Teddy Bear Gangster

 On a bright and early Saturday morning, Ryoichi had decided to treat Akari to breakfast at his favorite place to reward his recent attendance and studying. And while the young gangster appreciated the free meal, his mind was rather preoccupied with yesterday’s hangout events as one specific question lingered on his mind.

“Ryoichi…” Akari called as he stared outside at a pair of birds resting upon a nourishing tall tree. “What does it mean to like someone?”

The gang’s repairman spat out his drink, taken aback by the question his idol was asking.

“W-why are you asking this question out of nowhere?” Ryoichi inquired as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“It’s about Ayano,” Akari began to say. “Ever since we met, I’ve felt a strange feeling when I’m around her. It’s like my stomach is churning and I feel something fluttering in my chest.

I had always believed it was anxiety since she knew about my secret. I feared that if I wasn’t around her, something bad would happen and I felt awful when she wasn’t around. She was not only a danger to me but to the dream you have for me.

But just yesterday, Chiaki asked if I liked Ayano-san.” Akari fell silent. “I didn’t know how to respond but I felt something click inside me like something made sense.”

“What made sense?”

“Well, I do like her, Ryoichi. While I’ve never thought about it, I did always consider Ayano as my friend. But that’s what also confuses me. What makes her different from Nanami-san and Momo-san? I don’t feel the same way around them as I do with Ayano-san.”

“Why does Ayano make me feel different?” Akari turned his head toward Ryoichi with a blushing face. Ryoichi let out a sigh as he gave his idol a smug but disappointed glance.

“Akari-san…” He stood up and began to leave the breakfast cafe. “You have a study session later this afternoon. Don’t forget she’s coming over.”

“But what about my question?!”

“Answer it yourself.” Ryoichi waved a hand before the glass door swung close behind him.

♦_______✭❀✭_______♦

Did he like Ayano in a romantic way? No, that didn’t make sense. Akari had seen Chiaki and Momo dating and he couldn’t imagine him and Ayano like that. But they did spend a lot of time together by themselves. And according to Momo, that’s all that mattered. Akari couldn’t figure it out. Did he like Ayano that way or not?”

“So what’s your answer, Akari-kun?” Ayano asked as she stared at him.

M-my answer?!” Akari’s face flushed red as he fumbled around. “I mean… maybe I do? How would I know?!”

“But we just went over this problem,” Ayano pouted as she tapped the question on Akari’s textbook. “Did you forget how to solve it?”

Akari paused as he realized that he had been lost in his mind rather than studying once again. He quickly skimmed over the problem Ayano had been referring to before solving it correctly in his notebook.

“I’m glad you’ve been paying some attention,” the class president let out a sigh of relief before tapping his book. “Do you think you could finish the next two pages?”

“I guess so…” Akari reluctantly began working on the questions, trying to recall the formulas and tips Ayano had taught him. However, his frustration grew as he progressed through the first half of the page, causing him to fall back onto his back in exasperation.

“Are you done already?” Ayano asked, looking up from her own advanced studies.

“No…” Akari confessed as he slowly sat up, cradling a plushie in his lap—the one Shinji had gifted him.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you… why do you have so many plushies?” Ayano eyed the one the gangster was holding.

“Most of them are from the gang,” Akari explained as he turned around to admire his collection. “They always give me one regardless of the occasion. But they can go overboard as you can see…”

“Still, it must be nice to receive so many presents,” Ayano remarked, a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

“Here, you can have this one,” Akari offered, extending the round cow plushie from yesterday's arcade game.

“Really? Are you sure I can have it?” Ayano's voice carried surprise and gratitude at Akari's kind gesture.

“I wanted to give it to you in the first place,” Akari told her. Ayano's face lit up with a warm smile as she embraced the soft plushie in her arms.

“Thank you, Akari-kun.”

“Do you also like plushies, Ayano-san?”

“Of course I do!” Ayano plopped the cow plushie into her lap. “I have a few but this is the first time I’ve ever received one from someone else.”

“Which one is your favorite?” Ayano asked. Akari pondered the question as his gaze wandered over each of his plushies until finally, he picked up a light-brown teddy bear. “Bears are known for their strength but teddy bears are also incredibly adorable.”

“So, Akari-kun’s a teddy bear gangster then?” Ayano teased playfully. Taken aback by the lighthearted joke, Akari's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he tossed the stuffed bear at Ayano.

“Who’s a teddy bear gangster?!” He shouted back while Ayano burst into a fit of giggles. Retrieving the teddy bear, she held it in front of her face.

“Wouldn’t you say so, Mr. Bear? Akari-kun’s just like you!” She talked to the plushie with a smile. Akari pouted but didn’t say a word as he sat uncomfortably. A soft knock on the door interrupted their playful banter, and upon Akari’s approval, Misha slid it open and entered the room

“May I suggest that you two pause for lunch?” Misha proposed as she stood by the doorway. “It’s been three hours and twenty-four minutes since you started. Would Suzumiya-san like to join us today?”

“If it’s alright with you,” Ayano humbly accepted the invitation. Misha nodded in agreement, her demeanor exuding a sense of warmth and efficiency.

“Of course, I’ll prepare a dish for you. Is there a specific dish you would like?” The maid-like gangster asked.

“Anything?” Ayano’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she pondered the opportunity. “Would sukiyaki be alright?”

“Of course,” Misha responded with a nod. “I’ll go have it prepared immediately. If you and the… teddy bear gangster would like to tidy up before heading to the dining hall, I’ll have the other dishes served out first.”

“I’M NOT A TEDDY BEAR GANGSTER!” Akari's voice erupted in protest, his embarrassment reaching its peak. Misha couldn’t help but crack a rare smirk before turning to leave the room.

“I’ll get some honey for your tea, master teddy bear,” Misha teased one last time before departing. Akari let out a groan as he collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into the soft pillow.

“Why does this always happen to me...?” He mumbled, his voice muffled by the soft fabric. “I think I’m just going to lay here for a while before lunch.”

“Does the teddy bear gangster need to hibernate?” Ayano teased. “Ah, but you should eat a lot before you sleep!”

“I’ll rip you apart, paper girl,” Akari warned in a muffled voice.

“Sweet dreams, Mr. Bear,” Ayano said sincerely before closing the door. Unbeknownst to her, Akari’s face flushed a deep shade of red as he buried it deeper into the soft embrace of his pillow.

Left alone in the room, Akari's solitude was interrupted by the vibration of his phone on the nearby table. Reminded of his promise to be more diligent in responding to messages, the teddy bear gangster reached out to pick up his device. He unlocked his phone and discovered that the message was from Shinji. As his eyes scanned the words, a shiver ran down Akari's spine.

“If you don’t want your secret to be revealed, meet me outside of the night club tonight at eight.”