Dream Star

When she re-emerged through the door wearing the new set of clothes. Takahiro found himself blus.h.i.+ng more than before. Lila wore a black ruffled tank-top in three layers. Each layer has thickly applied purple glitter. The sleeves and neck are lined with raspberry lace. Sewn to the left strap are gold and purple b.u.t.terfly. Included is a purple lace scrunchie bracelet with a gold b.u.t.terfly sewn to it. Purple denim shorts with the Ageha logo on the left leg. Sewn around the leg holes are black pieces of lace.

A single, grey b.u.t.ton resides at the middle of the waist. Black booties covered in gold studs and grey soles. Sewn to the side of the cuff is a purple and gold b.u.t.terfly charm. These are worn with a pair of black textured knee-socks with a purple lace cuff.

Did--did he really chose those clothes for her?

Before he could get a word in edgewise, he feels others in the room and sure enough when he turned to the doorway. Takahiro found his brothers were there.

"Woaaahhh, fathers right. He actually brought a girl back."

"Miss what do you like about this guy."

"You have bad taste."

"You guys! Were friends! That"s all."

But they simply continued teasing.

To his surprise, Lilchan simply remained unmoved, seeing her present state. He kicks his brothers out. It was surprisingly easy, they must have noticed too. The dead look in the girl"s eyes.

Takahiro pulls out his guitar from the side and sits down on the ground.

He finds the girls gaze on him for a sec before it lingered on the guitar. To be honest, he really doesn"t understand what he"s doing right now. He hears a shuffle and finds the girl edging closer to him, "Takahiro-kun," she spoke up.

"Y--yes?" Takahiro replied nervously.

Lila suddenly apologized, "I"m sorry."

"Huh?"

"I picked up the song you wrote."

"Ah..huh?!!!"

Wait for what... Come to think of it...

"AHHH!" Takahiro exclaimed loudly.

Lila blinked and asked. "Anno, did you just realise it was missing?"

. . . He did just realise, even though he"s been conscious if he doesn"t have it around with him...

"I"m sorry, but I don"t want to give it back yet."

...huh? Wait, what?

He looks at her for answers but she seemed to be keeping her mouth shut again. Well, he supposes there"s nothing wrong with her having the song. It"s not like he can do much with it during its present state.

"Lilchan, say..can I ask you something?"

She slowly nodded.

"Do you want to return?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied bluntly.

How blunt.

Well, he expected as much.

"Even though...something"s happening with Karas.h.i.+msenpai?"

"Does Takahiro-kun think that too? That something is going on between me and senpai?"

"...Well..."

"To be honest, uh-huh. Something"s happening. We"re definitely not just friends, even back when we first met. It was never like that. When we first met, I was already very self-conscious of him, and for some reason. For some reason, I just couldn"t leave him alone." Lila explained.

"...what do you mean by that?" Takahiro questioned. They weren"t just friends? From the very start?

"Did you know, he kissed me no sooner than 10 minutes after we first met?"Lila informed him.

"!!"

"It was in the parking lot when he gave me papers regarding the tournament. At the time, I didn"t understand what was happening..."

Wait, rather than not understand what was happening. Isn"t the normal reaction to being frightened? But she"s acting like...she"s acting as though...

"You weren"t scared?"

Lila shakes her head, "I wasn"t scared. Truthfully, somehow...I felt comfortable."

"..."

Laughter escapes her lips, "You"re probably thinking I"m very weird. But, it really was the case for me."

"...so err you..."

"I don"t know whether I liked it, I was just surprised. But at the same time, I was thinking, I want...to get closer to this person. I want to get closer, to know more about him. That sort of feeling has remained with me this whole time. Maybe because I"m not with Kiryu now, but those feelings have surfaced."

"You can"t control it?"

"I really want to."

"But you can"t?"

Lila nodded, "I can"t. It feels like eventually, it will completely take over me. When that happens, what will happen to Kiryu? I don"t, want to leave him. I"ve always loved Kiryu."

Considering the girl was shaking, he pulled her closer.

"Takahiro-kun.."

"I really don"t know what to do here. But I want you to understand. Your feelings for Karas.h.i.+msenpai aren"t wrong?"

"They aren"t wrong?"

"Yes."

"But towards Kiryu, even now I--"

Takahiro shook his head.

"Don"t be a.s.sertive per se. You should agree with what your heart wants. I know Austin Kiryu is still important to you. However, you feel more for Karas.h.i.+msan than you think. Isn"t it fine to see where those feelings will go?"

"Where my feelings will go?" Lila repeated his words, almost in a daze. It was clear that she was still uncertain.

"Yes, I think its more valuable for you to focus on the present. The more you deny it, the more pain you feel."

"But what about my feelings for Kiryu?" Lila asked.

The girl"s tone was filled with desperation, and he could see the panic in her eyes. "Lilchan, tell me something. You didn"t break up with Austin Kiryu?"

She shakes her head.

"So you"re still in a relations.h.i.+p?"

"...."

"I um...I"m not sure..."

Despite the girl"s vague answers, Takahiro understood. So that"s how it is Kiryu-san, he really does respect you.

"There you have it."

"Eh?" Lila said, puzzled.

"The decision is up to you. Kiryu-San is respecting your feelings." Takahiro summedit up for her.

Lila repeated his words, tilting her head sideways in confusion, "Respecting my feelings?"

"Yes, I don"t know what words he said to you before you parted ways. But those words could be interpreted as him leaving it up to you. If you still want to remain with him, then he will contact you. If you don"t, you stop the contact."

At that comment, the girl froze

"He"s been...contacting you right," Takahiro asked.

She slowly nodded.

"And you"ve been replying?"

"Yes...and um..we met.."

"When you disappeared on your birthday?"

"Yes.."

So that"s why ever since then, he"s gotten this strange feeling around them. That"s why there"s something different. He really doesn"t get complicated things, and there"s no doubt that this is a complicated matter. But that"s precisely why, "Lilchan, regarding this. I don"t mind if you..."

His sentence is cut short when he felt her extend her hand out to touch his hair, thump. Thump. Wh--what is she doing?

"Strange.." she murmured.

"Uhh..." he looked at her uncertainty filled his features. Rather, why does she have to get close? This is bad for him.

"You"re very strange you know?"

"Uh...strange..." he repeated.

Lila nodded and continued, "Somehow, I thought this last year. But you really are a very strange person..."

"Uh...so if I"m strange, what are you. ?" Takahiro was puzzled where she was going with this. So he found himself asking.

Lila tilted her head in confusion, "That"s right, I wonder what I am."

Seeing her give some serious thought to it, he doesn"t know what to say. "Takahiro-kun, your heart is beating a lot."

He"s pretty sure that"s because your so close to him right now. Rather, she really is getting too close.

"Does Takahiro-kun think I"m pretty?" Lila asked...

"..."

"Does Takahiro-kun...like me?"

"..."

"If...if you do, maybe I"ll..."

Oh...

After hearing the girls next words, he understood full well what was going on with her. "Lilchan, I"m not...Karas.h.i.+msenpai. Aren"t...aren"t these the things you want to tell him?"