Hello again. Thank you for joining me for part two of the story!
Chapter 2: A Brewing Storm Creeps Upon the Unexpected
"Yo! Inuzuka, I need a word now!", The words that Inuzuka would hear not knowing the consequences that yielding would have on his outlook of not only his friend but also his future rival.
The defined features of Maru seemed to merge and transform into a scowl as he led Inuzuka through to a quiet district of the black doggie's dormitory.
This area of the dormitory rarely received any footfall bar from the odd student aiming to find any respite from the incessant monitoring by the prefects who are ordered to keep disorder from erupting within the dorms.
"Yo, here is far enough 'leader'", Maru ordered to Inuzuka.
Maru's features are naturally pronounced with a scowl usually residing across his mouth. This in combination with the 'accessories' of key-locks for earrings and two thick stripes of eyeliner resembling bags under his eyes often gave the outward impression of a delinquent.
"So what's this all about Maru?", Inuzuka replied sharply in forlorn hopes of ending this conversation quickly.
Maru simply sighed until a smirk appeared and simply uttered, "Hasuki kicked some ass earlier… once she was done the first person she looked for was you".
"Yea' so?", Inuzuka replied defensively.
"She should care for the whole crew dont'ya think?"
"I suppose so but she was clearly looking for instructions from me"
"Yea instructions whatever you say" Maru replied sharply almost as if he anticipated this response from Inuzuka. He continued almost whispering, "She should care for me".
"What was that Maru?"
"Tch"
Before answering properly Maru began to walk further down the hall. Inuzuka, completely perplexed by the interaction, simply stood there attempting to decipher what he could have said at the end.
'What was he trying to say there?... Wait Hasuki instinctively looked to me? Surely that must've been for instructions?'
"Surely?" That ever-repeating line wracked inside his head once more.
Following on from the bordering on interrogation from Maru Inuzuka entered the dorm's communal hall and was welcomed to a concoction of coos and shouts of adolescent pride and spirit. However Maru was nowhere to be seen. Inuzuka noticeably sighed in relief.
The Black Doggie's communal hall, located in the centre of the vast expanse of the black doggie's dorm, was the social hub of the Touwanese students. From the hours of nine to five it was uncommon not to see at least half of the population of the dorm residing here, relaxing, gaming or socializing. It truly was the centre of all of the students' lives.
"Hey bro! What took you so long to get here?", Hasuki proposed to Inuzuka as she gently approached him.
Falling over his words Inuzuka could only muster, "I just ran into someone".
'Why couldn't I mention Maru to Hasuki?'.
"O-Okay bro… was it a girl?", Hasuki responded with looking down and slowly twirling a piece of her hair as she was finally with touching distance of Inuzuka.
The question had caught Inuzuka off-guard. Why was she asking this? Was the only question going through his mind.
"No It was Maru", he instinctively blurted out.
She looked up at him almost relieved until a wave of sadness seemingly spread across her face.
"Are you okay Hasuki?", Inuzuka reached out and held her shoulder softly.
With her face aflame with blush, she quickly stepped back, "Yeah!", she took a breath seemingly to compose herself, "Yeah I'm fine bro".
Inuzuka had backed away instinctively in an attempt to dismay any awkwardness from forming due to the sudden contact between the pair.
Hasuki, seemingly regaining composure sooner than Inuzuka, stated "I remembered the midterms are coming soon bro".
"Crap. They're only a week away huh? Speaking of which do you want to study together again for them?". Inuzuka replied with not realizing the potential connotations that Hasuki may have inferred.
"Sure I'm free tonight if you are bro?", Hasuki answered quickly with a gentle smile and a slight blush.
"Yeah of course I am, I'll come by around 7ish, alright?".
"Of course bro, I'll get some tea ready".
Having secured some time with his newfound love Inuzuka went about his day joyfully, his happiness noted by not just a small amount of people.
Finally reaching his dorm room he laid down only to realize the gravity of the situation he had put himself in. He was going to be in a room alone with Hasuki. His sudden anxiety manifested in the form of a blush spreading across his face.
'What am I going to say to her? How am I going to dress? I need to calm down. I've been around Hasuki for years now what's different now?'
With a thousand questions going through his mind he mentally prepared himself for the arduous task of spending time alone with someone who until recently he would have considered nothing more than a friend.