It's been going on for what? Weeks, is it? Guarana forgets; he's been in limbo ever since he realized Graffiti has a crush on him.

It's not even subtle, either. He sees the way Graffiti is quick to want to impress him. He sees how his eyes turn to x's whenever they see each other. He notices Graffiti's attempts to hold his hand whenever they're walking together. It's so obvious.

And...kind of endearing, really. Graffiti's nervous under all that confidence. He's willing to put himself out there, but not all the way. He's waiting for Guarana's response. Waiting for a reaction.

Which brings Guarana to why he's sitting alone under a tree in the forest. He needs space to think. Not that he already spent the past few weeks ruminating on it already.

He needs to be...alone. Maybe. He's actually not entirely sure if being alone is the best idea. The instant he came here and sat down, he was already missing Graffiti. Which is a sign that he should accept his advances?

Graffiti's important to him, he doesn't doubt that. But just because he misses him doesn't mean he's ready for that kind of thing. It's frustrating. He's used to jumping into things headfirst.

'I like to think I know what I'm doing, but...'

He glances at the pebble-lined pond he and OSO Novel talked by before. The water is still. A few leaves and lily pads float on its surface.

'What would you do, OSO Novel? I'm sure you know what's going to happen.'

Of course, he can't just ask her. That would be unfair. He has to make his own decisions. Would this kind of thing even appear in her pages? It's technically not part of the show, although future episodes would be a tell...

He shakes his head. His thoughts are wandering too much. Back to the main question.

What should he do?

And what's the best way to approach the problem? To think about it, or just make a decision? This doesn't feel like something he should just do impulsively. It requires careful thought.

It's not how he usually does things, but he has to step out of his comfort zone sometime. Still, the more he thinks about it, the more frustrated he gets. All his thoughts seem to go in circles. He can't focus on a single thing. He's not really thinking about it, he's just...

...making excuses.

Guarana slumps in defeat. That's it. How is it that he's incapable of making a decision here? Sitting down to think about it was a mistake, after all. There's nowhere to run off to. He has to make a decision.

The thought of leaving Graffiti hanging in the unknown of his feelings makes him sick. He can't do that to him. So he has to think of something.

But what? What does he even feel? Graffiti's a close friend, but is it just that? Would turning him down make him lose interest in their friendship altogether? Does he love him? Does he?

Guarana presses his fingers against his head. It hurts. He doesn't want to think about it anymore. Thinking things completely through has never been his style.

He sits up straight, closes his eyes, and focuses on his breathing. He needs to turn his brain off for a bit. In and out. That's all he needs.

In...

And out.

A minute of this passes by. His head hurts much less, and his thoughts are clearer.

It might not be the best idea, but he has to use his instinct for this one. He'll make a decision and stick with it, even if doubts come later. The gut is right nine out of ten times.

'Now...do I love Graffiti?'

'Yes.'

It surprises him a little. The answer came quickly, like it was blurted from the back of his mind.

But there's no time to think. He has to find Graffiti.

Guarana runs out of the forest and back into the open grass, keeping an eye out for Graffiti's telltale yellow and black colors. It's easy to spot him in a crowd, he stands out no matter what he does.

"Guarana! Hey, I've been looking for you! Where you been?" Graffiti calls. Guarana skids to a stop in front of him. Graffiti's eyes blink in and out of x shapes.

"Had to be by myself for a while. I was thinking about something."

"Oh. Thinking about what?"

"You."

"Huh!?" Both of his eyes turn into x's, and stay like that. A blush overtakes half of his face. Guarana's heart flutters. Everything feels different now, in a good way.

"You...have a crush on me, right?" Guarana takes both of Graffiti's hands into his.

Graffiti looks down, then back up at Guarana. "Y-Yes! Do you...?"

"Yes."

Graffiti squeaks, then goes speechless. He leans forward a bit.

Then laughs. "Oh! Oh, that's- I- I really wanna kiss you, but I can't see right now."

Guarana chuckles and leans forward, pressing his face to Graffiti's lips. He smells like spray paint.

Graffiti pulls away after a while, and giggles some more. "Hey, uh- I'm gonna be like this for a while. Can you keep holding my hand?"

"Sure thing." Guarana beams from the inside. Suddenly, the weight of making the decision didn't matter so much anymore.