Ah, Will You Walk Next To Me?

"! Wake up! You are in my class so you will pay attention to my lesson!" The teacher swiftly threw a piece of chalk at Kaito's head.

"OUCH!" Kaito exclaimed in pain and stood up.

"Ah you're standing up I guess that means you'd like to solve this complicated maths problem, now let me warn you this one will take at least 10 minutes to do and-" The teacher got cut off by Kaito's arrogant voice.

"The answer is 16.5km from point B." Kaito yawned and sat back down again.

"C-Correct" The teacher sighed and hung her head low for a while.

*After School*

Kaito and Aoko gather their things and left the school. While walking down the side of the river she remembered what happened this morning and decided to fill the silence with small talk.

"Geez Kaito about this morning, at least look like you were thinking. You're going to kill her self esteem if you keep this up." She scolded him. "Be considerate."

"Wait, wait. Are you telling me to be stupid?" He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her with a confused look. "And by the way Aoko, you would've done the exact same thing as me."

"Y-yeah well…" She stammered.

"Kaito 1, Aoko 0." Kaito smirked and ran off in front of her. "Hehe guess you're not as smart as you think you are."

"W-Why you! Come back here." She retorted and ran after him but inside she was secretly happy that they got to walk home together every day, even if they bicker and fight along the way.

Kaito was still faster than her no matter how fast Aoko ran, that made Aoko think a little.

How come we never walk along side each other anymore? How come he's always in front of me or behind me? How come we can't just have a normal conversation while walking with our shoulders a lined? Lately all we've done is tease each other and dispute… Heh, sooner or later we won't even BE walking home together. The distance between us is so far, how come I've never noticed this until now? That's it! Tomorrow I'm going to have a normal conversation with Kaito while walking normally to school.

*The Next Day*

Aoko walked out of her house to find that Kaito is waiting outside the gates for her.

"Hey, took you long enough let's go." He said with a smirk. "Unless you've gained some weight and can't keep up with me."

"Really Kaito? This early in the morning too?" Aoko forced out a little laugh and opened the gates. "Well then let's head off to school."

"Huh? Hey what's with you today? Another strange case of mood swings?" Kaito questioned.

"Ahaha don't be silly, I'm always like this. What are you talking about?" Aoko ignored his irritating questions and continued to walk by his side.

"Hmm…" Kaito frowned a little this strange, new Aoko.

"Hey Kaito, did you hear that Kid is going to strike again this Sunday?" She turned her head and asked him.

"Hm? Oh yeah I know." Kaito answered apathetically. "Why you've gotten a crush on him now or something? Is that why you're interested?"

"Oh please, I've never fall for someone like that." Aoko sighed but tried to laugh a little.

"Oh I see." Kaito replied with hardly any enthusiasm.

They walk for a few minutes in silence. Aoko smiling happily that she's able to finally be next to him but Kaito on the other hand…finds this very awkward and boring. Aoko then starts to hum a little melody which starts to freak him out a little. This cheerful and tranquil Aoko…is weird to him.

"Hey Kaito, did you remember to bring that papers for the teacher today?" She asked nicely.

"I already did that yesterday." Kaito replied without even looking at her face.

"Oh I see, it's good that you're taking some responsibility." She smiled lightly.

"Yeah, I guess." Kaito continued walking but picked up his pace a little.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Aoko asked a little annoyed. "Hey, Kaito?"

"I don't know. Maybe I don't wanna see your ugly face?" Kaito winked and started to run, awaiting that school bag that will hit him any second now…any second now…come one…huh? Kaito turned around to see Aoko far back, still walking at her usual pace. "Why is she acting so weird today?"

"Kaito, would you mind not running away like that?" Aoko asked him in a slightly irritated manner. "I don't really want to have to run to school again today."

"Y-yeah, sure I guess." Kaito stopped to wait for her.

"Then let's keep going." Aoko smiled and continued walking next to him. "You know, let's go to your house today and work on the project together."

"Umm, sorry I have club practice today so I can't." Kaito avoided her face. "Can you go home first today?"

"I see, well I guess I'll just wait for you." She told him. "Then we can walk home afterwards."

"Um I'd rather not. I mean it goes on for quite a while. You'll probably get bored waiting, just go home with Keiko." He refused her offer.

"What?" Aoko stopped walking for a while and stared at his back, he didn't even notice that she wasn't next to him anymore.

*At School*

"Man I don't get it, Aoko was acting all weird this morning. Geez is this a new method of hers? Whatever it was it sure made things awkward." Kaito mumbled to himself. "Hopefully she doesn't wait for me, don't wanna have to go through that walk again."

"Kaito, it's time for lunch. Let's eat together." Aoko called out from the hallway.

"Yep! Coming." Kaito got up from his seat in the classroom and ran outside. "So did you make me a boxed lunch or something?"

"In your dreams maybe, you can go buy bread again like always." Aoko smirked and walked outside to the gardens.

"H-hey, not cool Aoko. You made me one right? Riiiight?" Kaito chased after her with tears almost seeping from his eyes.

"Haha! Of course I got you one you idiot. Although don't get me wrong my MUM made it not me. As if I'd make something like that for you." Aoko blushed a little and handled him a lunchbox wrapped in a piece of blue clothe.

"Wah! That's that Aoko I know. Thanks for the lunch." Kaito smiled with delight while he took the boxed lunch.

"I-I just said it wasn't me! It was my mom!" Aoko's face grew redder. "H-hey are you even listening?"

"Aha I could go home with this Aoko any day." Kaito happily murmured to himself.

"Did you say something?" Aoko asked from behind.

"Nope you're just hearing things. I think its cause you're getting old." Kaito yelled back while opening his boxed lunch. "Wow she really went all out today, heh thanks for the lunch Aoko."

She ran to catch up with him as he walked towards their usual spot in the garden. Kaito sat down and stuck his face right into his meal as soon as he took his chopsticks out. Aoko just stood there staring at the pig that she claims to love. His face was covered in rice and pieces of egg and pickled vegetables. She could SEE the numerous numbers of birds he was attracting because of that atrocious eating habit of his. She probably should've secretly put fish inside the egg rolls or something. He's so dense he probably wouldn't even notice.

"H-Hey, you're supposed to wait until everyone is at the table before you eat…you greedy pig." She stared at him in disgust.

"We're in a garden that doesn't count." Kaito continued to gobble up his food. "Man this is really good."

"You sicken me, you know that?" Aoko laughed a little and sat down next to him. "Oh, about today I think I'll just wait for you after all."

Kaito stopped eating for a second. He placed his box and chopsticks down and took a deep breath. Kaito then turned to face Aoko and he placed both of his hands on her shoulders. While staring deep into her eyes he leaned forward a little. Aoko's face blushed a deep reed but she was too mesmerized to push him away, he just kept coming closer towards her.

"No." Kaito said.

"…..Huh?" Aoko still red, was a little confused. "Why not?"

"Like I said, you'll just get bored. If you always wait for me, people will think there's something between us and we don't want that to happen do we?" Kaito took his hands off her and turned towards his boxed lunch. "Besides you'll just be a bother."

"What are you talking about?" Aoko angrily protested.

"Okay fine I'll just say it. I don't want a repeat of this morning. It was weird and awkward. YOU were weird and awkward. So I think it's best if you just go home first. Hey it's killing two birds with one stone. Come on Aoko, its win win for both of us." Kaito continued eating from his boxed lunch.

"Grrr…what are you saying?" Aoko mumbled to herself. "I PUT FISH IN THOSE EGG ROLLS AND I MARINATED THE VEGETABLES IN FISH SAUCE FOR 3 HOURS. NO, YOU COULD SAY YOU'RE EATING AN ENTIRE SCHOOL OF FISH. THAT'S RIGHT, FISH! FIIISSSHHH! HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW IDIOT? AOKO - 1, KAITO - 0!"

Aoko grabbed her lunchbox and ran way, of course she was lying about the whole fish thing but Kaito didn't know that. So there he sat frozen with froth coming out of his mouth.

*After School*

So then it was finally after school and Aoko really wanted to walk home by herself. As she was about to leave the school grounds something stopped her. Herself. She really didn't want to 'just' leave, she want to 'leave with Kaito'. She thought that this morning was fine, no she realized that she wasn't being herself but she didn't realize that Kaito was actually bothered by it. Determined to set things straight Aoko waited inside the classroom. It was currently 3:30PM. She walked around a little, looked at a few posters around the room, flicked through a few books, drew on the chalkboard and rubbed it off and talked to the class fish until she turned her attention towards the clock. It was now currently 3:35PM. She thought to herself this was going to be a LONG wait. Aoko then sat in the teacher's desk and took a glance around the classroom, opened all the windows and closed them again, sang a song, opened and closed her bag about 10 times, rearranged the books on the book shelf until she turned her attention to the clock once again. It was now 3:45PM. Kaito's practice ends at 5:30PM.

"GYAAAAAH! I'm going to go crazy!" She screamed. "That idiot was right! I shouldn't have waited, I'm so bored that I could kill that stupid fish and flush it down the toilet just for fun!"

Aoko sighed a little because she realized that her sanity was slowly slipping away from her.

"Maybe I'll just take a little nap. Yeah, yeah that'll do." She agreed with herself and walked down the isle of seats. "Now where should I sit?"

Aoko obviously looked at her desk but noticed that Kaito's bag is still next to his. That caused her decision to sway a little.

"Kaito wouldn't mind if I just rest my head on his desk right?" Aoko asked herself. "Yeah of course not, just for a little while."

Aoko went over to Kaito's desk and sat down; she placed her head on it and closed her eyes. Something about her head being on his desk makes her feels very at ease and sleepy. She can feel her consciousness slowly disappearing as she falls asleep.

"Hey, Aoko….Aoko? Hey, wake up." Aoko heard a familiar voice. "Oi, you can't sleep here. Come on it's time to go.

"Ngh" Aoko lifted her head and rubbed her eyes a little. The clock now read 5:40PM. "What~ I was sleeping, mngh."

"Geez, I told you not to wait for me." Kaito's face suddenly appeared on the blurry figure. "I knew you'd get bored."

"Kaito?" Aoko sleepily questioned.

"A-ah yeah, it's me." Kaito grew a little pink at the sight of the sleepy Aoko. "C-come on, let's go home."

"Ehe, okay." Still half asleep Aoko smiled and got up slowly.

"Why were you sleeping on my desk anyway?" Kaito asked curiously.

"Ummm because I wanted to be where Kaito was?" Aoko hazily replied to his question. "Because this seat belongs to you."

"W-What? Idiot, do you even know what you're saying?" Kaito blushed and knocked her on the head.

"Aha of course I do, I always know what I'm saying moron." She happily replied, still half asleep of course. "Let's go already, slowpoke."

"H-hey we're already out of school and you're still half asleep." Kaito sighed and held onto her hand to make sure she doesn't topple over. "Look you're swaying and everything."

"Why are you holding my hand? Do you like me or something Kaito?" Aoko asked in a reflexively cute voice. "Ehe, I like you too."

"D-don't be stupid! It's as if you're drunk or something!" Kaito grew even redder as he dragged her home. "I'm holding it so you don't fall over."

"Drunk? What I don't drink, you know that." Aoko replied. "Geez, Kaito how long have we been friends?"

They continued to talk like that until they reached Aoko's house.

Side by side of course.