73 - Ayaka Tōjō's Love⑥

RAW

This summer break has been like a dream, with Haruto-kun coming to help with household chores. My heart has been fluttering every day.

Falling in love with him made every moment feel exciting.

We made so many memories together this summer—movies, the zoo, barbecues, dates, and camping.

Every moment spent with him was so joyful... maybe that’s why I got the wrong idea. I thought Haruto-kun was enjoying it just as much as I was.

As the days passed, my feelings for him grew deeper. I started to hope that maybe he felt the same way about me.

But I was wrong.

It was just me getting carried away.

To Haruto-kun, I was just a "client" he was helping with chores...

"Haah..."

Of course. If a client tries to kiss you out of nowhere, running away is the natural reaction.

I felt like my heart, which had been soaring, had suddenly crashed to the ground. I opened my phone and tapped the chat app.

I called my friend, Saki Aizawa.

"Hey, what's up?"

Her cheerful voice came through instantly.

"I... I think I’ve been rejected..."

"What? Wait, what! Rejected? What happened?!"

Saki's shocked voice echoed through the speaker. Just hearing the word "rejected" made my chest tighten painfully.

"Ugh..."

"Hold on, Ayaka, are you okay? What happened with Otsuki-kun?"

I struggled to hold back the tears. Saki’s concerned voice gave me a small sense of comfort.

"I... I couldn’t hold back my feelings anymore... I... I tried to kiss him... but he... he avoided me..."

After that, Haruto-kun started avoiding me. Even remembering it now feels like my heart is being torn apart.

"Wait, wait! You tried to kiss Otsuki-kun, and he pulled away?"

"...Yeah."

"What was he like afterward?"

"He... became distant... like he was avoiding me..."

I didn’t want to keep talking about it; it felt like I might break down.

"Maybe... maybe I was just a client to him... I’m so stupid for getting carried away."

"Ayaka? Calm down for a second."

"Haruto-kun doesn’t care about me..."

"Stop! Breathe! Take a deep breath. In... out... in... out..."

I followed Saki’s instructions, breathing in and out. I didn’t want to think anymore.

"Feeling better?"

"...A little."

I was still on the verge of breaking down, but talking to Saki helped.

"Okay, can you tell me more about what happened?"

"...Yeah..."

I told her everything, pausing several times. After listening, she spoke carefully.

"From what you’ve told me, I don’t think it’s over yet."

"Really? But he’s avoiding me..."

"I think he just got scared."

"Scared?"

"Yeah. I watched you two at the barbecue and the camping trip. I’m sure he likes you."

"But he avoided my kiss..."

"If it were just a regular kiss, that might be different."

"Regular? What other kind of kiss is there?"

"Well, you were on top of him, right? That’s more like a scene from a romance manga!"

I... I guess I did end up on top of him...

"And didn’t you say he’s never had a girlfriend before?"

"Yeah."

"Then it’s natural for him to panic. If he’d responded eagerly, that would’ve been weirder."

"Really? But then why did he avoid me afterward?"

"That’s what we call 'love avoidance.'"

"Love... avoidance?"

It’s something I’d only read about in romance manga. Does it really exist?

"My guess is, he likes you, but after you pinned him down, he couldn’t stop thinking about it."

"I wasn’t trying to pin him down... It was an accident!"

"Accident or not, it left a strong impression."

Was that it...? Maybe I haven’t been rejected after all?

"Imagine if Haruto-kun had pinned you down and tried to kiss you."

"Th-That would..."

I’d probably be too flustered to handle it. I might even avoid him too...

"So see? You haven’t been rejected."

"You really think so?"

"Definitely!"

Her encouragement lifted my spirits.

"But how do I talk to him now?"

"Hmm..."

Just then, a message notification popped up. My heart skipped a beat.

"Saki! Haruto-kun just messaged me!"

"Oh? What’s it say?"

I checked, my heart pounding.

"‘Sorry it’s late. Can we talk about today?’"

"Oh! He reached out first! Want to hang up?"

"Yeah... Thanks."

"Go get him!"

I ended the call and replied, my fingers shaking.

— Yeah, I’m free.

The read receipt appeared instantly. My heart raced as he called.

"...Hello?"

"Sorry for calling so late."

"It’s okay."

His voice was tense, making me nervous.

"I... want to talk about what happened today."

"I... I do too. Can we meet now?"

"Okay. Where?"

"How about the park near my house?"

"Sure. I’ll be there soon."

"Okay... See you."

As I hung up, fear and hope swirled inside me. I wouldn’t let this end without telling him my feelings.

I called Saki back.

"How’d it go?"

"We’re meeting."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Saki... I’m going to confess."

She gasped.

"Don’t apologize! I’ve been giving bad advice. You should’ve said something earlier."

"No. You helped me so much. Thank you."

"...Ayaka."

"Yeah?"

"Good luck!"

"Thanks!"

I felt ready. I wouldn’t let fear win. I had to tell him.

I stepped out, ready to face my first love.

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Ayaka's enthusiasm for Haruto: I want to express these feelings to you