Date Her Instead Vol. 4

Chapter Nineteen: Christmas

When Kanako woke up for the second time that day, she thought about her time with Chiyo earlier. "She says she's going to take care of everything, but what does that mean?" she wondered. If Chiyo was willing to help her out, then that was great, but Kanako really had no clue what exactly the gal's help would entail.

If she could've, she may have dwelled on it for a while, but before she could do even that, Kanako had something else that needed to be done. After all, if she didn't, it would rend all of Chiyo's plans (whatever they may be) completely pointless. Climbing out of her bed and staring out her window, Kanako thought about the girl next door. The window itself didn't actually face her neighbor's house, but if Kanako were to lean out it and look to one side, she'd see at least the edge. Of course, it was simply too cold to be opening windows, so the best she could do was stare wistfully.

"H-Hey, Haruna, got any plans for Christmas?" ..."Is that too informal?"

"I was wondering if maybe you were free on Christmas?" ..."That sounds too awkward..."

"Would you like to go on a Christmas date with me?" ..."No way, there's no way I could say it like that!"

With each attempt Kanako practiced, she critiqued herself. One after the other she tried, until eventually she gave up, flopping back down onto her bed for the second time that day. "...How are you supposed to ask someone something like this anyways?" she muttered aloud. It was a valid question for Kanako. For someone who had never truly been on the offensive of love, asking something like "Would you go on a date with me?" was entirely foreign. Adding the elements of Christmas and her own circumstances too, and it proved to be a towering combination.

Admittedly, just like anyone else, there was doubt in Kanako's mind. Could she do it? Could she stand in front of Haruna and give her answer with confidence? Or, would she sputter and falter, proving to make a fool of herself? The thought of tell Haruna yes made her nervous. Her heartbeat raced. Her legs trembled. If even the thought caused her such a reaction, then what would the real moment do to her?

She was sure. Regardless of the doubts in her mind, Kanako's heart was certain. There wasn't, there couldn't be anyone else in this world that Kanako loved. And yet, with each passing day, her nerves grew. Never before had she experienced feelings such as these. Although, for as nervous as she was, there was also a fair amount of excitement.

In the end, she already knew how Haruna felt. Kanako knew it had been a long wait, but surely Haruna's feelings hadn't changed that quickly? Having the knowledge of how Haruna felt was something that eased Kanako's mind a bit, because she knew that once the word yes spilled from her lips, they'd be together. A couple. Dating. Kanako's heart raced even more. She could hardly wait.

But, wait she must. After all, there was still a crucial step left to take. She still needed to invite Haruna. If the object of her affection wasn't present, then there'd of course be no point. Gathering herself, Kanako took in a deep breath, sat up rapidly, and then exhaled. "I should just do it," she thought. "I'll march right over there and ask her."

In a way, that was funny. Somewhere in the back of Kanako's mind, the girl was laughing at herself. Several years ago, she had thought much the same thing, only to allow her cowardice to take over and prevent herself from doing what she said she would. She had never wanted to lose Haruna as a friend, and at the time, Kanako had been determined to go over to her house and demand a reason for her behavior. But, when she had gotten to the door, she had froze, and ultimately, years passed before anything was resolved.

Her amusement came because it felt so easy now. Or, perhaps easy wasn't the right word. It was still hard. Kanako still wasn't sure what she would say. However, her situation differed greatly from the past, and it was because of that difference that she had to laugh. Back then, she had been so afraid. Now, she was nervous, but for something else entirely. "It really is funny how things change..." Kanako thought to herself.