***
It was a time when high school was only a week away from starting. I still talked to Kevin occasionally, but had stopped going out of my way to see him.
That was fine. That's just how life goes. He had his own friends. And I had mine.
I was sitting on a bench outside while fiddling with my phone, waiting for somebody. I had been there for about ten minutes, which wasn't so bad. Ten minutes became thirty. Then an hour. Yet, I never left.
In hindsight, I should've seen this coming. She was always late, but I never learned.
"Sorry! Did I make you wait too long?"
I glanced up at the girl running towards me, seemingly out of breath. She had medium-length black hair, which was dyed red at its tips, and styled in a more cutesy ponytail.
Most notable of all, though, were her deep red eyes, which complemented her hair.
I waited until she was a few feet away before I got up. I slipped my phone in my pocket and gave her an annoyed look.
"You're la–"
Before I could even finish, she jumped into my arms and pulled me into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Hoshino," she whispered softly in my ear.
The sensation of her breath brushing against my ear made my pulse spike, but I never let it show on my face.
Her hand rose from my back and ran through my hair.
Okay, game's over.
I grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pulled her back. Even after I put some distance between us, I didn't let go.
I took a sharp inhale through my nose, then spoke.
"What the hell were you doing for an hour?" I said, trying to sound as irritated as possible.
She pouted, then tried to wrap her arms around me again. I held her firmly in place.
"You're not getting anything else until you explain yourself," I said firmly.
Annoyed that she wasn't getting her way, she grabbed both my arms and pried them away. Even so, she still held onto my hands.
"Sorry, Hoshino." Her head lowered slightly as her smile dimmed. "I was busy doing my makeup. I wanted to look as cute as possible for our date! But before I realized it, it was already an hour past when we were supposed to meet. I'm sorry…"
Her thumbs traced slow circles on the backs of my hands as she explained herself, anxiously awaiting my answer.
I sighed.
If you act like that, I can't stay mad at you…
My hand tightened around hers. She gasped, then slowly looked up at me, her eyes watery.
"Fine," I said, seemingly begrudgingly, "I forgive you. So stop being sad."
Her lips curled into a smile. She took a half-step closer before hesitating.
"R-really, you're not mad?" she asked quietly.
I nodded. "Yes, I'm not mad."
She took one slow step after another until she pressed herself against my chest. The way she buried herself against me made my chest explode with warmth.
"Thank you… I love you, Hoshino!" she said, her voice bright.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat.
She looked up at me with a sly grin. "I won't understand if you don't say it properly, you know."
My cheeks flushed.
Yes, yes, I know. Just give me a damn minute.
I clenched my teeth and swallowed hard.
"I…"
She leaned in closer, standing on her tiptoes, only a few inches away from my face.
"You…?" she said softly, probing me to continue.
Ah, screw it!
I mustered all the air left in my lungs and pushed out the remaining words.
"I-I love you too!"
The world seemed to freeze as my words lingered in the air. That was until a satisfied smirk crossed her face.
Her arms rose to my neck and pulled me closer.
"There, was that so hard?" she whispered.
"No…" I replied, my mind seemingly someplace else.
Our faces grew closer, and I closed my eyes.
The world went quiet. Within that quiet was a soft bud of warmth that bloomed against my lips—a sensation that kept me anchored to reality.
***
The girl and I walked along the street, arms linked. Stella was a whirlwind of energy, pointing at everything we passed—even though we'd walked down this street many times before.
"Oh, isn't that top so cute?!"
She pointed to a nearby clothing store. The front featured a giant glass case that showed off the latest drops for the season.
We both approached the window and stared at the top in question. I glanced at it, then back at her. I thought it was alright at best. But… her eyes screamed that she needed it.
Without saying anything, I unlinked our arms and walked to the entrance.
"Where are you going?" she called, staring at my retreating figure, confused.
"What do you mean?" I replied, still walking. "Obviously, we're going to the store. I don't know your size, so hurry up."
I grabbed the door and held it open. Before I could count to one, she skipped inside with a soft hum and a small "thank you."
It hadn't even been a couple of seconds since she arrived, but by the time I did, I completely lost her. I glanced around at the women's section, but she wasn't there.
"Hey, hey, come here!"
I turned. She ushered me over to the men's section with an enthusiastic wave.
"What are you doing in the men's section?" I asked as I rejoined her side.
She quickly relinked our arms and pointed to a sweater on the wall.
"Well, I was just going to buy that top and leave, but then I saw a sweater that I thought you'd like!"
I glanced at the sweater. It didn't look like anything I'd wear at all.
I couldn't help but scoff. "I'd rather die than wear something like that. It looks like something Ken would wear, though."
She blinked as she stared at the sweater, then back at me—before letting out an embarrassed chuckle.
"Hahahah. Now that you mention it, you're right! My bad."
Before I could respond, she pulled me back to the women's section and tried on the top. It was supposed to be a grab-and-dash, but she got so invested that she ended up doing a mini fashion show.
By the end of it, we proceeded to the cash register with a full bag of clothes.
As she pulled out her card, I slid mine out from my wallet and paid for everything.
She shot me a nervous look, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Are you sure you want to pay for all that? I did make you wait. I think it's only right if–"
I quickly shook my head, grabbed the bag, and lifted it off the counter.
"It's fine. You're my girlfriend, so I have to do this much." Saying that made my ears flush, so I cleared my throat and quickly added: "Or at least, that's what my Mom tells me."
She giggled and quickly linked her arm back around mine.
"Hehe, then I guess I'll have to thank your Mom when you finally introduce me to her."
The corners of my mouth twitched. "Yeah—how about no."
She gave another soft chuckle.
We walked out of the store and headed toward the nearby movie theatre.
As we walked, the atmosphere changed. The sun was lower now, casting long, distorted shadows. Stella leaned her head against my shoulder, keeping her gaze fixed on her feet.
"Hey, Hoshino…" she said, her voice small.
I glanced down at her. Her hair, as well as a dark shadow, fell over her face, making it hard to read her.
I intertwined my fingers with hers.
"What's wrong?" I asked softly.
She squeezed my hand.
"D-do you…" Her voice trailed off, shattering into broken whimpers, but I could still make out what she said. "Really love me?"
I could have simply said "Yes," but such words never made her feel better. So, I leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
Her face flushed as she snapped toward me, rubbing her cheek.
I gave her an affectionate smile.
"Of course I do. I'll always love you, Stella."
She tensed at the mention of her name. She turned her gaze away, embarrassed, and muttered, "That's not fair…"
I chuckled.
We both continued our date for the rest of the day. I never knew that… love could feel so sweet.
But at the same time, I learned…
Love doesn't stay sweet forever.