63 It's very fluffy
23rd of May
"So, how did you do in your exams?" asked Shiho.
The teens were gathered outside, in the vending machine area.
"I'm just over the average." said Ann, breathing a sigh of relief.
"No good. I might need to take make-up exams." said Ryuji, holding his head in his arms.
"I think I'm doing pretty good, compared to before. But that's just because volleyball practice is less... intense." Shiho said, becoming more glum towards the end.
Nobody liked that.
"What's with the down faces?" asked Shin, holding a bunch of soda cans in his arms.
"It's not important. Anyway, how did you do on your exams?" asked the black-haired girl.
"Meh, nothing much. I got first place in my year. The usual." said Shin, opening his can at the same time.
You could almost hear the others' shock. Ryuji stood there, wide-eyed for a moment, before suddenly groveling before Shin.
"You have to help me with the finals! Please!" he said, latching onto the other boy's leg.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Now get off me!"
'I'm never telling Ryuji about how I do in exams again.' thought the black-haired teen.
Meanwhile, the girls recovered from their shock and opened their cans. As she was drinking, Ann noticed a student with light-auburn hair in a tracksuit struggling to load a trolley with bags of dirt. And boy, did they look heavy.
"Do you know who that is?" asked Shiho.
"I have no idea." admitted Ann.
"She looks pretty cute." commented Ryuji, who had stopped groveling for the time being. "Do you think this might be my chance?"
"Huh?" Ann looked at him weirdly.
"I help her and we get to know each other and stuff. Maybe we'd get together one day." said Ryuji, daydreaming.
"I doubt that, somehow." said Shiho, dryly.
"And besides, someone is already ahead of you, Mr White Knight." said Ann, pointing at Shin, who was already walking away.
"Huh?" Ryuji blinked.
The girl struggled to push the last bag of dirt onto the trolley, before Shin went ahead and lifted the bag for her.
"Need a hand?" he asked.
"Huh?" the girl, who Shin knew was clearly Haru, blinked in surprise.
"You looked like you needed some help." said the boy, still holding onto the bag.
"Y-Yes, thank you." she responded.
"Is this all?" he asked, looking around.
Haru nodded in response.
"I-I'm Haru."
"Shin." replied the boy. "So, where are we taking these?"
"To the rooftop. The gardening club is meeting there." explained the puffy-haired girl.
"We have a gardening club?"
"Well... There is me." she said, blushing.
"I see. That sounds nice." said Shin.
"It does?"
"Mmhm. Caring and nurturing something that you put so much effort and time into. When the time comes, I'm sure you'd be a great mother." commented Shin.
"M-M-Mother!" said Haru, startled.
If before she had a small blush, now it evolved into a full-blown one.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to agitate you like that. We're already at the elevator, so see you later, I guess." said Shin.
"Y-Yes. T-Thank you." she replied, still shaken from before.
Shin gave a simple wave and headed back to his friends. He found Ryuji, Ann and Shiho looking at him in shock.
"Dude. The hell?" said Ryuji.
"What?"
"What was that?" asked the blond.
"What was what?"
"That... thing. With that girl." said the other blond.
"Helping someone?" Shin shrugged.
"It's like you knew her." commented Ryuji.
"...Are you jealous?" asked the black-haired boy.
"Did you get her number?"
"No."
"Then I'm not jealous."
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Yeah, fuck you too, Crystal Skull.
The chapter's a bit shorter than usual. Blame the dentist's. A 12-hour odyssey for barely anything done, to me in particular.
On another note, I finally forced my brother to play Persona 5 Royal, so I consider today to be a win.
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Confidants:
0. Igor (The Fool) - Rank 2
I. Morgana (The Magician) - Rank 3
1. Takuto Maruki (The Councillor) - Rank 1
II. Makoto Niijima (The Priestess) - Rank 2
IV. Yusuke Kitagawa (The Emperor) - Rank 2
V. Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) - Rank 3
VI. Ann Takamaki (The Lovers) - Rank 7
VII. Ryuji Sakamoto (The Chariot) - Rank 6
IX. Futaba Sakura (The Hermit) - Rank 3
XIII. Tae Takemi (The Death) - Rank 4
XVIII. Saki Yoshiko (The Moon) - Rank 2
XIX. Sho Minazuki (The Sun) - Rank 1
XX. Sae Niijima (The Judgement) - Rank 1
Shiho Suzui (The Hope) - Rank 8
