Confession

"Takahashi, can you come to the back of the sports field?"

Having just finished his classes for the day, Takahashi was about to head back to the dorm when he received a message from Ichinose.

The back of the sports field? I don't remember there being any cameras there, right?

"Sure."

Arriving at the sports field, Takahashi saw Ichinose wave at him. He turned on his phone's voice recorder and walked over.

"What's up, Ichinose?"

"Well... it's just that I might be getting confessed to here." As she spoke, Ichinose pulled out an envelope with a heart sticker on it.

"May I ask—can I take a look at the contents?"

"You can."

"Ichinose-san, I've had my eye on you since the start of the semester. You're lively, straightforward, and very kind.

As we spent more time together, I found you always so dazzling, and gradually I came to like you. This feeling might not be mature, but it's sincere. So I'd like to meet you behind the gymnasium on Friday afternoon at three."

The handwriting was very neat, with no corrections anywhere.

"You want me to help you turn this person down?"

"Yeah. I asked my friends, and they said using the excuse of having a boyfriend wouldn't hurt the other person."

Seeing that Takahashi didn't reply, Ichinose looked up and met his deep eyes.

"Ichinose..." Before Takahashi could finish his sentence, a girl's voice came from behind them.

"Ichinose, who is he?"

"Well... he's Takahashi Shinma from Class D. Sorry, I brought someone you don't know."

"Could it be... is he your boyfriend?"

"Uh... yeah..."

"No." Takahashi cut off Ichinose's words.

"Ichinose, liking someone is easy, but expressing it is hard. They might have rehearsed it hundreds or thousands of times in their head, acted out a one-person play in some empty corner over and over, carefully weighing every word of their confession. They might have just been outside this sports field, comforting themselves who knows how many times, taking deep breaths, silently reciting the confession they already know by heart, all so they can stand before you and say every word without a single mistake, fully conveying their feelings. I read the love letter—the handwriting is beautiful, and there are no corrections. I think just writing that letter took a lot of thought and time. So you shouldn't brush it off with a vague 'I have a boyfriend.' Please tell her what's really in your heart. Just sincerity is enough."

After coming out from behind the sports field, Takahashi sat down against the wall and opened his photo album. The first picture was of Sakura playing with a cat at the Cat Cafe.

Will I ever confess to someone someday?

About five minutes later, the girl who had confessed to Ichinose ran off, wiping tears with her hand as she went.

Then, after a little while, Ichinose also came out. Seeing Takahashi sitting by the wall, she paused, then in just a few seconds she was beside him. Without caring that the ground might dirty her skirt, she sat down right next to him.

"I was wrong. I not only failed to understand Chihiro's feelings, but I was also trying to avoid the issue with a method that wouldn't hurt her."

Chihiro must be the girl who confessed to Ichinose.

Seeing that Takahashi didn't speak, Ichinose continued, "I don't know if we'll still get along like before tomorrow."

"Whether for her or for you, this might be a painful thing. But the sky hasn't fallen yet—you still have to live however you live."

"Takahashi-kun, what do you think it feels like to like someone?"

"I don't know either. But I think, if you like someone, you should at least make them happy. If you think that just because you like someone, they have to be with you—is that really liking them?"