Chapter 3: They aren't friends, are they?

Ok. I think I did a good job with the last two tips, right? Right? However I can't celebrate yet, I still feel pretty far for my main goal. Stupid, sexy Hikio.

Ahem… let's see what those next two tips are.

4

Introduce Him to Your Friends

This will show him that you trust him enough to introduce him to the people closest to you – friends and even family. It will also show him that you view him as somebody who is more than just physically attractive – it will show him that you're looking for something more from him.

5

Attract Him Physically

And I don't mean sexually. If you want to know how to make him your boyfriend, then let me explain with an example. If he's into redheads, then how about coloring one or two streaks of your hair red? Not only will that instantly make you more memorable in his mind but subconsciously, he will be just a little bit more attracted to you. Because let's face it – if a man isn't physically attracted to you then his chances of being in a relationship with you are pretty slim.

Ok, I can do that. I mean I bet he doesn't know a lot of people. I just need to get him in a situation where I can introduce him to some of my friends, although he is acquainted to many of them. He is not that unpopular anymore.

The next one is a bit trickier, I know I am attractive. Yeap I am. But I'm not sure that he feels attracted to me. Humph. Maybe I should dye my hair. Maybe he likes brunettes, like that ice bitch of his club. Humph! I wonder if she even wears make up. Whatever.


I found myself in his club once again since they didn't get any request yesterday. The atmosphere was calm and the warm smell of the tea added a comfy feeling. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of Yui and I playing on our phones. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him reading. He seemed so focused that he made me curious. Sometimes I can see him trying to hold a smile.

I was going to break the ice when someone knocked the door energetically.

"Seeeempai." Ishiki yelled after coming in. I saw him jumping in his chair which was rather funny. Haha.

"Oi! You don't have to yell like that." Hikio scolded her.

"But it wouldn't be funny if I didn't." She retorted, the nerve of this brat. He just grunted.

"Yahallo, Iroha chan." Yui quickly greeted her.

"Good afternoon." Of course that was the ice queen, always so formal.

"Yahallo." She said weaving her hand. Then she saw me and like a scare cat she half hided her behind Hikio. "Yahallo, Miura sempai." It's not like am scary, jeez.

"Hi."

"Please, take a sit."

"Right, sorry." She took a sit next to Yukinoshita. "So I came to borrow sempai for a bit."

"Elaborate, please."

"Ok, we need to prepare for the summer break. Many clubs and classes are organizing trips therefore we are going to receive many petitions, so sensei suggested we arrange a special place for it and we are going to equip it. "

"It seems like a good idea. You may borrow it."

"Oi, don't you mind him?" Hikio complained.

"Right" Yukinoshita said not at all apologetic. He just grunted, again.

"Anyway, what do you want me for? You seem to have it under control."

"For the grunt work, of course." She added with bright smile.

"Pass."

"C'mon, sempai. Don't you want to help your cute Kohai?"

OMG! I can't believe she's using her cute appeal with him, she is so sly. When I see Hikio get all flustered I realize is working. Damn Hikio.

"Fine." Stupid Hikio, he's falling so easily. I turned away of that scene and faced Yui. She was making a face but she didn't say anything. Seriously, what kind of relationship does he have with her? Humph. Yukinoshita didn't seem too happy either. "But quit it with the slyness, alright? It's getting old."

"What? You are the sly one here sempai." she made a kind of cute pout. I'm actually surprised that Hikio called her out. Haha. I guess he's not that oblivious. "Nevermind that, let's goooo."

"Ok." He was putting his book away. I looked at Yukinoshita and Yui but they didn't seem disturb by it. Is this normal?

"Hey." I called her which earned me everyone attention. "Maybe I could help."

By the face Ishiki was making she did not expected that. "Mmm. But is just, like, grunt work. Sempai can manage."

"Are you sure? He doesn't seem too reliable." He frowned at me. Ishiki on the other hand seemed taken aback. "I mean I came here to like help, right?" Yui nodded and the Yukinoshita did the same. "Please." I said to Ishiki fully aware that she couldn't possibly refuse now.

"Ah, sure, thank you." She made an awkward smile.


We three made our way out, Yui gave us farewell and Yukinoshita just acknowledged our exit. We made our way rather awkwardly, Ishiki was leading the way, I walked alongside her and Hikio followed us behind like a stalker. We got to a classroom next to the EstuCo´s office. There it was up to Ishiki.

"So we need to condition this place with a couple of tables and some chairs, also we need some office-materials like papers and stuff."

"Ok, where do we get that?" I asked.

"There." She pointed a near classroom, "We can get the table and chairs from that room over there and we have a budget to buy the office material."

"Huh, where are the vice and the others?" Hikio asked. He was right this was just a regular StuCo job.

"I said I could manage. Right Sempai?" is that supposed to be an explanation? Although Hikio just rolled his eyes. Again, what is their relationship?

"So, is just us?"

Oh, I see it now. I got in the middle of their alone time. Sorry Ishiki. Haha. Ishiki was all flustered.

"What? Are you trying to make it seem like a romantic setting? Sorry but if you want to ask me out you have to make it properly. Sorry." What?

"Yeah, yeah. Shall we?" Hikio didn't pay any attention to her rejection.

"Right, please do." Hikio walked through the door so I call him.

"Where do you think you are going?" I said.

I think they forgot I was there because they were surprised. "To condition the place."

"We can do that. You should go for the chairs and tables."

"Do I have to?"

"Do you want us to do it?"

"I guess not" He gave up and he started walking away.

Ishiki and I clean the classroom and when we finish Hikio help us to put everything in its place. It was quick and simple. I guess if I wasn't there Ishiki would have made Hikio do all the work.

"That is it for today, thank you for your help." Ishiki sang and bowed to the both of us.

"Wait. What about the things you needed to buy?"

"Ah, don't worry about it. I kind of need to go now. So I'll do it some other time."

"We can do it. I know the perfect place." I said with confidence. Hikio looked at me surprised.

"But I need to go." She responded shyly, it looked like for some reason she didn't want us to go. How suspicious.

"Don't worry, we'll manage." I said and I extended my hands.

She reluctantly went inside and came out with small a bag. "Here is the budget and the list of things to buy"

"Also we are going to need the key, to put the stuff in the room, right? I mean you already have to go, don't you?"

"Right." Ishiski answered and hand it over to me.

"Alright then see you later." And with that I started walking. "Hurry up Hikio." I heard a sigh and his footsteps.


We made our way out of school. We walked down the street next to each other although Hikio was walking a couple of steps behind. I was thinking in a way to break the ice when he surprisingly did it himself.

"You didn't need to treat Ishiki like that, you know."

"Ha, what do you mean?" I retorted taken aback. He finally turned his gaze to me.

"You know what I mean; you were pushing her around to do whatever you like." His eyes were sharp and his voice cold. He was making me shake.

"I-I was just trying to help her the best way I could. Isn't that what you do?" He seemed a bit surprised. His expression softened a bit.

"You may have a point there, still don't," he said adverting his eyes, "although I'm a bit surprise that you know what I do."

"I have seen it. Summer camp, remember?" doesn't he remember I was there?

"I remember" that cheered me up a little. "I just thought you didn't."

"You made us do despicable things." Ok that was a bit uncalled for since it was so long ago.

"Guess so." he answered curtly.

"Anyway I was only suggesting, she didn't need to go along with what I said."

"Yeah, right" he answered with a smug face. What's up with that?

"What? You don't think so?"

"Hmm, do you realize you are scary?"

"I'm not"

"Yeah, you are," He said still with his smug face and I kind of snapped.

"I'm not scary!" I yelled and he closed his eyes making a face of mock terror.

"You are right. Sorry. Please don't hurt me."

"Im not scary." I mumbled to myself but I think that I have just proved him right. Stupid Hikio. I turn back to him. "Sorry for yelling," I said swallowing my pride "Idiot."

He was surprised at my sudden apology. "Don't worry about it." He said rubbing it off. "You called me idiot though." He added more to himself.

"You deserved, you were teasing."

"I… was." He said and he was making his inner monologue face. I normally don't have any idea of what he is thinking but this time was different so I spoke.

"Hikio, we are friends."

"Huh, is that so?"

"What? You don't want to?"

"I just didn't know that's how it works."

"You're impossible."

We were still walking and he was still in deep thought so I asked what he was thinking.

"I was just wondering if this is what you did to Yuigahama?"

"What?"

"Force your friendship on her?

"Of course not, she is nice and wants to get along with everyone"

"Yeah, that's her." He said like making fun of her yet there was something warm in his voice. I don't really understand them but they are close, probably closer than me and her.

I was about to say something more when we arrived to our destination.

"Here we are." I said.

"What is this?"

"A stationary shop, duh. C'mon get in."

We both entered the store. It was a nice and small store. It was well equipped but it wasn't anything fancy.

"This is the place you knew? Doesn't feel like anything special."

Before I could say anything a pretty middle-aged lady came out from the back of the store.

"Oh, hello, Yumiko san." She said with a warm smile.

"Hi, Sanae san." I said smiling back.

"Who is your friend?" she asked looking at a conflicted Hikio.

"This is…"

He saw his cue and spoke. "I'm Hikigaya Hachiman, nice to meet you." He said and he made a little bow. I was actually surprised to see him act so polite. He was a bit stiff but that is kind of cute.

"I'm Furukawa Sanae, nice to meet you too" The cuteness of Sanae san was over 9000.

"Right, so we were hoping you could help us with this." I said and I gave her the list of materials.

"Sure, anything for Yumiko san." She said with a smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

We three gathered everything from the list and took it to the register where she tried to give me a discount which I refuse since it was a school purchase. After we paid she asked me to come back soon and she said to Hikio that any friend is welcome as well. He just nodded and said goodbye but I could see he was a bit flustered, Sanae saw it also. Of course he was in charge of carrying the stuff.

Finally we were going back. I was happily walking when he broke the silence again.

"Hey, hmm, what is your relationship with her?" It looked like it took him some effort to ask so I just answered.

"I use to part time in her store."

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"What?" I asked with a frown. What do you mean Hikio?

"Nothing, I just, I can't picture you in a part time job." After been all nice and polite, he returns to his rude self.

"What is that supposed to mean? For your information I worked my butt out in there and made friends with the couple who owns the store." Ok maybe I exaggerated a bit but it was mostly true.

"Sorry, I guess." He offered nonchalantly. "She seems nice."

"She is. You should learn from her" I made a teasing smile.

"I know." He said finishing our conversation.

We were only walking when he started to accelerate his pace. I couldn't quite keep up. He has surprisingly long legs.

"Oi! What's with you? Why are you walking so fast?"

"Hm, I just thought this would be easier."

"What?"

"If we have some distance between us."

"Why is that?"

"Well you know if someone sees us it could cause a misunderstanding. Besides I don't like the stares I'm getting."

"Stares?"

"Yeah, people probably think I blackmail you to walk with me or something. In what other way could I get someone as attractive to walk with me?"

"Huh."

Ishiki is right, he is sly. I couldn't say anything more since I was too busy hiding my blushed face. He probably saw that as a positive sing and he started to accelerate his pace again. Instead of saying something like I should have done I tried to catch up. Unfortunately I didn't pay enough attention to my surrounding and I end up falling. If this was a regular rom-com I'd have fallen in his arms and we'd have a romantic moment. Instead I balanced my body and fell with my butt in a very un-lady like fashion. It really hurt.

I was wailing in pain until Hikio called me.

"M-Miura san, are you ok?" I looked up to see him. He was offering his hand but He had his head turn and he was blushing. I didn't understand why until I saw my cute little skirt almost completely folded. I put it in its place in a rush and took his hand to stand up.

"Thank you" I offered and now I was the one with a quick pace.

"Don't mention it." He offered equally embarrassed.

"Oi, you didn't take a peek did you?" I asked in an accusatory tone.

"Of course not." He answered embarrassed.

"Really?" I asked a bit relieve.

"No I didn't." he said relaxed. "Not this time." He mumbled to himself.

What?

"What did you say?!"

"I didn't say anything." He lied realizing his mistake.

"Yes you did." And I walked to him. He was backing up with panic. Out of the bag of office supplies it came out a roll of full size paper so I took it and I started to hit him with it. "I heard you idiot, pervert, pig, scum." I was yelling and hitting him. The paper made a very nice sound after every hit to his empty skull. I actually didn't mind that much if it was him, but I was embarrassed enough to want to hit someone.

"Oi! Miura!" He said in a firm tone.

"What?!" I yelled back.

"People are staring." I looked to my surroundings and he was right. I turned around with what was left of my dignity and accelerate my pace.

"Idiot." I mumbled when I heard him catch me.

"Hmm, hey." He called in a timid voice.

"What?"

"Are we still friends?"

"Jeez, yes we are dummy." I said with annoyance yet I couldn't help but smile wryly.

In the end we had to return for another roll of paper. Sanae san was happy to see us again so soon. He explained the situation saying it was his fault and he paid for the new acquisition. I really don't hate that part of him.


N/A hello.