Chapter 4:

Ch 4 - Fascinating Disguise

My Sweet Encounter


Yuzuki Osaka. Female. 15 years old high school. Now living her life as a boy under a new name - Yuu Osaka. The first two weeks were quiet, and although Yuu felt detached, somehow she managed to blend in two weeks later. Although she expected a 'nice and proper' friendships, the occurrences two weeks later since she stepped foot into the school grounds were pretty ridiculous. Suddenly, she was friends with the principal's daughter, Hikari Tadashi; an accomplice of a troublemaker, Ikeda Sato; an enemy of a gang leader, Dojo; and teased by the school's heartthrob Kousuke Nakano.

What more was the reputation she did not expect she had built over the period she spent in the school.

Two weeks! Two weeks was all it took for her to be hiding from the girls!

The day after the incident in school with Dojo, Yuu entered the school grounds as usual. However, she could feel eyes looking her way. This did not bother Yuu so much. After all, she was always being stared at in her previous school wherever she went as if she was a time bomb. After what happened yesterday, she expected some sort of animosity from the students. Just who wanted a delinquent around them anyway? She most likely fell under that criteria by now, was what she thought. Although she expected that, a dooming sensation in her chest did not fail to surge, and her steps felt heavier than ever.

Yuu adjusted her glasses and necktie, gaining composure.

Turning at a corner on her way to her classroom, a girl in a neat ponytail with flushed cheeks stepped in front of Yuu's way.

"Osaka-kun!" The girl said.

"Uh - What is it?" Yuu sceptically looked at the girl, cocking her head to the side.

The girl's face went even redder.

Things started to connect the dots in Yuu's head. But Yuu knew the chances were meagre... or was it?

Yuu Osaka. For a girl, she was pretty tall. She would be average two to three inches taller than girls of her age. Although she hated to admit it, she got her mother's alluring face with her long lashes, green eyes, and thin lips, and her father's cool and stoic aura whenever she was dead serious, even though deep inside she was just like any other ordinary high school girl that sometimes overthinks and freaks out after little things.

Unbeknownst to Yuu, she..rather he, in the minds of everyone around her... possessed a charm that enticed the female population in her cool appearance - a boy in glasses with a beautiful face and stoic aura who did not fear standing up for the weak!

In just less than 24 hours, her name was spread all over the school via LINE, and now... a girl was standing right in front of Yuu, all but confessing.

Yuu recognised the girl, still ignorant of the fact that everyone - everyone! - on the campus knew about what happened yesterday. The girl standing in front of Yuu was the same girl Yuu stood up for the day before.

"Hey," Yuu said again with her no-nonsense tone, now with a little frown on her face. "What do you need?"

Girls squealed and giggled from over the top. Yuu raised her head and saw people were looking down from the building corridors.

'What is happening here?' Yuu cocked an eyebrow at the girl in front.

"Osaka-kun's so cool!" A girl from the corridor squealed.

"Hey! Hey! Did you see it yesterday? How he went up against Dojo? He's so cool. You should have seen it!"

"Eh?! I was in the toilet! Don't you think he's very handsome!"

"I know, right! I actually thought he's too pretty for a boy! But he's really cool! I want to talk to him!" The girls' giggled.

'HUH?! Just what is happening here?!'

A warning voice sounded at the back of Yuu's head to get out of there when the girl in a ponytail brought a wrapped box in between them, which she was hiding behind her earlier.

With a flushed face, the girl looked up at Yuu, and with all her courage, said, "Please accept this! I made you some lunch as a thank you for helping me out yesterday! Thank you, Osaka-kun!"

Hesitantly, Yuu accepted the lunch box. Feeling happy and appreciated for her efforts yesterday, Yuu brightly smiled at the girl with the smile reaching her eyes.

To the girl and everyone else's around, Yuu looked as though 'he' stepped out of a magazine - glittering and all fuzzy and warm.

Squealing erupted from the crowd, which Yuu did not notice had gathered.

"OMG! He's so cute!"

"Osaka-kun! Please accept this as well!"

"Eh?! Another lunch box?" Yuu said.

Astounded, Yuu slowly took a few steps back.

"A-HA-HA," Yuu chuckled awkwardly, "I can't eat them all."

"Take mine as well, Osaka-kun!"

"Huh?! No, uh - I can't accept it -"

"This one too, Osaka-kun!"

'STOP! Just what is happening?! Someone tell me already!'

Before Yuu realized it, she was already running away from the group of girls that did not seem to understand what 'he' said. She ran, and when she looked back, the crowd was chasing her.

'Eh?! Why are they chasing me?! So persistent! Someone hold them off for me already!'

Yuu cried out in her mind, physically exhausted. Running up the staircase, Yuu turned into a deserted corridor. However, she could still hear footsteps coming up.

'So persistent! Ugh.'

Yuu ran through the deserted corridor and was suddenly dragged into a dark and empty room just as the voices became louder.

Yuu squealed in surprise, but a hand immediately covered her lips, keeping the voice that dared to escape sealed inside her mouth.

Yuu struggled but stopped when the wind blew the curtain up, revealing the person keeping her silent.

'Kousuke Nakano!'

The crowd was calling out her name, but footsteps later disappeared.

"Om, lef gow ov mm!" Yuu said through the hand still covering her mouth, sending the guy a deadly glare.

Kousuke let go of the 'boy' in front of him after receiving a deadly glare from the boy's green eyes.

Kousuke hid a smile.

"Woah," Kou started saying, "...aren't you popular?" he said, smirking towards Yuu.

The golden-haired 'boy' looked away with a frown on his face, embarrassed. Kousuke couldn't help but stifle a peal of laughter.

"Stop laughing!" the 'boy' answered defiantly with a scowl on his face.

Kousuke raised both hands in the air in surrender. Then, with a grin on his face, he pointed on Yuu's lap.

"What's that on your hands? Lunch?"

"U-uh, yeah," Yuu mumbled.

"Oooh. I was wondering what was the noise all about. I couldn't sleep. Jeez," Kousuke said, looking towards the window as another gush of wind blew the curtains up. That was when Yuu saw Kousuke's busted lip.

Yuu's eyes widened at the realization.

"What happened to your face?"

Thinking about it now, Kousuke skipped class all morning. Just as Yuu was about to pass some papers to the back earlier, she noticed Kousuke was not there.

"Why?" Kousuke asked. Smirking at Yuu, he continued, "Are you worried about me now?"

"H-Huh?!" Yuu stammered. "What are you talking about?! As if I care!" A flash of unreadable emotion crossed Kousuke's face, and Yuu did not miss it. For some reason, it made her want to take her words back.

'Tsk! What the hell?!'

"It's too dark in here. So I'm pulling the curtains open." Yuu stood up and pulled the curtains open, welcoming the refreshing breeze inside the room.

Yuu then stood in front of Kousuke and handed him the other lunch box - the second one she inadvertently took before running away.

"Huh? What's this?" Kousuke looked up.

"I can't finish all these. I can't throw these away either. Take it and eat it." Yuu murmured.

"Huh? I can't hear you."

"I said take it and eat it!" Yuu dropped the lunch box on his lap - face red in embarrassment, before stomping across the room and sat on the floor by the windows. "Just so you know, I did not make it. I got it from one of the girls."

"I don't want it."

"Just eat it! I heard your stomach growl!"

"Huh?! It did not!"

And then it did. In that empty room, a growl erupted from Kousuke's stomach. Their eyes locked and Yuu cocked an eyebrow, holding back a grin - See? It did?

Yuu bit her lip, but that didn't work. Fits of laughter escaped her lip, and stifling it wasn't helping it either. Kousuke looked away as heat crept up all over his face. Although embarrassed, he couldn't help but quietly laugh as well. Looking at the laughing young boy by the window, Kousuke thought the boy was quite pretty.

Actually way too pretty for his own good! That smile and bright face that even lit up a desolate place was something not normal. Definitely NOT normal!

Kousuke remembered when he went to the rooftop to nap and saw Yuu sleeping without 'his' glasses on. For a minute there, Kousuke thought 'he' was a girl. If not for the uniform Yuu was wearing that day, he would have thought the boy sleeping on the rooftop that day was a girl.

Yuu stopped laughing and looked over to Kousuke, who had a subtle expression on his face.

"Nakano?"

"Oh. I'll eat it." Kousuke quickly ate the food, and Yuu could only watch how quickly he finished his meal when Yuu was only halfway hers.

"Thank you for the food," Kousuke mumbled before rising to his feet and left the lunch box on Yuu's side.

Kousuke stood up and took a few steps towards the door when Yuu's voice stopped his tracks.

"Um... Thank you for helping me yesterday, Nakano."

Looking at Kousuke's broad back, Yuu waited.

"Hmm... You don't need to thank me. I don't do charity," Kousuke slightly turned around and looked over his shoulder at Yuu. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like minutes. Eventually, he answered, "I'm just returning a favour."

"Returning a favour?"

"You don't remember?" Kousuke fully turned around and took a few steps towards Yuu. He stopped just three steps away from Yuu and bent his knees, so they were eye to eye. "Really?"

Yuu shook her head in response. Kousuke simply nodded with his lip curled up in a small smile.

Kousuke quietly stood up and left the room.

"Huh?! Hey! Don't just leave! Wait! Tell me!"

Yuu hurriedly packed the lunch box away and chased after Kousuke. If there was one thing that she really disliked, it was unanswered questions! Especially when it spiked her curiosity!

"When did I do you a favour?!" Yuu asked as she followed Kousuke like a hatched chick chasing after a mother hen. "Hey! Answer me!"

Kousuke couldn't help but snicker at the back of his hand after glancing at Yuu's confused face as they walked through the hallway.

Should people see them, there was only one thing people would think. The two of them looked like they were getting along. And not just that, they were getting along just fine! A beautiful sight where two beautiful men walked together as they messed around!

Sneaking one more glance at the young boy's confused face, Kousuke chuckled as he tucked his hands inside his pockets.

"Damn, you're so funny," Kousuke mumbled as he shook his head with the corner of his lip still curled up in a small smile.

Just before they descended the staircase, Yuu thought of a ridiculous idea just to stop him from walking away. But, if it was going to make him talk, why not? She had a fascinating disguise, after all!

Yuu dropped the lunch boxes on the floor, which made a clanging noise and stopped Kousuke from walking further in curiosity. Yuu took a few quick strides, grabbed Kousuke by his necktie and pushed him against the corridor wall.

Trying her best to look intimidating and 'manly', in what she thought was an intimidating voice, Yuu said, "Hey. Stop walking and tell me already."

However, that was not, definitely NOT, how the message got delivered.

Kousuke's pupils dilated, and his breathing became hotter. Yuu's face was so close; he was taken aback by the sudden boldness from his small frame. Despite knowing Yuu was a boy, an unknown urge of dominance washed all over him. His instinct was telling him to move this way, even though rationally he wouldn't tease a boy.

Kousuke smirked as he looked at Yuu's green seductive eyes and 'his' small hand gripping his necktie as an arm pushed his chest against the wall. Heat crept at the back of Kousuke's neck, and his throat suddenly felt dry. The temperature around them suddenly felt like hot steam over Kousuke's skin; he could feel the heat emanating from Yuu's body from their close proximity. The sounds around him were crisp and clear; he could hear Yuu's breath hitch now and again. His vision was perfect as if he was in a vivid dream; he could see how faintly Yuu's cheek turned pink over his caramel skin. His sense of smell was maxed, he could smell a sweet fragrance from Yuu's shampoo, and cranberry body wash. If only he could check his sense of taste as well. Kousuke instinctively licked his lips and swallowed.

Yuu saw this, and heat crept up her face.

Just what was she doing! Holding a man up like this!

Yuu forced herself to calm down.

'You're just trying to intimidate him! You've got the perfect disguise!' Yuu convinced herself.

Kousuke suddenly overpowered her, flipping their position - now with Yuu pinned on the wall with her arms over her head; her wrists held tightly by Kousuke in one hand.

Yuu's green eyes widened in surprise as her breath hitched in her throat. Her heart pounded inside her chest, and her cheeks were red. She couldn't say a word; nothing was coming out of her mouth. For some reason, the close distance held her silent. But, there was another thing; his face was getting closer by the second!