UNEXPECTED part 4
Chinen and Miyuki’s bickering continued for the following days. Their classmates are too used to this to even try to stop them from doing so. Even Kento, who is a friend of both Chinen and Miyuki, tries to distance himself from them every time a fight breaks out. The only person now that still does something is Miyuki’s best friend, Nanako.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop fighting with him?” said Nanako as usual after she pulled Miyuki out of Chinen’s sight.
“Didn’t you see what he’s done?” answered Miyuki heatedly. “He actually painted on the back page of my notebook!”
“So?” Nanako countered.
“SO? Nanako! He doesn’t have any right to do that!”
“I think his painting is pretty good,” Nanako reasoned out.
“Oh my god, it is not the time to appreciate his painting! I admit he has artist’s skills but didn’t you see what he painted?! He painted me literally drooling over him!”
“For heaven’s sake Miyu, it’s just his joke. You don’t have to get so angry.”
“Why wouldn’t I be angry?? I don’t even know how he got hold of my notebook!”
“I gave it to him,” said Nanako simply.
“WHAT?!!!!!!” shouted Miyuki, obviously aghast.
“Sensei assigned me to give back the notebooks to the following students. When I got back from the faculty, you already went home and I was standing there thinking of what to do with your notebook and then he talked to me. Asked if he could have it. He said he’ll return it to you the following day. So I agreed.” Nanako narrated.
“You know I hate him! Why did you do something so unnecessary?!” Miyuki said frantically.
“Miyu-chan, snap out of it! He’s not that bad. You’re only too blind to see!” she answered defensively.
“Why are you so keen in protecting him?! You should side with me! I’m your best friend!”
“Being your best friend doesn’t mean I have to hate him too! Look Miyu, I’ve told you before I’m jealous because so many girls would die to get your position. You just wasted that chance.” Nanako said seriously and then, she went back inside their classroom, leaving Miyuki all angry and confused for putting up with Chinen rather than with her.
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*Still in third person but in Chinen’s point of view.*
Chinen was walking alone on the corridor. He was kind of irritated at the moment. He just came out from the student council meeting. It was absolutely nonsensical in his opinion. They weren’t able to accomplish any projects or form any decisions. If it continues like this, their supervisor would get disappointed with them. He needs to think of a good idea for the coming school festival.
“KYAAAAAAAAA!!!~ Chinen-senpai!!!!!!” some girls shrieked as he passed their classroom.
Chinen was momentarily distracted from his trail of thoughts. He turned his head to look directly at those girls and smiled. One girl with braids turned a nasty shade of red as if she was about to faint. Chinen then continued his pace.
Once he was finally out of sight of those girls, Chinen went back to his serious expression but from then on, he was thinking a different kind of thought. He really can’t understand how girls think. For all he knows, they only care about his looks and popularity. They didn’t even know him to seriously fall in love with him. And then, he thought of the last girl he went out with, Ayane. He always said he broke up with her because she was no good. The truth is, he broke up with her because she was getting all thickhead, thinking she was famous for he was with her.
Chinen sighed. If there was only a girl…a single girl who would think differently of him, who would make him seriously fall in love…
Suddenly, a girl’s face appeared in his head and her voice saying, “I hate you!” echoed inside his head. Chinen abruptly stopped. He almost forgot where he is.
Shaking his head, he continued walking slowly. He thought of Miyuki. That girl was surely different. She actually had the guts to tell him he’s stupid and he hates him. She was actually the first girl who ever slapped him. Chinen unconsciously touched his left cheek. He remembered how it felt when Miyuki’s hand whacked him with such force he almost staggered. And the way she cried…
It shocked him, seeing those tears flow down her anguish face. Back then, it’s as if something was fighting to get out of him. That’s the first time he ever felt how useless he is. He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know what to think, and all he knew at that time is that he wanted no matter what to stop those tears from escaping Miyuki’s eyes.
Seeing her cry, seeing her fight, Chinen felt as if he knows a lot about her already. That’s why, from the moment Miyuki threw the eraser he bought for her, he can’t stop himself from teasing her further. It makes him feel somewhat human...no, not human, he’s already human…but it makes him feel something different, something he never yet experienced, it makes him feel…normal.
Chinen fastened his pace. A smile formed on his lips. A sudden urge from inside him makes him want to tease her right now. He almost ran his way through. Then, as he slid their classroom door open, disappointment fell over him like a long lost enemy. Nobody was inside. The only thing that felt as if it didn’t belong there was his bag.
Chinen looked around the room, expecting someone to just pop in front of his eyes. When he was finally convinced that no one would come back now that it’s already five in the afternoon, he looked down and sighed. Crestfallen, he went to his place to get his bag. Just then, as he looked inside his bag, he noticed one of his notebooks was not properly arranged to line up with the others. He pulled it out and it lay open in his hands. An untidy drawing of a squirrel surprised him. But then, the squirrel’s face isn’t really what a squirrel should look like. It’s the face of a human, a guy human. An arrow was drawn right at the top of the face saying, “Chinen the HORRIBLE, MALNOURISHED SQUIRREL!”
Chinen smirked. It’s obviously drawn by Miyuki. Who else would have thought to draw in his notebook? That’s the obvious proof that she’s still not backing down.
“Chinen-kun?” a voice said.
Chinen quickly closed the notebook and pushed it inside his bag. He zipped his bag, arranged his features then turned around. It was Nanako.
“Nani?” Chinen smiled.
“Eto…Nanimonai…” Nanako smiled back. “What are you doing just a while ago?”
“Ah, just looking through my notes,” Chinen lied.
“Oh…”
“Do you need something?” asked Chinen.
“Miyuki-chan wa…” Nanako suddenly said. “She thinks you’re not to be trusted.”
“I know that,” answered Chinen. “So?”
“Well, I think she’s lying,” said Nanako, looking at Chinen directly in the eye.
There was a moment of silence before Chinen finally answered.
“Aren’t you her bestfriend?” he asked coolly.
“Yeah, but─”
“Then why are you saying thing like that behind her back?” asked Chinen seriously.
This time, Nanako wasn’t able to answer right away. It’s as if she’s weighing her words first. Then after a short pause she finally spoke.
“Daisuki, Chinen-kun! I’ve liked you even before Miyuki liked you, I mean, even before she thought she likes you,” said Nanako in haste. “I love you more than anyone in the world. I’m willing to turn my back to Miyuki just so you can like me back! Please, go out with me! I promise I’ll be a good girlfriend!” Nanako bowed her head.
“Iya da,” Chinen answered straightaway.
“Eh?” Nanako looked at him.
“I said I don’t want to,” Chinen repeated crossly.
“Nande?!”
“I don’t like you.”
An air of tenseness followed these words. It took a while before Nanako recovered.
“They say you kissed Miyuki, is that true?” she asked softly.
“And what if I did?” Chinen challenged.
“Kiss me…” said Nanako firmly.
“Sorry?”
“I said kiss me,” Nanako repeated stupidly. Chinen let out a mirthless chuckle.
“Why would I?” Chinen asked frankly when Nanako didn’t budge. “What if I don’t want to?”
“You like Miyuki then, you kissed her without hesitation, why couldn’t you kiss me too?”
“I don’t like her,” said Chinen coolly. “That’s out of the question.”
“You like her admit it! That’s why I hate her! Why her, huh?! Nande─”
Before she can even finish her sentence, Chinen pushed her back to the wall. There was something hidden in his expression. Anger, maybe?
“You’re gonna regret this,” he said and then he smirked.
Chinen kissed her wildy. Nanako put her arms around his neck, trying to keep up with his pace. Chinen was very used to kissing girls like this. But then, it felt weird. Something’s not right. Chinen kept remembering the time when he kissed Miyuki, how it felt to touch her lips. He almost forgot that it was Nanako he’s kissing, not Miyuki. Chinen continued to kiss Nanako, pulling her closer to him and then…
The sound of a broom crashing against the floor was heard by both of them. Chinen suddenly let go of Nanako and Nanako step away from him. Chinen looked up and what he saw shocked him.
Standing there just before the threshold was Miyuki, a broom lying in front of her. Nothing could be deciphered on her face rather than pure shock. Chinen thought she was shaking and sure did, when she found her voice…
“Na…Nana…ko?” said Miyuki shakily. Her voice, dead as it may seem, echoed throughout the whole, quiet room.