Fourth chapter and Ai and Mina make their appearances, the thought for this chapter being something to thank my first reviewer, Sky lord 35. Hopefully though, I can re-enter Eiji into the story in the next chapter.


"How'd I end up here?"

"Hm? How? We invited you, duh!" A girl with short dark hair says jokingly, looking up from her cellphone.

"Mina!" A girl with lighter and longer hair exclaims, nudging her friend beside her. Drawing her attention away from her best friend, she glanced a bit timidly towards the tired young man in front of them. "We're sorry, Makoto. You just sorta, you know, looked like you needed some company."

"Mm.. A-ah! It's okay... thanks, Ai."

Makoto, though genuinely grateful for the concern his two friends are exhibiting, couldn't help but pay only half of his full attention to them.

He was tired and was hoping to get more sleep than he got last night. That and things from yesterday still bothered him nonstop.

He'd been able to convince himself last night that he wasn't attracted to the orange haired teen. And yet, even after being totally convinced, new thoughts just came racing in.

Somewhere in his sub conscious, he probably just wanted that guy to like to him. To actually be liked... perhaps even, admired by someone. By someone. Someone... male?

No. No. Just... NO.

By this point, the poor guy didn't even have the strength to make large reactions at his thoughts as he did so much the night before. It was probably better this way though to prevent making a scene.

"Makoto? Makoto, are you okay?" Came Ai's concerned voice, piercing through his thoughts. "If you wanna talk about it, you can always tell us." She adds with a smile and glances towards the girl beside her.

"Oh, yeah, totally." Mina says, smiling once at Ai and Makoto, then looking around the food shop. "Hey, how about, you guys talk here for a while. I just have to go to the lavatory, 'kay?"

"M-mina!" Ai exclaims as she watched her best friend stand up and head for the shop's comfort rooms.

Walking past where Makoto was seated, Mina takes one last glance at Ai and gives her an encouraging wink.

Sighing, Ai brings her attention back to the brunette man whom she crushed on.

Makoto, on the other hand, seemed to have found something particularly interesting on the table in front of him as he just stares at it with tired eyes.

"Makoto?"

"Ah!?" He snaps out of his stupor.

"There's something obviously bothering you and it's not just lack of sleep." Ai says looking sideways. Blushing a little, she adds: "I was serious. You can tell me what's wrong. I'd be more than happy to listen to your problems."

Shoulders hunched and head hung low, Makoto spies Ai from through his bangs.

Ai and Mina were his friends. They've been for quite a while now, and he could always trust them to help him out at times he needed help. Surely, they, being the good persons they were, would understand if he was... well, you know. (That's getting quite repetitive). They, among anyone, would be able to accept something like this.

Besides, they were girls, he figures they're probably in to that kind of stuff. (COUGHYAOIFANGIRLSCOUGH)

"I... I think... no, I may still be confused or something. But I think I may be..." Saying this now, Makoto was suddenly doubting if he should tell her or not. But being as tired and as brain dead as he currently was, he wasn't able to stop himself as the last word of his sentence stumbled out his mouth. "...GAY."

Right then and there, on a sunny day on a Wednesday, at exactly 12:25pm, in the second stall from the door in the Mexican Hot Dog fast food restaurant, Ai's world just suddenly halted.

On second thought, it didn't halt... it turned into hell.

"Ola mi amigos. Here are the your orders, senior and seniorita. Gracias for waiting---"

Just as the man working in the fast food restaurant was about to lay their tray of food down on their table, one of the cups of cola was swiped from the tray and its contents splashed onto a certain blue suited young man's face.

"W-what---!!?"

"Tell me, Makoto... now that you're awake." Ai started with a bit of a twitch by here eye as she spoke. "You're... just JOKING... right?" She adds, forcing a smile.

"N-no." He replies in a hushed squeak.

SLAP!

"H-how could you?!" Ai sobs, hand over her mouth, yet eyes looking murderous.

How could he, indeed? He's been the object of her affection for how long now, and he dares tell her something like this?? That's... such a total TURN-OFF!!!

"I can't believe you!!" She screams angrily, running out of the store, leaving Makoto rubbing his cheek as he watched her leave and a certain Mexican Hot Dog employee left looking utterly confused.

Makoto... had no idea what just happened.

As for Mina...

"Did I miss something?"


end chapter 4