The Real Me

"Ah! President Jingu." Matsu couldn't believe that of all the people to catch her doing that. It was her, along with her partner, Misao.

"I wasn't expecting to run into you two." Arata was flustered. This wasn't the type of situation he'd expect to find himself in.

"I can't believe that you've gotten so bold. To imagine that you'd think that doing it at school is in any way, acceptable." That death stare of hers almost made him drop Matsu, She looked like she was going to kill him.

"You don't understand." Matsu tried explaining herself. "He was just carrying me to the nurse." She pointed to her injured ankle. "I just wanted to reward him for his hard work…" The latter part of her sentence got really quiet, as she came to the realization of what she had just did.

"Yeah, but I didn't think that it was against the rule to perform public displays of affection." Arata was sure that Misei was insinuating something else. Something that he'd much rather not imagine in his mind. So he played dumb.

"That's not what I…" Misei was about to correct them, until choosing to stop. Not wanting them to think that she jumped to that conclusion. Especially considering the reason why. "… Never mind."

"We should go there then." Misao was the only one of these four that didn't react to what she witnessed. "It's not nice to keep you waiting." Now the four of them were walking to the nurse's office. Arata could feel the daggers being stared into him.

"I'm surprised that you two aren't eating lunch with the others." Wanting to break out of this unpleasant feeling. He attempted a bit of small talk.

"We had important business to take care of." Misei quickly answered. "Things that are expected from people like us."

"We just had to drop off some paperwork, then we just happened to run into you." Misao massively downplayed what Misei was saying. Even though that was the truth.

"Hello? Nurse Mino?" Once they reached their destination. Arata called out for help. They didn't have to wait to receive it.

"Hello, what do you… Oh I didn't expect to see you all again." Koume seemed to run into this group more often that others. She helped treat Misei after her almost drowning in the school pool. Along with Arata when he nearly got a concussion. Not to mention the others that weren't here with them at the moment.

"Sorry, but this girl here has apparently injured her ankle." Misei explained.

"Right, well go ahead and place her on one of the beds." She directed Arata. "I'll take a closer look as soon as I can." Once he placed her down, Koume left to take care of the more urgent business she had.

"I hope she'll come back soon." Matsu told him, worried.

"I'm sure she will." He was confident in their nurse's abilities. Even if she was still a student at it. "I'm sorry, but we'll probably have to head back to class before she comes back. You'll be okay, right?" Matsu nodded her head to answer.

Unfortunately for Arata, he wasn't going to be able to ask her what that kiss was all about. Not with these other two with him. Especially when Misao had a favor to ask of him.

"Speaking of." She started. "Arata, could you help me collect some gym equipment from outside? It's starting to get colder, so that will have to be brought inside." That was going to take some time. In fact, Arata would definitely miss class until the next break. Which is why she knew he'd accept.

Misei left them to do just that, returning back to her own class. Not knowing what Misao had planned for this.

"So, we've had a pretty interesting year of school." She started with simple talk, as they were moving the equipment.

"I know it's a lot more different than what I was expecting, that's for sure." At this point, they were going to reach the halfway point of their second year in no time. With everything that's occurred to him, would the second half be that crazy too?

"Yeah, I guess things just get a bit wild with this group." She laughed. Arata never thought he'd see a real life harem, but it turned out that fact could indeed be stranger than fiction. Though, for the person that's not the center of it. He was having to do a lot more things than he'd expect. "I hope this isn't too personal." This was Misao's chance to strike. "But, do you happen to have a type?"

"A type? Of what?"

"Girl, you know. Like what type of girls are you into?" Arata was taken aback by this sudden direct question.

"Hmm." He thought about it. Now that the idea was in his mind, he wasn't really sure what he was looking for. Especially since he had lived most of his teen life not wanting to associate with people. Recently, he had been too worried about some other girls getting with a certain boy to focus on himself. "I guess I don't really pay too much mind to it." Was his answer.

"How about I help you, maybe if I give some examples. You might have a better idea of what you like." She offered.

"I'm surprised that you're so curious, unless you've taken a sudden interest in me." He joked.

"I did the same with Yogi, so that I could help out Misei." Misao didn't react to his teasing. "It's be nice to do the same to you."

"...Go ahead." He relented, how bad could it be?

"How about president Misei?"

"What? Why would you say her, she's in love with Yogi."

"As an example." She made that very clear. "You know, a cool and mature girl."

"Someone that's already got it together does sound rather appealing."

"Or maybe you want someone like Kusano?" Hearing Matsu's name just brought him back to that kiss. Even if it wasn't on the lips, she really caught him off guard with that. "A girl on the opposite side of that spectrum."

"I guess you could say she's… I mean, that's kind of cute." Those two felt like an unfair choice, if she was going to say their names. It was difficult for him to separate concept from person. "But, I can't really say for sure what I want." He told her. "Maybe, if I ever meet someone that I really care for. Then I'll know for sure."

"I see, you're the indecisive type. Like Yogi." Hearing that, made him realize how hard this was for her to try and help her friend.

"Wait, is there someone that likes me?" He asked her, wondering what brought this about.

"If there is, then I don't know." She answered. The truth of the matter is that she noticed the changes in Misei herself. As her friend, how couldn't she?

It all began when Arata had that fight with Erina. While he was gone from lunch, she could see how it affected Misei, even if she pretended not to care. Maybe it had started before that. After all, Arata is one of the few boys that don't treat her as just the school president.

During his time away though, when she'd ask if he was coming to join them that day. Only to be let down, when the answer stayed the same. Or to longingly look over at the empty spot where he'd usually sit, multiple times at that.

The one moment that stood out to her the most, was when she caught Misei writing a message. That girl was going to send him one, asking where he was. Perhaps to even hang out, before getting too nervous and deleting the whole thing.

Maybe it was the fact that he was gone then, that led her to feel like that. There is an old saying that one realizes too late, the importance of what they lost. Except, it was also clear to Misao, that she had feelings for Yogi.

So she had set out to see if she was correct about Arata. That's why she trapped them in that room. Now seeing her reaction to seeing Arata with another girl, that sealed the deal.

Misao wasn't sure why she felt that way towards those two boys, but as her friend. She was going to do what it took to support her. Even if that means trying to help with two boys at the same time.

"That should be everything." Before they knew it, their work was done. "I should head back to class. Even though it's going to be break by the time I get back." So Arata returned back to his classroom. Not that it mattered, since break had already started. That meant the room was empty.

If that was going to be the case. Then he could just hang out here by himself. He thanked the fact that it was probably Yuki that led Yogi out of here. Except, life had other plans for him.

"What's this?" Placing his bag down, he spied a note stuck under his desk. "Meet me at the bench, by the front entrance." He read aloud. Who sent this? It couldn't have been Erina, since she'd probably say the oak tree. Maybe it was the blackmailer?

Regardless of who it was, Arata decided to go and find out. Hopefully, it would lead to some resolution to his problem. He left his bag behind at his desk, which was a shame. Since he really wanted to finally crack open one of those books.

Walking over there, his body was filling with anticipation. Who could this possibly be? Well, he hit that sudden low. When it turned out that only Akiba was waiting there for him. Since his phone was broken, she obviously couldn't just call him. He really needed to get a replacement soon, or else getting notes was going to be his norm.

"Hey." He greeted her. Apparently everyone wanted to see him today. "I thought we already agreed that I'd stay away from all of you."

"Well, the note only said Yogi." He'd heard that excuse before. "Plus, I was wondering if there were some things we could talk about."

"Sure." He sat down right beside her. "I hope this is important."

"I just wanted to ask you, how long you planned on doing this?"

"As long as it takes." He replied to her. "Maybe when Yogi gets hooked up, or the blackmailer decides to give up." Arata knew that was going to take a long time. In fact, probably longer than he'd like.

"That's a shame." She sounded downtrodden. "I know that Yogi's been really hurt by this."

"He has?"

"Yes, he's been talking to all of us. He thinks that he did something wrong to you, and he really feels bad for it." Even as sad as that might've sounded. She was downplaying it. The tone from his voice, that boy was desperate. Racking his brain on what he did wrong. How he hurt his friend.

"He really feels that way?" Her nod was the only confirmation he needed. His body was awash with regret. Never once did he think that he would hurt someone's feelings like that. "I never would've thought that's how he felt."

"It's true, so I want to know." She said, feeling a little angry to see her own crush feel that way. "I want to know, what's so important to hide. That you're going through all this, just to keep hidden."

"I can't just tell you. What's the point of keeping it a secret, if I'm just going to tell people that ask." He deflected.

"True, I do have my own secrets that I keep hidden." She frowned. "But, letting you know the truth about me… I've been a lot happier for it." Akiba explained.

Sure, when they first started exchanging messages. She'd rant about how upset she was feeling whenever she saw Yogi with another girl. There were even things said, that drove fear into him. It was a good stress reliever for her.

Yet, it wasn't always when she was mad. Sometime, she'd shoot a message just to chat with him. Even Arata took note of it, not that he was complaining. It was certainly better than hearing anger with every word.

Arata took her words to heart. Not because it was her that was saying it. Rather, that this was far from the first person to tell him to be honest about his secret. Was he defiant of their advice because he believed there was a better way? Or was it because of fear?

Before he had met Erina, he kept to himself. Knowing that if people knew, then he'd be pestered to no end. Now though, with all these friends he made. The truth is… he was scared. Afraid of losing the people he had gotten close to.

However, being reminded of what he knew about Akiba. That was the line… How could he possibly think that he could know all this about others. Yet be selfish when it came to him. That made him realize, that he was a true coward.

"Akiba." He spoke up suddenly, grabbing her arm. That spooked her, along with what he told her next. "Can you call everyone, and tell them to meet me by the big oak tree out back after school?"