Kawaki's POV
"Hey," she utters while carrying Kiwi in her arms.
"Kiwi!" I mutter and I move in their direction.
"Kawaki?" the blonde idiot sounds surprised upon seeing me.
"That's the cat," the psychopath shouts. She's walking behind me.
"This cute kitty is yours?" the dork asks and I nod. She hands him over to me and I immediately take a hold of him.
"Thank you," I say she looks surprised when I say it.
"No problem," she says almost whispering and then she looks away.
"Hey!" the brat shouts again. Her voice is damn upsetting. I glare at her and I realize she is being amused by what she is seeing at the moment.
"If I am not mistaken, you are the genius Sarada they are talking about and, and, the other popular and genius Boruto," she giggles. Huh? She's really retarded. I can see how the two are astounded by her presence.
"Who are you?" the blonde idiot asks.
"I am Akira from Class D. Nice to meet you," she bows her head.
"Oh, I see," he replies.
"Hey, are you two dating?" she asks casually as they are close friends or something.
"Huh?" the dork stammers and the blonde idiot scratches the back of his head.
"It's none of your business," I tell her and she pouts at me.
"Are you two hanging out too?" the blonde idiot asks.
"No!" "Yes!" we say at the same time.
"What are you saying?" I yell at her.
"I asked you out, remember?" she waves her hand in front of me.
"Not anymore. I'm going home," I say and she starts to pout again.
"Well, since you two are hanging out as well. Why don't we make it a-" she cuts the blonde off and shouts again.
"A double date. Sounds great!" she utters.
"Shut up! I'm going home!" I tell her.
"Come on. Don't be shy to them," she keeps nagging and it's infuriating.
"I am not. I just don't want to hang out with you or anything," I brag at her. She is pestering me. I notice that the dork was silent while watching us.
To my shock, the brat grabs me on my wrist and she does the same to the dork and drags us away. The blonde idiot follows us.
"Leave me alone," I tell her.
"No. We are hanging out together. A double date that is," she keeps bragging.
"You can get off me now," the dork tells her, and that she only let go of us.
"We can go together though. Hey, Kawaki. Can you afford to leave Akira alone here?" the blonde idiot says. Does he know I don't like being ordered around?
"I don't intend to go out with her," I say and he looks annoyed.
"That's rude," he sounds like picking up a fight with me.
"What did you say?" I say almost grabbing him on his collar.
"I just want to tell you that you need to act like a real man!" he pushes me away.
"Don't lecture me around, brat!" I say.
"Who are you calling a brat?" we grab each other's collars.
"You two, stop it!" the dork comes in between us trying to stop the fight. We break loose and he is comforted by the dork.
"Are you okay, Boruto?" I just look at them and then look away.
"Hey, I'm here too, you know?" the psychopath utters.
"Shut up!" I tell her.
"Let's go," the dork says and the psychopath cheers. She drags me following them. We keep bickering like cats and dogs. I glimpse at the dork and the blonde idiot from time to time. They are talking calmly and she seems to enjoy his company and I am here being pestered by a psychopath.
Sarada's POV
Boruto and the jerk should not be put in one room or else they will end up fighting each other.
"Can I hold him again?" Akira asks the jerk. They are walking behind us.
"No way. He doesn't like you," he responds. I just realized that she's got the jerk's weakness. She made him talk to her knowing that the jerk is someone you can't please.
"Let's eat," Boruto says and we stop at a restaurant.
"I'm hungry too," Akira mutters. She is kind of cute though. She got a boyish-like aura yet she is cute overall.
"You don't have money to pay for your food. So, you better not eat," the jerk brags at her.
"Will you stop being so grumpy just for today?" she tells him.
Wait... Did I see this scene somewhere else?
No, it's just that I see myself at her scolding the jerk's attitude before. A lot of things happened, I did not even notice that I have been distant from him now. So, I am not the unfortunate girl anymore?
We settle down and eat up. This Akira girl is fun to be with it's just that she is unlucky to have the jerk with her who doesn't know how to appreciate things. I sigh and just let the time pass.
"Did you have fun, Sarada?" Boruto asks me. I look at his smiling face.
"Yeah, thank you for asking me out," I nod and smile at him.
"Don't they look cute?" Akira giggles. We look at her and I think my cheeks blush.
"Huh?" Boruto mutters.
"You look great as a couple," she declares and I think my face turns entirely red.
"You think so?" Boruto mutters faintly.
"And I can say, Kawaki and I make a great couple too. I kind of like someone like him," she chuckles. I think my heart skip a beat when she states that.
"Shut up!" the jerk shouts in embarrassment.
Well, they do...
"MEOW..."
It's examination week and seems like everyone is busy reviewing. Chocho is trying her best too. If you fail then no graduation for you.
"I can't take this anymore!" she cries. I laugh at her reaction.
"You can do it, Chocho. You are going to be a cook, remember?" I tell her and her motivation has been revived.
"That's right!" she says and acts tough.
"That's the spirit!" I say and she laughs.
"By the way, which University are you going to attend, Sarada?" she asks looking at me.
"I don't know yet. But I have three universities to choose from. I don't want to go farther because mom's going to be alone if I have to get an apartment," I tell her.
"The famous school for Hotel and Restaurant is too expensive. If only I am a genius like you. The scholarship will be a big help," she faints.
"I see. There are other schools offering courses like that too. Give it a try," I tell her and she nods.
"But, are you going to a University where Mr. Martin graduated? You know about it, right?" Well, I researched his biography and found out which University he had graduated with a degree in Arts.
If I will be lucky to have the scholarship, I will enroll in that University. The tuition fee is quite costly. Only rich people can afford it.
"If I will get the scholarship then yes!" I tell her.
"Let's get to our dreams!" she yells and we return to our review.
"Sarada, can we search for this topic in the library?" she asks me and I agree to come with her.
Many students are studying inside when we arrived.
"Sarada..." she presses my side and points at the jerk and Akira.
"They get along quite well," she mutters and I unconsciously nod at her and I can't get my sight from them.
"They seem so close to each other now," I whisper.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Chocho asks because she did not hear me.
"Nothing, let's go," I tell her and we settle at a desk just a few tables behind them. I glance at them from time to time. The jerk behaves well. I wonder what did she do to him.
"Hey, Sarada?!" Chocho interrupts me from thinking.
"Huh?" I utter.
"You keep staring at them. What's wrong?" she asks then I am quick to deny it.
"Nothing. I was just wondering," I say then switch my gaze at the book.
"Hmm... Wondering about what exactly?" she is going to tease me again.
"Like how did Akira make the jerk behave like that," I say then she glances at them.
"Didn't you do the same thing before?" she says and I look at her.
"What do you mean?" I wrinkle my forehead.
"He was like that too when you were doing the after-class session," she says and I have to think if that happened.
"Well, I always got into trouble because of him. But this Akira does not seem like it," I say.
"I agree. I think she knows Kawaki's weaknesses and hit him on that spot. To be honest, they are cute together," Chocho remarks.
"Is that so?" I say in a weak voice.
"What's with that look?" she asks me while narrowing her eyes at me. I suddenly feel uncomfortable.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" I dodge the question.
"Come on. You are acting strange since we got back from the camp. I notice that you don't feel awful every time we talk about Kawaki," she tells me. I didn't notice that I am acting that way now.
"There is something I need to know. Probably, I knew about it," she says vaguely. Here we go again.
"Don't mind me just focus on the review," I tell her and she chuckles.
"You're worried he will fail, right?" she asks. I don't think he will.
"Not really," I say.
"Hmm..." she murmurs.
"Focus Chocho. I want to graduate," I tell her.
"I should be the one saying that!" she says and gets back to her notes.
The day has come. It's the moment of truth. The final examination day is here.
"Here's your lunch box," mom offers me a box. This is the first time in a while that she made me lunch. She was too busy at work and I understand that.
"Thank you," I smile at her, and smiles back at me.
"It's your lucky charm for today. I hope you will pass all your tests," she prays and I hug her tightly.
"This is for you and dad," I whisper in her ear. She nods at me and kisses me on my forehead.
"You must go now," she says and let go of me.
"Do your best at work too," I tell her and she smiles at me.
"Good luck," she says and waves goodbye at me.
Chocho is waiting for me at the corner. She is wearing her smiling face.
"You look so relaxed," I comment.
"No. I'm actually nervous," she sighs in disgust.
"Come on, we will graduate together," I tell her, and she is kind of energized a bit. We walk to school while holding hands.
"Are you ready?" our adviser expresses her excitement as the school year is about to close. After this final examination is the Prom and then the graduation day.
"Yes!" we all say at once. She then disseminates the test papers and after a few minutes, we have started the exam.
It's quite hard than the previous three quarters but I can manage to answer them all.
I look to my left and Chocho is struggling with this subject. I give her an awkward face. You can do it, Chocho! I cheer her in my mind.
I resume answering the exam and after a few questions left unanswered, I stand up to pass my test paper. I'm finally done!
"As expected from Sarada, you can have a snack outside now," our adviser tells me and I respond with a smile.
"I will wait for Chocho outside," I say and she nods at me.
I wait for her until she is finished. The students are slowly filling their classrooms empty.
"Hey,"
It's Akira. She is going to look for the jerk for sure.
"Hi," I respond.
"Is Kawaki not done yet?" she smiles. Just as I expected.
"I think he is almost done," I tell her and she nods her head. She keeps looking at him and she smiles from time to time.
"Hey, Kawaki!" she approaches him and the jerk furrows his brows. They talk a little and he unexpectedly looks at me. I was dumbfounded for a moment and I notice that Akira glances at me too then I look down trying to evade their stares.
"Sarada!" both Chocho and Boruto call out to me then I switch my gaze at them.
"Let's have something to eat. I think I lost all my calories answering those tests!" she complains and we laugh at her.
We get snacks and eat up together at the cafeteria and then I tell them that I am leaving for our practice for the upcoming play.
"Are you sure that you're going home alone?" Boruto asks with a worried expression.
"Yeah, don't worry. You guys need to rest too. See you tomorrow," I tell them and they never insisted anymore.
The next morning, the results are announced. We head straight to the bulletin board.
"Congratulations, Sarada!" Chocho hugs me while sobbing.
"Congratulations too," I tell her because she passed the examination as well.
"There is no doubt that you are going to be this year's Valedictorian," she says while in tears.
"Boruto ranks second tied up with Denki," I say.
"You guys are amazing," she says and giggles. Everyone from Class A to D passed the final examination. Thanks to the effort of everybody.
"We are all candidates for graduation!" she yells and the rest of the students tag along with her. They cheer on top of their lungs.
Even I tear up. I fulfilled my promise to mom and dad.
"Congratulations to this year's campus genius!" I look to my right and Boruto was standing there smiling at me.
"Congratulations to you too," I smile at him.
"Congratulations to you both," Sumire congratulates us.
"Congrats for being at the top ten too," Boruto tells her and they chat for a while.
When I glance to my left, I see the jerk looking at the board with his casual emotionless face. This is the first time I saw him standing in front of the bulletin board after the results were released.
I almost make a step to congratulate him but suddenly, Akira appears and clings to his arm.
So I stop. I don't want to interrupt them instead, I turn around and search for Chocho.
"Calling the attention of all 12 class!"
"Yodo? What is she doing?" Chocho mutters when we saw her speak at the stage using a megaphone.
"On this coming Friday is my eighteenth birthday. And you are all invited to the said event. The venue is at my house. Wear your formal attire. A long gown for girls and a suit and tie for boys are highly recommended," she announces and immediately steps down the stage.
"I never went to her house ever since," Chocho mutters. Well, me too.
"We can't afford to get inside her house. She is rich as hell," I say.
"We need to come, Sarada. I'm curious about what her house looks like," she says and I think I have to agree with her.
Yodo is five months older than me, I guess. She got the fifth spot on the ranking. I think it's included in the celebration too.
She approaches Kawaki and invited him. I don't think the jerk will come anyway.
But let's see what will happen...
To be continued...