CHAPTER THREE – Second Meeting

She is there again.

"You again...? Why aren`t you going on ahead?"

"Umm...That`s... Well, how should I say this..." The girl hesitate.

"It`s okay, you don`t have to force yourself to say it... I`m a stranger, after all."

"Ah, okay..."

"But you know, you should be serious about going to school on time."

"You`re late as well." She points her finger at me.

"It`s okay for me.. I..." I turned my eyes away. To begin with, what am I so serious about, lecturing a stranger? That`s right, it`s like she said. She`s also a delinquent.

"Do whatever you want." I left her alone and started ascending the hill by myself. It`s just that...She didn`t look like a delinquent at all, so I felt like lecturing her. That`s the only reason.

"Ah, please wait!" A voice... it`s that girl`s.

"Um... can I follow you please?"

I look back to see her standing there beside me. "Why?"

"That`s… Because I feel insecure walking alone..." She`s confessing to a strange guy like me. She probably has at least one or two friends, so why is it me again...? I narrow my eyes as I gaze up the hill. Well, it`s only a short walk from here.

"Do whatever you want."I say that and start walking again.

"Please wait!"

"What now?"She`s looking at me then...

"Anpan..."She said.

"..." How should I respond to that?

"French loaf."

"I don`t understand what you`re saying."

"That`s my line."

"What, do you just like anpan?"

"No, not really... If you ask, I don`t hate it. Or rather, I like it." She`s a roundabout person. Anything is fine with me.

"Let`s go."

"Okay!" It seemed that reply cheered her up a little bit. Her words were like a charm.

"Tatter tatter tatter..." I continue to hear her footsteps following behind me.