Placing my bag at my desk, Ayase called me again. We went quickly out of the classroom. “Where are we going?” I asked.

Ayase didn’t respond about my question and just proceed on walking. Arriving at the staircase going up the rooftop, she stopped and faced me. “Kira….!!” as if there’s something within her, Ayase leaned to me without a doubt.

I feel her warmth, yet my reflex win against her leaning as I grabbed both of her shoulders. “Woah! Easy there, pal!” I grunt. “What should I do!?”

“Huh?” I asked. Suddenly, she just said my name and now, asking what must she do? Now, what’s her problem? “I… I confessed to my friend! I confessed to Hinako!”

“Huh?” I asked, again. But this time, with surprise. I didn’t expect her to tell outrageous as this. “I said what I truly feel about her!” she exclaimed, tears welled in her eyelids.

“Oh, so what now…?”

“Huh?! Should you at least be sympathetic to your friend here!?”

“No, I mean… I don’t even know what to tell you about it.” I answered. It’s not that I am apathetic to her situation. I don’t know how I should response from what she have said. “For now, let’s calm down first. Okay?”

Ayase dejectedly nods for the response on my thoughts. We both sit above the staircase, near the entrance on the rooftop.

“So, what exactly happened?” I calmly asked. Ayase heaves a tepid sigh, and grabs both her hands. She covers her face with it and mumbles something. “I… I said I like Hinako, and I want to go out with her!”

Though faint, but I clearly heard what she have said. The last time I knew was, she’s in love with Senior Kei. And now, she’s telling this thing. “And what did she said? Hinako?”

Ayase removes her hands from her face and turns to look at me. “She said, I should reaffirm my feelings first. Does it mean she’s rejecting me!?”

“Huh? What the…” This girl is a simple-minded person. Thinking about what the person she likes takes in a negative way. “Tell me! Tell me, Kira! She’s not rejecting me, is she!?”

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Grabbing my collar, Ayase pleads. “Woah! Ayase! Take it easy!” I grabbed both of her hands and pushes her away. “First things, first. Does she know you’re in love with Senior Kei?”

“Huh? Oh yeah…” her complexion clears after answering me. “But it doesn’t matter now, right? I mean, Senior Sakagami likes you, and you also like her, right?”

“Huh?” Diverting the topic real quick. She’s clever, huh. “Uhm, let’s stay to the topic, please?” I bashfully responded to her. “Oh, why is that? Senior Sakagami likes you, and she’s pretty.”

“No, that’s not the question here. Ayase. You see, you want to make sure Hinako doesn’t reject you, right?”

Ayase nods. I sigh and looked down. “To be honest, if I’m Hinako, I’ll also tell the same thing about you.”

“Huh?”

I look at her again, as she shows a disgusted look. “Hey, don’t take that literally.” I grunted. “I’m just kidding!” Ayase grins at me, but slowly gets serious again.

“Well, you said you liked Senior Kei before. And now you have a change of heart, having feelings suddenly for Hinako.”

“Yeah. And that time I realized, the times I've been admiring someone, there’s a person within my reach that has been looking after me.”

Feelings aren’t always right at point. Sometimes, it change without knowing, and with times, it just have the way we can realize that one thing is really we want to have all along.

“So, you’re telling Hinako doesn’t rejecting me, right?”

“Huh? Does she?” I asked and show a menacing smile.

“You’re an asshole, you know?”

Ayase grunts, but she smiles at me. “Thank you, Kira.”

“For what?” I asked. “For listening to me. Also, right now… I still have lingering feelings for Senior Sakagami. But whenever I see her smiling with you, I am just as happy as how she should be.”

“Huh.”

“And you haven’t answered my question yet,” she grins at me and leans forward. “Why should I answer your question? And don’t lean forward, please. Personal space, you know.”

“C’mon, spill it out! Tell me about you and Senior Sakagami!” Ayase insisted. Looks like this woman won’t stop bothering me until I give an answer. Yeah, right. Since that day I knew Kei have feelings for me, I got overwhelmed.

The moment we have spent together, even if it’s just for awhile, gives a spark in me. Within the thought I don’t want to get involved with anyone anymore, that thaws when she kissed me.

No, let’s not recall that. It makes me feel more embarrassed. And though, I said I will face these ambiguous feelings, there’s no still clear answer to give.

“I’m still sorting my feelings out,” I answered, clasping my hands and fingers entwined. “I want to make things clear out for me before telling Senior Kei what I truly feel.”

Ayase nods after she hears my response. “You better clear it up. Girls aren’t much fond of waiting, you know…?”

“But if she truly likes me, she’ll wait no matter how long it takes, right?” I replied. Both of us chuckled after.

That kind of thinking is a foolish one; making a person wait to affirm someone’s feelings before giving a proper response. But what can someone say? A person whose in love is foolish, no matter what words you say.

“The chime rings, let’s go back to our class.” Ayase stands and runs downstairs. I followed suit and we both leave the area without a trace.