I Want to End This Love Game (愛してるゲームを終わらせたい)

I WANT TO END THIS LOVE GAME

Hey, Yukiya.

You know that I love you, right?

Uh?

You what?

Back in the sixth grade,

that's when all of this began.

A game we decided to call the "I love you" game.

Don't lie. You got nervous.

Why would that make me nervous?

Gonna have to try harder than that, shrimp.

Huh? What did you say?

Fine, then "do-over!"

Go ahead, but it won't make any difference. Uh...

Aw, man! Your weird little game got me killed,

and I was on a perfect run. Ugh...

Thanks a lot, Miku...

We take turns telling each other "I love you"

and the first one to blush loses.

Whatever, I wasn't listening.

Don't pretend like you didn't hear

what I just said!

Four years later.

I love you, Miku. I mean it.

Not even close.

And I love you, too, Yukiya.

You are so stubborn.

Why don't you admit I give you butterflies?

And lose? No way.

You're the one who's got the butterflies.

THUMP-THUMP

We're still playing the same game

that we started as kids.

And to this day,

there still hasn't been a winner.

I WANT TO END THIS LOVE GAME

You are so cheating! Your heart totally skipped a beat!

MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND REFUSES TO ACCEPT DEFEAT

No, it didn't. You just don't want to admit

that we're in another stalemate.

Look, the way things are going now,

this game will never end

until you learn to be honest with yourself.

- You know, though... - Huh?

Seeing your face when you said "I love you"

-was actually kinda hot. -

- Hey! - Uh...

Is someone blushing?

Guess that means I finally won, Yukiya.

No, it just got humid in here.

It's not because of you.

It's hot. So yeah, just hot. That's all.

Wait, are you being serious right now?

Whatever, fine.

I'll let you have your little draw this time.

So, game's still on.

Lucky for you, I'm a nice girl.

Those two goofballs are at it again, I see.

They're so cute.

But I don't recall the game being like this, do you?

They've been playing this game for ages

and nobody's won yet.

So, they decided to switch up the rulebook.

They're allowed to do anything to get to the other person.

And to end it,

one of them must admit defeat.

They've turned their little game into a test of endurance.

Oh, wow. So, nothing is off limits.

What a gamechanger.

I can't wait to see what happens!

They have been friends

ever since they were little kids.

And they still can't confess their feelings.

They'll be at this for a while.

I sure hope so. 'Cause I can't get enough!

Oh, I gotta get going.

- Huh? Already? -

- Uh... - Say, Yukiya,

the high school entrance ceremony's tomorrow.

So, what?

I really hope that we end up in class together.

I don't know why you're saying this

because I couldn't care less if we are or not.

- Whatever you say. -Uh...

See you later, uncle!

Thankies for the free meal!

Sure, get home safe, freeloader.

Damn it!

Why does that girl keep messing with my head?

The hell was that

"thankies for the free meal" bull crap anyway, huh?

She starts the morning acting

all saucy and precocious to get me flustered!

Then switches up out of left field

and starts talking like she's some kind of

freakishly adorable woman-child!

This back and forth is driving me crazy!

Why does Miku have to be so cute?

You always tend to let your true feelings out

when Miku isn't around.

Keep this up, Yuki,

and it'll be only a matter of time before you lose.

Shit. Hinako's right.

What's weird is when the game started,

I never felt shy being around her.

-I love you. -Yeah, yeah.

-I love you, too. -

- Yay! I win! - Miku would beat me

in just about everything we did.

-When this game came along... -Good morning, Yukiya!

... I saw it as an opportunity to finally watch her struggle.

- - Meanie!

ALAS.

But one day, in our second year of middle school.

I LOVE YOU

Hey, Yukiya, I love you.

Huh? What was that?

Did I just hear somebody's heart skip a beat?

Though I'd seen her a thousand times,

there was something different about her that day.

Or something different about me.

Because that's when I knew I loved her.

Miku grew up much faster than me.

And at some point,

her every move started making me tremble.

Before I knew it...

You wanna try some?

Sure. Why not?

PIKULULU CONTAINS LIVE LACTOBACILLUS CULTURES

Well, go on.

Uh?

I know what you're thinking. It's like an indirect kiss.

We're gonna be late for school!

Stop, you're biting my straw!

I said you can try some. Hey!

Ever since I fell in love with her,

the "I love you" game was no longer a sport.

It became something more.

But what if...

What if it never existed?

Would someone else have...

Uh?

Well, I'm glad it exists.

Because it's what kept us connected.

What are you talking about?

Four years later, there still isn't a winner.

Not yet.

It's like she's not even trying to hide it anymore.

She just enjoys messing with me!

Crap, I'm gonna blurt out I like her any minute now!

I'm afraid you've transcended "like," buddy.

Yep. You can try,

but a man can only fight his feelings off for so long.

How am I supposed to say

she's "the love of my life"

after years of calling her a shrimp or a washboard.

If Miku were to find out that I love her...

You love me?

Wow, all these years of you acting so tough!

Turns out that you thought I was cute the whole time,

but I'm not that surprised, honestly.

I mean, you are still a boy, right, Yukiya?

We've been playing this game for so long,

it was only a matter of time

before you started to take it seriously.

I knew you had the "hots" for me.

And then she's gonna hold it over my head forever!

So, I can't let her win.

Or I'll probably die from the embarrassment!

- Want some water? - No, thanks.

I want to know why she hasn't caved yet!

Since I was in the ninth grade,

I've been working on my look,

trying to get myself ahead of her.

And I've finally gotten taller, too.

That hair salon I mentioned

worked out good for you, right?

It did. Yeah. To be honest with you,

I had no idea my hairstyle would make such a difference.

Hinako? Why do you think it isn't affecting her?

Uh, maybe it's because you're so childish

and you think something like your hair

-is enough to win her over. -

Come on, don't be so hard on the boy, Hinako.

He's put in a lot of work in a short time, so he's trying.

At least you understand.

Aw, man.

That was too close.

I thought I was screwed for a sec.

Please, Wakana, you gotta help me out here!

Whoa, what did you do?

Only thing I need now...

is this.

KOI-KYUN