Ishi was prepared to find Rinse. In fact, he was certain on where she was that the boy made a beeline for it by taking the stairs. However, despite his brisk pace, their meeting was going to be delayed by a soft meek voice stopping him in his tracks.
"You're going to go see her?" It was Youna who followed him out of their classroom to the hallway. She stood in front of him, with arms behind her back. Now, alone at the stairs, they were in a circumstance she knew was unfavorable.
"Yeah, I wanted to make sure she's okay." He responded. If it was anything like at the beach, then a small pep talk would do wonders. Perhaps she'd even give up on the whole valentine's debacle.
"Before you go." Youna broke out in a cold sweat as she approached the point of no return. The writing was on the wall and it was now or never for the two of them. "I w-wanted t-to tell you something."
"Is it so important that you can't wait until we get back?" He asked. She didn't answer his question with words, but when she produced what she held behind her back. Ishi knew instantly was she was trying to say. "Youna…" The boy was at a loss for words as she walked up close to him with her chocolates.
They were beautifully made toffee heart shaped treats. It was nothing like the simple ones she got him during the past two years. That was because he knew just how serious her gift to him was.
"I have to tell you the truth." She finally spoke up after they stood in silence. "I was… I was the girl." The truth hit him like an atomic bomb. "I'm the one who left you all alone that day."
"You are?" Ishi was so shocked over the revelation that he temporarily forgot about where he was going. "But, how could you do that?" It was a sad experience for him. There was no way he'd believe her to do something like that to him on purpose.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." She began to cry as she had to tackle such a terrible mistake. "I really wanted to confess my feelings to you, but I was too much of a coward to do it. So I just went home." Youna knew it was already a mistake to do it when she did, but the reality of the pain she caused hit her harder when she saw him the next day.
As much as she wanted to tell him the truth, she just couldn't. First because of not wanting to reveal her true feelings for the boy, but also because he was really mad at the girl he never saw. Ishi was really upset that someone would pull a move like that and disrespect his feelings.
"I see…" It now made sense to him why she always was nervous with him at the start of their third year. It was weird to have someone like her who was a normal acquaintance act like he was a bad guy.
"And so, I'm confessing to you now." She put up the chocolates to his face, still crying, for she already knew the response. "But, I already know where your heart lies." The pair stood still as her words sank into his mind. For the first time in exactly 365 days, tears began to run down Ishi's face as he looked over her hanging head. Those tears caused by the same exact person.
This whole time, he never considered one of his closest friends to be the girl he swore off of. Especially given that it was Youna, who if she had perhaps confessed to him at the start of this lunch break, just a mere 15 minutes ago. Then perhaps his answer would be different. Yet her words were so certain.
Because she was right.
Ishi thought about Rinse, despite being confessed to by someone else. He was going to that girl for a reason, and it wasn't just to make sure she was doing fine. In his heart, his irritation with the way her gift was being treated by everyone wasn't just because it was Ishi being Ishi. No, he was annoyed because in his mind, she wasn't going to give him those chocolates.
Never in a million years would he ever think it'd happen, but it did. Ishi, the grumpy boy who had the supposedly unfortunate experience of living next to the cheerful, bubbly idol known as Rinse Hattori. He had fallen for that girl.
Which is what made this moment even more bitter as he slowly took in the crying girl into his arms.
"I'm so sorry." He said to Youna, putting a hand over her head in a futile attempt to cheer her up. "I don't want people to feel what I felt that day, but I guess it's unavoidable." It was a shame to have his true feelings bring about pain to someone else, but he understood it better than anyone else that this was the reality of love.
"It's okay." Youna tried her best to smile for his sake. "I'll be fine, but you should tell her the truth."
"You're right." They separated as he began to ascend the stairs. "I promise, no matter who her heart belongs to, I won't give up."
"Please never give up." She whispered to herself as he left her view. Once she could no longer see him, Youna collapsed over her legs from her sorrow.
"Hey Youna." Chinae had been returning from the restrooms to return to her class when she ran into the girl. "Whoa, are you okay?" She rushed over to her the second she realized that the girl was crying.
"I'll be fine." She replied. "It's just that… He's fallen for her." Without saying their names, Chinae knew the couple she was referring to.
"I see…" It was somewhat disappointing to hear what was to unfold on the rooftop. Yet, given that she cared deeply for that idol, she was going to be rooting for them wholeheartedly. "Come on, let me help you out here..."
Now it was Ishi's turn to be be true to his feelings. He ran up the steps as quickly as possible to find Rinse standing all alone on the roof. She held tightly the bag that contained her chocolates for one lucky boy.
"Ishi?" She said as she heard the door opening. "I figured you'd be the one to come get me." He was always the one coming to her aid, so this was not unusual. However, the words he said to her were foreign.
"Rinse, I can't let you give those chocolates away." He spoke with a commanding voice. "There's no way I can allow that without regret."
"A-are you okay?" She was surprised to see him appear to unsettled. "W-why, can't I?"
"Because I'm in love with you." For the first time in his life, Ishi was confessing to a girl. "I don't want you to confess to anyone because I want to be with you."
"You… You…" She was knocked speechless from him beating her to the punch when it came to revealing the truth. She had hesitated so much, that he was able to dominate the conversation for a moment.
"Look, I'm sure the guy you're looking at is real cool. He's probably a better boy than I could ever be." Thinking about the boys she hung out with, it was mainly people like Otoya or Koto. Those two had their own romantic confessions to deal with, but right now he just wanted one thing. That was to have the idol that nearly every single boy desired to be with, to date.
It was even funnier coming from him, seeing as he always stated that he didn't care about her idolhood. Though even now, he wasn't looking at the popular idol that everyone at school… No, everyone in town loved. "And I know I'm not the kind of guy that you're into." Ishi was rude, harsh, bitter, grumpy, and plenty of other bad words one could use to describe him.
Realistically, the only thing he had going for him was his honestly, but there was no way that would be enough for anyone. "I can only be honest with you, and right now I'm telling… No, I'm showing you that my heart belongs to you." Ishi walked up closer to her, as she continued to stay quiet.
Her silence was deafening to him. Was she upset with him? Did the girl believe him to be kidding? There was no way, seeing as he was never the type of guy to pull pranks. All he could hope for was that she at least heard his confession earnestly and would respond in kind. Even if it was a rejection, he'd accept her answer and allow the real boy of her dreams to take the spot he desperately wanted to be a part of.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Rinse moved. She reached into her bag, searching for the chocolates she had made for this special occasion. There, she produced another smaller, clear bag that held the handmade treats she created. They looked so wonderful, even more beautiful than the ones that Youna had shown him just minutes ago.
Then, Rinse held them high in the air, right in front of his face.