A few rounds of friendlies did help her mental state a bit. For a little while, Kaitlyn managed to lose herself in the combos and graceful movement she'd been honing even further in the past couple of weeks. By this point in the loop, she was well-known enough as a player that she felt comfortable sitting down with practically anyone. Even if she did sometimes have to pull out a secondary or play random characters to make things fair.

But as Ian arrived, all of that stress and anxiety came rushing right back.

There he is. She raised a hand and waved, forcing a smile to her face. Ok, Kaitlyn. Focus. Is he acting different? Does he seem nervous? Is there anything off that might suggest an incoming confession?

Ian waved back, approaching as he did. His brow furrowed as his expression turned worried. "Er… Kay? You ok?"

"Me? Yeah!" She responded, a little too quickly. Her eyes flicked over to him from the in-progress game. "Why? What's up?"

"Er… you just seem stressed." Ian glanced dubiously at her opponent. "Is Gazebo really giving you that much trouble?"

Kaitlyn cursed herself. Evidently, she wasn't nearly as subtle as she'd have liked. Dangit, Ian. Of all things to pick up on, why this?

"Of course not!" As if to emphasize the point, she quickly punished a whiffed grab and comboed him offstage. It wasn't a graceful combo—Sir Bowe wasn't her strongest character. But it worked.

"Guess not," Ian chuckled as Gazebo groaned in dismay. "Then… finals not go how you wanted?"

"No! No, they're fine. R-really. I'm just, uh… other things on my mind."

"Okay…?" Ian shook his head. "Sure. Er, sorry to ask. You still want to team today?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"I mean, if you're stressed, maybe you don't want to? I guess?"

She waved him off, regaining a little bit of her lost confidence. "Pfft. In case you forgot, we're the Bara Bash doubles champions, here. No one's gonna stand a chance against us."

He chuckled. "Fair point. Mind if I join after this one?"

As the chestnut-haired guy began playing friendlies, Kaitlyn stayed alert for any signs of him acting differently. He seemed a little bit tired, but that had been the case for weeks. It was only to be expected with finals and all. Unfortunately, it was pretty hard to tell much past that, especially mid-game.

He's also pretty good at putting things he doesn't want to think about out of his mind… so I doubt he would show it as much as I'd expect. But if he does like me, he probably would act kind of nervous or something, right?

They went through the entire tournament just like normal. Even with Kaitlyn paying extra attention to detail, however, she still found nothing. Ian was talking, playing, and acting just like normal. Even worse, there was no indication of him trying to get her alone or talk to her in private.

This… this is it. This is supposed to be it. So why has nothing happened?

Frustration welled up within her, the feeling mixing with fear to form a sour ball in her stomach. But then, understanding dawned. It was like a cloth had been lifted from her eyes.

No. I know what this is. I know exactly what's going in here.

This had been an Ian loop, and he'd gotten better in many ways. Between grades, Bash Bros, and their relationship, he'd made a ton of progress. But he was still awkward. Obviously so.

I always assumed that they needed to confess to me. But… she glanced over. This is Ian we're talking about. If anyone's going to be too shy to confess, it's him. It would be just like the game to pull something like that.

It was the only thing that made sense. Unless she was somehow completely off the mark. But still, there was no way to be sure. She didn't want to assume wrong and mess something up.

I'll wait until the last minute. Until we're going back to the dorms. We'll be alone then, so it'll be the best chance for him to say something, too.

As expected, Ian and Kaitlyn won doubles handily and took first and second in singles, respectively. Both felt easy compared to the challenge and length of Bara Bash. Even Zog didn't intimidate her quite so much anymore, now that she knew she could beat him. Still, Kaitlyn felt her nerves fray as they left and walked back to the dorms.

It took a conscious effort to keep up the idle chatter they kept along the way as her thoughts kept pulling her in a thousand directions at once. Possibilities and fears whirled in her mind and threatened to overwhelm her. As the tall brick building came into view, her shoulders tensed.

We're running out of time…

"You sure you're ok?"

Startled, she quickly fixed her expression and turned to Ian. "Y-yeah! Why?"

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"I just… you've been really off all day," he shrugged. "You, uh… you want to talk about it?"

She almost refused on reflex, but stopped. It was the best opening he'd given her yet. And given how close they were to the dorms…

…I have to try. I have to.

"...Actually…" Kaitlyn bit her lip. "I, uh… I kind of do."

"Oh." Ian blinked. "Er, sure. What's up?"

"I…" Her eyes skidded away from his, falling to the ground as her cheeks flushed. "Uh… do you mind if we stop? For a minute?"

"...Sure?" Ian chuckled nervously. "You're kinda freaking me out here."

"S-sorry." She cursed herself for stuttering. "Um, let's sit on that bench?"

"Sure."

As they settled down, Kaitlyn took in the surroundings. The sun wasn't close to setting yet, but its descent was already painting the sky in hues of blue, orange, and yellow. Trees that had long since lost their foliage arched above them, limbs craning overhead like skeletal fingers. The campus was fairly deserted at this point as people left for break or simply had no reason to be running about.

Kaitlyn gulped. How do I even do this? What am I supposed to say? I've never been on this side of things before…

"...So?" Ian pressed, leaning back against the bench. "What's up?"

Alright. I have to do it. There's no more waiting. I just… time to get it out.

She swallowed again, bracing. "Do you… like me, Ian?"

"I mean, yeah?" His brow furrowed in confusion. "We wouldn't hang out so much if I didn't, much less team."

She almost facepalmed right there. Of course he's not going to do me any favors. Right. Thanks, Ian.

With a deep breath, Kaitlyn closed her eyes. She didn't know exactly what to say, but it was clear that she had to be more direct. Either it would work, or it wouldn't. There wasn't enough time left to be subtle.

"No, I mean… I, uh mean…" Clenching her fists, Kaitlyn forced herself to meet his eyes. "Ian… I, uh, like you. Like, like like you."

For a moment, the guy just looked confused. Then his jaw slackened as understanding dawned on him. His mouth formed into a round "o" of surprise.

"Er… like like?"

She nodded slowly, cheeks already aflame. "...Yeah."

"As in…?"

"As in… I want to go out with you."

He kept staring at her. It was like his brain had short-circuited, rendering him unable to compute her words. At least, that's what she hoped his silence meant. The longer it went on, the more nervous she became.

Shoot. Is this what Alex felt like, all that time ago? This is actually hell.

"Uh… Ian?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you… ok?"

Finally, he blinked. The guy visibly shook himself as his face reddened. "Oh! Er, I'm so sorry! I just… I just can't believe…"

Kaitlyn chuckled nervously. "You're really making me sweat, here. If you don't want to date…"

"No! No, I, er, that's not…" He waved his hands frantically. "Oh geez, that's not what I— yes! Yes, of course I do!"

"Really?"

"Of course! I just…I'm just surprised, is all. You know?"

Finally, she let out the breath she had been holding. That was it. It was done. After taking a moment to recover, she gave him a playful nudge. "Geez, Ian. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

He scratched his neck. "Sorry, Kay. I just… really? Why do you like me, of all people?"

"I mean, why wouldn't I?" She crossed her arms and smiled. "You're a pretty cool guy. We get along really well. You're also willing to put up with practicing and studying with me. Not to mention that you're a great programmer."

"You think so?"

"Of course! Plus, you're my teammate. I've gotta make sure I keep my exclusivity contract in good condition."

That elicited a chuckle from him. "Well, I guess that is one way to do it…"

They both fell quiet. With a sigh of relief, Kaitlyn slumped back in her seat.

I… I did it. I really did it.

They sat there in silence for a moment. The distant sound of birdsong and a passing conversation reached their ears, echoing through the otherwise empty area of campus.

"So…" Ian shifted. "What do we do now?"

"Well…" Kaitlyn looked away. There was only one thing to do. But of course, she'd have to lead this one as well.

Her eyes rose to meet Ian's once again. "Can I… kiss you?"

He blushed even harder than before. Considering how her own face felt, he wasn't the only one. "Er… sure. Of course."

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything—"

"No! It's fine. I mean, if we're dating, then I should get used to it, right?" Ian gave her a nervous smile. "We are dating, right?"

She gave him another smile, trying to keep any hint of sadness out of it. "We are."

In a way, she was happy he didn't know, just for this moment. It meant she'd be the only one to carry this burden. That didn't make it hurt any less, though.

"Wow… I have a girlfriend." Ian sat back for a moment. "That feels weird."

Kaitlyn couldn't help but giggle. "Does it?"

"I mean, a little… Guess we just have to make it official."

With that, he leaned toward her. Kaitlyn did the same, meeting him halfway. They both were sitting a little too far apart to reach properly, meaning that they ended up leaning over awkwardly far. But regardless, their lips met.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes. She felt the warmth of Ian's lips press against hers. He felt hesitant and a little stiff, which was understandable. Given the whole interaction, he may not have kissed anyone before.

Not like I'm much better. This is only the third time, after all…

As they kissed, she said a silent goodbye to the Ian she'd known. It really had been a fun loop. Between all of their practice, his grades, and their tournament successes, she couldn't have been happier with how it all went. Well, maybe she could have beat Lelas. But still.

I hope that next time, you don't have to worry about classes so much. Who knows, maybe you'll be an even better player, too…

The feeling of Ian's lips disappeared. That was it. With a small sigh, she opened her eyes once more.

Ian sat there before her, his clear blue eyes locked on hers. He was smiling, his expression one of excitement tinged with nervousness. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something. But Kaitlyn could only freeze in place.

What.