not to be a bother

“You’re graduating in like, two weeks right?” Hikari asked. Isaki’s eyes tracked the falling cherry blossom petals, the pink reflecting in his eyes. “Yeah, I think.” He said, kneeling down to get a closer look at the fallen flowers. “That kinda sucks… Hey, aren’t you majoring in technology or something?” Hikari bent down to where Isaki was, messing around with the fallen petals as well. “Mmhm.”

A group of petals flew away with the wind, leaving a small pile. “I thought you’d major in music or something because of you’re stupid obsession with Malice Mizer,” Hikari said, chuckling. Isaki picked up the pile of cherries and threw it at her.

“Hey! Was that a dig at Mana-sama?!”

“Haha, no it wasn’t!”

-

Hikari then felt a small nudge on her shoulder. “Keita-san. It’s time to take out the trash.” It was Nakano, and what she'd just experienced was a dream. “Were you dreaming?” Nakano asked. Hikari stood up, stretching out her arms. “Yeah, but it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt real y’know?”

“I think I do.”

The two took out the trash without saying much to each other, unlike yesterday. Hikari didn’t know what to say, while Nakano didn't think they were close enough to even have a conversation.
Nakano decided to try.
“You walked to school with Koyama today, right?” She asked. “Yeah,” Hikari said. “She lives a couple of houses away from me so sometimes she walks with me, Tokki, and the twins.”
Nakano slowed down to think about who the twins were. “The… Itachi girls, right?” Nakano asked again. Hikari nodded. “Yeah, Yumeka and Tsukiko. They’re 1st years.”

The two talked about the twins and Asuka, bonding over their shared friendship.

When they reached their classroom, no one was in there–not even Tokki. She’d left right after practice with a group of friends.
Hikari slung her bag over her shoulder and flipped her chair onto her table. She sighed, remembering that she had nothing to do after school except homework (which she did not want to do).
Nakano flipped her chair over her desk,- when her bag knocked against the table. A loose slip of paper had fallen out. She bent down to pick it up to see that it was a coupon to a “BokiBoki Chicken” that was around the area. Memories of the chicken place came flooding back. Back when she was a bit more outgoing in person she’d eat out with Koyama and some old friends from her father’s hometown. She felt her stomach growl. Now she had no one to go with.
Nakano turned around and Hikari was still in the classroom. She wasn’t sure if Hikari would even want to go with her to a restaurant (or if she’d even like BokiBoki). Nakano assumed Hikari didn’t even like her, but she still wanted to ask. She wanted to make new friends. “Um… Keita-san, do you like BokiBoki fried chicken?” Nakano asked. Confused, Hikari turned around. “What?” She said, a smile creeping up on her face. Nakano’s face flushed red. “It’s this Korean chicken place! T-They have barbeque kabobs or just regular chicken if you don’t like sweet stuff-” Nakano said, a bit embarrassed. Hikari laughed. “I’ve been to BokiBoki before, Nakano-san.” Nakano felt her embarrassment die down a bit, but she was still afraid to ask Hikari if she wanted to go. “Their kkanpunggi chicken is amazing… I’d love to go back there.”
And suddenly Nakano had an opening. “Oh, I have a coupon for free kkanpunggi at BokiBoki that expires this Friday. Do you want to come with me today?” She approached Hikari, holding out the coupon. Her eyes lit up. “Really? Ah… that’d be fun. But… I can’t. You should probably ask Asuka-chan.”
Just as quickly as she let her walls down, Nakano felt her confidence drain and the doors slam shut. She shoved the coupon back into her bag. “I don’t want to bother her. I’ll just give the coupon to someone else.” Without saying anything else, Nakano slid open the classroom door and left. Hikari felt a bit bad, but she really couldn’t have gone if she wanted to. She’d been tasked with taking care of her little brothers so she had to go straight home. Just as she was about to leave, she felt her stomach grumble. There was nothing to eat at the house.

Hikari sighed, wishing she could have some kkanpunggi chicken.

((sorry this one was short :,)