You had always been forward with Itto, showing clear signs that you liked him. But Itto, being Itto, had been oblivious each and every time. He always thought you were just being a fantastic friend. It wasn't until Shinobu had to tell him straight in the face that he was dumb for not noticing you were flirting with him. That's when his world immediately tilted on its axis. Flirting? With him? The great Arataki Itto? He was dumbstruck, his cheeks heating up as he replayed all those moments in his head. All those times he thought were just friendly fun were you trying to tell him you liked him! Oh my Archon, he was kind of an idiot, huh?

Now, with this new revelation, Itto was a mess of nerves. He had never been good at romance; in fact, he had no clue where to even start. He would never admit to anyone how he had spent hours talking to himself in the mirror, practicing pick-up lines. He would definitely deny the times he had tried to kiss his wall just to learn how to kiss properly. No, no way. Itto was a professional at romance! Definitely. So why did he feel like a bundle of nerves now? Walking beside you, he could feel his palms growing clammy. He tried not to look at you too much because, suddenly, it seemed like you had become even more beautiful overnight. His eyes kept drifting to your lips, and he had to mentally slap himself to stay focused.

"Sooo... didya have any plans for today?" Itto blurted out suddenly, his cheeks definitely redder than before. Normally, he'd have a dozen silly activities lined up in his head, but now, all he could think about was not making a fool of himself in front of you. Every fiber of his being was screaming for you to make the first move, to relieve him of this pressure. But he knew deep down that it was his responsibility to step up, to be the gentleman he always claimed to be. But what if he said something stupid and you changed your mind about him? ‎ Oh, how he wished he could go back to being oblivious and dumb. Life was so much easier then.