Even Though I Loved You First

“It feels peaceful… somehow…” (Kei)

Two days have passed since Shizuka and I talked things through.I I stared at the night sky from the balcony connected to my room while sipping on the coffee I was holding, spreading a pleasant bitterness across my mouth.

“It feels even more peaceful than usual…” (Kei)

Ever since I ended things with Shizuka, I felt as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and since then, I can finally put my all into my relationship with Arisa.

“…” (Kei)

‘It’s bound to happen sooner or later’

I always believed that for people as close as two childhood friends, falling in love and getting together was something that will happen eventually.

However I realized that love never worked that way. Falling in love and maintaining a relationship is something that time can’t do. It’s something that’s only possible with the compromise of the two parties. “I really changed, huh…” (Kei)

It’s been six months and yet I’m surprised at how much I’ve changed. Learning new things day by day with Arisa has been so much fun that I want these days to keep going forever.

Now that I’m no longer tied down by the regrets of my first love, I can finally face both her feelings and my feelings. I want to do this seriously. Because I love Arisa, I want to be able to respond accordingly and make her happy.

Getting together and making her happy are things I won’t put on the hands of fate. They’re things I’ll accomplish by myself.

“Haha… I think I can understand Seichiiro a little better…” I giggled and said to myself,

Just like how Seichiiro devoted himself to Kokoro, I can say that I also want to devote myself to her… Areh? Was I always such a romanticist…?

“…The mug is empty…” (Kei)

Her competitive personality whenever we’re at the arcade, the warm aura she emits whenever she looks to comfort someone… Sure, she has quite the childish personality sometimes,

However,

At the same time she has this mature atmosphere like that of an older sister that makes me remember she’s older than me… things like that are what made me attracted to her.

Her long and smooth brown hair, her beautiful rose-beige eyes, and her hourglass-like figure that emphasizes her fruits, further boosts her mature… charm… wait… areh…?

“…no good Kei… don’t let yourself be swayed by such impure thoughts…!” I muttered.

Evil thought begone! I thought, with a slight blush on my face as I saw myself in the mirror.

Honestly, up until now I never thought I’d be having thoughts like this… Shizuka was really pure, and so was I… so I could say that such thoughts also started to change ever since being with Arisa.

“!” As I heard the sound of a notification, I jumped in surprise and looked through the contents of the message.

[Arisa: Let’s do our best this week too.]

[Arisa: As much as I hate waking up early, Kokoro will make me sit on my knees and lecture me… Kokoro = Scary.]

“Is that really how you should address your best friend?” I giggled to myself. As to not leave her hanging, I rapidly wrote.

[Kei: Kokoro will be pretty mad if she heard that…]

[Kei: Anyways, Let’s both do our best. Goodnight.]

[Arisa: Night~]

Cutting the conversation short, I went back inside as it was getting called. And thought for a moment about everything I learned from Arisa.

Seeing new things, eating new things… I’ve experienced so many things that I won’t be able to name them all.

What Arisa made me realize—Is that there’s a lot of things out there awaiting to be discovered. And at the same time I wanted to discover each and everyone of them,

With her by my side.