When he came into work, only his improved mood kept him from shuddering at the fact that Yuuko and Himawari were plotting, again. Well, he would let them, at least they were coming up with ideas that didn't involve him running around in his underwear or chocolate syrup. Some of Yuuko's manga were terrifying.
"You seem to be in a good mood today, Watanuki-kun. You've been so happy since that study session," Himawari stated, apparently finished with her conversation with Yuuko for the moment.
"Nothing's really changed, but I think I have a chance," he conceded. Truthfully it was nothing to get overly excited about.
"That's wonderful! Yuuko and I were just talking about what else you could try to get his attention." Himawari smiled brightly at him, unlike with Yuuko. Not a hint of the fox like nature he knew she harbored showing through.
"Really? Well what is it this time?" Watanuki knew to be cautious. Just because it didn't involve underwear or chocolate syrup, didn't mean it couldn't be just as bad.
"Well, this one is going to be a bit of a group effort, I think." She tilted her head to one side, trying to think of just how to put what she was going to say.
"Group effort?"
Watanuki was becoming a better actor. Well at least he thought so. He was learning to keep a straight face no matter what the situation, and to react to things normally even if he wanted to do something completely different.
This was, of course, thanks to Doumeki. Now, partly, thanks to Himawari as well. From what he understood, this had been her plan, and Yuuko had very little input. Somehow, he had trouble believing that though. It just seemed so Yuuko to him. Every inch of it screamed his employer's crazed strategizing. Still, Himawari took full credit for it and Yuuko only conceded.
Watanuki managed not to glance nervously at either Himawari or Doumeki through his classes with them. He even managed to take some decent notes, he couldn't continue to let his grades slip after all, and answer a few questions voluntarily. It was by no means an easy task to concentrate on school with the plan looming in the back of his mind, but he managed. He didn't want Doumeki to think the whole study session had been for nothing.
When he did chance a look at Himawari between classes, she smiled brightly to give him encouragement, like she could somehow read his anxiety over the situation. How could he not be at least a little anxious? The plan was something he would have never considered, and would be putting Himawari on the line for his sake, again. She was too willing to sacrifice herself for his crush. Again, he couldn't help but wonder what else that innocent smile of hers hid.
Why do these things always seem to happen at lunch? Did god pick a foreordained time, said that all such plans have to be done at noon?
Watanuki shoved another mouthful of food into his mouth and could practically feel the tension in the air, at least from his end. His anxiety had no bounds and Himawari couldn't have acted more stressed, as if she truly was crushed that Doumeki had turned her down. Was he the only one that could see that excited gleam in her eye? The way she literally danced every day at the thought of doing more matchmaking?
Scary…Himawari-chan is very scary…
"Watanuki-kun?"
He almost jumped a little, drawn out of his thoughts somewhat abruptly. His eyes glanced around, but everything was the same as before he had gotten introspective. Doumeki didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that Himawari had spoken. He'd somehow managed to finish his bento in record time and decided to lay in the grass while the sun shown down.
"Yes, Himawari-chan?" Annoying, dense, but loveable boy--
Watanuki's eyes widened in surprise as her lips were suddenly pressed against his. He had known it would happen, but she had caught him off guard, which was the whole point of the exercise. Or rather, the point was to make Doumeki jealous, but him being surprised was a key element.
The kiss was nice, but there was no passion or heat to it, unlike the expression on her face suggested. It was just a touch of lips, nothing more, and her face remained angelic, but inside, he knew, she was practically giggling with glee. The sheer enthusiasm she'd shown the day before made no doubt of that.
The bespectacled boy kept an eye on the reclining archer the whole time. For a moment he despaired of ever getting anything out of his classmate when he turned to glance at Watanuki's surprised and muffled sound. Wait…did his eye just twitch slightly?
He put his hands on Himawari's shoulders, gently pushing her back. "Himawari-chan…?" He didn't have to pretend to be surprised, but most of it was over Doumeki, the rest was over Himawari's timing.
"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" Watanuki didn't know how Himawari made herself blush like that; the girl really should grow up to be a professional actress. She brought tears to her eyes, looking at the grass in front of her as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, and then she stood up very quickly, gathering her things. "I should be going. I'm sorry."
Watanuki watched as she ran off; if he didn't know any better, if he hadn't of seen the mischievous spark in her eyes, he would have sworn that she truly was crushed and had just made a mistake out of jealously.
Watanuki turned his attention back to Doumeki, who was also packing up his things, if a little slower. Was it his imagination, or did Doumeki look a little angry? Was he just convincing himself that the couple of times Doumeki did glance at him there was a bit of worry in those usually emotionless eyes? He sure hoped not.
"Why did she just kiss me?" Watanuki did his best to make his voice sound awed and confused. This time there was no doubt of the twitch to Doumeki's eye at the word 'kiss'. Something about it had gotten under the archer's skin. He brought his hands up so that his fingertips brushed his lips slightly. "I didn't think she would… she's never been interested in me before."
Watanuki could only hope that Doumeki's, practically non-existent for anyone but Doumeki, jealously was over Himawari kissing him and not Himawari kissing him. If that were the case, he would have told her yes when she asked him out. He convinced himself, sure that both Yuuko and Himawari would tell him the same after school.
"Shouldn't you be jumping for joy over this?" Doumeki asked him, in response to what he had said about the kiss.
"Should I be?" Watanuki still played up the confused voice. "I don't know if it meant anything. It didn't feel like it meant anything." He felt a little bad for having to give up his first kiss to the girl, when he wanted to give it and all the ones after to Doumeki, but he knew why. If he was ever going to get what he wanted, he had to give up some sacrifices, like Yuuko kept expounding about wishes.
"Didn't feel like it meant anything?" Doumeki prompted; Watanuki couldn't help but feel excitement well up in him that Doumeki was so curious.
"I wouldn't know much about kissing, but I thought you were supposed to be able to tell what kind of emotions were behind them. That one didn't feel like she cared, well not for me." He forced a glare at Doumeki. "But that doesn't mean that I'm right, she could actually like me."
Again, Watanuki could see the faint gleam of something in Doumeki's eyes, as if the idea of Himawari and himself irked him. With this information, he could think of new ways to push Doumeki further, but he still had to be sure just where the jealously was aimed.
No, he couldn't think like that. Doumeki was interested in him, not her. He had no reason to think otherwise, and he would not give up.