"Happy birthday, Mukahi-kun!" Izumu yelled the moment she notices Gakuto at the school gates. She ran towards him and attacked him with hugs that he tried to fend off without much success.
"Thank you, Ishiki! Now get off! Hey…" he trailed off and eyed Yuushi who was walking behind her and coming towards them.
"Happy birthday, Gakuto," Yuushi said and Gakuto nodded at him.
"Thanks," he said with a grin. "Where are my presents?"
"Aren't my hugs enough?" Izumu asked, tilting her head to the side in an attempt to act cute and innocent.
"What makes you think so?" Gakuto shot back, sticking his tongue out at him. Yuushi chuckled.
"Sorry, Gakuto… For this year's present can you wait?"
"But birthday presents not given on their birthdays are meaningless!" he whined.
"I am sorry, but things came up yesterday. Will you please wait?" Yuushi asked with a sigh.
Gakuto reluctantly nodded his head. "Okay… But you promised!"
"Yes, I will not disappoint you," Yuushi assured him and Gakuto gave up a small smile.
"And you said there's nothing going on between you and Mukahi-kun," I said while we walked to our respective classes, once we're out of Mukahi-kun's ear shot.
"There's nothing," Yuushi said with a chuckle, but I wasn't entirely convinced, especially after the exchange earlier. "You doubt me aren't you?"
"No…" I lied and waved to him. "My class is this way, bye…"
"Bye," he said and I turned around and entered Class 3-C.
"Shishido-san! Good morning!" I chirped, seeing him sleeping on his desk and ruffled his already messy hair. Since he cut his hair, he hadn't been taking good care of it.
"Morning," he said and yawned looking up at me. "Where's your sister?"
"I didn't come with her this morning, I spent the night at Oshitari-san's," I said. He looked surprise.
"You did? Erm…. Did A-… ah… never mind," he said and waved it off.
"What did you want to say?" I asked, confused when he cut off his sentence.
"Nothing," he said and I tilted my head, confused.
"Okay then…" I sat down in my seat and heard the classroom door opened. I looked up and saw my sister. She walked my way.
"Good morning, Izumu. How was your day?"
"Um… Fine…?" I said, not feeling too sure of what she meant. She nodded and went to sit beside a sleeping Jirou. She started shaking him awake and he stared at her with blank eyes before going back to sleep, facing away from her.
"Is it just me or those two seems like there's something going on between them?" Shishido-san asked and I almost jumped out of my skin, turning back to face him. I contemplated what he just said and frowned. Not possible. After all, I am pretty sure the person Izumi likes is…
No. I shook my head and earned a weird stare from Shishido-san. I will not let myself think about it. The relationship between those two is really not my business. Not anymore. I made sure to convince that to myself when I flew to Japan so many years ago without telling Keigo-kun.
"Well, something might or might not be going on with those two. How is it my business?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"Well, you're her sister."
You're her sister. What a convenient excuse to care.
"It's still none of my business," I told him and looked forward when the bell rang for homeroom. Shishido-san sensed my hostility towards my sister, and he decided not to probe anymore. Good for him. Also good for me too, because I REALLY don't care anymore.
"It's not every day you asked me to skip out of class," Yuushi commented as he went to meet Keigo in his Student Council office. "What is so important that it calls for this rare occurrence?"
Keigo sighed and got up from his chair, walking towards Yuushi.
"Was it true that Izumu spent the night at your house?" he asked, not bothering to beat around the bush. Yuushi felt his eyebrows shot up.
"Where did you learn that?" he asked.
"I have my ways," Keigo replied, not backing down. Yuushi sighed. There's no way he can talk himself out of this one. When it comes to Izumu, Keigo was super persistent.
"Yes, she did," he replied. Keigo stiffened considerably and Yuushi can see that. "She fell asleep on the car ride home and in no state to go back home. So I brought her home with me."
"What do you mean she's in no state to go home, ahn?" Keigo asked, skeptical.
"Well, pardon my intrusion on your life and your past, Atobe, but even I who wasn't close to them know there's something going on between the Ishiki sisters. Don't tell me you did not notice that?" he asked. Keigo looked confused.
Maybe it's true that Izumu doesn't really like her sister, but he never really wondered how the relationship between actually fared and what Yuushi said just sparked his curiousity. But his pride won't let him ask.
"Oh, of course I knew," he said with a scoff. "But let us come to the important part of the conversation. Oshitari, I want to withdraw from taking care of Izumu."
Yuushi was shocked for awhile, but he was the poker-faced fighter after all and was a professional when it comes to masking emotions. "Why? Are you letting your jealousy overpower your decisions? It's so not like you, Atobe."
"What jealousy are you speaking about?" he asked, challenging Yuushi.
Yuushi might lose a friend over this, but he has to make a decision sooner or later anyway. His love or his friend? And right now, the correct choice is pretty obvious. He was a romanticist after all, he survives on romance. "That Izumu spent the night over at my place."
"Why should I be jealous of that? She used to spend nights at my place all the time," he said, not willing to back down. He felt the need to win this argument.
"But that was then, this is now. And you did not sleep holding hands with her, did you?" Yuushi said, a tone of smugness creeping into his voice, although he knew how childish his argument sounded. This is bad, he's losing his poker-face façade and he is falling prey to his own feelings about to burst out of his chest, but he can't really help it.
Keigo looked like he has nothing else to say. Yuushi turned around and promptly walk out of the door, smirking to himself as he walked back to his classroom. As he passed by 3-C, he can't help but smile as he saw Izumu biting on the end of her pencil as she tried to solve a question.
"Izumi!" I banged my hands on her desk. Jirou woke up with a start and rubbed his eyes.
"W-what?" he asked and yawned, then turned around and goes back to sleep.
Izumi looked at me with her usual poker face. "Yes, Izumu?"
I pulled at her hand and dragged her with me out of class, and onto an empty and unused classroom in the old building where I am sure we could get some private time among the 1500 students of Hyotei Gakuen.
"What are you doing here actually, onee-san?" I let go of her hand and turned around to ask her. She tilted her head.
"To see you and Keigo-kun obviously," she said.
"And both kaa-san and Daddy are fine with that?"
"Of course, Daddy and I even had a hearty dinner last night to welcome me home. You were meant to join, but that Oshitari person called home and said you were spending the night at his place. Ah, by the way. Speaking of him, I advise you to stay away from him."
"Why?" I asked, confused. Where did the sudden resentment towards Oshitari-san came from?
"He's not good for you," she said. Then the bell rang and leaving me full of questions, she walked out of the classroom. "Listen to my advice. I know what I am saying."
I stood there for a full minute before snapping back into focus and walk back to my class.
"Ah, today was so tiring," I complained and stretched in my seat and rolled my shoulders trying to loosen the knot that's been building up. Shishido-san did not reply as usual, so I turned around to look at him. He was half-asleep on his desk. I banged my hand on the table in front of him. "SHISHIDO-SAN!"
He jumped up, startled, but was fully awake.
"Is it time to go home?" he yawned. It was raining again outside. It's that time of the year after all.
"No, we're going to celebrate Mukahi-kun's birthday in the clubroom," I said and stood up, pulling at his arm. "Let's go!"
He yawned again, but got up anyway. I shook Jirou awake and told him about the party and he quickly went into 'active mode'.
"Izumi! Izumi! You're coming too right?"
"Well, Keigo-kun asked me to, but…" Izumi trailed off and looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Yay, then let's go," Jirou said and held Izumi's hand, the latter who only shrugged and followed us. Shishido nudged me and I turned to look at him with a confused face.
"What?"
He pointed to Izumi's and Jirou's direction that were walking a few paces in front of us, still locking hands.
"What am I suppose to see?" I whispered back to him. He rolled his eyes as if to tell me I am dense and something like that coming from him sounds, who might as well be called the King of Dense of Hyotei, sounds like an insult.
"Are you really so stupid?" he whispered back as we walked down the stairs. I shot him a scowl. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry I asked, I mean you can't even tell that Oshitari-,"
"Shishido-san!"
We both turned our heads to see Ootori-kun. "Ootori-kun!"
"Choutaro! What are you doing here?" Shishido-san asked.
"We're all going the same way anyway," he said. "Good to see you again, Ishiki-senpai!"
"You too," I said to him and quickly turn back to Shishido-san. "What were you saying about Oshitari-san?"
Shishido-san looked uncomfortable and he gulped. Ootori-kun looked back and forth between the two us, and then he looked like he realized something.
"Shishido-san! Did you..!?"
"No! I almost did! But I didn't thanks to you interrupting me!"
"What are the two of you talking about?" I asked, confused.
"Shishido-san! Watch what you say next time," Ootori-kun said with a frown. Why are they talking about this so openly in front of me?
"What is it? What is it? What about Oshitari-san?"
"What about me?"
"Oshitari-san!" I said and ran back up the stairs towards him. "They won't tell me!"
"What were you going to tell her?"
Shishido-san quickly shook his head. "Nothing, see ya all over there," he said and dashed away with Ootori-kun following closely behind, leaving me and Oshitari-san all alone. I looked at him and shrugged.
"Shall we go?"
He nodded.
"Here, since you're both the last ones to arrive, you have to go run some errands," Shishido-san said and handed Oshitari-san and I a piece of paper. Oshitari-san took it and ran over the list. "It's the batsu game for being the last. Hurry back before Gakuto comes. We don't know how much longer Hiyoshi can keep him distracted, so don't waste time."
He disappeared back into the clubroom and we both stood outside. "What errands are we supposed to run?"
He folded the piece of paper and pocketed it. "Just to get some things from the storage room. I can do it by myself. Just stay here."
"I'll go with you," I say and followed after him. We walked over to the storage room behind the school where they kept almost everything in there. He switched on the lights, but it was still dim and dark inside.
"Find candles and some party decorations," he said and disappeared into a corner. I walked toward the other side of the storage room and move around some boxes. Candles… candles…
"Oshitari-san… nee… Oshitari-san?"
"Hm?" his voice drifted back towards me through the dark. I could not see him through the dimness.
"How are the boxes sorts in here?"
"I am not sure. Alphabetical?"
I looked at the box I was holding. It was labeled 'Unused uniform'. I pushed it back into the rack and walked over towards Oshitari-san.
"Oshitari-san? What are you looking at?" I peeked over him.
"Old library books," he said and pointed to the label before placing the box back into its rack. O is close to P, so I skimmed the rack beside it. "Izumu, why do you call me 'Oshitari-san'?"
"Eh?" the question was so sudden it took me off guard. "Because it's polite…?"
"Try calling me by my name," he said. I stood up straight and turn around and almost screamed when I saw how close he was to me. When did he get so close, and why is he leaning down on me like that? I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"W-what for?" I choke out.
"I want to hear you say it," he whispers and I can feel his fingers twirling my hair.
"O-Oshitari-san?"
"No, 'Yuushi'… Say it."
"I can't," I said and feel the heat invading my cheeks.
"Why not?"
"It's so embarrassing," I pouted and looked away.
"Just try it," he persisted and I just have to relent.
"Y-Yuu.. Yuu… Yuu… Yuu… Ohitari-san," I stuttered.
"Try again," he said. I breathed in.
"Y-Yuu… Yuu… Yuu… Yuushi!" I said in one breath and turned around so I won't have to see him.
"Good girl. Say it again."
"Don't make me," I whine. He smirked, but it only lasted for a fraction of a second that I wasn't entirely sure that he actually did.
He stood back up moving around me to pick up a box like I didn't just humiliate myself. "I found what we're looking for. Let's go back before they start sending a search party."
Still feeling the heat on my face, I nodded and walked after him.
Choutaro handed the last piece of cake to Izumu. She took it and mumbled a thank you before running back to Yuushi's side. Choutaro eyed them as they stood closer to each other than usual, especially on Yuushi's part.
"Ootori? Is it all finish? Go clear it away."
Choutaro jumped in his spot. Standing next to him was his captain, speaking to him. He blanked out for a moment before snapping back to focus.
"Oh, uh… yeah…" he said and carries the box away from the table, sending a quick hurried glance at Yuushi and Izumu. He shrugged and walked away. Keigo caught Choutaro's eyes wandering and he instinctively followed. His tightened his jaw and almost break the fork he was holding in one hand. He set his empty plate down on the nearest table and meant to walk over there when a hand on his forearm stopped him.
"Keigo-kun, don't do something you'll regret," Izumi told him. "Calm down first."
Keigo took a deep breath and Izumi directed him away from the scene.
Izumu turned around right at that time to see Keigo walking away with Izumi. She tried her best to keep her face straight.
"Izumu?" Izumu snapped up towards Yuushi.
"Y-yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, never felt better," she lied to her teeth. "Let's go elsewhere, Yuushi!"
Yuushi's eyes widened, but he let a small smile play on his lips.
"Where do you want to go?"
