Chapter 59. koyanagi yuriko! who?

******

Chapter 59

Words counted-- 1500

Enjoy.

****"""**

Vrooommm… Vroommmm...

Aki's bike roared as he pulled up to the front gate. "You go in first; I'll park my bike and follow after," Aki said, glancing at Kamiya who stood nearby, looking a bit hesitant.

"Um... but are you sure you want to attend school after what happened?" Kamiya asked, her voice laced with concern.

Aki let out a heavy sigh. "I... I have to face it. Even though I was possessed by a ghost, it was still my body, so I have to deal with it," he muttered, avoiding eye contact out of sheer embarrassment. 'Not that anyone will believe me if I say I was possessed by Mitsuha...'

Deep down, even Aki knew it sounded ridiculous. But after learning about what happened on Friday, he was traumatized. He had considered skipping school entirely out of shame, but Kamiya called and offered to walk with him. Reluctantly, Aki decided to ride with her and hoped he could get some answers from her about what had happened that day.

In his garage, Aki scanned the rows of bikes. There were various models lined up: Kawasaki, Hayabusa, Ducati, BMW. "Hmm... since I'm going with Kamiya, this one will be better," he said, hopping on a sleek kawasaki ninja h2r.

As the engine revved,

* Vroommm *

Kamiya jumped, startled by the sudden noise. "What the heck?! Don't scare me like that!" she shouted, shooting daggers at Aki, who had just driven the bike out of the gate.

"Sorry, sorry," Aki grinned, holding his ears playfully. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Kamiya sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine, I forgive you, but don't do that again! What if you'd startled an old lady and caused her to faint?"

Aki chuckled, waving her off. "Please spare me the lecture. Just hop on, or we'll be late," he said, suddenly pulling Kamiya onto the back of the bike.

Flustered by his abruptness, Kamiya blushed as she climbed on behind him. 'Sigh, why am I so weak when it comes to him?' she thought, pressing her front against his back, her face burning with embarrassment. "Ugh, this seat is so high... and why is it tilted? This is so embarrassing..." she muttered, covering her face with her hands. "We could've just walked to school..."

"Hold tight or you'll fall off," Aki said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he accelerated the bike.

Vroommmm!

"Kyaaaaaaa!" Kamiya shrieked, clutching Aki tightly as the bike zoomed down the road, her arms wrapping around his chest as if her life depended on it.

"You idiot! Slow down!" Kamiya screamed, her heart racing in her chest. "I'll walk! I'll come on foot! Just stop! Akiiiii!"

Laughter bubbled up from Aki as he sped through the traffic. "Hahaha! What are you saying? Aren't you enjoying it?"

"No, I'm not, you bastard!" Kamiya calm demeanor that she portray all disappeared went her life depends on it.

Aki grinned, "Oh? Now you're cursing me? Should I speed up?"

"N-No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please slow down, I'm scared!" Kamiya pleaded, her voice trembling as she clung to him.

Seeing how terrified she was, Aki finally relented, easing up on the throttle. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Were you that scared?" he asked, his voice softening with genuine concern.

"..." Kamiya remained silent, still trembling slightly, her grip around him loosening.

Aki pulled the bike over to the side of the road, turning around to face her. Without a word, he hugged her tightly, his arms wrapping around her small frame. "I'm really sorry for scaring you like that," he whispered.

"...If you're really sorry, then don't do anything like that again," Kamiya murmured, her face buried in his chest. "You can come to me if anything's bothering you. Just... don't act reckless."

Aki sighed, his heart heavy. "Thanks. Actually... I've been stressed about something. It's about Friday."

Kamiya blinked, pulling back slightly to look at him. "What about Friday?" she asked softly.

"Well... I don't remember anything from that day," Aki admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Whatever I did that day... it wasn't me. I was possessed by someone."

Kamiya's face turned crimson as she remembered the day in question. 'Aki dressed as a girl... he actually looked cute.' She cleared her throat, trying to avoid giggling at the thought. "...Yes, you were... cute," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Creak...

Aki's patience snapped. "Kamiya, I'm serious!" he said, frustrated. "I was possessed by someone named Mitsuha! I have no idea what happened, but it wasn't me in my body that day!"

To his surprise, Kamiya didn't seem shocked. She didn't laugh, she didn't dismiss him—she just looked thoughtful.

"You... don't believe me, do you?" Aki asked, feeling a little anxious. 'Come on, just believe this ridiculous but true story. Please.'

Kamiya sighed softly. "It's not that I don't believe you... but I had a feeling it wasn't you that day."

Aki's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... really? You could tell it wasn't me?"

Kamiya smiled, her gaze softening. "Yeah. You were... different. A little too cute, actually. It just didn't feel like the usual Aki. I thought something was off, but I didn't want to say anything until I confirm everything."

Tears welled up in Aki's eyes, but this time, they were tears of relief. He hugged Kamiya tighter, his voice trembling with gratitude. "Thank you... you have no idea how much that means to me."

Kamiya chuckled softly, patting his back. "Well, just don't let it happen again. Or if it does, give me a heads-up before you start acting 'cute' again."

Aki laughed, finally feeling the weight of his stress lift.

After pulling back from the embrace, he handed Kamiya the helmet he'd brought for her. "Here, put this on. Let's head to school... this time, I promise to drive safely."

Kamiya took the helmet with a small smile, slipping it on. "You better keep that promise, or I'll jump off the bike for real this time."

The bike roared to life again, but this time, Aki drove more cautiously, taking in the murmurs of admiration from the people around them as they sped past. Aki's sleek kawasaki turned heads, but it was the duo on the bike—Kamiya clinging to him and Aki laughing.

As Kamiya headed toward the school gate, Aki watched her go before turning his attention back to his bike. The school's rules forbade students from bringing vehicles, so he revved the engine and discreetly drove around the building, looking for a hidden spot to park it.

Finally reaching the back of the school building, Aki parked his bike and carefully hung his helmet, along with Kamiya's, on the handlebar. He sighed. "What a hassle... If I become a teacher after I graduate, I'll let students bring their vehicles," he muttered under his breath.

"You really have fantastic ambitions," a voice suddenly interrupted from behind him.

Startled, Aki quickly turned around. "Who's there?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat.

A girl stood there, looking amused. "First-year student? This isn't a parking lot, so maybe you should park somewhere else," she said casually before turning to walk away.

Aki blinked in surprise. "What a strange girl... Maybe an upper classmate? But shouldn't she be lecturing me about bringing a motorbike to school?"

As she began to walk further, curiosity got the better of him. "Sempai, could you tell me your name?" he called out after her.

The girl stopped, turning slightly with a teasing smile. "Ah, what a cute junior, but isn't it a little impolite to ask someone's name before introducing yourself?"

Aki blushed slightly, realizing his mistake. "Oh, right! I'm Shijo Aki..., Sempai."

Her eyes twinkled as she heard his name. "Oh, so you're that boy. Hmm, interesting." She gave him a playful smile before continuing, "I'm Koyanagi Yuriko. You can call me Yuriko Sempai." She glanced at the school clock in the distance. "The bell's going to ring soon, so you should head to class. See you around, Aki-kun."

As she walked away, Aki stood there for a moment, watching her go. "Koyanagi Yuriko? Where have I heard that name before?" he muttered to himself. His mind wandered briefly, trying to place her. "But... she's really beautiful, huh? Mature... a real beauty."

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Aki hurried toward the school building, trying to push the mysterious upperclassman out of his mind. But her name keep echoeing in his head.

*****

Is my grammar improving? 😄

******