《My Girlfriend Doesn't Exist》 My Girlfriend Doesnt Exist (part 1) **High school...** What many consider to be the "golden years" of their lives. A place where friendships are forged, secrets are shared, and, for some, where they might meet the person they''ll spend the rest of their lives with. The sound of students bustling through the hallways, laughing, chatting, and unwrapping their lunches, fills the air. Amidst all the noise, there''s a couple sitting on a bench under the warm midday sun. They''re feeding each other bites of their lunch, their faces glowing with happiness. The world seems bright for them. But deep down, we all know... that¡¯s never going to happen. Akito Azuma watches the couple from the window, his reflection faintly visible beneath his chin. His eyes linger on them, his mind drifting. At least not for someone like me. The thought echoes, familiar and painful, as his gaze returns to the classroom. His stomach tightens. He¡¯s seen this hundreds of times before¡ªcouples, relationships, connections that seem impossible for him to make, almost like a taunt of how something so hard for him can be so easy for everyone else.He rubs his forehead in frustration, trying to push the thought away. The bell rings, and the next class is about to begin. Gym class is next. Akito heads to his locker, grabs his gym clothes, and makes his way outside to the field. It¡¯s ridiculously hot today, the sun hammering down with no mercy. His gym teacher must be out of his mind to make them play baseball in this weather. Akito''s position is in the outfield, but he¡¯s not really paying attention to the game. He¡¯s standing there, arms folded, his mind drifting. "Today of all days... is this guy trying to kill us?" he thinks to himself, his eyes squinting up at the sky, then hearing a familiar voice, looking outside of the field to see a group of 3 girls talking. He suddenly recalls a past conversation he¡¯d overheard in class between the same girls, the moment being re-lived. ¡°My boyfriend was so rude yesterday! He forgot to open the door for me when we went out!¡± ¡°I know, right! Mine forgot our 1 and 1/3 month anniversary! Who does he think he is?!¡± the second girl chimed in. A third girl began to speak up. "At least be thankful you have someone like that. Some people just don¡¯t find something like that for a long time... maybe never.¡± The first two girls laughed at the third, one of them asking ¡°When¡¯d you get so philosophical?¡±. The third girl joined in on the laughing, but the words still echoed in Akito''s mind. What if¡­that¡¯s me? Faded voices can be heard, calling out his name. A white flash engulfs his mind, with A faint image of a young girl flashing across his mind¡ªa silhouette he couldn¡¯t quite place, a face he didn¡¯t recognize. Before he could think further, he snaps back to reality, hearing his classmates call out to him, Akito seeing a baseball rocketing toward him. He ducks, but it''s too late. The ball hits him hard in the back of the head, and everything goes black, the image of the girl being seen as the last thing before he completely passes out. Who was that? Akito slowly wakes up, gauging his surroundings; he''s in a hospital room. A doctor stands by his bedside, greeting him as he wakes up. "Azuma, right? Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s okay," the doctor reassures him. Akito blinks, confused. "Where am I? What happened to the rest of the class?" "They¡¯re still at school," the doctor replies. "You got moved to the hospital, you got hit pretty hard back there. Nothing serious, though. Just a minor concussion." Akito feels the back of his head. There''s no pain. The doctor hands him a bottle of pills. ¡°Make sure to take one of these a day for the next couple of weeks,¡± the doctor says. ¡°They¡¯ll help with any lingering side effects, which can include¡­" Akito stares at the bottle, his mind drifting as the doctor¡¯s words fall unheard. What happened in gym class? Why can¡¯t I remember? Akito lays down in the bed at the Doctor¡¯s insistence, exhaling out of frustration. He closes his eyes, a final thought crossing his mind. I guess It¡¯s history now The next day, Akito checks out of the hospital. As he leaves, he spots his friend, Ryu, in another room playing with a small child. He takes a step in the direction, but something purple catches Akito''s eye¡ªpurple hair. He feels a strange twinge of recognition, but the moment passes quickly. Seems like he¡¯s busy. Akito heads home for the day, greeting his older brother as he gets home. Words are exchanged, but Akito can¡¯t seem to hear them clearly. He¡¯s tired. Akito heads up to his room, flopping onto his bed and instantly falling asleep.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The next day, he''s back at school. His friend, Ryu, is already in the classroom. He waves as Akito enters. ¡°Yo!¡± Ryu greets him. ¡°Yo. How you been?¡± Akito asks, placing his bag on his desk. Ryu looks at him with a smirk. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking that?¡± Akito laughs, setting his hand on Ryu¡¯s shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be fine. Thanks for worrying about me." He sighs in relief, a small smile following. He takes his seat, noticing the desks in front of him are empty. ¡°Are they still sick?¡± Akito asks Ryu ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Either that or they¡¯re cram studying for midterms¡± Ryu quickly adds on. Akito replies with ¡°knowing them, they probably haven¡¯t taken a single note¡± and letting out a quick chuckle. ¡°Probably¡±. Ryu begins to laugh alongside Akito, them both being caught in the moment. A pause then follows, the smile being wiped clean off Akito¡¯s face. He also hasn¡¯t studied. A wave of sheer panic washes over Akito¡¯s face as remembers that he needs to study for the midterms too. "Crap! The days I was resting were the days I was supposed to study!" His panic continues to rise. ¡°Y-yeah, midterms are soon, right?¡± he stammers, the stress clearly getting to him, but he tries not to let it show. Ryu gives him a calm, nonchalant stare. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re the one who needs to hit the books¡± Akito quickly starts paying attention in class, scribbling notes furiously. The clock ticks on, the day passing in a blur of textbooks. He quickly walks home, speeding by his brother once more as he enters the house, going right to his room to begin his studying. A few hours pass, Akito desperately trying to catch up on his work, blasting music in his headphones to completely focus. He doesn¡¯t hear the door open behind him. It¡¯s his brother. Shoya enters the room, a plate of dinner in hand, but no reaction from Akito. Shoya gives a warm smile, appreciating the sight of his brother studying so hard, and wishing not to disturb Akito¡¯s flow, decides to set down the plate on his desk in an empty spot. Akito notices the plate moments later, and turns around, expecting to see Shoya but Shoya is already out of the room, the door just barely closing as he exited the room just before Akito turned around. He stares at the plate of food, the thought not even passing that he¡¯d not eaten in hours. He gives a soft smile, appreciating the gesture from his older brother, then continuing his studies. This routine happens for the entire weekend, Akito studying endlessly in preparations for the midterm, this time Shoya leaves an energy drink on his dresser for him. Akito studies through the entire weekend, and with the midterm being the Monday after, wonders if he¡¯d done enough studying yet. He looks at the door to his room, it being open with a direct view into Shoya¡¯s room, seeing his older brother asleep in bed. A wave of determination washes over Akito, a single thought running through his mind: It wouldn¡¯t be fair if he was the only one trying. Akito begins to study vigorously, into the later hours of the night, eventually falling asleep at his desk, Akito having a dream: A gymnasium. Not one I¡¯d seen before, but one looking straight out of a picture book. Confetti lined the floors, a banner being hung over the stage; something important must¡¯ve happened, but where is everyone? I must¡¯ve just missed what happened. I went on to the stage to better understand what''s going on, but that¡¯s when I see something¡­a chair, a piece of paper being on the back of it, but the writing isn¡¯t something I can read from here. I jumped down from the stage to see if I could read it¡­but I never made it there. I¡¯d slipped on the confetti strewn across the floor. Ironic, isn¡¯t it? The marker of celebration being the cause of pain. I attempt to stand up again, but my arms are too tired to move, my legs too heavy to stand. He hears some echoing mutters, familiar sounding, but nothing legible. The echoing gets louder, not being a voice but beeping. Akito shoots awake in his chair, looking over at his clock, the alarm waking him up. He rubs his eyes, then slowly adjusting to the surroundings, then he sees the time. He was going to be late. In a flurry, Akito gets dressed, mismatching socks, untucked shirt, bag still half open¡­but none of these factors really mattered to him. He was going to get there on time, no matter what. He shoots out the door, leaving it open and Shoya is seen standing in the doorway, watching Akito sprint down the street, letting a proud smile out. The clock on his watch ticks slowly, getting closer and closer to the midterm start time, Akito getting more and more tired but still keeping up the pace. He enters the school just before the bell rings and the test starts, making his way to the classroom, opening the door in a panic as the bell rings. The door slams open, grabbing the attention of everyone in the class, Akito drenched in sweat and massive bags being under his eyes¡­but he¡¯d made it. Akito takes his seat, writing the midterm, a bit of struggle seen in his face in some questions, but he pushes forward. Ryu leans back in his seat, not really caring about the midterm itself, and his gaze fixes toward the ceiling. Takuma is struggling on the first question, tapping his pencil on his head to try and activate his brain, to no avail. Kenji has his head in his arms, laying down on the desk, the midterm sheet below, not even his name being on the page. The final bell rings, indicating the midterm has ended, and that they need to hand it in. Akito taps Kenji, Kenji waking up in a half-awake state, haplessly scratching notes on the page and handing it forward, letting out a being stretch of relief that it¡¯s over. In the hallway afterward, Takuma complains, ¡°I tried my hardest to study, but it never seems to click.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± Ryu reassures him, patting him on the back. ¡°I think we all know he can¡¯t even beat a punching bag,¡± Kenji adds sarcastically. Akito laughs, still exhausted but enjoying the camaraderie. Takuma turns to him. "How do you think you did?" ¡°Not too bad," Akito says, grinning. "Probably would''ve felt better if I¡¯d remembered it was happening." Kenji suggests they walk home together. Takuma and Ryu need to use the bathroom, so Akito decides to meet them outside. At the front steps, Akito waits, leaning against the railing. The exhaustion is finally catching up to him. He struggles to keep his eyes open. As he tries to stay awake, the door behind him opens. Akito opens his eyes and turns to see who it is, expecting it to be his friends. At this moment, the fatigue and exhaustion set in; he¡¯s too tired to do this. As he falls asleep on the front steps of his school, someone appears. Their gazes meet for a moment, but this is no moment which he¡¯d forget anytime soon. This was the first time he¡¯d seen her before. Her red hair seemed to radiate in the sunlight, the breeze slowing to a halt in his mind. As his eyes fully closed, and his mind shut out thoughts and fell asleep, there had been one that¡¯d snuck through and stayed: If a moment exists between two people, which one can decide what it means? He didn¡¯t understand what this meant until just now. Neither. My Girlfriend Doesnt Exist (Part 2) Exhaustion of studying had caught up to him, hitting like a truck. Akito¡¯s mind remains blank, as he lays unconscious on the steps of the school, but his friends then exit the school, seeing him sleeping. Takuma shakes Akito awake and asks ¡°Are you okay?¡± Akito rubs his eyes, being completely confused at what his friend is asking ¡°We left you for like 10 minutes, so you decided to take a nap on the ground?¡± Ryu jokingly asks Akito ¡°We already planned a funeral for you. Why¡¯d you have to ruin it?¡± Kenji quickly adds on, Akito still being slightly confused and seemingly out of reality. ¡°Hopefully they can reimburse you for the costs¡± Akito replies, yawning directly after. Takuma and Kenji laugh at this, then Takuma helps Akito up off the ground, Kenji picking up his bag and handing it to him. ¡°We should get going now¡± Ryu tells the group, Kenji and Takuma beginning to walk toward the gates¡­yet Akito remains standing on the steps. Who exactly was that? Akito looks up to see his friends walking without him, quickly jogging to catch up to them, yet the thought still lingers. The walk home was silent, that was, silent for him. Ryu, Kenji and Takuma were all laughing and joking around, Akito not paying attention to any of it as his interest lies somewhere else¡­with someone else. The group gets a bridge over a smaller stream, Akito and Kenji parting ways with Ryu and Takuma, with Ryu heading back the way they came, and Takuma crossing the bridge with them but going a separate direction. They all wave goodbye, when they split, with Kenji and Akito being the last to do so. ¡°You sure you can get there okay?¡± Kenji asks Akito, worrying about his walking ability from the lack of sleep Akito turns to see the door of his house, saying back to Kenji in a soft and thankful tone ¡°I should be fine. Thanks for walking me home too, I know it¡¯s a bit out of the way-¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± Kenji cuts off Akito mid-sentence, both of them exchanging a look of understanding, then both smiling at this. Akito makes his way toward the door, Kenji making sure he gets there, then walks toward his own house. Akito walks in and takes his shoes off, then looks up to see Shoya, wearing an apron and greeting him with a smile. Even through the exhaustion of the day, the mental toll that the late-night studying had on him, he manages to give a nice smile back to his brother. The effort was for him, anyway. After taking his shoes off, he sits down at the dinner table with his brother to eat, Shoya making a massive meal for the celebration of the midterm completion. Akito is grateful for this action, eating his brother¡¯s cooking with great joy. Dinner finishes, with He going to wash the dishes for him and his brother, but Shoya stops him from doing this ¡°I think you¡¯ve worked hard enough today. You can take the night off.¡± Shoya says to his little brother in a calm yet warm tone. Akito looks up to his brother, and with his last ounce of energy replies back ¡°Thanks¡± They both smile, Akito then sliding his way up to his room and immediately passing out on the bed, still in his school uniform. The next morning comes, Akito being fully recharged from burnout and eager to start the day. He brushes his teeth, then heads downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a bento box out of the fridge and putting it into his bag. He makes his way to the doorway of the kitchen, pausing himself. He¡¯d forgotten to take his pills. He heads back upstairs, fetching the bottle from his nightstand, taking 2 in his hand and heading to the bathroom, swiftly taking a sip of water to wash them down. Akito heads to the front door, passing Shoya, who¡¯s in the living room watching the news. His cup of coffee is on the table in front of him, but he¡¯s fast asleep, snoring as loud as can be. Akito chuckles to himself for a second, taking out his phone and snapping a picture of this moment; Shoya would never live this down. Akito puts his shoes on, then heads out for school. He arrives at school before any of his friends do, switching his shoes to the indoor pair, and heads up to first period. On his way to the classroom, he notices the hallways are empty. The morning sun peeks into the hallway, reflecting off the newly cleaned floors and lockers. The Sun¡¯s Bright Today He glances across the courtyard to the other side of the school, the hallway over there being completely empty too, then Akito looks toward the sun as it begins rising above the clouds obscuring his view slightly. He raises his hand to block this light, but the sun seeps through the gaps of his fingers. Akito chuckles to himself slightly, then turns to head into the classroom, but something catches the corner of his eye as he turns: A glistening pink strand of hair. He rubs his eyes, the sunlight still having an effect on his vision, then looks to where he thinks he saw something, yet nothing is there. He finally walks into the class, people having small talk around desks while waiting for class to begin. He glances at the board, remembering he¡¯s on class duty today and lets out a disappointed sigh. The other name next to his is Takuma¡¯s, with Akito¡¯s face lighting up a small amount at this sight, then he turns and walks to his desk, sitting down and waiting for his friends to show up. The time gets closer and closer to starting class, with no sign of Kenji, Takuma, or Ryu yet. Akito sits at his desk, pen and paper out, ready to start class. Just as class is about to start, Kenji and Ryu enter the classroom around the same time, the teacher giving them a stern look for being late, but the boys don¡¯t notice this. Kenji and Ryu walk to their desks then sit down, but neither of them grab anything out of their bags to write anything down. ¡°On time today? Is it a special occasion?¡± Akito asks jokingly, with a big small smile on his face This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Just be happy I¡¯ve blessed you with my presence¡± Kenji retorts in a sarcastic tone. There¡¯s a slight pause, with Kenji¡¯s fake smug face slowly cracking, then letting out a quiet laugh. Akito laughs at this too, and Ryu lets out a smile. Akito looks at the door, expecting Takuma to show up any minute¡­but that minute never arrives. After about 5 minutes, he gives up and accepts his fate of doing the class duty alone. The day fades away, Akito writing notes down for each class but Kenji and Ryu seem to space out, neither of them writing anything down or really paying attention to what¡¯s going on. The final bell rings, and everyone gets up and is excited for what they have planned after school¡­that is, everyone except Akito. Ryu and Kenji get up to leave, grabbing their bags, but they notice Akito slumped over his desk. ¡°Should we call an ambulance?¡± Kenji asks jokingly, with no response from Akito or Ryu. ¡°Why¡¯s he so down?¡±, Kenji questions, still confused at Akito¡¯s mood, but Ryu then points to the classroom duty written on the board, with Takuma and Akito¡¯s names written on it. ¡°Probably has something to do with that¡± Ryu states, Kenji¡¯s eyes being opened at this sight, then leaning down and placing his hand on Akito¡¯s head. Kenji then apologetically says to Akito, ¡°I¡¯d help you if I weren¡¯t already doing something after school¡± Kenji then glances at the clock on the wall, then speeding off in a hurry ¡°Sorry! That thing¡­is¡­well¡­right now!¡± Kenji yells as he exits the classroom in a hurry Ryu lets a soft chuckle out at this, then walks out of the classroom, waving goodbye to Akito in the process, but he misses this since his face is still buried in the desk. A few more minutes pass, and the classroom finally clears out. Akito raises his head and finishes his self-pity party, and begins to clean up the classroom. He stacks the chairs, and for a brief moment peeks out the window to see people walking away from the school, presumably on their way home. His gaze fixates on a couple. They seem happy. He continues with the classroom duty, making his way up to the chalkboard at the front and wiping the board full of equations clean, getting to his and Takuma¡¯s name still written on there for classroom duty. He pauses for a moment, then lets a light smile out and erases the names off the board. You probably have a good reason. It¡¯s not like you did this intentionally. Akito gets to beating the erasers out the window, the clouds of chalk puffing up around his head in the process. Just when he¡¯s about to be finished, the chalk cloud goes in his eyes and face, causing his eyes to water and him to start coughing uncontrollably. He drops the erasers on the floor, grabbing a sip of water to clear his mouth, then rubs his eyes to clear them. He picks the erasers up and puts them on the teacher¡¯s desk, then looks upon the empty classroom in front of him. Feels different when you¡¯re the only one around. Kinda spooky. Akito notices the chalk on the board is almost gone, and reaches into the teacher¡¯s desk to fill it up. Akito grabs the smaller pieces of chalk and steps toward the trash can to throw them out, but after a single step pauses himself. He then looks back at the trash can, then at the chalk in his hand. I can definitely make this, right? Akito then shoots the chalk like a basketball, but completely misses all of them, with some fragments ending up in the hallway outside the classroom. This is why I don¡¯t play basketball. A wave of embarrassment comes over him, but then he remembers nobody was here to see it. Just to make sure though, he glances around to make sure the classroom is empty. Akito exhales a sigh of relief then looks over to Takuma¡¯s empty desk, smiling to himself You wouldn¡¯t have made that shot either, idiot. Akito goes to clean up the chalk pieces he miserably missed before, then grabs the ones on the floor in the classroom first and throws them out. He then walks into the hallway and crouches down to grab the chalk fragments, when a pair of shoes enters his peripheral view. Akito jumps up, startled at seeing something unexpected, in the process headbutting the nose of the other person at an insane speed. They both fall backwards, ending up on the ground. Akito grabs his head in pain, his eyes wincing as he holds the point of impact. What the hell are they doing here? Who else would be staying this la- Across from him is a girl, holding her nose in pain, her eyes closed but still angrily talking to Akito, blaming him for what just happened. ¡°What was that for?! I was just trying to help you clean this up and you decide that headbutting¡¯s the best course of action? You could¡¯ve given me a concussio-¡± The girl¡¯s eyes open finally to meet the gaze of Akito, his hands no longer holding his head, his eyes fixated on her¡¯s Silence fills the hallway, the two of them sitting face to face with each other. ¡°It''s¡­you.¡± ¡°It''s¡­you.¡± They both ask the same question to each other, the girl¡¯s hands falling from her face in disbelief. The silence returns, only for it to be broken as Akito notices the girl¡¯s nose is bleeding ¡°Your nose is bleeding. Let me get you a tissue¡± They both head into the class, with the girl sitting at Takuma''s desk as Akito retrieves the tissues from his bag, then handing them over to the girl. As they sit in desks, an awkward silence overcomes the room, neither of them knowing where to start, or if they should even start it. ¡°You¡¯re¡­from the other day, right? A-At the front of the school?¡± The girl asks Akito, her hands fidgeting in her hair, her eyes refusing to make contact with him. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Akito replies shyly, a nervous smile emerging to try and lighten the mood in the room. Akito apologizes, saying ¡°Also, sorry about your nose¡­that was completely my fault¡± then bowing his head to her. ¡°N-No¡­I¡¯m to blame for this as well. I should¡¯ve just let you do your thing¡± the girl replies regretfully, almost as if she¡¯s blaming herself for his actions It¡¯s not her fault. It¡¯s my fault. If I hadn¡¯t missed so badly this would never have happened. Akito then extends his hand and offers a compromise ¡°How about both of us are responsible?¡± Akito offers lightheartedly, a light smile on his face. The girl extends her hard to grab Akito¡¯s, then they shake on this conclusion. ¡°It''s only fair¡± the girl happily says back, a heartwarming smile appearing on her face. After a while of them lingering in the classroom, the girl¡¯s nose stops bleeding, and so they get up and head for the door. They exit the room, closing it then about to head separate ways. Akito gives a light wave, the girl responding with a small wave of her own, and they begin walking. If this was some romance manga she would be running back and yelling something like ¡°Wait! I Love you!¡±. Akito glances over his shoulder, seeing the girl still walking away. He looks forward again, slightly disappointed his fantasy didn¡¯t come true. He then clutches his hand hard, then looks up to the ceiling. ¡°So listen¡­.¡± Akito turns around to face the girl. The girl turns around at the sound of his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever said this in my life before, but¡­¡± The girl looks Akito in the face, her eyes widen in anticipation of what he has to say. Akito¡¯s face tenses up, and his eyes close from nervousness. ¡°...would it be okay if¡­we talked more?¡± A brief silence follows Akito¡¯s question. His eyes remain closed, but the nerves haven¡¯t calmed down at all. The silence is broken by the sound of footsteps, walking closer to him, with Akito opening his eyes to see the girl closer to him than ever. The sight of her so close makes him blush. The girl then speaks up, asking Akito another question ¡°You mean right now? I have things I have to do lat-¡± ¡°Not now, if you¡¯re busy¡­I just meant it as¡­uhh¡­¡± Akito stammers his words after interrupting the girl, then formulates his sentence. ¡°I meant in the future! I want to¡­I want to know you better!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes glisten at the sound of this statement, her face turns a bright red. Akito meets her gaze with his eyes, and they both begin blushing even harder. This is a first. Not just for me, but it seems like it is for her, too. The girl¡¯s watch begins ringing, like an alarm she set was finally going off. She looks down at her wrist and inhales sharply. ¡°Sorry! I really have to go this time!¡± the girl says in a panic, then turning tail and running the opposite direction. Akito looks at her running down the hall and begins asking in a quiet tone ¡°name¡­WHAT¡¯S YOUR NAME?¡± The girl looks back while still moving forward, then smiles ¡°Akari¡­.Akari K-¡± She¡¯d gone too far for Akito to hear her. Akari What? His stare lingers in the hallway, looking to where she just was. Nothing had ever gone this way since¡­ever. At least for him. He nervously swallows the spit in his mouth, then looks down at his open palm. He raises his fist to the ceiling, posing as if he¡¯d won a massive victory. Akito then heads toward the lockers of the school, switching his shoes out for his outdoor pair, then exits the building. The breeze, the sunset, the clouds. They didn¡¯t seem fake today. The world changes regardless if you do or not¡­but today, today I changed with it. I took a step, for the first time I took the first step toward something I wanted to do. No matter the size, no matter the meaning, no matter the end goal¡­I moved forward. Love Confessions Dont Exist! Akito, still caught in his own mind, is brought back to reality by the sound of the bell ringing. He backs out of the hug with Akari, then gets a great idea. ¡°Would it be alright if I got your-¡± Akito reaches into his pocket, but it¡¯s empty. He pats around his other pockets in a frantic gesture, then finds it in the other pant pocket. As he pulls out the phone, Akari glances at her watch and is shocked at what time it is. She gathers her things, then begins to walk away from the library. She waves back at Akito while speed walking away, a worried look on her face ¡°Sorry! If I¡¯m late one more time, my parents might actually kill me!¡± She¡¯s gone before he even has a chance to utter a word, and he¡¯s left in the same place he was at the start of lunch. Alone. He lets out a disappointed sigh, shutting the phone off and sliding it back in his pocket. Maybe I was getting too ahead of myself, must be fate showing me what¡¯s best. He starts packing up his lunch stuff, then exits the library and heads toward the next class, but catches a reflection of himself in the window and stares for a moment. Don¡¯t get too caught up in the moment¡­It¡¯s not like she would¡¯ve given it to you anyway. Akito gets to class, and sits down at his desk while preparing to start the lesson, but as he¡¯s doing so, he feels a poking sensation on his shoulder, and turns to face his friend. ¡°Hey, Aki¡± ¡°Yo, Takuma¡± Takuma greets Akito with a smile and amicable tone ¡°Where were you at lunch? We were waiting for you!¡± Takuma indicating Kenji and a blank desk ¡°I had to return a few books I borrowed from the library. Sorry for not saying anything¡± Akito apologizes, bowing his head A ray of sunshine seemingly follows Takuma¡¯s expressions, with a big , genuine smile ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it? We thought you got in trouble or something!¡± Takuma gratefully exclaims Akito is confused by this assumption ¡°Me? In trouble? Use that brain of yours for once¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what Kenji was saying¡± Takuma pointing over to Kenji Akito looks over to Kenji, who¡¯s laying back in his seat, almost asleep. You¡¯re not fooling anyo- Akito looks at Takuma again, giving an innocent smile Akito lightly chops Takuma on the head ¡°He¡¯s just kidding, like always¡± Takuma rubs his head in pain, then smiles again and nods his head in agreement with Akito. The teacher walks into class to start the lesson, and Akito takes a final look at Kenji, who¡¯s still asleep in class. Y¡¯know, when he actually pays attention, he¡¯s actually kind of¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s begin the lesson now¡± CRACK Kenji was on the floor; he¡¯d leaned back too far and fell off his chair. The class begins to laugh at him as he gets up, and he rubs the back of his head in slight pain, but joins the laughing with a giggle at himself. ¡­But that¡¯s almost never The teacher gives a judgemental look to Kenji, then continues to teach the class. About half of the class had already passed, Takuma and Kenji not taking notes while Akito is the only one who is. The classroom door slides open, catching Akito and the class¡¯s attention. It¡¯s Ryu. He walks back to his desk, but on his way the teacher stops him. ¡°Iwatani-san, care to explain why you¡¯re just now showing up to class?¡± Ryu pauses for a moment to think of an excuse. ¡°I¡­.uhhhh¡­.was hungry?¡± The teacher gives a stern look to Ryu, then sighs and continues teaching the class. Ryu sits down and sets his back on his desk hooks. ¡°Hungry? Really?¡± Kenji leans back toward Ryu and asks ¡°It was the only thing I could think of!¡± Ryu defends himself Kenji giggles a little bit, Ryu being offended and looks toward Aki to back him up on this. Akito shuts his eyes and shrugs ¡°Sorry man, that was a pretty bad excuse¡± Ryu looks down in disappointment, and Takuma reaches his hand over to comfort Ryu by putting it on his shoulder ¡°I thought it was a great excuse!¡± Ryu slowly looks toward Takuma¡¯s pure and innocent smile ¡°Thank you¡± Ryu accepting Takuma¡¯s compliment ¡°...even though any excuse is a good one to you¡± Ryu quietly says under his breath, Takuma not hearing this and remains smiling at his friend. Ryu looks up to the board to ¡°learn¡±, but he¡¯s just blankly staring at the board. Akito turns back to face the board and starts to take notes once more, but forgets where they are in the textbook. He leans back to see where Takuma¡¯s textbook is opened to¡­but all that¡¯s on his desk is a sketchbook with a cartoonish drawing of a bee on it. Figures. He pays attention for the remainder of class, and the day finishes like any other. ¡­ Akito enters his home, and takes off his shoes ¡°I¡¯m Home¡± ¡°Welcome back!¡± Shoya says back Shoya made dinner for them again, and they sit down to eat dinner, then cleaned the dishes. It¡¯s nighttime now, and Akito lays in bed once more, dozing off into his dreams. He wakes up, back in the gym from before, but this time there¡¯s no confetti on the ground. Someone must¡¯ve cleaned it up. I guess what I¡¯ve got to do now is the chairs. Akito looks down from the stage at the endless sea of chairs he¡¯s got to clean up. Would be nice if someone else would help at least. He lets out an exhausted sigh, then begins to stack the chairs. One by one, the chairs are put away, Akito eventually only having a row left, the front row. He begins to stack the front row¡¯s chairs, feeling exhausted by this physical labor, but pushed onward, until the final chair is left. Last one¡­I¡¯m almost done¡­just this last chair¡­ He makes his way over to the chair and tries to pick it up¡­but can¡¯t What¡¯s wrong with this chair? He pulls harder, but the chair won¡¯t move. Akito stops pulling for a moment, looking down at the legs of the chair Is this thing cemented here or something? Akito tries pulling it again, with all his might to pick this chair up¡­but he slips and slams his head on the ground. He lays on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, out of breath. Maybe I¡¯ll just take a small rest¡­just for a minu¡­ Akito closes his eyes, but a younger boy is seen looming over him. Only the back of his head is visible, and he¡¯s staring down at Akito, his orange hair is the only thing which is visible. Akito wakes up in a daze, seeing Shoya standing over him in a similar sense that the orange-haired boy was. ¡°You forget that you have school today?¡± Akito rolls over, pulling the covers over himself, thinking Shoya¡¯s just messing with him ¡°It¡¯s sunday, just let me sleep for a bit longer¡± Shoya puts his phone in front of Akito¡¯s face and turns it on, with on the screen. Akito¡¯s eyes widen, with the realization that he¡¯s wasted his weekend coming back to him.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Akito shoots up out of bed and begins frantically getting dressed, haphazardly throwing his uniform on and getting his stuff together while Shoya just stands there, holding his backpack and a plate with toast and 2 pills on it. Akito swallows the pills first, then grabs the toast and puts it in his mouth, throwing the bag over his shoulder. He leaves the house in an all-out sprint, flinging the door open and leaving it that way, Shoya walking to the door and closing it for him, a slight smile on his face. Akito¡¯s sprint continues, various backgrounds flickering as he continues toward the school. He stops to catch his breath, the school in sight now. It¡¯s been a while since I''ve seen her¡­almost a week I think. He begins running again, dropping his shoes at his locker but not putting the other ones on just yet. He runs through the hallways, then makes it to his classroom. He makes it to class just about halfway through, bursting the door open. The teacher looks at him for a moment, then continues teaching. Akito makes his way to his desk, and sits down. He¡¯s sweating a significant amount, and is trying to catch his breath. He sets his bag on his desk and puts his shoes on, then takes out paper and his textbook to take notes. He then looks up at the board. It¡¯s blurry. That¡¯s weird. He rubs his eyes to try and clear it up, but it still remains blurry. A face of realization washes over him. I knew I¡¯d forgotten something. His contacts. They¡¯re at his house, sitting on the counter of his bathroom. It¡¯s my fault for waking up so late. Akito reaches into his bag, pulls a glasses case out, and puts the glasses on. Akito gets used to the glasses again, and glances over to Kenji, only to see him staring in awe. ¡°What? Is something on my face?¡± Akito asks, confused at Kenji¡¯s face ¡°What kind of relic did you just dig up?¡± Kenji jokingly asks Akito Akito looks away from Kenji defiantly ¡°I was in a hurry this morning¡± Kenji starts chuckling again ¡°So you decided to be a nerd?¡± Kenji can barely keep his laughing (at his own joke) down. Akito smiles at this joke, then looks back toward Kenji ¡°You know, if you wore..¡± ¡°Nah¡± Kenji waves his hand in a dismissive gesture, stopping that train of conversation dead in its tracks. They both go back to their own methods of ¡°in class work¡±, until the class finishes, and they go to eat lunch. Nothing much happens during lunch, and the 2 of them quickly finish up and head to class once more. They sit down in preparation for the next class, looking outside to see the rain pouring down. Akito rests his head on his desk, and Kenji looks at the ceiling in boredom. Akito looks back to where Takuma and Ryu usually sit, noticing empty chairs. ¡°They both sick?¡± ¡°I know Takuma is. But Ryu, I don¡¯t know about¡± Kenji replies As he finishes this sentence, Ryu slides the door open, absolutely soaked from the rain outside. He walks to his seat, as if nothing is out of the ordinary, his clothes dripping with each step. As Ryu sits down, a puddle forms under his chair, and a large smile grows on Kenji¡¯s face ¡°That¡¯s a weird looking swimsuit¡± Kenji comments, Ryu sitting there with no reaction to this Akito smiles at this, wanting to join in on the fun ¡°I think he was just REALLLLY thirsty¡± Akito and Kenji now both smiling at Ryu. Ryu sits in silence for a moment, then inhales. ¡°I was¡­out running an errand, then it started pouring¡± The three of them glance outside, seeing the rain still pouring down. Akito looks back at Ryu, a look of slight sympathy growing on his face ¡°That must¡¯ve sucked, forgetting your umbrella on a day like this¡± Ryu gets slightly embarrassed at this, and lets a nod out in agreement. Wet footsteps are heard again, and Akito looks up to see a girl with pink/ purple hair walk into class, and sit down on the far side compared to Akito¡¯s group, followed by the teacher walking in. That hair¡­seems familiar The day quickly passes by again, with the three boys heading to their lockers, changing their shoes to go home. Akito walks over to Ryu¡¯s locker Since he forgot his, might as well give him mine. I can always share with Kenji ¡°You can use mine, since you don¡¯t have one¡± As he steps to loan the umbrella, Akito catches a glimpse into Ryu¡¯s locker, seeing an umbrella and a folded note in it. Ryu slams his locker shut and accepts the umbrella gift from Akito, his face being red out of embarrassment. I thought he didn¡¯t have his¡­ Kenji and Akito walk home while sharing the umbrella, then heading inside his house and into his room to complete his homework. He reaches into his bag to grab the textbook, not being able to grab it. It wasn¡¯t there. The universe loves kicking me while I¡¯m down. Thanks. He heads back to the school, the storm finally subsiding, and the sun begins to shine through the evening clouds, washing everything in a golden hue. Akito makes it back to the school, it being empty again. Sure seems like a graveyard when no one''s here He makes his way up to his classroom, finding his textbook on his desk. He walks over to the desk, grabbing the textbook, but noticing the puddle left under Ryu¡¯s desk. You¡¯re a complete mystery to me¡­but everyone has their own reasons. Akito lets out a laugh, then looks to the door, seeing a girl standing in the frame. Akari. Akito and Akari¡¯s faces turn red, neither expecting to see the other. Akito swallows the nervous spit in his mouth. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here so late?¡± Akito asks ¡°I..F-f-f-forgot something¡± Akari stammers back, pointing at a bag at the back of the class, Akito grabs the bag for her, and walks to hand it to Akari. They head into the hallway, walking together. Akari looks over at Akito nervously ¡°Does it still hurt?Y-Your head¡­I mean¡± Akito rubs the back of his head, letting a smile out ¡°It''s getting better, but don¡¯t worry. What happened wasn¡¯t your fault¡± Akita reassures Akari ¡°What happened? Did someone hurt you there before?¡± Akari questions Akito ¡°Base¡­¡± Akito replies is a serious tone ¡°Base? Is that a name?¡± Akari is confused at this ¡°Base¡­ball¡± Akito snickers, letting a giggle out while Akari is not amused, furrowing her brow and getting ¡®angry¡¯ at Akito Akari slightly punches Akito, accepting her punch. It doesn¡¯t hurt. Akari is now pouting about this joke, Akito looking at her face and is taken aback by the sight of her beauty. Even when she¡¯s mad at me, she¡¯s still¡­ Akari looks Akito in the eyes, and they both stop walking ¡°Super pretty¡± Akari¡¯s face turns bright red at this, and Akito covers his mouth, accidentally letting this slide. They both stand there in silence, each of them blushing an extreme amount The both continue walking toward the entrance of the school, neither saying a word. Idiot! Some things are better left unsaid. Let¡¯s just hope she doesn¡¯t¡­. He looks over to Akari, her face obscured from his sight. Akito looks dejected at this, then looks forward. I saw this coming¡­this is nothing less than what I¡¯d been expecting this entire time. A flashback occurs, showing Akito watching a movie on his TV: The rain overcomes most sounds, yet the man and woman can hear each other clearly. The male character then bows his head, putting his hand out ¡°Please, Go out with me!¡± The female character looks at the Male character, her face twinging whilst trying to hold back emotion ¡°Sometimes, people come into our lives at strange times. They may not always have good intentions, but they never leave without changing you.¡± A flash shows the actors having fun together, and being close friends, ¡°I think you were here to teach me¡­what a true friend really is¡± the female finishes off The Male looks completely devastated by this, but then the screen turns completely black ¡°This movie sucks¡± Akito¡¯s reflection can be seen in the black of the shut-off TV, holding the remote. We jump back to present times, Akito clutching his hand tightly Just because I know it¡¯s coming¡­doesn¡¯t make it hurt any less Akari¡¯s straight face then breaks, with her blushing returning and having difficulty saying anything to break the silence. Akito notices this and is caught off guard ¡°...t-t-t-thank y-y-y-you¡± Akari stutters back, too shy to attempt any other words Akito¡¯s eyes widen in shock and confusion ¡°What?¡± Akari looks down in embarrassment ¡°for¡­calling me pretty¡­Th-Th-That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve e-e-e-ever been c-called that¡± Akito¡¯s spirit floats out of his body, hitting a celebration dance, but quickly falls back into his body, his face getting increasingly red by the second ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Akari looks at Akito, noticing his face turning color. Akito¡¯s face turns serious, then glances around the entrance to look for anything different. This has to be a joke¡­it can¡¯t be real¡­none of it can. The universe won¡¯t let me win that easily. It¡¯s been that way since I can remember. Akito¡¯s eyes turn grey, Akari noticing the change of expression and getting concerned. Aktio takes steps forward. ¡°You really had me going there¡­you know that right?¡± Akari is still confused at this, but remains silent. ¡°You can stop forcing yourself to be here, just to get a laugh out of someone else¡¯s misery. Stop pretending like you care, show me how you really feel about this¡­about me¡± Akito walks forward a bit more, making it outside, Akari following behind him. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve never cared about this¡­that all of this is just for your own fun¡­¡± Akito turns around to face Akari, tears in his eyes, but still looking down. ¡°...show me that i¡¯ve been right about you¡± Akari steps toward Akito ¡°No.¡± Akito looks Akari in the face, her now a step away from him. Both of them with tears in their eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going to prove you right¡­I don¡¯t want to lie to you, or myself.¡± Akari replies in a serious but shaky tone. ¡°The reason I haven¡¯t seen you for a week¡­Is because I didn¡¯t know how to confront you¡­about how I feel¡± Akito takes a step backwards, stumbling onto the stairs, paralleling the first time they met. Akari looks down at Akito, the textbook on the ground behind him. ¡°Since I met you, I felt a way I didn¡¯t know I could¡­a feeling I didn¡¯t know existed¡± She crouches down to be level with Akito ¡°I¡­want to understand it, and for that to happen¡­¡± The light peeking through the clouds has a moment where the golden sunshine envelops both of them, the wind stops, and the warm feeling of spring is truly felt. ¡°...I need you¡± Akito gains another flood of images, crawling into his brain, silhouettes of a person, younger. The person reaches out a hand, Akito seeing this silhouette and Akari¡¯s hands both reaching for him. His eyes remain wide, his breathing is shaking, his body trembling. ¡°...you need me?¡± Akari agrees with this, and though Akito¡¯s tears stopped before, new ones were arising. Not tears of sadness, but tears of relief. ¡°I¡­need you too¡­Akari¡± Akari¡¯s eyes gleam at this, her mouth remaining open. She takes a deep breath, and before Akito can react, She¡¯s on top of him and hugging him Akito feels her head on his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt, her arms wrapped around him, with a grip refusing to let go. Akito hugs Akari back, staring straight into the clouds, the golden hue still coating them. He closes his eyes, and holds Akari tightly This is all I¡¯ve ever wanted. If this is some joke that the gods are playing on me¡­ at least let me decide the punchline. Date Planning Doesnt Exist Akito is still taking in the scene unfolding in front of him, his arms remaining wrapped around Akari, her arms still around him. Beep. Akito hears a watch beeping; the sound of a preset alarm going off, but it¡¯s not from him. Akari backs away, her face remaining red, but glances at her watch. Her eyes widened at the sight of the time, like a wave of panic was held off until just this moment. ¡°Crap! If I don¡¯t get home in time, my Dad¡¯s gonna kill me!¡± Akari says, in a panic and rushed tone. Akari turns and walks to the left path, beginning to walk away. Maybe I could come too-.... Akito reaches out to grab her hand, but misses. She¡¯d already walked out of his reach, and to the left path, Akito shaking this off and walking toward the right path, and began his trek home. The walk home is tinted in a golden hue, like a warm embrace covering his entire body. Akito extends his arms in front of him, the image of Akari appearing in the gap. Is that what another person is supposed to feel like? This sensation, the hold I had on her, the way she felt in my reach¡­ I thought I¡¯d never get to experience this myself. The feeling of focusing everything you have, everything you are into one person¡­It¡¯s something I want to feel again. This feeling is¡­ The train of thought is lost on Akito, as a truck drives by, which catches his attention, the side being an advertisement for a pool installation company. Akito stares at the truck for a moment, then turns to begin walking toward his house again. The door to his house opens, the scent of dinner filling the house. ¡°I¡¯m Home¡± ¡°Welcome back, hopefully all that running¡¯s got you hungry!¡± Shoya replies jokingly Akito takes his shoes off and sets them beside his brother¡¯s, only to see a familiar pair of sandals. She¡¯s here, isn¡¯t she? Akito walks toward the dining room, but before he can make it there, a woman peeks her head out the doorway. The woman is Shoya¡¯s girlfriend of 3 years, Aoi Tsukumo. Her short brown hair hanging off her head, and the sunglasses on the top of her head were indicator enough. ¡°Shoya spent a lot of time on dinner today, so make sure to savor every bite!¡± Aoi cheekily says ¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t have to tell him that part!¡± Shoya embarrassingly tries to cover his thoughtful actions from within the kitchen, but the reply makes both Aoi and Akito smile. Akito continues toward the dining hall, thinking about Aoi and Shoya¡¯s relationship, seeing Aoi in the kitchen with Shoya. She¡¯s been around for so long, It¡¯s like she¡¯s a part of the family now. Like a big sister, but the most important part is that she¡¯s always there for him¡­more than I could say. Aoi reaches for the glasses behind where Shoya is cooking, communicating what to do and where to do it seamlessly, but without any words. Aoi brings cutlery to the table, Shoya sets plates while Akito sits on one of the chairs and relaxes after a long and new day. Dinner is served, Aoi, Shoya and Akito all putting their hands together before eating the food before them. ¡°So Aki-chan, how was your day?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special, but I did forget my textbo-¡± Akito stops himself from finishing the sentence, the thoughts of Akari and his interactions flooding their way into his brainUnauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Aoi and Shoya look confused at the sudden stoppage, noticing Akito¡¯s face has gotten all red, embarrassed at something. Shoya tries to switch gears. ¡°Did you get to school on time at least?¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t! What do you think I was gonna do, teleport there?¡± Akito responds sarcastically, the abrupt response making Aoi choke on her water. Shoya hands a cloth to Aoi, then gives looks back at Akito ¡°Did you at least find your textbook? You left in a hurry saying you forgot it on your desk¡± Shoya continues, asking in a genuine tone. ¡°I¡­did¡± A light bulb finally clicks in Aoi¡¯s head about his earlier reaction ¡°Did you react that way because of how your midterms went?!?¡± ¡°No, this time I did really well! 17th!¡± Akito replies, a proud look of confidence on his face. ¡°And what about your friends? How¡¯d they do?¡± Aoi asks A mental image of Takuma, Kenji and Ryu comes into Akito¡¯s mind, Takuma day dreaming with the number 164 being next to him, Kenji asleep at a desk with 102 next to him, and Ryu looking disinterested with a 124 next to him. ¡°They¡­tried¡­¡± probably. Shoya reaches a hand out to pat Akito on the head from across the table, having to stand up to do it. ¡°In all seriousness, I¡¯m proud of you for placing so high. Good work, Aki¡± says Shoya, in a serious and heartfelt tone, each word meaning more to Akito than Shoya will ever know. Shoya sits down, and they resume eating. ¡°So with a ranking like that¡­¡± Aoi says in a leading tone Akito drops his fork on the ground, and leans down to pick it up. ¡°...You must have a girlfriend, right?¡± Akito shoots up from the ground, slamming his head on the underside of the table as he rises, showing something to him for a split second. An¡­.empty sandbox? Akito returns to sitting upright, Aoi and Shoya looking concerned about him hitting his head on the table. ¡°N-N-NO! Not at all!¡± Akito replies in a hastily made rebuttal, unsure of the accuracy of the words himself. Aoi and Shoya glance at each other, exchanging the look of understanding to not pursue any further. ¡°I mean¡­there is someone¡­¡± Aoi and Shoya are reeled back in by this statement by Akito, looking to him in anticipation for what comes next. ¡°There¡¯s something there, I think I ...want to see where this goes¡± Akito says skeptically. ¡°If you feel like there¡¯s something there, then I¡¯d go for it¡­How do you think me and Aoi got together?¡± Shoya backs up Akito¡¯s desires. ¡°What if I¡¯m wrong about her?¡± Akito anxiously asks Shoya and Aoi. Aoi reaches her arm out, reassuring Akito¡¯s point of view. ¡°If you think she¡¯s important to you¡­don¡¯t let go of it.¡± Aoi says in a serious tone, Akito resting assured in his pursuit of Akari. Dinner finishes up, with Akito bringing the dishes to the sink for everyone. ¡°So how¡¯d you know? About me meeting someone?¡± Akito asks Aoi, surprised that she guessed something like this. ¡°That¡¯s a secret¡± Aoi rubs Akito¡¯s head, smiling. Aoi heads toward the door, Shoya following ¡°I¡¯m just going to walk Aoi home, I¡¯ll be back in a bit¡± Shoya tells Akito ¡°It¡¯s not that far, Shoya. You don¡¯t have to walk me home¡± ¡°I know I don¡¯t have to¡­I want to¡± Shoya puts his hand out, Aoi grabbing it and holding on, then leaving the house. They really are meant for each other. If anyone can make him happy, I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be you, Aoi. Akito washes the dishes at home steadily, looking back toward the table to see if he missed anything. A single plate is set on the head of the table, no food, no cutlery, no drink, just a plate. Akito walks to grab the plate, adding it to the pile he has to wash. You¡¯d be the one to help him through something like this¡­not me. Shoya and Aoi are walking home, the 2 of them taking the evening scenery together. ¡°So how¡¯d you know Akito met someone?¡± Shoya asks ¡°Couldn¡¯t you see it? The light?¡± ¡°Light?¡± Images of Akito from dinner replay through Aoi¡¯s perspective, a golden aura as bright as the sun radiating around him. ¡°He seemed happier, like a weight he had just¡­disappeared¡± Shoya looks down for a moment, then smiles. ¡°I didn¡¯t wanna Jinx it¡± ¡°What?¡± Aoi replies, confused ¡°I saw the change in how he was the day he went back to school. I didn¡¯t want to bring it up because¡­because I¡¯m selfish.¡± The 2 stop walking, Aoi looking to Shoya, still being confused about what¡¯s going on. ¡°I¡¯m selfish for not asking about it. I figured that, if something good happened, and I¡¯d been the one to end it, I¡¯d never forgive myself for it¡­for ruining his smile. I just wanted him to stay happy.¡± Shoya¡¯s face is covered by his sleeve, Aoi leans in and hugs him, whispering in his ear ¡°It¡¯s okay, Shoya. You aren¡¯t selfish for doing that, you wanted him to be happy. I do too.¡± Shoya hugs her back tightly. What would I do without her? ¡­ Akito is laying on his bed, scrolling on his phone, when a message suddenly pings on his screen. It¡¯s from Aoi. Aoi- Aki- Aoi- Aoi- Aki- Aki- Aoi- Aki- Akito shuts his phone off, then turns his lamp off on his nightstand. Under the covers, his arms start to glow, as everything except him fades from his mind. Aoi¡¯s words echo in Akito¡¯s brain. ¡°If you think she¡¯s important to you¡­don¡¯t let go of it.¡±, repeating over and over again, the warm feeling still lingering on his arms. When I held her for the first time, it felt like I¡¯d already done it dozens of times before¡­it felt natural to me, like an instinct. I don¡¯t plan on letting her go, not now¡­not ever. "First" Encounters Dont Exist Akito enters the school first thing in the morning. The crowd of eager (and not so eager) students ready to learn are all in the same place, at least, for the time being. Aki opens his locker, and as he does he notices his friends making their way to him (them all being here on time for once). Takuma wraps his arm around Akito, Ryu and Kenji standing around the locker, a sense of closeness between the friends is definitely present here. ¡°How¡¯s it goin¡¯ Aki? Something good happen recently?¡± Takuma asks Akito I mean, you could say that. Akari appears in Akito¡¯s head, flashing the good moments they¡¯ve shared, although limited. ¡°H-H-How¡¯d you know that?¡± Akito stammers, his face turning red out of fear of this moment being exposed. ¡°You seem different now, it¡¯s hard to explain. It¡¯s like¡­.¡± We look into Takuma¡¯s brain, showing the group hanging out, but Akito is nothing but a silhouette of shadows, but as he sees Aki now, he¡¯s much more filled out, no longer a full shadow. ¡°...you¡¯re reachable now, like there¡¯s more of you here¡± Takuma¡¯s usually happy face is more serious now, but this goes over the friend group¡¯s heads, Kenji and Akito being confused at Takuma¡¯s wording. The 2, still confused, look at Ryu to see his reaction, but his gaze is fixated somewhere else, someone else. Kenji and Akito look over to where Ryu¡¯s eyes are fixed on, seeing a group of girls. 4 of them. People I''ve seen before, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve talked to any of them. I¡¯m not too sure about the names of the other 3, but the one he¡¯s looking at is clear to me. A face of realization comes over Kenji, leaning in to whisper in Akito¡¯s ear. ¡°The one he¡¯s looking at¡­¡± I already know. Akito¡¯s vision focuses on one of the girls, the purple, long-ish hair glistening in the morning sun. ¡°...is Aizawa Miki. I think that he might, y¡¯know, have a thing for her¡± Kenji whispers. Akito¡¯s face isn¡¯t surprised at this, which isn¡¯t the reaction that Kenji wanted, so he looks over to Takuma and whispers the same thing. Akito looks at Ryu''s face, seeing not a look of spite, or envy, but a genuine look of care and affection, whether Ryu notices it himself or not is another thing. I think that look might be¡­ ¡°....RYU HAS A CR-¡± Kenji covers Takuma¡¯s mouth to stop him from saying the rest. Ryu finally focuses on the conversation happening in front of him, slowly panning to the group of 3 standing in an awkward pose and staring at him. The 3 boys share the same thought Hopefully he didn¡¯t hear that¡­ Ryu¡¯s face turns extremely red, stammering incoherently for a moment, then pointing toward the girls, specifically Miki. ¡°...I¡­do¡­not have a¡­CRUSH ON AIZAWA¡± Ryu shouts, catching the attention of nearby people, his face super embarrassed and sweating nervously. The bell to start the classes rings, and people begin walking toward first period rooms, the event that just happened being erased almost immediately. Ryu stands, frozen in place, and Akito puts a hand on Ryu¡¯s shoulder/ ¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night¡± Akito¡¯s face grows with a big grin, Takuma and Kenji walking with the crowd. ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk¡± Ryu retorts, Akito¡¯s face growing more red. ¡°You¡­might have a point.¡± Aki whispers under his breath. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°NOTHING. SEE YOU IN CLASS!¡± Akito screams out and runs to class. Ryu¡¯s eyes remain fixed on Akito, walking next to Takuma and Kenji. Akito¡¯s face looks bright, like nothing could dim this light coming from him. Good for you, Aki. You finally met your match, it¡¯s been too long since things have gone your way. Maybe¡­ Ryu¡¯s eyes close, then open once more, a look of slight optimism coming over him. ¡­I can find that someday. The group¡¯s all in class now, each doing their version of schoolwork. Kenji¡¯s face down, trying to sleep while laying on his book, Ryu stares toward the front of the class, not really paying attention to what¡¯s in front of him, and then there¡¯s Takuma, extremely focused on his notebook, more specifically his drawing of a cartoon-ish flower. Akito looks toward his friends, not surprised at this point to how his friends are ¡°learning¡±, and singles out Kenji to focus his attention on. He claims to be ¡°learning by osmosis¡±...but I don¡¯t think he used that word right. Kenji¡¯s name gets called to answer a question, and Ryu kicks his chair, which startles him awake. He stands up, takes a look at the board and guesses the completely incorrect answer, followed by a few quiet chuckles in the class. The class finishes up, and lunch time rolls around, and Takuma, Kenji and Ryu all gather at Akito''s desk. Kenji moves his head to indicate the door. ¡°We should head down to get a good spot. We all know what happens when we don¡¯t¡­¡± A flashback shows Akito, Takuma, Kenji and Ryu sitting next to the trash can on the floor, the cafeteria full of people eating their lunch. A remembrance of this moment brings a look of shame upon all the boys, regretting not getting there to sit like civilized people. Akito gets up, and the group walks through the hallways and into the cafeteria. Kenji spots something in the corner of his eye, then gets a bright idea. He sets his bento on a table in the middle of the room, and the group follows. Ryu tries to sit next to Kenji, but Kenji stops him with his hand. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Ryu asks, confused at this action ¡°Reserving a spot for my bestest friend ever.¡± Kenji defiantly states, signaling Akito to sit where Ryu was going to. Takuma sits across from Akito and Kenji, Ryu still confused at this, but doesn¡¯t feel like putting up a fight so moves to sit next to Takuma. Ryu¡¯s confused and conflicted face is focused on. What¡¯s he trying to pull? It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t joke like this, but that stuck up attitude like he¡¯s doing me a favor needs to stop. Ryu sets his food down, and looks toward Kenji, who has a smug look on his face. Ryu spots something behind Kenji¡¯s shoulder and his face turns bright red from embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s got you so red, Ryu?¡± Takuma asks, putting the back of one of his palms to check his temperature to test for a fever. Kenji fakes a cough to grab his attention, then signals over his left shoulder with his thumb toward the table behind them. Akito glances over to see, then the pieces fall into place in his mind. The other table is where the group of girls is eating, the same one Ryu was staring at before school. This position¡­this time¡­.this angle¡­it¡¯s perfect! Akito looks toward Kenji and gives an approval in the form of a thumbs up. They both look toward Takuma and Ryu, only to see Takuma looking at the ceiling (following Kenji¡¯s thumbs up), and Ryu looking down at his food, face red and hands on top of his head. Akito is about to begin eating, but his stomach gurgles. Not for food¡­but for something else. He clutches his stomach. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back¡­¡± Akito says, with a look of a hard fight ahead of him. Takuma is about to stand up, but Ryu holds him in place. They watch on as Akito leaves the lunchroom. ¡°Some battles must be fought alone¡± Ryu says valiantly, Kenji chuckling at the subject, but Takuma has a blank expression on his face. Takuma puts his hands together in a praying gesture, a golden light covering him like he¡¯s an angel in this very moment. Ryu and Kenji pay it no mind and start to eat. ¡°O Lord, allow Aki win this hard battle ahead of him, and emerge unscathed¡± Kenji and Ryu choke on their food after witnessing this, then their lunch continues as normal. After some time, Akito finishes up in the bathroom, and washes his hands, throwing the paper towel out on his way out of the bathroom. He makes his way out of the bathroom, and looks up only to be caught off guard by Akari, waiting for him outside. Akito¡¯s face turns bright red, followed by Akari¡¯s face doing the same. ¡°...hey¡± ¡°...hey¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. An awkward pause follows this interaction, neither knowing what to do next, or even what to say. Come on brain, think! You¡¯re up there for a reason, so give me something to say! I can¡¯t just let it end there! Akito stands there, his mind blank on subjects, but out of nowhere Akari clears her throat. ¡°So¡­uhhh¡­I wanted to ask you something, A¡­Akito¡± Akito¡¯s heart starts racing, nervous sweat spilling down his face. She¡¯s gonna ask me something?!?! What could it be, what could she want with me!??! ¡°Actually, I d-d-did too¡± ¡°Y-Y-You go first¡± Akito nervously swallows the spit gathering in his mouth, his hand shaking, but his fist clenches, and his resolve strengthens. ¡°Would you want to¡­go to the¡­m-m-m-mall with me this weekend?¡± Akito asks in a shy, and nervous tone Akari¡¯s eyes light up, a glimmer of relief reflection to Akito¡¯s gaze. She grabs Akito¡¯s arm and a smile washes over her face. ¡°...yes¡± Akito¡¯s face looks tense, but a slight relief is seen when he exhales. He¡¯d finally done it, he got over the hump. ¡°How does 14:00 sound?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t have any problems with it¡± Akari¡¯s phone starts going off with notifications and phone calls, Akito catching a peep of the name, it being her father. ¡°Sorry, my parents make me eat with them during off periods. I only had a few minutes before this would happen¡± Akito is still at a loss for words, and Akari speeds down the hall, yelling back at Akito. ¡°You better be read for Saturday, Akito¡± Did¡­did I just¡­ Akito blankly stares at the hallway Akari ran off in, then looking at his own hands, them shaking after the adrenaline wore off. I did it. With these 2 hands, with this person¡­.with only me¡­I did it. Akito smiles, looking at the ground with his face red and a look of happiness on his face. Akito smiles all the way back to the Cafeteria, sitting back down and eating his food, practically glowing. Takuma, Kenji and Ryu look at Akito, wondering why he¡¯d be so happy after doing something like¡­that. Lunch proceeds with them talking about regular subjects, each of the boys being happy to be around each other. ¡°Those midterms were pretty tough this time around, don¡¯t you think?¡± Akito complains to the group, with Ryu with an unsurprised look directed at him. ¡°Who cares! They¡¯re just pieces of paper!¡± Kenji preaches a relaxed tone and care-free attitude taken with this subject. Takuma smiles innocently and laughs a bit, slightly embarrassed about the subject. ¡°Would¡¯ve gone a bit better if I¡¯d understood what we learned¡± Akito and Kenji look for Ryu¡¯s answer, but his gaze is fixed on the girls now. Kenji gives a kick under the table to snap him back to this conversation. ¡°What about you, Ryu?¡± ¡°Yeah, what? Sure, I do too¡± This response makes not a single shred of sense, Kenji smiling at this. ¡°You guys need to start taking this stuff seriously, you know? If you need help just come and ask¡± Akito tells the group, Takuma grateful at this proposition. ¡°I¡¯d rather get stuck in a thunderstorm with nothing but pajamas on than study, no offense to you¡± Kenji retorts. ¡°Thanks for the offer, Aki. I¡¯ll let you know¡± Ryu calmly says back. The bell rings, indicating lunch is over, and the boys get up to head to class. The focus shifts from the group of boys to the girls, them still sitting down. Miki Aizawa is watching the boys get up and leave the lunchroom, Rei Funjino , sitting next to her, noticing her attention somewhere else. ¡°What¡¯s this? Has someone captivated the lonely heart of the great wall of Miki?¡± Rei says in a sarcastic, almost joking tone. Miki¡¯s face turns flustered, then gets defensive on this. ¡°N-N-NO! I WASN¡¯T!¡± Miki shouts back, her face as red as ever. Fumiko Ishigami looks toward Miki¡¯s face, a cold gaze being present on her face. ¡°She was laughing at how intensely you were staring at Iwatani-san¡± Miki¡¯s face remains red, her unable to say another word back. The girls finally get up to leave the lunch room, Miki being the last to get up. As they leave the room, Umi Nishikawa walks next to Miki. ¡°Next time, you should try to make it less obvious¡± Umi whispers in Miki¡¯s ear, grinning from ear-to-ear at this, while Miki remains flustered. ¡­ The day finally ends, with the boys meeting in the lobby and walking home together, as usual. They make it to a bridge, all of them walking over, but as they reach the other side, Takuma realizes something. He¡¯d lost his phone. Takuma pats down his pockets, getting more concerned by the second. Akito pulls out his phone and dials a number. ¡°Hold on a second, I¡¯ll call it¡± I really don¡¯t want to go back to school. But if we have to, it¡¯s life¡­ Akito¡¯s phone is ringing Takuma¡¯s, Takuma sifting through his bag to find this lost phone. RRRRRRRRRRRING. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING A ringtone is heard nearby, Takuma looking up at spotting it. The boys look shocked, Ryu pausing in place for a moment.\ The phone is on the other side of the bridge, showing Akito¡¯s name ringing it, but it¡¯s being held up by someone. Fujino Rei is holding it up, her painted nails on the sides of the screen. ¡°Did you¡­drop this by any chance?¡± Takuma rushes over to grab his phone, profusely thanking Rei for finding his phone, the other boys walk toward them but the girls meet them halfway, with Takuma and Rei in the background. ¡°Thank you for finding my lost phone!¡± Takuma gratefully tells Rei, bowing to her. ¡°N-No need to thank me! It¡¯s just what anyone would¡¯ve done!¡± Rei dismisses this, flustered at the sheer amount of bowing Takuma is doing. Takuma raises his head, and gives a heartfelt smile to Rei, genuinely thankful for this act. ¡°I was pretty scared for a moment, you¡¯re a lifesaver!¡± Takuma¡¯s innocent smile gets to Rei, her blushing in response. She reaches her arm out to hand the phone over to Takuma, and as the exchange happens their hands meet. Rei seems to acknowledge this, but Takuma seems unfazed. The phone turns on, showing the background on the lock screen. Her eyes widen, and Takuma slips the phone back in his pocket. ¡°Was that¡­Lawrence Wright?¡± Rei shyly asks Takuma¡¯s eyes light up, being really happy someone brought up his favorite series. ¡°You know Vickor?! Yeah! It was Lawrence! He¡¯s one of my favorite characters!¡± Takuma happily answers the question, excited that someone else knows his favorite series. ¡°...Yeah, I like him too¡± Rei shyly continues, the focus coming back to the 2 groups looking at Takuma and Rei talking, but not knowing what the hell they¡¯re talking about. Takuma is expressive, talking with his hands, while Rei is more conserved, but still into the conversation. Kenji takes notice of this, then laughs a bit. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you can tell what he¡¯s talking about, just with that body expression alone.¡± Everyone but Fumiko laughs at this, the girls giving a more conceited laugh at this. Akito takes a step forward. ¡°Sorry about my friend over there disturbing you guys. He may look intimidating, but he¡¯s a total softie¡± Akito specifies, apologetic to the girls. Umi dismissively waves her hands, looking back at Rei and Takuma ¡°It¡¯s okay, really. I¡¯ve never really seen her this into a conversation¡± Umi replies. Akito extends a hand out to the girls, introducing himself. ¡°I think this is the first time I¡¯ve talked with you guys. I¡¯m Akito Azuma¡± Akito points toward Takuma. ¡°My friend over there is Oshiro Takuma.¡± Miki shakes Akito¡¯s hand, introducing herself and Rei. ¡°I¡¯m Miki Aizawa, and over there is Rei Fujino¡± Umi doesn¡¯t know how to really introduce herself, so bows down at Aki. ¡°....I''m¡­Umi Nishikawa. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance¡± So formal! What brought this on. Akito bows back, matching her sincerity. Kenji scratches the back of his head nervously. ¡°I¡¯m Kenji Hitonoka, Nice to meet ya!¡± Ryu¡¯s eyes dart around, as he tries not to make eye contact and gets flustered. Akito and Umi straighten themselves up, Akito laughing nervously as Umi tries to forget what she just did. ¡°Nice to meet you guys, I¡¯m Ryunosuke Iwatani¡± Ryu nervously looks around, refusing to look their way, but makes eye contact with Miki, them both flustered to the maximum. Fumiko walks forward and copies Umi¡¯s bowing, her white hair falling over her face as she bows down. ¡°I am Fumiko Ishigami. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡± Fumiko looks up, her gaze being as unshifting as ever. Takuma and Rei head back to the groups, Takuma showing his phone. ¡°What¡¯re you guys talking about over here?¡± The groups split off, the groups going their separate direction, them all waving back, with Takuma waving a lot. ¡°Thanks again, Fujino-san! If you ever wanna talk about Vicktor again send me a message!¡± Rei doesn¡¯t turn around at this, Takuma being confused at this, but walks with his friends. ¡°YOU GOT HER NUMBER?!?¡± the boys ask Takuma in unison. ¡°Yeah, why? What¡¯s up?¡± Takuma asks, confused at this progression of relationships that none of them had made. Kenji, Akito and Ryu all facepalm at this, but continue onward, making it to a bench where the paths fork, Takuma going to the right, Kenji and Akito going left, them all waving at going their separate ways. Ryu turns around seeing the girls in the distance, and sits on the bench. I should probably wait a little. We focus on the girl¡¯s group, Rei¡¯s face is completely red, Miki and Umi prodding her about that last comment by Takuma. ¡°MESSAGE? YOU GAVE HIM YOUR NUMBER?!?!¡± Miki shouts, out of earshot of the boys. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­is that bad?¡± Rei asks the group, skeptical if she did the right thing. ¡°No, it¡¯s not bad at all! Just¡­surprising is all¡± Umi replies back to Rei, reassuring her about this choice while being shocked at this. Fumiko and Miki nod in agreement to this, Rei looking back at her phone to see Takuma¡¯s contact info, his profile picture being a star. ¡°Are they actually in our class?¡± Umi skeptically asks ¡°Yes. They¡¯ve been in the class the entire year.¡± Fumiko replies, robot-like. ¡°Really? I never even knew they existed.¡± ¡°Seriously? You don¡¯t remember the whole ¡®baseball incident¡¯?¡± Miki asks, confused how she doesn¡¯t remember this event ¡°That was him? I never got the name of the person¡± The girls walk toward another neighborhood, heading to Fumiko¡¯s house to hang out. Umi looks back to the bridge, her glasses reflecting the sun and her face washed in a warm light. He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad guy¡­then again, neither did he. ¡­ Later that night, the boys are texting in a group chat. Takuma - You guys got plans this weekend? Takuma - I¡¯m thinking we should hang out tomorrow since midterms are over. Kenji - I¡¯ll see if I got anything. I¡¯ll let you know. Aki- Sorry! I can¡¯t this weekend! Already got plans, but I¡¯ll make it up to you! Takuma- It¡¯s alright, Aki! I just wanted to hang out with you guys! Ryu- I should be able to. Akito shuts his phone off, then turns the TV on and watches, but really just blankly stares at it. Saturday, huh? It¡¯ll be my first date¡­ever. Akito can no longer contain his emotions and jumps up, happy at his progression. ¡°YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD! AKITO AZUMA IS FINALLY GETTING EVEN WITH YOU!!!¡± Akito takes a step forward, but slips and slams his head on the floor, a mini scoreboard popping up. Akito Azuma - 0, World- 209731 Shoya steps in, wondering what the noise was, but seeing his brother in a weird position decides to slowly slide the door closed and walk away, laughing as he goes back upstairs. Just you wait, world. Saturday is coming, and once it does, I¡¯ll finally be able to see what you have to offer, and accept it on my own 2 feet. ¡­ The weekend finally arrives, and Akito is waiting at the entrance to the mall, people walking in and out. It is a weekend after all, but man. There are so many people! Akito stands against a wall, watching the automatic door open for people about to start their shopping journey. A moment of calmness comes, with people no longer flowing in, Akito nervously glancing at his phone, seeing the time is 13:53. I did come early, she shouldn''t be here for another¡­. Akito¡¯s train of thought is interrupted as he spots Akari walking toward the door, then he remembers something. A TV show shows a man doing courteous things for a woman on a date, like opening the door, sliding her chair for her to sit on, and so forth. An idea pops into his head. Akito rushes over toward the automatic door, but as he approaches the door doesn¡¯t start opening. His attention is focused on Akari, leading him to walk into the automatic door, and he falls backwards.. The door finally opens, Akari walking into the mall, then crouches down and extends a hand to Akito. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Everything else in that very moment disappeared, leaving only the 2 of them isolated, together. Up until a second ago, the ambient noise of this place was nauseating to me. Louder than I expected, but nothing intolerable¡­but when I saw her, it¡¯s like that pestering noise was gone, like it¡¯d vanished into thin air. Usually silence itself is overwhelming, but this silence¡­I like it. First Dates Dont Exist! ¡°Are you okay?¡± Akito stares blankly at Akari, his speech seemingly ripped from his mouth. All he can do is sit and stare in awe at her. Akito¡¯s face becomes red, then snaps back into reality, grabbing a hold of Akari¡¯s hand and getting up off the ground. They exchange smiles, and Akito finally takes in the outfit She¡¯s wearing Wow¡­I mean¡­just¡­ Akito realizes he¡¯s still holding onto her hand, and pulls it back adamantly, putting it back in his pocket. ¡°Thanks for¡­coming?¡± Akito says skeptically, sweating in nervousness and uncertainty Is that what you¡¯re supposed to say on a date? I really hope so. Akari smiles back, her long eyelashes glistening from the ambient light of the mall. This moment was new to him, but it was one he¡¯d never forget. They stand together for a moment, unsure of what to do, Akito spotting a bookstore he frequents out of the corner of his eye, and points over toward it. ¡°Would you want to¡­uhh¡­go there with me?¡± Akari¡¯s face is still red from before, but agrees with little hesitation. They walk toward their destination, and the mall seems to be bustling with people all of a sudden. Akito had been so focused on Akari that nothing else mattered, and those things just¡­slipped from his view. The foot traffic seems to only be getting heavier, Akito and Akari almost losing each other in the sheer amount of people. Akito keeps getting run into by people walking by, and is shoved into someone who nudges him back. Akari is pushed in a similar fashion, leading to them hitting shoulders. Akito goes to move away, and that¡¯s when Akari reaches out and grabs his hand. Akito¡¯s hand is visibly shocked by this, not grabbing back at first. Akito looks up to see the nervous face of Akari, red with nerves. She¡¯s the same as me¡­why didn¡¯t I notice? Akito grabs her hand back, startling Akari at first, but from her face he knows: She wouldn¡¯t want it any other way. They make it into the bookstore, only to find a massive line to the cashiers. Akito looks puzzled at first, then reads the signs around the store: :MEGA SALE!: That makes more sense than I¡¯m willing to admit. Hopefully she¡¯s fine with the people, though. Akito looks over and starts to apologize to Akari ¡°Sorry, Akari-chan¡­I didn¡¯t know there was a sale today!¡± Akari laughs at this, to the confusion of Akito. ¡°It¡¯s fine, crowds aren¡¯t that big of a deal¡± Akari replies, still chuckling at the sentiment but appreciating it. ¡°What if someone from school sees-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not like they know what I look like, let alone who I am¡± ¡°What if they see me with you? Wouldn¡¯t it look like we¡¯re on a date?¡± ¡°...¡± Akari¡¯s face turns red, confronting the fact that this was a date right in the store, at this very moment. She covers her face and crouches down, Akito concerned for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Akari quietly chimes out. Akito¡¯s face blushes, then he grabs her hand and leads her in the store ¡°Nothing.¡± Akito looks away from Akari to hide his face, not noticing that hers is the same way. ¡­ They begin browsing the manga collection, Akari drawn toward the romance section, picking up a book and flipping through the pages, captivated by the art, the story, and the characters. Akito recognizes this book. I remember reading that not too long ago. That story really was nice, I can¡¯t help but hate the ending though. I mean, if that were me in that situation I would¡¯ve chosen Nin- ¡°Have you read this series before?¡± Akari asks Akito, handing the book over to him. ¡°Yeah, I liked basically all of it, minus the ending¡± Akito replies, unsure if she agrees or not with this opinion Akari¡¯s eyes glow for a moment, like Akito hit the gear of romance knowledge in her brain. ¡°You too huh? I personally think Miku was the best but I can see how people like the others¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dislike her, but I think that the ending that I would¡¯ve chosen is the one with Ni-¡± Akito is abruptly cut off by an announcement on the loudspeaker. :ATTENTION ALL CUSTOMERS: Please do not sit around and read for too long, there are far too many people here today to be doing that. Thank you: Akito and Akari look at each other, then realize that¡¯s what they¡¯ve been doing, laughing this off. Akari reaches for another romance manga, as she does Akito asks her a question: ¡°Is this what you normally read?¡± Akari grabs the book she was looking for off the shelf, holding it close to her and a soft look rolls on her face. ¡°Yeah¡­I really like these kinds of things. I never thought something like this would be in my life¡± She opens the book, and flips through the panels to find a scene of a couple on a date, showing the panel to Akito. ¡°...at least, not this early¡± Her message is read loud and clear in Akito¡¯s head, beginning to blush at what she¡¯s just implied. Akito looks away to not make eye contact, looking toward the Shonen section ¡°W-Well I like shonen stuff more!¡± Akito spurts out, trying to pretend he¡¯s not the same as her. He grabs a book off the shelf and pretends to read it, but is actually looking over at Akari¡¯s book, the back cover showing a happy couple sitting together. It¡¯s not like I hate romance manga, just the thought of it feels like someone¡¯s showing off something they know I don¡¯t have, but would give up anything to get. The endings made me feel empty, like that was just how it goes and the realization that something like that would never happen to me was¡­.crushing. Akito sets the book down and reaches for another, when Akari sets her book on the shelf once more and asks Akito a question: ¡°Is there any specific book you wanted?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°No, not really. I defaulted on coming here again¡± Akito laughs this off, nervous about his decision to bring her here on a date. ¡°I see¡­so nothing¡¯s stopping us from going anywhere else in here?¡± ¡°Not particularly..why?¡± Akari grabs Akito¡¯s hand and runs out of the store with him ¡°We¡¯ve got the whole world to see! Why wait now?¡± Akari playfully asks, smiling the entire way. Akito¡¯s confused face turns to a happy one, laughing along with her question. The walk around the mall for a bit, pointing out stores and shopping in some. ¡­ Some time of shopping passes, and that¡¯s when Akari¡¯s face turns red, to Akito¡¯s confusion. ¡°...There¡¯s actually a store I needed to go in¡­would you want to¡­come with me?¡± Akair asks shyly ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Akito replies, in a soft tone. In a bold move, Akari brings Akito to a women¡¯s store, Akito staring at the sign, and Akari gesturing in. The workers inside are giving weird looks to this strange teenager standing in front of their store. Akito moves beside the store, refusing to go on on principle (dignity), Akari¡¯s face bright red still, but tries to pull him to come with her, him refusing. ¡°Anywhere but here¡­I just¡­I¡¯m sorry, Akari. I can¡¯t go in there¡± Akito tells Akari, his embarrassed face the only thing notable. Defeated, Akari walks in saying back to Akito before going behind a corner ¡°Suit yourself. I won¡¯t be too long, alright? Just wait for me!¡± Akito looks down, face still read, and leans out against the wall. He tries to blow off some of this embarrassment and focus on something else, pulling out his phone from his pocket, only to find 10+ missed Messages from a group chat with Kenji, Takuma and Ryu called ¡°Unification of Stupid and Aki¡±. Takuma: So what time are we meeting for the movie? Kenji: You think we can go a bit later in the day? I got some things I gotta buy. Ryu: Anytime works for me. ?? Takuma: Wait Takuma: I just had my first ever great idea I think Kenji: Which is? Takuma: Why don¡¯t we go to the mall before the movie? There¡¯s a theatre there too, I think Takuma: That makes it so we can hangout and see the movie in one go! Ryu: Yeah, I the mall does have a theatre Kenji: Works for me Kenji: So what time again? Takuma: Let¡¯s say 14:30, that work? Ryu: Sounds good ?? Kenji: yeah, should be fine for me too Takuma: Too bad Aki couldn¡¯t come this time ?? Kenji: @Aki You better have one hell of an excuse not hanging out with your best friends ever, traitor! Kenji: ?? just kidding man, have fun in whatever you doing Takuma: Since Aki¡¯s not coming, do you guys mind if I invite someone else? Ryu: No problems on my end. Kenji: Same here. Takuma: Cool, See you guys then! ?? Akito grazes through the texts, then lets out a small chuckle, a slight smile building on his face. They never change. Sometimes it¡¯s a good thing, I guess. Akito shuts his phone off and is about to slide it back in his pocket, when the realization that his friends are going to be at the same mall as him, at the same time finally hits him. Akito¡¯s breathing quickens, unsure of what to do in this situation. If they find me outside this store, with Akari, her life¡¯s gonna be screwed because of me! AKito tries to calm himself down by taking some deep breaths to slow the loud and rapid beating of his heart. Calm down¡­it¡¯s okay. This mall is pretty massive, there¡¯s a chance I won¡¯t even see them! Just as he finishes his thought, he glances toward the escalator, and like they were just summoned by his thoughts, Takuma, Kenji and Ryu are descending toward his floor. Akito nervously begins to sweat, and his mind races of possible outcomes of this situation. Just then, the solution comes to his mind. A wave of determination and nerves are evident by the look on his face, but he¡¯s not backing down this time. I guess this is the only option¡­ Akito looks straight at the ground, staring at the floor tiles and takes a step toward the women¡¯s store that Akari is in. He walks into the store, being greeted by the cashier. ¡°Welcome! Is there anyth-¡± ¡°NO I¡¯M FINE THANK YOU!¡± Akito abruptly cuts off the cashier in a shaky tone, trying his best to dismiss any¡­temptations. Akito speedwalks through the store with his head down, running into a mannequin. Without paying any attention and thinking that was a real person, Akito apologizes for running into them and heads toward the back of the store. The cashier looks in confusion at Akito¡¯s actions, then shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this¡± Akito is aimlessly still walking through the store, trying to find a good spot to hideout until his friends leave. That¡¯s when he spots the changing rooms, speeding over and walking in, shutting the curtain behind him. Thank god I made it in time, I would¡¯ve been screwed if they¡¯d seen me with¡­ His thoughts are lost, as his eyes begin to notice where, and who, he¡¯d just walked in on. Akito tries to defuse the situation, nervously smiling, saying in a shaky tone: ¡°...hey¡± Akari opens her mouth the shriek in embarrassment, but Akito covers her mouth with his hand, indicating with the other hand to be quiet. ¡°I¡¯ll explain once they leave¡± Akari looks confused at this, so Akito peeks his head out the curtain, Akari¡¯s head right below his. They see Takuma, Ryu and Kenji talking with Um, Rei, Fumiko and Miki, basically in front of the store they¡¯re currently in. ¡­ Ryu becomes flustered, breaking his normally cool demeanor, spurting out ¡°W-W-What are you guys doing here?!?¡± Miki, equally as flustered but tries to keep a calm tone, replies ¡°It¡¯s a mall. On a weekend. We¡¯re going shopping. Use your brain for once¡± ¡°She has a point there Ryu¡± says Kenji, holding back a laugh at seeing his friend acting stupid in public. Ryu stammers on his words for a moment, before retorting ¡°I meant it¡¯s weird seeing them here!¡± ¡°It is pretty unlikely to be in the same place, at the same time¡­¡± Fumiko chimes in with a monotone and calculated response. They look toward Takuma and Rei, who are in a conversation about something, neither seeming surprised at meeting here. ¡°...If it weren¡¯t planned, that is.¡± Fumiko finished her sentence with the same tone. Kenji walks over to Takuma and Rei, pointing toward the group of girls ¡°Takuma, you may have left out some very key details about the trip today¡± Rei bows toward Kenji, which surprises both him and Takuma ¡°Sorry, Hitonoka-san! It was my idea to bring my friends along!¡± She says in a sincere tone. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, I invited them too!¡± Takuma interjects, wanting to take the blame partially for it too. The group of girls and Ryu all look toward Takuma and Rei, Kenji a bit off to the side, but they all share a unifying thought: There¡¯s gotta be something going on there. Rei stands up straight, looking Takuma in the eyes, her face getting red. ¡°...ok¡± Rei replies lightly, averting her eyes to avoid contact with Takuma, him seemingly not noticing. Everyone gathers together, with a distinct separation between the girls and guys, Takuma and Rei in the middle. ¡°Sorry, Everyone! Rei and I thought it would be fun for all of us to hang out today!¡± Takuma bows once more, pleading for the 2 groups to ¡°get along, please!¡± ¡°A heads-up would¡¯ve been nice, you know!¡± Kenji spits out in a semi-sarcastic tone, walking over and karate-chopping Takuma¡¯s head. He then closes the gap between the 2 groups, extending a hand for a handshake ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind hanging with you guys today¡± Kenji says, with Ryu nodding in the background to support this position. Miki walks over and shakes Kenji¡¯s hand, replying in true tsundere fashion ¡°Hmph! I guess that leaves us with no other choice¡± Her tone weakens, swallowing her pride ¡°What I meant is¡­.t-thanks for having us..¡± Miki corrects herself, happy to be in their company. She makes eye contact with Ryu, instantly looking away and pointing at a shop, leading the group toward a different store than the one Akito is in. As they walk away, Umi grabs the sleeve on Takuma¡¯s sweater to get his attention. ¡°Umm¡­.where¡¯s Azuma?¡± Umi asks in a quiet and shy voice ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s busy today with something else. Is there anything you wanted to tell him?¡± Takuma sincerely replies, but not thinking any deeper into why she¡¯s looking for him. ¡°...no, sorry to bother you¡± Umi ends the conversation, quickening her pace to catch the rest of the group, Takuma not far behind. ¡­ Akito pulls his head back into the room, sighing again with relief. He sits down next to Akari, his eyes closed and just remains there for a moment. ¡°Sorry, Akari. I saw them coming down here and I got worried¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay I¡¯m not mad or anything, I was just surprised¡± They both linger in silence, taking in the situation they¡¯re currently still in, both of them looking in the opposite direction as the other person, their faces turning bright red. First Dates Dont Exist! (part 2) Akito and Akari remain in the changeroom for a bit, then Akito steels his resolve one final time, slapping himself on his cheeks, startling Akari. ¡°I¡¯ll head out now, just wait a few before following, alright?¡± Akito whispers to Akari in a warm tone. Akito then stares straight at the ground once more, and begins the path out of the store. He runs into a mannequin on the way out, again, and apologizes to it before getting out of the store. The cashier notices all of this, then exhales. These kids are getting more and more confusing each year, I swear. Akito waits outside of the store for a few minutes, then Akari exits, meeting up with him. ¡°Where to next?¡± ¡°Does there really have to be a plan?¡± Akari replies, giggling about how nervous Akito is. ¡°You¡¯re right, so why not explore them all?¡± Akito laughs, then takes charge by grabbing Akari¡¯s hand, and walking toward more stores. They look in various stores, one with jewelry, another with furniture, all the while looking like they¡¯re enjoying it. They enter a clothing store, and head over to the male section. ¡°This one would look good on you, I think¡± Akari holds up a shirt to Akito¡¯s chest, still on the coat hanger, then switches it to another one in her other hand. Akito is nervous the entire time, but manages to keep his composure. ¡°You think? I was always more of a plain color kinda guy, not really a graphic shirt person¡± Akari looks slightly disappointed at this sentiment, Akito scrambling to fix his misstep. He reaches for one of the shirts in her hands, taking it from her and walking to the changerooms. I didn¡¯t mean it like that! I just hope this¡¯ll make up for it¡­ Akito exits the changeroom, wearing a graphic shirt of a clock, the hands all warped and messed up. The writing below it says ¡°Time Lost¡±. Akari is happy to see Akito wearing something she picked, blushing extremely hard at this fact. ¡°So¡­how does it look?¡± Akito nervously asks, his face red from embarrassment. Akari is left speechless, Akito noticing this and looks to the ground in sadness. I knew it, what I said can¡¯t be taken back so easily. I guess I ended up ruining one of the only good things¡­ Akito turns to change back when Akari grabs his hand, her eyes filled with excitement. ¡°You look super good, Akito! I knew I was right to choose this one!¡± Akari exclaims, her smile emanating warm light toward Akito, him just taking in the scene. Akito heads back in the changeroom, then exits immediately, the shirt in his hand. Akari smiles at this, but Akito is a bit embarrassed to admit his fault, so stays silent. They head over to the girl¡¯s section, Akito trying not to look around, Akari gleaming at the variety of clothes. To avoid looking at the women¡¯s clothing out of courtesy (his personal courtesy), Akito fixes his gaze onto Akari. She looks like she¡¯s having fun. I¡¯m glad that she¡¯s enjoying this time¡­our time together. Seeing that face, seeing the sincerity in her eyes, it almost makes me wish that these times would never end, as foolish of a wish that that would be. Akari¡¯s eyes fixate on a specific dress; a red and strapless, long and flowing dress. She stares for a moment, admiring its beauty. Akito does the same thing, but to a different end. She walks away to look at other things, Akito finally looking at the dress, then back at Akari. They find some bracelets while heading out of the store, and they¡¯re part of a pair, a matching set. Akito and Akari are both looking at it with the same thought. I want it. They head to the cash, handing the bracelets and the shirt to the cashier, who rings them up. ¡°Are these for a special someone?¡± the cashier teases Akito blushes, looking away for a moment, before looking back to the cashier and paying. ¡°Yes¡­yes they are¡± Akito and Akari leave the store, when Akito holds his stomach for a moment, realizing he needs to go to the bathroom. ¡°Can you wait here for a moment? I have some¡­uhhh¡­unfinished business¡­¡± Akito tries explaining to Akari ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll be waiting here for you, just don¡¯t take too long!¡± Akari waves at Akito, as he heads back to the store. A few minutes pass, Akito finally leaving the store, another bag in hand. Akari tries sneaking a peek into this bag, but Akito gets defensive about it, refusing to let her see. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get something to eat?¡± Akito suggests, half-ly because he needed an excuse to stop her prodding, and because he was hungry. ¡°Sure, lead the way captain!¡± Akari playfully remarks, them both heading to the food court. They buy some food, then sit down and eat some french fries and Akito gets a hotdog. They eat in awkward silence, neither knowing what to do from here. Akito looks around, seeing a movie theatre. Seeing a movie wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea¡­ Akito thinks about the romance movies he¡¯d seen before, a scene replaying in his head where the MC and love interest go to a scary movie, a scary part of the movie frightening the girl who clings to the MC. This gives Akito a good idea. ¡°Would you want to go see a movie?¡± Akito suggests to Akari, who¡¯s a bit busy eating fries, to notice. Akito reaches out to grab Akari¡¯s hand, then repeats what he said. Akari is more than happy to see a movie, but when Akito says a scary movie, her face turns blue. ¡°Do you not like scary movies, Akari?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t my favorite¡­but if you like them¡­then¡­I could be convinced to¡± Akito blushes for a moment, then takes a deep breath. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I am about to tell probably the biggest lie I¡¯ve told anyone before, so please forgive me. ¡°Yes. I love horror movies¡± Akito proclaims, emanating all the false confidence a man could ask for. ¡­ They finish up eating and head over to the theatre, going to the ticket booth. ¡°2 tickets for The Devastator, please¡± Akito politely asks the booth operator, who stands there in silence for a moment. ¡°What, Isn¡¯t a guy supposed to pay for things on the first date?¡± Akito follows up, the booth operator shrugging it off and letting Akito pay for 2 tickets, and they head into the theater. Their seats are in the upper-left of the theater, mostly obscured from the rest of the people in attendance. They take their seats, watching through previews when Akito hears some familiar voices. ¡°...I think that you¡¯d beat a bear in a fight before I could run 3 miles, Takuma¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably not true, Kenji. I wouldn¡¯t fight the bear in the first place.¡± ¡°Yeah, Takuma¡¯s a total pacifist¡± Kenji, Takuma and Ryu enter the theater, popcorn in hand, followed by Umi, Fumiko, Miki and Rei. There¡¯s no way¡­the same movie, AT THE SAME TIME! Akito begins to nervously sweat, taking deep breaths to calm himself. The lights dim, indicating the movie is about to begin, which works in Akito¡¯s favor. ¡­. About half of the movie passes, but Akito doesn¡¯t realize this, as he¡¯s been staring at his friends the entire time, trying to monitor them so they don¡¯t look toward him and Akari. A loud scream from the movie is heard, followed by a SLASH. Akito leans back in his chair, setting his hand on the armrest, which ends up on top of Akari¡¯s hand. Akito blushes, but looks over to see Akari watching the movie, her hand shaking in fear. As he¡¯s about to pull away, she turns her hand and holds onto his, trying to calm herself. Akito faces the screen, trying to pretend his hand isn¡¯t his hand, but rather a fake hand and is definitely not being held by Akari right now. Though his face is pointed at the screen his eyes and still fixated on Akari, but her¡¯s are now closed from fear. She¡¯s not lying about hating horror movies¡­so let me at least make up for my lie. Akito grabs her hand back, and her breathing steadies. Just as the audio quiets down for a moment, another scream is heard, which makes Akari hold onto Akito¡¯s hand even harder. Akito smiles, looking back toward the screen, his mind now only focused on his hand, and his connection to Akari. Forgive me, Akari. I know this is what I¡¯d planned would happen, but I tried to forget how it¡¯d make you feel. Sorry, but allow me to keep being selfish, at least when it comes to you. Akito looks toward his friends, then we shift perspectives to the friends in the front. ¡­ Takuma takes a handful of popcorn out of his bucket, snacking while watching the movie. He reaches to grab another handful, but is shocked when there isn¡¯t any left in his bag. ¡°Aww man, I thought I had a bit more left¡± Takuma silently weeps, which Rei catches onto. Rei reaches her popcorn bag over, tapping Takuma¡¯s hand with it, whispering ¡°Feel free¡±. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°For real.¡± Takuma grabs a handful, finishing it in an instant. Silently Cheering at the flavor of the popcorn, which is no different from his own. ¡°This tastes good!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just popcorn, the same as you got¡­¡± They both laugh at Takuma¡¯s comment, and he reaches for another handful at the same time Rei does, with their hands making slight contact. Rei blushes at the contact, but Takuma is focused in on the movie, and eating the popcorn. Fumiko notices Rei and Takuma¡¯s laughter, glances to the screen, then back at them. ¡°I don¡¯t understand them.¡± Fumiko coldly whispers ¡°Understand who?¡± Kenji whispers back Fumiko discretely points to Takuma and Rei, still slightly giggling. ¡°This is a scary movie. What is there to laugh at?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re seeing something that the rest of us don¡¯t¡± Kenji jokes back, still managing to keep the volume to a whisper. Kenji¡¯s joking face turns to one of fake anger towards his friend, slightly waving his fist at them and whispering ¡°Damn you Takuma! You better loop me in later!¡± Fumiko sees this, and lets out a half-hearted laugh, to Kenji¡¯s surprise, which makes him smile. Fumiko observes Kenji¡¯s smile, with a single passing thought, before they both resume watching the movie. ¡­odd Ryu is sitting next to Kenji, and he¡¯s staring intently at the screen. He reaches for his drink, not looking at which one he¡¯s going in to grab. Miki sees Ryu¡¯s hand reaching for a drink, but grabbing hers and not his own. Hey¡­wait that¡¯s my drink! What are you planning on¡­? Ryu moves the drink closer to his mouth and takes a sip, to the shock of Miki. Ryu looks confused at the drink. Weird, this tastes a bit different. He looks to the cupholder, and sees his mistake, glancing over to Miki, whose face is red but is ¡°watching¡± the movie. His face turns bright red, and tries to slide the drink back into her cupholder without her noticing. She must like this movie, with a face looking like that there¡¯s no way As soon as Ryu places her cup back, she immediately grabs is and takes a sip, which stuns herself and Ryu, the 2 of them thinking the same thing: T-T-T-That¡¯s an¡­I-I-I-INDIRECT KISS?!? Miki takes a big sip, her face still completely red at her own actions but refusing to stop. Ryu¡¯s eyes are wide open, zoning out while facing the movie, taking in the fact that he and Miki just shared an indirect kiss. Umi just watches the movie with a blank expression, not really paying attention to what¡¯s going on during the movie¡­or right next to her. If he¡¯s not even here, why¡¯d I even come? Umi, of course, if referring to Akito, unknown to her is actually in the same theater, watching the same movie. The movie finishes up, and the lights turn on, everyone but Akito and Akari getting up and stretching after sitting for so long. ¡°That movie was something else, huh? It¡¯s got a pretty similar story to other slashers, but it has its own kind of charm¡± Kenji critiques, most people taking it as sarcasm. ¡°There''s a story¡­? I thought horror movies were for that ¡®scare¡¯ factor¡± Takuma replies, confused about a horror movie having a plot. ¡°The killer was inefficient. He could¡¯ve-¡± ¡°I think you should end that sentence there.¡± Umi cuts off Fumiko, who was about to plan a theoretical murder. Akari is about to get up, but Akito puts a hand on her shoulder, indicating her to stay sitting with him for a moment, then indicating his friends in the front. ¡°If they see us here, nothing good can come of this. For your sake, we¡¯d better wait a bit¡± Akito whispers to Akari. She¡¯s happy that Akito¡¯s thinking of her, seeing as her face is bright red. They wait for ~5 minutes, and the theater is completely empty, which allows them to make their escape. They head into a hallway outside of the theater, then an exit at the end of that hallway. They leave the mall, the exit leading to the outside world, the setting sun reflecting off business building setting the scenery, the 2 of them taking in the beautiful view. Akari and Akito stand there in silence, Akari looking to the left as Akito looks to the right, their gazes meeting. ¡°...so¡± ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Akito skeptically asks ¡°I never really liked horror movies¡­¡± Akari replies, to Akito''s slight disappointment. ¡°...but with you..¡± ¡°...I never wanted that movie to end.¡± Akari finishes her sentence, Akari¡¯s face glimmering from the sun. Akito chuckles, then sets his bag on the ground. Akari smiles, then begins to speak again. ¡°Thanks to you, I don¡¯t have to wonder what a date could be like anymore¡± Akito blushes at this sentiment, and follows it up with his own. ¡°I never could¡¯ve guessed dates could be this¡­fun¡± He reaches out his hand, grabbing both of Akari¡¯s hands with his, and he closes his eyes. The sun lowers to a point directly between them, each of their faces lit up from the descending sun. ¡°I¡­¡± Akito opens his eyes, and the 2 of them look into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°...might finally be starting to see the brighter side of things¡± Akito finishes, in a happy and warm tone. ¡°I-¡± RIIIIIIIING Akari is about to say something, but is cut off by Akito¡¯s phone ringing, he picks it out of his pocket, seeing that his brother, Shoya, is calling him. ¡°Do you mind if I take this?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead¡± Akito takes a few steps away, answering the phone. ¡°How¡¯s the date going Aki?¡± ¡°NOW¡¯S NOT A GOOD TIME¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯ll call back at-¡± Akito hangs the phone up, and walks back to Akari, setting his phone in his pocket. ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°It was my brother. Just wondering where I was¡± They stand there for a moment in silence. Akari''s watch timer begins going off, and as she looks at it, her eyes widen and she realizes that her parents are supposed to be here now. ¡° Crap! Sorry, I lost track of time, I gotta go now!¡± Akari speedily replies, while turning to head to the front entrance. ¡°I had fun today! So¡­let¡¯s do this again sometime, alright?¡± Akari asks, just about to start leaving. Akari begins walking, and Akito stands there in silence still staring at his hands, the thoughts in his head clouding his vision, possibilities of a future, with Akari. He snaps back, and tries to reach out and grab her hand, but misses. I don¡¯t understand myself, and these irrational impulses. What good would holding her hand do? My mind was so clear a moment ago, yet now it seems like I¡¯d convinced myself to believe something that wouldn¡¯t have made any difference. I felt like if I missed this chance to hold her¡­that she¡¯d just disappear, and never come back. And now I don¡¯t understand myself, let alone my actions. Akito picks the bag up from the ground, seeing a red tinge peeking from the top of the bag, and stuffs it back in without a second thought. He heads back into the theater absent-mindedly, still thinking about Akari. He heads through the hallway, then turns toward the main lobby. He starts paying attention to his surroundings, and focuses on a group of people in the lobby; his friends. If they notice me here, I¡¯m surely done for! Akito runs toward the hallway he just came from, but Takuma spots him just as he turns the corner. The group still talks, but Takuma, usually loud and energetic, is now silent. Ryu and Kenji notice this, then Takuma runs in the direction he saw Akito in, screaming back to his friends. ¡°I SAW HIM. HURRY UP¡± Kenji and Ryu have no idea what this means, but follow anyway. Left in confusion, Rei, Miki, and Fumiko chase after them, but at a slower pace, with Umi notably absent. Akito takes shelter in an empty theater, just below the window on the door. He hears footsteps running by, and all of their faces are seen passing by through the window. Akito passes this stealth-check, and exhales out of relief. He sneakily heads toward the lobby, looking over his shoulder the entire way to make sure they don¡¯t spot him. He turns a corner, and begins walking a bit faster, not looking in front of him as he¡¯s doing so. ¡­ A sink turns on, and a set of female hands wash up, then dry off with a paper towel. They open a door, then look toward where the group was just moments before, and an unknown voice lets out a sigh. Where¡¯d they run off to now? The female takes a step outside the washroom, then turns to see Akito speed-walking toward her. Akito looks forward, but not in time. The 2 collide, both falling on the ground. Akito gets up and extends a hand to the girl, with glasses on them ¡°Sorry about that! I should really look where I¡¯m going. Are you okay?¡± Akito, the girl taking the glasses back reaching her hand out. What¡¯s he doing here? Akito recognizes the girl, one he¡¯d met before, but only briefly; Umi Nishikawa.