I Like You

“Where are we doing?” Akari inquired, allowing Ayano to lead him toward a moderately long line.

“I want to ride the Ferris wheel but it feels too embarrassing to go by myself,” she sheepishly stuck her tongue out. Upon mentioning the ride, Akari felt his muscles tense.

“The Ferris wheel? No way. I’m not going.”

“Why not? It’s the shortest line right out and we get a view of the entire park!” Ayano insisted, gesturing towards the awaiting ride.

“It’s just sitting in a confined space, going up really high,” Akari's voice wavered slightly. “It’s… kind of boring!”

Ayano pouted, while Akari crossed his arms stubbornly. Just as he was about to step out of the line, a feeling of being watched crept over him. Scanning the crowd, he soon locked eyes with a solitary figure staring directly at him. Clad in a black and white suit with gray hair, it was unmistakably Goro.

A realization struck Akari — the older man was probably under Himeko's orders to keep tabs on him. It was likely that Himeko wanted to assess if he and Ayano were truly a couple. With a defeated sigh, Akari resigned himself to his fate and stood next to Ayano.

“Fine…” he said. “We’ll go.”

“Thank you, Aki!” Ayano hummed a cheerful tune.

Unable to resist Ayano's cheerful enthusiasm, Akari soon found himself drawn towards the towering Ferris wheel. Though reluctantly, he steeled himself for the upcoming experience, unsure of what awaited him.

Minutes later, Akari and Ayano found themselves seated in one of the Ferris Wheel's compartments, slowly ascending toward the sky. As the wheel climbed higher and higher, Akari's heart rate quickened and his fear of heights resurfaced. The irony of the situation was not lost on him—a man afraid of heights stuck at the pinnacle of a Ferris Wheel.

Ayano, oblivious to Akari’s inner turmoil, looked out at the breathtaking view with awe. The cityscape stretched out before them, a tapestry of lights and colors. Unaware of Akari's discomfort, she leaned closer to the edge of the compartment, captivated by the sight.

“It's so pretty, Aki! Look at all the people,” Ayano gushed, her voice filled with wonder.

Akari forced a weak smile, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor of the compartment. He attempted to suppress his unease, not wanting to spoil Ayano’s joyous moment.

As the Ferris Wheel reached its highest point, a mechanical hiccup caused it to jolt to a stop. Akari’s eyes widened in alarm as he realized they were stuck, suspended precariously at the very top.

“W-What happened? Are we supposed to stop?” Akari asked, his voice betraying a mix of anxiety and confusion.

Ayano, still entranced by the view, seemed oblivious to their predicament. "Hmm? I'm not sure, Akari. Maybe it's just a temporary delay," she replied nonchalantly.

Akari's heart raced, his fear of heights amplified by their unexpected halt. He clung tightly to the safety bar, praying for a swift resolution to their predicament. However, the exact opposite happened.

“Dear attendees, we regret to inform you that we are experiencing a temporary electrical issue and will need to pause the Ferris Wheel temporarily. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience. Thank you.”

“I guess we’re stuck up here,” Ayano said as she glanced out the window. “It’s a great view though! We’re almost at the very top!”

She glanced over to point out the view to Akari. However, she found him shuddering with trembling eyes as his head stared at his lap.

“Are you possibly afraid of heights, Aki?” Ayano asked.

“Now you realize?!” Akari blurted out, revealing his fear.

“Would you like me to sit next to you?” Ayano began to stand up.

“No no no!" Akari held out his hand. “Don't come over here! The cart will lose balance!”

Akari felt the cart sway slightly, heightening his anxiety. Although it was merely his imagination playing tricks on him, he couldn't help but imagine the worst.

“Please let this end…” Akari murmured as he buried his head into his knees.

“There, there.” Ayano smiled as she gently patted his head. “We’ll be down soon.”

Akari’s racing heart gradually slowed as he focused on Ayano's touch and calming presence. He couldn't help but appreciate the care she showed. As they waited for the Ferris Wheel to start moving again, Akari's thoughts swirled. In the midst of his fear, a realization struck him with surprising clarity.

“Fine. I’ll admit it,” Akari thought to himself. “I like Ayano.”

“E-eh?” Ayano turned her gaze toward him, her startled expression accompanied by a blush that painted her cheeks red. “Why are you saying that now of all times?”

Oh no. Had he actually spoken that out loud? Akari snapped back to reality, his heart pounding as he sat up straight in his seat. Ayano shyly averted her eyes, clearly taken aback by his words.

An awkward silence settled in their little pod just as they reached the apex of the Ferris wheel. Dozens of possibilities of how Akari could play this off flew through his head but he stopped himself.

He couldn't just brush this off.

Taking a deep breath, Akari gathered his courage and fixed his gaze on the girl seated across from him.

“Ayano,” his voice broke the silence, causing Ayano to flinch. Slowly, the young class president’s eyes met his with a shy blush upon her cheeks. “Will you please go out with me?”

“Wait a minute, please!” Ayano’s hand shot up to her face, attempting to hide her embarrassment. “Why are you so serious all of a sudden?! Aren’t we already pretending to date?!”

“I want you to be my girlfriend for real,” Akari confessed, his words carrying a sincerity that lingered in the air. “I… actually like you, Ayano.”

The comment was too much for Ayano and her head began to steam. She passed out before collapsing over in her seat.

“Ayano?!”

As the ride concluded, Akari stepped out of the Ferris wheel with Ayano leaning against him, still a bit dazed. Gradually, Ayano regained her senses, blinking her eyes open, only to realize her head was nestled on Akari’s shoulder. The realization hit her, causing her to jerk away from him and stand upright, facing him with a mix of emotions. Akari offered her a warm smile

“You’re finally awake,” he sheepishly laughed, his voice tinged with both relief and concern. Meeting his gaze, Ayano found herself letting her guard down as the realization of what had transpired settled in. Gradually, as the memory of Akari’s words during the ride resurfaced, his question came flooding back to her.

“Akari… about your confession…” Ayano began hesitantly.

“Don’t think too much about it,” Akari interrupted with a dismissive wave. “It was just for fun. Come on. Let’s go meet back up with the others.”

Akari turned to head towards a nearby bench, intending to wait for the rest of their group. However, just as he took a step, he felt a firm grip on his hand..

Glancing back, he saw that Ayano had clasped his hand tightly, preventing him from taking another step. Turning back, he found Ayano holding onto his hand tightly, preventing him from walking away.

“Don’t just brush it off like that…” Ayano’s voice was barely above a whisper. She paused, gathering her thoughts before locking eyes with Akari. “Could you please give me some time to think about it?”

Taken aback by this unexpected reaction, Akari locked eyes with Ayano. Yet, with a moment’s pause, he managed to compose himself and responded with a nod.

“There you two are!” Chiaki's voice chimed as he hurried over, joined by Momo. “We were all going to grab dinner.”

As if on cue, Akari’s stomach growled loudly.

“Haha... I guess our suggestion was right on time,” Chiaki chuckled, his warm laughter filling the air. Akari sighed in playful defeat, succumbing to the idea.

“Definitely dating, see?” Momo declared with a sly smile, her gaze fixing on something.

“Huh?”

Momo pointed downward, drawing attention to their intertwined hands. The realization hit almost instantly, prompting both Akari and Ayano to release their grip, their faces flushing with embarrassment.

“We’re not dating!” Akari shouted before casting a sidelong glance at Momo. “At least, not yet.”

“Oh, ho?!” Momo’s smug grin only grew wider.

A ringtone abruptly pierced the air, cutting through the conversation. It was Akari’s phone, chiming with an incoming call. Akari retrieved it from his pocket, recognizing the caller ID as Naoki’s.

No doubt the mischievous gangster was curious about the progress of his ‘date’ with Ayano. At least, that’s what Akari had told the gang to remove all suspicions from their fake relationship. Well, Akari now hoped it may turn into a real one.

“Sorry, I'll be right back,” Akari excused himself with a polite smile. He stepped away from the group, moving towards a more secluded area of the amusement park, nestled beneath the shade of trees that shielded him from the waning sun.

“Naoki,” Akari let out a sigh, expecting the troublesome gangster to ask for juicy details about their date. “I’ll tell you about the date once I get home—

“Akari! Please be quiet and listen!” Naoki shouted from the other side. His distressed tone caused Akari to freeze up as he felt the fear trembling in his voice.

“I-it’s about Misha...”