CHAPTER 3: Matters of Heart
21st of June,
The following day unfolded like any typical school day, and as I made my way to school, everything seemed ordinary… for the moment.
Yet, amidst the bustling thoughts of school, a sudden realization dawned on me,
'Shuuta!'
I had completely forgotten about him usually, he's right by my side during our morning commutes to school.
Lost in my thoughts, a familiar voice calling "Senpai!" from behind jolted me back to reality.
Before I could turn to face the voice, a hand covered my eyes, momentarily engulfing me in darkness, and a flurry of thoughts rushed through my mind,
'Am I being kidnapped?'
After a brief moment of confusion, a voice I recognized broke the silence, teasingly asking,
"Guess who am I?"
I couldn't help but smile inwardly; I knew exactly who it was,
"The mischievous kouhai who tricked me into a date?" I quipped
And as the hand released my eyes, I turned to see Suzune standing there with a playful grin.
"Blu blu, Senpai, you shouldn't say it like that!" she chided playfully.
"Suzune, what brings you here so early?" I inquired, trying to regain composure.
"Eh? Just wanted to say hello to my senpai," she replied with a mischievous giggle.
Our banter continued, and she couldn't resist mentioning my newfound popularity.
It dawned on me that it might be due to last night's events, causing a gulp to rise in my throat.
Sensing the curious eyes around us, I discreetly quieted Suzune and redirected the conversation. "And why aren't you with Hinata-senpai?" she prodded further, hinting at rumors of a budding romance between us.
Panic set in as the attention grew, and I hushed her, whispering a warning. "Senpai, don't be so rough," she teased, seemingly unfazed.
As we walked towards the school gate, my gaze caught sight of someone familiar waiting there.
"Futaba…?" I muttered in surprise.
Suzune, noticing Futaba's presence, dashed over and gleefully greeted her,
"Hinata-senpai!" Their interaction drew curious glances, and I felt a knot of anxiety form.
"Suzune said you were rough with her," Futaba remarked, her tone edged with concern.
Frantically, I attempted to clarify the situation, stumbling over my words in nervousness.
"It was a misunderstanding! She was just being difficult to understand!" I explained, hoping to ease Futaba's apparent worry.
However, the situation remained tense, and I cursed inwardly at Suzune's playful antics.
"I meant to say that she thought I should be with you instead of her, and I was trying to stop her from causing a scene," I clarified desperately, hoping to salvage the situation.
Yet, the air still hung heavy with misunderstanding and unspoken tensions, leaving me to navigate the morning's unexpected twists with a mix of exasperation and concern.
Futaba's face was red as tomato when I saw her,
Futaba scolded, "You fool! Why are you speaking such nonsense?"
"No, I…" I couldn't continue.
"Oh… Senpai, you're upsetting Hinata-senpai," Suzune interjected.
"…" 'Who's to blame here, idiot?'
"H-hey, Hinata…"
"What?" She asked, her face displaying annoyance.
"Should we head to class? We're going to be late," I suggested, trying to change the subject.
"Right, we should go, Senpais," Suzune agreed as she hurried away.
"*Sigh* …Alright, I'll let you off this time… let's go," Futaba relented.
As I began to walk, she stopped me.
"What's wrong?" I said as I looked at Futaba.
She remained silent and then offered her hand.
…
Is she asking for money? OF COURSE NOT!
…
"If you're okay with me…" I replied, taking her hand.
As we strolled towards our classroom, our hands intertwined, a thought lingered in my mind: Futaba seemed intent on safeguarding her secret. The journey to our class seemed shorter than usual, perhaps due to the weight of that unspoken understanding between us.
Upon arriving, a wave of surprise greeted us from our classmates, particularly from the girls, their expressions betraying curiosity and whispers. The boys, on the other hand, seemed less interested or perhaps less perceptive of the nuances.
Reluctantly, we released our grasp and took our respective seats. Shuuta's voice interrupted my thoughts, his tone laced with accusation and concern.
"Hey, dude!"
"There you are. Where have you been this morning?" I said.
"That's not the point! It's you!!"
"Me…?"
"Yeah, what's with that? Did you guys go out?" He asked me.
Futaba's swift response silenced the conversation before it could gain momentum, her protective instincts kicking in. The classroom fell quiet, save for a nervous gulp that escaped my throat. Shuuta then back up from me while hinting to talks about it at lunch.
After the initial stir settled, Futaba's demeanor shifted, her face now buried in her arms on the desk, a veil of distress evident in her posture.
"Why…?" Her voice, barely audible, carried a weight of confusion and hurt.
Caught off guard by her vulnerability, I struggled to articulate a response. "It's… complicated," I offered weakly, unable to meet her gaze.
Her plea cut through the tension, her eyes pleading for a defense I hadn't yet mustered. "You're my boyfriend, so please stand up for yourself," she implored, her voice tinged with a mixture of disappointment and longing.
The realization hit me with a jolt—boyfriend? Ah, right… I owed her that acknowledgment. Summoning courage, I promised, "I'll try."
Her eyes softened, gratitude mingling with the sadness. "Be proud of who you are, Yukito," she encouraged, a small smile breaking through the clouds of uncertainty.
With a grateful nod, I whispered, "Thank you, Hinata," I never thought I got to live to see her cared for me.
…
For a moment I'm thinking about something.
'I'm her boyfriend…?' right when I'm thinking about it, I remember about her situation…
"Its just a gimmick" I said in a low voice.
After the bell rang, we began our homeroom class. As usual, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred. However, I had a sense that someone was watching me. At times, I would glance to my left and catch Hinata secretly observing me.
She consistently wore a shy expression...
Perhaps I should write her a note.
...
After composing a message on a piece of paper, I passed it to her.
'What's this?' was the expression on her face as she received it.
She unfolded the paper and read my message,
[Is there something on my face?] was the question I had written.
After finishing her response, she returned the paper to me.
...
Slowly, I unfolded the paper to read her message,
[I'm just keeping your ego in check ♡]
...!!
'This girl...'
What's with this talk about ego...and why the love emoji!
...
I set the paper down and turned away, trying to conceal my embarrassed expression.
After school was over, I hurried up and walk out from the class trying to get to the basketball court until,
"What?" Hinata are standing in front of me.
"I'm coming with you…" She said with a shy expression on her face.
…
"What?!"
"Y-yeah, Can't I come?"
…
I look around us and it seems that everyone is talking about us.
…
I grab her hand, "C'mon let's go!" and we ran away from the class.
After arriving at the basketball court, we were welcome by the team and…
"So, it seems our ace is booked full now" Kurohime-senpai said.
"Uh… sorry for not keeping in touch with the team…"
"*Sigh*" Senpai then look at Hinata, "How is your condition?"
"I'm fine right now, thank you…senpai" Hinata said.
…
I can feel that she's hugging my hand.
"F-futaba-san?"
*clench* The hugging became tighter.
"H-hinata?!"
"What?"
"Ara…" Senpai was surprised to see Hinata hugging my hand.
"I'm going to change now, can you let go of my hand?"
"Ah…" Hinata let go of my hand after that.
…
I went to the changeroom and sit down for a moment.
…
"Just a gimmick…just a gimmick…"
…
*Click* a door was opened.
"So, that's all a gimmick huh?" Kurohime-senpai can be seen after the door was opened.
"Senpai?!"
'She heard me just now?'
Senpai then sit down on the chair across me. She crosses her legs and then smiled.
"That mean I still got a chance"
…
"Eh…?!"
"Fhuhu, Let's go. Everyone is waiting for us" She stands up and walk away from the room.