Kodocha: Middle School bk. 4
Chapter Three the Triple Date
"YAY! YAY!" Sana cheered to herself, out loud, in her room. "Today's the day of the Sana Kurata and Naozumi Kamura, Tsuyoshi Sasaki and Aya Sugita, and Akito Hayama and Airi Kimitsu triple date!" Sana did a few twirls in her room before landing with a thud on her queen sized bed. "I'm so excited!" She mumbled before closing her eyes for a second.
"Sana dear!!" Misako Kurata, Sana's mother, burst through the door of her daughter's room and honked the horn on her tiny red car. Sana shot upward from her bed and pounced off.
"Hiya Mama!" Sana beamed at her mom.
"Hello, Sana," her mother replied, looking serious. "I am aware you are going on that date of yours today, correct?"
"Yes' sire, Mama!" Sana answered, wondering why her mom was asking her this.
"Alright, well, here is…" Then, there was a dramatic pause. "SOME MONEY! HOHOHO!" Misako pulled out a pink wallet with a babbit emblazed on the cover and handed it to her daughter.
"AW! Thanks, Mama," Sana squealed and hugged her mom.
"All right, all right. Have a good time, Sana-my dear," Misako patted her daughters back before exiting the room to leave Sana to herself.
---
The new café!
Sana squirmed in her seat and sat across from Fuka, who wasn't too nervous about this at all.
"Stop being all jittery!" Fuka hissed from across the table.
"S-sorry!" Sana blushed. "I-I'm just nervous! I've never been on a date with so many people." She hid behind a menu.
"But, Sana-chan, we're all friends! What's the big deal?" Fuka asked, puzzled.
"N-nothing," Sana stammered and lowered her menu.
"Hi Fuka-chan," a quiet voice peeped up from the front of the store.
"Wait up, Airi-chan!" Akito's voice called and then the bell that latched onto the door rang loudly.
"Hey Airi! How's it hangin' with Aki-kun here?" Fuka got up and pointed to Akito.
"Good, I guess," Airi shrugged and Sana gulped nervously.
"H-hi! You're Kurata-san, right? Remember me? We met at the festival that one time," Airi walked over and greeted Sana politely.
"Y-yeah, nice to see you again. You can call me Sana if you like," Sana said, trying her best to sound friendly.
"Thanks, Sana-san!" Airi smiled and Sana twitched slightly, 'she looks like me.'
"Did anyone ever tell you that you look kind of like me?" Sana blurted out and everyone's eyes darted on her.
"Um…now that I'm looking at you, yeah, I guess we do look alike!" Airi replied in an optimistic tone. She and Akito both sat down, Akito sat next to Sana and Airi sat next to Fuka.
"Takaishi-kun!" Fuka exclaimed as he walked through the door with Naozumi walking beside him.
"Hey Nao-chan," Sana slipped from her chair to avoid the awkward position she felt she was in. "Are you feeling better, Yuta-kun?"
"Hi Sana-chan," Naozumi smiled and hugged his girl friend. "Hey there Fuka."
"Hi Naozumi-kun, good to see you," Fuka smiled and turned to her boy friend.
"Yeah, I'm feeling much better," Takaishi answered and then peered around the café. "Is that Akito-kun with Airi-chan???"
"Yeah," Akito got up from his seat and sauntered over to Yuta. "She's my girl friend now."
"That's nice actually," Yuta rubbed his chin and grinned. "Airi and Akito. I like that. You both make a good couple." Sana's mouth was ajar but, she quickly closed it and smiled in a fake way to Yuta, Fuka, and Naozumi.
"Well, I wonder where Tsuyoshi-kun and Aya-chan are," Fuka broke the strange silence and said.
"Right here!" Tsuyoshi waved a hand and what perfect timing. Aya was standing next to him clad in a light green dress and white cardigan.
"Cute dress!" Sana squealed and tugged Aya's hand to the table.
"Thanks," Aya blushed. "You look awfully cute today too, Sana-chan." Sana giggled and smiled. As all four couples sat down at the table, Sana stared at Akito, who was sitting next to Airi but, across from her.
"What is it, Kurata?" Akito asked, after a few seconds of Sana briefly staring at the two. Sana noticed Airi's eyes come connected to hers like Akito's did.
"Ah…um…well, it's nothing. I'm sorry," Sana sheepishly said and glanced away. Naozumi patted her shoulder, "Is something wrong?"
"No," Sana shot back immediately. "Nothing. Why would something be wrong?" Naozumi didn't want to say what he was actually thinking. Two reasons held him back, one: it would be mean to say to his girl friend and two: it was just not nice. But, honestly, someone had to say she was acting strange even though she always did. This was stranger than usual and she seemed to fidget much. No one else bothered to say anything and Sana hid behind her menu.
"Okay, for real, what's bothering you, Sana?" Naozumi whispered while Sana's menu was covering her face.
"I-it's just that, I'm not used to us all hanging out. Honestly, that's it," Sana mustered up a quick lie. But, not even, her herself realized she was lying.
"Alright. I hope you're being truthful, Sana," Naozumi didn't want to start with Sana. Especially not with all of their friends around, in such a nice café.
"Hey, Airi. What're you getting?" Akito asked, poking his girl friend's shoulder.
"Um…I dunno, you?" Airi glanced at Akito and shrugged.
"Same, I was thinking about this," Akito's finger pointed to a hamburger meal with soda.
"Oh," Airi bit her bottom lip. "That looks good. Maybe I'll get that too."
"Cool," Akito muttered before looking back at his own menu.
"Wow, I can't believe we're all here," Takaishi chuckled a bit. "It's so weird for us all to be on this date. But, it is really good to see all of you."
"Yeah, it's kind of strange," Fuka agreed, smiling. "Ya know what I realized though?" Aya chimed in, "What's that?"
"We didn't invite Hisae-chan and Gomi-kun!" Fuka pointed out and almost everyone gasped in shock. That's right; they didn't invite the newest couple from Jinbo.
"Oh my," Aya covered her O shaped mouth.
"I can't believe we forgot them," Sana said, lowering her menu.
"Who's Hisae-san and Gomi-san?" Airi whispered to Akito.
"Um, they're our friends, who just started going out," Akito whispered back and Sana twitched. Everyone was too bothered with the new found fact to even realize Sana's cringe.
"So, they're like us then?" Airi gestured a finger to herself and then Akito.
"Yeah, guess so," Akito said, reaching for the bread in the middle of the table and breaking off a piece.
"Cool," Airi smiled at the pleasant thought. Akito stared at her reaction, taking in the fact that Airi was really cute.
"Bread?" Akito offered, holding up the broken piece.
"Sure, thank you, Akito-kun," Airi accepted the piece into her small, pale hands.
"THAT'S IT!" Sana screamed; all eyes in the café turned to her. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!!!" She screeched, holding out the 'e' in enough. "I AM SO OUTTA HERE!!!!" She yelled once more before running out.
"What's wrong, Sana?" Fuka got up and tried to run after her best friend.
"No! WAIT, Sana-chan!" Aya shouted out as loud as possible.
"Where's she going?" Takaishi stood up and ran a hand through his short black hair. All the confused faces and questions were adding up.
"Can this explain her weird behavior?" Tsuyoshi thoughtfully asked.
"It's possible," Naozumi finally said. "I don't know what's up with her though." Akito looked mortified but, stared down at his lap that had bread crumbs.
"Akito-kun, is Sana-san alright?" Airi quietly asked.
"I don't know," Akito wryly said to his girl friend. After a moments thought, Naozumi and Akito pushed their chairs back. Then, their eyes met, both glaring at each other.
"I'm going after MY girl friend," Naozumi proclaimed and the whites in Akito's eyes flashed brightly. He looked angry and defensive.
"Just sit down, Akito-kun. Naozumi-kun will gladly go after her," Airi got up as well and tugged on Akito's long sleeve button down sleeve. Akito grunted and Naozumi ran out, chasing Sana.
"Sana!!!" Naozumi screamed throughout the city, his eyes scanning everyone. But, there were just too many people. The job almost seemed impossible.
"Airi-chan, I'm sorry but, I really have to go. Naozumi-kun won't find her. I'm gonna go look. I'll be back," Akito said, once Naozumi had left the café.
"What makes you think you'd know if he doesn't?" Airi flashed a confused look.
"I just do, alright? Please," Akito begged gently.
"Come back, Akito-kun," Airi said, just as gently.
"I will. I'm sorry, Airi-chan," Akito spoke and with sincerity.
"It's okay," Airi glanced at him with her eyes looking glassy. Akito bent over and kissed her cheek. His gesture had seemed so unlike him. Airi turned pink in the cheeks but, told him to keep going….before she changed her mind. Akito nodded simply and raced, just as Naozumi did a minute ago, out the café door.
"You really trust him, don't you Airi-chan?" Fuka looked softly at Airi.
"Yeah, he's my boy friend. I always would," Airi smiled reassuringly.
"That's what we always loved about you, Airi," Takaishi's lips formed a smile. Fuka nodded in agreement.
"It's so nice to have you back, Airi-chan," Fuka walked over to her friend's seat and hugged her tight.
---
Akito knows best
Akito smirked, to him, Sana was too easy to find. She was sitting in that gazebo. The same one where he and she had talked and she pretended to be his mom. Naozumi, of course, hadn't been there. Akito guessed that he was probably running around the city trying to find her but, would probably give up soon.
"Kurata, you're an idiot," Akito leaned against the entrance to the small, white wooded gazebo.
"What the hell are you doing here, Akito?" Sana snapped, angrily.
"Running after you, crazy," Akito snapped back.
"You didn't have to," Sana bitterly said.
"What's your fucking deal, Kurata? It's like you're emotionally high. Tell me the truth! RIGHT NOW!" Akito's voice roared and Sana shook, slightly scared.
"I…" She gulped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You most certainly do," Akito grabbed her by the shoulders because she was about to run away…again.
"Kurata…" Akito hissed, in her ear. "Tell me truth. Don't make me spell it out for you." He inched away from her, not releasing his grip, so he could look at her.
"Get your hands off me," Sana angrily but, quietly demanded.
"Not until you tell me the truth," Akito contradicted.
"Truth??? You're crazy too then! Truth about what?"
Akito held onto her tighter, "You know what I mean!" He yelled, wanting to really slap her until she got it right. But, hitting Sana wouldn't make this better.
"GET OFF ME!" Sana cried; tears falling on her redden cheeks.
"NO!" Akito yelled but, Sana was able to wriggle an arm out of his grasp. She raised her palm and slapped him on the cheek. Hard.
"Get away from me, Akito Hayama!" Sana yelled and ran off…again. Remaining on Akito's right cheek was a red mark in the shape of Sana's hand. Sana was running but, after awhile she got tired and stopped. She cried and cried while she stared at her red hand, which had slapped someone awhile ago. Sana pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mom's number.
"Can you…" Sana sniffed when her mom answered. "Come…to pick me up?"
"Sana, its dark out. Why're you still out? I thought you'd be at Tsuyoshi's or Fuka's by now?" Misako sounded serious and concerned like a parent should be.
"S-sorry, mama. How'd you know?" Sana sniffed up the rest of her tears.
"I can here the cars passing by on the road, Sana," Misako blankly said.
"Oh," Sana mumbled.
"I'll send a car for you right now," Misako sounded as if she were shuffling around at their house.
"Thanks, mama," Sana wiped a dried up tear from her cheek.
"I'll need a full story when you get home," Misako replied.
"Yeah, okay," Sana stifled and plopped herself down on the bench. After giving her mom some form of direction, the daughter and mother, both had hung up. 'Everyone's gonna want an explanation,' Sana thought to herself. 'But, what the hell am I supposed to say?' She thought for another moment. 'I'm in love with Akito and was jealous of Airi???! HAH! Yeah right. Like that'll ever happen.'
Little did Sana know, everyone…was going to spell that out for her the next day…including her own mother.