1 Chapter 1 - Him and Her

HER – IT'S VEXING

'It's vexing', she thought as she played with the pencil, her eyes fixated onto the distant seat next to the window. 'Why is he pretending to be aloof?' Although her expression didn't give it away, Aya was frustrated. It all began about a month ago, on the day that she first laid eyes on a distant figure in her class. She never learned his name, but, ever since then, she had found herself unconsciously looking over.

'He's not a teen anymore', she thought, getting somewhat angry. 'Is there a point in pretending to be cool? It's vexing…' her expression still deadpan, she sighed inside, looking away. It was the first time during her college days that she felt so frustrated, and it wasn't even about her. She had always been one of those who needed answers, otherwise headaches just keep on piling up.

"It's vexing…" she mumbled under her voice, reverting her focus back onto the textbook in front of her, reviewing today's lesson.

HIM – IT'S VEXING

'It's vexing', he thought as he pretended to read through a book whose title he didn't even know. 'Why do I have to pretend to be aloof?' Although his expression didn't give it away, Tyson was frustrated. It all began about three years ago, on the day that he found out that his longtime crush started dating his best friend.

'I'm not a teen anymore', he thought, getting somewhat angry. 'Is there a point in me pretending to be cool? It's vexing…' his expression still aloof, he sighed inside, casually glancing at the two people sitting in front of him. One was his best friend, Jared, twenty-two years old black-haired muscle-headed disaster (he's not), and the other was Emma, twenty-one years old black-haired angel (she's not). The two were holding hands and chatting happily.

"It's vexing…" he mumbled under his voice, 'reverting' his focus back onto the book in front of him, suddenly forgetting the letters.

HER – IS HE A KID?

Once again, Aya found herself starting at the distant boy. He still had the same, indifferent expression on his face, but she knew better. 'Why is he still pretending to be cool?' She thought, fuming inside. Those 'cold' eyes of his would glance between the book he so obviously wasn't reading and the girl sitting in front of him. 'Is he a kid?!' She thought, burning inside.

She had noticed it long time ago, yet it seems no one else did. Those cold eyes hurt, she realized, and it made her angry. 'If it hurts, why are you looking?!' She thought, nearly screaming at him. But, she knew it wasn't for her to say anything, so she stayed silent, still observing. He sighed, yet again. A few girls sitting near him suddenly squealed, as if hit by a wave of angelic handsomeness. 'Are they kids?!' Nonetheless, Aya still found it vexing, but maybe a bit less than before.

HIM – AM I A KID?!!

Once again, Tyson found himself glancing at Emma. She was smiling at some utterly non-funny joke Jared told her, and it made him angry. 'Dammit, I'm the one supposed to be making you laugh!' He thought, fuming inside. Eyes dancing between the book and between the girl meant that, in the end, he never saw either truly. 'Dammit, am I a kid?!'

He had liked her for so long, but had never even showed an inkling of it. It's gotten frustrating, and he had even gotten angry with himself more than once. He was already twenty-two, and still felt broken over some crush. 'If it hurts, why the hell do I keep hanging out with them?!' He thought, nearly screaming it out. Tyson was relatively handsome, tall and fit, and it's not like he never had a girlfriend. However, he never had her, so he sighed. He heard sudden squeals coming from the side, sending chills down his spine. 'I truly am too handsome!' Nonetheless, Tyson still found it vexing, perhaps even more than before.

HER – THIS IS STUPID!

'Stop looking through the window, there's nothing new there!' Aya thought, her expression still deadpan, her eyes fixated onto the distant boy. Today, she had learned his name: Tyson. He's the only one who scored maximum number of points on Renaissance Lit., and has become a talk of the school. 'How can someone so smart be so immature?!' Aya thought, thinking he was wasting his brain over something so dumb.

Today, Aya caught the sight of him talking to the girl sitting in front of him, and she saw his eyes beam with light. His usual dead, crippled eyes beamed with joy. 'Just how desperate are you?!' Aya thought, frustrated. She saw him like a small child who had a crush on a teacher, and whenever the teacher would pat his head, he'd nearly faint. The professor called the end of the class, and fifty or so students quickly packed their bags and left. Except for him. Aah, this is stupid!

She got up and walked over toward him while he was still staring through the window like a dazed moron. She stopped next to him and waited, her expression deadpan, a complete contrast to her thoughts.

"Hello." she said in a flat tone. He slowly turned around, in his usual, aloof manner, like nothing in this world impacts him and looked at her. 'Aah, this is stupid!'

HIM – WHO? WHAT?

Tyson was feeling rather proud of himself, as he managed to score max number of points on one of the most important exams of the 2nd year. However, that pride was eclipsed when Emma praised him, causing his heart to flutter like child's. He couldn't wait for the class to end and the students to leave to turn toward the window and finally let out the biggest grin of his life. Then, just as he was enjoying it, he heard someone call out 'Hello' to him. 'Fuck! Who dares interrupt my happy time?!'

He turned around slowly and saw a girl he didn't know. She was rather slender, even a bit too thin, and wore simple, blue one-piece dress. Her hair was colored bright brown, and she had bangs covering nearly half her face, making him wonder how can she see anything. Her expression was deadpan, almost corpse-like, and if she wasn't moving her fingers, he'd swear he was seeing a corpse.

"Hello?" he replied in his usual, cool manner, flashing a slight smile that could make any girl (but not the one he likes) fluster.

"You're an idiot." the girl suddenly proclaimed, and he realized that it was not his smile that flustered her, but her words that flustered him. 'Eh?! Who?! What?!'

"Excuse me?"

"You're an idiot." the girl said in a somewhat louder voice, still expressionless, as if she was reciting some scientific fact.

"Did I hurt you somehow?" 'Ah, she must be one of those types that fell in love with me without ever talking to me, so she--'

"You must be thinking something egotistical, stop." his thoughts were quickly interrupted, and he felt his cheeks flush by how easily he was read.

"W-what do you want?" he mumbled. 'Dammit, my cool guy facade was broken! I need to recover! Recover!'

"I'm confused." she still continued in her flat tone. "Let us go converse someplace."

"…"

"What?" she asked, tilting her head; her face truly remained expressionless. Deadpan to boot.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Tyson quickly recovered his calm, cool, composed self and asked.

"No." the girl said plainly. "I merely want to ask whether pretending to be cool is so fun even when you're a grown-up." 'Holy shit, she knows! Wait, how?! I've never spoken to this girl once in my life! This is it! My life is ruined! Emma will learn that I love her and--' "You can sort your thoughts out while we walk. My feet kind of hurt from standing."

"…" Tyson got up and obediently followed, like a little puppy. Who? What?

HER – INTERESTING GUY

Aya walked slowly, behind her downcast, cool guy. She didn't care much for his facade, but the reason behind it. What was the true reason? That's what she wanted to know. She had no qualms about inappropriate questions, as there's no such thing as an 'inappropriate question' in her dictionary. Whatever can be learned – shall! That was Aya's mantra.

She led him to a nearby coffee shop and the two sat in the corner seats next to the window, quickly ordering a tea for her and espresso for him. They sat in silence, her face still expressionless, as she stared at his already crumbling facade that he was desperately trying to repair.

"It's vexing." she said. "Why do you pretend to be indifferent?"

"… w-why, you ask…" Tyson mumbled, looking sideways, pouting somewhat.

"Indeed I am." Aya added in her usual, flat tone.

"Will you tell?" Tyson asked.

"Tell what?"

"My secret."

"No."

"Oh, okay," Tyson said, sighing. "Have you ever been in love?" his question confused her somewhat, causing her to tilt her head sideways. What's his pretending got to do with love?

"Can't say I have." she replied honestly nonetheless.

"I figured." Tyson added.

"How so?"

"Erm—uh-- I mean…"

"It's fine," Aya interrupted his flustered attempt at excuse. "You can be honest."

"Your face is dead," Tyson replied honestly; after all, he was the type to always be honest to boot when people allow him. Which is why he only ever had two friends. "You don't emote at all. Your tone sounds like you're always so bored you want to kill yourself. Your style is terrible. Your haircut sucks. You talk condescendingly. Although I don't know much about you, I have a feeling you're blunt about everything, and you always end up pissing people off." 'Spot on!' Aya thought, somewhat amazed, yet still expressionless.

"Indeed," she nodded, taking a gulp of her tea. "It's exactly as you said."

"… you won't even bother saying it's not?"

"But it is."

"… ah, whatever." Tyson sighed, realizing that the girl in front of him had EQ of 0.

"If I understand, your pretending has something to do with love?" Aya asked, curious.

"Yes," Tyson smiled lightly. "A girl I've liked for a long time is dating my best friend. So, subconsciously, I end up acting that way as to not draw the suspicion."

"…"

"Why did you suddenly drop silent?!" Tyson cried out. "It's dumb, I know! But you don't have to be so blunt about it! Oh, wait…"

"Why don't you just confess then?" Aya asked suddenly, surprising him.

"Eh?"

"I mean, if you like someone, you confess, right?" she continued in her dead tone. "Or you ask them out. At least that's what I've read in the books."

"… she already has a boyfriend, weren't you listening?" Tyson grunted.

"So?"

"What do you mean so?" Tyson sneered. "That would be the scummiest thing to do. Why wedge myself between the two of them? Fuck that. I may not be the nicest person around, but whoever would do something so low should just go jump off the bridge. You don't ask out people who're already in a relationship, especially if your friends are involved. That's just complete shit. Bottle it up. Nobody gives a shit if you need 'closure', or if you think 'you stand a chance'. Stop feeling so self-important and get over it." 'Why does he look like he wants to cry even though he said those words himself?' Tyson had already forgotten his cool act, and had let himself rumble on in a somewhat aggressive manner while drinking coffee.

"I agree." Aya spoke after short silence, nodding. "But do you have to pretend to be indifferent? Can't you just tell her you hate her?"

"Pfft…" considering her deadpan expression and the flat, serious tone, Tyson knew she meant it. And he nearly burst out in laughter. "You truly never had a boyfriend, have you?"

"…" suddenly, Tyson saw something behind her, like a visage. And it growled. Yet, her expression was still dead.

"Alright, sorry. I didn't mean it. Eh, wait, I did. So stop growling at me like a tigress."

"I'm not."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that."

"I'm not."

"Heh, that's totally not cute~ no wonder you've never had a boyfriend."

"…"

"There it is!" Tyson exclaimed, laughing. "You're growling again."

"… I'm not." 'Wait, am I pouting?!' Aya came to a sudden self-realization. She was pouting! 'What an interesting guy…'

And thus begun the story of Aya, deadpan girl who doesn't understand love and Tyson, a cool (not really), handsome (somewhat) guy who understands it too well.