Love 1: Blunt and Direct

"I love you."

"What?"

"I love you."

"You're...you're joking." A sly smile, a twinkle in their eye, and a delicate face.

"Sence...sence when?"

"Sence the 7th grade."

"You've loved me? All these years and you never said a word?" A laugh.

"Well, it's a pretty hard thing to admit to yourself."

A few steps closer, a few more steps. His warm hands gripped her arms and slowly moved them up to her face. "I love you...I love you so much, Ayumi."