Volume 4, Chapter 3.5: Hoshizawa's POV 11

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...

"I think that's the dock...?"

As promised, I headed over to the place where Amagasa kun and I would be meeting. I told my friends that I'll be going off somewhere, but they already knew about it since they also saw Amagasa kun left just after I mentioned it. They didn't pressed the matter about it since they thought It'll be a confession. I tried to deny it, but they still wished me luck afterwards...

"...I don't even know myself if it'll be what they also thought..."

...but...Amagasa kun looked serious back then...

...

"Maybe Fay and the others were right?! Oh no! I'm not prepared!"

...

...But its too late to go back now...I might keep Amagasa kun wait for too long...

I put both of my hands in my face to resolve my steel

"Pull yourself together, Miu! You can do this!"

Confession or not, whatever it is, I'll face Amagasa kun head on!

...

As I was headed over to the dock, large piles of rocks and seashells were scattered all over the place

"Oh! I didn't know there's a lot of these in here..."

I only see seashells in books whenever I read one, so this was the first time I've seen one that's not on the books...

Fascinated, I look around to see if there were more...

...

...only to see that there's something even more surprising than the seashells themselves...

In the dock...there were two persons...male and female...the female was on top of the male...and that female turned out to be Maria san...

...!

...and as to my surprise, that male turned out to be-

"A...Amagasa...kun...?"

Amagasa kun and Maria san both looked at me as they heard me

"H-Hoshizawa san?!"

"Oh, its Hoshizawa san"

"Why are you so calm about this?!"

I was too preoccupied that I didn't heard their next lines...

...wait...

...are they even talking to me...?

...

My heart felt as if it sank down the bottom. It was getting harder and harder for me to breathe each time a few seconds pass...

...

...W...why is she on top of...Amagasa kun...?

...

...W-What is this feeling...?

...This feeling that I always experience over and over...

...many times...

...

Ah, I see...Maria san is taking him away from me...

...?

So Maria san lied...hahaha...she lied...she said she doesn't like Amagasa kun! SHE LIED!!!

...is this...me...?

Now she's on top of him?! HOW DARE HER!

I...I see...

...I know I was suppressing it deep within me...

...but...

Amagasa kun! Don't let her bewitch you! She's nothing but a liar!

I...I don't want...Amagasa kun...

I'm not going to let anyone else have you! NO ONE!!!

...to see this side of me...

Amagasa kun...

...

Amagasa kun...

...

AMAGASA KUN!

'When the time comes that you really feel you can't take it anymore, just let it all out to him'

...!

...At that time, I was reminded by Maki's words...

...to let out everything to him...huh...?

...

...The thing within me kept silent once again...

...I wonder if it'll be that simple...if it'll be okay...

...

...if Amagasa kun would accept it...

...

...What if he doesn't...?

...I...

...I...I DON'T WANT THAT!

...

Completely disoriented with my thoughts, Maria san said something that completely struck on to my ears

"Hoshizawa san, sorry about that, I was just teasing you!"

"Huh? Teasing me...?"

Of course she's lying! I saw it with my own two eyes!

...She...she's lying...

"Yeah, I knew you were coming so I went ahead and surprise you with it!"

"..."

Maria san's got the nerve to make up an absurd excuse! I'm not gonna forgive you!

"...You're lyin-!"

I got surprised at Amagasa kun's the sudden smack on the head to Maria san

"Ow! What did you do that for?!"

"Obviously to fix a screw loose on your head! What the heck are you even talking about?!"

"Well what better excuse you could tell to Hoshizawa san right now, huh?!"

"..."

I was right, she was lying about it. So she really was-

Right before the thing inside me was about to convince me, Amagasa kun apologized to me

"I'm sorry, Hoshizawa san, let me explain everything to you!"

"Y-Yes!"

Well...my Amagasa kun doesn't lie...I trust him as he trust me...I should listen...

Amagasa kun's too close! I hope I don't smell bad, especially I just got out from the sea!

...

...and for some reason, that deep feeling within me slowly disappeared after Amagasa kun walked up to me...

...the sunken feeling in my chest was slowly replaced into a fast heartbeat that I couldn't stop...

"I didn't know that Maria here would be here, collecting seashells. At one one point, she stood up in front of me to throw the seashell into the ocean"

"Uwa- you really gonna tell her?"

"Because that's the truth! Anyways, she looked back at me at that time when she suddenly took a step back, causing her to step on a seaweed. I pulled her arm, but I put too much strength to the point that we ended up where you saw us just now"

"Wow! So detailed! You should become a writer, Shun!"

"Can you just shut up for a minute?!"

I see...so everything was just a misunderstanding-

What if...Amagasa kun's just covering up for her...?

"...?"

...

...?!

I quickly looked behind them, only to see a lot of seaweed stacked up on top of another seaweed

...

...so he really wasn't lying...he was trying to protect Maria san at that time...

I knew my Amagasa kun wouldn't lie to me! I love you!

...

...I took a deep breath and looked directly at Amagasa kun once more

"Hoshizawa san...?"

"I see...I trust you, Amagasa kun!"

"You believe me?"

"Yes! I believe you!"

"*Phew* I'm glad! I thought we're a goner when you saw us in that situation!"

"You know...we could've just pulled it off with my excuse"

"I'd rather tell the truth than adding more fuel to the fire"

"Hey! My plan wasn't a bad idea!"

"At least for you!"

Even though they were arguing, Amagasa kun and Maria san seem so close to each other...

...

...they are friends after all...

Amagasa kun looks happy whenever she's with Maria san...

...I wish that was me instead...

"..."

...she said she doesn't like Amagasa kun...I hope she sticks to her word...

'You know if you take too long, he might get taken away from you'

...what's worse was Maria san was the one who said that...

...

'some other girl might fall for him on under the same reason as you!'

No! I won't going to let that happen! No other girl should be with him but me! Me and me only!

...my heart...

...this thing that's inside of me...

...why...

...

...why...am I like this...?

...

...I know what other side of me really wants...

...after all...that's also what I want...

...

...but...I'm afraid that Amagasa kun might hate this side of me!

...But if I don't take action now, what I just saw earlier might happen again for real! 

...

If that happens...It'll be all too late...Amagasa kun will have a girlfriend at that point and it'll not be me...

...

Amagasa kun being the boyfriend of some other girl than me...

...I...

...I...

...

I DON'T WANT THAT!

I DON'T WANT THAT!

Without realizing it, I suddenly grabbed Amagasa kun's hand

"Hoshizawa san...?"

"Eh?!- Ah! Uhm...!"

I was fidgeting at that time when Maria san seemingly took the hint and said something

"Ooooh...Shun, I'll be heading back first, and don't worry, I'll tell that you're having a good time"

"Tell something weird to them and I swear your video games that are stored in the cottage will be gone for good"

"Okay, okay! I was just joking, geez!"

And with that, Maria san left...

...leaving me and Amagasa kun behind...

...

"..."

"..."

"So...Hoshizawa san...why are you holding my hand?"

"Oh! Um! Sorry!"

"Its fine, its fine, I was just a bit surprised, that's all"

I quickly let go of Amagasa kun's hand and tried to let out the words that I want to say to him next

"...I don't like it..."

"Eh?"

Oh no! My inner thoughts leaked out! I didn't meant to say that!

"I-I meant that we aren't done talking yet! We haven't even started yet! And I don't like that...leaving those kinds of important things unfinished..."

"Oh yeah, I also forgot about it. Sorry, how about we talk over there?"

"A-Anywhere's fine with me..."

Especially when its just the two of us!

...

While we were walking, I was blushing so hard that I couldn't help but look down. Thankfully, Amagasa kun didn't notice it since he was ahead of me...

...

...Confession or not, whatever it is...I'm just happy to have this short amount of time to be with Amagasa kun alone...

...

...just the two of us...

...

...this is definitely a moment that I want to have with him...

...

...And a moment that I don't want any other girl to have...

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End of Chapter 3.5