I asked him to be my pretend-boyfriend but after a while I fell for him, but I can't seem to admit that fact! - Chapter 22: The beginning.

The beginning.

“Because I wrote the song thinking about you, Itsuki.”

From the moment Asai said those words, my heart has been racing nonstop.

To be in such an unsettled state of mind, standing in the kitchen like this, it’s the first time I’ve ever felt this way.

I nearly cut my fingers several times with the knife.

I accidentally mixed lemon and salt, which I usually put on when eating, into the batter.

I dipped my finger into the oil and nearly burned myself.

I messed up the amount of batter and ended up with something more like tempura.

That was an ambush—so unfair.

My first attempt at cooking at Asai’s house turned out to be a complete disaster.

I had utterly messed up… I thought, as I tentatively tasted one.

…Surprisingly, it was delicious.

And this flavor… it was just like the salted lemon fried chicken they sell at convenience stores.

It seemed like the heavens hadn’t completely abandoned me.

“It’s ready! Help me set the table!”

“Okay!”

Asai sniffed the aroma of the fried chicken.

“Is this lemon in this fried chicken?”

He said that with a triumphant look.

“Oh, you noticed? I’ve been enjoying the salted lemon fried chicken they recently started selling at convenience stores, so I tried to replicate the seasoning.”

Even though it was a complete failure, it tasted good, so I came up with a plausible explanation.

“Replicated, huh…”

“Being humble and incorporating good ideas is important! Well, give it a try for now.”

At times like this, I might have been cuter saying something like, “I got a little nervous and messed up, teehee,” but I couldn’t manage that.

“Bon appétit!”

…For now.

“How is it? Is it delicious?”

“Yeah, it’s really tasty!”

The dish was met with enthusiastic approval.

Our tastes in food seemed quite similar, which gave me a sigh of relief.

—Could it be that I made too much, thinking your parents might also have some when they come back?

“Thank you for the meal.”

Asai finished everything without leaving a trace.

For that slim body to consume this much… where does it all go?

Asai must be one of those people who can eat and not gain weight!

…I’m envious.

“What’s up, Itsuki?”

“I thought I had made quite a bit, but… Akira, you’re quite the big eater, huh?”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“Then, when you stayed over at my place the other day, maybe it wasn’t enough?”

“Nah… I was full that time.”

“What do you mean, full…?”

Asai just chuckled and didn’t give a clear answer. Geez… I was the one who was full.

“Well, never mind… but I’m curious.”

“About wbat?”

“What we’re doing right now.”

“Well, yeah.”

“I… I never imagined that I would get along with you, Akira.”

“…I feel the same way. If you hadn’t forgotten your eraser at that time, we might have never really talked to each other..”

He said this before when Shizuka asked about our first meeting, and it seemed like Asai still believed that I had forgotten my eraser.

“I didn’t forget it… someone played a prank on me!”

“Huh… is that true?”

“It’s true…”

Well… I have a pretty good idea who the culprit is though.

“…It was good that Akira was sitting next to me.”

But… thanks to that culprit.

“I’m glad Itsuki was sitting next to me too.”

I became close with Asai… even though it’s infuriating, maybe I should be grateful to Mr. K as well.

—Asai, with his kind smile.

I want to stay like this forever.

…But, it’s about time.

I have to put an end to this relationship.

…I can’t bear the weight of my feelings any longer.

I know I’m being selfish.

So… this will be my last selfish request as your stand-in girlfriend.

Please… let me confess to you.

But… just as I was finally preparing myself…

“Itsuki… is it okay if I play it for you now?”

Asai brought it up first.

“The new song from ‘Inherit the Sound’… right?”

“Yeah… I’m dedicating the band’s first love song to you, Itsuki.”

…A love song.

Certainly, there isn’t a love song in ‘Inherit the Sound’s repertoire.

And he’s dedicating it to me?

“…Dedicating?”

“…I wrote it with you in mind. So, I’m dedicating it to you.”

…Oh no.

“…Yeah.”

…This is really bad.

I can’t hold back the tears anymore.

—The melody Asai sang and the lyrics.

They pierced my heart.

As if the song depicted our meeting and everything that has happened until now, by the time the song ended… I couldn’t hold back my emotions anymore.

“…”

“I… I’ve always thought that I shouldn’t fall for you, Itsuki. I thought it was for your sake and mine.”

“Yeah.”

“But, you know, that time you said, ‘I want you to do what you want, so Akira, don’t worry about me,’ I decided to do things my way.”

Asai still took those words seriously, after all.

“Akira…”

“Itsuki… I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

…As expected, Asai is unfair.

To confess before I can…

—That’s cheating.

…My answer is already decided.

But, I still can’t give my reply.

I need to resolve things within myself as well.

“Akira… I have someone I like.”

…The person I fell for a year ago, Akira-sama.

“I… I’m steadfast, so I thought even if I got close to someone, even if someone confessed to me, my heart wouldn’t waver.”

…Even knowing it’s an unrequited love, I thought my heart wouldn’t change.

“But… I… I guess I wasn’t that steadfast.”

Yes… I’ve had a change of heart.

…The one who stole my heart wasn’t Akira from ‘Inherit the Sound’.

“I also like you, Akira. So, will you be my boyfriend?”

Next to me, Asai Akira, Akira-sama.

…I said it… I was finally able to express it.

Finally, in this relationship— I was able to put an end to it.

“Itsuki… it’s not a lie, right?”

“…It’s not a lie… I like you, Akira.”

…I don’t have to hold back my tears anymore.

“Itsuki!”

Akira hugged me.

To him, I gave the strongest smile I could muster.

“Akira… I haven’t given my answer yet?”

“Yes… I’m a bit awkward, but please take care of me.”

A very Akira-like response.

“What’s that… ‘a bit awkward’ is quite something.”

“It’s fine… you understood, right?”

It was understood clearly.

“Yeah… I got your feelings, Akira.”

I wrapped my arms around Akira’s neck—

And our lips met.

There’s no need to hide anymore.

Because, from this moment—

We were no longer stand-in lovers, but real lovers.

Being saved by Akira-sama.

Losing my eraser.

Akira sitting next to me.

Terasawa confessing to me.

That time when Akira agreed to be my stand-in lover.

Any of these pieces missing, and we wouldn’t have arrived at this result.

With Akira’s warmth transmitted through our lips, I deeply felt that this was a destined encounter.

…This confession is not the end.

It’s just the beginning of the intricate fate surrounding Akira and me.