AUTUMN

Leyka always found herself thinking of him again. Ever since the first day she met him, she always thought of him. And ever since that day he saved her, she would always make sure to spend more time with him even though she knew that he would just try to shrug her off. But she wouldn't give up until he would warm up to her. Then reality hit her like a splash of cold water:

She liked him. She had fallen for him, deeply.

Summer was over now and she was starting to feel the autumn air. All of the students now wore their own scarves (except from two students: Ivan and Hendrick[1] since they always wore scarves cold or not).

Antonio was waiting by her gate when she went out.

"Ola, Leyka!" cheerfully greeted and casually took her hand and spun her around in a dancing fashion.

She just giggled at this. Typical Antonio. "Hey, Toni," she chuckled as they started walking to school, "Where's the other two?"

"Well…" he scratched the back of his head, "We got chase by girls again and I am the only one who made it here."

"I see," she giggled again.

And they walked to school talking about various things, mostly about Francis and Gilbert who had their eyes for two special girls in their life. Francis was currently dating Anneliese, a Genovian who was a top student in a school at the next town. Gilbert, too, but it wasn't dating, he was actually 'courting' to win Dea's heart, a Lefidepthurian who was rumored as a gangster princess (his 'Awesome Princess' as he put it).

"So Toni, who's yours?" Leyka suddenly asked curiously. "Francis and Gilbert has now their own girls, so how about you?"

"E-EH?" he blushed and looked away. Wait a sec! He blushed! "W-well…I have someone I like. And I really like her so much that I am sure that I no longer like her…I love her." He said quietly in one breath.

"And? Are you together now?" she asked as she grinned at his red face.

"Ye—No. Not yet, I haven't told her yet," he bowed his head, his eyes nervously fidgeting.

'Hm…Maybe he really is shy when it comes to the girl he likes.'

She giggled and patted his back. "You should tell her soon, Toni, before anyone can steal her."

He then sheepishly looked at her and cheerily smiled though with red cheeks. "I will! Thanks for the encouragement, Leyka. It means so much to me."

She just laughed at him. He really was in love. His smiling and blushing face however reminded her of his brother again. She wondered if Joao was as cute as Antonio if he was smiling and maybe if he was blushing. She sighed. 'That will never happen but I won't give up!'

"How about you, Leyka?" Antonio suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"Do you like someone?" he looked at you directly in the eyes. His smile was still there, his blush was gone, but his eyes were serious.

"I—well—" her face turned as red as a tomato. "I—I like this guy…"

"And?"

"I can't tell you who he is!"

"Come on! Tell me! I won't tell a soul!"

"I can't! Sorry!"

He just sighed. "Fine. But you should tell him soon."

She just laughed. "That's my words!"

"And you need to apply them to yourself, too~"

"I don't know…he barely notices me…" then an idea hit her. "Antonio!"

"Si?!"

"Can you help me?"

Joao just sat on his usual sit by the window. He was making a countdown in his mind as usual since not a moment longer, Leyka would surely walk in the door and would seat beside him again, then she would try to talk to him again, she would try to make him smile again, try to soften him again. He really didn't know why she was doing this. But he was thankful.

Actually, the coldness he kept showing her wasn't because she was annoying but it was to cover up his feelings. He acted coldly to her to make up for the jealousy he felt every time he saw her with that stupid trio, especially with his brother. He had to refrain himself from beating Antonio up every time he heard him talking to Leyka on the phone at their house. And the thing that he hated the most was the fact that he was in love with Leyka, but what was worse? It was the fact that Antonio felt the same way towards her, too.

But he had promised to himself that he would not steep so low to admit that he loved the same girl that his brother loved.

Love. That was what his mother had died for. She loved his father very much that she wouldn't fight his father whenever his father would beat her up. Antonio was the only one who could plead their father to stop beating their mother but at that day, his brother was out with his friends while he never knew that their father was beating their mother to death and even managed to get his hand a hold of a knife. Joao tried to fight his father but since he was still young at that time, his father beat him up and even slashed his right eye with the knife, resulting to his current scar. The next thing that the knife stabbed was his mother's heart, resulting to her death.

And right after their father was imprisoned, he was forced to work but no one would employ him at his young age so what he did was steal. And gradually, he became one of the most terrifying gangsters. He was glad to meet his friend, Arthur another gangster like him, because they both had dark pasts and understood each other but ever since Arthur saw that brunette girl with low pigtails, he rarely saw him.

Blinking the memories away, he looked towards the door as someone walked in; expecting it to be Leyka, but it was his brother.

Antonio walked over Joao with a soft—or was it sad?—smile.

"Ola," Antonio greeted. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Why?" Joao eyed him with a faint glare.

"Come on. Let's just talk outside."

Though confused, Joao agreed.

Now they were at the rooftop.

"What do you want?" Joao asked lazily.

"I just want to ask something," Antonio's face was serious. "What do you think of Leyka?"

This seemed to hit a spot. "Why are you asking?"

Antonio just sighed. "She likes you. And I just can't stand it, seeing her trying to warm you up but all you do is act coldly but you never push her away."

Unknown to his brother, Joao was celebrating deep inside. She liked him?! That was the best news in his life. And even though he wouldn't allow it, a smile made its way on his face but since he tried to prevent it, it looked like a smirk.

"What are you smirking at? Do you like her, too?" Antonio asked. "Then you should go confess to her! She likes you, alright! Nothing's getting in your way. I won't even dare to oppose you on this!"

Joao was debating if he should admit it or not but as usual, his pride won. "I…I don't like her," he lied. "I find it rather amusing that the girl you like likes me," and to make it sound true, he forced a chuckle, "Why will I confess? I will never steep so low to commit mother's fatal mistake. I won't steep so low to involve myself with lovesick people—"

PUNCH!

Antonio punched his brother. His eyes were practically flaring. "How can you say such things?!"

Joao simply wiped the blood from his bleeding mouth. "Why are you reacting like that? I thought you just 'like' her. Don't tell me that you 'love' her?

"Yes! And I will never stoop so low to stop myself from loving her!" Antonio yelled at his brother. He was so upset. He had already planned to fade out of Leyka's life just to get her and his brother together and his brother found it amusing? Antonio was ready to sacrifice his happiness for Leyka's and Joao's happiness and his brother just—

"You really are a fool, Antonio," Joao said and swiftly punched him back.

Antonio cursed and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Why you-!"

And they continued their fist fight until, coincidentally, Gilbert and Francis arrived at the rooftop to prank some students down the ground. But they ended up as the referees of the siblings' fight.

Leyka walked in the classroom and saw that no one was around, except from one. The ebony haired Japanese, Kiku. He gently waved at her as she made her way towards him.

"Where are the others Kiku?" she asked him.

"Well, the Spanish and Portuguese siblings got into a fistfight so they were sent to the clinic. Don't worry. I know that the Spanish is your friend. They won't be sent to the guidance. They will just be suspended for a week."

"I see. Thank you, Kiku," and she quickly ran towards the clinic. Her heart was thumping with worry but not for her friend but for Joao.

She ran and ran until she reached the clinic. She immediately went in with a huff and a pant. The clinic was almost empty. Almost.

"Joao!" she exclaimed as she saw him searching in a medicine cabinet for some painkillers, maybe.

He looked at her in surprise. His mouth still had blood on it and his cheek and near his eye were bruises.

She boldly took his hand and led him to a clinical bed. "Sit," she ordered.

He just quietly obeyed. He still didn't know how to react upon seeing her seeing him in this state.

Leyka took a towel and wet it with warm water. She also got an ice-bag from the small fridge. She went back to him and put the ice-bag on his hand. She guided his hand on his bruise near his eyes. "Hold it right there," she ordered again and he just obeyed. She then started to wipe his bleeding lips. When the towel grazed against the source of the blood, he winced.

"What are you doing?" he finally said.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm treating your injuries," she simply said, "And how did you get yourself into that fight anyway?"

He stubbornly looked away. "None of your business. And shouldn't you be with Antonio right now?"

She smiled at him. "Antonio will be fine. I know that Francis and Gilbert are attending to him. But you, I don't think anyone will take care of you. I don't see you hanging around anyone."

He just kept quiet.

"So…" she said as she finished wiping his mouth and took the ice-bag from him and placed it on his other bruise. "Why did you and your brother fight?"

He looked at her. 'We fought about you.' But he would never tell her the real reason. "We fought about our opinion on mother," he lied.

"Eh?"

He sighed. "We fought about her death."

She stared at him. "I—I'm so sorry."

"It's nothing…" he grumbled. "At least for him."

And he ended up telling her his story.

With that, all through autumn, Leyka would always insist on hanging around him even how much he told her not to since he was still a gangster and it was dangerous to be hanging around him. But that never got through her head. She just wanted to stay with him—be by his side always. And he was happy with that. But his pride was still controlling him, telling him not to get affected.

Because maybe, by the end of autumn she would leave. But was he still looking forward for that?

[1]- that is just a supposed human name of Netherlands. If you know his real name, PM me. :3