Chapter 55: The "Jerk" Triangle Gets Pointy

By 'last period'. My phone is on 'fire'.

It's buzzing off the desk.

Bzzzt.

HirotoSparkles: "ANGEL! My 'supporting actress'! What is this I hear?!"

Bzzzt.

HirotoSparkles: "You CHOSE?! You chose the 'Main Lead'?! Fuji-kun?! The 'predictable' choice!"

Bzzzt.

HirotoSparkles: "But what about the 'Misunderstood Second Lead'?! (Daiki-kun!) What about the 'Charismatic Wildcard'?! (ME!)"

Bzzzt.

HirotoSparkles: "This script is 'terrible'! It's too 'fast'! We didn't have a 'hot springs' episode yet! I am rewriting this!"

I look at my phone.

I text back.

Me: "Shut up, Sparkles."

I put my phone away.

I glance at Fuji.

He is reading over my shoulder.

When did he get so 'close'?

"He calls you 'Angel'?" he asks.

His voice is... 'cold'.

It's 'Ice Prince' voice.

"It's Hiroto," I mutter. "He's an idiot. He calls everyone 'Angel'. Probably."

"Hm," Fuji says.

He turns back to his book.

He is... 'jealous'.

Fuji Kenji is 'jealous' of 'Hiroto'?

My brain is 'mush'.

After school.

We are walking out. Together. Again.

It's still weird.

And... 'he' is there.

Daiki.

He is not at the gates.

He is waiting down the street.

He sees us.

He marches over.

Oh, no.

"Twilight," he says. His voice is rough.

"My name is Aoi," I sigh.

"I don't CARE!" he snaps. "I am not giving up."

I stop. Fuji stops.

"Daiki... it's over," I say.

"NO!" he shouts. A 'first-year' drops his backpack. "It's NOT! You 'liked' me! On the balcony! That was 'real'! You 'smiled' at me!"

"I smiled at a 'lie', Daiki," I say. It's harsher than I mean it to be.

He flinches.

"Hanata-san," Fuji says. His voice is dangerously calm. "She chose. Please be... 'respectful'."

Daiki laughs. A 'bitter' laugh.

"'Respectful'? YOU? You are the 'Ice Prince'! You don't know 'anything' about her!"

He pokes Fuji's chest.

Fuji doesn't move.

"You don't know that she 'hates' 'green peppers'! You don't know that her 'favorite game' is 'Street Fighter'! You don't know how to make her 'laugh' when she's 'angry'! I DO!"

Hes... not wrong. About the 'green peppers'.

Fuji is silent. He just looks at Daiki.

Daiki smirks. He thinks he's 'won'.

"Maybe," Fuji says, quietly.

Daiki's smirk falters.

"Maybe I don't know 'those' things," Fuji says.

He looks at me. His eyes are 'warm'.

"But... I know how to make her 'blush'."

My face.

It is a 'supernova'.

It is a 'thousand suns'.

"I... I... I AM RIGHT HERE!" I squeak.

I am 'bright red'. I am 'mortified'.

Daiki reels. He looks at my 'red' face.

He looks at Fuji.

Fuji is smirking. That 'I won' smirk.

"Checkmate," Fuji murmurs.

Daiki is defeated.

He just stares.

And Fuji... my 'Jerk Prince'.

He takes my hand.

He just TAKES IT.

My hand... fits in his hand.

Oh, no.

He pulls me. Gently.

And we walk away.

Leaving Daiki... 'broken'. On the sidewalk.

My hand is 'tingling'.

This is so much worse than a 'fight'.