The Goddess Needs A Break!

It was one calm day near the beginning of February.

Takei was all dressed up in outdoor clothing and was staring at himself in the mirror.

He was observing all the minute details that stood out to him, as well as some of the minor details that went under the radar.

There were many things that stood out to him, or rather didn't stand out at all to other people. The average black hair and slim body figure could be found everywhere and anywhere. The tired looking eyes that he had were very common amongst teenagers nowadays. In conclusion, everything about him was as common as it gets.

However, a pained expression is what stood out the most to him.

This was an expression that was entirely unique to him.

The mental scars that were left behind had almost healed completely, but they were just like physical scars that could never be healed completely.

Some days were better than most, but he was still on the receiving end of many anxiety attacks. He tried to not let it show on his face as much as possible, but it sometimes would slip out unknowingly.

The pained expression would always come back in some form or another. He had already accepted that a long time ago.

However, there was an intervention in his life which resulted in a change of his beliefs.

Akari Akazawa was the person who unfroze time for him. In a perpetually frozen state, Takei refused to move forward from his past. It had stayed like that for an extraordinary amount of time until a certain goddess came to his aid.

She complimented him, uplifted him, cried with him, sought warmth from him, ate with him, comforted him, there were so many things that she did for him.

Without asking for anything in return, that is.

Therefore, the prison of ice eventually melted to the point where Takei could see a hopeful future ahead of him.

The ice wasn't completely melted, it was up to Takei to do the rest.

If he wanted to escape this prison, Takei needed to move forward of his own accord.

It was a scary, yet necessary thing to do.

"Even so, I refuse to be left behind."

The fire that was burning within Takei's heart was raging like no other. His motivation was at an all time high.

However, there was something else that was also bothering him.

Besides the fiery determination in his heart, there was also another emotion.

That emotion was a passionate fire that was unknowingly lit within him.

Rather than the aggressive burning scorch that was his determination, this fire was more subdued and gentle.

It yearned for something... or rather, someone.

This can't be... Not right now...

Takei definitely knew what these feelings in his heart were, but he refused to accept them.

Relationships between people were a complicated and fickle thing. Takei didn't think he was a good enough person to be on the receiving end of a relationship.

At least, the current him thought he wasn't...

***

While Takei was mulling over such things...

"I wonder if he would like something this daring?"

Akari was browsing undergarments at the local mall and discovered a certain flashy undergarment that was calling her name.

She wondered if Takei would like such a mature color and design.

"Hmm..."

"Do you need any assistance?"

While Akari was thinking to herself, a female employee at the store walked up to her and asked if she needed any help.

Not withholding any of her embarrassment, Akari asked the female employee about her problem at hand.

"Which one do you recommend for seducing the boy you like?"

Zero embarrassment was shown on her face even though she asked a very bold question.

Seeing the love and dedication in Akari's eyes, the female employee smiled and pointed to the item on the left.

"That one should work."

The black color and lacy design was sure to be an eye catcher and exude the mature feeling that Akari was going for.

"Oya? That looks perfect! I'll take it right away!"

Agreeing with the employee's decision, Akari decided to buy it for when she gets attacked by Takei.

If he would ever do such a thing, that is.

"Coward..." Akari mumbled to herself, as she exited the store after paying for her items.

She wanted Takei to take a more proactive stance, but Akari knew of the shadow that lingered behind his smile.

Whenever she made an advance on him, Takei would usually take it in stride. However, the smile that appeared after was an artificial one.

She could tell that he had a certain amount of wariness towards her, since she was a person of the opposite gender. However, Akari felt that Takei was a bit too wary of her, more so than he normally should be.

It definitely has to do with his past. Something traumatic most likely happened to him...

Akari knew that Takei had some things that were hidden from her. He most likely wasn't ready to share them yet.

Even while knowing that, she chose to push Takei out of his comfort zone for his own good.

Standing still forever was not how she wanted him to live.

The goddess wanted her special person to enjoy his life more and to move towards a better future together.

That's why Akari intends to always stand by his side, or rather behind him. She wanted to push him on no matter what.

As she was walking home, Akari received a text from her beloved person that she was thinking about.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Takei had asked her for confirmation for tomorrow's meetup.

"Tomorrow, huh?"

Akari thought about the event that would inevitably happen tomorrow.

It seemed that the fundraising event for Shirakawa High School would be happening tomorrow.

A slight grin occupied Akari's face, as she was excited to have a fun time together with Takei.

Texting back at a breakneck speed, Akari hit send before her thoughts even finished.

"Of course I'm ready.

---

Akari's True Affection Meter: 90 -> 91%

Small increase since she was thinking about his tastes while shopping for her clothes. Akari was also thinking hard about what she could do to assuage Takei's fears.

Sugar-san: Hey, wake up. It's almost your time.

Serious-san: Mmm... five more minutes...