Double Trouble.

“I’ve got this! I’ve got this! I’ve got this!” Rakuko nervously tapped on the buttons.

The claw slowly lowered inside the glassy box, until it landed in a pile of fluffy, pink plush toys. It closed and got pulled up again … without any of the plushies hanging below.

“Noooo!” Like a betrayed lover in an opera play, Rakuko sank to her knees in front of the machine. “This has to be possible somehow, f’sure! I won’t leave without getting one for Rii-chan, yah!”

She inserted another coin into the hungry machine. Takurō’s gaze went across the room, to where Ririi and Akimi were still fighting at the two-player arcade machine.

In their tiny tournament, the two of them had won against their respective partner and now fought about the victory of the whole game.

“Are you sleeping, sweetheart, yah? Your reflexes are even worse than after our last stamina drill,” Ririi mocked her opponent.

It seemed like Akimi wanted to reply something. Her cheeks were flushed, as she stared at the screen. She looked at Ririi briefly, but no words came across her lips. Takurō had to smile. Why did he never discover such a beautiful girl sitting only a few places behind him in class?

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeeeess!!” Rakuko screamed and grabbed into the output compartment. Victoriously, she raised the plushie of a pink rabbit above her head! “I GOT IT!”

For a second, Takurō worried, she would burst out into tears on the spot. “Uhm … Raku-chan.”

She looked at him. “Sorry … I got a little bit too excited, did I?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No … while our girlfriends are still occupied, I wanted to let you know, I’m making a short movie for Aki-chan, y’know.”

“A movie?” Rakuko’s eyes began shining. “So, you’ll actually try something entirely new to convince her parents! That so cuuuute, f’sure!”

He nodded. “It’ll be my work for the cultural festival.”

“Ahh, I see! That’s why you also chose fantasy and fairytales as a topic for your club! I’m almost sure it’ll be amazing and Aki, as well as Aya-san and Masaru-san will love it!”

“But I hope it can also change their mind, y’know.”

Rakuko turned around and leaned against the claw machine. “But … what exactly, are you aiming for? I mean … what is it you try to convince them about?”

He looked at her for a moment. Takurō felt much more scattered than before. He was certain, his past self would have instantly had an idea on how to turn this message into a story.

Now, his thoughts were much more scattered. He saw thousands of thin layers without a clear answer. “I’m not sure, y’know,” he said and leaned against the claw machine next to her. “I just want Aki-chan to be happy, f’sure.”

“Happy? Isn’t she?”

Takurō blinked at Rakuko. He turned around to the girls that were still fighting fiercely at the arcade machine. Akimi looked slightly pale. She had been yawning quite often throughout the day and even reacted a little moody. “She doesn’t really look like all the learning is doing her good, y’know.”

“Yeah, maybe … but does this imply, she’s unhappy?”

“YES!” Ririi jumped and threw up her arms triumphantly. “Victory!”

Akimi exhaled the tension from her body. “Wouldn’t have anticipated your comeback in the second half, f’sure.”

“We should’ve arranged a wager. Maybe I could’ve forced you to come back to the club again, yeah!” Ririi laughed.

“Prez …” Akimi slumped down even more, but flinched in shock, as the other girl attacked her waist with tickling.

“Ah!” She laughed and jumped away. “Rii-chan! Stop that.”

“Otherwise, you’d mope the rest of the day, f’sure.”

Takurō and Rakuko approached the two of them. “Congratulations!” Rakuko presented her girlfriend the plush bunny from the claw machine.

“Oh, that’s for me?”

Something hard bounced against Takurō’s shoulder. Akimi pushed her head against him, as she embraced his arm. “I lost.”

“Someone’s a bad looser?”

“Wanna find out how bad of a looser you are, when losing your girlfriend, yeah?” She grumbled.

Takurō quickly waved his hands. “Uh!”

“Sorry.” She snuggled closer to his side. “I’d never want to even prove that point, f’sure.”

“Guys!” Rakuko stepped towards them. “Wanna grab something to eat for dinner?”

“Sure.” Takurō nodded.

Rakuko looked at her friend. “Aki?”

She shrugged. “Hm!”

“A’ight everyone, follow me! I’ve seen a nice Okonomiyaki Restaurant on our way here!” She grabbed Ririi’s hand and dragged her outside of the game center.

Takurō took Akimi’s hand as well and they followed them. The group of four found themselves outside the big entertainment district of Nanba, that provided for several stores, restaurants, and opportunities for entertainment. The streets were bustling as expected from a Saturday.

Takurō looked at Akimi. Her eyes seemed glassy; their sharp edge more rounded than he knew it. “How’s your learning going?”

“Good …” Her hand squeezed his. “Kinda … We’re a little behind the plan, but tomorrow, my tutor will stay a few hours longer, so we’ll catch up again, f’sure.”

“On Sunday?”

She nodded.

They walked a little further. Takurō shrugged. “So … you probably won’t be able to stay over at my place, yeah.”

“Sorry. You planned it so long.”

“No!” He quickly shook his head. “It was more of an idea, y’know. I still have you for the rest of our lifetime. We’ll surely find another day.”

“Hey guys!” Ririi turned around at them and slowed Rakuko down, so they could walk next to them. “Now that I’ll have both of you together: I was so curious to learn how you actually met, now! I mean you said that you confessed to her first, didn’t you?” She looked at Takurō.

“Uh …” He directed the question towards his girlfriend.

“We … met at his work,” she said.

Ririi put on a cheeky grin. “Not on accident, I assume?”

“I didn’t know Takkun worked there … so it was a coincidence, yah.” Akimi shrugged.

“Really? But why have you been there?”

Takurō had to gulp at the development of the conversation. This was moving in a dangerous direction. If Akimi didn’t choose her words right, her well-kept secret was spilled in no time. “Uh … that … I watched a movie.”

Ririi raised a brow. “C’mon, Aki-chan. Stop putting up an act.” She smiled. “You made these artworks, didn’t ya?”

Akimi’s hand clenched around Takurō’s. She looked at Rakuko.

“Don’t give me that look.” She evaded Akimi’s gaze. “Rii-chan came up with it herself!”

“She did?”

“I mean in the club it was a rather open secret, that you liked Takkun,” Ririi began explaining, “but I have to admit I thought you’d never have a chance with him. You were so quiet and only ever observed everything from afar instead of approaching him … or giving him a reason to approach you.” Ririi laughed.

She bumped her fist into Akimi’s shoulder. “But when Raku-chan showed me the artworks in the cinema, I somehow remembered back at this camera you always carried around with you. You kept hiding it, as soon as I saw it and suddenly everything made sense: You sent him your images as love letters, he fell in love with them and printed them to expose them in the gallery of his workplace!”

“What a pity … it started so well.” Akimi sighed.

Ririi blinked. “Huh?”

“I didn’t send him any images as love letters, now. I exposed my works at the gallery and there, …” She looked at Takurō.

He squeezed her hand. “I fell in love with her.”

Rakuko nodded. “But it was already really close, Rii-chan. Great job!”

She gave them a shrewd smile. “Yes … I was very proud of that theory, f’sure.”

They walked further through the masses of people, evaded a group of young men. “You seem to take very lightly, that Rii-chan knows about your well-sheltered secret.”

“Well …” Akimi breathed through. “I guess it never was in the first place.”

“But … didn’t you say …?”

“I know, I know. I said I’m just making them for myself … but if I’m entirely honest, I just missed the right moment. Telling everyone only now feels just … too late, y’know.”

“Aki! It’s never too late!” Rakuko shook her head. “You should tell everyone, and they’ll love them as much as we do!”

Akimi sighed. “Now it doesn’t matter anymore …It’s not like I’ll be creating new ones.”

“It’s not?” Ririi’s gaze shuttled between the others but was only answered with quietness. “Oh … no longer time for that as well?”

The mood of the moment pressed down on them like a heavy stack of worksheets. Takurō didn’t like it at all. He wanted Akimi to smile and take this unbearable weight from her shoulders. She deserved a future as well … one that would bring her fulfillment and not imprison her in a golden cage.