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It had never been this bad before. They had disagreed, sure, but Ren and Makoto almost always solved their problems before long. Something was different about this one, though.
The crime under review was thus: while Makoto was visiting Ren in his hometown, she had witnessed his ex-girlfriend, Izana Takahashi, approach him, confess she still loved him, then kiss him on the cheek. The pair walked back to the Amamiya house before the argument broke out.
“Makoto, I don’t understand. That was never going to happen!” Ren’s voice, terse and on-edge, carried through his empty house, his parents out for the evening. “It’s over between the two of us, completely. It has been since before I first left for Tokyo!”
His study partner glared at him. “She said she loved you, Ren! She kissed you!” Makoto spat back.
“I don’t know what you wanted me to do! It was in an instant, I had no time to react!” Ren raised his voice. Makoto was being completely unreasonable! He couldn’t be rude and tell his ex to just go away! Makoto knew that he was absolutely and utterly devoted to her! It didn’t matter what anyone else said or did.
Ren was nearing the end of his rope. It was incredibly rare to see Makoto this upset, even more so to see him as the target of her ire. He had no clue how he was supposed to have handled that interaction. It all happened so fast he could barely process it by the time Takahashi-san left.
To Makoto, however, the case could not be more clear. Ren Amamiya, her boyfriend, was confessed to and kissed right in front of her! And now he was acting like nothing was wrong!
“Ren, please. You did nothing to rebuke her advances before or after she approached us. Do you think that was pleasant for me, Ren?” She could feel tears begin to well in her eyes. “To see my boyfriend’s ex walk right up to him while he and I are spending time together, say she’s still in love with him, then kiss him on the cheek? Do you know how much that hurt?” Her voice cracked on the final words. Makoto couldn’t keep her composure for much longer.
But it was Ren who cracked first. Makoto’s beautiful face miserable, on the verge of breaking down, was the thing he least liked seeing. He knelt in front of his lover and looked up into her eyes, then took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even consider your perspective, Makoto,” he told her in a low, soothing voice. “But believe me: there was not a single chance I’d ever go back to Takahashi-san. She, like all of my other so-called ‘friends’ in this town, abandoned me in my time of need.” He wiped away a tear and held her face. Makoto’s hands reached up and surrounded his in their familiar, comforting warmth.
“But you didn’t. You were there for me from day one at Shujin; you were there for me during the two most stressful summers of my life; you were there for me at my absolute lowest and you still loved me. I am helplessly, totally, completely in love with you.” He was encouraged by the small smile that returned to her lips. “I didn’t even stop to think about anyone else, because I knew I had already found the one. You’re the only one for me, Mako.”
“I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I was inconsiderate and took our relationship for granted. How can I make it up to you?” Makoto stared at him, her bright red eyes big and vulnerable. Not saying a word, she moved her hands to take hold of his and guided them behind her before wrapping her own arms around Ren’s shoulders.
They stayed like that, holding each other, Makoto sniffling every once in a while, the warmth of their breath tickling the other’s ear, for who knows how long. Eventually, Ren climbed onto the couch and Makoto leaned against him, the pair wanting nothing more than to love and be loved.
After a while, Makoto spoke, her voice still slightly shaky from crying. “Thank you, Ren. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I got so upset, I-“
“Shh, shh, shh,” Ren cut her off. “There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. Thank you for telling me that it was bothering you.”
When he leaned down, Ren had only meant to peck Makoto’s cheek, but he found himself meeting her lips, slightly salty from teardrops. This was a type of kiss he hadn’t experienced before - not one of intense passion or loving care, but an affirmation of their growth as people and as partners. And he knew they would continue to grow. They would make mistakes, get upset, and learn from each other. And they’d do it all, together.