Hana's pencil was on fire as she jotted down the equations on the board into her notebook. In an hour, the school day will end and she'll be able to see Marmalade. As the sparks flew off the page, she continued to remind herself of this fact. Again and again, until her head was filled with math and orange tabby cats. Yes, that's all that she had to think about. All that mattered.
She had to get back to her now and show Marmalade that she'd kept her word.
To apologize to her. To see her.
She can't do either because she's stuck in class feeling eyes burying into the back of her head.
"Hana?"
Her leg doesn't stop shaking as her head snaps up to look at Maika. "Is he looking at me?" That's not the first question Hana wanted to ask her, but it escaped her lips before she could even think about it.
Maika's looking at her with a Seriously? Again? sorta gesture.
Hana puckers her bottom lip and nods. Please? Please, just check?
Maika lets out a small breath before leaning back in her chair and stretches, sneaking a glance behind them. Hana's pencil floats over her notebook as she stares blankly at the board ahead. "He isn't," she whispers.
Her pencil drops back onto her paper and she continues her note-taking. Than why is this feeling not going away? Hana's leg continues to bounce rhythmically to the seconds ticking by. He's looking. I know he is, she insists. Why wouldn't he be? Why wouldn't he after something like that? Like... that?
Her hand presses against the side of her face as she watches the teacher explain a problem. Hopefully, it'd be enough to cover the blush on her cheeks from whoever was watching her. For all she knew, the whole class was probably talking about their little show during the last minutes of lunch.
Damn it, Hana had been too stunned by Ayumi's outburst to respond. And Ayumi had bolted as soon as the bell had rung, so she didn't get to take it back either. She'd simply left Hana on the ground with a face resembling a ripe tomato. Left her there with a hurting ankle, and Maika to snap her out of it. As soon as they were up, she'd rushed into the class and slammed into her seat, purposely ignoring Kagami and the mystery boy behind him.
That girl and her big mouth. What was she thinking? Did she even think at all?
Hana's head slumped against her arm. Maybe it was her way of getting back at her?
Since the start of the school year, she's been doing her best to deal with the existence that was, Makabe Ayumi. Being around her brought up bad memories, and she knew that Ayumi was aware of this but has yet to show any sign of it. It was like Ayumi was toying with her; seeing how long either of them could last without mentioning the past, before one of them cracked. It made Hana wish that Ayumi hadn't flunked so that they could've stayed in different grades.
"Hey, are you okay?" Maika was asking, signaling her by scrunching her brows and tilting her head. "He's probably forgotten all about it," she added, when Hana frowned back. "You're worrying too much."
Hana's hand gripped her pencil as she leaned forward slightly. "I can't help it, okay? It feels like everyone's looking at me."
"They're not," Maika told her. Bless her soul. "And he isn't either."
"Are you sure?" Hana began, and Maika sighed a deep breath before glancing more boldly this time behind her.
Seriously, Maika!?
"Shit."
"Wha-what is it?" Hana demanded.
"He saw me," she answered, hunching her body over her desk and scribbling nonsense in her notebook. She looks out of the corner of her eyes again, before swiftly facing down at her notes. "Yeah, he's still looking."
Hana tried to write down what the teacher was saying but found that her hand was becoming sluggish. Her face was beginning to warm, and the feeling of being exposed was only growing. Sitting in the very center of the class had never felt more claustrophobic. When she raises her hand, she asks if she can go to the restroom. Her limbs feel heavy when she stands up, and half of the class is facing her as she heads for the back door. She didn't want to look, she definitely didn't. But before she steps outside, her eyes peer in Kagami's direction, and their eyes connect. It was only a brief second. One horrifying, painstaking second. But it was enough to rattle them both as they quickly turned away from each other in shock.
Hana booked it.
She banged her head against the side of the sink from where she was crouched on the bathroom floor. If anyone walked in on her, then she'd simply pretend she was looking for a contact lens or earring that she didn't own. Till then, she'd simply continue to agonize in the privacy of the girl's room for a few minutes more. It was practically a confession! she internally cried. She slapped the sides of her face and shook her head, fighting back the thoughts that wormed their way in. He definitely got the wrong idea! I could tell from the way he reacted just now...
She throws her arms up in frustration.
"He wouldn't right? All she said was that I thought he was cute, but he wouldn't interpret that as a full-on confession, right? A person can call someone cute and not like them at all. I mean, that sort of thing happens all the time-" Hana's hand covered her mouth when she realized she was speaking aloud. All of the stalls were empty- she'd checked them twice- but her voice could still carry into the hallway if she wasn't careful. She stays put for a few seconds as she listens to her own breathing and the dripping of a leaky faucet. To her relief, no one enters the bathroom or emerges from an air vent on the ceiling.
Hana pulls herself up so that she could peek over the counter and look into the mirror. Her face looked even paler from this angle as the lights reflected against the white porcelain sinks. I never even said that I thought he was cute. Maika's as much to blame for this as Ayumi... I mean, a "hottie"? I didn't even say anything like that.
If Hana had mentioned that she'd been watching Kagami from her window, would she have told Ayumi as well?
"Stop," she orders. She shakes her head and stands up.
Maika was only trying to calm Ayumi down. Not that that didn't have it's repercussions, but... Well, we did ditch her... But that was because of me, too.
Playing the blame game was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.
Hana places her hands against the counter and makes a face in the mirror. She manages to grin despite her mood.
Damnit, I'm overthinking again. Why do I care about what he thinks, anyway? I'll just clear up the misunderstanding, apologize for flipping out last night, and then thank the other guy for helping me. Done and done. It isn't like I'll have to talk to him again. We'll go back to how we were, and I'll have peace of mind. The edges of her reflection grow fuzzy and she blinks, then looks down at the sink. She'll be able to watch him play basketball from her window like nothing had happened. So than why? Why did her chest feel so heavy just thinking about it?
A buzzing emanates from somewhere at her waist, and she jolts. Holy crap, it was her phone. Her hands pull the device out of the pocket of her blue cardigan, cursing when it continued to vibrate. Someone was calling her? Hana examines the caller ID and raises an eyebrow. She presses it against her ear and answers, "Hello?"
"Iwasaki-chan?" came her coworker's voice over the phone. This was the first time the older woman had ever called her.
"Um, Nishimura-san? Is something the matter?"
"I'm sorry, is this a bad time? You're in school, right?"
Hana rested her hip against the counter. "It's okay. I'm actually on break right now," she lied. Well, it was partly true... "What's up?"
"I'm so sorry to call you like this, but there wasn't anyone else whom I could ask," she says, her voice shaking toward the end.
"It's okay," she says instinctively.
Hana's ear tingles as she hears Nishimura-san sigh. The poor woman sounded worn out. "You see, my daughter was sent home from school today because of the flu, and her father's away on a business trip, so there won't be anyone home to take care of her. I managed to get a few days off from work, but I'll need someone to cover my shift, and well... I've called Minagawa-kun and Suzu-chan, but I forgot that Minagawa-kun has his second job today. And Suzu-chan's in the middle of a big project for her class."
Hana heard the desperation in the mother's voice, and could already see herself agreeing to her request. The only thing stopping her was the cat flashing in her mind's eye. "You need someone for today and tomorrow?" Hana asks.
"Yes, I do. I'd understand if you couldn't though," she starts. "After all, you'd be working on your days off. And you're also a student, so you probably have enough on your shoulders already."
It was true that Mondays and Tuesdays were her days off. And yeah, she did have a bit of homework to do when she got home, but it wasn't really anything that Hana couldn't handle. She'd always managed to finish her assignments from school, even when working four days of the week. But one of the reasons why Hana had chosen this schedule, was because of how tired she'd be after pulling a late shift Saturday evenings. Even now, her body was still feeling a little weary, and more so with all the drama since this morning.
Then there was Marmalade.
Hana began to feel an awful pressure in her chest again, and she bit her lip. You told Inohara that you'd be back today. You told Marmalade that you would, remember?
But this is somebody's child that we're talking about here. She can't help it if her kid suddenly gets sick.
You'd already made up your mind before getting this call. And she said it was okay if you couldn't do it, so say no.
But Marmalade is going to be fine even if you don't go. You've experienced this yourself, so you should know how lonely it feels when you're sick and no one's around to take care of you.
But you promised! Would you really be able to show your face again after breaking that promise? What would Inohara think?
You don't know the first thing about taking care of a cat. You haven't even bought her a bowl or a place to sleep. You're not experienced in taking care of pets, so how can you be so sure she'll want to stick around?
"I don't," she mumbles, in response to her inner monologue. These were all good points, and Hana wished that she'd addressed them sooner, instead of blatantly avoiding them till now. At this very moment.
"Iwasaki-chan...?"
Her eyes snap open and she sees her hand gripping the hem of her sweater. Somewhere below her, her ankle is throbbing again. There's a slight ringing in her ears when she speaks. "Y-yeah, I'm here."
"It's okay if you can't, Iwasa-"
"I can do it," Hana tells her. Now there was no going back.
"Really?" she asks. She sounds uncertain and happy at the same time.
I'm not prepared to take Marmalade home yet, Hana realizes. I was making half-hearted decisions to begin with... Suddenly telling Inohara I'd adopt Marmalade after being cornered like that. It was all in the spur of the moment. All because she'd provoked me.
"Yeah, I can go." She assures her. She'd go back for Marmalade when she was ready. "What time is your shift?"
"It begins at 4 and ends tonight at 8." So she had an hour after school, and four on the job. "Are you sure about this? I didn't pressure you, did I?"
Hana smiles weakly as she shakes her head. "No, it's okay. I'm free anyways, so it isn't a big deal. You should be with your daughter instead of stressing about it at work."
"Oh, Iwasaki! Thank you so much! I owe you big time for this!"
"It's no problem. Is the schedule the same for tomorrow?"
"Yes, it is. Um, I have to get back to her now, but I'll let the manager know right away. If you'll excuse me."
"Yeah, okay. I hope she gets better soon."
When Nishimura-san hangs up, Hana's hand falls against the counter. She'd done a good thing, she tells herself. Any parent would've been desperate for help in that situation. Plus, she'd saved a little girl from being alone during this sensitive time. Marmalade will still be there. She's seen the level of patience the shelter has for the mischievous cat, so she was obviously in good hands. What difference would a day or two make?
Hana put her phone away and exited the girls' room while the words that Inohara had told her echoed in her head.
Knowing you, you'd probably have a tough time keeping up with her and end up losing her.
No, Hana thought. She'd make sure that wouldn't happen ever again.
"Hey, are you okay?" Maika whispered once Hana had settled back into her seat. She'd been hoping to sneak back into the class more discreetly, but one glance at the clock and she knew that that wasn't going to happen. Last period was almost over, so why had she even bothered to return at all?
Hana didn't want to worry about what her classmates were thinking. She was too emotionally drained to care. "Yeah, why?"
"Well you were gone for a long time. I was beginning to think you were having a breakdown or something."
Did she really come off as that weak?
Hana grabbed the pencil she'd left on her desk, and turned to a blank page. "Could you let me borrow your notes later, Maika?"
"Huh? Uh, sure."
Hana aimed her a small smile. "I'll tell you about it after school," she told her and went back to copying whatever was on the board.
"No, Marmalade?"
"No. No, Marmalade," Hana repeated as she and Maika headed down the stairs. The words came easier than she would've expected.
"But why? You were so excited!" Maika went on, knitting her brows at Hana's poker-faced expression. Seeing her like this after being on edge all day, was too suspicious for her to accept so suddenly. She waited for some sort of reaction from her, then frowned. "You're too nice, Hana."
"You think so?"
"You should've told her you were busy. I mean, you were going to get Marmalade, so it wasn't like you'd be lying." Glancing at her friend, Hana figured Maika's irritable attitude was partly due to something else.
"You really wanted to meet Inohara, huh?" Hana guessed.
"What? Nooo!"she cries back unconvincingly. She adjusts her glasses as she faces ahead, and they approach their lockers. "I mean, don't get me wrong. It's true that I wouldn't have minded bopping her once in the face," she murmured, slipping on her shoes and then turning to Hana who was doing the same.
"You'd send her to the hospital," Hana said skeptically. Though a part of her didn't doubt that Maika could cause some serious damage. The girl had taken martial arts as a child and always made time to exercise in her spare time. Compared to Hana's noodle arms, Maika was a lean mean fighting machine.
Managing what she could make of a modest smile, Maika shut her locker and they headed for the exit. "Fine. I'll be nice and call an ambulance if that makes you feel better. But you seemed genuinely happy about it. Going to get Marmalade, I mean. Are you sure this isn't because of that Inohara chick?" Maika asks suspiciously.
The question brought the frown back to her lips. "No, Inohara doesn't have anything to do with this. I wouldn't change my mind because of someone like her," she insisted. Though she hated to admit she sounded more wistful than convinced that it was true. "I'm not making excuses, okay? Marmalade isn't going anywhere, anyway."
"Do you really believe that?" She asks. And suddenly, Maika was in front of her and forcing her to a halt at the school gates. A few people glanced their way, but Maika stood firm as they walked past. She always appreciated her concern, but not if it involved second-guessing herself. Hana did more than enough of that for the both of them.
What was done, was done.
"I do," she finally responds.
To her relief, Maika seems to accept her answer. She wasn't happy about it, though. "Ah, geez. Fine, but only if you're sure."
Hana smiles once again and prepares to say goodbye. Then, she showed up.
"Hana! Maika!" Ayumi's hurrying toward the both of them with her hand in the air, and her school bag bouncing wildly against her hip. Hana turned to Maika with a dispirited look on her face, and thankfully, her best friend got the memo.
As soon as she was within reach, Maika hooked an arm around Ayumi's shoulders, whirled her around, and began to guide her back from where she came. "Let's go, Ayumi-chan. Hana's gotta go get ready for work."
"Eh!? But today's her day off, isn't it? I thought you guys were going to go somewhere without me again, so I came running the minute I saw you."
"We were gonna go see Marmalade at the animal shelter, but Hana ended up agreeing to take a coworker's shift."
"Marmalade...?"
Hana's jaw dropped. "Maika!"
The brunette aimed her a look and shrugged. She must've been really disappointed about not going today. "Just telling her is faster," she said briskly. "And it saves us a load of time. Besides, don't you have to go to your club?" she's asking Ayumi now.
"Weren't you going to ditch yours, too?" Ayumi throws back.
Hana watched as both girls went back and forth, until their voices could no longer be heard and they'd disappeared into the school building. The next time she saw Ayumi, Hana realized, she'd probably know more about Marmalade than Hana wanted her to.
Maika was becoming more relaxed around Ayumi. More friendly.
And I guess there's nothing wrong with that.
Except everything.
What was the point of avoiding Ayumi at lunch to talk, if she was just going to tell her everything anyway? Hana wondered. She seemed to genuinely like talking with Ayumi and hanging out with her. Despite telling her upfront that she didn't like her, it hadn't made Maika budge at all. Was she just over it? Was she getting sick of her and looking to replace her? Why did Maika always insist Hana and Ayumi get along?
And did Ayumi genuinely believe that they were friends?
No. Hana had known all along what kind of person she was. Someone like her could do whatever she wanted, and somehow, not feel guilty about it. She had to be playing dumb. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Hana couldn't just forgive her because she was acting all buddy-buddy with her now. And she couldn't understand why Ayumi would want to become her friend either.
"Earth to, Hana!"
"E-eh?" A brief look of confusion sprays across Hana's face as she's forced to look at the short brunette standing beside her.
"You shouldn't daydream while on the job," she chastised. It was Ami, her partner for the evening while manning the cash registers. Standing at around 4 feet and 9 inches, the tiny woman adjusts her ponytail as she slowly shakes her head. "And stop frowning already. What if your face gets stuck that way?"
"It won't," Hana replies, and quickly pastes on a smile. Ami was a student at the local university, and worked at the restaurant 6 days a week. On her regular schedule, she and Hana worked together on 4 of those days; even choosing to do overtime whenever the restaurant was short staffed. No pun intended.
"Yeah, well, I know you're tired, but try to keep it up for a little while longer." Ami pressed a few buttons and the register's screen came to life. "You've got twelve minutes left, kid. You can make it."
Hana nods and takes a deep breath. She liked routine. She craved normal. On top of everything else that had happened today, the past few hours at work had actually been the most relaxing.
She'd breezed through most of her homework in the hour of free time she had after school, and was able to eat a sandwich on her way to work. Aside from the slight pain from her ankle, she was generally fine. The day's gonna end on a good note, so let's keep staying positive, she assured herself. It'll be 8 O'clock soon, so keep smiling till then.
The sixteen-year-old continued to pump herself up as Ami dealt with a customer besides her, receiving a few quiet chuckles and an awkward gaze from them both. "I'll get to use that new shampoo I bought the other day, too," Hana went on. "And it's still early, so I can take longer in the bath."
"Sorry to interrupt your plans," Ami chimed in, "but I'm gonna go get more ketchup packets, so handle things for me."
She nods. "Ugh, yeah." Shoot, she'd spoken aloud again. Walking over to the cash register, she presses a finger to the screen and waits for the electronic beep. Maybe it was because her shift was about to end, but Hana felt a sudden surge of energy as her foot tapped impatiently at the floor. She really did want to go home right now.
"Um, excuse me."
Hana jumped before swiftly raising her lips in a curt grin, and looked up. "Yes? Are you ready to order?" When she realizes she's speaking to someone's torso, she's forced to look even higher. And when she sees his face, her heart takes a massive gallop. Kagami, with his dark red eyes, are looking straight at her. His mouth slightly ajar from the gasp he'd released a second ago. Oh crud.
"Iwasaki-san?" asked the boy that suddenly materialized in front of her. Hana nearly screamed. So her savior was here as well. "You work here?"
"Um, yeah," she replies, furrowing her brow as she tried to remember her savior's name. Still no dice. "Uh, um. So... you guys come here often?" She asked for some crazy reason. The both of them were still wearing their uniforms and carried their school bags, so they'd probably come straight from school. Club activities, perhaps? Hana glanced back and forth between both males, and was slightly taken aback by their height differences, which were clear to see now that they stood side by side.
"Usually right after practice," the blue-haired boy told her. His voice was flat and calm as he spoke. As if speaking to her was an everyday occurrence.
"Oh, I see." The three of them stood there for a few awkward seconds in silence. She should've followed up by asking more questions, but she'd missed the right timing and they were back to staring at each other again. Any more of this and Hana's heart was going to burrow straight out of her chest. She places her finger over the screen and breaks the silence. "Well, have you both decided what you're going to order?" Kagami's brow flinches when she sweeps her gaze up at him again.
"I'll have a vanilla shake," said her savior first.
"What size?"
"Medium, please."
"And you, Kagami-kun?" His eyes widen, surprised that she'd referred to him by name. Hana felt the heat rise to her face when she became aware of it a second later.
"Ugh, I'll get 18 Maji burgers," he says finally.
Hana practically choked. F-for real!?
"And a large Cola... please."
Shocked, Hana types their order into the computer and waits for the total to pop up. After they pay, she tells them that their food will arrive shortly, and the two of them quietly go off to find an unoccupied table. She grabs the nearest medium cup and runs it under the machine as she gets started on the vanilla shake. What the heck was going on? Did the universe enjoy putting her in these awkward situations? Was she a magnet for them?
"Hana-chaaan!"
My God, she really was.
Ayumi walks through the entrance of the store and waves at her. Why this was happening to her, Hana no longer had any idea. "A-Ayumi-chan?" she asks, with a smile that reeked of false pleasantness. "What are you doing here?"
She wasn't in her uniform, so club activities must've ended a while ago for her. "I came to visit you, silly. Surprised?"
Surprised was an understatement. "Y-yeah."
Her hair sways majestically as she approaches the counter and stops with her arms pressed behind her. Her smile falters for a second as she looks at Hana. "I also wanted to apologize for today," Ayumi says. Hana stares without realizing. "I'm sorry. I got excited when I heard that the hottie was in your class, and just shouted without thinking. Sorry, Hana."
"It's okay," she says, surprising herself. Maybe it was because she was tired, or the fact that Ayumi was apologizing that made her feel like she was having an out of body experience.
"Really? Oh good." Ayumi tries to make her laugh sound like a sigh. "Maika was lecturing me the whole time after school, so I tried getting here as soon as I could. I'm glad I made it before your shift ended."
So it was because of Maika? Hana meets eyes with her once again and flashes her perfect politician's smile. "It's no big deal. The whole thing was silly anyway." She gestures to the menu overhead. Might as well take her money. "Since you're here, do you want to order anything?"
"A milkshake, please," she says and points to the one in Hana's hand. "Strawberry would be great!"
Ah, that's right, their order must be-
"Number 88!" Ami shouted, appearing with a tray of Maji burgers and a large Cola in her arms. She gives Hana a look but doesn't say anything in front of Ayumi. "Once you're done ringing this customer up, you're cut for the night, Hana-chan." Hana had forgotten all about it... And she was pissed.
"Thanks," she murmurs. She glances at the time on the monitor and relief washes over her. It really was 8 O'clock. She passes the vanilla milkshake to Ami as she gets started on Ayumi's. Then her happy rush is completely dashed when she hears the gasp behind her.
"Kagami-kun!?" Ayumi exclaims in her piercing voice. The male is holding the tray with his order and looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Hana's heart rate starts to elevate. "Ohmygosh, do you remember me from lunch? I was with Hana!" Don't point at me! Hana feels him look at her and she flushes deeper. Damn her for reminding him all these hours later. "My name's, Makabe Ayumi. I'm from Class 1-D!"
"N-nice to meet you," he greets sheepishly.
"Ayumi-chan!" Hana screams. The desperation in her voice is embarrassing, but she slams her milkshake on the counter. "Y-your order is ready."
"Oh, okay." As Ayumi pays for her milkshake, Kagami silently backs away and hurries to his seat. Good, escape. Go while you still can.
"He left?" Ayumi asks, frowning as she looks behind her. When she walks toward the direction he'd gone, she spots him and rushes over. "Kagami-kuuun!"
"Ayumi, wait," she shouts. She tries to speak but just spews out nonsense that might resemble words in some other universe. What did she do to deserve this?
"Hana, I thought I said you could head home?" Ami asks. "Was that a friend?"
Hana sucks in a frustrated breath and runs toward the back. "No freakin way!"
Hana's still buttoning her shirt when she's back in the lobby, looking panicky as ever. But it's soon replaced by a look of shock when she notices Ayumi rising from Kagami and her savior's table, excusing herself. Her face lights up when she notices Hana by the entrance and approaches her. "Let me walk you out, Hana-chan~!" She waves to them one more time before tugging her by the arm and leads her out of the restaurant. "You'll never believe what happened!"
Since this was Ayumi, Hana would probably believe everything she said. It frightened the hell out of her. "Wh-what happened?" she murmured.
She made a triumphant smile as they stopped outside of the restaurant, then flashed a peace sign with her fingers. "I got Kagami-kun's phone number!"
"No way," tumbled out of her mouth.
Ayumi nods as she reaches for her phone, obviously quite pleased with herself. "I sure did! And ohmygosh, did you see how much he ordered? Kagami-kun sure eats a ton! But I guess anyone would be starving after coming from basketball practice this late. Apparently Maji Burger is his go-to spot after practice. You've never seen him stop by before?" Ayumi asks her.
Hana tries to shake her head, but she can't. Her body wouldn't let her. Ayumi and Kagami were having a real conversation already. Somehow small talk had led to Ayumi finding out that he was on the basketball team, that he was a usual customer at her workplace, and he'd willingly given her his phone number. Took her ten minutes.
Ayumi answers for her. "Well, I guess not, huh? Since you don't usually work this late on the weekdays. Anyways, I started talking about what happened today, and he brushed it off, saying it wasn't a big deal. But since I wasn't satisfied with that, I got him to exchange numbers!"
Hana's brow furrowed as Ayumi clicked away at the buttons on her phone. "Wait, you talked about what happened at lunch? What exactly did you say?"
Her shoulders shrugged before tucking her phone away. "Not much. Just that I was sorry for surprising him and making a fuss."
So she didn't actually deny it. Of course.
When Hana's phone starts to vibrate in her purse, Ayumi giggles. She finds out Ayumi's sent her a message, and when she opens it she's greeted by Kagami's phone number. "Kagami Taiga...?" she reads aloud.
"Cute, right?" Ayumi replies, still giggling. "I even asked if we could be friends, and he said yes! Isn't that great? I even went ahead and gave him your number, too!"
Dizziness hits her as she takes a step backward. "Why?" she cries out.
She blinks. "Because you like him?"
"Did you tell him that?"
She scoffs. "No! But now you don't have to worry about a thing! You can get closer to him this way, and then tell him your feelings yourself!"
There was fury in her eyes. If they weren't standing outside of the restaurant right now, then Hana would've been screaming her little head off. Ayumi was always doing whatever she wanted, and it annoyed the hell out of her. Hana bites her tongue as she glances down at the message, before realizing there was more and scrolls further down. "Kuroko Tetsuya...?"
"Ah, that's Kagami's friend," Ayumi explains. She doesn't seem all that energetic mentioning him. "I didn't even notice he was there until he spoke up! It was so scary, like back in the classroom. But just to be polite, I exchanged numbers with him too. He's the one who helped you when you fell, isn't he?" At that point, though, Hana was staring down at the name and number on her screen in a bit of a daze. Ayumi raised an eyebrow. "Hana-chan?"
"Kuroko Tetsuya, Kuroko Tetsuya..." she murmured, doing her best to engrave the name into her brain. This time, she wouldn't forget it. She'd make absolute sure of that. She was angry at Ayumi for giving them her number, but at least she'd managed to get some good out of this. "So his name was Kuroko-kun, all along? I was always so embarrassed when I couldn't remember."
Ayumi stands silently by as Hana continued to repeat his name, evidently calmer now than she'd been before. It was then that Ayumi decided to keep an eye on Kuroko-kun as well.
A/N: Ayumi's up to something... e3e Thanks for reading!