Epilogue: Take My Hand

"Sigh… I'm not a fan of getting played like that, but I guess it was going to happen

sometime."

After Touya had told Masachika to stop by the next day with the paperwork and told

Alisa that she was done for the day, Masachika and Alisa walked toward the school gate

under the dark night sky. While Masachika was grumbling to himself, Alisa followed closely

behind in silence with a slightly downcast expression. But when they were about halfway to

the school entrance, Alisa suddenly stopped.

"Hey."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"…"

Masachika looked back at Alisa, but she didn't say a thing. Her blue eyes held mixed

emotions while she stared hard into his eyes, and he quietly stared back into hers.

"Are you really going to join the student council?"

"Yeah."

"Is that…?"

She paused for a moment before firmly continuing:

"Is that so you can run as vice president alongside Yuki?"

"…What if it was?"

He replied to Alisa's question with a question.

"Would you give up and drop out of the race if that was the case?"

After briefly closing her eyes as if to smother any dependence she was feeling, Alisa

opened her eyes once more, revealing a shimmering glow.

"…No," she replied to his provocation. "I am going to become the student council

president, no matter what…even if that means I'll be running against you. I'm not going to

give up."

Masachika snorted out a laugh and broke into a smile. That powerful light in her eyes

was what he wanted to see—what he wanted to protect. He was attracted to that brilliant

glow of her noble soul, and until this point, he had helped her from the shadows to prevent

that glow from ever clouding over. But not anymore. From now on…

"…Okay," Masachika said, nodding with his eyes closed.

"…!"

Alisa pressed her lips together tightly and faintly lowered her gaze until Masachika

suddenly opened his eyes wide and declared:

"Then I'm going to make you the president."

"Huh…?"

Her expression wavered in bewilderment, but Masachika looked her right in the eyes

and held out his hand to her.

"I will do everything in my power to make you president if that's what you wish. You

won't be alone anymore. From now on, I will be by your side to support you. So don't say

a word and just take my hand! Alya!"

Countless questions popped into her head before being replaced by another: Why? Why

me? Why not Yuki? But each question melted away before his decisive gaze without ever

reaching her lips.

Oh… That's why…

Alisa suddenly realized what was going on. Masachika saw right through her and knew

how stubborn she was. That was why he told her not to say another word and take his hand.

She didn't need to ask him for help this way.

Yeah…

Alisa was always alone. She only saw others as competition and looked down on them.

She never thought there would be someone she could trust to be there for her. But if there

was someone who would accept every part of her, no matter how hopeless she might be…

If there was someone there for her unconditionally…then…

"…!"

Not even Alisa could identify the emotions welling up in her heart. Was she touched?

Wishful? Delighted? It was all those things and yet none of them. She was swallowed by

the furious waves of emotions, almost to the point of tears, but she didn't cry. She didn't

want the boy in front of her to see her that way because he probably didn't want to see her

like that, either. Alisa threw back her shoulders and proudly faced forward. I wasn't looking

for help, she thought. She would neither try to suck up to nor cling on to him. She took his

hand as an equal.

"Good. I'm looking forward to working with you, Alya," said Masachika with a smirk,

as an equal partner, and his unobtrusive kindness brought a smile to Alisa's face like a flower

in full bloom.

"Thank you."

The voice of her heart slipped out between her slightly parted lips. And then…

…the words of gratitude that accidentally slipped off Alisa's tongue and the smile from

the bottom of her heart—a smile Masachika had never seen before…

…made his heart race.

And at the same time, it reminded him of a warm memory from long ago: that girl's

smile.

Wh-what is this feeling?

His heart hammered against his chest like a drum. It was the beat of love—something

he never expected to feel again after that girl had disappeared.

Ha-ha… Seriously? I didn't know I still had emotions like this.

He couldn't take his eyes off the girl in front of him. Her hands were so warm. The heat

— The pain…?

"Ow, ow, ow! What the…?!"

Before he realized it, Alisa's smile had turned into something plastered on her face, and

she was tightly squeezing his hand like a vise. He shrieked while curling his body with a

pleading, quizzical gaze, but his eyes were met with a subzero glare.

"Were you thinking about another woman just now?" she asked quietly.

"How'd you know?! Oops…"

He immediately regretted his knee-jerk response, but it was already too late. A cold

sweat ran down his spine as he realized just how terrible his response was.

Crap, crap, crap! Daydreaming about another girl from your past while the heroine is

confessing her love for you is one of the top ten things a rom-com protagonist shouldn't do!

I think it was number two when I checked the polls!

Incidentally, the number one thing you shouldn't do was ignore her. Not only would that

ruin things with the heroine, but it would also lower the reader's opinion of you, so it was

something that should be avoided at all costs.

Is this really the time to be thinking about rom-coms?!

Masachika shut the door to the nerd room in his mind that he had been using to escape

reality. However, he had zero experience with love in real life past elementary school, so

he had absolutely no clue how he was going to get himself out of this situation. And

unfortunately, Alisa spoke up with a chilling smirk before he could figure something out.

"Hey."

"Y-yes?"

"Didn't you just say you were going to be by my side and support me from now on?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I did say that. Yep."

It was a little embarrassing hearing her repeat what he said, but Masachika wasn't

smiling bashfully under her cold, piercing gaze. His face was just twitching.

"And yet you immediately start thinking about Yuki."

"I wasn't thinking about Yuki."

"…Hmph."

"Hey?! Ouch! That seriously hurts!"

The instant he admitted it wasn't Yuki, Alisa squeezed his right hand like a vise again,

causing him to scream Whyyyy?! to himself.

"Kuze."

"Eep?!"

"If you want me to forgive you, then don't say another word and take what's coming

to you."

"…Okay."

After noticing Alisa slowly raising her left hand, Masachika closed his eyes, knowing

what was coming. Immediately, a powerful shock hit his cheek like a bolt of lightning,

sending him flying back, literally.

"Heh… Heh-heh… Nice slap."

"…You're an idiot."

He gave her the thumbs-up, despite being pathetically curled up on the ground. Although

she rolled her eyes, she forgave him just like she promised and extended a hand. After

accepting her help up to his feet, Masachika brushed his pants off.

"Ready to go home?"

"Sure."

And just like that, they started their journey home side by side. They were neither

snuggling up nor keeping their distance, but they were close enough to naturally hold hands

if they tried.

"Whew. I've never been slapped by a girl before. I feel like a real man now."

"Did you hit your head on the ground when you fell?"

"I didn't get a head injury!"

"Yes… Unfortunately, your brain has always rattled inside that head of yours."

"I'll have you know they used to call me the prodigy."

"'The prodigy'? Uh-huh…"

"Wow. You look like you don't believe me."

Relieved they could still banter like they usually did, they were walking slightly closer

to each other now, and by the time they reached the entrance to Alisa's apartment complex,

her expression included some concern.

"…Is your cheek okay? Do you need some ice?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I can't really feel my right cheek, but it's not so bad if you imagine you

just got your wisdom teeth taken out," cheerfully replied Masachika with a slight grimace as

if it was unconsciously bothering him.

"That doesn't sound 'fine' at all…"

Alisa shrugged while rolling her eyes when she suddenly looked up asifshe had realized

something, then held out her index finger and rubbed Masachika's right cheek.

"Do you really have no feeling in your cheek right now?"

"Oh, no… I was joking. I honestly still can't feel much, though," he replied, his heart

slightly racing.

"…Uh-huh."

Alisa smirked, then immediately placed a hand on his shoulder as her smile softly drew

closer toward him.

"Huh?"

A soft sensation tickled Masachika's right cheek, and he heard a gentle smack.

"Huh?"

His eyes opened wide in astonishment while Alisa swiftly leaned away and sent a

scornful look his way.

"What are you so shocked about? It was just a little cheek kiss."

"What…? I thought you only touched cheeks when you cheek-kissed…"

"Yes, but you also making a kissing sound when you do it."

"But… Huh?"

That sensation… Was that her cheek or a kiss?!

"Anyway, see you tomorrow."

"O-oh, right… See you tomorrow."

Masachika wasthere in body but not in spirit when he watched Alisa wave good-bye and

walk inside. But after he could no longersee her, he placed a hand on his cheek and crouched.

"Uh…?! S-seriously! Which was it?!"

He rubbed his still-warm cheek, desperately trying to remember the sensation, but no

matter how long he thought about it, he couldn't find a definite answer.

"Alyaaa! Can I at least get a hint in Russian?! Please!"

Masachika's pathetic cries echoed down the dark night street.