"If you want me to keep your relationship a secret, Kazu has to go on a date with me!" She points at Kiriyu, his eyes widening by surprise. 

"Huh...?" The both say in unison. "...What!?" The two immediately turn to face one-another, both shocked by what Hina had just said.

Kiriyu points at himself as he turns back to his childhood friend as if he had heard wrong. Maybe she meant something else, not a date. Maybe he misheard his name for Sensei's, or something like that. Maybe she didn't say anything shock-worthy at all; though, that was unlikely as Miss Sakurai was also shocked. "...Me?" He asks.

"Mmm, that's right." She added a nob as she spoke.

Kiriyu hadn't heard wrong, he heard exactly what he thought did. He wished she would say she was just kidding, but she didn't. He wished he just misheard and she actually said something else. But... that wasn't true.  There was a silence. She had a small, almost invisible smile on her face while the other two still couldn't speak, unsure what to even say. It was as if they had lost the ability to speak.

Kiriyu opens his mouth to say something but, the words just wouldn't come out. What could he say? What should he say? How should he phrase it? He came up with different ways to phrase what he was going to say, but, in end, they were all the same. They just didn't work. They all came back to one answer. 

Now that he thinks about it, the questions pretty much felt and sounded somewhat the same, they were just phrased in a different manner.

He quit. No more thinking. He was done thinking about something that might or might not be useful.

He leans his body forward, the tips of his fingers held against his other hands fingers. He closes his eyes and then soon opens them after a couple of seconds. 

"Are you serious?" He finally asks. What was the point of racking his head around this, it may just be a little prank of hers. In all the years they've been together, she hasn't really played any, but, she might have suddenly found an 'interest' in it. Her attitude was also a little strange. She normally isn't like this.

Because of all those components, he truly believed it had to be a small, harmless joke. Well, at least more then half of him did, the other half was in turmoil. It couldn't come to a decision, as if it was being defensive. 

After all, he knew something like this might happen eventually and because of that, he wasn't really sure whether it was a joke or not. But, it was still Hina we were talking about. The girl that had always been kind and caring towards him. Even in his darkest days. As he was suffering from the dullness of the world, suffering from the feeling of infinite time, she was always there beside him with her cheerful smile.

"Of course." She smiles, tilting her head to the side. It didn't seem she was lying, at all. She was completely serious.

"...Why me? Why a date?" The questions he was planning on not saying at all just came out of his mouth without his consent. He was surprised and was on the verge of saying 'Never mind'- but then he didn't.

She didn't say anything. Her mouth was closed shut as she looked down at the floor.

"...No reason? I just..." She looks up, thinking what to add next, her index finger on her chin. "...Wanted to have some fun. I guess?" She smiles as she brings her gaze back to him. He doesn't react. His expression was blank, as if he was waiting for her to continue sentence.

Hina didn't seem like she was going to back off anytime soon- or even, ever. 

Kiriyu was stuck between two choices; does he accept the date, or, does he decline it?

They were impossible choices to choose between. If he accepts her deal, then he this will all be resolved and he gets to continue his relationship with Miss Sakurai, but, if he declines, then who knows what might happen. Logically, accepting would be the best option- but... 

He turns his head and looks at Miss Sakurai as he didn't- as he couldn't come to a decision himself. 

She looked surprised as he turned to her. She looks to side, also not sure.

Kiriyu's mouth was left split apart as she turned away. It felt like she was upset with him or was rejecting him: as if she hated him. He turns his attention away from her, a little hurt, and looks back at Hina after having a couple of seconds to think of his answer.

"Fine. I'll go on a date with you." He looked Hina in the eye, his facial expression and tone, serious.

Miss Sakurai flinches and then looks down before she looks up at Hina as well.

Miss Sakurai felt a weird and uncomfortable feeling rummaging inside of her and a weird pain-like feeling coming from her heart. She ignores the feeling though.

She had a small hint as to why she was having it- even though she knows this is for the best in terms of keeping their relationship- she couldn't throw this feeling away.

"Great! Alright! Since tomorrow is a weekend, lets go tomorrow. Kazu, I'll text you the details later," Hina stood up and collects her bag and then turns around. "Well, see you tomorrow~" She waves while looking behind her shoulder and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Kiriyu and Miss Sakurai were left behind with an awkward and suffocating silence.

Kiriyu turns to Miss Sakurai, hoping to smoothen things out. He understood a little bit as to how she felt. Only a tiny bit. He couldn't say he fully understood how she felt- he's never been in this situation. A situation where your BF is going on a date with another girl- or rather, in his case, it would be, when your GF is going on a date with another man.

Just the thought of this happening to her- the thought of her being taken away from him made his blood boil. The worst part was that he could vividly imagine it. 

He could vividly imagine her with another man, handsome and much older then he was. If she went with that man, she wouldn't need to suffer by hiding her love, she could openly display her feelings. They could do all kinds of things; go on dates, embrace each other and then... kiss each other. She wouldn't have to worry about her reputation and stuff as a teacher. Everyone would also be able to accept her relationship. Except him.

Suddenly, the image became too clear, enveloping him a strong and fierce rage. His eyes widened and his teeth were clenched so tightly it felt as if they were gonna break apart.

He then felt a little sad at the thought of her being taken away, but hid it. He one, didn't want her to worry, and two, that doesn't matter right now. Right now, he has to straighten things out. He has to explain his true intentions by accepting the date with Hina. He didn't accept it because Hina was really, really cute and he really really, really, wanted to go on a date no matter. No, he took up her offer because he was left with no other choice and accepting was the only way to preserve their relationship.

"Sensei, I'm-" He try explaining what had just happened. 

"It's getting quite late. I better get going home, I still have lots of marking to finish," She slowly stands up and grabs her stuff.

"I-" Kiriyu was cut off once again.

"You should go home as well. Everyone else already left and plus, it's better to get home early and finish the homework I gave today. I'll be really mad if you don't finish it, you know." She steadily leaves the room along with her belongings. 

Her presence in the room and the sound of her footsteps as she ran through the silent hallway slowly vanished. Slowly, but surely. So slow it was almost painful.

"Sensei..." He called, reaching his hand forward, towards something, as if- if he reached a little further, he could stop her. Get her back.

He leans back against his seat and lets out a soft sigh and then looked up at the classroom ceiling. 

He sat there thinking in the quiet and empty classroom, all alone for quite a bit of time.

After a while, he thought it was time for him to go home. It's been a hectic day- and week. Even on his day off, he'll be busy. 

He let out another sigh, this time both with a hint of sadness and exhaustion as he left the classroom and made his way down the empty halls.

---

He lays down against bed after throwing his bag on the floor and changing. 

He couldn't forget what happened. 

Also, according to his knowledge, a date was when a couple hangout and have fun together. And... he's going on one of these dates with Hina...

It doesn't count! He says to himself. We're just friends- childhood friends, it doesn't count! We're just hanging out! He didn't want to think his first date was gonna be with Hina. As feminine as it may seem, he wished for his first date to be with Miss Sakurai.

It's not like he hated Hina or anything- If anything, he actually liked her- as a friend, but he still wanted the first to be with Miss Sakurai- for whatever reason.

Also, there was another reason he didn't want to admit it counted, if it even does- going on this date- with another women, felt as if he was doing something behind Miss Sakurai's back- or in simpler terms- it felt as if he was cheating on her. He didn't like the thought one bit. He already had Miss Sakurai, he didn't need another.

Hm? Wait, since couples are usually people that like each other- and, since Hina and I are going on a date: something couples do- could it be... she...

No no, no, that's impossible. She's probably just calling a date under the pretense of just hanging out. That's right! Don't get ahead of yourself just because you have a girlfriend! Hm? A girlfriend, eh. Hehehe~ He was quite fond of the thought, forgetting about how it- the conversation with himself came to talking girlfriends and whatnot. 

Now that he thinks about it, the two haven't been hanging out that much since Miss Sakurai accepted Kiriyu's confession. Though, recently they've been hanging out a little more then before. For example, when she went to his house to study or when he went her house, to visit.

Well, it couldn't be helped. They're almost third years and final exams for the seconds years- of course, including Kiriyu and Hina- were right around the corner.

Suddenly- for whatever reason- the image of Miss Sakurai came to his mind, how she looked before and after he accepted the date with Hina. That sad expression... he didn't like it at all. It was just... too much. It almost hurt. He bit down on his lower lip at the thought. 

When he was in the classroom he hadn't thought much about her expression as it wasn't as important in that moment, but now that he was all by himself, the emotions came creeping in. 

But still, it was for the best that he took up her offer. They don't know what might happen if they declined her offer. It was far too risky. It was far better for her to be mad at him for them to break up. That, he knew for sure. If they broke up, that's it. But, if they were just fighting, then they could make up. Of course, that doesn't mean he wants to be in an argument with her. He had a good feeling he would lose- pretty darn easily actually. He had a really good feeling he would be overwhelmed by her 'power'(the power of her words).

He couldn't handle it anymore. Something had to be done. At this rate, she might start hating him. Of course, just any other person- he would rather not be hated on. 

He sits upright on the bed and reaches for his phone on his bed top.

He taps on her icon and sends her a message explaining what happened and why he accepted Hina's offer. He felt a little worried and almost... restless. Will she really look at the message?

---

Miss Sakurai stood up and made her way out of her rooms door, closing it behind it. She suddenly feels her phone- that was in pocket, vibrate.

She pulls it out and looks at it, her back facing the door.

She notices it's a message from Kiriyu-kun and hesitates to look- to tap it for a second. For whatever reason- a reason she didn't even know herself- she didn't feel like looking at it. Maybe because she was still a little upset or because she felt a tiny bit betrayed or maybe none of those. Maybe she just didn't feel like it.

It could just be her mind slowly collapsing because of all the stressful and just in general, all the things that's been happening recently.

Unlike Kiriyu, she also has her job as a teacher to worry about: preparing all the lessons for the students and marking assignments. That was her job. She not only had the thing with Hina finding out about their relationship, but her own job to worry about.

There must be something wrong with me. She's lets out a deep sigh. She's normally more cool headed.

She pressed on the message notification, displaying his message.  

'I'm sorry about today. I didn't accept the date with Hinata-san because I had alternative motives. It's just... this is the only way for our relationship to continue. I'm sorry. I understand why you might be upset or even or angry. But... please forgive me.' 

She leans against the door, her gaze down at the floor with her forearm on her forehead, her phone held in her other hand.

What's wrong with me? He was just to trying help us and yet... I... Why am I like this? She says, disappointed in herself. She was a little- okay, more then just a little upset when he accepted her date. Although, she thought it was just jealousy taking over, she couldn't get rid of the unpleasant feeling and so, it got worse and worse, boggling her mind.

She was even more disappointed in herself after she remembered Kiriyu trying to smoothen things out- before she ignored him and left the classroom so she can go home for the day. She could feel a teardrop pouring out of her eyes as she reads over the message again. The clear teardrop slides down her porcelain cheeks and a couple of drops fall on her phones screen.

Kiriyu-kun, I'm sorry for being such a bad person...