Chapter 14

"Pencils down. The test is now over."

As Ms. Sato collected Anzu's last test, the teen sighed and placed her head down on the desk. The entire week, she'd done nothing but go to school, cram, and take naps; so, she could definitely say she was exhausted. Finally, she was finished with the semester, but she couldn't relax yet. She had to find out whether she passed or not and the anticipation just might kill her.

There was a light tapping on the window between the classroom and the hallway. Peeking up from her arms, she noticed a happy-go-lucky Momiji smiling and giving her a thumbs up. Seeing that, she couldn't help but smile herself. Her smile intensified into a giggle once Ms. Sato looked up as well and shooed him away.

She didn't see Momiji until the end of the day as everyone was leaving. Putting away her school shoes in her locker, she noticed two people walking out the main doors and holding hands. Maybe that could be her and Mo-

"Lola! How did your tests go?"

Anzu nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard her nickname being called. Turning around, she watched as Momiji bounded towards her with a bright smile on his face.

"I failed my science and Japanese exams." She sighed. "But it wasn't by a lot, so I have extra work to do over break and I have to do some remediation tutoring to make up for the days I missed."

"What about your other exams?"

"I passed them all."

The young boy grinned and grabbed her hand. "Great! We can celebrate then! How about some ice cream?"

"But isn't it cold outside?" She protested as she zipped up her coat. It was the middle of December after all.

"That's the best time to get it!"

He led her out the doors, careful not to pull her along. His hand felt warm around hers and it was a moment that she never wanted to end. It didn't take long for her to fall in step with him, although his legs were longer so she had to take a bigger stride. Students from their school who saw the two either eyed them from afar or turned to their friends to make comments.

Soon enough, Momiji brought Anzu to an ice cream parlor that was near the main street of their city. He didn't let go of her hand as they entered the building and immediately started pointing out every ice cream flavor he'd tried so far.

"Welcome back, Momiji." The parlor owner walked out. The elderly woman eyed the redhead beside him as she tied her apron and her eyes dropped down to their joined hands. With a knowing smile, she approached the counter. "What would you and your girlfriend like?"

Anzu blinked in surprise, a blush evident across her cheeks, and turned to Momiji who had abandoned holding her hand as his ears were nearly as red as his earrings.

"S-She's not my girlfriend yet!"

"So she will be soon, I'm assuming?"

"I would hope so." Momiji answered honestly, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's my Lola after all."

The woman laughed. "Oh, is that so? What do you say to that, little lady?"

Anzu fiddled with her fingers and laughed nervously, her blush reddening deeper and deeper. She was going to reply when the owner waved her off, telling her she was just teasing. After getting their orders, the crimsonette watched with interest as she made big, perfect scoops of ice cream before handing them the cups.

Momiji led Anzu to one of the tables so they could enjoy their sweet treat. As she ate a spoonful of her chocolate ice cream with cookie pieces mixed in, he enjoyed his usual favorite - strawberry. His eyes would drift towards her often, but the moment she smiled as she relished in another spoonful of ice cream was a picturesque snapshot he now had imprinted in his mind.

"How about we go to an amusement park?" He asked.

"...Oh! Like the carnival? They have those at this time of year?" Anzu tilted her head, confused. "With the game booths and ferris wheel?"

"It's a lot bigger than that. There's roller coasters, water slides, and cotton candy!" Momiji grinned. "I promise you, it'll be the best date ever."

"This wasn't the date?"

"This is definitely not the date!"

Anzu laughed at his outburst, thoroughly enjoying how he responded to her teasing. He seemed genuinely appalled that she thought this was all he would do for a date with her. As she dipped her spoon in for another bite, he quickly shifted towards her and ate her ice cream.

"Wha- You have to give me some of yours now!"

The parlor owner watched from behind the glass counters as she swept the floors in amusement. Anzu chased Momiji around the tables with her spoon, calling for him to be fair and share. The blond grinned deviously and turned around, holding the ice cream above her head.

"Fine, I'll give you some. All you have to do is say ah~."

Anzu stopped in front of him and hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. A heavy blush was evident on her face as he fed her some of his ice cream and wiped some excess from the corner of her mouth. This was yet another memory that he would cherish; one to add to the many more to come.

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"We're here!"

Momiji grinned as he jumped out of the car. Anzu got out as well and looked in awe as she saw a huge castle peering over the gate they had to enter. Hatori had driven them there and told Momiji to call when they were ready to leave. He wasn't one for amusement parks, but there was a nice bookstore a little ways down that he was going to hang out at instead.

Anzu glanced around in confusion as Momiji pulled her along so they could get their tickets. "Where are all the people?"

"I figured we could come when the park opens and beat the crowd. It'd be better that way to avoid any mishaps." He smiled. "What do you want to get on first?"

The crimsonette glanced around as there were so many choices to choose from. This would be the first time she'd gone to an amusement park before, but with so much to do, she wasn't sure they could get through all of it today. Pointing towards the bumper cars, she figured that would be a good start.

Laughter filled the air as Anzu and Momiji chased each other around the car lot. They traveled from the bumper cars to the carousel to the infamous ferris wheel. Momiji, wanting to push his luck, coaxed the girl into riding a roller coaster. Just the sight alone was enough for Anzu to rethink the decision, but seeing how excited he was about it, she figured it must be something really fun.

As the coaster traveled up to its first drop, she nervously held onto Momiji's hand as she awaited the anticipation. The moment they went down and it felt like her stomach plummeted to her feet, Anzu wasted no time in screaming with everyone else. They were moving so fast through all the twists, turns, and loops that she had to hold onto her hat, fearful that it would fly off. When the ride came to an end, Momiji looked like he had the time of his life, whereas Anzu looked like she was about to pass out.

"Maybe we should go sit by the castle." Momiji smiled apologetically as he looked around to find her some water. Agreeing, the two walked until they found a bench and took a break.

"The ride was a lot of fun; I just wasn't expecting everything." Anzu laughed sheepishly as she fanned herself. It was chilly outside since Christmas was a few days away, but the rush from earlier had her feeling a little hot. "Everything here has been really fun."

"We can come back another time then since you enjoyed it so much. The water rides are a lot of fun during the summer." He nodded. "Plus, we have plenty more dates to go on."

"How do you know this wasn't the only one?"

"Lola!"

Anzu couldn't cover her mouth quickly enough as she began to double over in laughter. Deciding to punish her, Momiji let her continue to laugh by tickling her nonstop. She couldn't push him away because she was too distracted, but her stomach quickly started to hurt.

"Ow, ow, I'm sorry!" She said breathlessly. Momiji stopped his assault, but continued to hold onto her with a smile.

"I want this to continue for a long time, Lola. I like being around you."

"So much so that you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Hey! I was supposed to ask you that!"

Anzu was feeling a lot more playful than usual, but that meant that she was a lot more comfortable around him too. Looking up at him, she grinned and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was innocent and sweet, their first kiss in public. Being in his arms felt like the safest place to be and she wanted him to know that.

Momiji spoke, seeing as this felt like a good time to ask. "Will you be my girlfriend, Anzu?"

The female nodded and it felt like a bubble of joy burst between the two. The blond hugged her so tight she could barely breathe. Her phone started to ring and she quickly tried to grab it before it fell out of her pocket. It was an unknown number, so she ignored it for the time being. The lights from the castle lit up around them, flickering in shades of pink, blue, and purple. It seemed very magical and Anzu wanted to have a physical memory of it all.

"Can we take a picture?" She asked as she turned the camera on for her phone. Momiji took the device from her hands so he could get them from a better angle and took a couple of pictures with her. They were going to take another one when the phone rang again. This time, it was Kureno.

"Hello?" Anzu answered it, curious because he knew she'd be out with Momiji for the day.

"Fukushima-san. It's Shigure."

"Why are you calling from Kureno's phone?"

"Your uncle is in the hospital."