Authors Note: Sorry for this sort of self promo... but leaving a like on chapters can really help get my story to more people. If you don't want to, don't of course, but the help would be so deeply appreciated! :)

  It took what felt like ages for me to muster any sort of sentence. You’d think given the long silence I’d think of what to say, but I still had no clue as I spoke. “It’s like a light novel—” Akimoto’s head jolted up and her gaze was piercing—actually piercing doesn’t begin to describe it.

  She raised her right hand, her big, watery eyes locking onto mine with an expression that screamed, “Say the wrong thing, and you're getting spped.”

  Is this a quick-time event!? “This— This is the part… the part.” I cleared my throat and readjusted my gsses. “This is the part of the story where the main heroine— Ow!" Akimoto’s hand came down hard on my cheek and I moved mine to clutch it. “You didn’t even let me finish!”

  As I knelt down to look for my gsses which she’d knocked off, Akimoto began ughing. Not a small chuckle but full on hysterically ughing. “Hm— Ha— hahahaha! Hahaha!”

  I set my gsses back on my face. “Was spping me really that funny?”

  “It’s so simple with you, Kiyotaka-kun.”

  “...What?”

  “It’s all about “main heroines”, beach arcs, clubs, and school festivals. I think that’s kinda cute… But the real world isn’t a light novel, Kiyotaka-kun. People don’t move on after two episodes or a volume. There are no forgotten plot points, it all stays with you—the good and the bad.”

  “...”

  “You really can’t understand, can you?”

  I just stared at her.

  “You can’t… huh…” She wiped tears away with the back of her hands.

  No. I do understand. I understand it so well but you’d never believe me because I’m always living my life like I don’t… I know what to say now.

  “This… This is the part of the light novel where the main heroine realizes what she’s had in front of her for a while really means to her.”

  She didn’t offer any response.

  “I’ve said this before—writing is a way to use your emotions. Take your experiences and make something with them. Sure you can take your experiences and write something hurtful with them. But that’s not what we do.” I handed Akimoto her rough-draft. “We write light novels. Light novels are supposed to inspire hope by always showing the characters overcoming the hardest hurdles in their lives. You said “it all stays with you—the good and the bad,” so why not take those lived experiences and inspire people? show them that you out-lived those bad times to become a better version of yourself!”

  Akimoto never broke eye-contact with me. She wasn’t crying anymore but her eyes were still wet. I knew I was wearing the best determined expression I could as I saw it mirrored in the reflection of her pupils alongside starlight from the now clear sky.

  “Spoken just like a light novel protagonist. You’re so corny.”

  “W-wha…?”

  As a light breeze came through and caught her hair.S

  he lifted her manuscript up above her and let go.

  “What’re you doing!?”

  The wind began stealing page after page from her—taking them in a trail that soared up dozens of feet into the sky and across the bay.

  I couldn’t think of anything to say.

  Akimoto did a small hop and tossed the remaining stack as high as she could. The wind snatched her offering and blew it across the water with the rest of the pages.

  “You’re right Kiyotaka-kun.”

  Her words snapped me back to reality.

  “It doesn’t go away. This is something that’ll probably stay with me for a long time… and even tomorrow the thought will still hurt just as bad as today… But it’s not so bad. Because of our break-up I got to meet someone one-hundred times more interesting, and I finally started getting into writing.” Akimoto took a step closer to me. “You’re a unique person, Kiyotaka-kun.”

  “...I-is that a good or a bad thing?”

  “I don’t think it’s either. It is what it is.”

  “R-right.” She’s getting too close.

  Akimoto kept leaning closer towards me—it didn’t help my heart that we were near the same height.

  Hold on! Why is she still getting closer!? Is she going to kiss me!? Is this her confession arc!? Wait, she has feelings for me!?

  I squeezed my eyes shut.

  I’m not ready for this!

  As an endless stream of jumbled ideas raced through my mind something soft made contact with my—

  Cheek.

  I felt the presence of her face pull back and I opened my eyes. I was met with Akimoto’s smile and still teary eyes.

  “Thank you for being my friend, Makoto.”

  “W-w-w-w-wha— ah- ah- ah -ah!”

  “Are you okay…?”

  That’s way too much! Even for friends!

  M-my first name?

  A k-k-kiss!?

  Was that my first kiss!?

  Does that count!?

  What does this mean?

  I’m overreacting…

  Is my face red? There’s no way it’s not.

  I’m not overreacting! This— this hasn’t happened before it’s— it’s— Akimoto poked my shoulder. “Helloo~? Earth to Makoto.”

  “D-don’t do that.” I adjusted my gsses by the frame.

  “Yeahh— Sorry about the kiss on your cheek I guess that might’ve been a bit forward, heh…”

  “I-I’m talking about calling me Makoto!” Akimoto looked back at me bnkly—was she confused? “Isn’t calling me that like… what couples do?” I said timidly.

  “W-what? Hahahaha no way! That’s what friends do. And we’re friends, idiot. Are you saying you’re not my friend?” She punctuated her sentence by giving me a pyful shove. This would’ve been fine but combined with the slick rock of the pier—

  “You didn’t need to push me that hard…” I flicked a little water from my hand towards Akimoto.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t question our friendship! Or be so weak!”

  I had my shirt off and was using it to rub my hair dry with little effect. “Yeah, mhm, okay. What kind of friend pushes someone into the sea!

  “...Pff— Ha…” Akimoto attempted to obscure her face. “Hahaha— hahaha” She held her stomach and leaned forward. Her ughter was undeniably contagious. Despite just having been almost drowned by her, it was almost impossible to stay mad.

  I felt my lips curl upwards no matter how much I didn’t want them too–-and before I knew it I was ughing with her.

  “Hey, K— Akimoto?”

  “Hm?”

  “We need to clean up all those pages, you know.”

  “Wha— N-no! I was having a main character moment! C-cleaning up isn’t part of that!”

  ***

  Akimoto and I both returned home soaking wet.