Asking all the Wrong Questions

It was the last day of classes before the end of the year. There was only one last major thing that Arata wanted to do before it came to its conclusion. However, that meant asking a certain someone to do something he really wanted them to do.

The problem, was that it seemed really difficult to ask her to do it. But, ever since he learned of something important, he just had to at least try. Hopefully she'd say yes.

"It looks like you're thinking of something pretty hard." Yogi commented, as they sat in class for the last time before break. "Because you got-"

"That look on my face, I know." Everyone knew about it, and it was kind of annoying that it got pointed out. "And yes, I'm thinking over something."

"Well, me and Yuki are always glad to help, if you need any advice." Arata felt that it couldn't hurt to ask, so he did.

"If I wanted to ask a girl to do something for me, what should I do to give myself the best chance?"

"And that something would be." Yogi asked. Arata was hoping that they wouldn't dig into details, because it wasn't something that he wanted to say out loud. Let's just say that, only after he asked, that he'll give out the details.

"I don't want to say, but it's a little embarrassing… but I'll tell you after I ask her." Yogi was curious about it, but he wasn't going to push the issue. He was going to learn eventually anyway.

"Well, who do you want to ask?" Yuki jumped in on the conversation.

"Erina."

"Erina…" Yogi pondered in his head for a little bit. "Well, she seems like the type to go along with anything. After all, she's never said no to me before." Arata hung his head, it was clear he went to the wrong person here.

After school, he went to make sure that Erina wasn't around to hear him. It would ruin the surprise. Instead, he was looking for someone that knew her well. When he saw Misei, that girl seemed like someone that fit the bill pretty well.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" He approached her, who was also standing next to Misao.

"My, break has only just started and you've already want to ask me something?" She smugly laughed. "I didn't think you'd be so impatient."

"It's not what you're thinking." He said, realizing how this action could be misconstrued. "I was just looking for some advice."

"Really now." Misao squinted her eyes towards him. "And what could that be?"

"Well, you two have known Erina longer than me. I was just wondering… If I wanted to ask her to do something for me, but it was kind of embarrassing…" Arata was trying to figure out a plan on getting her to say yes. He really wanted that as the answer, but should he just be blunt about it? Or perhaps try and butter her up a little?

"Doesn't she kind of… Owe you?" Misei alluded to the whole blackmail ordeal.

"I don't hold it against her." He told her. "Plus… It's just that I'd prefer she do it because she wanted to do it."

"Then all I have to tell you, is just ask her." That was her final answer.

If that's all he could gather, the last thing to was go wait for Erina. Arata had already left a note for Erina in her locker. He wanted to meet her at their usual spot. Under the big oak tree behind the school. He left the other two, but for Misei and Misao. Their business at school wasn't over yet.

"Hey, have you two seen Arata?" It was Matsu, who was hoping to see him before leaving school. Finding one of his regular friends, seemed like they might've known where he wandered off to.

"He went to go behind the school." Was the answer she received, but it was precisely the location that set her off in worry.

"The back of the school? As in, to meet a girl?"

"Um, yes?" The two didn't think it was that special. Especially since it was Erina, who they all knew about. After the way she acted when confronted about that kiss, Misei stopped considering her a threat.

So they explained to her, what Arata told them. Which, when recounting it, realized just how vague he was being about it. What exactly did he want her to do anyway? Apparently it just had to be a secret from them.

"It still doesn't mean anything." Misei denied the thought that popped into her head. "Unlike you, I'm not going to jump to any dumb conclusions."

"I mean, he did technically hide the date he had with you." Misao commented, remembering how everyone reacted when it was discovered.

"That one was different." She tried to defend it. "I was the one who asked, not him… Plus, I'm sure if he was asking for a date then he'd at least have the respect to not go behind our backs."

"You know what? You're right." Matsu realized just how silly her brain can get. Did she really not trust him? "Arata's wonderful, I shouldn't just think of the worst all the time."

"Hey, there you are." Yogi cut into this conversation, and he wasn't alone either. When school ended, he went around and gathered everyone up, where these three were going to be the last ones. The reason was simple, they were all going to spy on Arata and Erina when he asked her whatever it was he was going to ask.

Sure, he promised that he'd find out after Arata asked her. So why not find out the moment after he asked her?

With a large group this big, it sounded like it would be impossible to hide around a corner to just see him alone waiting for Erina. That's why they needed a plan of splitting up to try and mask their presence.

The roof, around the corner, and even in some bushes scattered around the place. Everyone had to do whatever it took to keep him from sensing them, since he apparently was capable of hearing the slightest of rustling.

"When is she supposed to get there?" On the roof, the library club stood over watching this entire ordeal. Yurime was getting a little impatient.

"I don't know." Ichiri was here, but she was a little bit on the not caring side of things. "Why are we even watching this? I doubt that whatever this is all about is that important."

"This is the last thing that's gonna happen on school grounds for the year. Of course I'd be a little curious." Yurime had her notebook and camera ready to snap it for the news. It'd make for a pretty cool frontpager on the first edition when the new year rolled around.

"You know, perhaps if Arata really wanted to do something special for the end-of-the year. He might want to go out with a bang." Hifumi teased her. Despite the fact that she herself didn't believe that Arata was about ask that girl out.

"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked nervously, scribbling into her notebook to pretend not to care. "He's just asking for something embarrassing, right?" Sure, she didn't know what they entailed... And, he did request a relatively private spot for that… And it was with a pretty girl he'd known for a while now…

"Come on." Ichiri was the one to keep a level head. "Obviously he's just going to ask for a favor." She was more than ready to just leave if Erina kept taking her sweet time. A part of her was feeling a little jealous he was getting from just wanting to ask someone else a question.

However, the girl they were all waiting for had finally arrived. Erina was a little perplexed over the fact that Arata did something so old-fashion for inviting her.

"Arata, what did you need?" She asked, while walking up to him. The held up the note in front of him. "You know, if you wanted to talk. I'm sure we could've gone something to eat."

"Honestly, I was worried that you might get a little upset." He admitted, getting himself hyped up on what he was going to ask her.

"Upset?" She got a little sweaty from hearing that word. There was something here that he was really concerned about saying. She just hoped it wasn't going to be that bad. "Of what?"

"Well, we've known each other for a while now, and you know about the things I like." He started, trying to come up with something to soften it. An appeal to their relationship seemed like a good idea to him when put on the spot.

"Of course I do." She figured that he was referring to that otaku side of him. "You're asking me to get you a gift for Christmas, right?"

"Yeah, you could say that…" Him trying to say all this felt so difficult. It was like when he told everyone the truth the first time. "But, it's actually something I want to do with you on Christmas." That sentence sent everyone there into a frenzy, at least a silent one on the inside. What could he have meant by that?

"Do something?" She repeated that bit again. On a day like that, he wanted to do something with her?

"Ah, sorry." He apologized. That sounded really vague, but he was holding back on saying the truth. "I just don't want to make you mad, because I'm only asking 'cause of your looks."

"…" Something about the way he said it, gave her pause. She clutched a fist tightly over the center of her chest. Was he going to ask what she thought he was? What was going to be her answer?

"So please." He slammed his hands together into a begging position. "Can you dress up as Kirua Omine for Komicet?!" Everyone there had their jaws to the ground in complete and utter shock. Along for most of them, that feeling of not understanding what he even asked in the first place.

"Kirua Omine?" Yurime repeated the name once more. She could've sworn she'd heard that before.

"Yeah, that's the main character in his favorite manga." Hifumi informed her. "And Erina just so happens to look a lot like that girl." Information that was known to some of the people watching this unfold before them.

Arata had kept his eyes closed as he awaited her answer. However, after some seconds passed without a word, he slowly opened them up to her. Erina was speechless over his request. This was far what anyone would've expected him to say.

"You. Want. me. To go where?" She was barely able to get the words out, it was just that shocking to her.

"Oh right…" He explained to her Komicet was the anime convention to go to in Japan. So many people, with plenty of fan content to go around. For the second time in his life, he was going to be able to attend. However, this time, he wanted things to be a little different.

"And you want me to cosplay as Kirua, that character you like so much?"

"Yeah." The idea popped into his mind, when he noticed just how much the same they looked. It was almost like the artist of that manga used Erina as the reference or something.

"Hmm, I don't know." She said, it was an odd request. Though, she couldn't deny that it was somewhat interesting. "Is anyone else coming?"

"I don't know, I haven't asked anyone." He answered. "It's just the next town over, and tickets aren't that expensive, so we can ask." Then he leaned in to whisper something else. "I can try to get Yogi to join, if you want."

"Okay, I'll do it." she said with a gleeful smile. Also, while they were getting the logistics of how to invite some of the others. Everyone else was already checking their Christmas plans.