“Um…I’m okay, I’m not really hungry.”

Koike-senpai slowly took away the ice cream in front of me. “Well, okay, it’s your loss…this flavor is really hard to find…” Then he smiled. “Do you want anything, Horikita-san?”

I shook my head. “Thanks.”

He’s…still holding my hand.

I don’t know why. I’m trying to smile, but I can’t do it nicely. I mean, this is supposed to be a dream come true. I was even tutored by Tegoshi for this—

…

Tegoshi…

…

Is he there waiting for me? Right now?

“…hah…”

“Horikita-san? Is there something wrong? I…” Koike-senpai looked at me.

…

Am I crying? Why? WHY AM I CRYING RIGHT NOW?!

“I don’t know!” I yelled. Everyone looked. I gasped and looked at senpai. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t…”  Then, he let go of my hand and smiled. “Let’s go. It’s getting dark outside.”

He walked ahead of me, towards the glass door. I followed like I was an obedient dog. …

Dog…

Am I…senpai’s dog now? Tegoshi isn’t ordering me around like he’s my master anymore. But…

“Um, senpai—“

He grabbed my wrists and pushed me toward a wall beside the small store. “Ah! S-Senpai?!”

He looked at me from head to toe then smiled. He didn’t look at my face. His grip was strong. Tears were starting to travel down my cheeks. “Senpai, you’re s-scaring me—“

“Do you like me?”

Eh…?

“…Maki…chan….do you like me?”

Why…now…? He even called me by my name…

And…I knew the answer to that…right?

Why can’t I answer it now? My mind is going to explode…

“I-I…”

Then he let go of my wrists and dropped to the ground laughing. “What was that pause for…? I know silence means yes, but that probably meant the opposite…” Then he looked at the street and said in a weak voice, “And I thought I was going to get what I wanted…”

I couldn’t say anything. But what he said means that…he likes me too…

“Koike-senpai, I l-like you t—“

“Go to the park.”

“Eh?”

He stood up and looked at me. “Talk to him. He’s probably going to say something. And…what you said to me just now was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be ‘I like you’…”

Then he smiled at me bitterly. “It was supposed to be ‘I liked you’.”