You Are My Soul - Chapter 17
☂ DETAILS ;
Title: You Are My Soul
Chapter: 17
Word Count: 824
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari x Fictional Character
Minor Characters: The rest of Arashi plus Ikuta Toma. Others may be added later on? Nah, probably not.
Rating: I live in a G-rated bubble.
Disclaimer: Johnny Kitagawa owns Arashi, and I’ll only take credit for the really stupid plot.
Summary: Nino as a high school student. Yes, what a perfect summary.
Past Chapters: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
☂ AUTHOR’S NOTES ;
This is the second last chapter! I think. I’m pretty sure. I’m just glad I can finish this before school starts… Which is in four days. *cries*
☂ PREVIEW ;
Yet whenever a thought of Nino flashed in her mind, her heart would go crazy, her breath stopping for a second or two.
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☂ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ;
Two weeks later, Aiba sent Mai a text message just after class was dismissed. Mai pushed the rest of her books in her locker, and opened the new received message.
“Mai-chan! Hang out in the cafeteria with us! You haven’t shared your bento with me for such a long time~~~”
Mai sighed, grabbed a random textbook, and closed her locker.
She’s been avoiding Nino. And to avoid him means to stop hanging around with Arashi during lunchtime. She was back to spending her time in the library, though sometimes, Kyoko would pull her out and they’ll take walks around the school.
“Gomen, Aiba-chan, I can’t make it today. I’ve got some studying to do. Next time, okay?”
She sighed, a deeper one this time, and headed to the library. The days have been the same - she would force herself to study, do and redo questions, read and reread texts, yet Nino would always come to her head.
When she opened the library door, she instantly noticed Ohno Satoshi sitting alone.
Mai put her palm on her heart, expecting it to beat faster, like it always had whenever she was in close proximity to Arashi’s leader.
But it’s not coming.
‘What’s wrong with me?’ Mai thought. ‘Why can’t I feel it?’
Yet whenever a thought of Nino flashed in her mind, her heart would go crazy, her breath stopping for a second or two.
Ohno looked up and noticed Mai. He beamed at her and waved her over. She walked to him.
“Hey,” he smiled at her. She checked her heart again. Nothing.
“Hey,” she said back.
“We haven’t talked for a long time, huh,” he said. Mai nodded, sitting down.
“Ignoring Nino?”
“…No, that’s not it.”
“Then come with me to the cafeteria right now, I’m hungry.”
“I’ve got to study.”
“We’ll study later. Come on.”
He stood up and looked down at her. She shook her head, her hair getting in her face.
“Come on, Mai.”
“I… I really can’t, Satoshi…”
He sat back down. Then he looked closely at her face.
“Mai, are you crying?” he whispered.
She wiped her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m so confused…”
“Tell me.”
“…I can’t… It’s too embarrassing…”
“I can be a shoulder to lean on, remember? And Mai, I promise I won’t tell a soul. Stop crying and tell me.”
-
After a few minutes, Ohno had convinced Mai to take a walk around the school with him.
“Okay, you've stopped crying, but you're not saying anything,” Ohno nervously spoke up during the second lap.
Mai lightly laughed.
“Ready to tell me?”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“But first... Can you tell me how Nino's been? For the past two weeks? I haven't talked to-”
“You're curious about how he's been?”
She blushed.
“Well... He's been studying a lot. University exams are next week.”
“Uwah... He's changed, huh. I see him concentrate hard in class. Our teacher's amazed,” Mai giggled.
“It's because of you. Well, to be exact, it's for you.”
“Huh?”
“You don't get it?”
"Get what?"
“He's studying for you, Mai.”
“For me?! That doesn't make sense.”
“You know, you're academically smart, but you don't see what's right in front of you.”
“What is it?!”
“He wants to go to Tokyo University!”
Mai froze, taking in Ohno's last sentence.
“...What?”
“I asked him last night why he was working so hard. I should've guessed it was to get into the same university as you.”
Mai didn't know what to say. Heck, she didn't know what to think! Was Ninomiya Kazunari really that serious about her? She felt all kinds of emotions - happy that someone liked her this much, confused as to why someone like him could like someone like her, angry at herself that she rejected him.
“Nino,” Mai tugged at Ohno’s school shirt. “Where is he?”
“At the library.”
“What? That’s impossible, we were just there!”
“No, not the third years’ library, the first years’.”
“What?!”
“You’re ignoring him, remember? So he studies in that library. That brat can pass as a sixteen year-old.”
She pushed the textbook she’s been holding into Ohno’s arms, and ran off.
Towards the first years’ library.
“Oi, where are you going?!” he shouted.
Mai hates sports as much as she loves studying. Especially running. Running’s the worst! But right now, she just felt the urge to talk to Nino.
When she got to the library’s door, she put her palms on her knees and panted. She hadn’t ran for so long.
After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and opened the door.
She immediately saw Nino in an aisle, two books in one hand, the other holding a thick book he seemed to be reading.
Hearing the door open, Nino glanced at the door.
Then he looked back to his book.
‘Wait. Mai?!’
He looked at the door again, making sure he wasn’t hallucinating. And there was Yoshida Mai. Staring at him.