Keito is determined now. He’s going to continue her feelings for Okai and now, he’s going to their house to tell it to her. Whether she rejects him away… still he’s going to be by her side, hoping that Okai will develop a special feeling for him. That’s how he loves her.

 

Keito gulps before to ring the doorbell. Old man Kitagawa goes outside and sees him by the gate. The Old man shows a worried look and Keito just furrowed his eyebrows.

 

“Kitagawa-san, Konnichiwa! Anou… can I go see Okai?” he said behind his curiosity to the Old man’s worried look.

“Okamoto-kun… about her…” the Old man hesitated as he lowered his eyes.

 

Keito just looks at him, waiting him to continue. “She’s not here… she’s at the plaza, waiting for…”  

 

The Old man hesitates to continue but Keito still looking at him, waiting to finish his sentence. Then the Old man managed to looks at him.

 

“She’s at the plaza… waiting for Nakajima.” he directly said.

 

Keito’s eyes got big. Why is she waiting there for him? At this snowy day? And is there still a possibility that he will show up to her? Since, Yuto walked out on that day he knew about Okai’s condition…

 

“Okamoto-kun…”

 

The Old man popped out his thoughts. “I’m really worried to her now… the snow is falling really hard and… I don’t think that Nakajima will—

 

The Old man’s sentence was finished when Keito immediately runs away, leaving the Old man in blank and just follows him by his eyes.

 

Without any thought, Keito runs, going to the plaza where Okai is. Earlier, he just decided to stay by her side… until Okai realizes his feelings and now… he’s going to prove that. He’s going there… to save her from the cold she’s feeling towards Yuto, besides from the cold due to the falling snow.

 

‘I will love her… more than he could….’ he said on his thoughts, as he runs.

*****************************************************************************

Yuto stops from running and looks around. He’s now at the plaza yet, he can’t find Okai. There is a crowded of people everywhere and it’s very cold. He looks at his watch. It’s almost 5:00pm yet; they supposed to meet up by 4pm.

 

‘Did she go home already?’ he thought.

 

He looks around again, trying to find her in the crowd of people. Yuto feels cold and rubs both of his hands, trying to heat them up a bit, to feel warm. Then he stops to think something… what if Okai is still here and feeling cold as he is now? Then… it will be bad for her condition… what if…?

 

He stops to his WHAT IF’s and immediately looks around again in worried, almost in panic.

“Mou…Chisa! Where are you?” he said in annoy.

 

Annoyed because… he’s not beside her at that moment, to protect her from cold. He feels really annoyed to himself.

 

Suddenly, he sees a tip of a bonnet not far from him. The one who owns that bonnet is sitting on a bench. He doesn’t know why… but his eyes were stuck on that bonnet. Then the owner stands from a sit and it’s a girl. He became move and watches her. When the girl faces his way… Yuto eye’s got big as she sees Okai as the one who’s wearing that bonnet. He was lightened but he was stopped too to see her face in pale, as she rubs her both hands to ease the cold.

**************************************************************************

As Okai rubs her both hands, she looks around, still hoping for Yuto to show up. But it’s already 5pm and there’s still no sign of him. She was about to sit again when she feels something in her again. She reaches her chest, feeling pain again on it.

 

‘Not now…’ she said on her thought.

 

But the pains are still there and now she’s having hard time breathing. She feels really hurt and going to lose her balance. She was about to fall when someone catches her behind. She was stopped and looks up. She sees Yuto, holding her in his arms.

 

“Yuto!” Okai exclaimed in both amazed and shock.

 

But Yuto just looks at her. Suddenly, the pain that she’s feeling earlier gone, as she feels Yuto’s warmth. She let go of his hold, still looking up at him.

 

Yuto let a weak smile, as he looks down at her. “Chisa… I’m sorry. I’m sorry because I became a coward… I’m just… I’m just...” Yuto can’t continue because of his tears that are threatening to fall. “I became afraid of being hurt… I became selfish. I’m sorry… But now…” he pauses for a moment. “I came here because… I’m now afraid to lose you.” he finally uttered behind his tears.

 

Okai didn’t control her tears too and just let a smile. She wipes Yuto’s tears.

 

“No… Yuto, thank you… because you came back… You came back… to catch me.”

 

They both chuckles as they hug each other. “Thank you for always catching me… when I always fall.” Okai murmured as she feels his warmth.

 

Yuto’s eyebrows got furrowed and let go of her hold for a moment. He gives Okai a questioned look.

 

“Yes… Yuto. You’re always catching me when I always fall… like now… you made me fall in love again… but, you catch me.” Okai said behind her smile.

 

Yuto let a wide smile and wipes the rest of his tears like a child. And they both chuckle.

****************************************************************************

Maggie, who secretly followed Yuto, is watching them having their sweet scene just in a distance. She feels hurt yet, happier…

 

She let a smile as she watches those two. Then she looks to her side noticing Keito, who just came right at that moment. He was stopped at her side, finally noticing Yuto and Okai hugging in a distance. Maggie observes him, as he looks at the two. She saw him when he clenched his fist. He was about to go to them, when Maggie stops him by blocking his way, using her arm.

 

Keito looks at her, eyebrows were furrowed. His looks turn in to confuse as he looks at her. Then Maggie faced him, letting a grin.

 

“Okamoto Keito… right?” asked Maggie in delight.

 

She knew him because Yuto always includes his name whenever he talks about Okai. And based on Yuto’s tone as he tells it… Keito is his rival towards Okai. And he just saw Okai with Keito in the start of their school days. So, that’s why she got easily read the mood, surrounding Keito earlier.

 

Keito just nodded in blank. He doesn’t know her at all. But Maggie let a friendly grin again… which made him more confuse.

 

“Fukushiba Maggie desu. Yoroshiku~”

Then she turns her look at them, still letting a smile. “Anou… seeing them like that is nice ne?” she uttered as Keito still looking at her in blank.

 

“And you know what… I’m really in love with that boy! That’s why I let him go…” she continued.

 

Keito became move on what she said and turns his look at Yuto and Okai too, in a distance. 

 

“Don’t you think… seeing the one you love, smiling like that… makes you happy too?” she pauses for a moment to turn her look at Keito again.

 

“The only sad part is… WE are not reasons behind those smiles. So… to be included in his happiness… I let him go. I let him go because… that will make him happy. Just by thinking that… I feel happy too and relieved, because at least I can stay by his side, loving him.”

 

Keito felt awakened on what she said. He slowly turns his look again at Maggie, who’s smiling in front of him. Then he lowered his eyes, clenching his fist. It’s still hard for him to observe what she said.

 

Maggie noticed his silence. She slowly puts her hand in his one shoulder that made Keito looks at her. She let a wide smile… with tears that are threatening to fall.

 

“Okamoto-kun… don’t you think… it’s time to give up.”

 

Keito shows a startled face. “Don’t worry… we just think that we lose in this game called… LOVE. But you know what… seeing them with those smiles makes us WIN, because… we are part of them and they know that. We let them go… to see those smiles. And we WIN.” Maggie continued.

 

Keito tends to move away from her, tears are now threatening to fall. “Okamoto-kun, will you give up with me?”

He was stopped on what she asked. Suddenly, Maggie became move, realizing what she said. She got blush too.

 

“I mean… let’s give up together.” She immediately said to avoid misinterpretation.

 

After a bit silence. “I don’t know… I’m not strong as you are, Fukushiba-san.” He said then let a smile.

 

Maggie became move again then Keito started to leave, without paying a look at Yuto and Okai anymore. Maggie just follows him by her eyes in blank. Keito looks back at her that made her startled.

 

“Fukushiba-san… you know what? You’re really cute when you’re in love… but seeing you saying things like give up… you really look mature ne ~ Someday… I wanna be like you. See you at school!” he said with his smile.

 

Maggie shows a startled face then immediately turns away, blushing. Is that a compliment? She wondered.

 

Keito continues to leave but still Maggie is thinking what he said earlier.

***************************************************************************

Evening came; the cold from a snowy night still lingers on to them. Okai feels Yuto’s cold hands as he holds hers. Then she realized the red paper she’s holding. It is then she remembered that she’s going to give that to Yuto but, it didn’t come up to her mind. She’s very enjoying the moment that they’re walking together, hands are intertwined, that she didn’t remember the gift she’s holding for him.

 

Okai stops from walking and it made Yuto in wonder. They are just looking at each other, as crowded of people passes by. Okai let go of his hand for a moment then turns to the paper bag she’s holding. Yuto just watches her. Then a pair of blue knitted gloves showed up in his sight. Okai puts it in both of his hand, as Yuto watches her in blank.

 

After putting it on to him, she let a smile. “It really fits you… yokatta ~” she muttered.

 

“C-chisa… anou…” Yuto just uttered.

 

Then Okai looks up to him. Her eyes got widened to see Yuto in teary. “Yuto, what’s with the tears?!” she exclaimed.

 

“Because, now is Chisa’s birthday and… instead of me, giving her a gift. Chisa gave me these gloves as a gift. And I don’t have anything to give Chisa…. I’m really sorry. I’m such a useless boyfriend.” he said, pouting like a child.

 

Okai let a chuckle. “But you already gave me my precious gift ne ~”

 

Yuto stops from whining and looks at her. He became startled, as Okai touches his face with both of her hands.

 

“Thank you for not leaving me, Yuto. And you… being here with me… in this cold snowy night. Is the warmest gift I ever had… this is the most precious gift that you will ever gave me, Yuto…” she said, tears threatening to fall.

 

Yuto’s face became calm but his tears get more obvious. He removes her hands away from his face and gently holds it.

 

“Chisa… I’m really sorry because I left you that day… but leaving you… made me realize. How much I can’t live without you… how much I love you. And I will never ever leave your side again…never.”

 

Tears started to fall from their eyes but Okai can’t help but smile. It made Yuto smiles too, even tears falling from his face. As they noticed each other’s crying face… they both let a chuckle and just hug each other, in the middle of a crowded people passing them.