Ask her out

Following Maeda's advice, he started showing up at practices. Even if just to watch. Over time, he began running with them; after all, running was one of the things he excelled at. He also spent a lot of time with Erick, sharing his emotional life with him. After all, his profession was meant for that. And gradually, Neo was healing. Saya was also providing as much emotional support as she could, making Kensuke angry that Neo was getting all the attention.

Another person who was irritated was Sunny. Even though Neo thought it was normal, she was actually angry about something else. One day, she asked to talk with him alone. Anyone would be afraid of what it could be.

"Neo, what do you think of Saya?" Her question made him embarrassed as he thought about Saya's perfection for him, causing a slight blush.

"I think she's nice, kind, intelligent, caring, a good person..." Neo thought he might be saying too much, so he decided to summarize by saying, "...I think the best word to describe her would be a guardian angel, always saving me when I'm in trouble."

As he spoke, Sunny became happier with his sincerity and also a little impatient—did he really need to say all of that?

"So, you like her, right?" The boy turned very red and embarrassed, unable to speak properly and stammering.

"Like? M-me? Do I like her?"

Seeing that he was struggling to answer her question, Sunny wanted to end his suffering.

"Okay, okay, I get it, you don't have to answer," Sunny said understandingly, calming the boy.

Sunny continued with her main intention in starting the conversation.

"You should ask her out," the girl finally suggested.

"A date? The kind of thing that couples do?" Neo asked, embarrassed.

"Yes, duh. Invite her to see a movie or grab something to eat. You're so slow," Sunny replied simply.

"But..." Neo said, looking down.

"But what?" She asked in a serious tone.

"How do I do that?" He asked innocently.

Sunny looked at him annoyed and ordered, "Figure it out."

She turned away and left, leaving the boy feeling insecure and thoughtful about what he was going to do and how.

During work at Inogura’s Ramen, the boy was distracted and slow. The Uncle, concerned that the boy might be sad because of his mother's loss, decided to talk to him.

"Neo, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It seems like something is bothering you."

Neo felt embarrassed; he didn't want to talk about it. Only advice from an older person could help at this point.

"Uncle, there's actually something."

The man swallowed hard; he wasn't good at helping others with psychological problems. So, he prepared himself to try.

"You ever asked a girl out?"

He almost laughed, but he restrained himself. He thought it was something serious and heavy, but it was something simple, common among young people.

"You know when you say 'welcome' to customers? Just do the same thing. Take a deep breath and speak with all your determination."

Neo looked at him, somewhat undecided. Could it really be that simple?

"I don't know if I can."

The Uncle placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Trust yourself."

The boy smiled and planned to put this into practice the next day.

And every day was the same, even though she was so close and they were talking, when he tried to bring up the idea of going out together, he'd get embarrassed and the words wouldn't come out.

The problem wasn't in his psyche, because if she could read thoughts, she would already know what he wanted. The problem was in his body: legs that wouldn't move, the cold feeling in his stomach, the heat in his cheeks, the mouth that wouldn't say what he wanted, and so on.

How to face this problem that seemed so easy but was so difficult in practice?

On one of those days, he sat on a bench, upset, watching Saya talk with Sunny. She was right there; all he had to do was go and talk, nothing more.

Neo sighed sadly.

"Hey Neo, are you okay?" Erick asked curiously.

"Erick..." Neo responded, upset.

Seeing that Neo was down, Erick thought it might be the pain he was going through.

"Are you having a relapse?"

Neo shook his head negatively.

"Then what is it?"

Again, Neo hesitated to expose his feelings to others, but it was Erick, someone who already knew so much about his life; one more thing wouldn't change much.

"Actually, there is something."

The man swallowed hard; he wasn't good at helping others with psychological problems. So, he prepared himself to try.

"You ever asked a girl out?"

He almost laughed, but he restrained himself. He thought it was something serious and heavy, but it was something simple, common among young people.

"You know when you say 'welcome' to customers? Just do the same thing. Take a deep breath and speak with all your determination."

Neo looked at him, somewhat undecided. Could it really be that simple?

"I don't know if I can."

The Uncle placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Trust yourself."

The boy smiled and planned to put this into practice the next day.

And every day was the same, even though she was so close and they were talking, when he tried to bring up the idea of going out together, he'd get embarrassed and the words wouldn't come out.

The problem wasn't in his psyche, because if she could read thoughts, she would already know what he wanted. The problem was in his body: legs that wouldn't move, the cold feeling in his stomach, the heat in his cheeks, the mouth that wouldn't say what he wanted, and so on.

How to face this problem that seemed so easy but was so difficult in practice?

On one of those days, he sat on a bench, upset, watching Saya talk with Sunny. She was right there; all he had to do was go and talk, nothing more.

Neo sighed sadly.

"Hey Neo, are you okay?" Erick asked curiously.

"Erick..." Neo responded, upset.

Seeing that Neo was down, Erick thought it might be the pain he was going through.

"Are you having a relapse?"

Neo shook his head negatively.

"Then what is it?"

Again, Neo hesitated to expose his feelings to others, but it was Erick, someone who already knew so much about his life; one more thing wouldn't change much.

"Actually, there is something."

Erick almost had the same reaction as the Uncle, only more subtle. He was glad that Neo was returning to worrying about more normal situations.

"If the way you're trying isn't working, try another way," Erick explained.

"What do you mean?" Neo asked curiously.

"Sometimes you can speak up when you're cornered and have to, which is very different from trying to get her attention and then get what you want," Erick continued to explain.

Neo still didn't fully understand, so Erick gave another example:

"I used to be like you, unable to take action. It made me miss opportunities that came my way. The problem was, I couldn't be like others because I wasn't like them. So, I came up with ways to be myself and still achieve the same results, which is what matters in these cases."

Neo had a sudden realization, "I have an idea!" he said enthusiastically, jumping up from the bench.

He stopped halfway, forgetting something important. "Thanks, Erick, you've helped a lot."

Erick smiled and waved to the boy, then he bumped into Karine, who had been watching them.

"You're always helping him... So sweet," she said.

"Aren't you too old to be eavesdropping?" Erick asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you just call me old?!" Karine asked, angry, now resembling her sister.

"Well, I think I needed someone like me when I was his age," he explained, looking distant as if trying to reach his past self.

Karine listened and her anger subsided. Instead of responding, she lightly punched his arm.

The break was almost over. Neo found Sunny and subtly got her attention so they could talk privately.

"I need your help," Neo said seriously.

"Just so you know, I can't do everything for you," Sunny said, not wanting him to put everything on her.

"Relax, I just need a little favor," he said, making it sound like a small request.

"What?" Sunny asked, suspicious.

"I want you to tell Saya that I want to talk to her after class, tell her to meet me at the exit," Neo asked confidently, convinced his plan would work.

"If that's all, I can accept it, but you owe me one," Sunny said, winking.

The break ended, Neo and Sunny parted ways, and both headed back to class. Nervousness increased during the last two classes. The clock seemed to be broken, time was standing still. Anxiety was at its peak.

When the bell rang, he hurriedly went to the exit, took a drink of water to gather courage, and waited. It didn't take long for her to appear, her hair shining in the sunlight and her eyes the color of the sky. She approached him, making him even more nervous than he already was—which he didn't think was possible in his current state. His legs started to shake, and his hands grew cold.

They stood facing each other, his heart almost jumping out of his mouth. His head was hot, the rest of his body cold, and everything around him was spinning, as if he might faint at any moment.

"Sunny told me you wanted to talk, why didn't you talk to me earlier?" Saya asked, puzzled and lightly laughing at the situation.

He looked down and didn't answer; he couldn't say anything. He was paralyzed, battling against his own body. Seeing he was silent, she bent down slightly to meet his eyes.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Saya asked, trying to get his attention.

Suddenly, Neo snapped back from wherever he had been, took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and spoke with conviction and strength:

"Please go out with me!"

The girl was startled, then surprised, and finally blushed. She looked around, not able to keep eye contact with him, smiled, and answered, "Yes..."