Obsessing Over Nonchalance

“So, you and Minori decided to join the student council?” Kyashii asked Yuyo when they were eating their lunch in the classroom.

“Yeah. I got recommended by our homeroom teacher. As for me, I think it’s a worthwhile experience as a student.” Yuyo shrugged. “And since Minori is the class representative, the student council is kind of one of her bosses, so she decided to join as well.”

“Heeh... I’m amazed by how involved you two are at school.” Kyashii feels a sense of admiration for her friends.

“It’s fun, Kyashii-chan. Why don’t you join us too?” Minori suggested.

“No thanks, I’ll pass. That’s not for me. To finish high school without getting involved in any extracurricular activities is all that matters to me.”

“Have you joined any clubs yet?” Yuyo asked.

“Sadly, there isn’t a cooking club here, so I won’t join any.”

“It’s because we already have cooking classes. Why not give other clubs a shot?”

“I have no interest in joining other clubs. I’d rather leave early for home. Hmph!”

“I see you can be a little fussy.” Yuyo chuckled.

“Absolutely not. If I were, I would have chosen someone else for my best friend!” Kyashii scowled.

“Hah?! I beg your pardon?”

“I mean, you’re a jerk, so if I’m picky, I wouldn’t want a best friend who’s a jerk to me.”

“Fair enough. The last thing I’d want as my best friend is someone as annoying as you anyway.” Yuyo rumpled her brows at Kyashii.

“What?! Do you really mean that?!”

“You’re the one picking a fight. At the very least, I can say the same thing. Why are you so high maintenance?”

“I’m not!” Kyashii snapped.

“Which one are you not?” Yuyo glared back.

“Now... Now… You two. Don’t fight while you’re eating.” Minori is making an awkward smile. Her intuitive sense tells her that this is a significant fight somehow. Over time, she figured out both her friends had a short fuse when irked. “Kyashii-chan, you shouldn’t say things like that about your best friend. Yuyo, the same is true for you.”

“She started it.” Yuyo pouted.

“I did?! You’re telling me I’m fussy!”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Hey, come on now. Stop–”

“Yu-chin! Are you done with your lunch?” A cheerful tall girl with honey hair, dressed like a delinquent, popped up behind Yuyo.

“Oh, Tomoka... More or less. Why?”

Kyashii and Minori turned their attention to the girl, whose facial expression was full of enthusiasm. As the class B representative, Tomoka is already a familiar face to Minori. Kyashii, on the other hand, seems to have no idea who this girl is.

Yu-chin? That’s not even Yuyo’s real name. That could be anyone’s name. It sounds like a different person, though. Kyashii silently frowned. She can tell from how Tomoka refers to Yuyo that the two are totally comfortable around each other.

“I need your help~... The discipline committee is on my tail! Nashiko-sensei keeps telling me to go to their office, but I don’t want to.” Tomoka grumbled.

“So, just what did you do again this time?” Yuyo peered at Tomoka, her gaze straying on her uniform. “Hmm. Never mind. I’ve already figured it out. Make sure your shirt’s buttons are in place.” Tomoka is defying the dress code by wearing her uniform with two buttons undone on the top.

“Eehh? There’s nothing even lewd about it. I don’t even think you’re seduced by it, right, Yu-chin?” Tomoka wrapped her arms around Yuyo’s neck and rubbed her cheeks like she was a pet.

Waahh! Seduce?! Is this girl trying to seduce Yuyo?! But... But she’s a girl! What is she on about?

And... What’s with her touchy-feely attitude towards Yuyo?! My first hug with Yuyo was never like that. Hmph! No matter how close we are, I can’t even hug Yuyo that way unless I’m up against a spider or bug!

“Hey! What are you doing? Let go.” Yuyo taps Tomoka's arm.

“Say you’ll come with me first.” Not wanting to let go, Tomoka indulges in the smoothness of Yuyo’s cheeks.

“Yeah… Yeah... Okay, fine! Just let go.”

“Yoosssh!” Tomoka leaped to her feet before she turned to face Minori and Kyashii, who had been staring at them for some time. “Oppsie! My bad... I didn’t mean to leave you out, my cute classmates. Umm... Should you not be familiar with me, I’m Tomoka Mizuno. Your names are?”

“I’m Minori Kamiwaki. I already know you, Mizuno-san.” Minori said with a gentle smile.

“I’m Kyashii Mikami. Nice to meet you, Mizuno-san.” Not even bothering to smile, Kyashii stared intently at Tomoka as though she were analyzing her in detail.

It took Tomoka a moment to notice Kyashii’s calculating gaze at her. “Hmm…?” She wondered why Kyashii was almost glaring at her. While she tries to recall what she did wrong in the past few days, none of her interactions with that pretty face comes to mind.

“Oh, well… Nice to meet you, guys. May I have Yu-chin after this?” The friendly smile returned to Tomoka’s face. As a way to enjoy high school, she has been making friends as much as possible. It’s of great importance to her that no one holds a grudge against her in class.

“You seem close to Yuyo since you call her by a nickname, Mizuno-san,” Minori said with pure curiosity. She had no idea there was someone closer to Yuyo than Kyashii or even herself.

“Ohh! Without a doubt. Yu-chin agreed to be my wife after all!” Tomoka’s chest puffed up with pride.

“What?! Wife?! What wife?” Tomoka’s words sent Kyashii into shock, while Minori was startled both by Tomoka’s remarks and Kyashii’s reaction.

“Heh?” Tomoka was baffled by Kyashii’s furiously knitted brows.

“You can ignore that. I never agreed to be that wife. She’s just making a joke about it.” Yuyo said with her eyes shut as she guzzled her juice box. “Quit pushing that joke around, Tomoka. That really sounds weird. Did you see their reactions?”

“Eeh? I don’t care if people think it’s weird. Nothing is more important to me than my role as Yu-chin’s wife. Neeh?” Tomoka put her cheek against Yuyo’s and smiled at the other two girls, particularly Kyashii, who was pulling a long face at her. She couldn’t repress a chuckle as there was a sense in her head someone in her class appeared to be a no-go for her.

“Say, Mikami-san and Kamiwaki-san, are you friends with my Yu-chin, or did you happen to invite her for lunch just for today?” Tomoka grins.

“My Yu-chin?!” Kyashii arched her brow. Seeing how Tomoka acts so familiar around Yuyo makes her lose her cool. “Well, I’m her best friend. Minori here is a close friend to both of us.”

She even has a leg up on me when it comes to physical intimacy with Yuyo! How annoying!

“Ohh… I see.” It suddenly dawned on Tomoka why Kyashii was staring at her in such a way.

“What makes you call Yuyo your wife, Mizuno-san?” Minori asked.

“Ohh... So it’s like this. Yuyo told me to fix my uniform when I talked to her on the first day of class. I immediately felt she was nagging me like a wife when I noticed her nonchalance in pointing out that I was in violation of our dress code. Because of that, I declared myself her wife. Pretty cool story, right?” Tomoka’s grin grows even brighter.

“No, it isn’t,” Yuyo chipped in. “I’ve been trying to get you to stop calling me that because it bothers me–”

“See? It’s so endearing when she tells it as it is without any filter that I want more of it.” A peal of hearty laughter erupted from Tomoka.

“Uhh? That seems like some sort of obsession, doesn’t it?” Minori sounded out.

“Right? I’m glad you understand me, Kamiwaki-san.”

“Huh?!” Minori was befuddled.

“Yu-chin has this super cool nonchalance combined with direct hits, kind of harsh but also absolutely adorable~...” Tomoka smiles at Yuyo, who already has a deadpan expression all over her face.

“Anyway, enough of the storytelling. You, come with me now. Let’s go get you chastised!” Yuyo hauled Tomoka out of the classroom.

“Oww~! Guys, we’ll see you later!” Tomoka cheerfully waved at Kyashii and Minori.

“What exactly was that?” Kyashii stared blankly at Yuyo and Tomoka as they walked away. “I don’t think I can get along with that girl.” She muttered, her left fist clenched.

“Ahh… A-ha-ha… Yeah. She seems pretty interesting, isn’t she?” Minori’s chuckle was an awkward one. That’s because she can almost sense Kyashii’s foreboding aura since she’s looking downright menacing at the moment.

“Interesting isn’t quite the right word, Minori.” Kyashii swept her scorching gaze at Minori. “She’s presumptuous! Why does she refer to Yuyo as ‘my Yu-chin’ and her wife? Just when did she own Yuyo?” She finds it bothersome when Yuyo is called that way.

“Ahaha! Oh, yes... She’s definitely p-presumptuous. She seems to like Yuyo a lot. Perhaps Mizuno-san shares your sentiments?”

“Huh?! What do you mean?”

“I mean, weren’t you planning on bothering Yuyo before? I’m saying your feelings for Yuyo on that day may have been the same as Mizuno-san, don’t you think?”

“Umm… Well, I see your point.” Kyashii seemed to be giving it a deep thought. “Wait! Even so, I never considered calling Yuyo my wife! Isn’t that strange?”

“Huh? Which one?”

“That she’s calling Yuyo her wife!”

“What’s so strange about it?”

“They are both girls!”

“I don’t find it weird at all, Kyashii-chan.” Minori giggled softly.

“Huh?! Really?!”

“Uhm... Why don’t you try calling Yuyo your wife as well?” Minori grinned.

“Haah?! W-Why would I do that?! All I want is for her to be my best friend! And I don’t bat for the other team!” Kyashii scrunched up her eyes at Minori.

What does she mean by that?! I just told her it's strange to label another girl your wife.

“Ohh, well... So it should be fine that Mizuno-san calls Yuyo her wife. After all, a wife isn’t just for a husband these days.” Minori shrugged.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. But it’s still strange to me.” Kyashii couldn’t understand why a girl would call another girl her wife unless that girl must be into girls.

Huh?!

“Wait, Minori! Are you saying Mizuno-san likes girls?!”

Minori chortled. “It’s hard to say, but we never know. Kyashii-chan, you might want to ask her yourself.”

“Ehh?! That is something I would never do...”

But yeah! It’s possible she likes Yuyo on a whole other level, isn’t it? I wonder if Yuyo noticed it.

As sure as eggs is eggs, Kyashii has finally come to terms with Tomoka’s overfondness of Yuyo.