Here's chapter 2! Enjoy~ :))
The encounter yesterday kept replaying on her mind that she wasn't listening to Sanada-sensei again in homeroom. It wasn't common for her to meet Rin on the streets. Ever since he went away, things just didn't stay like before, like her feelings.
School went smoothly for Nobu that day. No teacher scolding her, no PE so no flying balls, no lovers making out in the infirmary (I doubt it), except for the stampede again in the cafeteria which she risks her life to get an anpan even though she doesn't have any rival with it.
It was later that afternoon when classes ended and she needed to go home soon to watch her favourite anime. She was putting her indoor shoes on her locker when her best friend suddenly pulled her arm and dragged her near the entrance.
"What the– released me this instant! I'm gonna be late for my club activity!" she demanded.
"What club activity are you talking about? You don't even belong to any clubs!" her friend countered.
"I do!"
"What? No you don't!"
"Yeah, I do!"
"…"
"…"
Doubting her own knowledge about Nobu, she asked her what club she joined in.
"The going home club." Nobu answered flatly.
Nino, her best friend, looked at her blankly then gave her a good smack on the head.
"What was that for?!" she roared.
"For being stupid." Nino said. "Enough of this. Look over there!"
Once again, she was pulled down (she didn't even know why they were crouching down the floor) and Nino pointed outside. Being forced to look, she turned her head outside up ahead of them and saw someone. Her eyes studied the person standing near the gate. He looks like someone she knew.
"He's here again. Lately, he's been coming here on this same day and time." She heard Nino said.
She looked at her friend who gave her a wide and teasing grin. A throbbing vein appeared on her temples.
"Who do you think he's waiting?" she teased. "That Nanase? Or that Tachibana?"
"Either and I don't care."
With that, she stood up and turned her heels back to the locker and took out her outdoor shoes. When Nino followed back, she was already putting her shoes on.
"You're no fun Nobu. I was sure you would be flustered if you saw him. Aaah~ I miss the cute, shy and in-love Nobume." Nino said shaking her head and clicked her tounge.
"Don't you have club activities Nino? You'll be late if you don't hurry – ahh it's fine anyway so the captain can punish you then." she gave Nino an evil grin as she said the last part.
"Ahhhhh!" the girl shrieked and hurriedly took her leave.
Then there was silence. The hallways, which always filled with laughters and shouts, were nowhere to be found. The empty classrooms became just an ordinary room with no teacher and students in it. Nobu stood in front of the lockers for a while then started to move when the cheers of fan girls from the field watching the athlete boys practice reverberated throughout the school premises. From the empty classrooms and hallways to the library, where few students preferred to be left alone and study their lessons, to the faculty room where one or three teachers left to do their tasks, to the school's rooftop, gym, yard and pool. The orange sky indicates that school was really over for that day.
Nobu was out of the building and walking towards the gate but her eyes were focused at the teenager standing beside it. He was leaning on the wall, hands folded and eyes closed. He was still wearing his school's jersey and that bag clinging on to his broad shoulders. Looking at him made her remember his younger version. How could she ever forget the 'him' on her memory? It was the only thing she ever had. They weren't friends let alone acquaintances. They never had spoken nor smiled to each other; they were complete strangers. And the only thing she did back then was to watch him at a distance with his friends. After all, it was just in the past now.
She was finally out of the school's gate and didn't dare to look back anymore.
"Ahh~ SQUID!" Nino pointed out to a stall. "SQUID!" the stall on her left. "SQUID!" another to the right. "SQUID! There are squids everywhere!" she exclaimed looking at Nobu with sparking eyes.
"Don't get too excited over a squid."
"I'll try!" she said excitedly then run off to a stall.
Nobu sighed at her companion. In the first place, she didn't want to go to the festival. It wasn't just her thing. If only not for Nino, she would be having an anime marathon right now. She looked around, observing the people. Many were wearing a yukata. She remembered back in 6th grade, she had also experienced wearing one. It was the first and last time though. It was a horrible memory.
"Nobu~!" called Nino waving her hands to her while holding a squid on a stick and on her left was a candy apple. "Quick! Come here!"
She walked towards her friend until she noticed that Nino was talking with someone. As she gets nearer, she got a clear view of that someone and it was Tachibana and co.
"So Homura-san is also here." Makoto said giving her a gentle smile.
She smiled back. "I was dragged here."
"O-Ohh…"
She glanced at Haru who was just beside Makoto and smiled evilly.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Nanase. Thinking you didn't like the crowd and just locked yourself up inside the bathroom."
Haru's eyes twitched for a while there. It was so fast that they didn't noticed but not Makoto.
"I also didn't expect you to be here Homura-san. I thought you'd be in your room locked up and watching two guys moaning."
It was Nobu's turn to twitch and a glaring battle began. Makoto sighed at this. Knowing this two, they would be glaring at each other for a while but then he smiled.
"I didn't know Haruka-senpai had this kind of relationship with someone." Rei whispered to Makoto. "What's their story?"
"Yeah! I wanna know as well! I always wondered why the two of them annoy each other whenever they meet!" an excited Nagisa butted in.
"O-oi! Nagisa! Shhh!" Rei hushed him.
"Ahh – well…" Makoto was hesitant to tell or not, for something not really that significant but still told them anyway.
"This could be interesting." Nino joined who overheard them.
"Well, back when we were in middle school, our class had a group project and it should consist of three members. Since Haru and I was already a pair, we lack one member. On the other hand, Homura-san who didn't have any group at that moment and since everyone else seems to have a group already, we decided to let her join us."
"What a loner." Nino coughed earning a glare from Nobu.
"I don't exactly know why but from that moment on, there's always been a heavy atmosphere between the two of them." Makoto continued.
"I never talked to her before." Haru defended with a bored look on his face.
"I think I know why." Nino coughed again looking away from her best of friend.
"What? I thought there was something more." Nagisa pouted in disappointment.
"I understand what Homura-senpai said about Haruka-senpai. But what about the 'two guys moaning' he mentioned?" Rei questioned.
None of them said a word. All was exchanging glances that Rei didn't understand.
"So what did Haru-chan meant?" Nagisa said, breaking the silence and the glances.
"I thought you understood since you're quiet all of a sudden too." Rei sighed.
Nagisa only smiled and waited for the answer but to his dismay, no one told him until Nobu and Nino walked away and left them for good.
"Ne! Ne! Mako-chan! Tell me!" he tugged at Makoto's sleeve.
After a short while, Rin and a girl with a red hair like Rin's arrived.
"Nanase really caught you reading that?!" Nino laughed. "I can't believe it! Oh, man! My tummy hurts!"
"I hope your stomach explodes." Nobu said in annoyance by her friend's behaviour.
"Sorry – I just *laugh* can't *laugh* stop *laugh* laughing."
Nobu rolled her eyes when suddenly she caught sight of a certain red hair. He's here.
"Rin's here." Nino voicing out her thoughts. "And he's with the gang."
Looks like they're having fun. The other guys were trying out the shooting game but Rin just stood there laughing at one of them for not hitting the target. Her sight slowly went its way to the girl wearing a cute yukata beside Rin. She had the same red hair and eyes as him. Oh- it's Gou. She knew the girl besides being his little sister. They were friends after all but not that close. I know all of them and they know me but he doesn't know about me. How cruel. She thought.
"Hey Nobu! Want to go there?" Nino interrupted.
"You want to?" she asked back.
'Y – Yes…" Nino replied as she plays with her fingers.
"Why the hell are you fidgeting?"
"Well I'm kind of nervous going with them! Just imagine! You're surrounded with hot guys like that!" She pointed at the group, eyes sparking.
"I – can't imagine – something like that…" *sweat drop*
"Well, you should start imagining then."
"You really pissed me."
"So you wanna go there?" Nino asked again.
She stared at the group for a split second and then walked away from them. Nino caught up beside her. "It was your chance, yet you let it slip away."
"There's no need to do that. I don't like him anymore. Besides, we're not friends and I don't want to disturbed them." She reasoned staring straight ahead.
"Owkay – by the way your face is as red as a tomato."
"What?!" she blurted cupping her face.
She's not sure if Nino was only teasing her but her face was indeed warm.
"Oh yeah – are you still thinking that he and Nanase is an item?"
At that, she stopped at her tracks and looked at Nino with disbelief.
"By the look on your nose's holes getting larger, I can tell you believed all of it." Nino pointed out. "Oh my!" she burst out laughing again with a sudden realization. "You always annoyed Nanase because of it didn't you?! That's why – "
"Don't say another word!" she cried giving Nino a chop on the head and then run away.
"Ufufufu~ thought so." Nino evilly smiled.
Damn that Nino! Always and always teasing me! She hurriedly crossed the street as the sight she saw earlier kept replaying on her mind. When she was looking at the guys in that split second, she saw Rin turned his head towards their direction and meet his gaze. She wasn't sure if she was the one he's looking at so she pointed to herself and to her surprised, he reacted. His face flushed in red and he looked away. That was then she walked away, blushing hard as well.
