I… I guess I’m fine with it…

Takemura Eiji looked to the side.

– It’s whatever… – he muttered with a reddened face.

Araki Yuuka was now looking at the floor, steaming.

Then, Eiji suddenly jolted up as Ishida Masato appeared and put his hand on his shoulder from behind.

– Now that that’s settled, we can leave, right? – he asked, looking at both of them.

Eiji turned his head to look at him, anger appeared on his face.

– You planned this all out, didn’t you? – he whispered with his eyebrows twitching.

– Me? Never. – Masato smiled knowingly, turning around. – We’ll wait for the two of you in front of the school, don’t take long, okay?

Masato walked forward with Satou Shiori slightly behind him, shaking her head and sighing.

– Why did I agree to this?

– Because it was I, who invited you! – Masato said theatrically, while gesturing towards himself.

– Just shut up already. – Shiori said, with a faint tinge of red in her cheeks.

Furuya Dai and Mihara Tamotsu were walking at the two sides of Noguchi Jun, they were closest to the shoe locker area.

– Come on, Noguchi-kun, not all is lost! We all know you like Araki-san, but didn’t Takemura-kun say he didn’t like her? So what are you getting all sad for? – Tamotsu had his arm around Jun. – Help me out here, Dai! – he added, glancing over to Dai.

– I really don’t give a damn… You haven’t even confessed, right? So you have no right to be sad when you don’t even have the balls to do anything. – he said, looking at Jun.

– I know, but have you seen how they act around each other? She even held his hand… – Jun sighed.

– God, you’re an idiot. – Dai facepalmed. – Don’t you have eyes to see?

– What do you mean? – Jun looked confused.

– She wasn’t holding his hand. – Masato interjected from behind. – It was his sleeve. – he raised his right hand grabbing his sleeve with his left hand.

– When did you get here? – Dai glanced back. – And also, aren’t you and Takemura-kun best buddies? Why would you help Noguchi-kun?

– I’m not helping anyone, just clarifying things. – Masato replied, putting his arms on the back of his head and leaning back slightly. – Also, there is someone else you should take into consideration. – he added, looking at Shiori who was walking beside him.

– Everybody knows since middle school that Noguchi-kun likes Yuuka-chan, except her. So I’m not going to do your work for you by telling her, Noguchi-kun. – Shiori said with a plain voice.

Jun didn’t reply, he just looked at the floor as they arrived at the shoe locker area.

Meanwhile, after Masato left, Eiji and Yuuka were standing in front of each other, neither of them saying a word.

After a few seconds, Eiji spoke up.

– I… guess we should go, shouldn’t make them wait too long… – he said.

– Yes. – Yuuka replied instantly.

Eiji almost turned around, but he suddenly noticed Yuuka’s hand that was still holding onto his sleeve.

Yuuka also noticed Eiji’s gaze looking at their hands and both of them reddened.

They froze again, neither of them glancing in each other’s direction.

– This is bad. – Eiji thought, as if his brain had short‑circuited.

Yuuka’s fingers rustled slightly against the fabric as Eiji took a deep breath.

His face suddenly returned to its usual, cold appearance as his thoughts started racing.

– The hell am I getting all flustered for?! Just tell her to let go of me and then it’s all settled? How can I, Takemura Eiji, act so pathetic just because of a girl? – he thought, angry at himself.

But all of his thoughts stopped when he heard Yuuka’s silent voice.

– I’m okay with walking like this if you want to… – she instantly reddened and subconsciously grasped Eiji’s sleeve even more.

Eiji froze for a second, but then came back to his senses

– If I want to? Who the hell does she think I am?! – his thoughts raced just like his heart, both chaotic.

But when he looked at her face his throat tightened and he could only mumble a few words.

– I… I guess I’m fine with it… – he also reddened as he turned around and started walking, feeling Yuuka’s hand hanging onto his sleeve.

They walked like this until the shoe lockers where they came to a stop.

– I… guess you should let go now… – Eiji said quietly.

– Y-Yes… – Yuuka said as she slowly let go of Eiji’s sleeve.

Both of them changed out of their indoors shoes and stopped, neither of them saying anything.

Eiji suddenly turned around and talked.

– Let’s just go, the others must be waiting.

He walked out with Yuuka following behind, now without holding his sleeve.

– Much better, right? – he thought to himself.

When they got outside, Masato suddenly greeted them.

– Hey, you two, I thought you would never show up. – Masato said.

– Yeah, well, let’s just go to that soba place or whatever. – Eiji replied in an annoyed tone as he and Yuuka walked to the group.

– I thought you didn’t want to come. – Masato teased.

Eiji suddenly put his arm around Masato and leaned in close, whispering to him.

– I already told you you’re dead meat, don’t make things even harder for yourself, okay? Be happy that I agreed or I’ll leave right now.

– I think you should be happy that you got asked to come, Eiji. You’re really unfair to me, I didn’t even do anything. – he smirked.

– Whatever. – Eiji sighed. – Let’s just get over it.

Eiji started walking forward but Dai shouted after him.

– Where are you going? You don’t even know where the place is!

Eiji stopped for a second and shook his head.

– You’re right…

He slowed down as the group caught up to him.

– Where are you hurrying anyways? Slow down, Takemura-kun. – Mihara said in a friendly tone.

– I just… hate walking slow…

– That we can see! – Mihara laughed.

Masato also joined in.

– What’s so funny? – Eiji thought, but didn’t say anything.

Yuuka was walking with Shiori behind the guys, talking quietly.

– What took you so long? Did he say something? – Shiori asked.

– No… We just… walked… – Yuuka replied, blushing.

– Well, I won’t ask more then… – Shiori said.