The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
“Byaaaaaa!~~!!!!!~”
Amagi-san flipped backward with force.
She hit her back hard but didn’t seem to care at all, rolling away from me to create distance. Even in the dim light, her blush was clearly visible.
“Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what?! What are you doing?! What are you doing to me?! Ahhhhh?!”
“I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t something you can just apologize your way out of!! B-but, kissing isn’t allowed, is it!? Doesn’t that make it improper relations with the opposite sex!?”
“I suppose so.”
“I suppose so… W-what about living alone? Are you okay with having to move back home?”
Hearing that, I recalled my days at home.
As Amagi-san said, looking after my brothers was definitely tough. Plus, the room was cramped, meals, the toilet, the bath—nothing felt private. It was just inconvenient all around.
So, for me, living alone was pure comfort.
Something I absolutely didn’t want to give up.
But—.
“I’ve known for a long time what this feeling is, what I truly think of Amagi-san. I knew… but I was too embarrassed to say it, too reluctant to give up my independence, so I kept pretending.”
For some reason, I felt strangely calm.
A refreshing breeze blew through my heart, pushing me forward toward her.
“…As a result, I ended up causing you unnecessary worry, Amagi-san. It was my mistake. So, please let me say this properly.”
I reached out my hand and opened my lips.
But I, of all people, couldn’t get the words out when it mattered most. A raspy sound escaped instead. I took a deep breath, realizing this wouldn’t do.
I glanced at her.
Her eyes, looking up at me, were filled with surprise. It reminded me of the look she had when I saved her from Professor Yanagida. I idly recalled that moment.
[――I’ve fallen for you, Saeki!!]
Our relationship began with that utterly abrupt confession, devoid of even a shred of shyness.
[Studying’s so tough, you don’t have time to mess with me, right? Well then, I’ll help you get good grades on your tests.]
She acted on impulse, yet was strangely thorough.
[I caused trouble for the agency and manager too! They gave me this chance! I want to value both Saeki and my work, but I’m hurting both of them terribly…!]
She was so passionate about her work it made me want to cry, and so serious about me it made me want to cry.
That kind of person. So cool.
[Saeki~~~!!]
If I look behind my eyelids, I can hear her voice.
It makes me happy, makes me feel joyful, and a smile naturally spreads across my face.
[I like you!!]
Even under the cold sky, the summer-colored sunlight she gave me warms the inside of my chest.
Just a little bit, even someone like me can feel stronger.
“――…I like you. Please go out with me.”
The moon peeked through a break in the clouds, scattering the shadows that had covered her.
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and her crimson pupils regained their moisture.
She reached out her hand toward me, and I tried to grasp it, but she pulled it back with a dry breath.
“…No, I can’t. Saeki, you’re just being considerate because I’m feeling down, right? There’s no way you could like someone as unpleasant as me.”
Her face sank back into the shadows.
A resigned voice.
I clenched my teeth and took another step forward.
“Then what kind of person would I be okay liking?”
“Wh-what kind of person…”
“If there’s a right way to fall for someone, tell me.”
I repeated the exact words Amagi-san had once said to me.
When she asked me that question, I couldn’t answer. She knew better than anyone that there was no possible answer.
“Look, you’ve been messing up my life however you wanted all this time, and now you’re suddenly sorry and saying you won’t get involved anymore? Give me a break. You think you might hurt me beyond repair…? So what?! If that happens, we fight, we talk it out, and we make up, okay?!”
“…Sa, Saeki, are you angry?”
“Of course I’m angry!! And since a moment ago, you keep saying ‘that awful person’… Stop badmouthing the person I like!! Amagi-san isn’t an awful person!!”
Having said what I needed to say, I let out a full-throated scream from the depths of my stomach for the first time in ages. Pathetically, I became lightheaded from lack of oxygen and was hit by dizziness. I stumbled backward, nearly falling, but Amagi grabbed my hand, “Ah!” and steadied me.
Holding hands, facing each other, our gazes met.
After a moment, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she suddenly looked away.
“Amagi.”
When I called her name, she looked back at me again, hesitantly.
A thin film of tears covered both her eyes, her gaze moist and heated.
A large tear spilled over, tracing a line down her cheek before dripping from her chin.
“…Are you sure… I’m okay?”
“Yes.”
“Really, really sure… I’m okay?”
“Yes!”
“…But I’m a hassle, you know?”
“I know.”
“I’m selfish, you know?”
“You’ve been like that since we met. Why bring it up now?”
“I’m spoiled, I’m pushy, I cause nothing but trouble—”
“Um”
I gripped her hand tightly.
I looked , took a small, deep breath, and parted her lips.
“I don’t want anyone but you, Amagi-san.”
Finally, snot started dripping from her nose. Realizing that was bad, she sniffed loudly, then smiled shyly. Seeing her smile at last made me so happy my own mouth spilled yellow emotion.
“…Saeki.”
“Yes?”
Called, she tilted her head.
Hesitating, she looked only at me.
She started to speak, swallowed, then opened her mouth again.
“I… I like… you.”
A timid confession in a voice smaller than ever before.
Remembering everything that had happened, I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
Perhaps annoyed by that, Amagi-san scowled, her brows furrowed. Thinking how cute she was, I apologized, “I’m sorry,” and then said,
“I like you too.”
For the first time, I returned Amagi-san’s affection with my own.
It felt strange, somehow funny, and we both laughed. After a moment of silence, our locked gazes pulled us closer, and I wrapped my arm around her waist.
No words were spoken.
But I understood exactly what she wanted, and she probably saw right through what I wanted too.
Our foreheads touched, then our noses, then we pulled back slightly. I laughed awkwardly, saying “This is embarrassing,” and surrendered to the feeling that made my heart race.
My lips were tinged with her warmth.
Sweet, yet slightly bitter. A taste with no turning back.
Amidst a happiness that felt almost ungrounded, I held only one thought close to my heart: I must cherish this person.
Maiban