_________________
I knew I
Loved you before
I met you.
I have been
Waiting
all my life.
Savage Garden
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"You've got this Akane. Just go over there and say your words! Without stuttering, with the most confidence, you can muster." I patted my friend on the shoulder as he did breathing exercises next to me.

"I've got this. Yeah. I can do it. Uh-huh. Yup. No." He started to turn around when my grip on his collar stopped him.

"I did not waste my effort to make those candies for you only to give them to you for free, might I add, so that you could wuss out. Do I need to get Amane to show you how to ask a girl out because he did a good job with me." Akane stared at me as I talked. It was like a child learning something so interesting that they had all ears.

"Yugi doesn't need to be here. He's dealing with his club right now." His sentence kind of hurt. I haven't seen him all day and I want to give him his space and all, but I want to be with him too.

"Yeah...I know." my face shifted towards the floor in disappointment. Akane took notice of it and was about to say something before I pushed him out into the open.

"Go get her!" I yelled in a whisper. His nervous gaze turned into determination.

I watched as he approached Aoi. Her back was turned while she talked to Nene about some of her cucumber plants. "Aoi!" Akane said confidently.

with just the sound of her name, Aoi turns around to greet her neighbor with a smile. "Akane! Hello! Do you need anything?"

His confidence faltered and I slammed my head into the wall. That's when I remembered that brick hurts. "Ow ow ow ow!" I whispered to myself as I gently poked at the bleeding spot on my head. Who knew that brick was sharp as well?

My eyes teared up a little but I didn't pay any mind to it when I saw Akane hold out his basket to Aoi. "Please take this!" he bowed at a perfect ninety-degree. "It's just, I like you Aoi. So much that it kind of hurts. And I'm sure you know that I won't stop trying until you say yes. I hope you'll at least consider me?" His confidence fell into a timid response.

Aoi's eyes widened a bit and her cheeks flushed the lightest pink. "a-ah. Uhm. Well." Her fingers started to twirl her hair. "I'll think about it okay? But that confession was a solid twenty."

A twenty? Out of what?

He howled in victory and practically skipped easy towards me. "So have you ever figured out what you're gonna do if she says yes?" I asked while trying to stop my head from bleeding further.

His joy stops in mid-sentence and he finally turns to me. "I haven't gotten that far." He really is an idiot.

"(Y/n)?" The pain stopped as soon as I heard the blissful voice that graced my ears.

"Amane!" I jumped at him with a hug. "I missed you."

"Wha-what happened to your head!?" He pushes away my hug to examine the bleeding forehead.

"Someone was being stupid. And I banged my head to the wall a little too hard." I just smiled and shrugged. That's when the dizziness started to settle in. My legs failed on my and my butt landed on the floor.

"(Y-Y/n)?" Amane's grip on my forearm tightened as I fell to the ground. He bent over to examine the wound on my head. Akane rushed over to my side and lifted the stray hairs blocking their view.

"Ahh, It's bruising! Why are you so stupid?!" Akane yelled at me. My eyes drifted to the floor in guilt.

"C'mon. Let's go get you some ice at the infirmary." Amane began to walk away by my grip on his sleeve prevented him from going any further. He stopped and looked down at me on the floor with question.

"I can't get up," I admitted. My face burned as I looked at Amane for help. His eyes widened and then he started to laugh softly.

"Maybe I should take advantage of this. What do I get if I help you, Hmm? I could just go get the ice myself and leave you here in front of the door to the school. The whole gardening club will see you." Amane started to pace around my slowly as my head continued to burn. He poked at his chin in contemplation. "Anything you can offer?" He smiled at me smugly.

He's got me at checkmate. I didn't know what I could offer. I knew he liked donut's but I doubted that's what he wanted. "What do you want?" I asked.

His smile grew bigger as his eyes turned almost as sharp as his brothers. "This weekend there's supposed to be a shooting star shower. I don't have anyone to go with and I didn't want to make it a club activity because it's the weekend. I know there's gotta be someone who would go with me." His pacing stopped as he looked at me.

Akane shifted uncomfortably. 'Why can't I be that smooth?' He thought. But he would never say that out loud.

"Any suggestions?" Amane batted his eyes at me playfully and I couldn't help but giggle. My arms reached up around Amane's shoulders as he bent his back down to my level. Beckoning for me to get on. I slip on easily and his hands lifted me comfortably under my thighs.

"I'll go with you. No problem what so ever!" I smiled kissing his cheek softly and then buried my face into his shoulder. I had forgotten that Akane was even there. I felt bad. But I hoped Amane was a good example of how to ask someone out.

I knew that Amane and I were dating, but that didn't stop my heart from beating one hundred miles a minute. I know I've asked myself this question many a time, but...

Why does he make me feel this way?

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Original release date: July 20 2020