Back in the classroom, I found Suzuki asleep at my desk.
I tapped her shoulder lightly, and unlike Kobayashi-sensei, she grinned as she woke up.
"Suzuki."
"Yes?"
"Why are you smiling?"
"I'm just happy to see my boyfriend waking me up."
I blushed slightly, quickly grabbing my stuff and heading for the door.
"Uh where are you going?" she asked.
"To my dorm room."
"What about our date?"
"What date?"
"The one we're supposed to have."
"The one you haven't told me about?" I asked.
"Yup," she grinned.
A date. I'd never been on one, but I knew the general idea: two people, potentially interested in each other, going out to have fun and deepen their bond.
"So, are we going now?"
"Yeah, let's."
She stood up, and we walked side by side. Whenever I looked toward her, she would grin.
From the direction we were heading, it seemed she was taking me to the mall.
As we walked toward the mall, I couldn't shake a certain thought—why was she so eager to spend time with me?
I wasn't exactly boyfriend material, and yet, here we were.
"So, Nakamura, what are your hobbies?"
"Oh, you know stuff like...existing."
I don't actually have a real hobby though what I said isn't exactly a lie. I enjoy just being left alone and just doing nothing.
"Oh, I enjoy baking."
"Oh ok."
We both went quiet after I replied to her. She probably didn't know what to talk about—which was a shock because she was good at conversations.
Maybe she was shy?
"Nakamura, do you have any…friends?" Suzuki continued abruptly, breaking the silence.
She said the last part a bit slowly and quietly, seems like she knew it was somewhat of a touchy subject though I had gotten past that.
"Yeah, I have a few."
"Are they in our class?"
"No."
"Are they female?" she asked, her brows slightly furrowed. There was a hint of malice in her tone.
"The only female one is Kagura," I answered plainly.
"Okay, good."
"Why did you—"
Before I could finish, the platinum-haired beast—I mean the senpai I met today appeared in front of us.
Her platinum hair moved with elegance that was heightened by her platinum eyelashes which further emphasized that the platinum hair wasn't hair dye.
This was in contrast with her red eyes and very casual attire–the first three buttons of her maroon shirt were open and her skirt barely being lower than a miniskirt.
If not for the fact that she wore a brown skirt, brown blazer with a maroon shirt, I wouldn't have known she was a student–talk more of being an upperclassman.
What are the odds I'd run into her twice in one day?
"What an unappealing encounter?" She glared at me.
That's my line!!! Why am I in this unfortunate situation?
Did I do something wrong... Oh right I happened to bump into her, well let's just see what she'll do.
"Suzuki, why are you with this man?"
"He's my boyfriend and also he has a name, it's Nakamura," Suzuki glared back at her with an even larger amount of malice.
As Suzuki said those words, the platinum-haired girl's eyes lit up, then she looked at me. At that moment a grin started to form at the corners of her mouth.
"Oh ho, it seems I've met a very important man. No matter, because in the end, a man is still a man."
It seems this girl has a deep hatred for men, but seems she is more tamed than before maybe because Suzuki is here.
I wonder what the cause of her hatred could be.
"Well, we would like to continue our date, so are we done here?" Suzuki rolled her eyes.
So, this is the power of a gyaru—the power of a delinquent. She's almost like my personal hero.
Go Suzuki Go! Send the big bad beast away!
"Now don't talk to your senpai like that, Aiya-chan. See you too later, especially you, Mr. Important Man," The platinum-haired girl left grinning at Suzuki and me.
She reminds me of Arakawa, dunno why though. Perhaps cuz they both rub me the wrong way though it's for different reasons. Hmm…
"Let's continue our date. Oh, right before that give me your hand," Suzuki grinned cheerfully.
My hand? What will she want with that?
I gave her my hand then—
She hugged my hand and though I could feel her breas—I mean her big heart; I managed to keep my cool without freaking out.
We continued walking to the mall without a hitch except the fact that almost everyone on the way there made a comment about us.
"Wait a minute. Isn't that…Suzuki Aiya?"
"Yeah, it is."
"Is that her boyfriend?"
"Nah, she's probably just being nice. I mean, look at him."
"Yeah, you're right."
Hey, I might not be handsome but I'm at least cute.
I wasn't shocked that bystanders made comments about her as she was quite the people magnet in class.
She was even on par with Kagura who was friends with everyone.
You could say it was bad luck that she was my seatmate. Most of the time that I came back from break; my seat was quite crowded.
At any rate, I had gotten used to it, I mean it was not like I had many friends that would come to visit—in fact all of them were my classmates.
Enough with the negative talk, I have four friends, and I even have a girlfriend so that is at least good enough.
We got to the mall, just from outside it looked glamorous but when we stepped inside it was something else.
The air conditioning was neither too cold nor too warm, it was basically perfect.
I expected Suzuki to say something, but she was just quiet like it was just normal.
Must be because she comes here often.
Even after we entered the mall, Suzuki didn't say where we were going, and unfortunately, the school map didn't explain the inside. It had left me—the reader hanging.
Talk about useless!
Though I wasn't angry, I mean, the mall was five stories, and I was happy to discover it myself.
From boutiques to general-purpose stores, I was in awe, as I'd never been to the mall.
Even though I had memorized the map, I had only gone to the dorms, the school, and the convenience store.
We kept walking as I silently admired the place, until the plant behind ruffled slightly—most people wouldn't hear it but when there was silence it was pretty noticeable.
I turned back but no one was there, I became suspicious after that.
Is someone following me? It seems Suzuki hasn't noticed, I guess I'll humor them. Let's see what they want.
Wait, what if it's a stalker? I mean Suzuki was popular, but I doubt with all the school's cameras that they wouldn't notice, I mean they boasted about safety.
That means it isn't a stalker or maybe the school is testing our autonomy.
After some more walking around, Suzuki took me to a café on the third floor named Palate.
She took me to a seat by the window. Her friends were there—one of which was Yoshida and the other I didn't know her name.
Well, that's ok, I guess.
After we sat down, the girls went to discuss make-up and other feminine subjects.
I kept quiet following one of the best principles of life; Do not speak until spoken to.
I may or may not have adopted that principle because of a certain girl that endorsed me to drink bleach, basically telling me to kill myself.
Until Yoshida spoke up.
"You've been really quiet, why don't you join? Don't tell us you're scared?"
What should I do? How bout' I try to be like all those flirtatious guys.
"Why won't I be nervous when there are so many beautiful girls in front of me?"
This was the best I could come up with that wouldn't blatantly show that I was flirting.
As I said that, Suzuki's two friends blushed momentarily. It was a cheesy line but was more than enough for a Japanese adolescent female, at least one that hadn't dated yet though those who just started dating can also be affected.
As I said those words, Suzuki looked at me, giving me an expression that said, 'Don't even think of it.'
Scary!
I didn't try another stunt like that because I was afraid of what she would do.
"Anyway, what's your name?" Yoshida asked.
"Uh, we met yesterday?"
"We did? Don't remember so try and remind me of your name."
"It's Nakamura."
"Oh, right you're the guy who did that weird introduction, I completely forgot," Yoshida snickered. "Anyway, Nakamura, what's your favorite show?"
First you forget my name then you–Just call down Eiya, this is one of your girlfriend's friends.
I sighed at her words before promptly answering.
"I prefer books to TV shows."
"Is that so?" she stared intensely at me.
"Yeah."
"I find it hard to believe that someone my age doesn't watch TV shows."
"Yeah, for real. Are you sure you're a high schooler?" Suzuki's second friend agreed with Yoshida's statement.
"Trust me I am."
"I highly doubt it," Suzuki's two friends said in unison.
"I'm just more into novels than shows."
"Boring, like there's no way you're normal. Come on, tell me the truth," Yoshida stated blatantly.
"I promise."
"Ok then tell me a novel you've read," she put her hand under her chin and grinned, thinking I was lying.
"A Certain Magi—"
"Oh, I know that one."
"Really?!" I feigned interest.
Of course you would, it's quite a popular light novel.
"Well, I've watched the anime," she laughed nervously, scratching her head.
"I see. What about you Suzuki?" I asked.
"Oh me, I've never been into that kind of stuff, I read books but not novels."
"Yup Aiya's super mature, the way a high schooler should be," Yoshida said, her eyes lighting up.
Suzuki's second friend nodded in affirmation.
The way a high schooler should be my ass. So she's allowed to read books but I'm not.
"Heugh," I sighed in exasperation. This would really prove to be a very long day.
***
Author's Note:
Funny thing to me is the most unrealistic part of this chapter and the chapters before is that someone who doesn't really have 'friends' has a girlfriend.
Especially when I, the writer, is still single–Damn.
Anyway, let me say this before it comes and bites me in the arse, the story is supposed to be believable not realistic–so do NOT tell me some stuff isn't possible–like the way Eiya got a girlfriend.
I have a feeling someone will HAVE to point that out, especially with what Eiya did in the last volume.
In fact, some of my friends were like: "Uh Satoshi are sure that's how manipulation works," or "Satoshi is this kid a super athlete, how the hell did he carry someone in the rain for 4km, and it only took 15 minutes? Isn't he in his first year of highschool?"
First of all just read and don't ask questions (please do I love answering questions even if some are annoying), and secondly, I am NOT a scientist, psychologist or anything related to that.
Of course I do research but bottomline I do NOT have a degree in any of those fields, or anything close to those fields.
Now, enough of my venting this chapter is already long enough. Please remember to comment, share, and leave a review.
Thanks for reading the chapter and see you in the next one.