Negotiations
Part 9

Kristy's excited. She doesn't have many friends, but Kouki's nice. Never mind he's older. Never mind it's more of a reason for the guys and girls at school to not talk to her, and Marcus is her older brother. He has to be a mix of plain annoying and menacing enough to scare away any potential bullies but also anyone who might want to strike a tentative friendship with her.

It's just a good thing it doesn't seem like much fazes Kouki. Or much like that, anyway. Deeper in, a lot of things faze Kouki. He always seems to wander around with a short fuse. Makes him somewhat similar to Marcus too. And believable, because guys with short fuses also wear their hearts on their sleeves.

She's glad he's going to be at this year's birthday. Even if silly Marcus has another make-up test.