Bocchi the Love Story!

33. " Gotou-san, I love you."

" Gotou-san, I love you."

Huh?

What?

I feel his arms wrapping themselves around me as he pulls me closer to his chest. He presses my head to it, so I could hear his heartbeat.

Ba-dum!

Ba-dum!

Ba-dum!

" Do you hear it?" he whispers to my ear. I feel my face heat up from the airiness of his voice.

" It beats for you and only you." He murmurs.

" A-Akihiko-kun..." I didn't know what to say. No, wasn't this what I've been waiting for all this time? He says he loves me. I should say it back, let him know that his feelings are reciprocated.

But the words are caught in my throat.

" You don't have to say you love me." He suddenly says.

But why wouldn't you want me to?

" You know," His tone was shakey, but the following words were filled with his honest feelings. " I didn't think I'd fall in love. Much less, with you."

" Yet somehow, I did."

"..."

" ' How did I fall in love with you? ' That's the question that rang through my head, the question that beat me senseless ever since I realized how I've fallen for you."

"..."

" Maybe it was the way you speak, or the way you look at me with those beautiful blue eyes, or maybe it's when you smile....or..."

I feel his arms weaken.

" Maybe...it's all of that." He released a chuckle.

" And then the next question came," He pulls away from me and our eyes met. " ' Would I ever be good enough for you?' now that's the question that's been poisoning me."

You are good enough-- no, even more than that. So why would you think otherwise?

" I couldn't say these words to you because I was scared...that I'd mess up. I don't always doubt myself when it comes to everything else, but with you, I can't help but panic every single time I'm this close to spilling my feelings out."

"..."

" But I realized, that it doesn't matter. I shouldn't be afraid to admit it. I shouldn't be afraid to tell you the one thing I want you to know."