"Oh Onodera, you are back." I can see Onodera holding a tray where there are two cups filled with tea.
'It's time.' I thought. I then put the picture frame back to where it was originally and then closed my eyes.
'Am I in another universe where Onodera does not like Raku — I mean me. This is ridiculous, this is bullsh*t, I am invested too much in this, I just can't back out, I won't take it like this! Just like the real me, I'll take what is rightfully mine, even forcefully…'
For my whole life, I never had a successful confession. I remember brainstorming the whole week and being nervous like a dumb f*ck because I had decided to confess to a girl in my class.
While others cower just by my presence alone, she actively engages in conversation with me. She even let me borrow her things.
It is still clear in my head to this day, the time I decided to ask her out. I told her that after class, we shall meet at the back of the school. We, together alone.
And standing in front of each other, I don't know how long it was, maybe minutes of me being a coward. The moment I finally dared to confess my overwhelming ultra-rare love and opened my mouth. She…
She gave me her wallet. "Don't beat me like Patricia…" She said, w-what. I don't understand. I beat the sh*t out of Patricia because she didn't give me her wallet.
I was heartbroken. I thought she sees me differently than others. In the end, she's the same as them…
She got a good lot of money tho. Ehem. Anyway, that's why I decided that starting that day if I ever confess, I would be fast as f*ck.
With renewed conviction. I opened my eyes once again, to see Onodera putting our tea on the table.
I walked towards her, just the exact time she turned her head on me. Her face blushes before averting my gaze.
I then firmly put both my hands on her shoulders. Firmly putting her in place with no escape. She looked at me pretty confused with no ounce of resistance, just plain confusion.
Now finally in place, I seriously looked at her on her beautiful but confused eyes, and while staring at each other, I then loudly say:
"Onodera! I like you and please be mine!"
---
Seeing Raku closing his eyes for a moment, Onodera decided to lay down the tea while thinking: 'T-This is my fault that the mood is like this, I should have hidden the frame in my drawer or under the bed.'
Onodera is curious about what Raku now is thinking about her when he sees a picture of him on her desk. 'Does he think I am weird or an s-stalker of his…'
Numerous thoughts surface in her mind but all of them make her feel bad, that she just wants to hole herself into the ground and never come out like a worm.
And while putting the tea down, she felt his presence closing in. Her face felt hot at the moment as he got closer and closer to her.
Her face now is visibly blushing but then turned confused to the bizarre development of the scene.
As Raku came in front of her, just inches away. Raku proceeded to hold both her shoulders and looked seriously straight into her eyes.
Her mind is messy, it is an error. Onodera lost the ability to think and just became confused while feeling embarrassed under his gaze.
And Raku's mouth opened and said the following words: "Onodera! I like you and be mine!"
These sequences of events happened in under a minute.
'Eh? D-Did I hear it right?!'
From confusion to realization. Her face dramatically changes to an embarrassing one. Her face became hotter, her legs felt weak.
"W-Wawa what?!" She loudly exclaimed, it's not like she didn't understand but she is just losing her mind.
"I like you!" Hearing her, Raku reiterated what he just said but much more loudly.
"EHHH?!" It didn't help her already messy mind, it just made her more unable to think straight.
"You're mine, Onodera!" He loudly said, which made Onodera blush hard, she could die. She wants to turn away her face so Raku can't see her embarrassing face but she can't because Raku is holding her.
And now she realized Raku is holding her shoulders, it made her redder than a tomato, her face is hot as if smoke comes out from her head.
And her surroundings turned black.
---
"Eh?"
While holding Onodera, her eyes became close and she slowly fell like a ragdoll. At least for me, it is slow-motion, thankfully I caught her in time with my amazing reaction time.
Holding the sleeping beauty so she won't fall to the cold hard floor. I carried her like a princess to the bed.
I let her head make use of my lap like a pillow.
'Sigh. I can't believe she'll faint because of my amazing confession! Ah, my charisma is overflowing, pretty girls can't handle me.' I thought with pride. At least now I have experience on how to confess. It is easier than I thought if I got it straight and quick.
'And now I have got myself a girl.' Yep even though I heard no reply from her, I don't accept no for an answer.
I then felt her waking up. It didn't last long, not even 2 minutes long. She opened her eyes just to see me staring back at her.
She then confusedly looked at me for a couple of seconds before turning red and covering her face with her hands while squirming her head on my lap.
I can't help but grin when seeing her embarrassed.
I then heard a weak voice under me: "Y-Yes, I like Ichijou-kun too, sorry if I-I got your picture on my desk."
'See? I'm right, she liked me after all— wait for what?! That p-picture is me?!' I became dumbstruck for a moment.
'I'm pretty sure that picture isn't me — Oh.' I then remembered that picture is from a marathon event I am in fact, included in. That picture… I am there...
Talking about original Raku's memories, it seems that picture is present in his school yearbook too and he is embarrassed by it because the Yakuza can be seen cheering while he is dead last on the run and out of breath.
While staying dumb like a statue, Onodera had gathered enough courage to straighten herself away from my lap and now sitting beside me on her very own bed.
She is still avoiding my eyes, she is still blushing hard.
And now the situation is becoming calmer, and unaware of my mind being in a tense state.
I do not know, maybe it is me or maybe the original Raku's feelings. My face felt hot and my stomach was full of butterflies. Now I just remember Onodera saying she likes me too, replaying inside my head, enough for one to be crazy.
We stayed that way, in awkward yet peaceful silence. It is the kind of silence that one feels comfortable.
I glanced at her, she is not red as she is earlier but still the pink hue on her cheeks and her reddened ears is still a sight to see.
'Oh lord, I'm in love with her.' That's the only thought I had before closing my distance to her a few inches away. Is it me or the original Raku? I don't know anymore.
"Onodera— no, Kosaki," I uttered. She slowly turned her face on me.
"Ichijou-kun…" She said, her voice is soothing my whole existence as if purifying my very being.
We can feel and hear each other's breath. My heart is pounding and so is hers. The tension and imaginary pressure are building up but that won't stop me.
"Be mine Kosaki. You're mine…"
"I like Ichijou-kun too, since middle school I already like you, I've always liked you.."
I can't help but smile. All of the stuff that happened just on this day alone is crazy.
I then wrapped my arms around her. I just can't help it, man. I need to embrace her. While hugging her, I also could feel her arms wrapping around me. She is soft, she is warm, she smells like heaven, it gives me warmth, it purifies my heart, it gives me peace.
And we stayed like that for a while.