The guys were making their way through the crowd of people, trying to join up with the rest of their group with little success. "Damn it, why are there so many people?" Hamaguchi asked.

"Even if we knew where they were, we'd be lucky to get to them in time." Nakai added.

Nishikata pulled out his phone and began looking through his contacts. "I'm going to call Takagi and see if she can't help us get closer."

"Wait, you have her number?!" Hamaguchi asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I mean ... we are close." He said as he blushed. "Though it was kinda embarrassing to ask her for it."

"Damn it!" Hamaguchi exclaimed as he looked away and clenched his fist. "How do you two always end up ahead of me?"

"Uh ..." They both said as they looked at each other.

"Mano really likes me, so I've never really had to make any moves." Nakai explained.

"Yeah, and Takagi and I hang around each other for other reasons." Nishikata paused for a moment. "But I wouldn't say that I'm further along than you are with Houjou."

"Why'd you just say two statements that directly contradict each other?"

"Because we're just friends-"

"That's still a step ahead of me." Hamaguchi sighed. "Man, sometimes you are just sad."

"Sad?"

"Yeah, your problem is you lack confidence."

"I am well aware of that, Takagi uses that to tease me on a daily basis." He went back to his phone. "I'm going to call her now."

Meanwhile, Takagi and the others had found a place to stand that was close enough to the stage, yet just far enough away that it wasn't too crowded. However, time seemed to be going by faster than expected. "Where are they?" Mano asked. "I'm worried that they won't get here before the concert starts."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Takagi said as she looked back.

"Wait a second." Houjou began as she looked at Takagi with a smug expression. "Takagi is worried about something? This is a first."

"Well yeah, I mean back during the summer festival, Nishikata and I got separated just before the fireworks started and didn't find each other again until just after it ended."

Houjou was silent as she turned back to face the stage. "Okay, that makes sense, sorry."

They continued to wait, until finally, Takagi's phone rang. "Huh?" She said as she pulled it out of her pocket. "It's Nishikata."

"You have his number?" Houjou asked as Takagi answered it.

"Nishikata? ... yeah, we're not at the stage, we're about ... a fourth of the way from it ... kinda in the middle ..." A sly smile appeared on Takagi's face. "Oh, you can't wait to meet up with us?" Takagi laughed for a bit before wiping her eye. "I know, I know, I'm really looking forward to watching it with you as well ... well-being friends is one reason ... not telling ... we'll be on the lookout for you. See you soon." She hung up the phone and turned around to look for the guys.

"Hey, Takagi?" Houjou began. "Quick question, how oblivious is that boy?"

"It's not that he's oblivious, he's just in denial. He's so nervous that he hasn't even realized, or accepted his own feelings. To be perfectly honest though, I can wait till he's ready."

"You're more patient than I am." Mano said.

A few moments later, the guys finally came into view. "HEY!" Mano said as she waved her arm. "We're over here!"

The guys made their way over and soon enough, the two groups had finally rejoined.

"Huh? Amakawa?" Hamaguchi began. "You're here as well?"

"Well you guys did give me a ticket for being the reff for that contest you held." She began as she fixed her glasses. "Which, based on you being here, was really a waste of time for you guys, wasn't it?"

"Yeah ... Houjou had tickets so ... I guess in the end it didn't matter all that much."

"I kinda feel a little bad about Takao though." Nishikata said. "But he didn't have much chance of being here anyway."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about him."

"Huh? Why's that?"

"Well ..."

Earlier

Takao and Kimura were at school, changing their shoes while Kimura was lecturing Takao. "You shouldn't have done something like that to Nishikata, he's our friend, even if you were competing."

"I know, I feel bad enough about it as it is, you can stop rubbing it in."

"Hey!" Shouted someone from nearby. They both looked over to see Mina pointing at them angrily and Sanae standing right behind her. "You guys owe us for stalking us the other day!"

"We weren't stalking you." Takao explained.

"Yukari said we can make you take us out for ice cream for stalking us!"

"Ice cream?" Kimura asked. "I could go for some ice cream."

"Yeah but-"

"Don't think you're getting out of this." Sanae stated. "You owe us ice cream stalkers."

"I ... " Takao let out a sigh of defeat.

Back to the present

"I'm sure that he's having a good time."

"Anyway." Hamaguchi began. "Was this really the best place? I mean there's so many people here I can't even see the stage."

"Huh?" Houjou said as she looked back towards the stage. "There are a lot more people here than I originally thought there'd be."

"Maybe one of us should go see if there's a spot with a better view." Nakai began. "Hold on, I'll be back."

"NO!" Mano exclaimed as she grabbed his sleeve. "Maybe someone else should go."

As everyone stood there in silence, Nishikata glanced over at Takagi, then down to her hand. 'Should ... should I? I may not get another chance like this.'

"I'll do it." Yukari said as she stepped forward.

"No." Nishikata interrupted. He took a deep breath and grabbed Takagi's hand, causing her to look at it surprised. "We'll go ... I mean ... if that's okay with Takagi."

"I'm fine with it." She said with a smile.

"Okay, let's get going."

The two of them walked off while Hamaguchi turned to the side furious. "Damn, it." He said under his breath. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Huh?" Houjou said as she turned to him. "Did you say something?"

"No, nothing!"

Meanwhile, Nishikata and Takagi were walking closer to the stage, trying to find a better spot. "Man, it's getting hard to move around."

"Hey, Nishikata?"

"I'm holding your hand again, I know, but I don't want to get separated from you in this crowd."

"I know that." Takagi began. "But why did you want me to come with you specifically?"

Nishikata stopped dead in his tracks as he slowly turned back to look at Takagi. She was smiling, like she usually does, and Nishikata felt his blood rush to his face. 'Oh crap, that was too obvious! She's going to find out!' "I ... we came here together and ... I wanted us to stay together ... that's it."

"Hmmmm?" She smiled brightly as she looked at him as if knowing something he didn't. "You sure that's the only reason?"

"Yes, I'm sure." He hissed as he turned around and continued walking.'Why is she asking me if that's the only reason?'

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Because it's hot out here, that's it."

"Oh? Are you sure it's not because you like me?"

Nishikata stopped as his mind went into panic mode. 'She knows! she knows!' SHE KNOWS!

"Hey, this is a good spot." She said interrupting his thought process.

"Huh?" He glanced around and managed to see the stage clearly. "I guess it is, should we call the others?"

"Um, I don't think that's the best idea." She said as she got closer to him. "There's not much room here for more than just the two of us."

Nishikata looked around and saw that she was very right; there was so little room that they actually had to squeeze together somewhat to fit. "Oh, so ... I guess ... should we go back?"

"No." She wrapped her arms around his stomach and placed her head on his shoulder as she looked towards the stage. "There's not enough time, and besides." She glanced towards Nishikata and looked him in the eye. "I like it when it's just the two of us. Don't you Nishikata?"

Nishikata felt his heart rate begin to speed up. 'She ... she's known.'

Back with the other group, the crowd had moved some, allowing most of them to see the stage.

"I can't take it." Sumire said as she looked around. "They should have been back by now."

"Takagawa." Yukari began. "You knew they weren't actually going to come back, right?"

"Yeah, but I still want to see what happens." She took out her phone and began making her way into the crowd.

"Wait! What's with the phone?"

"I want pictures." She said before she disappeared.

"So ... does anyone want to tell me why they were never coming back?" Nakai asked.

"Hey, Nakai?" Mano began as she tugged on his sleeve. "I can't see, can I sit on your shoulders?"