Chapter Text
"So, when are you going to tell him?" Josephine asked overly excited.
"Never." Sunako looked up and steeled herself.
"Sunako!"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Tell him!" Akira yelled annoyed.
"At least tell Noi?" Hiroshi offered.
"No, she'll get too excited." Josephine sighed and Sunako agreed.
"What about Takenaga?"
Sunako perked up at this. Maybe. Maybe he could help.
Making sure the coast was clear Sunako crept out of her room and made her way down the hall once again. She stood at the now looming door in front of her and knocked.
The door opened to Takenaga who was just as surprised as the first time she knocked on his door.
"Hey, Sunako, what's up?" He opened his door for her to come in. Sunako didn't sprint in this time, but she did grab the door and close it behind her pressing her back up to it. She didn't want to harm her and Noi's relationship more than she already had.
"Um, I need help." She was usually never this direct with them. She didn't like being vulnerable, so she rarely asked for help.
"Is something wrong?" He sat down on the side of his bed to hear her out.
"Yes," She was having a hard time giving details. Sure, she had finally admitted it to herself, but admitting it to other people? Impossible, "uh, Kyouhei..."
"Did Kyouhei do something wrong again?" He thought back to the goofy smile he had on his face earlier today, but he didn't think he would be that happy if Sunako was angry at him.
"Not wrong per say but..." Here it goes, "he said he like me..." The last few words trailed off into a whisper. She sort of hoped he didn't hear, but surely enough he did.
"He did?" He didn't yell or get too excited, but he definitely perked up at the words. This is why she went to him instead of Yuki or Ranmaru, Takenaga could keep his cool.
"Yeah, and..." Why was this so hard?
"And?"
"And..."
"Do you like him back?" Thank God, he said it instead of her. She nodded her head feeling the dreadful heat ingulf her once again.
"That's good then!" He said cheerfully almost as if giving them his blessing.
"But what do I do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell him..." Takenaga sighed.
"Sunako," Of course that was the issue, but she chose the worst person to help. Even he can't tell Noi how he really feels. He tiptoes around the subject so often, "I think you just need to tell him."
She obviously didn't like that answer but didn’t protest either. She knew that was the right answer but what was the easy one?
"I don't wanna." She pouted. She had already confessed to someone before, but this was different. She was different.
"Maybe Noi can..."
"No Noi!" Sunako yelled. She loved her friend, but Noi would be the least help right now.
"Right, no Noi, got it."
"Thank you for your help." Sunako went to leave. Takenaga called out to her, but she had already shut the door behind her.
She walked back to her room this time remembering to cover he ears while waking past Ranmaru's room. She kept her eyes open though and saw him walking towards her.
"Hey," he had a goofy smile on his face, "whatcha doin over here?" Sunako took her hands off her ears and panicked.
"Oh! Nothing! Just asking Takenaga for help that's all!"
"Help with what?" His smile dropped.
"Home…work?" It came out like a question, but he didn't seem upset. More like he was thinking.
"Hm, I guess that makes sense" he looked lost in thought. Maybe she hadn’t been thinking about him all day?
"Anyways! I'll be heading to the kitchen! Don't mind me!" She tried to sneak past him, but he managed to grab her arm and her heart thumped out of her chest.
"What," she slowly turned around, "what is it?"
"Oh," he let go, "sorry."
She was free but something kept her feet planted on the ground, "don't be." She was embarrassed by her words, she wanted to run away, wanted to leave and never come back. She didn't want to face her embarrassment, yet something kept her right there, in that moment, with him.
"I don't hate you" she choked out while looking at the ground, "I never hated you."
Kyouhei was thrown off guard, but eventually the smile he had displayed all day made its way back to his lips.
"I think we've already established at least that." He placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair making her dip slightly from the weight.
"Will you!" Her words came out louder than she anticipated, "will you come to my room with me?" She said quieter this time.
"Uh," Kyouhei's face grew beat red. Of course, it wasn't what he was thinking, this was Sunako we're talking about, but he was just a teenage boy going to the room of the girl he just figured out he liked... A guy can dream right?
"Sure." He agreed. Sunako could hear her heartbeat in her ears. It was so loud she wasn't sure she heard him agree, but when he followed her, she guessed it was a yes. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. If not before especially not now. She did, however, want to get a second, third, and fourth opinion.
They got to her room and Sunako slipped in first positioning Hiroshi, Josephine, and Akira together. She then led Kyouhei in.
"Well?" She asked to the three figures followed by a wine and her covering her ears.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." She responded after a moment.
Kyouhei was thoroughly confused. Not by the current situation, he knew Sunako talked to her anatomical dolls, but he had, just for a moment, forgotten and was suddenly reminded that he fell in love with a girl who talked to anatomical dolls. Was his life a joke or what?
"What did they say?" He asked genuinely curious. He decided it didn't matter what she did, she always looked super cute to him, even when talking to her friends.
"Uh," she blushed slightly, "nothing important." She turned her attention back to the three in front of them and was listening intently.
"Yeah." She answered looking a little embarrassed.
“You think so?" She asked a little more excited. She looked happy.
"Well?" He asked again not trying to be rude but also wanting to be a part of the conversation. Sunako took a deep breath.
"Well," she started not really looking at him, "Hiroshi thinks that you're... we're not that different."
Oh no, Kyouhei thought, we're very different, but he would indulge her.
"How so?" He glanced over at Hiroshi, but his eyes ultimately settled back on Sunako.
"You're alone." She said simply until she remembered, "not now! You're not alone now, you have Yuki and Ranmaru and Takenaga and even auntie but before..." She trailed off before she could say anything worse and drag back up some bad memories.
"And you," It caught her by surprise, but Kyouhei slowly pulled her closer to him until they were up against each other, "I have you too."
"Of course!" She looked back at her friends and then back at him, "you have ...me" it was embarrassing for her to say.
"And you have me."
"And I have..."
"C'mon, say it"
"And I have you." She was looking away again, not at her friends, just at the ground. Until the hand placed under her chin slowly lifted her face to meet him. Meet his eyes. His gaze.
"I love you, Sunako." He wasn't smiling. His jaw was clenched. She said that she would respond to him. He wants to give her time, but he also wants her to know he's serious, he seriously is in love with this horror obsessed goofball.
They were too close for Sunako to think clearly, but when he said those words with the upmost confidence it made her want to believe in them. She buried her head into his chest and yelled
"Me too!" Kyouhei stopped moving.
"I like, no, I love you too! …I'm sorry." She doesn't know why she apologized. Maybe it was because if she told herself he would reject her it would hurt less when it happened. Maybe because deep down she still believed that no one could actually love her. Maybe she didn't want to believe, but nevertheless a hand was placed on her head gently sliding down the length of her hair.
"Fuck." That made her look up to see a blushing Kyouhei trying desperately to keep the smile from spreading on his face, "I didn't think you'd actually say that. I'm so happy I don't know what to do."
"Um!" He looked back down at her, "how about a feast?" And with that he couldn't hold back a snort and the laughter that followed.
"What? What did I say?" Sunako asked in desperation, but Kyouhei had to wait until his laughter subsided before clearing his throat.
"I would love a feast," he smiled, "on one condition!"
"Wha-?"
"You let me help you cook." He felt proud of himself. Sunako always cooks, so maybe it's something they could do together.
"Absolutely not, you'd just get in the way." And with that his cute fantasy of Sunako feeding him little tastes as they cook was crushed.
"But!"
"But?"
Sunako paused, "I might let you help me with the dishes this time." A slight blush appeared on her cheek, and he couldn't help but smile again.
"I'd like that."
"Oh! Can we watch a horror movie while we eat dinner?"
"Hell yeah, we can!" Kyouhei was almost more excited that he was just moments ago... Almost. "I'll pick out the movie while you cook!"
"Deal!" And with that Sunako happily skipped to the kitchen ready to prepare dinner.
Kyouhei turned back to the room looking at the large supply of movie.
"A movie date with Sunako," he laughed to himself, "I shouldn't be this excited about it."