Spring Break

Chapter 1 - The Contest

Waiting to head home by the school gate, Nishikata glanced over at Takagi who was saying goodbye to some of her friends and blushed as she caught his gaze. He looked away awkwardly, embarrassed to have been caught staring. It was now over a week since the events of White Day, and he still felt his heart race every time he remembered what had happened.

While he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge his own feelings, he did at least realise there was more to Takagi's teasing than he first thought. Knowing this left him feeling more than a little anxious. What if he was mistaken and she really was just messing with him after all? Did he want Takagi to have feelings for him?

Nishikata shook his head to get the thoughts out of his mind but found himself thinking about what had just happened instead.

While they were packing away chairs from the third-year graduation ceremony, Takagi had pointed out how some girls were asking the guys they liked for their second buttons. As usual, she couldn't help but mess with him and like the fool he was, he'd promised her his own second button without hesitation.

He blushed as he recalled her look of feigned ignorance as she'd waited for him to hand her some chairs instead. Why did she always word things in such a way as to make him think she'd meant something else?

Damn you Takagi-san! Nishikata cursed inwardly. No way does she have feelings for me...

Nishikata closed his eyes and sighed, willing himself to think about something else. Spring break was about to start and that meant almost two weeks of freedom. There were games to play, animes to watch and mangas to read. He was going to be way too busy to think about Takagi...

I'll miss her though...

The thought caught him off guard and he sighed again.

It'll be lonely without her, he admitted reluctantly. Much as I won't miss the teasing, I really do like spending time with her.

This thought brought him back to thinking about their talk about second buttons, which in turn made him think about High School and the possibility of not being with Takagi-San after graduation.

He winced at the sudden pain in his chest.

"Are you okay, Nishikata?" Takagi's concerned voice sounded in his ear.

Nishikata jumped at the question and averted his gaze. "Y-y-yeah," he stammered. "I'm f-f-fine."

"You sure?" Takagi leaned in, trying to get a good look at Nishikata's face.

This only served to make him blush harder.

"I'm fine. Just some heartburn," he punched his chest for good measure.

Takagi stared at him for a long moment, still unconvinced but decided to let it go.

Nishikata forced a smile to his lips and changed the subject. "Finished saying goodbye to everyone?"

Takagi nodded. "Thanks for waiting Nishikata," she leaned in closer as she finished her sentence. "It's almost as if you were my boyfriend," she teased with a glint in her eye. "That eager to walk me home?"

Nishikata blushed before turning away wordlessly. He wasn't going to acknowledge her teasing this time.

Normally he would've stammered something in protest immediately, but his thoughts were still a little too fresh. She technically wasn't wrong. He did want to walk her home. They might not see each other at all during spring break and this could be the last chance he had to spend some time with her before they were officially third years.