Arisu had a serious expression on her face when I walked into the classroom the next day. I could feel her eyes on me. I finally turned to her and asked, "What?"

"You're confessing to Syo-chi, right?" Arisu asked excitedly.

"...who told you?" I asked, although I have a pretty good idea who.

"I have my sources." Arisu said mysteriously, but she knew I knew who this 'source' was. I had a cold look. Arisu gritted her teeth, but she was smiling. "Isa-yan (from Ashikaga-kun's first name, Isao) is dead..."

I disregarded the latter half. "I am..." I replied, trying to hide any emotion. Become Hamasaki-kun. Become one without emotions. I have no desires...

"Yay! This is exciting!" Arisu cheered. "Takin! TAKIN!"

Hamasaki-kun was obviously ignoring her.

"TAKI-TAKIYO-TAKIN!!" Arisu babbled, and I saw Hamasaki-kun jump. He slammed down his book and turned to glare at her. "What is that?!!" he demanded.

"Yay, I have your attention." Arisu said cheerily. "Guess what? Hikarin is..."

I slapped my hand over her mouth. "You don't need to announce it to him!" I hissed, and Hamasaki-kun eyed me curiously.

Arisu thought for a while, then nodded. I removed my hand, and then Arisu took a deep breath. She was going to announce it to the class. "HIKARIN IS GONNA CONFESS TO SYO-CHI TODAY!!"

She's the devil, I say.

I nearly had a heart attack. Everyone stared at me, and I looked around. Then I crumpled in relief. Teruya-kun wasn't in the classroom. But now I had this class to deal with.

"...what?"

"Eh?? Sakura-chan, really?"

"Wow, amazing!"

"Good luck, Sakura!"

"Wow, we're rooting for you!"

"What?! You'll be a cute couple!"

"Yay! I knew it!"

"Calm down, don't get your hopes high!" I yelled.

"What's happening?"

Teruya-kun walked into the classroom, looking confused, along with Ashikaga-kun. Ashikaga-kun looked at me and then gave me the thumbs-up.

"Nothing." The entire class chorused, but they had these ridiculous, sly grins on their faces. Now I see what Arisu was trying to do. She was going to put the weight of the entire class on me so that I couldn't back down in case I wanted to.

Sometimes, I wish to open Arisu's head and see what's inside.

***

I was practically kicked out of the classroom during break. Then I was shoved down the hallway, all the way to the 'spot' Arisu had picked for me. Then they disappeared as quick as lightning. But, I knew they were all watching from somewhere, with those evil grins on their faces!

I waited nervously. My heart was practically beating out of my chest. My palms were all sweaty. When he arrived at last, I was almost convinced my heart had leaped out of my chest.

"Yo, Sakura-san!" Teruya-kun called, walking towards me. "Arisu told me you wanted to tell me about something." He stopped in front of me. "What is it?"

That face is giving me cold feet. I honestly feel sorry for the girls who confessed to him without knowing his true nature.

I clenched my fist. There should be no beating around the bush. It should be nice and quick. I want to get it over with and move on. I took a deep breath, and my eyes were squeezed shut.

"I LIKE YOU, TERUYA-KUN!" I yelled.

I didn't want to see it. Now it was done. I didn't want to hear those words. I want to run away. But I had to face myself with it, otherwise I'll never move on. I need it to be told straight to my face. I had to look up to his look of surprise, then his smile, and then he would thank me, and reject me. Then it will be done. Just like he had done for any other girl.

When I did gather to courage to look up, I did not expect to be greeted by this. His initial smile was still there, but it was like it was melting off his face, as he very slowly comprehended what I said. It looked like his brain had stopped working.

"... Teruya-kun?"

He jumped. Then he shook his head, and pressed one hand to his head. I didn't understand. Why hasn't he rejected me yet? Why was he stalling, and thinking?

"Teruya-kun?" I asked, voice quivering. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

I had to hear his reply. Otherwise I'll never move on.

He realised he needed to give me his reply. He very carefully tried not to look at me.

"Sorry, Sakura-san." he said, oddly pulling on his sleeves. "...I really don't know what to say. Um..."

I watched him, confused. He didn't know what to say?

"Sorry, Sakura-san." he said again. "I can't reject you so simply, like anyone, because you're not just anyone." He was pushing his hand into his face, embarrassed. "It's not so simple..." He thought some more. "In truth, I didn't know this. But for some reason, I can't reject you so easily. Because you're not anyone."

I'm not anyone? What did he mean?

"Since when?" he asked nervously.

"Last year." I replied automatically.

"I see..." He still wasn't looking at me. He was in a major state of confusion, and was intensely pulling on his sleeves, like he was trying to drown in them or something. He finally sighed and decided. "Sakura-san, can you give me some time? To think it over?"

Time to think? What does he mean 'time to think'? He's getting my hopes up. Nonononononono, this isn't supposed to happen. I should be rejected by now. But automatically, I nodded.

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

***

It has been a few...not days, weeks since the confession. While I was in complete and utter shock, the rest of the class was ecstatic.

"He asked you to give him time, Sakura-chan!"

"Wow, this is amazing!"

"I'm so proud of you, Sakura!"

"I'm almost sure you're gonna be fine! Not almost, I'm sure!"

But this 'time to think' only made me more anxious. My hopes were getting higher, but I didn't want to get it to high, because after all that, he may just reject me. But I can't help it. I'm in a conflicted state.

"Geez, Hikarin, don't worry." Arisu said to me today. "Syo-chi is really thinking about it seriously. I'm sure you have a chance! It is guaranteed! I found him yesterday at the fountain in 'The Thinker' pose!"

"Pikari, you silly girl," Ashikaga-kun said, ruffling my hair. He was acting like my Onii-chan. That is, if my Onii-chan ever cared about what I did. "You underestimate yourself! Average girl, my foot! No average girl can grow 27 cm in two years!"

"What does a growth spurt have to do with anything?" I deadpanned.

Arisu and Ashikaga-kun winked at me, giving me the thumbs up and making faces that reminded me of Jojo. "You're special!" they chorused.

But I was still on my toes, despite everyone's reassurances. They were already planning a celebration party. Hamasaki-kun was the only normal one left, so I took refuge with him. His bluntness and attitude are perfect for this kind of thing.

But lately, to be fair, Teruya-kun has been acting weird. I've been trying to be as normal as possible. I would greet him in the corridor, and he would just blush and avoid eye contact, and mumble a reply. Every time he saw me, he would start pulling on his sleeves again. One time, our math teacher had to leave the classroom, and she told me to take charge and check if everyone was doing the sum correctly. So I saw Teruya-kun was doing something wrong, and leaned over to explain it, but his face just went bright red and he pushed away from me.

I don't really know what's going through his brain. Then one day, Ashikaga-kun came to me with this stupid grin on his face that really made me want to punch him.

"Pikari-chan~" he said in an annoying sing-song voice. "Syo wants to talk to you~"

I instantly became nervous, and the entire class heard what he said. They all suddenly got very excited, so I had to take a dose of normalness.

"Eh?" Hamasaki-kun looked around at me, and then shrugged. "Just don't be depressed."

The normal one has spoken.

***

"Sakura-san, I've been thinking about this a lot." Teruya-kun said nervously. Note to self, a nervous Teruya-kun will never look you in the face. His sweater had also been considerably stretched.

"No kidding," I replied. I have been blessed with normalness from the oh-so-great normal one. Teruya-kun smiled uncomfortably.

"I was always afraid of having a relationship again," he told me. "I dunno if you've heard."

"I've heard."

Ashikaga-kun made this easy for him. A pat on the back, m'boy.

"So you've heard," Teruya-kun replied nervously. Sleeve pulling intensifies. Poor guy looked so nervous. "But... Sakura-san is different. I'm convinced of that. Please don't expect too much from me. I'll be slow, I won't keep up, but please wait for me." Teruya-kun suddenly blushed and laughed a little, rubbing his neck. "That's sounds so cliché, huh."

This makes it sound like...

"So I have decided, Sakura," he said, trying to put on a stronger voice. "Please take care of me!"

It is...

When he looked up, he was met with my smile. "You had me waiting on my toes for ages." I said.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Teruya-kun laughed nervously. "I was just afraid. That after being happy again, I might lose it again. Sorry, I don't mean that you're that kind of person! But I think, I've liked you too, but I refused to acknowledge it. Sakura-san is nice, kind, and helpful. I think you deserve better, but I'm sorry for making this so difficult for you."

"It's okay." I replied, and held out my hand, smiling. I may have been told that a lot before, but this is the first time I actually acknowledged it. I may be conceited, but I guess I understand what Ashikaga-kun was thinking. Teruya-kun smiled back, and reached for my hand, but then there was a shout of celebration, making us both jump out of our skins.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I knew it!"

"Yay, I'm so happy!" Arisu ran over, and engulfed us both in a hug.

Hamasaki-kun didn't really do anything, he just smiled at me. Wait, he smiled at me! I earned a smile! That has to be an achievement!

"Good job!" Muranaka-kun thumped him on the back, followed by Ashikaga-kun and Sonoda-kun. Ashikaga-kun patted my back too, and gave me a proud smile.

I may not know much about Teruya-kun. He may have gone through many things I didn't even know about. There must be somebody out there who is better for him, but I will do my best, improving on my average self.

Extended ending

"Aneki! I'm home!"

(Note: 'Aneki' basically means 'sis'.)

"Ah, Syo!" A pretty young woman with flowing hair poked her head out of the room behind the counter of Teruya-kun's family's bakery. "Welcome ho–" She suddenly froze as her eyes fell on me.

"S-sorry for the intrusion," I was reduced to stammers in front of this mature-looking beauty.

She suddenly had this very scary, forced-looking smile as she approached me. "Oh my, who is this?" she asked sweetly, but it sent shivers down my spine. "Your girlfriend?"

"Oh," Syo looked around, but he couldn't hide the tint of pink on his cheeks. (Meanwhile I turned into a tomato.) "That's Sakura Hikari-san. Yeah..." He diverted his eyes. "She's my girlfriend..." he murmured.

"Oh~!" she said, smiling at me, but her eyes destroyed me. "Girlfriend. Girlfriend, huh." She put her arm around me, and I flinched. "Hikari-chan, right? Let's have a chat~♡"

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-yes!" I stuttered, scared out of my wits.

"Aneki, you're scaring her..."

Teruya-kun's older sister is scary...

Author's note
Sorry, the ending is a little lame. It was getting too long.
Hikari deserved a better story (╯︵╰,)