CH-8 (SHOPPING WITH GIRLS IS SCARY)

“Hey, wake up, Akeno!”

“YAWN.....! What’s up, Rei-chan? It’s pretty early in the morning. I'm still sleepy.”

“Of course you would be, Akeno. I mean, you literally spent the entire night just playing video games, watching anime, eating food and drinking juice.

We were supposed to have a study session yesterday, but because of you, it got ruined. 

Seriously, I’m worried about you. 

How the hell are you even going to even pass the exams, at this rate?”, 

said I, while cleaning the snacks packets. And to my surprise, she had fallen back to her sleep, yet again.

“Give her a break already, birthday boy!”, said Emi-senpai, who just came out of the washroom.

“Don’t you intervene, Emi-senpai! It’s because of people like you, that she has turned into such a spoilt kid.”, I retorted.

“He he he…. pudding!”. Akeno was giggling in the middle of her sleep, dreaming about God knows what.

“Well, what’s wrong with spoiling someone you care for?”, asked she, while caressing Akeno’s head.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

It all started during the summer vacation. For normal students, this was the time to make your precious memories that you will remember for the rest of your lives.

But the same couldn’t be said about us.

You see, as the member of the student council, it’s our responsibility to ensure the smooth functioning of all the student activities, and that includes the school festival. As such, it’s our job to hold discussions with the different classes, clubs and teachers, establish a planning committee, ensure logistical support, make sure that all the correct paperwork are submitted to us, and a variety of other stuff. It’s not a piece of cake, and not easy for a council consisting just the three of us to manage. Thankfully, Akeno’s charisma won the hearts of some students, and they decided to extend their support to us. It’s actually surprising, considering the fact that people would run away with the mere mention of the name “Kurosawa Emi”.

Every day felt really hectic, to say the least. While my primary job was to manage the paperwork, I would occasionally help out with other stuff as well, since Akeno was busy with her practice in the drama club. Apparently, they really wanted to recruit Tachibana Akeno, owing to her fame, and since she had an impressive track record. I kind of understand their feelings. I mean, if I was in their shoes, I would do the same, to ensure our victory. Interestingly enough, they have been keeping their practice a secret, away from the public eye. Even Akeno has refused to speak with me about anything related to her performance. Quite suspicious, if you ask me.

“So, Reiji, have you decided anything yet?”

His sudden voice broke my train of thought. I looked over to find the person I expected the least.

It was Naoki.

Well, technically, his reason for being here was justified. You see, Naoki might seem like the guy who likes to goof around quite a lot, but actually, he’s the president of the drama club. I know, it sounds unbelievable, for a guy like him. Surprisingly, however, he’s actually a good actor and a capable leader. Contrary to popular belief, our school’s drama club was surprisingly good. I mean, last year, they had won prizes for their outstanding performance in the district competition. Aside from him, however, the other members are quite secretive about the club. I’ve had the chance to witness their performance before, and honestly, I was quite impressed by it. Funnily enough, aside from the performers, no one really knows about the identities of the other staff members. Even asking Naoki yielded no results. He just shrugs off my questions, and replies with his infamous “Sorry! Club policy!” dialogue. I guess there are some things I’m better off not knowing.

Anyways, here I was, sitting on my desk, trying to allocate time slots to the clubs for them to perform in the cultural festival. He only came to me in order to verify that.

“Well, since it’s going to be an act, I was thinking maybe you guys should go onto stage after the performance of the Light Music Club. I mean, they would be the last to perform any song on the stage, so it would be convenient for you people. If we are lucky, we might be able to squeeze in a few extra minutes for the performance.”, said I.

“Are you sure? “

“Yeah, I mean, this year, not many clubs are taking part in the cultural festivals, due to certain reasons. As for the Light Music Club, they’ll be performing 3 songs at max.”

“Wasn’t the light music club supposed to have been disbanded?”

“Well, stuff happened. Apparently, someone from inside the club was able to recruit 2 new members, so they’re ready to roll, I guess? Pretty crazy, if you ask me, considering the fact that they neither have a bassist, nor a drummer in their club. But who knows? They might be able to pull off something in the end.

Anyways, you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll personally make sure to provide you guys some extra time for the performance.”

“Perfect! I’ll take up on your offer! I knew I could count on you, Reiji!”

As he was about to leave however, I decided to inquire something of him, out of my own curiosity.

“Say, Naoki! How’s Akeno doing with her practice? Is she fitting in with the rest of the club members?”

“Curious now, are we?”

“Hey! If someone told me that the great Tachibana Akeno is going to be performing at the school festival, Even I’d be curious.”

He turned around, and said,

“Are you concerned about her now?

After everything that has happened?”

“SIGH.......! Can you blame me? She’s a slob at home, so- “

“You know very well that it’s not what I’m talking about.”

I didn’t have anything to say, as my face fell.

The grim look on my face may have evoked pity in Naoki.

“Sigh..... If you are worried about her performance, then don’t bother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say, you’ll be enticed by her performance at the stage on the final day.”, said he, with a melancholic tone in his voice.

Looks like everyone is having fun preparing for the high school cultural festival, aside from me.

As I heaved a sigh of frustration, I felt a sudden chill of something cold coming in contact with my right cheek.

“EEEEK- What was that for?”, saying, I turned around, to find Emi-senpai holding a soda can against my right cheek.

“Here, grab this!

You’ve been working non-stop for the past couple of hours, so please, take a break.”

If only it were that simple.

“Here Senpai, let me pay you for the drink.”

“No need!”, replied she, firmly.

“Think of it as a reward for taking care of Akeno-chan.”

“I appreciate the gesture, senpai!”, said I, while sipping on the soda.

Meanwhile, senpai was writing in her diary.

“Say, Senpai. May I ask you something personal?”

“Go ahead.”, said she, nonchalantly.

“Why did you decide to run for the student council president in the first place?”

Emi-senpai stopped her writing, and faced me directly.

“It was because of my own selfish decision.”, replied she.

“As in?”

“I wanted to take control of my own fate, to decide what I wanted to do myself, without being swayed by the feelings of others.

I know it’s incredibly selfish of me, but that’s the sort of person I am, someone who is not afraid to take decisions, no matter how harsh it might be.”, 

replied she, melancholically.

Somehow, I knew exactly what she was getting at.

“That, and I wanted an isolated room to myself, where I can just chill out.”. said she, grinning.

“You wouldn’t be nicknamed ‘Iron clawed president’, if you were just chilling, you know?”

“Hahahahahah…”

As we were discussing other unimportant stuff, I heard some students screaming outside. To check what the commotion was about, I opened the door.

It was Naoki, with other members from his drama club. He was restless, and seemed out of breath.

“What’s the matter, Naoki? You’re sweating buckets!”

“It’s Akeno!

She……She has collapsed!”

___________________________________________________________________________

"Looks like physical exhaustion has taken a toll on her body”, said Emi-senpai, coming out of the infirmary.

And here we were, standing outside the infirmary, desperate to know about Akeno’s condition.

You see, the moment news broke about Akeno, Emi senpai rushed to the drama club, picked her up, and carried her to the infirmary. She had closed the door on us, saying that the others weren’t allowed to enter.

Naturally, as her acting caretaker, and childhood friend, I wanted to meet Akeno, after Emi-senpai had evacuated the room.

Upon entering, I saw Akeno, covered in sweat from head to toe, lying on her bed. It was kind of strange to see her weak, lying on the infirmary bed. The last time I saw her like this, was when I had gone to her house to deliver her class materials.

“Oh, Rei-chan! You came to visit me?”

“Are you okay, Akeno?”

“Yep! Don’t you worry, Rei-chan! It’s just a minor setback! I’ll get on my feet within no time.

Actually, I had forgotten to take my necessary medicines due to the rehearsals. Don’t worry, now that I’ve taken them, it should be fine!”

“Medicines? I thought you had collapsed due to exhaustion? This is the first time I’ve learnt that you are on medications!”

It looked like Akeno had stepped out of line, for, she tried to change the topic in an instant.

“Anyways,….. Rei-chan, how’s the preparations going for the festivals? I’m sorry. I hope I haven’t caused any major problems.”

“Don’t worry! You haven’t, Akeno.”

“Really? Is the drama club okay?”

“Yes. So, now that’s out of the way, can I ask you something, Akeno?

Since when did you start taking these ‘medications’ of yours? 

And why?”

“It’s nothing serious, just some anemia! That’s all! You don’t have to worry about me at all.”

It sounded like she was hiding something. It sounded that she was avoiding eye contact with me, trying to downplay the situation.

I tried touching her forehead, to check her temperature, but surprisingly, she slapped my hands.

“Don’t touch me!”

“A…keno?”

“JUST GET OUT! NOW!”

She wasn’t kidding.

“But Akeno, at least tell me- “

“OUT! NOW!”

I was promptly dragged outside by Emi-senpai, even though I refused to.

As the infirmary door closed, Akeno lied on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

“One more moment, and I wouldn’t have been able to hold on any longer,” she said, closing her eyes as tears slipped free.

___________________________________________________________________________

Since then, Emi-senpai had been spending more time with her. I’m suspicious that Akeno's been hiding something from me, but I decided not to inquire further. Emi-senpai has been keeping eye on her, making sure that she doesn’t do anything reckless, like overexerting herself, for instance. I wanted her to stop assisting us in the cultural festival altogether, and leave all the responsibilities to me, but both of them promptly said “NO!” to my proposal.

___________________________________________________________________________

Today, we were supposed to have a study session at Emi-senpai’s house. Unfortunately, when I got there, it already sounded like a party was taking place.

“So, what’s the occasion?”

Both of them looked at each other in disbelief, listening to my question. Then, without even giving it a second thought, they started laughing at my face, profusely.

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha……”

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha……”

“What’s the matter girls? What’s so funny? Why are you girls laughing?”

“It’s nothing serious, Rei-chan! Just the fact that for a smart guy, you can be awfully dense sometimes!”, said Akeno, while trying to control her laughter.

“For real, Akeno! I mean, who even forgets his own birthday?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes, as both Akeno, and Emi-senpai brought forward a cake from the kitchen, freshly baked, for me.

“Wait! Did you guys just bake it yourselves?”, asked I, while examining it.

“Well, it was mostly Emi-senpai’s work. I just helped with the finishing touches.

Now, here, blow the candle for me, Rei-chan!”, said she, while making me wear the conical birthday cap.

Meanwhile, here I was, dumbfounded, staring at the cake. I couldn’t believe what was happening in front of me. I decided that it would be in my best interest to go with the flow, as I blew the candles.

This brought back some nostalgic memories, to say the least. I couldn’t clearly remember the last time I had celebrated my own birthday, that too, with others.

The cake was a simple strawberry vanilla cake, yet the taste was exquisite.

“Here Akeno, have some!”, I insisted, after cutting the first slice.

“Really Rei-chan! Thank yo- EEEEEK”

“How many times have I told you to cut down on your calorie intake, huh Akeno? And this is Reiji-kun’s birthday today. At least let him have the first bite.”

It was Ayako-san! She had just arrived, and it looked like she was incredibly pissed.

“No issues, Ayako-san! I don’t really mind! In fact, it would be my pleasure to let Akeno have the first bite.”

“Now who’s the one spoiling her, eh?”, replied Ayako-san, sarcastically.

___________________________________________________________________________

“Say Emi-senpai, what do you think? We should totally go on a trip together, just the three of us.”

“Can you really travel in this state, Akeno? I’m not sure, especially given your condition.”, I said.

“I really want to! In fact, it was my childhood dream back in middle school to go to a school trip with my friends. Unfortunately, due to work, I had to decline every time.”

“Hmmm….., even if you say that…”

“Let’s do it!”, replied Emi-senpai.

“Yay! Yay!”, Akeno was jumping with joy, listening to Emi-senpai.

“Sheesh! Don’t you think you are spoiling her a bit too much now, Emi-senpai?”

“Shut your mouth!”

Then, looking at Akeno, she said,

“I guess, if that’s what Akeno wants, then I’ll gladly fulfil her wish!

And besides,

Summer is about to end.”

___________________________________________________________________________

“Why are we here again?”, asked I, while standing inside the men’s yukata section.

“What do you mean, why? Amongst the 3 of us, it was only you who didn’t have a yukata at home.”, Emi-senpai replied.

“Yeah, but I believe that Yukata would be an overkill. I mean, I don’t exactly know how to wear one.”

“You don’t have to worry about such trivial matters.

The staff here are highly qualified. They will meticulously teach you.”

Somehow, it sounded really ominous.

I looked to Akeno to come to my rescue, but she was already busy munching on her chocolate ice cream.

The only response that I got from her was a thumbs up, signifying good luck.

Meanwhile, the staff members pulled me away, while Emi-senpai was busy picking outfits for me to try on.

Well, as messy as the situation sounds, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. If anything, the staff members were quite helpful in assisting me.

Finally, after a few minutes, it was the time for the big reveal!

Upon opening the curtains, I was met with two pairs of inquisitive eyes, who were checking me out from top to bottom.

“My my! What a surprise!”, said Emi-senpai.

But, instead of the usual sarcastic remarks, what I got from them were genuine complements.

“Hmm….not bad! It suits you”, said Emi-senpai.

“Wow, Rei-chan! You should totally start wearing Yukatas from now on!”, said Akeno.

“Is it that good?” I stared at my reflection in the mirror in utter disbelief.

“YES YES YES YES YES YES! FREAKING YES!”, Akeno said, jumping with joy.

“Looks like you need to change your glasses, Kouhai-kun! I mean, look at you! You should be more confident about your looks, you know?”, said Emi-senpai.

“I mean, I did check myself in the mirror, but I couldn’t understand the appeal.”

“Well, what did you expect? Women have a superior sense of fashion, after all. I don’t expect a bookworm like you to get it,” Emi-senpai said with a shrug.

Now, as I attempted my escape after the long and tiresome process of disrobing my Yukata, I was promptly caught by Emi-senpai yet again.

“Where do you think you are going?”

“N-N-N-N-Nowhere in particular.”

“If you have time to goof around, then come with me, and help me pick some more Yukatas for Akeno and myself.”, said she.

“Sigh! And here I thought we were done for the day.”

“Did you say something?”, Emi-senpai asked, cracking her knuckles.

“N-N-N-N-Nothing, senpai! You lead the way.”

___________________________________________________________________________

It was already evening, by the time we were done shopping. Honestly, shopping with women is scary! I’m never going back there with these two ever again.

“So, Rei-chan, do you think you could spare us a few minutes?”, Akeno asked, while pointing her finger towards a building.

I followed her finger, to find a building with the word “HOTEL” imprinted on it.

“I don’t really think it’s appropriate for us high schoolers to go there.”

“Really? But I go there all the time.”

I was flabbergasted at Akeno’s words. I couldn’t believe that she of all people would do something like that. I might be wrong, but isn’t that morally and legally wrong for a high schooler to be doing something like that? And since when did she start? Why didn’t Ayako-san tell me anything about this? I don’t think Akeno is in a dire need of some cash right now.

“Emi-senpai! Say something! Akeno says she’s been visiting that place for quite a while now. Isn’t it like against the school rules or something? Not to mention, it’s illegal for her to do it, isn’t it?”. I could hear my voice cracking, as I uttered those words.

“Not really. I mean, why exactly would it be a violation of school rules? Even I go there all the time.”

My jaw dropped, listening to her. The cool, collected, rational Emi-senpai, who is supposed to be the epitome of a model student, was spouting such nonsense.

I froze, in utter disbelief!

___________________________________________________________________________

“Hey there, Akeno-chan! How’ve you been?”

“I’m doing really well, Saki-san! Thanks for asking!”

“I see you’ve brought your friends as well! So, what brings you here today?”

“Well, Rei-chan here needs a makeover, so I was wondering you could work your magic, just like you do on me.”

Saki-san was the owner of the salon that Akeno had decided to bring me into. She was a woman in her mid-thirties, with a mature yet playful demeanour.

“Ohohohoh!! It’s rare for you to bring a boy with yourself”, said she, examining me head to toe.

Then grinning at me, she said, “You are a lucky man!”

Here I was, lying on the washing chair, waiting for my hair to be washed.

Apparently, I’m a sucker for directions. Akeno had actually been pointing toward this salon, which was right next to the hotel. It was I who had mistaken it. She looked like a regular here, as she was extremely friendly with all the staff. No one paid any heed to the fact that she was a star.

“Don’t you worry, Rei-chan! Saki-san is a real pro at this! She’s been doing my hair since I was a kid.”

“Look how you’ve grown up, Akeno-chan! I still vividly remember how you used to come running to me to hide between shoots when you were a kid.”

“Stop it! Not in front of Rei-chan, please! You’re embarrassing me!”

“Hahaha…!”

Looks like there was a whole another world of Akeno, which I wasn’t a part of.

I lied down, focusing on the sensation of the water and shampoo that were used to wash my head, and trying to clear my mind out of unnecessary thoughts.

___________________________________________________________________________

“This is…….me?”

I was promptly surprised, looking at my reflection on the mirror. I couldn’t recognize my face!

“Hehe! Surprised, eh?”, said Saki-san.

“You look so freaking cool, Rei-chan! That’s Saki-san’s magic for you!”

“I gotta say, this looks amazing! Maybe this is what being a professional means.”

“Hmph! Don’t get too full of yourself, kouhai-kun,” Emi-senpai said.

“Sigh… and here I thought you’d at least compliment me once.”

“It doesn’t matter what hairstyle you get.

Because in my eyes, you’d look good in anything.”

___________________________________________________________________________

I wanted to pay for the services, before leaving. However, Saki-san promptly refused.

“Keep the money to yourself, boyfriend-kun!”

I retorted almost immidiately.

“Firstly, I’m not her boyfriend!

Secondly, I wouldn’t go away, until you accept the money.”

She giggled at first. Then she leaned closer to me and said,

“Use the money to buy something nice for her. That would be my payment.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. But at least let me give you something in return, or else it wouldn’t sit right with me!”

Her face changed suddenly, as I said that.

“Then, how about a promise?”

“I guess… if you’re fine with it, then I’ll accept.”

She took a moment to collect her thoughts, while she stared at Akeno, who was busy chatting with other employees. Then, taking a heavy breath, she looked me in the eyes, full of determination.

“That girl is extremely talented, so much so that even I sometimes feel distant talking to her. You might think that she’s quite popular, and that she’s always the center of attention, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

You see boyfriend-kun, you might already know this, but she gets lonely quite easily, even if she might never show it on her face. She would just go about her life, nonchalantly, without even shedding a tear, but deep down, she’d be hurting herself. That’s the true Akeno Tachibana, a clumsy, lonely yet cheerful and considerate girl.

Sorry for rambling so much, boyfriend-kun, but this would be my one, and only one request from you.”

“And what is that?”, I asked.

“To never abandon her.

To always stay by her side, no matter what she says.”

Looks like God himself had decided to torture me yet again, punishing me for my past sins. I wasn’t sure how to respond to her request, as I could clearly sense what she was implying, but I also knew for a fact that I couldn’t keep running away from my feelings much longer. I knew that this is one of the times where I couldn’t afford to falter, regardless of my feelings for her.

So, I did, what I would normally do. I decided to accept her request, even though I was aware of its consequences.

“I promise!”

___________________________________________________________________________

It was already night when we reached the nearby subway station.

“I guess this is where we part!”, said Emi-senpai.

Akeno and I lived in the direction opposite to hers. So, it was natural for us to part our ways.

As I was about to leave, however, she held my hand, in order to stop me.

“What is it, Emi-senpai?”

“I know this is late, Kouhai-kun, and I’m sorry for not giving you this sooner, since I was mustering my courage to do so,

but here, take this!”

With that, she gave me a small bag, with a box inside.

“What’s this?”

“Your birthday gift, Kouhai-kun!

Sorry for giving it to you so late!”