"Well, I'm not really sure if we did the same thing, so I am not that comfortable telling you. However, I don't really mind, but if it's okay with you, you answer your question first."
"Hmmm. Okay. Have you ever experienced something like your good friend suddenly poured her heart out to you and told you she liked you? Well, in your case, a guy friend."
She couldn't believe what she heard. This was exactly what she was feeling. She just nodded her head. And he continued.
"I never meant to hurt her, but I couldn't bring myself to lie to her either. Saying yes, when you really meant no. You get my drift." He shrugged. "I couldn't afford to hurt her that way."
"And telling the truth can hurt, but in the end, it's for the better. Right?" She added.
"Yes. That's right." He shifted, and turned to look at her. "Actually, when I saw you here, I was sort of 'running away' from the scene of the 'crime' too. I didn't plan to be here."
"Oh. I see." That was all she could say, because she couldn't admit to him that she was hoping he'd plan to see her there. After all, he was the reason why she rejected her friend. But what she didn't expect was that this guy knew her. Or- does he? She froze. Suddenly ashamed of herself.
"Uh, are you okay?" He asked her. He noticed her sudden stiffness.
"Yes, I guess I am." She almost just whispered it. "Uhmm... I just realized something. We never really spoke to each other at school, right?"
He chuckled. "Yes, we don't speak to each other. But, if you think I didn't know you, well, I wouldn't have approached you and offered my help."
She sighed with relief. "Good. I almost died of humiliation. But yeah, I see you at school. It's just that we don't really talk to each other."
"Hmm. Should we change that now?" He creased his eyebrows that made him look more the Tamamori she liked. Tama-chan...
"What?" She was suddenly caught off-guard.
"You know, the not-talking-to-each-other-at-school thing. It's going to be awkward for me to ignore the fact that I approached you today, and pretend not knowing you back in school."
"You have a point."
"Yes, I have." He smiled again.
Tamamori...
She was already blushing at this point, but since it was already dusk, she thought he wouldn't notice, but she tilted her face away from him all the same.
"Huh? What?"
Uh-oh! She didn't realize she had whispered the name. "Nothing. I mean to say, okay. Let's change that."
Then he extended his arm for a handshake and smiled. "Friends?"
It felt weird, because earlier, she was crying because of him, now she was shaking his hand and accepting him as her friend. Deep inside her, she was wishing he was asking her to be more than just his friend. But she couldn't ask him that. It would've been improper.
"Yes, friends." She managed a smile.
"It's good to see you smiling. I like it better than the sobbing girl I saw earlier."
"Okay."
A few minutes of silence passed. The streetlamps were being lit, and people were either hurrying home or just having their early evening walk in the park.
"Hey, if you like, I can walk you home. Not that I don't trust you walking home alone. Being friends, it's normal to go home together, right?" He chuckled a little.
Her heart beat fast and all so suddenly she accepted his offer. "Sure!" But she didn't think he noticed because he was already getting up on his feet. So, she stood up and walked beside him.
"You have to lead the way. You see, I don't really know where you live."
"Okay. It's just a few blocks from here anyway. How about you? Maybe you live somewhere far away from here...?"
"Oh, no. Not really. I live just a few blocks from here too." And he looked from right to left. "But the way we're going, my house is opposite your place."
"Uh-oh. And you offered to walk me home."
"We had a deal." He reminded her.
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