Completely Ordinary

Although the festival lasted three days, it went by rather quickly, and we attended them all.

For Ayaka, it was required since she was on the officer board of the Culture Club. They were the main student organization hosting the festival.

As much as I hate crowds, I decided to come along. Well... It's not like I had much of a choice since she practically forced me to come. I didn't mind it too much since she kept me company the whole time. In fact, it was rather nice.

The following days were fun. The nights, on the other hand... I couldn't sleep as much as I wanted to. No matter how hard I tried to get it out of my head, the first day kept replaying itself in my head. Our time spent together, Ayaka's confession, and even my own confession... It kept me awake.

It's fine, though. Weeks have passed since the festival, and everything has gone back to normal. Well... Almost normal.

Soon, it was time for classes to be in session. Like always, I tried to pay as much attention as my brain could allow, but I still retained nothing.

In the end, I left no smarter than I was when I went in. Just like every other time, I was proven right. School just isn't for me, but... at least there was one silver lining.

I stepped out of the science building and began making my way down the stairs, but I noticed something off. I looked over to check it out, and I could literally feel all the tension from hours of sitting in a classroom fade away.

A crowd was forming around a beautiful girl who was minding her own business. Dressed in a fluffy white jacket and a mini skirt with leggings underneath, she stood by a tree while looking at her phone.

My phone rang, so I took it out and unlocked it. It was a text message from Ayaka asking me where I was. I took a picture of her standing in the middle of the crowd, before sending it to her.

Immediately, her head twisted around, full of excitement. When she saw me standing near the top of the staircase, her face immediately brightened up.

As I continued, I waved at her while she pushed her way through the crowd. People noticed her trying to get through, and they began making way for her.

Down the aisle, she went. Her hair swayed back and forth along with her arms. A bright red blush covered her cheeks as she smiled so delicately. That image of her in all her glory engrained itself into my head, and now I'm left to wonder... What could've possibly made this world believe that I deserve to be with her?

"Ran!" she cheerfully said as she threw her arms around me.

"Hey, Ayaka," I smiled. "Survived today as well, I see. After all of those shots that Saki made you take last night, I figured you would've gone home early."

"I thought about it. My head still hurts, but, hehe... The thought of seeing you at the end of the day kept me going."

Sheesh... Am I falling for her all over again? It's like there's this little corner in the back of my head where only three words exist: 'She's so cute.' Every so often, my mind would trail back to that corner, reminding me of it. Not like I needed a reminder when I see her almost every single day.

"So, what should we do today?" she asked.

"Again?" I chuckled. "Weren't you the one who said not to rush things?"

"I know, I know, but... I just... wanna be with you. That's all."

Once again, those three words echoed in my head. I won't deny it, though. Ayaka really is so cute.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm free today," I said. "What should we do?"

"Hm... Oh! I totally forgot!" she exclaimed after a short pause. "I'm making ramen today. Saki is coming over tonight to hang out. Wanna help me make it?"

"I'm not exactly the best cook. Like... at all."

"That's okay. I'll be doing most of the cooking. Maybe you can do all the prep work. You're pretty skilled with the knife, aren't you?"

"Erm... I mean, I am, but... N-not when it comes to cooking."

"Ah, suck it up. Come on! It'll be like a little at-home date."

"Hah, alright, alright. Let's go."

Soon, we made it back to Ayaka's apartment. She went to the fridge and took out all the ingredients while I sat down on the couch.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she called out.

"Huh? W-what...?" I asked.

"Why are you just sitting there? You're supposed to be helping me."

"Oh... Oh, yeah. It completely slipped my mind."

"Tch... Get over here."

Ayaka put on a pink apron, before turning around and wrapping one around me. She took a step back to admire her handiwork with a face that looked like it was about to burst into laughter.

"... Is this the only other one you have?" I sighed.

"Yep!" she replied joyfully. "It looks amazing on you. Hold on. Stay there. I need to get a picture of this."

"Eh?! No, you don't!"

"Oh, I absolutely do. Don't move!"

She held up her phone and tried to zoom in on my face, but I quickly ducked away and gently pushed her against the counter.

"Give me the phone!" I said.

"Haha! Nope!" she grinned.

For a few seconds, we were locked in a battle over the phone, but I finally managed to steal it away. All the while, her gorgeous laugh rang in my ears.

Ayaka threw her arms around my neck as our foreheads connected. With curled eyes and a seductive smile, she captured me in her trance.

"What?" she winked. "You embarrassed or something?"

"Not at all," I tried to say confidently. "An assassin can't have pictures of himself being taken. Protocols and whatnot."

"Uh-huh, cuz that's totally the reason, but... Fine."

Suddenly, she pulled me in and kissed me. This is such an awkward position, as I had to somehow balance us both, or else we would've fallen over. Nonetheless, I kept as still as possible.

When she let go, she gently smacked my face. "If you're really that adamant about a simple picture, then I'll let it go... Just this once."

Finally, we began doing what we came here to do: cook. While I prepared the ingredients, Ayaka was shuffling them into the pot of broth one at a time. Even though we were conversing like normal, my heart felt like it was about to burst.

It was nice, though. We kind of did our own thing for a bit, talked about how our day went, and just enjoyed each other's company. Granted, I don't really have much to talk about.

Ayaka, on the other hand... It's like each day is a new episode of her biography, whether it be drama or sudden proposals. Do people still not know that we're together? Oh, well. They'll learn the hard way.

"Hey, Ran... Weird question," Ayaka said.

"Yeah?" I replied. "Hit me."

"Remember when you saved me all those years ago?"

"Vividly."

"You probably thought about telling me, right? In fact, I refuse to believe that you didn't even think about it. So I've always wondered... How come you didn't tell me? I would've believed you without a second thought because there are only three people who knew that I was kidnapped. Me, my father, and you, the one who saved me. You could've had me on your side from the start."

I dropped the knife onto the cutting board and took a deep breath. I thought back to all the times we met, thinking to myself.

"I didn't tell you because I saw no reason to," I said. "Even after our... disagreement, I still thought I should've kept it to myself, and the reason why is simple. When you told me that I broke your trust, I..."

Ayaka knew immediately how I was feeling and rushed over to grab my hand. She smiled at me, a sign of assurance that no matter what I say, she'll think no differently of me.

"I felt horrible," I continued. "Admittedly, I did want to tell you, but that didn't sit right with me. I figured you should be free to think however you want without my interference. Telling you... would've been a low blow to you... and myself."

She reached her hand to my cheek and pulled me down for a small kiss.

"You're a lot more mature than I originally thought, Ran," she smirked. "Props to you."

"H-hey now..."

She then wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. I wonder if she can feel how fast my heart is beating from something as simple as this.

"Sometimes, I think about how lucky I am to have you in my life," she whispered. "Even in my darkest time, you still tried. For a whiny little girl like me, you gave me the love and care I always wished I had. You've done so much for me, more than you can ever imagine. I want you forever, so... Ran... Can I keep you?"

I pulled her arms away and locked eyes with her. Gently, I rested my hand on her cheek to which she took it and squeezed it.

"I'm all yours, Ayaka," I smiled. "For as long as you'll have me, I'll always be here for you."

"Hehe. I love you... so much."

I turned around and planted my lips on hers for a brief kiss. 

"I love you," I replied.

"Hehe..."

Ayaka then pushed me away and threw her arms into the air for a stretch.

"Okay! We've delayed for long enough. Saki's gonna be here soon, so we need to hurry it up!"

"Alright, alright."

For the next hour, we finished preparations and cooked all the necessary components. At last, we were done, and not a moment too soon it seems. We heard three knocks at the front door, followed by Saki's greetings.

"That's her!" Ayaka said cheerfully. "Come, come! Let's go greet her."

"Coming," I chuckled.

Ayaka opened the door, but we were surprised to see an unexpected person standing behind her.

"Heyo!" Sakuno greeted us. "What up, Ayaka?"

"Eh? Satsu? How come you're here too?" Ayaka asked.

"Cuz I figured you'd be here with Ran," Saki smirked. "I didn't wanna be the only third-wheel, so I asked Satsu to come along."

"And I brought the wine!" Sakuno grinned as he lifted a bag full of glass bottles.

"Haha! Alright, come in, guys!" Ayaka laughed.

Together, the four of us enjoyed dinner and drank the night away. Well, with the exception of myself. I don't drink.

Still, just like all the other times we've gotten together, it was fun. Saki and Sakuno seem to be getting closer as well. I don't want to be that guy, but I think I see a ship sailing.

Ayaka and I stood on the balcony of her apartment, watching the night sky while the other two passed out in the living room. She was huddled up in my arms with a blanket over her body. Almost every night has been like this. No words, just living in the moment.

These days have been long, for sure. However, they're always filled with something new, and I find myself looking forward to the next. Things that I've always found uninteresting suddenly became interesting, as long as they involved Ayaka. Little by little, she's showing me a bit more of the normal world, and each day we spend together, I find myself falling for her more and more.

Of course, I'm nowhere near ordinary. Perhaps I'll never be. But, at the very least... It's certainly starting to feel like it.

Assassins Guide to Being Ordinary: End