My Crazy New Lover

Tobias 1503 August 15, 2046

It’s been almost two weeks since Sora and Saki-san started dating, and since then, they’ve become the class star couple.

“Aww, my least favorite time of the day. When we have to go to our clubs.” Saki-san says longingly

“I know, honey. I don’t like it either, but we do have duties to our clubs.” Sora says in a chipper tone

“Ohh, your devotion to your team is one of the things I love about you; hit a home run for me, Babe.”

“I will, and you make sure to name a star after us.”

“Oh, can you imagine a star named Iora? How romantic.” they both laugh as I head off with Sora to baseball, and Saki-san goes with Sara and Niǎo-san to astronomy. As they leave the room, comments of all kinds can be heard: “Man, look at them rubbing their relationship in everyone’s face.” “They should be ashamed of being so lovey during school.” “I’m jealous; they seem to be in love at such a young age.” and many more can be heard from classmates abound. I laugh as I hear them.

Oh, if only they knew the truth, I think as I walk with Sora and see him deflate like an old air mattress. "Another day full of flirting. I don’t know how you keep it up.” I say

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep it up,” Sora says. This has been the standard for about a week now. When they first started dating, they were super happy and flirty all the time when they were together and away. I was happy for them even if I had to listen to him talk about her with every moment we were together. I even suggested Suki-san's pet name for Sora. Babe isn’t just a popular American pet name but also a reference to Babe Ruth, the baseball player. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous. Sure it’s nice we started with you, but when are we going to move on to me. I’d think from time to time, but I didn’t want to rush things, so I decided I’d let them find their footing as a couple first, which seems like it’ll take a bit longer now than I’d initially thought. “It’s not that I don’t love her or enjoy spending time with her. You know I do. It’s just exhausting having to look and act like the happiest boy in school whenever I see her or somebody asks about her. I can’t even take a break at home because then Sara would see and tell her. It’s eating away at my sleep. It’s gotten to the point that my only respite is baseball and my bath.” he says, the exhaustion evident in his voice.

“Then why don’t you just tell her you need some space?” I ask

“I can’t do that.” He says vehemently. “The writing in the sky set a pretty high bar from the start, and I need to maintain that or else I’ll disappoint her. I want to be the best I can be for her because I do love her, but it’s getting to the point that I’m worried I’ll falter any day now, and then she won’t like me anymore.”

“That is a predicament. I see what you’re saying but just saying you want to walk home with Sara and me once in a while and not text through the night isn’t the same as saying you don’t love her.”

“I know it’s not, but I don’t know if she’ll think it is… I don’t know sometimes; I wish I actually knew what she was thinking,” he says as we begin baseball practice.

Sara 1512 August 15, 2046

“I swear that boy is gonna kill me! I love him and know he’s just trying to be nice, but I just can’t keep up with him. I don’t know how he can act so lovey-dovey all the time without a break.” she whimpers as she sets her head on the table.

“There, there,” I say, giving her a cup of tea. This had become the new norm. Even though Sora and her were quite happy together by all accounts, Iori-chan has been completely exhausted from dating my brother.

“Are you sure he isn’t just putting on an act?” she asks me. “There's no way he can be that chipper and happy all the time.”

‘I don’t know what to tell you.” I say, “Even at home, I haven’t seen so much as a frown on his face since you two started dating. It’s become a bit unsettling, actually.”

“Uhhh,” she moans as she turns her head to face the prez and vice prez. The two of them sat at the other end of the table, going through paperwork, seemingly ignoring Iori-chan. “I don’t know how you two do it. Both of you seem so happy, but I’ve never seen you two act lovey-dovey.”

“Perhaps they manage to get it out of their system by doing club work together,” Kano-chan observes. She was seated between Iori-chan and the prez, quietly reading a book.

“It’s true,” Alice-senpai says. “We don’t do it in front of you, but this is really the only time we have together since we’re in different classes.”

“Is that all you need? I don’t know what Sora-kun would do if that’s all the time we had together.”

“Well, it’s not like we don’t spend any extra time together,” Murakami-senpai says, smiling.“Why on Monday w-.” Alice-senpai interrupts him, smacks him in the face with the sheets of paper she’s holding.

“Nothing! We did nothing on Monday,” she says sternly before lowering the papers. Murakami-senpai fixes his glasses and sees us all staring. “You heard her. We did nothing on Monday,” he says with a smile before going back to the paperwork. Iori-chan, are you sure you want to compare your relationship to theirs? I think before Kano-chan speaks again.

“It seems to me that you should just ask for some time away,” she says calmly.

“I can’t do that,” she says vehemently.“I don’t know how he knew how much I loved fireworks or how he convinced the workers to help him with the confession, but whatever he did, it had to have taken a lot of effort. Form him to do that for me when he had no guarantee I’d say yes took a lot of courage and strength. I want to repay that by being the best girlfriend I can, but I don’t know how much longer I can take it.” Oh, you poor thing, I think as I listen to her vent.

“You want some more tea?” I ask, holding the pot.

“Yes… Thank you, Sara-chan. You’re always so kind to me, even though I’m selfish. First, I steal your brother away from you, and now here you are listening to me complain about him. I’m a terrible friend.” she says meekly.

“Oh, don’t think that,” I say reassuringly. “I should be thanking you. You put so much effort into making my brother happy even though it’s so hard for you. Most people would just break up with him or would’ve been off-put by the fireworks. But here you are, trying everything you can to be as good to him as you can. Thank you for taking such good care of him.”

We finish up the day’s activities, and Alice-senpai dismisses everyone except Murakami-senpai for some reason I’d rather not think about. I walk with Iori-chan and Kano-chan to the front door. Before we step out, Iori-chan smacks her cheeks to get herself into lovey-dovey mode. We step out and see Sora and Tobias-kun waiting at the gate. “Give it you’re all,” I hear Iori-chan whisper to herself before she rushes to Sora.” I’m here, Babe, thank you for waiting for me,” she chirps.

“Ahh, there you are Honey, You know I’d wait for as long as I had to. This is tied for my favorite part of the day after all.” Sora says, smiling.

“Oh, what’s it tied with?” Iori asks in a cute voice.

“Why every other time we’re together, of course,” he says with a chuckle.

“Oh Babe, you’re so sweet,” Iori-chan says, giggling. They giggle for a moment before Sora puts his arm around her shoulder.

“Well, everyone, I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to take my girl home.”

“Oh babe, you always take such good care of me.”

“Of course I do. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” He says with a chuckle as they stroke off, leaving Kano-chan, Tobias-kun, and I at the gate.

“I’ll be leaving too,” Kano-chan says. “It was a pleasure spending the day with you, Sara-chan. I look forward to the next,” she says overly formally.

“Oh, and you as well,” I say as she turns and walks away. Leaving just me and Tobias-kun. This is my favorite part of the day, too, I think as we begin to walk. Ever since Iori-chan and Sora started dating, he’s been walking her home, leaving me to walk alone with Tobias-kun. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. I thought Tobias-kun would confess to me at the fireworks festival at the same time Sora confessed to Iori-chan. He seemed nervous every time we split off with Kano-chan. I wish I could’ve danced with him at the bonfire, but Yukki-chan insisted that I dance with her, leaving him to dance with Kano-chan. When we split off for the fireworks, we headed up to the shrine where the fireworks were being set and saw his father. He must’ve seen the look in my eye because he winked and insisted that we stay to see the show. It would’ve been a perfect time to do it, but he must’ve been too nervous, so he didn’t. Now a small part of me hopes he’ll take a chance on one of our walks home to do it, but that chance seems to shrink day by day, so I’ve taken to trying to spur the question. “Sure is nice how Sora walks Iori-chan home every day. Must be nice to have that time alone.”

“Yeah, I kinda miss walking with him, though. He always found a way to make it interesting,” he replies.

“I don’t know. I kind of like how peaceful our walks have gotten. It gives me time to enjoy the scenery.”

“That’s true. I wonder what kind of scenery they pass on their walks.”

“I’m sure that the scenery isn’t quite as important as the person you enjoy it with,” I say, dropping hints.

“Yeah, they really seem to be into one another. I’m almost afraid she’ll steal Sora away for good,” he says.

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind that. She works herself to death to please him, and even if she took Sora, I’d still have you.” I say, blushing a little. Please take the hint. I think I’m saying all these embarrassing things, and you aren’t noticing.

“What do you mean she works herself to death?” he asks, confused. Oh crap, I shouldn’t have said that. I can’t let him find out. If he knows, he’ll tell Sora. And if Sora knew how much stress Iori-chan is under, he’d never be able to keep dating her, and I’d lose my alone time with Tobias-kun. Quick, think of something.

“Umm, well, she’s uh….” I stammer

“Because between you and me, I think it would be good for him if they spent a little less time together,” he says in a serious voice.

“What?” I ask

“Well…. He didn’t want me to tell you because he knows you’d tell Suki-san, but he’s going too far for her. He loves her, but it’s too much for him to spend all his time with her. He’s trying his best to make her happy, but I don’t know how much longer he can keep it up.”

“But at home, he’s always over the moon about Iori-chan. I haven’t seen him so much as frown in weeks.”

“That’s because he knows if you see him down, you’ll tell Suki-san, and he doesn’t want that. He’s willing to go the distance, but I’m not sure he can. He needs a break.” I can hardly believe him. They’re both trying too hard and suffering for it? Why doesn’t Sora just say something? Iori-chan feels the exact same way, so if he said somethi- That’s why, they’re both just doing what the other wants. I have to tell them. But... If I did... Then Sora might stop taking Iori-chan home, and I’d lose my alone time with Tobias-kun…. What do I do? I stop walking as I think. Tobias-kun walks ahead of me and then notices I stopped. “What’s wrong, Sara?” he asks as I stand there frozen.

“Tobias-kun…. Wha-.. What if Iori-chan was also suffering like you say Sora is? What would you do?” I ask

“Wait is Suki-sa-” he begins to say before I interrupt him.

“I never said she was. But what if she was. What if both of them were just hurting each other by trying so hard?” I ask. He looks at me seriously but reads what I’m saying.

“Well, I’d try and get them to confront each other about it. The problem is that both of them are too stubborn to say anything before they break. So I guess that’s where their friends like me and you come in.” he says with a smile. “So how about we think of a plan while we’re alone,” he says as he beckons me to catch up. I grin and race next to him. We walk as we think of our plan.

Sora 1203 August 16, 2046

Ok, I can do this, I think, as the bell rings for lunch. I sit still at my desk as Iori walks to my seat. We always spent lunch together on the roof. It had become our spot where we hang out. We’d done it every day, but now I was going to break that cycle. I look over to Tobias and Sara. They both see me and give me a thumbs up. It took some convincing, but after listening to Iori-chan and Sara talk on the phone about how spending all our time together was taking just as much of a toll on her as it was me, I knew I had to be the one to change it. I set the status quo, so I had to change it. That’s right, she’ll ask if I’m ready to go up to the roof, and I’ll say, “no, let’s eat lunch separately today.” That’s right; I don’t have to be mean about it. I just need some time to myself, is all. I keep my mind focused until Iori stops in front of my desk. “Ready to go have lunch together, Babe?” she asks in her typical cheerful tone.

“Yep, let’s go,” I responded quickly, gathering my bento and heading for the door. Once we leave, I can hear the sound of Tobias and Sara facepalming. What a failure, I think as we climb the stairs. We come to the top of the stairs and open the door. Like always, the sun is shining bright, but the cool breeze keeps it from being scorching hot. We sit in our usual spot, but neither of us opens our lunches. We sit there in silence, a still awkward aura hanging over us. I hear the sound of the door open and close before Sara and Tobias peak out from around the corner. They don’t say anything, but I know exactly what they’re thinking. Just say it, and then we can save you. I take a deep breath and let it out. OK, you can do this, I think. “Iori… I have something to tell you,” I say solemnly.

“I have something to ask you to Babe,” she responds. I take another deep breath, and she does the same.

“I love you, but we’re spending too much time together, and I need a break!” I say. My ears must’ve been playing a trick on me because I swear that she had said the exact same thing with me.

“What?” we say in unison again. I turn to her and see her eyes filled with shock, a small tear seeming to form in the corner of her eye. Oh no, they were wrong! I’ve done it now. I think as I scurry to form words to say. Nothing comes to mind, and I sit there staring at her, unable to speak.

“You thought so too?” she finally says meekly. I can’t believe it; she was thinking the same thing.

“Y-yes.” I finally manage to say. “You mean this whole time?”

“For almost a week now,” she answers. We sit there peering at each other for a moment before we both begin laughing hysterically. “It was that simple all along?” she asks.

“I can’t believe it was so easy!” I cry

“We are so dumb.” she declares. We sit there laughing together, a genuine laugh that makes my side hurt and my cheeks sore from smiling. We look at each other when we eventually stop, but the smiles stay plastered on our faces. We break eye contact when we see Sara and Tobias fall over from their hiding spot around the corner. “Should we go have our lunches with them?” I ask as they climb off of one another.

“Only if it’s in separate places,” she responds as she picks up her bento and dashes over to Sara. As she’s about to leave, she turns back and blows a kiss in my direction before disappearing from view. I sit and eat lunch with Tobias and comment on how nice it is not to have to worry about her for the first time. The rest of the day, Iori-chan and I don’t say a word to each other. Even when she comes out of club with Sara and Niǎo-san, it’s a simple goodbye, and then I head off with Sara and Tobias.

“So, how does it feel to have some time to yourself?” Tobias asks as we walk, but I don’t answer. I’m too busy thinking of Iori-chan. What would she do if I were to walk her home today? It’d probably be too much, I think. I mean, we just decided to spend less time together, so it’s better if I don’t, right? My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by Tobias holding his arm out in front of me. “What is it?” I ask confused

“You should go to her,” he says confidently.

“What do you mean?” I ask

“Go walk her home like you always do. She wants you to.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask

“Because you want to walk her home, and whether you know it or not, you two always seem to have the same thoughts,” Sara says.

“Bu-” I try to protest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure sis gets home; you can leave her to me,” Tobias says confidently. I thank them and turn away. I shed a single tear before sprinting off. “IORI-CHAN!” I call as I close the distance. She turns and seems shocked to see me.

“Sora-kun? But I thought you were walking with Sara-chan and GoKegawa-kun today?”

“I was. I say through my huffing. “But then I realized something.”

“What?” she asks. I stop huffing and stand beside her taking her hand.

“I missed walking you home,” I say with a confident smile. I look down at her and see the tears welling in her eyes. She closes them and says.

“I was thinking the same thing,” she says.