"Even in death... We shall not part..."

Those were the few words that Takabayashi said which sent shivers down my spine.

Could he possibly be one of those --...

No... He isn't! Is he?

I laugh nervously at Takabayashi and try to lessen the tension, "Quit kidding around Takabayashi-kun! You're scaring me!"

But his expression doesn't faze, and he asks me seriously, "What if I'm not 'kidding around'? What if what I said was true?"

"Takabayashi-kun?"

"I'm serious about you Yuiko." he says with a straight face that makes my heart skip a beat, but also tense up in the process. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

I stop and stare at Takabayashi for a short while and mumble my way into the conversation, "W-Well, you are a nice guy, and you're handsome and all..."

"I'm not your type?" he cuts me.

My eyes then widened as I look him in the eyes to say, "No! You're mistaken! ... It's just..."

"Are you scared?" he asks, and I pause for a while before nodding once, "I promise I'll treat you right! And I won't let anyone harm you!"

"I know..." I smile to the side.

Takabayashi then looks concerned, "So? What's your answer?"

I think long and hard before looking into his eyes while I answer him, "Well... I-I do love you... S-So..."

"Is that a yes?" he cuts me again, this time, with a willful smile. And I nod twice in approval with a shy smile. He then lights up, where his smile was too bright that it was blinding. "Alright!" he shouts as he then pounces on me to give me a bear hug, "I love you, Yuiko! I'll treasure you and never make you want to break up with me!"

"I am thankful that you love me so much... But... It's just sad that everyone will ignore me..."

He scratches his head in embarrassment and apologizes, "I'm sorry, I'll tell them that you're okay now..."

"Thank you Takabayashi-kun..." I smile at him.

"Call me Kei."

I was shocked to his sudden request and I tense up as I try to say his name, "K-... Kei....-k-kun..."

"One more... Properly this time..."

"K-Kei-kun..."

He snickers at me, "That's good enough for me..." he then asks, "Yuiko? C-Can I kiss you again?"

I gulp in nervousness but look to the side and peek at him in embarrassment, "Y-You c-can..."

He then places a hand on my cheek as he then stares into my eyes and kisses me passionately. After the kiss, he asked, "So? Can you live with me?"

"I-I'm sorry Takabayashi-kun, but I can't leave the house all alone. Even though I live in an apartment with my dad, I still can't leave it alone because he comes home late and I do all the chores. And my dad might worry over me..."

I explained so much that when I looked over at Takabayashi, he looks as if he's sulking. "Are you mad that I can't live with you?"

"No. It's not that, I can understand you not wanting to leave your dad and the place... It's just that... I told you to call me by my first name!"

He was sulking over that?

"Oh! I'm sorry... K-Kei-kun..."

"I know that it'll take some getting used to, but I still want you to call me by my given name."

"Okay... I'll do my best, Taka-.. Err... Kei-kun!"

"But... I can always come over to your place right?"

"Sure! Dad won't mind! I think?"

He then laughed at me for the last sentence, "What do you mean, you think?"

"I'm sorry... I still need to ask, because of what happened with my first boyfriend... He only came to talk with my dad to earn his favor and not spend time with me at all. Turns out he just wanted me for my dad's wealth... But oh well... I was only fifteen back then..."

"He was stupid then... Had you had any other boyfriends after him?"

"Yes..." Kei then looked sad, and I had to giggle, "Why are you sad? You're my second boyfriend!"

His eyes then widened and I had to laugh at him for that. His blush was so obvious, but he then asked, "Can I also be your last boyfriend?"

"If you'll treat me right."

"I will!" he then became bashful and asked if we could tell others about 'us', and he was very happy that I agreed that he almost squeezed the life out of me.

After all that talk, I told him that I couldn't stay the night in case 'something' happens and I don't want to stop going to school. He happily agreed, but he'd walk me home. He changed into his street clothes quickly and I kept my things.

We ate dinner at a little restaurant that serves different kinds of ramen and went in a book store after to just check out the latest books that I stopped reading on when I entered high school.

"Whoah! There's been three books already since I stopped reading this series?!" I blurted out.

Kei chuckled at me, "I have the whole collection if you'd like to borrow?"

"Really?! Can I borrow the fourth volume then?" my eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, I'm just so hyped up to read the series again that I didn't know I was loud.

Kei shushed me and I covered my mouth in embarrassment, "Sure... I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"Thank you so much~!" I say quietly.

After the short stop at the book store, he walked me back to my apartment building. "Whoah!" he said after one look of the building, "Does your father own this apartment?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"It says YuiZawa Towers right there." He pointed to the plaque attached to the wall behind the counter in the ground floor. "I guess it's 'Yuiko Hanazawa'?" I gave myself a face palm.

Darn my overly-loving father.

I laughed nervously, "Yeah... Mom and dad lived in another apartment of his, but as soon as they had me and knew I was a girl, they named me before I was even born and he had this apartment built and named after me so I'd live here with them as soon as I was born."

He chuckled, "I figured much..."

As I then lead him into my apartment room, he excuses himself as we take our shoes off, "Sorry for intruding..." And I giggle as I say that I'm home.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Oh... It's alright thanks. I just want to have a quick look around before going home."

"Alrightie then~!"

He is completely in awe everywhere he looks, "Where's your mom? What's her work?"

"Oh, she died in a car accident when I was eight years old." I say nonchalantly.

"I-I'm sorry Yuiko..."

"It's alright. I'm sure mom is in a good place right now."

He paused for a bit before asking me again, "Don't tell me you have to clean this place everyday?!"

"Nope... We have a house keeper who comes to clean three times a week at three in the afternoon. She's the one I bond with when she comes to clean on a Saturday, and I help her. And she cooks for me three times a week too!"

"And if she doesn't come?"

"I either eat out or buy bentos at a convenience store for dinner. I am trying to cook for myself, but am having a hard time sometimes. So I give up."

"You want me to teach you sometime?"

"I would love you to! Thank you!"

"No problem!" he smiles at me. His gaze then shifts to the wall clock, then to his own watch, "I should get going... Will you be okay?"

"Don't worry! I lock up..."

"Alright... See you tomorrow then!"

"Goodnight Kei-kun~! Have a safe trip back!"

I found it weird that he was showing me such a happy expression, and when I stopped to think about it, I blurted out, "Ah!!! I just said your name properly!!!"

He laughed at my childishness, "Yes... Yes you did... I am very happy Yuiko... Thank you."

I had to blush at his remark, "Don't sweat it, Kei-kun..."

We both then waved each other a goodbye and Kei then went on his way home.

I hope this relationship isn't all that bad...

Kei-kun's a pretty nice guy!

____________________________

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