Truth 4 (Yuki End)

"You… What?" Arata couldn't believe his ears. This couldn't honestly be another confession. Though perhaps these were feelings that had been brewing for years now considering their past history.

"I, uh…" It was already hard enough for her to say it the first time. Yuki's face was bright red as she reaffirmed that it he did not just mishear her confession. "I really… Like you." She said again.

"I see…" They both sat awkwardly after she told him the truth about her feelings. Despite this happening multiple times to him now, Arata just never could get used to being confessed to. "But, when?" There were dozens of questions running through his head, but that was the first one out of his mouth.

"Well, it's been like this for a while." To pinpoint the precise time when it happened would be difficult. She did really like him when they were anonymous online friends, since they shared in a hobby she really liked and couldn't talk to with most other people. Then there were the times when he supported the girl in trying to get out of her shell. It meant a lot that he was patient, yet willing to push her to try and enjoy life more.

Though, when the pair learned they were both childhood friends of the past, the feelings really came forth. He was that boy she had a crush on when they were kids, but there was one dark secret hidden from their past. That being their last interaction that she was reminded of when she finally found her old diary. Somehow they had overlooked it as they put it away, but whoever did that did a poor job of it. The book had fallen off the boxes, which was the bump she heard in the attic before heading to bed.

When she went through it, at first there was the positive nostalgia of their fun times together. However, reaching the end was a bitter and sudden end to their happiness. She read about how they fought when she told him that they had to move. How the young boy got upset and yelled at her, saying things such as him hating her now. "I even still had the flower you picked out for me." She showed him the book, which had the now withered plants, practically all dried out and falling apart.

"I guess you then figured out why I brought it on that day." He sheepishly asked. It was kind of embarrassing to have to discuss his first crush.

"It's just horrible of me." She shook her head in shame. "I started to like you again, but I was the one who broke your heart." Even though the circumstances were different now compared to back then. Not to mention that most would likely say that Arata didn't have true love for her, just a silly little crush that a boy under the age of ten might have on a girl their age. "I don't deserve you."

"Well, you shouldn't be so guilty over something you couldn't control." He assured her that there was no hate coming from him. There was not much that would get the boy to actually hate someone considering the things he had to endure over the past year. "I can't hate you for something like that."

"But there's no way you could ever like me back now." The true reason for why she was being so distraught came out. Sure, he wouldn't feel such a strong emotion about ending their relationship over something that he didn't even remember. Yet that would only be a consolation for her since it would give him a reason not to pursue her at all. Especially given the other girls around them.

"And what if I did?" He asked. During their time together, he was wondering exactly what it was that he was feeling about her. Even before her confession, the wheels of love were churning in his heart as he thought about the girl he was so close to as children. After all, the boy fell for her back then because they knew so much about the other. Even to this day, he knew more about her than anyone else around him because of how much time they spent messaging the other on long nights.

That is something she had over the others he rarely considered. Up to this point, Arata never considered anyone who hadn't confessed to him yet, but perhaps that shouldn't be how he needed to view who he truly loved. Just because the rest of them had told him about their feelings for him, it meant nothing if he didn't feel anything in return for them. The boy leaned in closer, which prompted the girl to turn away and try and lean away from him.

"I'm not sure what I'd do if you did like me back." She responded gingerly. Yuki was prepared for him to outright reject her, even though that hadn't been what the boy had done with anyone else so far. "I've never dated a boy before."

"Maybe I can teach you that too." He gently placed his fingers under her chin, redirecting the girl's face back towards him. For the first time, he was making the first move. A sign that this was what he wanted in his heart. Slowly, the pair engaged in a light, soft kiss with one another in the privacy of her house.

"You… You really like me?" When they separated, she was beginning to tear up as the girl was beginning to accept the reality that he really returned her feelings. For a moment, she believed this to be a dream that she was going to be waking up from any minute now.

"I…" He thought about how he felt from their kiss. With the way his heart was racing, it was clear what his answer was going to be. "I'm in love with you." The pair stared into each other's eyes as they shared this tender moment of the realization of love. However, this wasn't something that was going to be hidden from the world. And Arata already knew the first people who needed to hear about this.

He took her hand and led the girl back out of the house to return to his own home. There, the couple he left behind were still there just hanging out. Though Yogi was still feeling a bit nervous about handing the reins to his friend on this endeavor. Thankfully he wasn't disappointed when the pair came back, along with an extra surprise, as they walked in holding hands.

"I see you got busy real after you left." Yogi greeted them with the world's widest grin. Arata was a little worried if that boy would truly accept his cousin dating one of his closest friends. Sure, he had been teasing them a bit recently because of their actions. However, things were obviously different now that the two were officially a couple. "I can't believe Arata kept that crush after all those years."

"Actually… I was the one to confess." It seemed the boy was slightly confused on what happened as Yuki quietly corrected him. Despite already going through with it, and being accepted by Arata, as well as walking in practically announcing their relationship. She was still nervous about admitting what had happened between them when they were alone.

"But when I think about it, I really do still like her after all these years." It sure was lucky he was reminded of the past right when she did it. Some might think he came to this realization a bit quick, considering how indecisive he was with the others. The more accurate term would be that he was figuring out that maybe he didn't have feelings for them in the first place. That the reason he needed to see if he liked them back, was in reality that he didn't reciprocate their feelings, but didn't want to hurt them at the same time. "Y meant so much to me back then."

"Yeah, I guess you could say 'Y' not accept her confession." Yogi was the only one to laugh at his own joke. "But it makes me really happy that you two are together. It just seems right ever since she transferred back here."

"I'm really glad that you're supportive of this." Arata was going to need all the support he could get after choosing Yuki to become his girlfriend. The other were going to be shocked to see him picking a girl that wasn't even in the running to begin with. "I promise I won't hurt her."

"I've never thought for a second that you would ever do that. Not even on accident." Yogi was confident that he was the right one for his cute, shy, little cousin. "Now, how about we go out and grab a bite to eat to celebrate? After chatting with Ayami, I can't believe the two of us have the same favorite restaurant."

"Sure." Arata chuckled. It seemed that perhaps his older sister still a had a chance with her longtime crush after all. "It's on me."