Chapter 3

Eri POV

I headed to Logos Computer Cafe-Restaurant-Sea Food-Sushi-Bar-Grill (the owner still hasn't shortened the name) with a pep in my step. Akira had sent me a text saying that he and Kouji headed there after meeting up at the cinema.

Mou~ they couldn't wait for me? Oh well, it's only a five minute walk from the cinema, and from my route I could already see it.

It's been a while since I've seen my boys and I missed hanging out with them. Sasa-chan would tease me about me calling them my boys, then get annoyed that I didn't get flushed or something. Sasa-chan really does have her mind in the gutter all the time, as Akira once told me. She kept asking me who I was interested in, but I didn't get her. Kouji and Akira are my childhood friends, why wouldn't I be interested in them?

Maybe she meant whose my favorite? Well I like Kouji, he's always dependable, and goofy. He just makes the atmosphere lighter with his attitude. I also like Akira, he's just so cute! Like a grumpy cat. A grumpy cat that has a bit of a scary side, but it just makes him more adorable. Mostly though, Akira cares about Kouji and I despite what it seems like to other people. Just because he frowns a lot doesn't mean he's an angry delinquent.

Besides if get to know him, you can easily read his frowny cute delinquent face, and easily tell what he's thinking at the moment.

I neared the cafe and a guy cheerfully called out to me. I ignored him.

I remembered what Akira said. If a stranger tries to get my attention, unless they look a miserable office slave asking for direction don't bother with them. Just ask like you didn't hear them and move on.

I didn't get why, but Akira made me promise to do that after winning a bet at a card game. And I was so close to winning to, then I would have gotten Aki-chan into girl version of our school uniform. I pouted, such a miss chance.

"Hey Old Man Boru!" I waved to the Logos Owner as I entered.

"I'm not old!" Old Man Boru said back as usual. His grandpa voice was always so funny and cheery to hear. "Good to see you again, Eri-chan." He grumbled and jerked his thumb pointing away. "They're at the usual table at the back."

"Thanks, Old Man!" I said and headed to our table.

"Damn brat."

Akira was the one who found this place. He said he help Old Man Boru with some money problem, so we now always have a place here at Logos. Akira picked a table at the far back, in the corner, next to the large glass window where the cafe's logo covers the whole thing. At least it does from the outside, but from the inside you can see in. I don't know why Akira said that was important. Something about visual security?

Anyways, I found Aki-chan and Kouji-chan easily enough. Kouji noticed me and waved widely, while Akira just gave that half-smile and a head nod. It mean he was happy to see me.

Huh, how odd. Usually Akira would seat with his back to the wall, while Kouji and me would be in front of him. Akira said he liked to see us easily without dividing his attention. Now though, Akira stuck Kouji between him and the window.

Hmm, they seem closer somehow? Wait, did they hang out without me during the summer!?

Outrageous! If they did, I'mma get mad.

"Hey, Eri." Akira greeting was short. So cute~ I can't stay mad.

"Yo, Eri-chan! How have you been? Man, it's so long now I can see how more grow up gorgeous you've become." Kouji said with a wide smile.

"Eh!?" I was throw off by that compliment. Since when does Kouji know how to butter up a girl like that. "Ah-hem!" I cough and quickly regained composure. After all, I'm the older sister of the group, I'm not gonna let Kouji-chan throw me off. "Thanks Kouji, keep talking like that and maybe you'll get a girlfriend this year."

Kouji grin seemed sharper.

"He talks like that at our school, and the girls will figure he's finally trying out lines for an otome game, and laugh at him." Akira snorted.

Kouji pouted in offense.

"Oi!"

I giggled as I took my seat. Hmm, you know seeing both my boys in front of me, is actually kinda nice. Good job on the seating arrangements, Akira.

"So I guessing you really had fun in Okinawa, huh, Kouji. Nice tan!" I gave him a thumbs up with my winning smile. (Akira says trying to imitate talk show hosts' smiles makes me look like a dork, but he's totally wrong.)

"Thank you, Eri-chan!" Kouji sat back with that smug happy look, when he's getting too full of himself. Akira probably didn't compliment the new look. Kouji-chan was probably starved for attention. So I let it go this time. "At least someone appreciates the work I did on myself." Well, his body did muscle up during the summer, making him look handsome. He looks really attractive now.

"He looks like a sun followed him down an alley and molested him. I mean seriously, he looks like every stereotypical beach idiot who thought jumping into a tub of sun screen was the easier way to get ready for the sun and sands." Akira sarcastic meany voice cut in. His smile was only 30% condescending, so I knew he meant it in good fun.

Kouji forehead smacked onto the table, before he headed his head to look at Akira, with comical tears starting to fall from his eyes.

"Why would you describe it like that! I look cool, man!" Kouji cried out.

"You look like someone barbecued you. I mean, look at your hair, all the color is gone." Akira kept up his evil smirking. I should stop him from getting too mean.

And honestly? I think Kouji's blonde near white hair look nice. It's almost like Kouji wanted to copy Akira's hair...wait.

"You leave my hair alone!" Kouji sat up covering his head in fear.

"Akira, don't you dare sneak into Kouji's house, and shave his head." I warn Aki-chan. I even waved my finger and all to show how serious I am.

What was I thinking about again?

"Fine~" Akira rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Eri-chan. You really are an angel!"

I giggled at Kouji's melodramatic cry out.

Looking at them now, a tension I didn't realize had been there, seems to be gone. I dunno what that's about but I'm glad it worked out anyways.

"So first, what do you say, we meet up tomorrow or the day after, so we help you with the summer homework." Akira told me.

"Dude, you shouldn't assume--Oh wait, it's Eri." Kouji nodded to himself.

"Hey! I'm responsible!" When it's not something boring.

"So you did do the homework all by yourself." Akira said with a raised eyebrow.

I whistled and looked away.

"I...would like some help getting it done." I would have eventually done it. Stupid Akira acting like Team Mom. Even Kouji was shaking hold back laughter.

We talked about random things as we order our food, and ate when it came. We talked about the summer, what stuff we did, things we saw, and what we hoped high school would be like.

"Do you think we'll manage to be in the same class as middle school? Do you think we would be lucky enough to get the same three seats again?" I asked nearly jumping in my seat.

"Probably." Kouji said like it was a sure thing.

"Who knows?" Akira had that mysterious neutral expression thing he did, when he's being secretly evil.

"...Akira, are you planning something bad?" I confronted him.

"Me?" He put his hand on his chest, with that smile that said he knew something rest of us didn't. He did something secretly evil. "Perish the thought, Miss Discipline Committee Member."

"Oh, I'm not doing that this year." I mentioned.

"Again!" Kouji looked surprised. Akira just sighed. "Why don't you ever stick to a club, Eri-chan?"

"I dunno. They just get easy and then boring." I shrugged.

"So what new club are you gonna excel at this year?" Akira rested his face on his hand, as he asked me with that tone of something just done with something. Why does he always sound like that, when the topic of what club I join comes up?

"I don't know if I'll be good at it, Akira. I haven't even chosen it yet. Maybe track and field?"

"Grade 5, you broke the youngest person to run a 100 meters dash for that age. You said you'll just do cardio from then on, as there's no point to that club."

"Choir?"

"Last year. An opera singer came and offered to train you and you turned her down. You said that sounds like work, thus not fun anymore."

Kouji's head was lowering with each suggested I brought up, and Akira put down. Why is he starting to look sad?

"Drawing?"

"4th Grade, if I recall, they have one of your paintings hung up in an art gallery in San Francisco. You said you only wanted to get good, if you ever decide to draw manga."

"Oh maybe, I'll do that!"

"You did. In the summer of that year. You won an amateur award. Jump Magazine offered you a contract, but you said you didn't feel like it anymore."

Why does it seem the more we talk, the more depressed Kouji is getting?

"Eri-chan," Kouji finally spoke. "Look, you're awesome, but can you just stick to something you already did, so we don't have to go club surfing like in the beginning of every year?"

"But it would be boring!" I said. "And if it's close to something I did before, then it would take the fun away, and um...why are you crying now, Kouji?"

"There, there." Akira rubbed Kouji's back. "I think that's just a natural reaction to someone realizing how stupidly talented you are. Freakin Dumb Genius." Akira said dryly then whispered something while looking away.

"I'm not a genius." I argued. "I'm just good at what I focus on because I was interested in it."

"Eri-chan," Kouji spoke. "Getting good to the point of other people offering you jobs and the like, just because you 'focused on something that interest you' is what we call a genius. Normal people aren't like that."

"Oh yeah, then what is normal?" I crossed my arms under my chest and pouted.

"Normal," Akira began. "Is trying something once, failing, quitting forever, then take up a coping mechanism to deal the shame and self-loath of your own inadequacy. Like video games or porn, or drinking."

"Yeah!" Kouji shouted in a hot-blooded tone. "Wait, what?" Before losing all his momentum and looking at Akira with slow dawning horror.

For some reason the people at the tables near us were crying and nodding as well.

"Mou~ that's just called being a 'downer', Akira-chan." I said strongly.

"No," he shook his head. "Usually I am as cynical as they come, but on this, I'm not. I'm really, really not."

"He isn't." Kouji looks dead on the inside again.