Part 1

She stood above the ethereal water, the light from the flowing river causing her reflection to ripple and sway— but she didn’t need to see herself. She already had.

The only difference was that the girl behind the glass was now behind the water.

“This is a nice place, it’s peaceful.”

The words behind her came suddenly, but it was the familiar voice that made her heart start beating faster.

“And so that’s our first order of business,” she pivoted on one foot, practically jumping in front of the boy who’d just walked down the hidden concrete steps. “This place has to be a secret; that means no-one-has-to-know~!”

She poked his chest after every word, pushing a little further each time. She liked feeling the way his muscles tensed after each touch.

“……!…”

“Ai?”

“It’s nothing.” she said, quickly stepping backwards. With a quick sway of her head, her mind became clear again. “Anyway, I know it’s a school night, so while I’m happy you came……part of me can’t help but wonder why~” her last few words became glazed in a sultry tone, pushing for a reaction.

And to her shock, she didn’t receive one.

“I’m wondering the same thing.” he said as though he were speaking with a friend about some mundane topic. “Your note only mentioned meeting here a quarter past nine. Did you want to talk about something?”

She almost couldn’t believe it; yet the smile on her face betrayed the fact that what she was hearing was absolutely reality.

The nerves in the palm of her hand tickled.

“I did.”

She circled on her heels, walking back towards the shade offered in the middle of the bridge. The glowing water lit the area around them, and while it had her full attention, she could also make out the sounds of the boy’s footsteps coming closer.

“Say, Yuuko…”

The night air became still, as if just for her, it would quiet the sounds of the world. With both arms behind her back, Ai Hirawa tilted her head and body backwards to meet his eyes.

“Would you like to be my boyfriend?”