#21

"Tatsumi, can I tell you something?"

Naru asked with a serious tone.

"Yeah, sure"

After a long pause naru looked at tatsumi then she said

"Actually, I don't like you"

"Huh?"

Tatsumi doubted his ears.

"Sorry I couldn't hear you clearly, could you repeat please?"

"I said, I don't like you"

Tatsumi After hearing this, felt something broke inside of him, like his heart had poked by a thousand needles.

Tatsumu said in a shaky voice

"W-w-why?"

"Because, I was just repaying the favor"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the fact is that I hadn't approached you because I liked you, I was just doing what everybody did"

Naru paused for a second then said.

"You know about the framing incident that Karen attempted against you, right?"

"Yes"

"About that woman. I hated her. Her rules, her behavior, her hair, her color, her attitude, Everything. I hated everything about her"

"The reason why I hated her that much is that oneday, she tried to close our club activities saying that it was inappropriate and immoral. We had a hard time dealing with her but eventually we won and student counsel prompt us to stay active"

At this moment, Naru's expression turned vicious.

"That bitch sought help from the teachers, she apparently had some some connections with them. And because of that, we were forced to limit our club activities to minimum"

Naru turned her head and looked at tatsumi.

"I'm sure there are alot victims like me throughout the school. But when you stood up for yourself, faced her and proved your innocence. We saw you as a hope, like a light that finally shined on our darkest night. You saved us from the demon. You punished that demon who no one dared to go against"

"That's why we liked you. Everyone wanted to show their gratitude to you.

I was one of them, I was really thankful for what you did, but I didn't like you in a romantic way. At the day when you asked me out, I thought I was lucky that you liked me and shouldn't let go of this opportunity. I thought that if I went out with you, ate with you and knew you better, I could fall in love with you"

Naru took a breath as she stood up and bowed toward tatsumi.

"Even though you were kind to me, even though you tried look cool in front of me, even though you treated me like a girlfriend, even so.... I still couldn't love you, I'm so sorry that I let you down, I'm sorry for not be able to love you back, you have every right to hate me, But I wanted you to know that I'm sorry"

In one of the rooms of ferris wheel. there was couple with only silent connecting them. The girl was bowing in front of a guy whose expression was emotionless.

The room reached the ground and its doors opened.

Tatsumi finally broke the silence.

"It's okay I'll find another one"

Then he walked off the ferris wheel stage and left the area.

naru finally was able to rest her legs. Naru was in daze for a while. Only when the worker called her did she snap out of it and get out.

And that's how their date concluded.