Class droned on as it usually did in Hope's Peak Academy, and Hagakure scribbled down notes and drawings to go with it. Glancing over every so often, he watched Aoi Asahina making notes of her own. Her hair was always pulled up in that cute ponytail, and it seemed to stick up perfectly at all times.
Hagakure sighed, and watched as their teacher wrote their homework on the board. A test for their work would be Monday, and he hated studying. After class was what he was looking most forward to. All of his friends would go into town as permitted Fridays after class until Sunday at curfew. His entire class, give or take a few students, took advantage of their ability to leave school grounds on the weekends.
This weekend was different from most weekends. They were having a festival in their city for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the city. There was going to be a lot of things going on, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to ask Asahina out on a date. Unfortunately, he hadn't mustered up the courage to do so yet.
This morning Hagakure had waited outside the school in hopes of catching Asahina on the way to class. He wanted to ask her that morning to get it over with, but his nerves caught up to him, and when he saw her walking with the ogre he froze after walking up to her and saying hello. Asahina stared at him for a little while like he was crazy, but then again she already thought he was crazy on some level. She simply put on a smile, and headed to class leaving him standing there like a bit of an idiot.
That wasn't the end of it either, he had tried again in class to get her attention. He made a ball out of paper and attempted to catch her attention by throwing it at her, but it went terribly wrong when it hit Ishimaru in the side of the head, and landed him detention on Monday. The hall monitor was extremely touchy when it came to anything that seemed even slightly like bullying. Apparently throwing paper at someone's head is bullying in his books, Hagakure seemed surprised by this.
Again at lunch, he tried again to ask her out to the festival. This time surprisingly was the worst attempt he'd had. He decided to play it casual so he wouldn't mess it up a third time. Sitting down in front of her in the cafeteria she didn't think much of it as they talked periodically, but the moment he opened his mouth to start up conversation it all went downhill. He glanced at her tray to see she had plenty of food piled up on it. It wasn't really unusual as she was very athletic so she needed the energy to keep up with her hobbies. "Wow, are you seriously going to eat all that?" Hagakure asked.
Asahina looked up at him and eyed him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"That's a lot of food, and you know what a lot of consumption leads to..." He rubbed his stomach pointedly.
All Hagakure could think of is how much of a stomachache he'd have after eating that much. Sure he could stomach a lot, but he paid for it after if he didn't watch himself.
"You really are an ass!" Asahina glared at him capping her water bottle hastily.
"Wait what?" Hagakure looked confused.
"Oh, so just because I eat this much it suddenly means I'm going to get fat? You're an insensitive jerk!" She snapped.
"That's not what I meant! I meant you'd get a-" He tried to save himself, but she stood up and grabbed her tray.
"Shove it!" Asahina headed over to the table with Maizono and Celes shooting him a glare.
"I meant... a stomachache..." He groaned covering his head.
Much to his satisfaction, the bell began to signal that class was over, breaking him from his failed thoughts. Everyone hastily sped out the door before Ishimaru could do more shouting about the importance of studying hard all weekend. It seemed once again Asahina had slipped away, and his idea to ask her out, like a million times before, was ruined. It just wasn't meant to be.
Hagakure sighed and headed to his room to change into more casual clothes. He figured his weekend might have something exciting in it, but he waited too long. For a few hours he muddled around his room, but suddenly, he needed munchies. Chips, popcorn, it didn't matter. He had to go off campus and get to the convenience store immediately.
Usually his friends hung around the area just outside of school at this time, so he wondered who he might bump into on the way. The sun wasn't going to set for another hour or two, but the sky had that beautiful sunset glow to it regardless. Hagakure was a man who could appreciate the natural art of the sky and the sun. He felt a great sense of calm just walking down the street on a nice day.
When he arrived at the store he smiled at the shop keeper who recognized nearly all of the students who stopped in. Hagakure browsed the shelves curiously looking for something to catch his eye. Once he made it to the far aisle, he paused spotting a familiar girl holding a package of donuts. "Those aren't always as good as the bakery, I'm surprised to even see you here." Hagakure spoke up as Asahina lifted her head.
"Hagakure, I wasn't expecting to see you either." Asahina smiled a little, it seemed she had forgiven him from earlier which was a relief.
"What are you talking about? I practically live in this place. It's got all the good junk food." He smiled at her.
Asahina smiled but he noticed for the first time she seemed a bit sad. "What's up?" He asked curiously.
"Nothing really... You probably wouldn't want to hear about it." She looked down at the donut package again.
"Why don't we go to the bakery? I'll walk you there..." He wanted to cheer her up, and he knew talking to her was the best way to do that.
"You don't think that's going to just make me fat do you?" She crossed her arms; so maybe he wasn't totally forgiven.
"Aoicchi... when I said that, I was talking about a stomach ache actually... I didn't really think that one out very well..." Hagakure rubbed the back of his neck.
She looked at him, "Oh..." She flushed a bit pink. "I really wish you would have clarified that better."
"I'm not so great with words." He walked her out of the convenience store heading to the bakery with her.
Asahina walked beside him quietly thinking about what ever it was that was on her mind. Hagakure didn't pressure her, he just let her take her time. The two made small talk on the way to the bakery, and it seemed once they were comfortably seated outside the bakery with a box of donuts she felt more comfortable talking about her problem. "So really, what's bothering you? I swear, I won't charge you for my therapeutic services." He smiled a bit.
Relaxing a little Asahina looked at him before she looked out at the river before them that resided across from the bakery. "I just worry that people don't view me as a girl..." She sighed.
"Wait... why wouldn't they?" Hagakure asked raising a brow, rather confused by her.
"No guys seem to like me, I've never had a boyfriend, and I think its because I'm too athletic, I don't seem girly enough to them." Asahina bit into her donut sadly.
Hagakure looked her over. "I think you're a girl, I could never think of you as NOT being a girl. You're cooler than the other girls around here too. You're fun, and cheerful, and you're really strong willed."
Asahina looked at him. "Hagakure... that's really sweet."
"Well its the truth." He sat cross legged, and looked at the ground. "I take it the reason you're upset is because of that festival this weekend."
"All the girls I know are going, and have been asked to go, but no one decided to ask me..." She said feeling put out.
Hagakure looked at the ground and couldn't help but chuckle a bit. She looked over with furrowed brows. "How is that funny?!"
"Because I've been trying to ask you all day, and every single time, I've totally bombed it." Hagakure looked at her finally.
Asahina went a bit pink. "Y-you have?"
"Yeah... this morning before class I chickened out because Sakura was there... then in class I got detention trying to get your attention, and lunch... it bombed from there." Hagakure smiled a bit sheepishly.
Asahina smiled. "That explains why you've been so strange today..."
Hagakure smiled a bit. "So... did you want to go to the festival tomorrow?"
Asahina smiled and hugged him. "I'd love to."
Hagakure wrapped an arm around her, "That was so much easier than the other three times I tried this..."
"Hagakure-kun?" Asahina looked up at him, her beautiful blue eyes swimming with happiness. "Thanks for noticing me."
Hagakure smiled. "I don't know how someone couldn't notice you..."
Asahina smiled and snuggled into his side. The two laughed and talked during the sunset, and made sure to finish their box of donuts together. It seemed some things just were meant to be after all.