Disclaimer: I do not own The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
x: thirty-six
Two Princes
Yuri was bad at hiding it. She was a romantic. She had been harboring feelings for one Mamiya Chiaki, for months. There was something about him that was just so likeable, so magnetic. Granted, they didn't speak much, and Makoto was the only thing they really had in common, but she really couldn't help herself.
"Hey, Makoto, how much longer you going to take?" complained Chiaki from below the classroom.
"Then come up here and help me!" Makoto retorted, turning away from Yuri and trudging toward the open window with her broom.
"No way," groused Chiaki. "Hurry up, then!"
It was so terribly plain to her how much he liked Makoto. Yuri bit her bottom lip. She just wondered when, if ever, Makoto would let herself realize that she liked him back.
"I wonder what Chiaki's majoring in?"
"Sciences, I bet. He's terrible with kanji," deadpanned Makoto.
Yuri took in the sight of Kousuke and Chiaki waiting patiently (impatiently) outside for Makoto to join them, then drew her glance to her friend. Makoto gazed openly and unaffectedly down at them, not quite focused on classroom clean-up, not quite understanding the earnestness with which her two best friends desired her company, hers alone.
"He's good at math," remonstrated Yuri softly.
"Yeah, and not much else." A pause. "Why are you bringing up Chiaki, anyway?"
Yuri felt the blood rising to her face. "I—"
"Who left the notebooks here?" issued a voice from behind the both of them.
Makoto made a face, looking all at once displeased and guiltless. "Yeah, I wonder who—"
"It's you, silly." Yuri was grateful for the interruption. She wasn't sure how she could ever lie directly to her friend's face.
Makoto grumblingly placed her broom in the closet before hoisting the stack of notebooks into her arms. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Yuri. You can go ahead and leave without me when you're finished."
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, Makoto."
Makoto disappeared behind the door. Yuri straightened, suddenly very conscious of the broom in her hand, indicating her current responsibility.
"Makoto! You still up there?" yelled Chiaki brusquely.
Yuri practically jumped out of her skin. He's still here? She gulped down the knot in her throat and tried to tame the flushing in her cheeks when she leaned over the window. "Sorry! Makoto has notebook duty! She'll be right out in a minute!"
Chiaki and Kousuke shared looks of astonishment. "Thanks, Hayakawa!" replied Chiaki, a mite embarrassed. They turned around and started down the path to the baseball diamond. Yuri merely nodded, then retreated to the opposite corner of the room to sweep.
She was bad at hiding it, she thought, as her heart drummed nervously and helplessly in her chest.
A/N: Not too fond of this one. Attempted to pick at Hayakawa's head, but I think it came out far too detached. Thanks for reading. Have a leisurely day.