Are you sure you are not in love with me?

“Do you want some fruit? Akari, Hikaru-san and I made it together. We’re eating downstairs,” she says. “And, do not stay in the dark…” The room shines with the lights as she presses the switch.

“Thank you, Lona-san,” I reply, not turning away from the desk. The sound of the plate being set down on my desk makes me glance up. Lona stands beside me, and I can’t resist the urge of turning my chair, making her jump back slightly.

“What?” she asks, narrowed eyes reading me.

“I thought you weren’t done with me,” I tease.

Lona’s expression flattens. Narrowed eyes now full closes, and she lets out a long sigh before turning to leave. “I changed my mind. It doesn’t even matter. But I will say this;” She pauses at the door, glancing back over her shoulder. “Dude, you’re embarrassing me. What was that ‘cute’ comment in there? Stop. For real.” Reminding back the moment I was hiding in the bushes when she was planning to confess.

“You are cute, though,” I reply, deadpan.

“Nhgg!” Lona clenches her fists. “I said stop!” She grits her teeth before sighing again. “You never change, huh? Honestly, it’s impressive how you never get tired of this.”

I stand and step past her, heading toward the door. She watches me with a mix of curiosity and irritation. “I’m done,” I say simply as I close the door behind her.

“Renyuki? What are you doing?” she stammers, her voice wavering. Her wide eyes follow me as I walk back toward her.

Shadowed, I lower my gaze. She shuts her eyes tightly, bracing herself. But instead of stopping near her, I return and sit on my bed. 

“Lona-san, you can open your eyes. I’m not going to do anything,” I say calmly.

She complies, blinking at me for at least five seconds. “You’re a creep and a stupid one at that, you know that right?" she snaps, clearly furious. "You are the worst.”

"Please forgive me," I say, my voice honest and apologetic. "But do you realize I would never do anything inappropriate, right? I would break my own fingers if any touched you even out of my will. You think this little of me?"

“Your personality is the problem. You are a pervert who likes playing with people’s emotions.”

"I'm not... What were you even scared of? You can beat my ass easily, and have done many times before, too."

"I could, and I will many times again, but that doesn't take away the fact that you are still a boy."

"And, you are the coolest, most lovely girl I have ever seen." I say as I point to the bed beside my desk. “Please, sit. I just wanted to talk.”

"Stop... I said stop with these words... how many times...?" she mutters, hardly audible, lowering her head. "Girls will take these either as confession or womanizing..."

As I watch her, I can tell what she's thinking, and the realization makes my heart skip a beat. My love and passion for great people are unquestionable, and the words comes from deep of my heart. Which would often seen by embarrassing, expectedly. I am self-aware of this part of my personality, it's something I have to work on.

Then she raises her head. She hesitates, eyeing the bed skeptically, also clearly embarrassed. “Talk, huh?” she mutters, now I hear. To my surprise, she walks forward and sits on bed folding her arms. “Fine. Talk.”

I take a deep breath. “Lona-san, I’ve been observing. I respected your wishes to not intervene with Keisuke. I fooled myself into being optimistic -into believing you had a chance. But fate… fate was always against you. It always has been.”

Lona’s expression softens, but her gaze drifts to my bookshelf. “Renyuki,” she begins, her voice calm and firm, “I lost because I was a coward who didn’t confess. I wasted my time. I was weak.” She shows a faint smile, the sight of it only twists my heart. “So, it’s all my fault. Not yours. Not Keisuke’s. Mine only.”

“No!” I say, my voice sharp. “You don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand?” she counters, her smile unwavering. “Not only that,” she continues, “I was never a love interest to him. Nothing you did could’ve changed that. At best, he’d have dated me out of pity, but Keisuke’s not like that. Either way, I was going to get rejected. I was just one of the boys, I guess. Please, don’t worry about it.”

Her words feel like daggers. I lower my gaze. “Lona-san,” I say quietly. “I’m certain that at some point, Keisuke liked you romantically. And it wasn’t that long ago.”

Her eyes widen, and she lowers her head, processing my words.

“Even if Keisuke says he only ever saw you as a dear childhood friend, he’s lying to himself. Both to protect you and the girl he likes now.” My voice falters slightly as I continue. “I… I was not sure until I saw him standing there and I respected your wishes to stay out of it. But I should have done more. I…”

“...I still could have confessed,” Lona cuts me off abruptly. “and realized he feels the same way.”

“You still don’t get it…” I say, walking to her and sitting next to her. Lona stares at the carpet like it has the answer she needs. “He did not confess too. He stalled, and his love ended just like that. Or… perhaps it still lingers but now he goes out with that girl–”

“Stop, Renyuki," she says, turning to me. "Do not be little her or Keisuke.”  Then, looks back down. “None of what happened matters at this point.”

“Lona-san,” I say as I put my hand on top of hers. And, she flinches, glancing at the hand I put. Her brows raised, slightly flush creeping on her cheeks. “It matters, you matter. Even if you are in the wrong, even if every other person is on the right, I won’t give up on you. Until you have your love.”

Her eyes get wider as I have never seen before, her mouth slightly parcial. She raises her face, so surprised that she does not register the embarrassment anymore.

“Are you confessing to me, right now?” she says flatly, unexpectedly. I stricken my brows in resolute.

“I am confessing that I value your happiness and right of love so much. As a family, as a friend.”

“I see,” she says flatly again, I feel the heat getting to me from her robotic reactions.

She rises abruptly and walks toward the door in stiff steps. She pauses, her hand resting on the doorknob. “Choose your words carefully, Renyuki,” she says, and her casual speech back.

“You’re not some angel sent to save everyone. You’re just human.” Asymmetric hair defines her coolness –handsomeness, even, very well. A tucked raised one side of her mouth, makes my mood lift. “It all will be fine.”

I let myself fall into bed, as she leaves the room. Open my arms and relax. I let out a big sigh and jump to my feet like an acrobat.

“It all will be, indeed, fine, Lona.” I smile.