue. Please stay calm, don't panic as everything is under our control. I repeat. All passengers! Right now, we are-"
"The ferris wheel stopped?" Kayano asked.
"Yeah, seems to be the case."
A mechanical issue? That's random. Well, given that this park is new, now that they're mentioning it, there were a few rides that had defects. Though, they were only minor, but a defect is a defect, so it's completely dangerous.
But at least we managed to go through all them before the maintenance staff found out about it and suspended a few rides...
Except one, that is.
"Then that means we're stuck up here for awhile..." Kayano said.
"Are you scared?"
After I asked that question, she looked at me with a dumbfounded look but immediately switches it again.
She smiled out of relief, and said...
"No, not at all. These things don't bother me that much anymore."
I was a bit shocked. Normally, a girl would slightly panic. But, Kayano's well-behaved and calm. That...amazing.
"You know, I'm a little bit surprised. How come you weren't scared at any rides we took today? Like, the roller coaster or the Tower of Death..." If I can still recall, she didn't show any sign of being a nervous wreck or anything throughout the day.
She was calm. She didn't waste any time complaining, but just enjoyed the rest of the day. Was she really...this courageous?
"Why...?" I pressed the question.
And hopefully, she'll answer honestly.
For some reason, there's a slight sense of doubt in me, making me think that she might just be putting another front-an act. Otherwise, this whole 'date' thing would be meaningless. But, I don't see it, nor do I feel like it is.
Her laughter, her smiles, her urge to keep trying other rides...
Were they really genuine? Or were they fake? I don't really know the answer to that, but...
"Why, you ask?"
I'll know the answer soon enough.
"Nagisa, did you know? By the time when word reached to me that you were on the verge of dying, did you know that that was the only moment I felt the most fear out of my fears?"
She's...telling me this? I...I didn't know... But, I assumed that she was very worried about me.
"But that doesn't matter anymore. I mean, you're here now." Her eyes looked glossy, but, I think it's just my imagination. The orange light that's radiating behind her must've been making her eyes glossy like she's in the verge of tears.
But she isn't going to... right?
After what she just said, I felt a force grabbing my hand and a tight squeeze from it. I rolled my eyes to look, and it was her warm hand that was holding mine.
"Knowing the fact that you're just right by my side, I don't feel scared anymore."
"Kayano..."
There was a brief silence. Both of us stared at each other's eyes, but not until she broke it, letting go of my hand.
"Hey, Nagisa. Do you know the reason why I asked you to go on a date with me today?" She asked.
"Ehh?! Um, well... It's because...we're, you know? We're boyfriend and girlfriend." I hope that sums up.
"Ahaha~ Well, that's partial of it."
"Oh... So, what's the full reason for this 'date' then?" This kinda piqued my curiosity, so I decided to ask her straight to the point.
Then, she suddenly pointed a finger to my chest.
"I want to know more about you."
"Know more about me? But, we've already known each other for so long." I've forgotten how long it was...
"That's actually true...but, during these past year, we've been changing lately. We don't realize them immediately, but, we can notice the difference between you from yesterday, and the you today. Don't you think so?" She explained.
The me...yesterday?
Hypothetically, I don't see myself changing that much.
But, sure I do seem to feel like I am.
Like that one time where I felt so upset and disappointed that I ended up ignoring her the entire week, which I didn't really meant do on purpose.
And, there was this feeling right after Klein threatened to harm Kayano. I was so overprotective that I ended up...confessing to her.
Though, it all started because of her, and I wouldn't realize my own feelings if it wasn't for that.
"Change, huh?" I wander through my thoughts, thinking about my realization about how drastically I have changed.
Meanwhile...
"But, it doesn't matter!" Kayano suddenly jumped towards me and puts her arms around me, catching me off guard.
"As long you're you, then I'm already content of everything!" She buries her face in my chest and hugs me tightly.
This is so...warm.
I ended up having my face heating up, but even so, I hugged her back.
Then, I gazed towards the window, staring at the orange sky that was gradually becoming darker.
While staring into the horizon, I continued on my thoughts.
Have I really changed that much?
Then...
I guess, she has changed too...
Hasn't she?
So that means...
We're both thinking the same thing...to know more about each other.
That way, we'll be able to express our love to another without and doubts or hesitation.
That's true love, after all.
While I was gazing towards the sky, I noticed the sun slowly setting beneath the faraway valley.
It looked so...mesmerizing.
"Kayano, look! The sunset looks-"
But, before I could finish what I was about to say, I found out that she was asleep.
Ehh? She fell asleep?
I was confused at first, but then it hit me.
I guess she was pushing herself too much that it came over her limit.
But, you had fun... right, Kayano?
I'll never forget this day.
Because today was the only day where I got to see Kayano genuinely happy and enjoyed herself.
Now that she's asleep, I smiled at her and gently stroked her hair. They're so smooth as silk. And her breathing. It makes me tickle.
All in all, if think about it this way, I guess she's really cute. I'm so thankful that she's my girlfriend.
Then, I guess I should do my best as her boyfriend too, huh?
———————————————————
Time Skip >>>
"...nnh..eh...? Nagisa?" I heard a soft voice from the back of my head.
"Oh, Kayano, you're awake?" I slightly turned my head to look at her from my back.
"Where are we?"
"We'll be at your house in a few minutes, so just hang on."
She's so unexpectedly light.
During the ferris wheel incident, we stayed there for about 20 minutes before it started working properly again. Although, once we got to the ground, it was already dusk.
The sky was beginning to darken, but Kayano was still asleep.
I couldn't dare to wake her up now that she looked exhausted.
Since there wasn't any other option left, I carried Kayano all the way from the amusement park to her apartment by foot.
I'm currently giving her a piggy back ride. And now that she's awake, we started talking to each other.
Switch to Kayano's POV
Nagisa is carrying me...
And my arms are around his neck.
It's so warm and comfy...
"Kayano?"
When Nagisa realized I was squeezing my arms around his neck a little, he worriedly calls out to me.
"Nagisa... there's something that I wanted to apologize about." As I said this, Nagisa suddenly got quiet.
That must mean he's listening.
"I'm...sorry about how I was treating you this morning."
"Eh?" I heard him let out a mumble.
"I know it was just an accident, but I still ended up avoiding you for quite some time. That's why...I'm really sorry about that." There, I said it.
Honestly, I was meaning to apologize on the ferris wheel ride, but I just realized that I fell asleep.
Maybe I got a little bit overboard in trying different rides? I don't know...
But, now that I said it, my chest feels a bit lighter now.
"Silly Kayano. I'm the one who should apologize." However, his words surprised me.
"I'm the one who barged in without letting you say something. So, I'm sorry about that as well."
I can't tell him that he's wromg, neither that he's right. But, I feel relieved now that the two of us had apologized our faults.
At first, I thought that the enjoyment we had in the amusement park would let us forget that, but, I guess, deep down he still feels guilty.
I feel bad knowing that he carried that guilt all the way on our date. But even so, it was a date that I wanted to cherish. I'll never forget this day.
"Nagisa?"
"Hm?"
"How long until we get to my apartment?"
"Hmm... Maybe 10 more minutes if I remember this route correctly."
"You are on the right street, so keep going forward."
"Yes, ma'am."
Now that I got a hold of him, Nagisa seems to have a solid build. His back is extremely tense, his arms under me were so strong, even that he's this small than your average guy, he still possesses the strength of a man.
At first, I thought he was so fragile and weak that it made me want to protect him too.
But, I guess that won't be necessary.
Ehehehe~
"Nagisa?"
"Hm?"
"Will you call me 'Akari' from now on?"
"Eh...? I don't really mind, but...are you really sure?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, I mean... If...that's what you really want, then... Akari..."
Oh my gosh...!
"S-say my real name again?"
"Akari?"
"Ehehehe~ Nagisa..."
"Akari."
"Nagisa~ ♡"
"Aka-how long are we going to call each other's names?"
"As long as I'm satisfied. Ahahaha~"
I'll never forget this day.
But it seems that the day is coming to an end while the night sky with countless numbers of stars gazes down upon us. The crumbled moon that shone brighter than any other star illuminates our paths, and our 'date' ended while I kept calling his name.
"Nagisa, I love you..."
( /// o _ o /// )
"Y-yeah, I love you too."
---
End of Chapter 60.5
Author's Note:
Man, this really took long enough to finish. But I'm really grateful that I managed to have some spare time to finish this chapter.
Midterms is upon me so I was pretty busy studying the entire week. (Well, most of the time, I played video games)
But anyway...
ANNOUNCEMENT
Innocence51: I don't know if this is a good news or a bad news... But, I'll leave it to your understanding.
The story's coming to an end.
The next chapter will be the epilogue and then finally, my work will be finished.
I know, most of you might've been expecting more.
But I've already decided that the story ends...at the next update.
...
When will be the next update going to be uploaded?
Will we have to wait for a long time for it again?
Well, our midterms is next week, and it's the entire week, to be honest.
So, I can't say for certain that I will be able to write during that time.
Maybe I can start writing at the first week of September.
That is all for this announcement.
Thank you for reading this story of mine, and I hope that you will continue to share this with your friends and cyber-buddies.
Thank you for the support and compliments, it really boosts the progress of the story.
Thank you, thank you, thank you...
Nagisa: You literally repeated that word five times.
Innocence51: Huh?
Kayano: Nagisa, you shouldn't have interrupted him. He's just very grateful, is all.
Nagisa: Yeah, but...if he's really that grateful to the readers, then he should show it by action.
Kayano: Like what?
Nagisa: Like giveaways.
Kayano: pfft.. Giveaways? Really?
Nagisa: Yeah!
Innocence51: Hold it, hold it! I don't have the money to do that! Heck, I don't even have a work yet!
Nagisa: What?!
Kayano: Well, you are still a college student, so...
???: Mind if I interject?
Nagisa & Kayano: Karma!
Karma: How about a part time job? That can raise you some funds.
Innocence51: Easy for you to say... My schedule's basically full, so I don't have the time to do part-time jobs yet!
Kayano: Then, where do you get allowance from, Innocence?
Innocence51: From my parents.
Everyone: Ohhhh...
Nagisa: So you're still dependent.
Innocence51: Shut up! Not everyone can become independent that quick!
Nagisa: Okay, okay.
Karma: Man, why didn't you put me in this chapter? It could've been more fun if I was with the two lovebirds.
Kayano: If you were, then it wouldn't be a 'date'.
Karma: Oh, right right.
Nagisa: Maybe it would've been a 'double date' or so I've heard if Karma brought Okuda along.
Kayano: Yeah! Yeah, that's it!
Karma: Okuda, huh? Well, in another universe of Innocence's head, that could've happen. But he-
Innocence51: Okay! That's enough! We're getting off topic here!
Karma: Oh, right right.
Everyone: Ahem... Thank you very much for all your support! We are very grateful!
Innocence51: You heard them ;)