It'd been years of the usual back and forth between the two of them, with Takagi keeping her streak and many, many valuable memories of a flustered Nishikata. He hadn't been stupid enough to chalk it up to an infatuation, not after three whole years - Takagi was beautiful, even stunningly so whenever he'd let his guard down, but that wasn't the reason why she'd been the subject of many of his thoughts. Gradually, her smile had begun embedding itself into his life, even in his phone's gallery. One night, a few weeks prior, he'd had a nightmare.

It was of Takagi. He thought of how she looked upon their first meeting, the grateful smile on her features as she held the handkerchief he'd found dropped on the floor as he stepped in through the gates. And now, years after, she'd kept her cuteness aspect, but she'd grown more mature in appearance. He certainly hadn't put thought into his ideal type, but Takagi happened to be very close to whatever it was.

Or, perhaps, Takagi simply was his ideal type - but he had refused to entertain the thought.

Chalk it up to whatever you wanted to, but Nishikata wasn't a looker. He was certainly strong, due to the multiple punishments he'd had to endure due to Takagi's teasing, but he was a wholly ordinary-looking boy, aside from his eyes which only served to make him look more menacing.

Why would a girl like Takagi-san like a boy like me?

It'd been a thought that plagued him, vehemently shooting down whatever hopes arose. That's why it was so frightening to see Takagi as he knew her now, the attractive girl he'd been undeniably close to, hanging out with another man.

He'd been walking behind them, though he had no idea for how long before they came into his focus. He couldn't tell who it was - his face was oddly covered by a shadow - but his broad shoulders and large physique told him all he needed to know.

They were engaged in conversation, both of them laughing as they shared a inside joke, one that he would never be privy to.

"T-Takagi-san?" His voice started soft, nervous, apprehensive. She hadn't responded in the slightest.

"Takagi-san." It was loud now, projected with some degree of confidence. Still, she hadn't so much as glanced his way.

"Takagi-san!" Undoubtedly, she would have been able to hear him, right? He wasn't more than ten steps behind her, after all. He'd called again, just as loud if not louder, if not clearer.

Eventually, his frustration mounted.

"TAKAGI!" He'd screamed as loud as he could, and she turned to face him, but the joy that was gracing her face dissipated immediately, the expression on her face turning into the ugliest scowl he'd ever seen.

"What is it, Nishikata?" Her voice was dripping with disgust, and whatever confidence he'd built up immediately fled, his steps stopping.

"I - I, uh - I...T-Takagi - "

"Shut up." Her eyes held contempt that he'd never seen, her tone biting and sharp.

"This is why I hate you." She'd turned around completely now, fists clenched resting at the sides of her body as she spat out the harshest words he'd ever heard her say.

"You're always so indecisive. You can't make up your mind, so I'm tired of waiting."

With that, she'd moved off, linking her arm with the stranger's. The man's features had remained shadowed, but Nishikata'd felt contempt radiating off him, as well.

The next sensation he'd felt was impact and pain.

He jolted awake, sitting up from the floor that he'd landed on with his shirt clinging on to his body, drenched in sweat. He'd spent the next day barely warding off sleep, with some help from a particularly caring Takagi.

It'd taken awhile after that experience, but he'd eventually managed to settle into the usual routine with her, leaving the nightmare where it belonged - out of his thoughts.

Time had passed, and the two of them spent more time together than ever, studying for their entrance exams. It'd been dubbed study sessions, but the reality of the situation was Nishikata slaving over books with Takagi motivating him with promises of not teasing him if he'd managed to get a concept right.

And, like that, they'd sat for their entrance exams. It'd only occurred to him in retrospect, but the both of them were busy, busy enough to forget to ask which upper-secondary either were aiming for.

The school year was drawing to a close, and the times they would spend walking home together were similarly ending.

The fears of not doing well enough for his exams were largely eliminated after actually taking them and doing decently (at least, being confident about them). Takagi's teaching must have paid off.

In their place was thoughts of what could most accurately be described as terrifying - her smile that he'd become familiar with, even loved, if he was being daring and honest, disappearing from his life forever.

As such, he'd forced the words out when they were walking home together, willing her not to pick up on his true intentions -

"Hey, Takagi-san..."

"Yes, Nishikata?" She'd turned to face him after their brief and comfortable silence. Suddenly, his throat was gripped with fear that he'd forced down out of necessity.

"What senior high school are you enrolling in...?"

"Mmmnn..." She looks off to the distance, relief flooding his systems for the brief respite.

"I'm thinking of enrolling in a faraway school."

The conversation between the two of them were at minimum as they finished the rest of the walk home for that day.

He has to do something. He has to do something for sure. Anything to keep her in his life, as greedy and selfish as that line of thinking was.

And so, he'd spent class distracted, missing out on most of Takagi's teasing and every single question the teacher'd asked. Ending the day standing outside of the classroom, alone, helped him clear his thoughts well enough for him and steel his heart for what he was about to do.

"Let's go home together, Nishikata." She'd called to him as she'd walked out of the classroom.

His heartbeat strangely normal, he'd smiled at her. "I'd love to, Takagi-san."

He'd went inside to pick up his bag, missing the just barely concealed flush on her face.

They'd set off together with Nishikata gladly taking her hand when she teasingly asks him to warm it.

While his mind told him that logically, he should be almost sickly with trepidation, he'd remained strangely calm, walking on in a comfortable silence.

"What's wrong with you today, Nishikata?"

"Hm? That's my question, Takagi-san. Why aren't you teasing me today?"

"That's because you're so...!"

He'd felt her grip weaken, the slightly nervous edge in her voice making him mildly smug with his victory.

"I'm so...?"

She'd remained absolutely quiet as he turned the corner, leading the two into the familiar lot.

"Why are we here, Nishikata?"

"Takagi-san..."

He turns to face her.

"Takagi-san, please forgive me, but - "

The fear he'd always held submitted to absolute resolution.

"I love you, Takagi."

The way her eyes widen in surprise, mouth slightly agape, a blush settling in steadily, finally speeds up his heartbeat.

"I'm really selfish, but I don't think I can imagine life without your smile from now on."

His arms move to hold her against him, pressing his nose lightly against her forehead.

"S - so...please, don't go away. I want to be with you. Please."

It's then that he realizes he's crying. It's then that he feels pretty pathetic that he's crying on the girl he loves, but brown eyes meet black, similarly clouded over with tears.

She leans deeper into his embrace, sobbing into his chest as well. It feels natural, so he goes with it, cupping the side of her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

In time, she looks up, with the largest smile he'd seen on her face yet -

"I love you too, you idiot."

Bundled up in winter wear, yet warmed only by the others' body, they stand contented, until - "Mmph?!"

On her tiptoes, leaning on Nishikata, the two fall over into the snow gathered on the ground.

It hadn't hurt much, given how thick their clothes and the snow were, cushioning the fall rather effectively, but both of them were flushed and out of breath.

"Are you okay?"

"What were you trying to do?"

"I was - "

The rest of her sentence was drowned out as Nishikata sat up, holding her upright with him.

"I'm sorry if I mess it up, but..."

Sweeping her bangs away from the side of her face, Nishikata leans in, pressing his lips against hers.

It's short, it's chaste, but the feelings surging through their systems seemed to heighten the sensation to unbearable levels. Nishikata was slightly worried that he was dying and Takagi sunk even deeper into his firm hold.

After a few moments of silence, Takagi meets him with her own, the two of them connected once again. It lasts for a lot longer this time, and when they finally pull away -

"You didn't mess it up at all."

Some part of him is vaguely aware that his expression is quite possibly the stupidest grin he'd ever let show on his face, but he didn't care too much.

They'd stayed that way, relishing each other's presence while the snow fell around them.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Takagi-san..."

Nishikata turns away from his girlfriend, sneezing into a tissue paper held firmly in his grasp. "Of course I'd take care of you, dear."

He'd mustered bravado the likes of which would likely never resurface in his lifetime the previous day, so he figured it was alright. The deep blush on his face, that is.

"Your fever seems to be getting worse, dear. Should I go out to buy some medicine?"

"A - ah, no, it's not my fever worsening, don't worry about it -"

The smug grin on her face coupled with her twinkling eyes told him that she'd already known what was going on. In an attempt to gain some ground back for his bruised and battered pride, he mutters,

"I win, Takagi-san."

"Hm?" She tilts her head to the side, eyebrows quirked in slight confusion.

"Don't you remember? All the way back to our first year, when you'd challenged me at the empty lot?"

If you kiss me, you win.

"Ah, yep! You definitely won. What do you want as a reward?"

"I want you to always be with me. Maybe - maybe, if things didn't work out, not as partners, but - I'd still want to know you."

Her eyes twinkled with unadulterated joy, but it's quickly hidden by the glint he'd come to fear, the same one that always appeared when she'd thought of something to tease him with.

"You don't think we'll work out?"

"I'll do everything I can to make sure that we will."

There's a moment of silence as Takagi glows a slight shade of red, breathing hitched ever so slightly.

"You're getting good after all these years, aren't you?

"It's probably just because I'm sick."

With both their faces sporting silly grins, Nishikata holds Takagi's soft hands in his own, turning to face her, sitting at his bedside while he lay under a blanket.

"Takagi, why did you want to enroll in a faraway school?"

With a small, almost guilty smile, she muttered "I didn't."

"H - huh? Then why'd you tell me that you did?!"

"I wanted to see how you'd react, of course!

He laid in stunned silence, mouth agape in surprise.

He sighs deeply, then turns to face her with unbridled affection.

"I still can't beat you, huh?"

She meets him with her token mischievous smile.

"Never in your life, dear." Three days later, when the fever from sitting in the snow with Takagi dissipates, the pair return to school on the last day, and when their hands are intertwined, the two walking together, they're met with loud cheers from just about everybody. Most surprisingly for the pair, they sight a ever-scowling Tanabe-sensei doing his best to hold back tears as he voices an uncharacteristically shaky congratulations to the two.