Reflection and Direction

Kimura, Takao, Nakai, Hamaguchi, and Nishikata are having a normal Wednesday lunch together in the classroom.

Kimura interrupts the normal conversation pieces of video games and manga with a question. "Hey Nakai-kun, how long have you and Mano-san been going out? I know that Hamaguchi-kun and Houjou-san have been going out since the summer festival. I am just a bit curious."

"Mmmmm...We have been going out since the May of our first year...What about you Nishikata-kun?", Nakai answers to move the subject away from himself.

"W-w-w-w-what about me?" Nishikata stutters and then stuffs his mouth with part of his lunch.

"How long have you and Takagi-san been going out?" Nakai rephrasing his question.

Nishikata quickly starts to cough up what he was trying to swallow. "I-I-I-I-I am not going out with Takagi-san!"

"Huh?" from all four boys eating lunch.

"We see you two together all the time...Are you sure you are not lying to us?" Hamaguchi-kun asks.

"We are NOT a couple! We are not dating! We are not going out! …..Why does everyone think that of Takagi-san and me?" Nishikata says irritated.

"It seems when I see Takagi-san outside of school, you are with her." Kimura states.

"Does someone make you stay with her or something like that?" Takao inquires.

"No, Takagi-san just likes to tease me... we make contests and games together to see who will win." Nishikata states coldly.

"Ahhhh...you do like to mess with her don't you Nishikata-kun?" Nakai says playfully.

"It is more like SHE messes with me." Nishikata expresses bitterly.

"It sounds like that you don't like her...But, when I have seen you two together she seems to laughing and smiling while you are giving her looks, sometimes embarrassing looks but still looks...If she hated you; she would avoid you at all cost, right...If she did not think anything of you; she would probably just ignore you...But looking from the outside, it looks like she likes you in some way...You just have to figure out how she likes you." Kimura explains after eating his last bite of lunch.

Hamaguchi quickly adds, "Why are you always quick to deny anything happening with Takagi-san...Do you hate her or just tolerate her or something else? I know a few guys who would like to go out with Takagi-san...they think she is cute and would like to know her better if you were not in the way..."

"Maybe he just likes to mess around with everyone thinking that Takagi-san is unavailable while he is trying to get her to like him... Heh, heh, heh" Takao says sarcastically.

"I... I... I...", but before Nishikata can think of what he needs to say to his friends the bell rings to let them know that lunch is over and class will be starting soon. "I don't know" He quietly whispers to himself as everyone starts to move the desks around for the beginning of the next class.

As Nishikata heads back to his desk near the back door of the classroom, he tries to think of what Takagi-san means to him and why he denies anything relating to having Takagi-san as his girlfriend.

When he takes his seat, Nishikata thinks intensely about two questions that he filtered through the conversations with his friends. The questions are 'Does Takagi-san like me in any way?' and 'Do I like her in some way?' He thinks on the second question as it relates to him. He contemplates on what would happen if she was longer around to tease him. He remembers when he tried to pull an April's Fools trick at the candy store. Takagi-san actually talked to him about having an another class being formed due to more students and he thought about a class without Takagi-san. At that time, he also realized that he would not like to have a class without Takagi-san. He expanded on that thought and thinks of life without Takagi-san. No more contests, no more laughing at him, no more fun, no more teasing, no more of her cuteness...At this last thought, Nishikata realizes that he really likes to spend time with Takagi-san. No, not likes but actually loves her...Back to the first question; Nishikata notices that he will eventually have to talk her and find out her feelings for him.

Takagi noticed that Nishikata was distracted by his sober thinking so she decided to draw him out by teasing. The rest of the day was normal teasing time for Nishikata...Takagi had teased him thirteen times by the end of school.

Just after the last bell indicating the end of the school, Takagi-san asks, "do you want to walk home?" Takagi noticed that Nishikata had been more preoccupied than normal.

"Sure" is the only reply even if it is monotone. Nishikata has been thinking since lunch from the discussion earlier with his friends. Another question that keeps running in his head is 'why do I deny any type of relationship with Takagi-san'. He finally recognizes that he does not what people to get the wrong idea of the two of them, but everyone else sees it more than a casual friendship. Again, he acknowledges that he will have to talk to her to find out about her feelings and decides to asks during the walk home.

As they are almost at the point where they split off and head in different directions for their homes, Takagi teases Nishikata one last time. Instead of his normal embarrassment and trying to brush it off, Nishikata just gets frustrated.

"Why do you always tease me like this?" Nishikata says through clenched teeth.

"Because your reactions are priceless," Takagi says as she is still giggling.

With irritation building up in Nishikata, he simply and forcefully says, "Just stop!"

Takagi realizes that something serious has been bothering him and silently prays that she has not pushed him to far.

"Enough... Just stop with the teasing..." Nishikata's anger is burning and building in him as reminds himself of the of all the questions floating through his mind. "Do you hate me this much that you continue to teasing until I finally break? ….. I have had enough of this... Good bye, Takagi-san. Don't talk to me anymore... Just leave me alone."

"Wait, Nishikata!... Can we walk to the temple and maybe talk there?... I will not say anything else until you feel like it at the temple... Please?" Takagi pleads with almost tears in her eyes.

Nishikata looks at Takagi-san and sees her face and her reaction... He realizes that she is concerned for him and also the look of fear and worry.

Nishikata thinks for a few moments and decides to just to nod to Takagi. He turns to go to the temple and quickly Takagi walks up to and beside him. True to her word, she does not say anything.

As they arrived, both of them walked to the back of the temple. Takagi watches as Nishikata is trying to decide to sit down or not. He settles on not to sit down. While Takagi decides to sit. She looks at his worried and aggravated face. She waits for a few minutes before asking, "Something has been bother you since lunch...something serious...can you tell me what is it that has your mind so deep in thought that has you this wound up?"

Nishikata thinks slowing on what he wanted to say as he was walking to the temple. "Kimura, Takao, Nakai, Hamaguchi, and I were eating lunch together and a subject was brought up... girlfriends... Both Nakai-kun and Hamaguchi-kun talked about their relationships with Mano-san and Houjou-san... And us popped in the conversation... Everyone keeps thinking we are in a relationship, when we are not... And I don't like being accused of something I am not... One of several questions that has been rolling around in my head is 'Why I do deny having a girlfriend relationship with you?'…... And the answer I keep coming back to is I don't want others to believe a false relationship when we do not have that type of relationship... "

"Nishikata... I have mentioned several times before that I don't mind if others see us that way and I am happy with that situation... But, I have also mentioned to others before when they have asked me if we are in a relationship and I tell them we are not."

"Why would you be happy with others thinking that we have a relationship?... Just tell me, no dodging the subject, please."

"I need you to understand something... Why do you think I tease you?"

"Because you like seeing me embarrassed."

"Yes... I do, but why do I tease you?"

"I have already said why... Stop dodging the answer." getting angry again.

"I am trying to get you to see beyond the obviously of what I do... Why do I tease you?"

"I don't know why..." Nishikata says frustrated.

"I tease you... to be with you... I enjoy our time together... having fun together... playing all types of contests and competitions with you... Also, just spending quiet time with you... Do you think that I tease others?"

"I don't know... As far as I know, you only tease me... Do you enjoy being with me that much?"

"I do enjoy being with you..." Nishikata notices that Takagi is becoming fidgety.

Nishikata decides to ask the one question that has plagued his thoughts, "Do you like me at all?"

At this, Takagi becomes still. "I... I..." unsure of her voice she finally just shakes her head "yes".

"In what way?" Nishikata's mind starts to racing with so many emotions that he can't sort out.

"Mmmmm..." Takagi tries to hide her emotion but at the same time she wants him to realize how much she loves him.

"Just tell me!" Nishikata says loudly as he is becoming emotionally frazzled.

Takagi, herself getting irritated and loudly expresses, "Why do you want to know?!"

"I need to know for myself!"

"WHY?!" Takagi stands up and looks into Nishikata's eyes.

"BECAUSE!"

"NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON!" Takagi yells back.

"I NEED TO KNOW!" Nishikata trying to out yell Takagi.

"Tell me why?!" Takagi demands with less volume as before.

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I want to know if you can love me back..." Nishikata says as he lowers volume with every word until he is whispering.

Takagi's face just goes blank for several moments and then tears start to streak down her face. At seeing this sight, Nishikata does not know what is happen to her or how to handle it.

"You said it... You said it...", Takagi forces her voice through her tears. Her hands are trying to wipe the tears, but more tears stream out of her.

"I am sorry if I hurt your fe-"

"No!... I love you, too!... I have for a quite a while..." Takagi is still unable to control her tears, but they are slowing down.

"Huh?... For how long?" Nishikata numb as he mumbles out.

"How long?... Since about the second semester of our first year..."

At this announcement, Nishikata is shocked. "You have loved me for over a year and a half... Why did you not just tell me?"

"I have given you many hints as to how I feel about you... I think most of the people around us have probably noticed...I think that is why everyone is asking about our relationship."

Nishikata slowly remembers several if not many statements from Takagi... Holding her hand as a means to win a contest... Or giving a kiss... Or feeding each other.

"I don't know how to process this..." Nishikata says as his mind is completely blank.

xx xx

Between first and second class of the day, Houjou-san goes over to where Takagi is at in the back of the class near the back door. "Takagi-san... I was wondering about your relationship with Nishikata-kun and why you hang out around him."

Takagi looks up at Houjou-san and thought about yesterday at the temple.

"I don't know how to process this..." Nishikata says as his mind is completely blank.

"Do you hate the idea of us being in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship?"

"I do..." At this Takagi freezes, but Nishikata continues, "I would prefer something a bit more long-term than that type of casual relationship." Takagi relaxes as she realizes that he wants to be with her for a long time.

"So...do you want me as a fiancee?" Takagi-san teasingly expresses.

Nishikata's face becomes intensely red from this simple but committal statement. After a few moments of staring into Takagi's face, Nishikata calmly states "Yes... I do."

Takagi thinks about how everyone would react to telling everyone that they were engaged. "Nishikata... It might be better to just say we are boyfriend and girlfriend... Too many people would ask too many questions and get the wrong idea about us being engaged... I did not think you would agree something like this... But it does make me very happy thinking that you would be committed to me as I am to you."

"Okay... For now we will just that we will be boyfriend-girlfriend for the time until we get till the end of high school... what is that look for?... I am serious Takagi-san... Stop laughing."

Takagi can't help but laugh because she overflowing with joy and happiness that Nishikata is thinking that far ahead for their life together.

"Houjou-san, I love Nishikata and Nishikata loves me." Takagi boldly states even with a blush spreading across her cheeks. 'I am glad that Nishikata had to go to the bathroom or he might be embarrassed by what I just said.'