Kobayashi turned to Tsukiko and smiled. The girl forced a smile back, but suddenly felt aware that her hair was a mess and her uniform not straight. Damn… I needed some time to prepare myself, she thought.

“So you don’t know what to write, huh?” the boy asked, staring the paper on her hands.

Tsukiko opened her mouth, but instead of words, she let out a sigh. “Yeah. I’d like to say they should give us more time, but they’ve been handing this since the first year.”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying. We’re not even in high school and they’re telling us to choose what we’re gonna do for the next forty years.”

“You’re the last person I want to hear that,” Tsukiko said, chuckling. “You’re one of the lucky few who already knows what you want.”

Kobayashi-kun laughed. “Yeah. I’m one of the lucky few.”

“You think you’ll get the scholarship?”

“My chances are getting better and better. Not to brag, but I was the main reason we made it to the nationals,” he said, running a hand through his hair, the impish smile back. “And I’ve been working out like crazy. I’m in way better shape than last year.” Kobayashi-kun pulled his sleeves and flexed his arm. “If everything works out, and normally they do with me, I can be the top scorer this season.”

“That’s… amazing…” Tsukiko managed to say, the awkward smile on her lips. “Hey, is Teikou school strong?” she asked when she suddenly remembered.

“Teikou?” He put his sleeves down and closed his eyes. “I know their basket club is amazing, but they’re just average in soccer,” he answered shrugging. “I don’t even thing they aim the national. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious. A friend of mine is gonna try out for Teikou’s soccer club,” she said, her hands pulling her phone from her pocket before she realized. Still no messages, Tsukiko thought, staring the screen and pressing her lips.

“Do you wanna exchange numbers?” Kobayashi-kun asked, already pulling out his phone.

Tsukiko blinked, opening and closing her mouth a couple times. “I…”

Before she could answer, two boys from another class opened the door. “Hey, captain,” one of them said to Kobayashi-kun. “We kinda need you, you know?”

“I’m coming,” he screamed back. He raised his phone to Tsukiko and smiled. Without any excuse in mind, she exchanged emails with him. “I gotta got. I’m the new captain now, so I’m needed a lot. We’ll talk later,” he said, walking away.

Tsukiko sighed and looked around. She half-expected Yui come running to her, but if not for the girls talking at the corner near the window, the class would be empty. They glanced at her for a second and then got back to their conversation.

Wah… It’s gonna spread like fire, Tsukiko thought as she grabbed her bag and left the room. I’ll bet Uihara’s gonna find out before I step outside the gates. Midway to the train station, her phone vibrated. With her heart beating faster, she quickly unlocked her phone. Is it Rin-nee?

How did it go? Yui wrote, and for some reason Tsukiko imagined her friend with a smug right now. I know it went well, but I want the details.

All her enthusiasm was back to normal. I’ll tell you all later, but we exchange emails, Tsukiko replied.

I told you, didn’t I? If everything works out, you could be dating the most popular boy at school in like no time!

Aren’t you skipping a few steps? It was just one conversation, she wrote back.

Dating Kobayashi-kun… The idea didn’t seem bad, but it didn’t make her heart race as it did before. Tsukiko stood with the people waiting to climb aboard the train. When the doors were about to close, a kid wearing gakuran came running in. If this were a couple months ago, I bet I’d be jumping for joy, she thought as she watched the student taking deep breaths.

The moment she got home, she knocked on the neighbor’s door. When there was no answer, Tsukiko raced to her apartment, to her bedroom and threw herself on the bed. Rin-nee hasn’t sent any photos, Taiyou-kun isn’t back yet and I’ve got to tell the details of the talk with Kobayashi-kun to Yui. This sucks!

With her arms around her pillow, Tsukiko stared the ceiling. Kobayashi-kun seems nice. A bit full of himself, but I can see why. She tossed around the bed. Actually, he’s a lot nicer than I thought he’d be, but he does seem to care more about soccer than anything else. Dating him would be around it. The face of Uihara appeared on the girl’s mind. I doubt it’ll be as interesting as talking to Taiyou-kun…

Taiyou-kun…why aren’t you back yet? You idiot… I wanna talk to you… I wanna play games with you… I wanna tease you! Tsukiko waved her pillow around to take some of her frustration. If not for the faint sound of the doorbell, the girl would still be waving the pillow.

With a sigh, she threw the pillow to the bed and dragged her feet to the entrance. Who could be at this hour? She asked herself sourly, but when she opened the door and saw Taiyou-kun standing there, Tsukiko beamed.

“Taiyou-kun!” Before she realized, she had her arms around the boy. When she stopped, she pinched his cheeks. “Why didn’t you answer any of my texts?”

“Sorry,” he said when the girl let go off him. The boy rubbed his, now red, cheeks and looked down. “My charger broke. My mom mail a new one, but I…” he trailed off.

“…was having too much fun and forgot to use it?” Tsukiko finished his sentence with a smile.

The boy nodded his head a few times, his cheeks a bit redder, and not because of her. The girl sighed as she stared him with his head low. Whenever he talked about his grandparents, he stops being the over polite kid and becomes a normal one, she thought, messing his hair.

“Fine. Out of the goodness of my heart, I’ll forgive you,” she said, her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. The boy raised his head and smiled. “But for that, you’ll have to do something for me.” There was a sly smile on her lips.

Taiyou-kun narrowed his eyes. “What…?”

“You must… wear your uniform in front of me!” She tried keeping a straight face, barely containing her smile now.

The boy widened his eyes and his cheeks went an alarming shade of red. “You’ll see it tomorrow,” he mumbled in his low voice, not meeting her in the eyes.

“Eh?” Tsukiko walked around the boy to looking him face to face. “That’s too long. I’ve been waiting all week to see you in a gakuran.”

Looking into her eyes, Taiyou-kun opened his mouth, his cheeks somehow redder. But before he said anything, the apartment next door opening and closing took them from their world.

“Are you coming, Tsukiko-chan?” Rin-nee asked.

The girl looked between the woman and her nephew. “What?”

“I came here to invite you to lunch with us,” Taiyou-kun said in his low voice.

Tsukiko’s mouth stayed open for a second, then she smiled. “Of course! Let me grab my jacket,” she said, racing inside her apartment.

“So how was the first day? Bet they hammered you about being a third year and all,” Rin-nee said when the girl was back. “It was like that for me.”

“It was pretty much all my teacher talked about during homeroom,” Tsukiko complained, shaking her head. “I mean, I know choosing what high school we want, or if we want trade school, but to start from day one…”

The woman chuckled. “They haven’t changed it at all. Though I don’t remember that ‘what do you want for your future’ paper Sawako was talking.”

Tsukiko froze for a moment. When the woman and the boy looked at her, the girl laughed and scratched her head. “I got that…”

“Talk about pressure,” she said, laughing again. Rin-nee patted Taiyou-kun on the head. “He got one too.”

“Really? A first grader on the first day? Guess things change in a couple years. Or maybe the school’s in another level,” Tsukiko said and suddenly widened her eyes. “That’s right! I almost forgot! Rin-nee, where the photos?”

The women turned to Taiyou-kun with a smile. Though the boy lowered his head, it wasn’t fast enough to hide his face flushing. “I’m sorry, but he made me promise not send you any pictures.”

Tsukiko opened her mouth, pretending to be too shocked to speak. “I knew the photos were for Tsukiko,” Taiyou-kun mumbled.

The girl held the urge to laugh and hugged him. “Oh, come on. I’ve been dying to see you wearing your uniform all week. Just one photo…” The girl turned to the woman.

“Sorry, Tsukiko-chan. A promise is a promise,” she said, shaking her head. “Luckily Taiyou never said anything about videos. I’ll send those to you later.”

With her arms still wrapped around him, they both turned to the doctor; Tsukiko’s face beaming with a smile and Taiyou-kun’ too shocked to say anything.

“Thanks, Rin-nee! You’re the best!”

I shouldn’t have eaten so much… but the meat was so good, Tsukiko thought, lying face down on her bed. So he’s just like me… she smiled when she remembered Taiyou-kun’ face.

Most of Tsukiko’s friends had some idea what they wanted to do for the future. Even it was just pursuing a hobby or doing something because of their parents said so, they had some sort of direction. Since there were many kids like her, it didn’t bother Tsukiko that much, though it always stayed in the back of her mind.

I guess since Taiyou-kun seems so mature at first I thought he had already something in mind. But he said it so strongly, Tsukiko thought, remembering, her heart beating a little faster.

“I bet Taiyou-kun already know what he wants, right?” she asked with a smile, twirling her hair with a finger, watching the boy intently. “You wanna be a soccer player, right?”

“No,” he said right away, staring forward. “I like soccer a lot, and I do wanna play for as long as I can. But I don’t see myself playing professionally. Dad…” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he stared Tsukiko, his eyes full of determination. “My dad used to say he never knew what he wanted. Doing what you like is an option. It’s a path that might lead to what you truly want.”

Tsukiko had no reaction to his words. He… looks so cool now, she thought and suddenly the image of them kissing jumped in her head. The girl blushed and looked away.

Thank goodness Rin-nee spoke at the time, otherwise he would’ve seen my face, Tsukiko thought, tossing around her bed. But he’s right. She stood up and grabbed her phone on the desk. Breathing deep a couple of times, she stared the screen. It took a while, but her fingers finally moved. When are you free?

She rested her phone back where it was and laid on the bed. How long will it take him to answer? Tsukiko wondered as she stared the ceiling and hugged her pillow. He’s busy and all… A few minutes later, her phone ringed. Already? She thought, standing up right away. Taking deep breaths, she picked up her phone and read the text.

There’s a problem with the project and it might take all week to solve, her father wrote back. What’s the matter?

So he’s busy, she thought, a tiny smile on her lips. If you’re busy, then never mind. We can talk when you’re free, she wrote back.

Talk about what?

The girl gulped, the sweat coming down her brow. Why am I nervous? The thought crossed her mind as she cleaned the sweat with the free hand. It’s about school… we received this paper about out future plans and goal. The teacher told us to talk with our parents, but we can do this when your project is over. I know how important it is…

This time her father didn’t reply right away. Tsukiko waited, her stomach tightening and her throat drying. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the girl, the screen flashed and the phone ringed with a new reply.

Are you free tomorrow night? We can discuss this during dinner.

Tsukiko widened her eyes and forgot to breathe. She swallowed her saliva as her fingers moved. We can talk later. You must be busy and all…

Seven o’clock at the family restaurant you like. I have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.

Though part of her felt guilty for worrying her father during his work, the girl couldn’t help but smile while writing the final reply. Okay, see you tomorrow, she wrote and then placed her phone on the desk.

Tsukiko threw herself on the bed and before she realized, her mind was racing through her wardrobe, already picking her clothe for tomorrow. It’s been over a week since I saw dad. Hope he’s taking care of himself. Every time he jumps on a new project, he loses weight.

The phone ringing brought Tsukiko’s mind back with a jolt. It’s dad again…? Suddenly she had trouble breathing, her heart beating so fast it pained her a little. Is he gonna cancel?

With shaking legs and fingers, Tsukiko stood up and reached out for her phone. Before she grabbed it, the doorbell ranged. She looked at the door as her hand closed around the device. Without looking at the screen, Tsukiko dragged her feet to the entrance. Taking deep breaths, she looked her phone and unlocked it

Did something happen today? Taiyou-kun texted her, she breathed out in relief.

With a smile now, she wrote back, opening the door at the same time. Yeah. Why you’re asking?

“Because you seemed down,” the person at the door spoke.

Tsukiko almost dropped her phone when she saw Taiyou-kun standing there, wearing his school uniform. She opened and closed her mouth many times, but it took a while for her to form any sentence. “Why are you wearing…?”

Taiyou-kun blushed and looked away. “You seemed down,” he said again. “And since you wanted to see me… I thought…”

Tsukiko beamed and jumped to hug him. “You’re the best!” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

The boy didn’t push nor avoid her. When the girl stopped and looked him from head to toe, Taiyou-kun’ hand went his cheeks, on the exact place where she kissed him.

Tsukiko walked around the boy, nodding her head in approval. “Hum, hum. I thought you’d look out of place with a gakuran, but I was wrong. It fits you perfectly. You seem so cool now,” she said, beaming again.

Taiyou-kun blushed even more. He looked away, but not fast enough to hide the smile on his lips.

“You did this all for me,” she said, hugging him again, this time gently. “Thanks.” The boy didn’t move at first, but then his arms wrapped around her. “Come on, tell me all about your week with your grandparents. I wanna hear everything.”

Tsukiko broke the hug and went inside her apartment.

Taiyou-kun smiled and went after her, closing the door.