Kanojo no Sukeban

by Glee-chan

9. Girlfriend

The next day the school was closed, but Tomoko managed to get home. The day after that the schools were open again, as the flood spots were drained enough for safe travel. Yuuki secretly wondered what would happen when he'd see Manatsu again, but when school started up again, she acted as if nothing happened. The tension in the class room though was different. Seemed one of the five blabbed about Manatsu being at Yuuki's house and now everyone was interested in the drama.

For Manatsu's part, she pretended nothing was amiss, and continued her act of shy looking at Yuuki when she thought he wouldn't notice. But it was painful now how obvious it was, as every time she did so, a whispered conversation started up about it. It bugged Yuuki to no end, and to his surprise Nodoka seemed just as bothered by it as he did.

"I wish she'd just say something…" Nodoka told him during lunch break. "…that way you can dump her and be done with it."

"Y-Yeah." Yuuki felt nervous on the topic. "The problem is… is she the type of person you can dump?"

Nodoka sighed heavily. "I know what you mean. What would be worse, dating someone you don't like or being picked on again?"

"I'm just hoping she'll find some other loser to have a crush on. If she's aiming for me, then her goals aren't very high."

"Don't talk about yourself like that." Nodoka scolded him with an annoyed look on her face. "If she does like you, it's for a good reason. And it's not because she's into losers."

"Then how do you explain Piss-Pants?" Yuuki asked, referring to Keiji. Everyone called him that now.

Nodoka didn't answer.

The rest of the week continued like this. Everyone was waiting for either Yuuki to make a move or for Manatsu to. But it ended with nothing happening. Everyday after school Manatsu would walk with him, and laugh about the whole thing, trying to rub in she was making Yuuki's life miserable. But Yuuki knew how to play her game. He acted as if he couldn't careless. He could tell the longer this went on, the longer it annoyed her.

The start of the next week was more of the same. That was until Wednesday came along. That morning, he noticed Manatsu was wearing an wrist brace. Before homeroom he broke his normal routine of ignoring her to asked her about it. He didn't know why he did it, it just happened automatically.

"Oh this? I have a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Since I do some digital work on my modeling photos sometimes it acts up." She spoke in a low voice. "Why do you care anyway?"

Yuuki didn't know and told her so. "Just don't over do it...be careful."

The day would have been the same as any other day if several people hadn't noticed they had a small conversation before class. Now people were talking about that whenever she did her looking act. It was driving him up the wall, but he wasn't going to lose this round and break first. He'd just keep ignoring her as long as he could.

At lunch, Nodoka was at Yuuki's desk as always, but within moments of her joining Manatsu came walking up to the pair of them. Nodoka noticeably seized up, and Yuuki felt bad for her. Being another girl in the presence of Manatsu was dangerous. Manatsu seemed not to care or notice Nodoka's change in posture and looked directly at Yuuki.

"Hey. Want to eat lunch with me?"

It sounded like more of a command. Yuuki rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what he should do. Nodoka obviously was the issue here. He couldn't just let Manatsu bully her, but then again, leaving his desk to join Manatsu was giving her too much power.

"Y-You don't have to, if you don't want too…" Manatsu skilfully stammered like she was shy. Yuuki knew better.

"Ummm…" Nodoka squeaked, willing herself to speak from her fear. "…You can join us if you want."

Nodoka. Sweet stupid Nodoka. Yuuki could have slapped her in the back of head for giving Manatsu permission to join them. Yuuki didn't look weak from leaving the table, but it still gave Manatsu a foot in the door to join them whenever she wanted. A gleam appeared in the delinquents eye as she pulled a seat and sat down with them.

"You're Nodoka Odo, aren't you?" Manatasu actually sounded polite for once.

"Oh. Yeah. That's me." Nodoka was not thrilled at Manatsu knowing who she was.

"I see you with Yuu-kun all the time." Manatsu spoke with a slight bite to it, though it was in very low undertones.

"Yuu-kun?" Nodoka blinked. "You're calling Yuuki-chan that?"

"Yeah. I thought it would be fun." Manatsu looked at him. "He doesn't like it very much though."

"Who would?" Yuuki tried to act unfazed, but the fact of the matter was that Nodoka was still around, and he couldn't play his best game with her in the crosshairs.

"When we walk home, I call him that." Manatsu continued. "He gets back at me by calling me Natsu-chan. It's stupid I know… but I kinda think the nickname war is kinda cute."

"Cute?" Nodoka was looking at Yuuki now. "So you have that kind of relationship?"

"Relationship?" Yuuki shook his head. "Don't let her mess with your head too."

"Yeah…we aren't going out." Manatsu told her, but Yuuki heard the planted sadness in that statement. "But I can forgive him for not asking me out… when he's got a cute girlfriend like you around."

"Huh?" Both Nodoka and Yuuki both exclaimed at the same time.

"You and Yuu-kun are so close, aren't you going out?"

Inwardly he hoped Nodoka was smart enough to say yes. Even if she was lying, that lie would mean Manatsu's plan was destroyed. And with his Blackmail material Manatsu couldn't take out her failure out on Nodoka. All she had to do was lie, just once in her life, she just had to lie. Nodoka was looking down at her lunch, her cheeks slightly pink. He knew she didn't have it in her.

"The truth is, Yuuki-chan and I are just childhood friends." Nodoka spoke softly. "That's why I'm always around him…and care about him as much as I do. I don't want to see him get hurt."

"I see." Manatsu sounded relieved. "So you're not a couple."

"No," Nodoka said, then looked from her lunch. "B-But, like I said, I don't want to see him get hurt anymore."

Manatsu looked slightly taken aback. Yuuki couldn't blame her. Nodoka never stood up to her before. "I get it. You've heard about those rumors." Manatsu looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, I know people are talking about me behind my back. I've been trying to ignore it all this time, but I can't tell people to shut up if what they are talking about is true."

"You mean you really do like Yuuki-chan?" Nodoka asked.

"Damn." Manatsu smirked slightly. "I was hoping to tell him all cool like, but I guess that's impossible."

What the hell was her game now? Yuuki wanted to drag her out of the hall and question her. But even if he had the balls to do that, he knew she wouldn't tell him. She was enjoying every minute of this. He'd have to wait and watch it play out before he could make a move.

"I'm sorry but… but I don't approve." Nodoka tried to look strong. "A girl like you isn't the right type for someone like Yuuki-chan."

"I know." Manatsu sighed. "Why do you think I haven't asked him out yet? If I did, he'd just say yes because he's scared of what might happen if he didn't. This sort of thing really sucks."

Nodoka looked confused. "You really do like him, huh?"

"I told you I did."

"And what do you think about all this Yuuki-chan?" Nodoka asked.

Damn it. Yuuki seethed. "I think she's way out of my league." That's all he could think of to say. He couldn't outright deny her, who knows what might happen if he did.

"You know, I'm tired of that excuse." Manatsu leaned against the desk. "Boys won't ask me out because their are scared of me, or think I'm too pretty or something. I don't care about any of that. If I like someone, I like them. And I… I like you Yuu-kun. Don't you think I'm pretty at all? Or do you hate me because of what Keiji used to do to you?"

"I don't hate you-"

"I broke up with him so he'd leave you alone you know. You saw what I did… It's because I want to be with someone like you."

"Don't say such ridiculous things." Yuuki forgot himself, but she was on a roll.

"I know! It's crazy! But I see how sweet and kind you are and I thought 'I wish the boys who liked me were like that.' I know, with my reputation that it'd seem like I'd want to be with some real hard asses, but that's just it. I'm around those people all the time and … I just want to be myself… and not put on a show for someone."

"Why me though?" Yuuki muttered. He knew why she chose him. He was blackmailing her.

"Well… I guess I didn't like that Keiji singled you out. I was around watching the whole thing, and I could tell you didn't hate me. Even though I wasn't doing anything to stop it. I guess that's when I knew…"

Nodoka was looking lost. "I completely misjudged you." Yuuki inwardly moaned. Nodoka was falling for the act hook, line, and sinker. "But, I don't know if I trust you with Yuuki-chan's well being."

Manatsu smirked again. "Ordinarily I'd tell you to take a hike… when I want something I just take it. But I know I can't do that with Yuu-kun. I don't want another follower… I want a real boyfriend. You're annoying me, but… I want your approval."

"M-My approval? Yuuki-chan, do you even like her?" Nodoka asked.

Yuuki struggled to come up with an answer, but Manatsu broke in. "I guess it isn't fair to ask him that. He's afraid if he says no then I'll get revenge on him. Everyone always thinks I'm like that."

The look on Nodoka's face pained Yuuki. She was giving into Manatsu's nonsense. "But it's a fair question. If he answers you truthfully, will you promise not to do anything bad."

Manatsu grinned. "Yup."

Fucking hell. Yuuki was screaming in his head. Manatsu's eyes were glued to his now, he could see her laughing inwardly at him. She had him now, and used Nodoka in order to do it. If he said no, he knew for a fact she wouldn't live up to her promise. Then he'd have to use one of his blackmails and the whole cycle would begin again."

"I told you before that I didn't hate you." Yuuki said, looking away.

"But you don't like me, do you?" Manatsu sounded disappointed.

"I didn't say that either." Yuuki tried to sound convincing. Nodoka would know if he was putting on an act. "I think you can be a good person… I just never know what I'm going to get when I'm around you. The delinquent or the girl."

"Truth is, I don't know either. I-I was hoping you can help me with that." Manatsu looked shyly, overacting just a bit. Nodoka didn't notice. She was too busy studying Yuuki. "I didn't wake up one morning and become like this…"

"I don't know why you like me." Yuuki felt miserable, but tried not to show it.

"Me either." Manatsu said. "But I want to be with you. Do you how hard this is for me to admit something like this?"

"I got an idea." Nodoka interrupted the daytime soap opera that was happening. "What if we start off with just a normal date… and see how things go from there?"

It killed Yuuki to hear Nodoka suggest that. It just further informed him that she never saw him as a boy, just a friend.

"A date?" Manatsu asked. "Why not? If we don't get along then I'll drop the whole thing."

He knew she wouldn't drop it, but he had no choice but to agree on the date. Nodoka had crushed his spirit. Even if he had the option of refusing, he wouldn't. "Alright…"

As Yuuki and Manatsu walked home from school that day, his heart felt heavy. Nodoka didn't seemed bothered in the least about what happened. In fact she cheered up, as she no longer had to worry about this particular problem anymore. It was almost too cold for words to describe. Manatsu on the other hand was beaming from her win. And that's what it was, she had stolen any slim chance he had with Nodoka.

"So where are we going on our date?"

"Huh?"

"Our date, were are we going?"

"No where. We're not going on a date. You're my 'girlfriend' now so what does it matter if we go on a date or not. No one will be there to see if we actually go out anywhere. So what's the point?" Yuuki reminded her, unable to hide his defeat in his voice.

"Don't be such a sour loser." Manatsu laughed. "Let's go out. I want to really rub it in."

"How kind of you." Yuuki stewed.

"Hey hey… don't give up now, kid." Manatsu rubbed the top of his head. "You can still come out on top!"

Yuuki pushed her hand off, as she continued giggling at her victory. Nodoka's face flashed in his mind. How relaxed it was. Part of him wanted revenge on her too. How could she be the one to seal his fate like that? He looked at Manatsu skipping in front of him, and his bitterness towards her lessened. She was just trying to get even with him, he couldn't blame her. But he wasn't going to make her victory sweet. With poison in his heart he decided to steal her social life as well.

"Maybe you're right. Might as well take advantage of finally getting a girlfriend." Yuuki spoke in a quiet voice. But Manatsu stopped skipping when she heard him. "It might not be ideal, but might as well enjoy myself."

"Huh?" Manatsu turned around. "You know this is just a joke, right?"

"Hey, this was your idea. Let's go out on Friday."

"You're really going to go through with this, huh? Okay, Yuu-kun, you're on. Don't cry when I crush you."