Resolution

Looking back, the conversation between me, the two boys, Rossi-san with Mitoma-san and "Hanamaru-chan", and the school faculty was all but fun. Luckily for me, my bruises had become extremely excruciating near the beginning of the meeting, and I was advised to leave early and be treated by the nurse. In the nursing bed, I was given a change of clothes courtesy of the lost and found.

I took a nap that apparently amounted to nearly an hour. By that time, the meeting in the principal's office concluded too, because Rossi-san and the two others were by my bedside. My vision was clear once more, which made it easier to see Rossi-san's face and all her imperfections glistening with perfection underneath the fluorescent lights.

"In conclusion, Verano-kun, those boys were given suspension for the rest of the semester. They also have a mandatory order to attend summer school, and their parents will pay the damages for your situation and wasting school utilities."

After taking it all in, I ran my fingers through my dried and tangled hair.
"S-So their parents showed up too? Were they pulled away from work?"

"The boys received one hell of a shout'n on the spot. Surprised that didn't wake'ya up. When we left, I heard one parent say they're go'n t'move to another prefecture."

"Oh, really?" I responded. "That'd be for the best."

"Hell yeah, plus, their punishment'll follow them wherever they move t'. Sucks for them, huh, Verano?"

"Oi, is yer name 'Berano'?" asked Rossi-san's tomboyish friend. "I've heard both Yuri-chan and Atsui 'ere call ya that."

"Fufu," Rossi-san giggled. "Don't use the Japanese's 'Be' pronunciation, use the special 'Ve' one."

"Hueh? Be-Be-Berano? Nah, Ve-Vuerano-kun? Ya'know what, I'll just call ya by yer first name instead, that fine?"

"..."
I couldn't respond immediately. What did it mean for someone to call another by first name? I didn't know, but I was sure that strangers and acquaintances didn't use it.
"S-Sure," I said heedfully.

"Ah, Hanamaru-chan. Did you know that you two share the same last name? It's just that his is foreign."

"Oh, is that true?!"
Mitoma-kun leaned over my bed as his voice rose in excitement.
"I was wonder'n why you two were call'n him, what was it, 'Poet-kun'? That was weird as hell."

"I didn't know his name. I just heard Yuri-chan call him that and I went along with it. I just thought he had a weird family background."

 "So, Natsu Hanamaru and Verano Kiyoshi? Fated love, mayhaps? Ehehe."

"Hah? How does that even make sense, Atsu-idiot?! Ya sure got a few loose screws in that head of yers. Let me knock em back into place!"

"Bring it on, Dumbmaru! I'll be the one knock'n those screws in your head!"

Mitoma-san and Natsu-san tried taking each other's hair off, and Rossi-san tried to keep order. Meanwhile, I looked at them horsing around my bed. I knew their names and faces, but also other things about them.

Mitoma-san. My classmate with the heterochromatic red and orange hair who excelled at many physical sports, but also was amazingly cool when playing Karuta with me. He's known about me since last year, and I only wished I knew about him for that long too.

Natsu-san. The tomboyish friend with heterochromatic purple and pink eyes who seemed tough on the outside, but was simply overprotective for her bestest friend in the entire world. She also excelled in sports, but being in the Environmental club too must've been for her friend's sake too.

Rossi-san. The ruby girl had a secret anxiety problem that she dealt with prescribed drugs and lonesome talks in the garden, but also an open passion for flowers and their many meanings. She found me and helped me, even if it meant she'd have to hurt herself. Because of her, I realized the errors of my thinking. Because of her, leading the other two, my burdens of bullies were gone in the blink of an eye.

I don't want to create any burdens for them. I don't know what to do, but I know what not to do, too. Instead of avoidin' those past mistakes, I should just move past them. That's what she'd want, and I haven't forgotten that she needs to move past hers too.

I called for their attention.
"I...I don't really know how to say things right, or how to express myself correctly, but...thank you...for helpin' me."
I turned to Rossi-san and Mitoma-san.
"I-I also want to say sorry to you guys too. I've...tried my best to not get close to you when you were tryin' to get close to me. That was so wrong of me, I owe you guys a lot."

"Oi, Kiyoshi," called Natsu-san. "Give yerself some credit. Ya begged me for advice on how to get close to my Yuri-chan, and I appreciate that a lot! Ya got my Natsu seal of approval, okie doke?"
She gave me a thumbs up and displayed a cheeky wink and grin that revealed a fanged tooth.

The way she phrased her praise partially flustered my body because Rossi-san would find out that I'd been breaking my rules for her. Nevertheless, the three of them laughed, and I couldn't help but join in.

At one point, the school nurse asked Natsu-san and Mitoma-san to help with something, and I decided to use this opportunity to inform Rossi-san about what I figured out from her words, and also the conclusions I came to to help her move past her problems.

Within another half hour, my body was rested enough to start walking again. Mitoma-san supported me as the two girls led us to the front gate. We reached the stone columns and flower beds, and I stood by as Mitoma-san went to get his bike; Natsu-san also went for hers.

"Fwah!" Rossi-san groaned. "I'm so glad exams are over! Hey, Verano-kun! Fufu, it's so refreshing to not call you by nickname, though I love the name I gave you."

"That makes one of us. What were you goin' to say?"

"You like it too, I know that. Thanks for being with me after school this past week, it really helped me in more ways than one."

"We didn't meet many times, but I'm surprised at how much you made me act by pretendin' to not want me to act. I think it's your turn to act, too."

"How so?"

"You should tell Natsu-san about your problems. Just you two, maybe your parents can be another time, but that friend of yours loves you like no other. She'd protect you from any type of pain, but for that to happen, she has to know about the pain you've kept secret."

Rossi-san took a pause. She saw Natsu-san coming our way with her bike, which meant she had to decide what to say quickly.
"You really are a therapist. I'll start paying for your sessions soon, but not with money."
She started walking in front of me.

"Awh, I thought I was goin' to become rich. So, how will you pay me then?"

She paused and clasped her hands behind her back, tiptoeing up and down. Then her hair ripple in the wind as she turned her hip to the side and looked back at me. We connected eyes again, and I still hadn't gotten used to the beauty of her gemstones.
She whispered, "Secret."

"See, what did I tell'ya?" shouted Mitoma-kun. "Two seater bike! C'mon Verano, you sit on the back seat, and I'll get'ya home."

I frantically waved my arms back and forth.
"I-I've relied on your help a lot already, I can't ask to intrude on your way home either. I-I'll be fine–– Woah!"
My right hand was caught like a rat in a trap, and I was reeled onto his bike.

Mitoma-san was ready to pedal down the trail, but I stopped him and grabbed everyone's attention one last time. I tried my best to face them eye-to-eye.
"You three have helped me a lot already, so I'm sorry to say this is selfish of me to ask. B-But seein' as exams are over, that means club activities will begin again. I-I was wonderin', Natsu-san, if it's okay for Mitoma-san, Rossi-san, and me to join the...E-Environmental club?"
I ended up staring at the asphalt below our feet.

There was a silent pause. The natural me thought they were fed up with my requests, but then Natsu-san shouted,
"Soiya! I've been wanting new members to join! Yuri-chan rejected my invites because she wanted to bring someone else with her. Ya were the one, huh Kiyoshi?!"

I shot my eyes towards Rossi-san, and her hand-covered face had practically confirmed what Natsu-san said. The three of us agreed to join the club, starting Monday. The girls parted ways as Mitoma-san raced through the neighborhood wards to my apartment. We made it in record time, and I dismounted his bike.

"I'll be sure to repay this deed, Mitoma-san."

"You kid'n? You're already do'n so, ehehe."
He turned his bike around to head back to his home.

Before him was another figure approaching us. I recognized her immediately, because those eyes and that smile belonged to my sister. She waved and called out to me, and greeted Mitoma-san as he left. I opened the apartment, and waited for her to walk in first.

"Kiyo-brother, who was that person? A friend?"

I turned as he cycled away with haste. His speed was so natural for a guy of his stature.
"Yeah..." I replied. "One of three."

"Is that your first high school friend~?!"

Without hesitation, I said, "No. Though, you'll probably meet her soon. I know you'll get along with her."

"Yay~! I can't wait! Giddy spin~!"

Neither can I, I thought. I closed the door to our apartment.