"dad..." [name] nervously stood next to her father drinking coffee peacefully with a newspaper on hand——like in every movie. "i just wanted to let you know that...amane-kun is courting me."

      her dad stopped. he puts down the glass of coffee and looked at her daughter serious in the eye. "i thought you're dating the kid already...?" mr. [surname] eyed her in suspicion.

      [name] waved her hands. "no no! you've got it all wrong!" she corrected, is her dad that oblivious when it comes to this kind of things? "i mean, amane-kun and i were friends but then he wanted to court me."

      "and you're telling me this because?"

      "i wanted you to let you know before you can even disapprove of us?" [name] said it more like a question. her dad sighed and placed the newspaper by the table.

      "and why should i disapprove him of his actions?" her dad smiled. "amane-kun is such a gentleman, i have been observing him for years and i saw how he was treating you nicely, i don't see that as something you're nervous about telling." he chuckled. "then again, i'm sorry if i made you feel nervous about telling and not being aware that you two weren't dating yet."

      [name] puts her hand on her chest and lets out a sigh of relief. that's all she needed to hear from her dad. "i talked to him two days ago about him wanting to court you, he looked like a nervous wreck for wanting my approval, i told him he doesn't have to because he has to ask you." he said emphasizing the last word.

      "thank you dad, also, amane-kun and i are going to walk together to school."

      "alright, then i wish you two safety." [name] grabbed her school bag from the couch and waved goodbye to her dad as she exits her home to see amane waiting for her by the gate.

      amane may be calm and collected outside but his heart is pounding wildly inside his chest like a ticking time bomb that could burst at any moment. "good morning, amane-kun!" [name] opens the gate for her to get out.

      "good morning [name]." he said while waving a hand as a signal that she should come closer. once the two have collided they both walk together to school.

      "good morning," [name] says for the second time.

      "good morning." he replies. this would turn out into a loop if they continue on greeting each other good morning. [name] opens her mouth to ask amane a question.

      "why do you like me?"

      amane's thoughts raced along with his pulse. the sudden question caught him off guard. does she mean the friend way or the lovey dovey way? oh dear, amane has to say something.

      "because you make my heart beat faster whenever you're around. seeing you makes me feel like that i wanted to be with this person for a very long time—oh wait let me carry that for you." amane takes her bag, then he continues with a blush on his face. "it feels embarrassing saying this to you..." he covered his face afterwards.

      "i like all the little things that you do, your mannerisms and your flaws. you're really pretty, if only you could see yourself the way i do, the things that you hate about yourself, i love them regardless."

      amane giggled. "and i love you."

      "that's cheesy..." [name] covers her face using her arm as she averted her [eye color] irises from amane.

      "ehhhh." amane whined. "what kind of reaction is that?"

      "it's normal to feel flustered when you received something cheesy." [name] harrumphed while flipping her hair.

      "so you're flustered?~" amane moves closer to [name] as their shoulders were close to one another. "come on~ admit it!"

      "can't you tell how red my face is?!" [name] points at her flushed face, glaring at amane for making her feel weak first thing in the morning. amane grinned as he reached over to cup her cheeks.

      "cute." he grinned.

      "i'm so not used to this..." [name] pouted, defeated by amane's flirtiness. amane enjoyed the look on her blushing face.

      "you better get used to it once we're a real couple." amane reminded.

      and [name] swore that her heart just skipped a beat.

♡♡♡

      "wait for reals?"

      "wow, yugi-kun is courting you."

      "finally taking it to the next level, huh?~"

      [name] tried to answer everyone's questions to those who are curious about amane courting her. "uhm, yeah." she said. "i'm not ready to be in a relationship just yet, so amane-kun is courting me as of now."

      "[nameee]..."

      amane wraps his lanky arms around her waist as he rests his chin on the crook of her neck, embracing her warmth. akane's eyes twitched at the sight since he was asking for [name]'s advice on how to win aoi's heart until amane decided to hug her out of nowhere.

      "why are you being so clingy right now?" [name] moved her head to meet his amber eyes. their noses slightly touching due to their closeness, she could clearly see him pout.

      "my energy is drained sooo..."

      akane cleared his throat causing the two to snap their attention to the red head boy. "excuse me but is this some kind of fanservice that i'm too rejected to understand?"

      "yes." they both reply.

      akane just sighed, he saw aoi arriving to see the scene so he immediately went to the purple haired girl. "ao-chan~!" he called. "i love you, go out with me!"

      "hmm, five points." aoi smiled sweetly at him. akane felt like the energy got stolen from him physically.  "you two are sweet to each other." aoi puts her hands on her cheeks and fangirled at amane and [name].

      sweet. one word that would describe [name] and amane's dynamic back before they're in this courting stage. their treatment cannot differ between friends and lovers.

      "um, amane-kun." [name] looked at the students who were staring at them. "everyone's watching us." she whispered.

      amane, still wrapping his arms around [name]'s waist, laced their hands together while burying his face on the crook of her neck. "let them." he mumbled against her neck in a tired voice.

      the rest of the day went fast as usual, the daily lectures of teachers and amane constantly trying to keep himself awake. amane didn't get enough sleep due to him practicing every night.

      he yawned. "class dismissed." the teacher left the classroom as everyone went to their friend groups doing their thing as usual. [name] turned around and dropped her head to amane's desk, groaning.

      "ugh, we have exams..." [name] complained.

      "it's normal..." amane chuckled, he knew that [name] hated studying for exams but surprisingly she gets decent scores for someone who barely put effort in reviewing. "we can't help but to complain, don't worry it will pass soon." he reassured.

      "let's study together." [name] suggested. "your house or mine?"

      "my house."

      "alright then."

      amane starts to play with [name]'s hands, caressing each knuckle using his thumb while fiddling with her fingers. [name] chuckled, sliding her fingers on the gaps of his hands as she looked up to him with a closed-eye smile.

      [name] had her eyes closed so thankfully she wouldn't see amane blush heavily on how cute she is. 'i'm starting to think that i saved the country in my past life because i'm so lucky to have her...'

      "our hands fit together, don't they?" [name] tenderly squeezed their clasped hands. amane encircled his thumb on the side of her hand, nodding shortly in agreement. "i love your hands, amane-kun..."

      "aw? only my hands?" amane pretended to pout. his hands weren't that pretty in his perspective, he always thought that [name]'s hands were pretty.

      "i-i mean!" [name] looked at the random corner of the room as her whole face turned red in a rush. "not only your hands of course, i also love you as well."

      "i'm just messing with you, my dear." amane grinned while gently gripping on to her hands. [name] puffed her cheeks, he's always teasing her no matter what. she turned away sulking. "haha, i'm sorry dear~"

      "damn you and your duality." [name] murmured under her breath. to be honest, amane doesn't understand the concept of duality that she keeps on pressing about. wasn't he pouting before?!——

      "why are you so damn adorable, [name]..." amane lowered his head down while chuckling. [name] was already red at the moment he questioned that she only liked his hands, he can clearly see her flustered state.

      "i'm not adorable..." [name] trailed down into a whisper. she's probably the same color of a cherry tomato on how she felt the blood rushing around her face. she let go of his hands as she brushed her hair and lifting it up to her cheeks and pouted. "i swear you're so cheesy, dear..."

      "h-ha?!" it was amane's turn to get flustered at the sudden petname. 'that was unexpected...!' amane was practically blushing heavily as [name]. "oh hush, dear." he mumbled while he hugged his arms, furrowing his eyebrows at the heat rising on his visuals.

      [name] scooted closer to hold his arm. she gazed upon his amber eyes with her [eye color] eyes. "i want you to call me dear..." she shyly requested. "like, i don't know, it makes me feel flustered..."

      "what do you mean? you always get flustered my dear, whenever i give you a petname back then." amane smiled softly, his head dangerously leaning in at the defensless girl. "honey, luv, darling, sweetheart?~" he chuckled.

      "dear is a favored term, i guess." [name] awkwardly chuckled. now that the two set their petname to one another, which is 'dear' but amane will never admit that [name] calling him a dear made him melt.

      "let's call each other dear then..." amane's affections will probably give her cavities on how tooth-rotting they are. [name] started to rant about her stories as amane eagerly listened to every word she says.

      "and dad approves of us..." she finished with a big smile on her face. amane felt his eyelids droop little by little and his head about to fall off to his desk. soon, his sleepiness took over so he ended up putting his head against her forehead and dozed off causing [name] to get flustered at the closeness. "...!"

      [name] carefully moves him to sleep on her arm so that amane would have a comfortable position in sleeping. her heart melted when she heard his soft snores. "rest well, amane-kun..." she whispered.

♡♡♡

rewritten in: may 25 2022