You're cute, Yori-chan

While following Koyori to the pool, I nervously peer around. The girl always keeps close to me, walking beside me in a fashion more befitting for a couple. Worried about any of my classmates seeing me like that, I look around anxiously.

As a group of similar aged girls walk past us, Koyori takes note of my wandering glance, associating my behavior in the worst way possible.

"No peeking at other girls, Kei-kun," the girl protests, getting even closer to me as if trying to mark me as her property. "Yori-chan is the main attraction today, hehehe."

She poses cutely to underline her statement, fiddling around with the frilly cloth of her swimsuit as if to coax me into looking at it instead. A slight panic arises as I'm accused of dancing on more than one party.

"I wasn't peeking at other girls, just making sure no one is peeking at us, geez," I protest indignantly, feeling a certain spike in anxiety but Koyori seems to play this for entertainment rather than being serious about her accusations.

"That's a likely story," she giggles to tease me but I'm serious.

"You're naturally drawing attention, you know?" I explain a little shyly as my gaze wanders along her pretty body. "Wouldn't it kinda suck if someone else snatched you away? I mean I even went over the trouble of picking that c… - I mean that swimsuit for you…"

Shit, that almost slipped out. I need to be more cautious…

"You were just about to say 'cute', weren't you?" she gleefully points out to me as we enter the pool area that's even more crowded.

Well drat. I've been busted then.

"Yeah, that's why I picked it and I'm sure you'd be pissed if someone else ends up liking it more than I do."

Seeing no way to work a way around my slip up, I spill my unaltered opinion. Not without a certain sense of cringe at my honesty, though.

"You were protecting my cuteness then, that's sweet of you, Kei-kun."

Yori acts extremely happy about it, her expression radiating with blissful joy.

As long as she's happy, this is probably okay, right?

"Well, yeah," I grunt while trying to shove my way through a crowd of high schoolers blocking the path. Once we're past the obstacle, Yori picks up my words and reveals my carelessness.

"Did you just admit it?" she pokes, stopping our walk to lock me with a cute, big-eyed stare.

"Admit what?" I ask innocently. Koyori wraps her arms behind her back, blinking at me.

"You think Yori-chan is cute, don't you?"

Oh…

She inches even closer, her face just a few centimeters from mine. Clearly, she's getting too close for comfort but there's no turning back now.

She figured me out, Should I just admit she's right?

I avoid her gaze like the most recent viral outbreak. My heart is beating a lot faster all of a sudden. Telling a girl that she's cute isn't a small deed after all.

"No fair, you're looking at other girls again…" she pouts before playfully pushing me away from her.

"Am not," I retaliate. "It's just super awkward to stare at a girl in a bikini, you know?"

"Eh? I don't get it, Kei-kun. What's so bad about it?"

Koyori looks at me in bewilderment as if not admiring a girl in a swimsuit equals a crime.

"It's a guys' thing, you wouldn't understand…" I explain while blushing. Koyori keeps trying to enter my field of vision as I twist and turn to avoid seeing her swimsuit from this close.

After some thought, I eventually allow her to win the game, now ready to explain myself properly.

"It's because you're so… adorable that I'm struggling here," I admit in a low voice. Koyori's eyes widen in joy as she's getting super close to me again. Too close.

"Kei-kun, you're the best, you know?"

Reluctantly, I allow myself to meet her sparkling eyes.

Honestly, Koyori is the cutest but I need some space after this…

That's when a spontaneous idea presents itself to me as I realize we were standing right next to the pool for over a minute now.

"A-anyways, ever heard the saying 'the main attraction goes in first'?" I prompt her, giving her just enough time to 'huh?' at me before sending my friend into the water with a firm push.