“Ren, do you plan to make me your girlfriend?”

Wakana’s serious expression, her slightly red cheeks… she was clearly different from her usual calm self.

I was taken aback. Even though she had heard my conversation with Matsumoto-senpai, I didn’t expect her to say something like that herself.

Upon seeing my face, Wakana quickly looked away and was flustered.

“I'm sorry, just forget I said that.”

She started to turn around.

“Wait!”

I grabbed her wrist instinctively.

“Are you serious?”

“I don’t even know if I’m serious yet.”

She lowered her eyes and let out a small sigh.

“I’ve never been in love before. I don’t really understand what it feels like to like a boy.”

“Wakana…”

“But, I don’t want Matsumoto-senpai or anyone else as my boyfriend. But if I imagine you as my boyfriend… It’s not unpleasant.”

I searched for words and looked at her cheeks. The wind blew, making her bangs sway gently.

“One thing I can say for sure is, I like you, Ren.”

After hearing that, I felt a small jump in my chest.

“I don’t know if it’s love in the proper sense, but I want to stay with you even when we grow up.”

Her cheeks were lightly flushed.

I felt a warm heat spread through my chest.

“I'm sorry for saying something weird.”

“Don’t apologize.”

I looked her straight in the eyes.

“I honestly don’t fully understand love either. But being with you makes me feel at ease… In this messed-up world, being with you feels the same as it always did.”

Wakana slowly raised her face.

“Let’s try taking things slow, in our own way?”

“...?”

“Let’s not jump straight into being a couple. Let’s take it slow, at our own pace. If it doesn’t work out, we can stop. But if it goes well—”

I stopped mid-sentence. Wakana’s eyes widened slightly, then she let out a small laugh.

“…Marriage?”

“N-no, m-maybe.. No, if it goes well.”

“Ren, you’re too fast.”

“You’re the one who said it first!”

I said it a bit more sharply. A gentle breeze blew, and the rustle of the trees and distant laughter wrapped around us naturally.

“So does that mean I’m your girlfriend now?”

“W-well, sort of?”

“Sort of?”

“No, not sort of, you’re really my girlfriend.”

I corrected myself quickly, and Wakana gave a small smile.

“Then can we do something… like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“…Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Like we used to… holding hands. I want to hold your hand.”

“O-okay.”

I slowly reached out my right hand and gently held hers.

It was soft and a little cold at first, but warmth spread quickly.

“Your hands have gotten smaller than before.”

“Ren has just grown bigger.”

Wakana smiled. Our hands squeezed a little tighter.

She looked away shyly, then peeked at me again.

We stayed quiet for a while, holding hands. The silence didn’t feel uncomfortable. It was probably because we’d been side by side like this since we were kids.

“…Being like this reminds me of the summer festival.”

Wakana muttered softly.

“The summer festival?”

“When we were in fifth grade. You held my hand then, too, so I wouldn’t get swept away in the crowd.”

“Ah… yeah, I remember that.”

“And when I dropped my yakisoba and cried, you gave me yours.”

“Did I…”

“Yeah.”

I looked away as I tried to hide my embarrassment, and Wakana let out a soft laugh.

“I remember my heart skipping a beat back then, too. But I didn’t want you to notice, so I just started talking about old memories to cover it up.”

“So… are you covering it up now, too?”

“…That’s a secret.”

Wakana stared at our hands and gently moved her fingertips across my palm.

My heart skipped. My face was probably red too.

The wind blew again, and her hair brushed against my cheek. I unconsciously leaned a little closer to her shoulder.

“I want to know more about you, Ren... More and more.”

“Me too.”

Wakana nodded, and we smiled at each other while still holding hands.

Chapter 14: "In the End, My Childhood Friend Is the Best Match"