Chapter 12: Manbagi Rumiko, Shinobino Mono

Shinobino's simple daily duty was to look at the areas surrounding Komi, determine if there's any danger, and remove the danger. It took him a bit of time and discussion, but he no longer considered 'Tadano Hitohito' a danger. He walked about 10 meters away from Komi and the non-danger. Soon his trained ninja eyes focused on an apple swaying on its tree's thin branch. As it fell, Shinobino had already thrown a sharpened compass at it. The compass struck the apple, moving it far away from Komi's lustrous black hair.

Another job well done, another daily duty finished.

"Holy cow," someone said from behind him. He turned around and saw Manbagi Rumiko running towards him. "You hit an apple so that it won't hit Shouko! That's amazing!"

"Nothing to a shinobi," Shinobino said, in a voice nobody could hear. It's a cool line he practised saying for years, but he couldn't actually say it to a girl for some reason.

"And she's so preoccupied with her," Manbagi's tone changed slightly, "boyfriend that she didn't even notice. Shou-"

Shinobino put his hands few centimeters from Manbagi's mouth, stopping her shout. Finally his inability to even touch a girl became useful. "There's no need."

Manbagi's eyes sparkled. "Ohh~ An invisible guardian, watching from afar, huh? That's cool."

Feeling elated from a girl's compliment, Shinobino continued: "I do not deserve her thanks."

"Why?"

Shinobino was surprised at the question. "She's a goddess. She shouldn't thank this lowly shinobi for doing his job."

"Who do you think Shouko is?"

Shinobino stepped back. "The most graceful student of Itan High. Someone worthy of protection."

"And someone who'd thank anyone who helped her."

"Indeed, she is generous."

"So accept her thanks. Let her thank you. Let her know what you did."

"That's too much, too much of a bother for her."

"Aren't you friends with her from first year?"

"...her eleventh."

"Which Shouko is this girl who wouldn't appreciate her friend saving her? Which 'Komi Shouko' is this girl who thinks it'd be a bother to thank one of her earliest friends? Which Shouko have you befriended?"

"Sorry," Shinobino said. "You're right. That's my mistake. Have a good night." If Manbagi tried to stop him, she's in for a surprise. When it comes to avoiding a girls' touch, Shinobino is the best in his class, nay, generation. Shinobino vanished.

"Coward!" Manbagi said to the empty air.

[break]

"His compass throwing is getting more and more impressive," Tadano said. "I didn't even remember anything like that."

"I think Rumiko said too much," Komi said. "Like Kishi, I think Shinobino preferred a more distant friendship,"

Tadano nodded. "Yeah, Manbagi and Shinobino had almost opposite ways of showing their affection. In his own way, he is a 'close' friend."

"Sometimes I worry that some of my friends would dislike my other friends, that I'd have to choose sides, and then I'd lose them…"

"Komi," Tadano said. He was looking straight into her eyes. "Believe in your friends. There will be disagreements, but you'll never lose them."

Komi looked back at her first friend's eyes. Steady.

"And speaking of different ways of showing affection, I want to talk about Santori and Toro…"

Author's note: My source for Shinobino being Komi's 11th friend is based on page 177 of volume 3 and the special pages after chapter 323 on the Shonen Sunday magazine. I genuinely can't remember if Chiarai, Sonoda, and Shinobino ever talked directly to Komi.