Even Though I Loved You First

After careful consideration; I think I can clearly say that, in the end, I’m grateful for the fact that my feelings weren’t reciprocated.

Sure, it hurt. It hurt to the point where I regretted being overly patient, and thinking we were bound to be together.

However, if my feelings were reciprocated; I would’ve continued to be blinded by this childish persona of mine, and I would’ve never realized there were far more people that cared about me than I initially thought.

People who no matter how immature I can be… still love me regardless.

Yes, I’m talking about you, I am talking about the one who took me out of that bottomless pain a broken heart can cause.

Thank you… truly.

~Kei Ichinose

➹

~2nd Year’s School Trip

Day 2

Arisa’s POV~

“There really is a lot here…” (Arisa)

“Hey… Arisa?” (Kokoro)

“Hm?” (Arisa)

As I was looking around the store with sparkling eyes, my friend Kokoro Shiina, called out to me.

“Why are we in a bookstore?” (Kokoro)

Just as Kokoro pointed out, during our free time on the second day, I decided to check out a bookstore that was near the place our class will gather when free time was over.

“I mean, I wanted to know what type of books they sold here. Rather, why aren’t you with Seichiiro?” (Arisa)

I answered Kokoro, who was walking with me. Our group decided to split during this time and surprisingly enough, the idiot couple ended up doing their business.

“He wanted some free time with his friends… and of course! As the understanding girlfriend I am, I gave him time! So we decided to meet up before lunchtime.” (Kokoro)

“You don’t look good at all though… Well, I guess that’s normal for a girlfriend who’s overly clingy to her boyfriend…” (Arisa)

“Shut up.” (Kokoro)

“Haha…” (Arisa)

I just laughed it up, as I rummaged through the bookshelves filled to the brim with books.

“Karane and Kotone left as a duo, right? Where ‘s Hiyori then?” (Arisa)

“She probably went back to the inn to sleep.” (Kokoro)

“Just how long does she usually sleep?! No, better question… Does she even sleep?!” (Arisa)

I was dumbfounded at my friend Hiyori’s way of doing things.

“That’s what I want to kn—” (Kokoro)

“Oh! That book looks interesting!” (Arisa)

My excited voice could be heard through the store as I strode to a nearby shelf, where what appeared to be a book with a starry night sky as its cover, was carefully laid out on display.

“She ‘s hopeless…” (Kokoro)

I could hear her sigh as I took the book and inspected it.

Well… books like this are interesting… I thought as I read the first few pages of what appeared to be a romance-psychological novel.

➹

“You really bought it, huh?” (Kokoro)

“Of course I did! The prologue and the first chapters were enough to sell me!” (Arisa)

Kokoro looked at me, who was holding a paper bag in my left hand, with an exasperated expression.

“Kei also likes this type of novels, so once I finish reading, I may recommend it to him.” (Arisa)

“And you complain about me…” (Kokoro)

“?” (Arisa)

After I finished looking around the bookstore and after paying for the book I bought, Kokoro and I walked side by side to meet up with the rest.

“By the way, Arisa.” (Kokoro)

“Hm?” (Arisa)

As Kokoro and I made a turn toward the meeting spot, she suddenly turned to me.

“Karane and Kotone said something about ‘birthday presents’ for Kei, did you get him anything?” (Kokoro)

“What are you talking about? Of course I did.” (Arisa)

“…huh?” (Kokoro)

She stopped in her tracks and looked at me with wide eyes, clearly dumbfounded.

“What? What’s wrong?” (Arisa)

“No… it’s just that… I thought you wouldn’t even know about his birthday…” (Kokoro)

“I mean, I’ve known Kei for about two years, you know? Though we called each other friends a little after we entered high school.” (Arisa)

Kei and I knew each other during the summer of my third year of middle school, or after graduating you could say.

After talking for a while, we naturally came to know about each other’s birthdays. Leading to the two of us giving a small present to each other on our respective birthdays during my first year of high school.

Of course, the said birthday was on February 9th.

“Since when?” (Kokoro)

She was probably asking when I found the time to look for something.

“A little before our trip. Remember how I told you I got a little too excited and finished packing up early?” (Arisa)

“Yes I do but… huh?” (Kokoro)

Probably realizing my point, she turned around, causing our eyes to meet. Her golden eyes were fixated on mine, and as we reached the place and found the other already in a group—

“That was a half-lie. I wanted to have a tiny bit of time to place an order at a place where I knew I could find a place fitting for him.” (Arisa)

—I smiled at her with my index finger on my lips.

“So keep it a secret for now, okay?” (Arisa)

With that, I hurriedly joined the others, leaving the dumbfounded Kokoro behind.

➹

~A Little Before The School Trip

Third Person POV~

Casually strolling through a shopping complex, there was a beautiful girl with waist-length brown hair and a set of shiny and lovely rose-beige eyes.

Arisa Kamihate recently found herself in the Accessory Department of the shopping complex she was in, looking for a gift for her best friend and boy she was in love with, Kei Ichinose.

What the gift was, wasn’t something Arisa found herself thinking over and over, as she knew beforehand what she was getting him.

“Excuse me, I want to place an order under the name ‘Arisa Kamihate’, please.” (Arisa)

“Certainly, can I have the specifications of the order, miss?”

Afterwards, she started giving a detailed explanation of what she wanted. Luckily for Arisa, it seemed that the order would be ready between the 6th-7th of February, giving her more than enough time to spare for her to wrap it up in a nice box.

Wish I could have Aiku or Asahi pick it up for me… Oh well, there’s not much I can do I guess…

After she finished, she paid in advance just as required and was handed the receipt, which she would later use to claim her order.

➹

~Bakery

After finishing her first present, she decided to accompany said object with a treat. Due to this, she was now in a bakery.

Arisa knew that Kei wasn’t exactly fond of sweets. It wasn’t that Kei disliked them, he just rarely had a craving for them.

Of course, all things have exceptions, in his case…

Cinnamon rolls.

According to Kei, the only sweets he had ever craved were cinnamon rolls, due to the taste the cinnamon spreads across the consumer’s taste buds.

“Excuse me, I would like to order a set of five cinnamon rolls for takeaway on February 8th.” (Arisa)

“Of course, please wait a moment.”

Arisa wasn’t his girlfriend or anything, but one could clearly see her conviction in making the boy she loved happy. This was all Arisa’s longing feeling, coming into play.