We Started Out As Friends

Instead of going to my room at my parents’ house, I decide to go back to Shinichi’s apartment.

He’s already asleep at his desk with his game still running on his PC.

Well, I guess I’ll take his bed.

I start to black out and after a while some memories start to enter my mind.

I open my eyes, sit up in bed and see that Shinichi has finally joined me in bed.

So that’s why the memories started.

I curl up next to him, close my eyes and think of a certain memory.

One of my favorite memories.

It was a summer day at the beach.

We had just finished having food at the restaurant on the pier.

As the sun was starting to set, we gazed out at the sea together.

I set my camera on the railing and set it to timer.

He holds me tight, his arm around my waist.

“Click!”

He pulls me in close and we start to kiss.

“Click!”

Everything is black now.

I open my eyes and see Shinichi sitting up in bed, his hand on his face and breathing heavily.

I know I always made him breathe heavily and made his heart race but this is odd.

He lets out a “what was that about? Why’d I dream that?”

Well, that’s interesting.

He gets up and makes his way to the bathroom.

I glance over at the clock and see that it’s 7:32 am.

I got a while before I have to be at the fateful event for Takahiro.

He’s taking a long time getting back to bed.

I get up and head toward the bathroom.

Instinctively I try to put my ear to the door to hear what might be happening to him.

I fall through the door and catch a great full body picture of him in the nude.

Oh my. It has been a long time since I saw that body like that hasn’t it.

Well, he has put on a little more weight than when we last saw each other but he was always really thin anyway.

He starts up the shower and steps inside.

I really miss this.

Even when we would shower together it was always a clean and loving time.

I head back to the bed.

It seems he’s going to work.

I close my eyes and it’s just darkness again, until I have an impulse to open my eyes.

I look at the clock and it is 11:40.

Well, I guess that’s my cue to hurry over there.

Placing my hands together and closing my eyes I think of Takahiro.

I arrive at a courtyard with a maze of walkways trailing to the nearby buildings, fresh cut grass, about six trees and a couple of vending machines near the few benches littering the area.

Ah this takes me back.

Sometimes Shinichi and I would take a break and relax on one of the benches in the college courtyard.

I would lay my head in his lap reading a book while he caught up on his latest manga.

I look around and find Takahiro standing by a tree.

He’s looking down and staring intensely at the 10 Yen coin in his hand.

Unbeknownst to him, Yokoyama-san is walking up to the tree from behind him.

She’s walking carefully with a book in her arm.

“I can’t believe I’m finally doing this,” he says.

“Oh, what are you finally doing? Somehow, I don’t think that coin is going to reply to you but, I might if you ask the right question.”

“WAH! Ai-chan don’t scare me like that.”

“I was always told; you only need to be scared if you did something bad. Did you do something bad?”

Come on Takahiro, she’s really laying on her cuteness thick for you. You got this!

“You know what, yes, I did do something wrong. Ever since you started helping me with my studies, I never told you how it really made me feel.”

He takes a deep breath.

“I have always liked you even before the accident and after that my feelings only grew stronger. I love you Ai-chan. Please, will you be my girlfriend?”

He lets the question out and bows toward her.

“Uhg, what took you so long?”

She lightly taps his head with her book.

He lets out an instinctual, “Ow” as he peeks up from his bow, “so does that mean yes?”

“Well, I could always wait four years to give you an answer. Don’t you think that’s fair?”

I like this girl. She’s got a lot of spunk.

He raises his body but still has his head lowered.

“I…I think that’s fair but…I don’t want to take this journey into the future without you. I know I haven’t been very friendly lately but, me being alone only made me become aware I needed you more.”

“You really know how to make a girl feel special. How could I say no? I have one request however.”

“Anything, just ask for it.”

“Oh ho, you should really be careful saying that phrase around me,” as she smiles widely, tilts her head and places her finger on her right cheek.

He raises his head in shock at the response.

“Look me in the eye and ask that question again.”

Oh! She’s good.

He stands straight up and looks at her face and readies his replies.

“Ai-chan, I want to build a future with you so, please be my girlfriend.”

She puts both hands on his cheeks and replies, “see that wasn’t so hard was it.”

“I don’t know, my heart is beating really hard. I mean you really haven’t given me an answer yet.”

Her hands still on his cheeks, she leans forward with her mouth close to his right ear, she whispers a “yes.”

Excitedly he wraps his arms around her in a hug and lets out a “thank goodness.”

“Wow, I know I was being really forward but I didn’t expect you to do this.”

He realizes what he did and pushes her away.

Bowing he blurts out, “I’m sorry!”

A stomach rumble breaks the silence.

He stands up and holds his belly.

“Heh, heh, uh, want to get some food?”

“Sure, you’re buying, right?”

“What? Do I have to?”

“I should think so. Think of it as payment for the last year you been avoiding me. I think it’s a small amount to pay really.”

They start to walk away towards the campus boundary.

“Well then, I get to choose the place then.”

“No fast food!”

“Well how about the Family Restaurant nearby?”

“Ok, I’ll accept that…for now.”

“What did I get myself into?”

She lets out a very cute giggle.

They continue to make their way off campus and to the restaurant.

Takahiro grasps the coin tightly in his hand and holds it to his chest.

It seems like he’s offering a thank you to me for helping push him.

You’re welcome.

Eventually Yokoyama-san says to Takahiro, “so what’s the deal with the coin?”

“Uh…it suddenly dropped on to my floor last night. I think it was from Kinzawa-san. Scared the crap out of me.”

“Oh, sure it did.”

“No really! I think Kinzawa-san was contacting me to help me be true to my feelings. Even the confession letter I wrote for you four years ago suddenly appeared on my desk.”

“You don’t have to make excuses to finally confess to me. Wait, what was in that letter?”

“No, really! Look, I even got an email!”

He dodges the question and looks at his phone to pull up the email.

“What?! I swear I got an email last night.”

“See, it was just your imagination. Come on let’s go,” as she turns to face him.

“That’s so strange,” he mutters under his breath.

I follow them to the family restaurant and hang around while they order.

I feel so accomplished.

“So, what was it you said in that letter to me?”

“Nothing I haven’t already said to you in person,” as he begins to blush.

“Your face is telling me otherwise.”

“Maybe one day if we ever get married.”

“Oh ho! You really think that’s in our future?”

“Well, you put up with me the last 4 years, I think you can handle it.”

“Such confidence, I always liked that about you.”

“Well, I was pretty scared the whole time back there.”

“As you just proved, you can be confident and scared at the same time”

“No kidding.”

“So, now that we’re a couple, does that mean you gave up on meeting Kinzawa’s fiancé?”

“No but, I have a feeling I’ll be able to see him soon.”

Well, I did say I had a surprise for him once he patched things up with her.

I’d say he earned his surprise, especially with all the teasing he had to endure from her.

“Well, just remember that you have your studies and me to pay attention to now.”

“The meeting with Kinzawa-san’s fiancé is the last loose end to tie up now. After that it will all be about our future together.”

“Thank you for waiting. Here’s your order,” the waitress cuts into their conversation with their orders.

This is probably the best time to head out and look around while I wait for Takahiro to go back home.