Confrontation

During their way home, Ryu suddenly speaks about a revelation that shock everyone.

"Naoki, you just got confessed today, didn't you?" Ryu asks. Tetsu, Hirofumi, and Aya gasp all together.

"How did you know?" Naoki asks Ryu in shock.

"Eh?! Another one?! Who?!" Aya eagerly asks as she stops her tracks to look at Naoki.

"It was Yurisa." Naoki answers nonchalantly while continue walking. Aya gasps louder.

"EEEHHH???!!"

"That's so cool! Even Yurisa confessed to you, Naoki. You really got the girls wrapped around your fingers." Tetsu adds.

"I rejected her." Naoki suddenly says.

"Figures." Hirofumi chuckles at Naoki's words. But it got Aya speechless and quickly stands in front of Naoki.

"What?! Why did you reject her? She's pretty, smart, and popular just like you!" Aya yells at Naoki. Naoki himself stares at Aya in disbelief.

"What the- what? Do you want me to date her?" Naoki asks Aya with a serious tone. Aya gasps softly while fidgeting her fingers.

"Eh, uhm... if i were you, i think i would." Aya says.

The boys just stare at Aya silently, and intently.

"I-it was just my opinion, you know?! Even i find her so attractive!" Aya adds. Naoki yawns while pushes Aya away from his tracks.

"Man, this topic is so boring. I can't wait to get home and play Monster Hums 2!" Naoki walks again along with the others. Aya quickly catches up while looking at Naoki.

"Answer me... why did you reject her?!" Aya persistently asks Naoki the same question. Got Naoki stops his tracks to glare at Aya.

"I'll let you play Monster Hums 2 first if you stop asking that question!" Naoki yells, making a negotiation with Aya that makes Aya quickly nods in agreement.

"Okay! Yippie!" Aya jumps around in excitement.

The next day.

At school, Ryu suddenly spots Aya in a quiet, empty hallway during afternoon recess with another female students from Ryu's classroom that is separated from Aya's classroom, their names are Akina and Mai.

Ryu quickly hides behind the wall behind them, eavesdropping their conversation that sounds intense.

"You're Aya Nagatsuka? You're Naoki's friend, right?" Akina asks in a confrontation manner.

"Yes... Can i help you?" Aya already gets nervous when being confronted by two female students in a quiet, empty hallway like this.

"Does Naoki have a girlfriend right now?" Mai's turn to asks Aya.

"We're just wondering since he rejected all the girls that confessed to him." Akina adds.

Aya shakes her head while keeping her eyes on theirs. "I don't think he has one right now."

Akina and Mai glance at each other and then stare at Aya again. "You're not dating him, are you?" Akina asks.

Aya gasps softly and shakes her head again. "What?! That's crazy! We would never!"

"Are you, really? Then why Naoki rejected Yurisa yesterday?! Are you involved in his love life or something?!" Akina continues to confront Aya aggressively.

"No! I just found out about it too after school! I didn't know that Yurisa confessed to Naoki."

"Don't lie to me. Then why did Naoki rejected Yurisa yesterday? She has everything that you don't have! It makes us all curious if you're secretly his girlfriend or something!"

"That's an insane accusation! I have nothing to do with his rejection yesterday whatsoever!" Aya yells back at Akina from being accused such things. Ryu continues his eavesdropping without stopping them.

"Then tell me why did Naoki reject Yurisa? What's his type, really? Does he like girls that are mature? Sexy? Or what?" Aya gets flabbergasted from Akina's questions, not knowing herself about Naoki's certain types despite being his childhood friend and known him since they were 5 years old.

"I... don't know about his type. He probably not in the mood to dating? He probably prefers playing video games instead of dating?" Aya answers hesitantly. Akina raises her eyebrows in shock.

"Does he really that into video games?" Mai asks.

"Yeah. He really is. Despite him having the highest grades in the school, he spends a lot of his time in video games too." Aya answers. Akina scoffs in disbelief.

"I believe you. But i also believe that you're probably the reason why he rejected all of those girls." Mai says.

"....what?" Aya asks in shock. Her eyes widened at Mai's words.

"He has countless girls confessed to him, even Yurisa. But he rejected them all like he has someone he likes." Mai adds.

"I..." Aya gets speechless from Mai's words.

"I know he doesn't have other friends beside you and those three boys. The only girl around him is you."

"No, you misunderstand-"

"If you don't date him for real, maybe stay away from him?" Mai says.

"Maybe because it's YOU who gets in the way of his love life. Maybe he feels bad at you, or doesn't want to have a girlfriend as long as you're still around him! Why don't you get away from him, and be with, i don't know. Tetsu or Ryu instead? You look good with Tetsu or Ryu, you know?" Akina shoves Aya again with her index finger. Ryu from behind the wall covers his blushing face from Akina's words while holding back his giggles as he smiles devilishly. His eyes darkened while doing so.

"They're just my friends!" Aya yells at Akina in a desperate manner. Akina doesn't buy any of Aya's explanation at all.

"Stay the fuck away from Naoki you freak." Akina and Mai quickly leave Aya alone in the empty hallway when it's not really empty since Ryu still hides behind the wall with a psychopathic look on his face.