Note: This short story was inspired by the visual novel Mikorin and Nozaki played. The story revolved around Tomoda, the "Protagonist" (The male lead character in the visual novel), and "The nice girl" (which would be called as Onna in the story, one of the harem girls of the main character.) Like Nozaki and Mikorin, I also want Tomoda to have his happiness, and give him the love that only the "Protagonist" can give.

Chapter 1

"Ask me anything!" I said as a puzzled young man – who was my kouhai – appeared before me and he was nervous. I can sense that he wants something from me. This does not surprise me, as I am the school's "information broker", meaning, I collect information of all the people inside the campus. Whether it's a rumor or valid information, I jot it down on my small notebook and share this information whoever is in need of it for a small fee – except if they were my friends.

"Do you have information regarding this "Onna"? She's the school's nice girl and gets along with everyone, though she's a bit shy. She has a chocolate brown hair adorned with two huge blue ribbons with white polka dots, azure eyes, and pale skin. Do you happen to know her name?" He inquired shyly. His cheeks were red up to the tips of his ears. He was earnest to his feelings.

"Ah, I have her name on my notebook! Let me browse her name for a sec." I replied.

Chapter 2

It was the school's sleepover trip. High School Sophomores and freshmen were in a joint trip to one of the oldest onsen in Kyoto. The rooms were separated between senior girls and senior boys, as well as freshmen girls and boys. All the boys were tasked to clean their rooms; half of the seniors and freshmen would clean the sophomore's room and the other half would clean the freshmen's. I was assigned to clean the freshmen room with him. He was there, looking at a far-away distance, towards the freshmen girls' room, not paying attention to the cleaning.

"Hey, is there any problem?" I asked.

"I wanted to see her before we go to sleep." He replied.

"What you are trying to do is dangerous, the supervisors won't allow it!" I retorted.

"B-But tomorrow, I might not have a chance… I don't know what to do! E-even if we were both freshmen, we were in different sections, and her activities with the glee club take even her free time! If I want to be friends with her, I need to talk to her now!"

I sighed, and smiled at him.

"Alright, I'll cover for you. So leave the rest to me and just go!" I smiled and gave him a reassuring "OK" sign.

"I owe you a lot for this! I'll pay for your school lunch tomorrow in return!" he said, in cheerful and in almost tear – up manner.

Chapter 3

"Hey, why are you covered in bruises?" I inquired as I saw his deformed, bleeding face, and a black ring around his right eye. I was about to head home, just gone out of the train when I saw his limping body, struggling to insert his train ticket in ticket machine. He was on a verge of tears.

"I think I have to give her up." He started.

"What in the world are you saying…?"

"I'm not going to pursue her any longer!"

"Don't you love her?"

"I do love her, but, her brother-"

"Don't give me that nonsense!" I cut him off.

"But what should I do?!" This time, he yelled and was shaking in fear.

"You love her, right?! Don't just give up! If you're a man, just go you idiot! Face her brother and show how much you deserve to be her man!" I yelled at him, lashing out all of my frustrations at him.

"I am scared of facing him alone –"

"I'll come with you then."

Chapter 4

To my surprise, Onna's brother was a gang leader, and was rather a ruthless man. I was scared, but I was the one who dragged him onto this mess, thus it leaves me no other choice but to be strong. He was tongue-tied, but still, his guts got the best of him and spoke to Onna's Aniki.

"May I see her?" He asked kindly.

"Who do you think you are nerd-looking wimp? Get the fuck out of my sight! Do you think I would allow my sister to date a fucking loser like you?!"

"B-but we love each other!"

"I don't give a shit! Now get out before you receive a nice beating from my gang!"

From a distance, a faint female voice can be heard. I searched the origin of the voice, and found Onna , being held down by one of her brother's "friends".

"Please spare him onii-chan! He doesn't deserve this!"

"I'm doing this for you, now shut up there and stop struggling!"

"No, nii-chan! I won't allow this!"

Onna tries her best to let go, but the grip of those muscled men were stronger than her struggle. While we listen to Onna, we are slowly being surrounded by the rest of her brother's gang, holding their clubs and baseball bats.

"Please, leave these men to me! Run and rescue your princess!" I said.

"But Tomoda-"

"Please rescue her, as both of you are the only ones who can explain yourselves to her brother. Do not worry, I can handle them."

"Thank you, Tomoda. You are a great friend." He said before he runs to Onna's direction.

Chapter 5

Onna, he, and I finally fixed the misunderstanding. Onna's brother cooled his head off, and decided to spare all of us three. Onna thanked us and said sorry repeatedly.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." I replied to Onna. "I just need some rest for a bit". I continued.

The three of us walked until we saw a park surrounded by minute grasses and few white benches.

"Let's rest on the grass for a while! We can spend the rest of our afternoon here. After all, the three of us badly needs it.

And I agreed, internally.

The three of us laid our tired bodies on the ground, with him laid down between me and Onna. I was on the left; he was on the center, while Onna was on the right. We just stared at the afternoon sun, watching the puffy clouds in silence. However, Onna suddenly finds the necessity to break it.

"Tomoda…" Onna started.

"Hmm?" I hummed in acknowledgement.

"I was just curious, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. "

"Huh?!" He butted in all of a sudden.

"I mean it." I said.

"But why? Do you have an extremely high standard when it comes to women?" He questioned.

"That's not it, stupid." It's just that… I already liked someone.

"Who?!" he exclaimed.

"Not telling."

"Have you tried confessing your feelings to her?" now it's Onna's turn to interrogate.

"I did not even bother to think of confessing my feelings, as "that person" was already smitten to someone else."

Chapter 6

He and I were neighbors. We were always together, since we were born. Our mothers were best friends since college, and lived near each other as a proof of friendship. I was one year older than him. We were on the same nursery, grade school, middle school, and now in high school. I was the"ultimate best friend", whom he can confide anything with. As a hobby, I began to collect information, and it started because of him. I was in elementary when I had a borderline obsession to him, an insatiable hunger to know more about him, to know him more than others. I want to get hold of something precious, like an expression that he can only make when I was around or a particular verbal tick or personality that only I know. I want to unmask him, undress all of his covers, leaving him bare only to me. Before I knew it, I was smitten, madly deeply, totally in love with him. I began to fear my feelings the more I realise. Due to fear, I kept all of my feelings inside a box and sealed it shut, and played the "best friend card", a confidante he could rely on, and it gave me a mixed feeling of suffering and great joy.

I carried this habit of information – gathering, until high school and became a member of the school's newspaper club. To my surprise, he went on the same high school as me, and fell in love with Onna. I only learned all of this when he told me how smitten he is to her, and while blushing from ear to ear, he admits that he wants to know more about her. Onna was his first love.

His love confession was my first heartbreak. It gave me a shock, to the point of almost dropping the small notebook I was holding. I am on the verge of tears, but I hold it up, reserving it for the later – at the boy's comfort room – and scanned my notes to search for Onna's name and information.

Chapter 7

Three years have passed, and it was now one week before the senior's graduation. I saw Him and Onna walking, going to school together. Onna was all smiles. I do admit; Onna's smile can make anyone's day bright, and her clear, azure eyes matches the clear blue sky we are having. Onna was really the embodiment of summer. Contrasting to her summer, however, was he, having this stormy look. They are now third year in high school. They already confessed each other's love, and in good terms. With their perfect relationship, what could possibly go wrong? Why was he making that borderline sad and angry face then?

"Hey guys, you finally walking together!"

Onna blushed, but he remained quiet and indifferent.

Chapter 8

It was finally graduation, and I felt elated as I saw him approaching me. But where could Onna be?

"Where is Onna?" I asked.

"I didn't bring her here."

"Why?" I asked; "because I want this moment only for the two of us." He replied.

I felt ebullient. I know I sounded selfish, but I just don't care. This moment was officially only for us.

He was waiting outside as the graduation ceremony was commencing, waiting for it to finish.

Chapter 9

We were walking on the cherry blossom pathway, few blocks away from the school. The graduation ceremony was over, and I headed straight to him as he was being impatient.

"What's with the rush?" I asked.

"I don't want the girls to see you."

"Why?" I questioned. "I want to get the second button from you." He replied.

Oh.

My blood rushed all over my body; and in my imagination, I was engulfed with pink bubbles and sparkles and falling cherry blossom petals. I felt like a high school girl being courted by her boyfriend.

I stopped walking, and he did the same. I removed the second button near my chest and gave it to him shyly. Ensuring that I dropped the button in his palm, I removed my hand fast and beamed the best smile my face could ever form.

"Time flies so fast. Before I even realize, three years have passed. But nonetheless… congratulations! You're now a senior!" I said this, keeping the smile onto my face.

"What are you planning after high school?"

"I'm going to college in Tokyo."

He seemed surprised.

"This is why, before I leave, I want to say… "I'm happy to meet you. Three years of my high school life was fun because of you!" I am trying to keep myself composed, still beaming that fake smile.

He went silent at first, dumbstruck. His mouth agape and was crying.

"Why are you crying?" I asked, frantic. My mind was jumbled, disoriented.

"You…can't leave me." He said in a whisper tone.

"What?" I said without thinking.

"I said you can't leave me idiot! Not that you're lying to me… all this time!"

"W-what do you mean-"

"I saw your notebook. Remember that one time I went in your room? I looked at your stuff in secret. I know I'm not allowed to look at it but –"

"What did you say?!" I yelled.

"Listen to me first! It was me who should be mad at you here!" He screamed back at me. "Please, just shut up for once…" now he's pleading.

Then he continued. "I was scanning, at first, your notes; but then I accidentally picked your diary, those ones from your elementary days. I-it says there, that you… love me."

His tears fell down like a heavy rain. He isn't holding back.

"This…is…why… I am so mad at you! This…is why I am mad…at myself. I am mad at you for not being honest, I am mad at myself for not realizing it sooner!"

"What do –"

"I am in love with you. I realized it just now."

"Wait-"

"It was always been you who stays by my side, it was always been you who picks me up when I feel I tumbled down, or when everything I do fails. I have women falling for me but I never felt any real love from them, and I thought I already found my soul mate , but realized that she isn't' the one for me after all! I love you more than those twelve girls!

I fell in love with you, my best friend…

How I wish I told you this sooner, or how I wish you confessed your feelings to me and not just put them inside that damn diary! But, a part of me says I can't blame you – DAMMIT! I AM CONFLICTING MYSELF!"

I would have been content supporting him until he finds his happiness, even if it wasn't with me, but still, a part of me secretly hopes he would choose me instead. I always told myself. Now that I feel so loved, I don't know what to do. I feel like bursting with happiness, I don't know how would I contain this happiness and keep it inside of me for the rest of my life. He was crying, and now, I can no longer hold the pain of unrequited love, as the box was forced open, letting my tears wash all the clogging sorrows away.

I was crying hot tears. Even if he opened my secret diary, I can't seem to get mad at him, as those words were meant for him in the first place.

"I, I love you too. " I simply said, "For a long time, since forever."