Puzzle box

Part 19 One more contest

It was the following day, and Nishikata was pacing back and forth in his room, wondering when Takagi would call him. "It's her last day." He said to himself. "One way or another, she has to call today." He let out a sigh as he sat on his bed and pulled out his phone. "What am I going to do if we do get together? How are we going to be different as a couple? Are things going to remain the same?"

A few moments later, his phone rang, and he almost dropped it in his attempt to answer it. "Hello?"

"You sound like you're overthinking something." Came Takagi's voice.

'Why am I not surprised?' "I have a lot on my mind. So what's up?"

"Well, you remember that today's my last day to solve your puzzle box, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well I was thinking, how about we meet at the old abandoned lot in an hour and get this contest resolved?"

"Why there?"

"Because we spend so much time together there, it only feels right."

Nishikata thought to himself for a moment. "I don't see a problem with doing it there ... just ... are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." She said, sounding a little nervous.

"Okay then, I'll see you later."

"See you later." She hung up and Nishikata looked at his phone wondering what she could have planned.

"Did she open it? I guess there's only one way to find out, I'll just have to go and see for myself."

He put his phone away and began making his way downstairs to get his shoes on before leaving. It was a nice day out, but that did little to ease his nerves. "Today, one way or another, who am I kidding, she's going to find some way to win, that's just how she is."

He let out a sigh and continued on his way until he reached the abandoned lot. He was a little early, so he decided to take a seat on the nearby stack of wood. "I wonder when they're going to do something about this lot?" He asked aloud. "It's been like this for a few years now."

"Who knows." Came Takagi's voice from right next to him, causing him to jump. She had somehow managed to sneak up on him, and take a seat right next to him without him noticing.

"How ... nevermind. So what exactly did you have in mind."

"What's the rush? We have all day, don't we?"

"I guess." He said as he looked away.

"Well, let's talk."

"Yeah, sure."

She smiled and looked out into the distance. "You know how some people say that it feels like it's been forever, or how it feels like no time has passed at all since meeting someone?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"For me, it feels like it's been forever." She turned to him and smiled, causing his heart to skip a beat. "So how about you?"

"M-me?"

"Since we first met on our first day of junior high."

"Oh, right. Well." He began thinking and began remembering all of the times he lost to her. "It feels like it's been forever. With how many times I've lost to you, it didn't go by quick."

"Well, I enjoyed every moment." She looked up to the sky. "Every day was a new memory, and a new thing to look back on. Some day, today will also be a memory that we'll look back on; don't you think?"