After some days , Take was on his way home after hanging out with saku . He was going through a park where he found a little girl , she was crying seems like she was lost , and also hurt.

Take - hey? Are you lost? 

The little girl nodded

Take saw that she was hurt , he took her to the nearest medical store and bought a bandage to heal her knee wound .

Take - feeling better? 

"Uhm" said the girl while nodding 

Take - what is your name ? (Take asked gently)

"Sayu Ayase" the girl replied 

Take - Ayase! ? Do you know someone named Aki Ayase ?

Sayu - yes , thats my sister (she said jumping)

Do you know her big brother?

Take - yes, i am her classmate. Well then come with me, i will take you home.

Sayu - okay 

Take gave his hand out for her to grab, her cute little hands were only able to wrap around his single finger. Meanwhile Aki was searching for Sayu everywhere in the area sayu would normally play , just then she heard a voice 

"Onee chan(big sister in Japanese)" it was Sayu.

Aki , felt relieved when she saw her sister , she ran to her immediately and hugged her, "sayu , where were you , i was so worried about you, i asked around everywhere, do you know how much worried i was?" Though angry , she was relieved her little sister was safe. 

Sayu - i am fine , thanks to big brother 

Aki - Big brother? (Looks around then realised Take was also there) Takkun ! What are you doing here?

Sayu - he's the one who helped me reach home

Aki - is that so, then as a thank you , koizumi san please come with us to our shop, let us treat you for saving my sister today

Take - No no, i have to go , its late already 

Sayu - oni chan (big brother in Japanese) you won't come (with a sad face).

Seeing that sad face Take couldn't leave 

"Okay fine , i will have a piece of cake then" Take said 

    "Yay" sayu jumping with happiness.

And there he was , in front of Aki's house which was also a bakery, her mom was one of the famous Baker in the town. 

 Aki - I'm home 

Sayu - I'm home too , mom we have a guest 

Ms . Ayase - ara , and You are....

"Take oni chan" sayu said

Ms . Ayase - oh so you are Koizumi san, I've heard about you from Aki chan.

Sayu - he helped me get home and also gave me first aid .

Ms. Ayase - oh, i am so sorry for the trouble my daughters have caused you , please have a seat and enjoy some tea and these snacks as a thank you.

Take - ah, it's nothing , she was lucky i was passing through the park, and it was my duty to help someone if they are having some trouble.

Ms.Ayase - ara , aren't you a gentleman. To be thinking My little Aki would be friends with such a gentleman .

Take - you are thinking too high of me ma'am.

       They all chatted for quite a long time

Take finished his tea and cake, "i think i should go now, it's starting to be dark, my mom is alone at the house" Take said while getting up

"Ara , well then if you are going take these with you, as a thanks, it is nothing expensive but i hope you like it" ms ayase replied handling Take some pastries for him to take home.

Take - thanks ma'am.

   They walked to the main door to say bye to Take

Sayu - bye bye , oni chan, and please come again so we can play.

Take - sure (smiling)

Aki - I'll walk him a bit

Take - well then, bye

     Take left 'Ayase bakes'  

   Both walking quietly, 

Take - your family is really nice Ayase san.

Aki - really? , well then you are welcome anytime here

Take while walking reached in his pocket , and he grabbed a keychain , its the one he bought on osaka trip

Take while walking, he reached in his pocket , and he grabbed a keychain , it's the one he bought on the trip to osaka . He took it out and gave it to Aki.

Take - ayase san, here i want you to have this

Actually i wanted to give this to you on the day i bought it but i forgot, so here you go

Aki - thanks Takkun , i will cherish it.

   For a moment Take was lost in the beauty of Aki , her hair waving due to evening breeze , her face lightening up by the drowning sun, the golden hour , with her beautiful smile , he was fully lost in it.

"Takkun , let's exchange contact info so that in future if you need to give me anything you can contact me" she said

Take - oh ,are you sure?(He snapped out of it)

Aki - yes , lets do it

    They both exchanged contact info 

Aki - also .... Please don't call me Ayase san

Take - but aren't you Ayase san? (Take asked in a confused look)

Aki - aaah, my mom is also an Ayase , so call her Ms ayase. You should call me by my name (aki said with an puffed angry face)

Take - welll... Then , Aki san(Take said her name, but he was a bit shy)

Aki - again! , you don't need honorifics 

Take - nope that i can't, it will be disrespectful, it's either Ayase san or Aki(stutter) san

Aki - fine , Aki san it is

Take - i think this is fine , you have come too far from home, i can go from here

Aki - is that so? Well then , see ya tomorrow takkun , byee

Take - um , bye 

     Take went home and then slept , that night again he didn't get any nightmares. 

     The next day he went to class , again it was there , the crowd surrounding Aki san

Saku - yoho , Take , doing good?

Take - yeah (smiled)

  "Hey hey, ayase san , where did you get this?" A girl asked Aki about the keychain she had in her bag, which she got from Take

"I don't know, it was a gift " Aki said

"Hee, so was it given by someone special?" The girls asked

Aki - someone special? Maybe (Aki looked at Take as she was saying that)

"Heh so that means Ayase san has a boyfriend"

There was chaos in the class , the girls were excited to hear about that while the boys were in the gloomy atmosphere that their queen had been taken .

Saku - Oi , Take isn't that the one you bought the other day

Take - shhhh! Quiet 

Saku - ho ho, not bad Take, i thought my little brother was not gonna make it. Goodo job desu.

Take - what was i even making?

      After the classes ended Saku invited Rin and Aki with them to have lunch during break.

Saku - what should i have today, Rin lets both get the Ramen bowl

Rin - i am fine with that, what about you two

Aki - i will have tonkatsu ramen

Take - i will just have rice and karage, ah also i am going to buy drinks , you guys want any?.

  "Cola" , "orange", "strawberry milkshake"

All three said together 

Take - okay then 

     Take went to buy drinks , on his way he heard a group of friends talking about Aki .

"I heard that Aki is dating someone" 

"Yeah and i think he is from her class"

"Oh yes, the transfer student, his name was something like Take ... Koi. Koizumi"

"How can she date such a lame boy"

"I always see him reading manga in the library, isn't that kinda lame" 

"And he isn't Even handsome for someone like Ayase san"

      Take heard all that and quietly went to buy the drinks and returned 

  Saku - oi Take, why aren't you eating?

Take - I am eating 

     He finished his meal and said "I am free next period so i am going to the library"

Saku - okay, i have class though 

Rin - so do i

Aki - me too

" Well then, later" Take said as he exited the cafeteria 

        The library was empty, mostly because classes were going and only a few people come to the library anyway, he selected a spot , he opened his 86 light novel volume 5 and started to read it .

    While Take was reading Aki Entered the library 

"Yo" she said

Take - Aki san! ? What are you doing here, didn't you have class ?

Aki - ah that, the teacher was absent so i also got a free period.

Take - huh, i see.

Aki - that's not the problem here, i am here because you were looking gloomy during lunch break, what happened?

Take - Aki san (takes a deep breath)i think we should stop talking, at least in school 

Aki - huh( shocked) , what are you talking about ? 

Take - Aki san , you are very popular, smart , disciplined, i think you shouldn't destroy that reputation of yours by spending time with an otaku like me . 

Aki - huh, are you gone mad or are you joking, it's my choice that whom i will spend my time with. Let them think what they want. And reputation, who gives a $hit about that.

You know i love the time i spend with Rin , Saku and mostly you . I never thought you would say this.

    After saying this She left immediately, what Take said made her angry , the next day he met her in the school corridor he was about to greet her when she changed her route and went the other way

 ' ah I've messed up ' thought Take to himself as he went back to class

   While the lesson was going 

Saku - (in a whispering Voice) oi Take , did something happened between you and ayase-san

You know , Rin messaged me and said that they wanna have lunch separately 

Take - well , I'll explain later

    After the classes ended. Take explains everything to Saku

Saku - ah , i see , thats the reason were having separate lunch

Take - sorry for ruining you lunch date 🙄

Saku - i didn't said that, So? What are you gonna do now?

Take - I want to apologise and go back as we were but wherever i try to talk she just avoids me

Saku - Then , put her in a spot where she can't avoid you 😁

Take - like?

Saku - do a kabedon*🤔

(Just search it on the internet)*

Take - like hell i can! Just when everything was going fine I had to go and chop it up

Saku - well what happened it happened, now you should focus on how to revert things

Take - Help me Saku 😭 how do i do it

Saku - i already gave a solution 🙂

Take - i can't do that stupid . I have to think about it alone 😮‍💨

   The classes ended , Take was on his way home when he heard a kid's voice "Take nii" It was Sayu

Take - Sayu chan! What are you doing here?

Sayu - i am returning from kindergarten. Will you come today too

Take - i don't know about that

Sayu - why , are you busy

Take - it's not that i am busy but

Sayu - then you are coming, we will play a lot

   Sayu grabbed Take and took him to their house

Sayu - I'm home 

Aki - Ah, welcome back

Sayu - big sis, look whom i found on the way

 "Yo" Take greeted her as he entered 

Take - thanks for having me!

Aki didn't react, she just said " ah come inside"

Take - Ms. AYASE is?

Aki - Mom is out today, she was called to be a judge on a competition 

Take - oh, i see

 Sayu - let's play now, we can eat later

Take - so , what are we playing?

Sayu - house house, brother will be Papa , sister will be Mama , this doll will be your kid and i will be the aunt

Take - i feel a bit of pressure taking that role 😅

     They played with sayu for quite a while 

Because she played too much just after coming back from KG she slept very deep

 Take covered sayu with a blanket .

Aki - this is the first time in many months I've seen sayu so happy, thank you Koizumi san

 Take hearing that Aki wasn't using his name , got a bit sad .

Take - Aki san , I am sorry. I shouldn't have said things like that to you, i shouldn't have even thought about it. Actually during lunch break when i was going to buy those drinks , i heard a group of friends talking bad about you, and i couldn't stand it because the reason was me, i can only read manga/ light novels , i am just an otaku, spending time with me who isn't even cool or good looking will make people look down on you , so i tried to distance myself without even thinking how you felt , i am sorry.

Aki - I am sorry too, i scolded you and left , i avoided you without thinking it would hurt you

I am sorry , 

Take - so we're even now?

Take smiles with relief , at ease that they made up , Aki brought some cakes , they ate cakes and drank tea .

Aki - i tried baking some cookies (a bit embarrassed) if you want you can take them home

Take - sure , i will be very happy 

They chatted, it was getting late so Take suggested that he should leave 

Take - i think i should go(he gets up) it's getting late 

Aki - then let me see you off

Take - ah , there's no need, beside Sayu chan will be alone

Aki - well then i am going at least to the Main gate! 

 "To be honest, i am still not sure about hanging together at school" Take said as they were walking towards the main gate 

Aki - again that topic! (Said with an angry face)

Take - But (he interrupted her) because of that i will work hard , i will work hard and try to be someone who will be worthy of your time , your presence, and so that people can't badmouth you for staying with me , i will change for you Aki san.

  As saying that Take left for his house 

 'wait , did he just say that he would change for me, isn't that a confession! ' Aki was left speechless by what Take just said . 

  She couldn't sleep till 3 AM morning .

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