talking buddy

by sasuukeh

in which asuka breaks her arm, and talking buddies is a new concept for her. —judai/asuka. modern teacher au.

3. one - him

notes: yes. i don't know how it happened either. i just really want juasu tbh, and the temptation to rewrite the story from judai's side was much too great... (not to mention, i happen to adore this au lots)

some of the more neutral-sounding sentences and narration bits will remain the same as it was from asuka's side. i've tailored the other parts into judai's pov, while also adding some brand new scenes since judai must obviously be doing stuff of his own while johan and asuka were talking from her side of the story.

edit (1/23/2021): some slight touch-ups, but none too massive.

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i. one; reverse

Lazily walking up the stairs with his bento box in one hand and making a turn, his ears pick up a disgruntled: "I will throw that out of the window if you don't stop." That's Asuka, because this should be her classroom. Judai always comes here at the usual time to eat lunch with her and Johan.

He stands outside for a moment because he hears Johan reply back, equally disgruntled, "Don't do that. No, wait— Don't even think that, please."

Judai decides to step inside by then, quietly standing right behind Johan who sits next to Asuka. She gives no indication that she sees him, but he can tell she knows he's there anyway.

Johan is holding onto another one of his bug replica statues again. Through all the years Judai's known him, Johan has always been something of a bug fanatic: his eyes always glistened at the prospect of seeing new bug species outside of Japan or he would spend hours looking into them with pure, utter fascination. Other times, Johan likes to go bug catching when he has time. Judai always thought it was sort of weird, but that's what makes him Johan.

The corners of Asuka's lips curl up. "No-Nonsense Asuka, remember?"

Before Johan even gets to say anything, Judai remarks casually, "Someday, we'll change that to Fun Asuka instead," because he knows she likes working too much, and too much work can fry someone's brain. He would know.

Jumping, Johan turns around in his chair and gives him a startled look. "Judai, don't sneak up on us!"

He smiles a little, amused. "Sneak up on you and Asuka, or you and…" He looks at the stag thoughtfully, placing a hand behind Johan's chair and tapping a finger. "That."

Rolling his eyes, Johan retorts, "Miyami's not a 'that,' y'know."

Judai shrugs lightly, grinning. "I'm not a bug type of guy."

And really, Johan should know that Judai isn't capable of remembering every single type of stag beetle species out there like him, much less even one with an attention span like Judai's. He might have seen some during summertime, but Judai never cared enough to memorize their scientific names right down to the family classification. Geez.

Johan laughs in response and Judai lifts up his fist for them to begin exchanging their secret handshake greeting that they invented in high school. (He remembered Sho complaining about this handshake a lot, but never told Judai why. He wonders if Sho's doing okay. Being a mechanic isn't easy.)

Asuka looks at them with a raised eyebrow, probably wondering if all guys are weird like them. (Which is rude. She never hears him talk about how girls are weird.)

"No, you aren't," agrees Johan, knowingly nodding. "But you could at least acknowledge that Miyami has a name."

He snickers. "I already have to acknowledge that Sasakia, Adela, and Plutella are all names for your other ones. Gimme a break, will ya?" It took him a few weeks to even memorize one of those if Johan hadn't complained so much each time he got it wrong. "But I guess it's not as bad as that other one." Judai looks contemplative. "Neo… Neolee…"

Sighing, Johan corrects him, "Neolithocolletis."

Casually nodding, Judai replies, "Yeah, that one. I'll just call it Neo." Don't even expect him to memorize more than the first three letters. (Johan sighs again, probably at the butchering of the name.) He idly looks up and sees their third addition leaning over her table with her red pen in hand and scribbling. "Asuka, you're grading during lunch break?"

She looks mundanely at him. "Well, I'm not lucky enough to be a physical education teacher." She says it like it's all fun and games, but perhaps she forgot that even physical education teachers need to do a bit of paperwork like inventory or keeping track of students' health information when they have check-ups or inputting final grades together.

"Johan's a biology teacher, but you don't see him grading," he whines, pointing at Johan sitting next to her. Not wanting to deprive one of her students of a chair, Judai sits on the side of her desk.

"Because he likes to do labs instead of assigning paperwork," she sighs, rolling her eyes. (That's sort of true. Judai's visited Johan's classroom before during labs and it's usually something about bugs. Sometimes, he actually does lectures about human anatomy and other biology stuff because of the school curriculum.) Before Johan could defend himself, Asuka adds, "I was going to eat in a few minutes. Lunch break is still for another forty minutes, after all." She gestures with her pen towards her still-wrapped bento box at the corner of her desk.

Nodding approvingly, Judai smiles while lifting his own wrapped bento box. "Good. I brought my lunch too, so I'm gonna stay for a bit." When he looks at Johan, Judai sees no bento box with him this time. Did he forget his lunch? Johan doesn't really forget things easily, but he does sometimes like eating a bit later once he's all settled in and comfortable. "What about you, Johan?"

Johan gives Asuka a look while absently stroking Miyami in his hands. Judai is curious since she looks away instead, somewhat defiantly. "I already ate before I came, so I think I'll go back to my own classroom to check on my other beauties." (But lunch began only fifteen minutes ago? Johan must've been pretty hungry…) He lifts up Miyami for emphasis before standing from his chair, smiling as he gestures towards the empty chair next to Asuka welcomingly. "You can take my chair, Judai. I'll see you after school later. Bye!"

Johan walks out, humming some happy tune. Judai doesn't know why Asuka looks a bit mad, but she seems to be calming down already. So, he takes that as a good sign and sits himself on Johan's empty chair before unwrapping his lunch on her table.

"That was nice of him," he chimes, happily opening up his lunch and already prying apart the chopsticks.

Asuka caps her pen and puts her papers aside, making space to set her own lunch in front of her to unwrap and open. "Yeah," she says, sounding a little strained.

It makes him raise his eyebrow as he begins eating. "Are you mad that he can't stay?" he asks, chewing his rice.

After all, the three of them usually spend lunch time together unless something comes up. Ever since Judai discovered that her classroom is pretty close to the gym where he usually is at for most of the day, he always came here during breaks. Knowing Johan is only a couple doors away, it sort of became a tradition to have lunch in Asuka's classroom together. So, Judai would be pretty mad too if they stopped having lunches together.

Asuka huffs, looking sulky as she eats her own rice. "Not really."

He stops midway of shoving more rice into his mouth, chopsticks in the air. "Then what?" Is she mad at Johan? Or is she mad at him? (Was it the 'Fun Asuka' comment that got her?)

"Nothing," she dismissively replies, shaking her head like she lost hope in something. Slowly, she eyes him. He's about to question why she's looking at him like that until: "Judai, you're dripping rice on yourself."

With a blink, he flickers his eyes downward to see specks of rice on his black shirt because his chopsticks are still in midair. Oh.

Quickly eating the remaining rice off his chopsticks, he casually picks the rice specks off him with his fingers and throws them into her trash bin conveniently next to him. "Pretend you didn't see that."

When she smiles and stifles a laugh, he sighs in relief because now he knows she isn't mad at him. (So, she's mad at Johan then?) "I saw nothing."

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Contrary to what some people believe, Judai's a pretty careful guy. He keeps an eye out on the ground in case he trips on something, he keeps an eye out around him in case something came flying at him—and, he does this all the time because P.E involves movement and he's a P.E teacher, so it makes sense that he always has to be on the lookout to make sure that he and his students are safe.

But… Maybe carrying three boxes of various sports balls and other equipment while walking through the hallways back to the gym was a bad call on his part, because these three boxes piled up to a point where he couldn't keep an eye out on the ground or around him.

And if he was able to see where he had been going, then Asuka wouldn't be here leaning against the lockers after slamming into them and clutching at her arm in pain. Judai thought the hallways would be empty by this time, but Asuka (and Manjoume) proved him wrong.

"Tenjoin-kun!" Manjoume frets, eyeing Asuka worriedly. "Is your arm all right?" He gives a miffed look at a guilty Judai, a glare prominent in his scowl. "This is what happens when you carry too many things to a point where you can't even see where you're walking, idiot!"

Yeah, he deserves to be called an idiot. "I tried to steer away," mumbles Judai, apologetically.

In his defense, he had been walking pretty fast so that he wouldn't waste time. He just didn't realize he was moving so fast that it gave her such a scare to a point where she bumped into the boxes and slammed into the lockers and injured her arm. He had tried to steer himself to walk forward, but having his sight blocked by the boxes sabotaged that idea. Gosh, the guilt is scalding in his stomach the more he looks at her writhing.

Asuka smiles reassuringly as she clutches her left arm. "It's okay! I'm fine. We should be lucky that none of the boxes fell, right?"

Manjoume skeptically looks at her, the concern unyielding. "Still, I think you should stop by the nurse. I don't know if it's bleeding or not, but that stiffness doesn't look good, Tenjoin-kun." Judai agrees, but does not say anything because the guilt is still there and he'd get yelled at again if he did say anything.

Keeping her smile, she replies gently, "I'll go there now if it'll put you at ease, Manjoume-kun." Manjoume visibly relaxes. Asuka then glances at Judai momentarily. "Why don't you help Judai carry those while I make my way over to Ayukawa-san's office, okay?"

Manjoume wastes no time to grab the top two large boxes from him, letting Judai easily see the hallways now. "Of course, Tenjoin-kun. Obviously, we can't leave it up to him—" Judai awkwardly averts his eyes. "—all alone, so someone has to rectify this." Manjoume starts walking down the hallway where Judai had been attempting to go before her injuries happened. "Let's go, slacker! She still needs to go to the nurse!"

As Judai walks past her, he murmurs a very genuine, "I'm sorry," before trailing after Manjoume, pace a bit slower and dull compared to Manjoume's proud stride. He doesn't look back at her after that.

He sighs despondently, catching up with Manjoume.

Manjoume gives him one glance, then looks forward. "This is unlike you," he comments, sensing the gloominess.

"Hm?" he hums distractedly.

Scrunching his face, he repeats, "This isn't like you at all, idiot." Manjoume gives a small huff, readjusting the boxes in his arms. Judai can only raise an eyebrow, still crestfallen. "This is Tenjoin-kun we're talking about. She's always been headstrong about herself. You don't need to look so sad."

"I know that," Judai responds easily. Asuka is always headstrong about herself. He knows that too well. She's the aspiring type, after all. Obviously, that injury won't kill her—Judai's just more affected by the fact that he actually hurt her. "I just feel guilty..."

A snort comes from Manjoume, but it doesn't sound that harsh. It's almost comforting. "You should have some faith in your friends. You two are friends, right? She would've let you know if she was mad, but she didn't."

He dims, being guiltier. "Because she's too nice?"

Asuka is always very nice; she's always been nice. He supposes Manjoume has a point. Asuka would've let him know somehow if she was mad at him, and Judai couldn't pinpoint anything in her body language or tone that could have indicated that. It makes him feel a little bit better now—although, it's sorta strange to know that it was Manjoume who cheered him up.

But whatever rare once-in-a-blue-moon niceness he saw in Manjoume at that moment suddenly becomes something else: "Tenjoin-kun is too nice! Her heart must be pure gold to accept her injuries with a smile like that!"

Judai blinks.

There goes the brotherly-ish moment they just had. (He thinks Manjoume gets weird when he's like this. Who knew he could be so creative with love letter confessions? Asuka looked ready to seep into the walls when Manjoume presented it to her in front of everyone during high school.)

"I can't believe you would injure such an innocent lovely, pure dove like Tenjoin-kun!" Manjoume gives him an overly-dramatic frown before looking deeply contemplative. "No, no— Tenjoin-kun is more beautiful than that. So maybe 'swan' fits her more?"

Feeling better to have a more lighthearted conversation, Judai comments, "Swans have long necks, and Asuka doesn't have a long neck." Besides, her name means something similar to 'Tomorrow,' so a dove has a symbolism of flying into 'tomorrow' in his head. The picture makes more sense to him, personally. She's a dove then.

"Who's a swan?"

Judai and Manjoume stop and look behind them, finding Johan peeking his head outside his classroom door curiously.

Oh right, Johan's classroom is nearby Asuka's. In the midst of his guilt, Judai almost forgets that it's still lunch break. Sure he and Johan and Asuka have lunch together in her classroom, but today's apparently a busy day for all of them. Asuka said something about stopping by the teacher's lounge to pick up some stuff (until Manjoume apparently stopped to chat with her in the hallway), Judai had to go restock on the supply for the sports balls that were punctured or deflated, and Johan… Actually, he doesn't know what Johan's busy with because Judai took off to the storage room pretty quickly.

"Asuka," Judai answers helpfully, thumping his fingers against his box.

Johan gives both of them an odd look, stepping outside of his classroom. "Asuka… is a... swan?"

"I voted for dove," he chimes as Manjoume nods his head. "Dove has more symbolism for her."

In a gushing tone, Manjoume dreamily sighs. "It doesn't matter which one she is. Tenjoin-kun could be either and still be lovely!" He starts walking as he says this, so Judai follows. And Johan follows too, apparently.

They descend the stairs to the first floor.

"Okay," Johan says, like it's normal to compare Asuka to animals daily. "Why are we talking about Asuka, swans, and doves?"

Judai would've been able to answer if he actually knew how the conversation even shifted to this. He can't seem to find a proper point of his conversation with Manjoume to determine it, so he settles with the origin.

"It started when I accidentally injured her," he replies, back to being downcast. The guilt isn't as bad as before, but it still doesn't make him feel good to know that he injured his friend. "I bumped into her with these boxes and she injured her arm when she crashed into the lockers." (Johan gives him a brief look, scrutinizing.)

"And I—" Manjoume interjects grimly. All three of them exit out of the school entrance, proceeding to make a turn to the gym by taking the route past the tennis courts nearby. "—was a very unfortunate witness."

"Okay," Johan simply nods again, and Judai isn't sure if it's because Johan doesn't know what else to say or if he is actually understanding all of this. Through the years, he's learned that Johan can flawlessly play both parts very well. "And how does this relate to swans and doves?"

Finally remembering the rest of the conversation prior, Judai's chin gestures to Manjoume. "Manjoume said he couldn't believe that I injured 'an innocent lovely, pure dove' like Asuka, but he said she could be either a dove or swan." He pauses, then adds helpfully, "And that's when you came."

When they near the entrance of the gym, Johan hums in understanding and appears concerned. "Is she okay?"

"She will be," says Manjoume confidently. "She took my suggestion to go to Ayukawa-san's office. She's probably there by now." He goes inside the gym, probably to go put away the two boxes he helped carry.

Judai feels eyes on him for a second; a careful and observing stare. "I'll go check on her," Johan decides, nodding. "Do you wanna come?"

He can't bring himself to look at Johan when he asks that. "I'll catch up," Judai mumbles.

"You don't wanna know if she's okay?" It's not accusatory coming from Johan, but Judai cannot pinpoint what tone this is.

"Manjoume is right," says Judai instead, a weak smile on his face. "Asuka will be fine, so I think it's okay if I take my time." He may have said this as peacefully as he could, but despite what he tells himself and what Manjoume told him, that small bit of guilt is still stubbornly there. And it really bothers him. He hopes that stalling for a bit of time could help alleviate some of this tension on his shoulders before he goes to visit Asuka himself. "You go ahead, 'kay?"

With another quiet look, Johan nods slowly and doesn't ask before turning around. "Don't take too long. She might think Manjoume did something to you," he jokes casually, walking off and not looking back.

Good thing he's a P.E teacher so that he can run if Manjoume did do something to him. Judai lets out a real laugh as he watches Johan trot off before going inside the gym.

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When he is almost near Ayukawa-san's office, Judai hears a merry: "You can tell him that yourself. See ya!" He finds out that Johan had been the one to say this, and Judai watches as his best friend walks past him with a large grin. "The lovely, pure dove is in there!" (That is the most poetic and dramatic and flowery voice he had ever heard come out of Johan's mouth. Perhaps Fubuki would consider him for an assistant.)

He shakes his head because he honestly didn't think Johan would like the dove thing so much that he would actually quote it. Heck, Johan didn't even know what it was about not even fifteen minutes ago. If Judai had to guess, the dramatic voice was purposefully loud for a reason because Johan just doesn't put on poetic voices for just anything.

And this reason was answered the moment he parts the door open and peeks inside to see Asuka frowning deeply. "You heard that, didn't you?" he casually asks, stepping inside slowly.

"I am not a lovely, pure dove," she mutters indignantly.

Amusedly, he smiles. "The full quote was: innocent lovely, pure dove. But he did consider using 'swan' before he thought of 'dove,' though."

"Even worse." Her face scrunches. (Manjoume would probably cry if he were here right now.)

However, telling Asuka about Manjoume's poetic prose isn't why he's here.

Judai bravely gives her arm a look, feeling fresh guilt at seeing the purple colors on her arm. He did this to her. "Does it hurt a lot?" he asks, tentative.

He assumes Ayukawa-san is off to fetch something for her since the office is empty. If Ayukawa-san really did go to get something for her, then perhaps it's a serious injury. Judai isn't sure how guilty he can feel right now.

She smiles while lifting her arm, consolingly. "Not too much! I've been told to ice it daily, so it'll heal up on its own. I can't really move it a lot right now, though, so I can't really do much for a while."

She can't move it a lot anymore? She can't do much anymore for a while? "I could help you—" he says quickly, hand behind his neck as he shoves the other into the pocket of his tracksuit jacket to prevent fidgeting. "Help you around if you need it. It's the least I can do to make it up to you."

He should've watched where he was going. It's his fault for taking three boxes, his fault for walking too fast, his fault for not being able to see the hallways, his fault for bumping into her, his fault for rendering her one arm less, his fault for hurting her.

But despite the boundless amount of guilt that he currently feels, Judai stands there with a purpose in his eyes. Like what Manjoume had said, he will have faith in Asuka and believe that she isn't mad at him because they're friends and friends always have faith in each other. Instead, he feels like he should do something to help her instead. If she is going to be one arm less for a while, then he could be her pair of hands until she recovers. If he still has two functioning hands of his own, then he can make use of them by helping her.

He will help her.

"You don't have to—" she tries to politely reject him.

"I want to," he tells her, simply.

Tentative, she replies after a moment, "You're sure?"

He has never been more sure than ever. "I'm sure," says Judai patiently.

Asuka sighs in defeat. "All right. I suppose I could use an extra hand while mine is out of commission for a while."

He finally shows her a real grin. He will help her. He will make it up to her. "I could meet up with you after school." It's best to start somewhere. He can't exactly help her if they're both instructing class.

Bemusedly, she inquires, "Why after school?"

Raising an eyebrow, Judai doesn't see why she can't seem to realize the predicament, considering which part of her body got injured. "How else will you drive home with your arm like that, Asuka?"

Looking like she is completely stumped, Asuka trails, "Maybe if I drive slowly…"

"While the other cars would probably honk at you for driving slow?" he replies back, still keeping his eyebrow raised. Asuka usually thinks things through first before she suggests anything… Maybe he gave her a shock with his suggestion? (He didn't mean to do that either.)

"Maybe if I just steered with one arm… It's not too uncommon to use one arm."

Blinking, he stares at her. "But don't people also use two hands to make turns? It could be dangerous using one hand. I've seen reckless driving on the news before."

Does she really not like the idea of driving with him…? Judai honestly doesn't think he can handle it if he found out that she crashed her car next in a few hours within the same day of injuring her arm because of him. It would not be good for his conscience or mentality at all, and he'd probably be more depressing than the actual funeral itself. (Not that there would be a funeral. No. He's praying for, at worst, a trip to the hospital so that she can be alive and he could visit her and she can scream at him silly for putting her there and he could let her throw things at him for revenge or something, because at least she would still be alive.)

"Fine," she sighs in defeat. He might as well believe she hates him now with how much emphasis she used. "Would you like to meet at the front of the school then? Or should I meet you at the gym?"

He inwardly shakes away any lingering thoughts of Asuka hating him before smiling. "Front is fine," he reassures her, walking backward to the door after glancing at the clock. Classes will resume soon. "I sometimes see you park at the front, so I figured you'd be more comfortable waiting there. See ya!"

As he exits Ayukawa-san's office, Judai determinedly walks back to the gym.

He will help Asuka.

.

.

When all of his students begin going back to the locker rooms to change clothes, that's usually a good indicator to Judai that he's officially done with work for the day. He always lets everyone retreat to the locker rooms about ten minutes before the actual dismissal bell rings so that everyone can leave on time.

Which means he gets ten minutes of absolute peace everyday.

So, he takes advantage of the time and tiredly sits himself on one of the bleacher chairs and sighs because he can't stop thinking about how Asuka is one arm less because of him. Is she doing okay? Did she have problems with trying to teach? Did her injuries act up during class? Did she mention him at all if anyone asked about her arm?

He lets his head droop, miserable.

Faith… He should have faith in her… Faith. Faith because Manjoume would kick him if he didn't have faith in Asuka.

Someone sits next to him, and he knows who it is because Johan usually comes to visit him ten minutes early on lab days because he makes his class clean up their lab equipment ten minutes early like Judai and his class. "With how you look right now, you'd make a good model for Hayato's painting class. I heard depression is the theme for this week's topic."

Judai snorts. "They'd better get outstanding grades then." Because he thinks he really looks the part right now to excel at displaying depression.

"Depressing P.E Teacher," Johan tests the name out on his tongue with great fascination, a subtle tease in his lilt. "Great title if there's ever an exhibit for it. I'd come and look at each work."

Rolling his eyes, he plays along, "I dunno if I wanna come. I'd be too depressed for it."

Thoughtfully, Johan looks up at the ceiling and casually says, "You know, I heard Hayato is also lecturing about a painter who cut off his ear from depression." Judai gives him a strange look. He may be like this, all depressed and guilty about Asuka, but he is still perfectly sane and is not cutting off his own ear. "Apparently, he went through a lot in his life—but, that never stopped him from painting."

A bit perturbed, Judai replies, "That's great...?" Johan isn't too big on art, or ear-cutting painters. Maybe if there was an artist that painted bugs—

His best friend continues like Judai didn't say anything at all, "He went on to produce great works until he died. A lost ear didn't really stop him from painting." With nonchalance, Johan lazily looks at him. "Sort of like injuring an arm." Judai jumps, heart startled. "That's not going to stop someone from continuing on with her life, especially if the injured arm can heal up over time."

He didn't even reference Asuka or her arm. But, Johan's always that good at reading him. That, or maybe because Judai himself wouldn't mull over things to a point where he'd be nominated to be a model for depression. Awkwardly, he coughs into a fist. "I'm being silly, aren't I?" Because yes, an injured arm can heal up. It's not like she's permanently lost it like that painter with his ear.

Kindly, Johan says with a light smile, "Caring isn't silly. I'd be concerned if you didn't care." He leans back and folds his arms behind his head. He looks like the perfect image of relaxation in comparison to Judai's new (artistic) depression image that he somehow built himself.

He exhales, finding those words comforting. "I'll be driving her back and forth for a while."

Johan blinks. Then he blinks again. And again. "From her apartment and school, right?" he asks slowly, trying to make sense of this turn of events.

"Yeah?" he answers, tilting his head at why it looks like Johan is ready to laugh. Driving Asuka to and from school isn't really that funny, right?

"She'll appreciate that," Johan chortles, eyes twinkling. No really, what is so funny about him driving Asuka? Can't he catch a break here? He just finished making his students run laps while spending the whole hour thinking about Asuka's arm, and Judai's tired! Really tired! "Seriously, I think she'll be happy about it!"

"Why?" bemoans Judai dramatically, running his hand through his hair fervently. They may be best friends, but gosh, sometimes it feels like Johan is more on Asuka's side than his! Which is unfair! Bro Codes (or whatever it is that teenagers talk about in the guys locker room) don't seem to be a concept for Johan.

This makes his supposed best friend contemplative, smile teasing as he tries to stifle more laughter. "I just think it's good for you two!" he laughs, wheezing a bit. "She knows you and you know her. She's probably happy that someone else isn't driving her."

Really? He somewhat doubts Asuka would want to ride with him if he hadn't been so insistent because who'd want to ride with the same people responsible for your injured arm? "Like who?" He would assume Fubuki would be a better choice since he's her brother. But doesn't Fubuki spend a lot of time helping out with his drama class?

"I'd name names, but that'd be rude," says Johan casually, making Judai confused again. "Besides, I don't think she's mad at you, if that's what you're worried about. You wouldn't look like Depressing P.E Teacher if you weren't feeling that."

"I'm feeling guiltyyyy," Judai corrects him with a whine, feeling more emotionally exhausted and slumping his shoulders and drooping his head again. He probably sounds and looks pathetic right now. "I just want to make it up to her." He sighs, losing count of how many times he sighed. Depressing P.E Teacher, indeed. Hayato's painting class would definitely love to see him right now.

Carefreely, Johan pats his shoulder like everything will be fine and dandy. "I think you already made it up by offering to drive her! Just keep doing what you're doing."

He asks in a small voice, defeated, "Feeling guilty?"

A snort, and then: "No, I meant just keep it up by driving her back and forth until she heals." Johan glances at the clock and stands up, brushing his clothes. "In fact, I think I'll go visit her now to help her get ready so that you two can meet up on time. As much as I enjoy seeing Depressing P.E Teacher, I don't think that's healthy for you."

Judai laughs, somewhat sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Johan walks away with a wave.

He exhales, looks at his hands, and clenches his fingers for a moment. If Johan thinks Asuka is happy with how everything is turning out, then maybe Judai can roll along with it. Johan usually has good advice, after all.

.

.

She has an ice pack.

She.

Has.

An.

Ice pack.

She has a large ice pack with a thick velcro strap around it, and Judai thinks his guilt is probably the size of Japan right now. If he finds out anything else happened, it would be the size of China soon.

He could barely stop himself from widening his eyes at the sight of it on her arm when he met up with her at the school entrance. It was enough incentive for him to offer his car and to drive back her car after she had mentioned it could possibly be towed overnight. The last thing he needs on his conscience is finding out that Asuka's car got towed because of him. (Although, that is significantly better than the car crash scenario or hospital scenario in his head earlier.)

Currently, they are on the road back to her apartment.

Judai, unable to fetch a good conversation starter for five quiet minutes because of his guilt, notices that she had placed her bag underneath her ice pack. It makes him feel a bit iffy because Asuka shouldn't have to sacrifice her bag for his car seat when she obviously suffered more. Does she even realize that?

Eventually, he bravely speaks up first because he won't know until he tries: "You don't have to do that, y'know."

"Hm?" She looks up, bewildered. "What do you mean?"

They stop at a red light, so he looks at her briefly.

Judai sees the water dripping, but he really thinks it doesn't matter since water always dries up. "I mean, you don't have to worry about using your bag as a cover. If the water drips, let it drip. It'll dry up, and my seats will be as good as new." (Sort of like free cleaning. How could he complain about that?) He starts eyeing her bag next. "Besides, you keep your papers in there, right? Wouldn't want them wet. That'd be pretty bad, I'd imagine." Wet assignment papers are also not needed on his conscience.

But to his very great dismay, Asuka says and does nothing except avert her eyes.

Judai pouts at her lack of cooperation. "Asukaaaa," he whines, probably sounding desperate right now as he taps his fingers on the wheel. "Put your bag awaaaay." Johan would find great entertainment at the fast return of Depressing P.E Teacher.

She looks at the water droplets still dripping, skeptical. Really, she is treating it like water droplets are something forbidden. "But—"

"The light just turned red, so I have about a minute or two to convince you." Judai stares hard, a bit disapprovingly, at her face.

He must have gotten through to her because Asuka reluctantly takes her bag and sets it aside on the floor by her feet. "Happy?" She sounds a bit defeated.

Victoriously, he gives her a big grin and feels very satisfied. The ice pack water is still dripping on his seat, but that doesn't matter. He finally got something to go right for him! "Very!" He smiles and takes one hand off the wheel to ruffle her hair, pleased.

She grumbles, probably in displeasure: "Not again."

Again? "What?" he asks, putting both hands on the wheel again.

"Johan did that to me too today," she replies, using her good hand to point at her hair before smoothing it out. "It's like you really are twins sometimes."

This piques him. He doesn't know about Johan, but Judai adopted the habit to ruffle someone's hair after knowing Sho for so long. Sho was always at a good height for it, and it seemed like a brotherly thing to do if he ever needed cheering up. He actually doesn't know why he ruffled Asuka's hair when it used to be meant for Sho, but this gesture became something affectionate and habitual for Judai. He would like to assume it cheers people up. Sho never complained about it, except the mess his hair became each time.

"How about I do something else to you so that you could tell the difference between us?" he hums, musingly. If Johan gives her hair ruffles too, then maybe Judai could find something else for her. Besides, his hair ruffling was meant for Sho anyway (or his students).

"Like what?" She looks like she really wants to say something about the ice pack water. But she doesn't, which is good because he would've stopped her regardless.

He laughs, simpering. "Actually, I'm still thinking about that." Judai resumes driving the car again at the sight of the green light. Asuka goes back to watching the scenery pass by. "But when I figure it out, you'll be the first to know!"

Would head patting work? It wouldn't mess her hair up as much. High fives? No wait, those involve hands and he's not sure if he wants to think about functional hands right now.

Asuka feigns shock. "Even before Johan?" This stumps him because he thought Johan and Asuka are good friends. All three of them are good friends.

But he can't exactly blame her too much, though. After all, he and Johan were close in high school. They still are, but perhaps that gives Asuka an impression of feeling left out for being the only girl of their lunch time trio in the current present? She did sometimes comment about how she'll never understand their guy talk, like it's a brand new language for her. (Johan's bug talk is always a different language for Judai, honestly.) He hardly sees her talk with other girls anymore ever since Junko and Momoe went off to be primary school teachers. In fact, the only girl he vaguely remembers her talking with anymore is probably Ayukawa-san when she went to the nurse's office—and he hadn't even seen Ayukawa-san that day himself.

So, to cheer her up, Judai replies blithely, "Even before Johan!"

"I'm honored," says Asuka, smiling as she looks out the window.

Judai raises an eyebrow. "How so?" He makes a turn left by habit because he used to visit her before, so he can still remember the route to her apartment.

She leans in her seat and says, "Well, knowing Johan, he might be horrified that you told something to me first before him."

Did he hear her right? It's like she thinks Judai's heartless enough to not consider her important to tell her things like he does with Johan?

Johan doesn't really get horrified about stuff like that anyway because he's always a chill guy. Judai's not even sure how it's possible, but Johan never gets mad. He's always calm, at most. Johan is rational and they have many things in common, so maybe that's why Judai trusts him so much to tell him so much.

But even so, despite their endless trust, Judai still doesn't know everything about Johan. They met in high school; they didn't grow up as childhood friends. There is still a boundary there, maybe a sliver, regardless of their tightness now. Asuka seems to be under the impression that this isn't the case. She is important to him too, if all of these years of friendship are taken into consideration. It's just that he finds it easier to relate with Johan because Johan tends to be more open and accepting whereas Asuka is more thoughtful and polite. Judai himself is easygoing in nature, so he and Johan just connected naturally.

Still, the fact remains that Judai doesn't know Johan's whole life story and neither does Johan with him—and he thinks Asuka needs to realize that he would also tell her things that are of importance like he would with Johan because both Johan and Asuka are his friends. Johan being his best friend shouldn't have to be some sort of validation to tell him something first. If Judai thinks Johan should know something, then he'd tell him. If Judai thinks Asuka should know something, then he'd tell her. Simple.

Honestly, it's like she's insecure about it with the way she brought it up and that's just silly. She's important. Asuka is important. He wouldn't have this Japan-sized guilty feeling in his chest for her if he didn't think she's important.

With a patient smile, he placatingly replies, "I don't know everything about him and he doesn't know everything about me. So what he hears before or after you shouldn't matter as long as he knows, right?"

"Right…" She fumbles with her fingers on her lap.

He simply replies, "So, it also shouldn't matter if I tell you something first or after him as long as you know, 'kay?" As he says this, Judai has stopped the car at the curb of her apartment complex and Asuka peeks out the window.

Still feeling like she's silly for taking things out of proportion with her and Johan, Judai easily lifts up his hand at her forehead when she turns to face him.

He flicks her casually.

He's not one for pain, especially with how her arm ended up, but she needs to know that she's important if words do not work on her. Besides, he flicked her gently.

"What was that for?" she mumbles, rubbing the spot he flicked at.

Absently smiling, he turns the car off and rests his arms on the steering wheel. "That's what you get for worrying about being first or second with Johan," he cheekily says, cradling his head with a hand and eyeing her amusedly.

The flick seemed to have gotten through to her better than he expected because she pouts. She hardly ever pouts. That's cute. "I didn't say that." Rolling her eyes, she turns away from him.

Judai scoffs in amusement. "You sort of implied it." He smiles wider, the temptations to redo it emerging. "If you keep thinking that, I could always do this again, y'know." He teasingly lifts up his hand and positions his fingers for another flick to her forehead, but she leans her head back just barely out of reach while looking aghast at him. Not wanting to provoke her, Judai laughs heartily with his eyes. "Maybe that's what I'll do to you from now on. Johan gets to mess up your hair while I get to flick your forehead! Plenty of fun for me!"

Forehead flicks… He never did forehead flicks before. Sho gets hair ruffles, Johan gets their secret handshake, and Asuka will get forehead flicks. Perfectly divided.

She doesn't seem to like it that much, but he doesn't hear her complaining to him either. So that's good, right? This can be their thing!

Asuka looks like she's really dreading the forehead flicks. Dreading a lot. Well, that's just extra incentive for Judai!

"That's not fair," she mutters, sulking. He can't resist laughing aloud this time as she leans down to grab her bag, unzipping it and looking through it. Asuka finds her set of car keys and offers them to him. "Before I forget, here are my car keys. You could park my car around here when you come back; I don't mind since I won't be able to drive for a while."

He takes her keys, pocketing them for later. "I'll park it where I parked my car." Another worried glance, then: "You need help going back to your apartment?"

"It's only a bruised arm, not broken," she replies, smiling reassuringly. (Oh gee, he really hopes it won't be broken. He'll have to pray every day that it's not going to end up broken. Please no. His poor conscience is suffering too much today. Just no.) Asuka swings her bag straps over her right shoulder and opens the door to step out carefully. "Thanks for offering, though. See you tomorrow, Judai."

Snapping out of his thoughts, he quickly looks at her exiting his car and acts immediately by clumsily leaning over the passenger seat to stop her. "Wait, Asuka!" She does stop, so he beckons her to lean down. When she does so, Judai is about to normally ask if she needs a ride tomorrow morning—but then he sees her forehead and the temptation just… comes back. So, he flicks her forehead (gently) and sits back with fresh laughter erupting from him. "Gotcha!"

That's actually pretty fun! Maybe he really should do this more!

She dully slams his car door with a roll of her eyes before turning around to walk away. Aw, he made her mad... But at least she didn't complain! He decided forehead flicks for her, so she better get used to them soon.

Judai immediately rolls down the window and calls out to her again, periodically chuckling, "Okay, I'm sorry! I just wanted to know if you needed me to drive you again in the morning!"

Curiously, he quietly watches as she considers the idea. Surely, today's ride wasn't that bad for her to take that long to think about. In fact, he enjoyed it. Partially for their new ritual of forehead flicking, but also because Judai thinks they rarely have time for the two of them to talk anymore. It's usually them with Johan.

"Sure," she agrees and does not look at him, but her response makes him beam widely at her back. "I'm usually done getting ready by 7:20."

Judai nods to himself. He gets up around 7:10 due to his occasional laziness since he lives slightly closer to the school, but he thinks he could wake up a bit earlier just to go pick her up. It doesn't matter too much to him since he's used to moving around during his class to revitalize himself later. Yeah, he'll just wake up early. No big deal if it means he can make it up to her.

Pleased that she gave him an answer, he pleasantly replies, "Alright, I'll come by around then! See ya later!"

.

.

He doesn't know what to feel about her bringing a towel along when she sits in his car the next morning.

Judai knows that he isn't the smartest guy around for sure (Misawa would probably mutilate him if he was), but he knows towels dry things and there is only one thing in this car right now that is currently dripping water for a towel to dry off. He feels like he needs to tape a sign on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat saying that it's okay to drip water on his seats because didn't he tell Asuka that she didn't have to worry about dripping water on his seats just yesterday not even sixteen hours ago? Gosh.

She probably feels guilty about staining his seats, which he understands because it's not her car, but really... Judai would know what true guilt feels like because he's the one who injured her arm and here is Asuka, worrying about water on his car seats. If Johan were here right now in the backseat, he'd have a grand time while watching the predicament between Depressing P.E Teacher and Injured Girl.

"I'm telling you, water stains are no big deal," Judai tries to say casually, but there is a bit of a whine in his tone.

She calmly uses her right hand to touch the wet spots on her seat from yesterday. "But they don't dry that quickly." What is she? A car dealer?

"Because today's the official first day of me driving us to work!" he complains, making a turn with the car. "Yesterday doesn't count! We get to work until three in the afternoon when the sun is still out. It'll have enough time to dry by then!" He doesn't have a sunshade for his car, so obviously he expects the sun to do its part by drying his seats while he's at work.

"And if it doesn't?" She's probably rolling her eyes with that tone.

He confidently retorts without looking away from the road, "It'll dry by tomorrow then!" It's nearing summer, after all.

"Yes, because sitting on a wet seat, in someone else's car, caused by my ice pack is something that I will tolerate," grouches Asuka, like an apologetic grinch.

He can see where she's coming from, he really does—but, this is starting to blow out of proportions, in his opinion. They shouldn't have to spend sixteen hours talking about water stains on car seats. Sure he dropped her off and they both stayed at home so it's not actually sixteen hours, but still.

It shouldn't have to be so controversial in his car.

Controversial over water stains.

Judai sighs, resignedly. "Well, it is my fault that you're like this. Water stains on my seats are nothing compared to that." Then he pauses briefly. "What if you hit me back so that we can be even?"

Maybe she can injure his arm so that they can both be one-armed together. Is that not equality? Would the guilt be gone by then? Maybe if his arm got injured too, they wouldn't be here spending sixteen hours on water stains. Heck, he could add to the water stains if he also got an ice pack of his own. (But then again, who'd drive him? Johan lives the closest to the school, so Judai would be suffering until his best friend gets up by 7:40 and Johan would need to also somehow pick up Asuka who lives thirty minutes away. Very chaotic for Johan's sleep schedule, and Judai's not sadistic enough to make him submit to that.)

Blinking, Asuka gives him a strange look. "No," she slowly trails, like his paranoia and guilt is that crazy. "Besides, don't you sometimes get injured too? You are a P.E teacher. You must be used to bruises."

"Yes," he nods easily. He's never broken a bone before, but he has gotten a few swollen limbs from time to time with some bruises and scratches. "I get them and they hurt, and sometimes I see my students cry from them—but my point that I'm trying to make is: you don't have to do anything while you're in my car. I got you like this, so I want you to feel as guilt-free as possible while you sit here, 'kay?"

She clears her throat. "But you also didn't mean to do this to me, so I think you should feel guilt-free too while you drive me, Judai."

At this, Judai is still paying attention to the road, but a small part of him drifts into his thoughts. Manjoume and Johan both tried to console him about his guilt to her, and he had been doing a semi-good job of it by remembering Manjoume's bit about having faith in Asuka and Johan's belief that things would be okay as long as he keeps driving her until her recovery. Now, even Asuka herself has to tell him that he shouldn't have to feel guilty. If everyone is trying so hard to tell him that he shouldn't feel guilty, then perhaps it's best to listen to everyone.

He still doesn't feel right that he hurt Asuka—but if the victim herself can acknowledge it as an accident, then maybe he can try to move on from it too. Maybe just see these rides as something between friends than something like atonement. That's what he had in mind anyway, but that guilt seriously liked playing around with him.

Noticing his silence, Asuka encouragingly coaxes, "It wouldn't be fair if I'm supposed to be guilt-free while you can't."

Alright, since you put it that way. "Well said," he eventually replies, a resigned smile on his lips. He might as well try to go with the flow now since they got to this point.

"Does this mean no more driving trips to and from work?"

"Oh, this is something that I want to do," he replies more genuinely. "Partially to make it up to you, but I also want to help you too. Besides—" He starts grinning, finding some comfort at the idea of talking with someone so early in the morning. "—I could use a talking buddy while I drive! It gets boring by myself. Not to mention, it'd be pretty weird if we didn't have anymore driving trips after the first day." He really does enjoy driving her so far, and that's not the guilt talking.

"You're right," Asuka agrees, smiling slightly. "But I don't know about the talking buddy part—I don't really have much to say."

When she had said this, Judai could have laughed. Her? Not much to say? He thinks most of their conversations so far were pretty enjoyable and pleasant, excluding their controversial opinions about water stains on his car seats. Lazily, he manages a teasing smile: "Then what have we been doing up until now?"

"Sitting," she simply answers, feigning interest in the scenery he's driving them by.

His smile is wider. "And?" He makes another turn.

"Going to work."

His jaw is starting to hurt, but he still smiles wider. "And?"

She pretends to observe a park he just drove past. Now she's playing the quiet card on him.

But that's fine. He can play the funny card instead. Maybe that'll get a laugh out of her.

So, Judai exhales before dramatically asking, "Is Tenjoin Asuka still in this car with me?" She doesn't respond, looking at the passing buildings instead. He pouts inwardly. "No? Okay. I guess I'm driving a random corpse to work. Johan would probably jump at the chance to examine it for his class—"

"Tenjoin Asuka wants peace and quiet at 7:47 in the morning," she drones from her seat.

Aw, no laugh from her. "Oh, she speaks! Bummer; I thought you were the spirit of the corpse I was driving," he casually says as he starts pulling into the parking lot of the school.

He sees faint movement from his peripheral vision, and concludes that she is shaking her head at him. Had he not been preoccupied with parking the car, he would've rolled his eyes.

And since he couldn't do that... "Wait. Before we exit…" Judai looks at her seriously, and she raises an eyebrow in response. He flicks her forehead again and laughs victoriously. "Now we're all set!"

Yep. This is really fun. Johan can ruffle her hair all he wants, but Judai thinks he gets the fun part.

From the look on her face, she might have used her bag as an improvised weapon against him, so Judai immediately unbuckles his seatbelt and scoots out of the car with a happy laugh, his chest feeling much lighter of guilt and he laughs again because this is the first time he has a talking buddy and he likes it.

.

.

Johan told him and Asuka that he joined some club studying about gemstones and jewels, and that he'd be spending his lunch time from now on to help supervise it.

Personally, this alarms Judai. Alarmed him so much that he had to do a double-take to make sure that it was really Johan who told him (and Asuka) that he'd be skipping lunch to go to a club studying gemstones. Alarmed him so much that Judai deliberately mispronounced Parornix for Johan to correct him in order to know if it was really Johan and not some cosplay imposter. (It really was him. Johan was unamused. And so was Asuka.)

It's not that he isn't happy that Johan is expanding his interests, but Judai is just a little taken aback that Johan didn't join a club that's dedicated to bugs rather than gemstones. His best friend couldn't tell him why because he left to go attend a meeting for that club, so Judai won't know for a while.

It actually feels a little weird without Johan because Judai's so used to hearing random bug facts (that he forgets about later) and laughing it up with him.

Not that it's awkward being left alone with Asuka or anything. He drove them to school together, after all. It's just that lunch break to Judai always seemed like a good get-together time for all three of them to hang out as friends like they've always been since high school. Johan and Asuka didn't know each other that closely back then—but in a way, Judai himself became a catalyst for their friendship ever since he found out that Johan and Asuka's classrooms were so close after they became teachers. He remembers settling on Asuka's classroom because a) Asuka found Johan's bug replicas a little unsettling (which made Johan laugh), and b) Asuka's classroom is closer to the gym for Judai to walk back. A perfect solution they all liked.

But now it's just him and Asuka, sans Johan. No random bug fact of the day or chatting about which food commercial on TV last night had the best food or lecturing Judai about pronouncing bug names wrong. It's a change that Judai needs to get used to, but he shouldn't have a problem since he's now Asuka's driver for a while.

So, everything seems to work out in his head: Johan is expressing genuine interest in a potential new hobby, while he and Asuka can still have lunch in her classroom like normal. And that's what Judai is doing now: eating his lunch in her classroom.

However, that doesn't mean he is particularly happy that her bento box looks rather bland today. In fact, that can't satisfy a full stomach. Did her arm act up again when she was at home? Either way, seeing an injured Asuka tarnish her own health by eating so lightly just doesn't seem to sit well with him. It leaves him feeling a bit bitter. He can agree to not feel guilty anymore because she acknowledges her arm as an accident on his part, but he thinks he can still feel bitter that she's not really doing a good job of taking care of herself and not seeking help when she needs it.

Judai tries his best to sound really casual when he says, "Your lunch looks light today."

She swallows a bite of rice, eyes shrewd but not surprised. She probably picked up on the hint already. To be honest, he's not even hiding his intentions at all. "I was in the mood for something light."

"You're already low on rice," he remarks while glancing between his lunch and her lunch, a bit grimly. He normally finishes eating first whereas she would still only be halfway done by the time he is.

Asuka calmly eats her eggs. "I'm in the mood for rice as well."

He rolls his eyes at her evasiveness. Trust Asuka to be stubborn. "Lemme guess: you were also in the mood for eggs and carrots?"

"Yes," she nods simply, nipping at her carrot slices next.

Judai grimaces disapprovingly. "Asuka," he sternly says while sliding his bento box closer to her. She is not looking at him. "Take something from my lunch because yours look really sad today." He buys his lunches from the store, but at least they're much better than her really sad excuse of a lunch that barely qualifies as lunch. At least his lunch actually has real food in it. "I'm begging you. Seeing you just eating rice, eggs, and carrots is starting to make me wonder about my job. I'd be setting a bad example for my students if I let you eat this."

"I'm not a student, so I don't see why it should affect me." Stubborn.

"Physical education affects everyone, and it's important to eat healthy," Judai chides in slight singsong format, annoyingly. "Emphasis on healthy." If she eats more healthy, then her arm can benefit from that. He may be coping with letting go of his guilt, but he'd also really appreciate it if she can heal up faster by taking care of herself.

She tiredly eats another carrot slice. "Rice, eggs, and carrots are all healthy, Judai."

Patiently, he nods, "I know, but I'm saying that you're not eating healthy enough."

He wonders when he had started to be so naggy to her. He was never naggy before with her—only to his students and even then, he's usually mild about it because nagging isn't something he likes doing. Mild nagging for him involves telling his students to be more careful when running so that they don't trip, lecturing them about throwing the ball softer during basketball so that nobody gets hurt, or scolding someone if he sees foul play. Sure he sometimes tries to advocate healthier eating with his students, given his occupation, but Judai usually leaves them alone about it since they're all still exercising in his class to make up for poor food choices. (Besides, he's not their mom.)

But here he is: nagging Asuka about eating more.

In his defense, he doubts overworking counts as exercise since she obviously doesn't have to do P.E anymore. He's just simply worried at this point for her. Not really guilty anymore; just worried because even though he knows that she is responsible, Asuka is also unfortunately a workaholic.

And maybe his nagging is actually good for something, because Asuka sighs and finally gives in. She blindly takes his last fried shrimp and he simply lets her. They may be his favorite food in the whole world, but he thinks Asuka and her healing body needs it more than he does. (Besides, he can always buy more.) "It's just a little hard to cook with my arm like this, but I will do my best to pack more next time if it makes you happy."

She sounds tired, so he is aware that he shouldn't push his luck. He also knows that she doesn't like being babied so much, so he smiles approvingly and nods. He'll take what he can get with her. "You better pass my inspection next time then," he teases, resuming his eating.

He hears her laugh; it's a soft laugh and somewhat resigned, but he thinks that's much better than this silence they had sat in earlier. He doesn't mind losing that fried shrimp since it made her laugh.

.

.

Two days later, after school, Judai almost drops a basketball on his foot when he was cleaning up outside the gym near the basketball hoops because he hears a loud voice booming from inside the gym itself.

Since the gym is technically also the school auditorium, Judai is very lax when it comes to using it. He freely lends it out to Fubuki if the man is in need of it for his drama classes or play rehearsals, and Judai would instead offer his students free play outside of the gym or make everyone run laps for his classes while Fubuki takes the gym.

During after school hours though, that's when the gym is completely surrendered to Fubuki—which is why Judai had been outside gathering lost basketballs to clean up before he meets up with Asuka to drive her home. That's pretty normal for Judai's life lately, so he's cool with it.

It's just that seeing Fubuki emerge out of the gym with a dramatic flourish, looking ready to cry his eyeballs out, is not something Judai is used to seeing after school. In fact, this itself is a very bizarre abnormality because Fubuki usually keeps the theatrics inside the gym.

He would've asked if Fubuki was just demonstrating the role of Distressed Man or something for his class because that looks extremely convincing to Judai, but the drama teacher immediately turns his head back to regard someone in the gym: "Are you positively sure you saw that happen to my Asuryn?! When was this?"

Someone—a girl with short hair—says something, but Judai can't hear her because he's a bit far away and also because Fubuki's Distressed Man act is very loud in general. Judai walks closer after putting the last basketball back into the cart because he can recognize Fubuki's strange nickname for Asuka, and that has him rather alarmed for a moment. What happened to Asuka?

Distressed Man Fubuki nods vigorously, looking more serious. "All right. You can help direct the script while I'm gone. I'll go check on her and then I'll come back."

Judai is about to open his mouth to ask—

Instantaneously, Fubuki is jogging past him. "Judai-kun! Sorry, can't talk—Asuryn needs me right now!"

This is all Judai can comprehend as he watches Fubuki run into the school building with speed that he is very impressed by as a P.E teacher. If only his students could be this fast—

Wait.

Fubuki said that Asuka needs him. He had asked if someone saw 'something' happen to Asuka.

Normally Fubuki stays in the gym for several hours after school because he's always busy, so he wouldn't really abandon his work if it was something small that happened. And he had mentioned Asuka's name…

Which means—

Now it's Judai's turn to jog into the school building, feeling grateful that he's a P.E teacher and is blessed with good running speed as he expertly takes two steps at a time up the stairs to the second floor. His open jacket flapping in the wind, he thinks he probably looks stupid right now in front of the students staying after school.

"Asuka!" Judai hears someone wail down the hallway when he gets to the second floor. Luckily, it's empty here.

Okay, he definitely has the right hallway. So, Judai keeps going down this hallway to hopefully tail after Distressed Man.

And he meets Johan in said hallways when he is near his biology classroom. Johan looks extremely bewildered, hand in his hair and his other hand on his hip.

"What's going on, Judai?"

He says an equally confused: "I don't know but Fubuki-san said something about Asuka, so I'm following him." He takes a deep self-soothing breath because gosh, he didn't realize this school had so many stairs until he tried to run up two steps at a time.

Johan still looks confused, but he nods anyway. "I thought he was acting out something dramatic for his class, so I was ready to follow him to watch." Judai originally thought the same too, honestly.

"Asuryn! Are you okay?!"

Judai blinks and shakes his head, hearing Fubuki again. He would not be surprised if the whole campus heard the man by this point. "Let's go anyway—" He starts jogging in place. "—to make sure Asuka's okay at least." And with that, he takes off again and he knows Johan is following him because of the extra footsteps behind him.

This day just seems to have a lot of surprises in store for him because Judai had not been expecting to find Manjoume lurking outside of Ayukawa-san's office while Fubuki is inside screaming himself silly. Upon reaching the door themselves, Manjoume quietly puts a finger near his lips at them while also gesturing inside the room. Both Judai and Johan poke their heads past the wide-open door, and Judai half-expects to see something dramatic going on because of Fubuki's Distressed Man act.

However, Judai just can't seem to catch a break anymore lately.

Because the first thing he sees when he peeks through the door is Asuka with an arm sling. Her whole body is caked in dirt and her hair is messily disheveled, which looks even worse than his own bed hair on bad days.

Asuka has an arm sling.

Asuka.

Has.

An.

Arm sling.

Judai wants to lie down for a moment when it sinks into his head, unsure of whether or not he wants to scream on the inside or outside. Whatever happened to all of the daily praying he did for her arm? Does someone out there hate him? How did she break her arm? What happened?

He looks up mournfully from his spot by the door while Asuka says exasperatingly, "I'm fine."

Fubuki frowns sternly as he brushes off her sleeve. "Fine? Do you need a mirror? With how you look right now, I might as well think you were attacked!" (Manjoume bravely strides into the room to help brush the back of her dirt-stained white collared blouse quietly.)

Nodding quietly, Judai miserably agrees. Good heavens, he hopes that she wasn't attacked. It hasn't even been four days since he was starting to cope with his guilt. Actually, not even four. It's only been three and a half days. Three and a half days, and Asuka's injured arm ends up being out of commission even more.

Judai wonders, in despair, if he is somehow responsible for this broken arm too. It wouldn't surprise him at this point, honestly. Everything that already happened and anything that could have happened to her arm always seems to point back to him as the origin. It's like he's a magnet for trouble to Asuka.

"Well, you aren't exactly wrong," Asuka begins, tone placating. She sits still as Manjoume and Fubuki brush off her clothes helpfully. "But it was only just a softball that attacked me." (Softball? Softball?) Ayukawa-san gently dabs a rag at the dirt on Asuka's cheeks before taking out a band-aid for a small scratch on the side of her face. (Now she even has scratches on her too? Oh goodness—) "The student apologized to me, so it's okay."

Johan decides to enter the room now, eyebrow raised and genuinely bewildered. "A softball? Why were you near the softball field?" Left as the only one still at the door, Judai can't help but nod quietly.

He can't understand how Asuka can remain so calm. She was just attacked by a softball into the dirt and broke her arm! "I was passing by. There was a meeting among the history teachers that I was going to attend after school instead of going home."

Judai blinks. A meeting after school? After school when he usually drives her home?

Johan scolds her gently, "Well, you should've taken the route past the tennis courts instead. It's a lot safer there because of the high fence. A lot closer to the gym."

Closer to the gym? Why would she—

Oh…

Okay, so maybe Judai really is a trouble magnet to her, after all. Maybe the door of Ayukawa-san's office could swallow him up if he stayed here long enough.

"I'll keep it in mind. Besides, I can't do anything about it since the meeting is probably over by now," she says, looking at the clock. (Oh great. Now she missed her meeting because of him. Judai cringes in misery.)

Ayukawa-san dabs her rag against Asuka's other cheek, sounding motherly as she gently scolds, "In any case, Asuka-san, you need to make sure you don't fall again—and please take safer routes, okay? You might need to get yourself scanned if you get this arm injured again. I really hope it doesn't get to that level." Judai is praying really, really hard that this will not happen.

Fubuki's eyes widen, looking incredibly worried at his sister. "Again?"

Grimacing, Manjoume tells him with a thumb gesturing to Judai, "Yeah! Because the idiot over there at the door bumped into her with boxes, and she fell against the lockers. Scraped her arm pretty badly."

Immediately, Judai takes this as his cue to enter the room and he hopes that Fubuki won't exact revenge on him with bodily harm. "But it all worked out fine!" He placatingly smiles weakly, his hands up in the air. "She and I worked things out, and we have a system going that we both like." Giving her arm sling a remorseful look, he feels his shoulders slump a bit despite the empty smile that he wears.

"System?" asks Fubuki, confused. Manjoume narrows his eyes suspiciously, like Judai's some kind of criminal. (He might as well feel like one at this point.)

He says, "I drive her to and back from school while she heals."

It's amazing how fast everyone suddenly stares at Asuka like hawks. "It saves money since I don't take the bus," she elaborates, a small smile on her face. It seems a bit twitchy to him.

Manjoume contemplatively cradles his chin. "Is this why I've been hearing rumors that he's been dropping you off in the parking lot lately?"

What? Rumors?

Now he's responsible for rumors too? Goodness, Judai might as well quit his job and leave this school at this point—

With a pleasant smile, Johan casually walks up to Manjoume and pats his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Weren't you in the middle of composing a presentation earlier, Manjoume? I heard you practicing in your classroom." As the business teacher widens his eyes in realization, Johan turns to Fubuki with the same smile. "And don't you have to help out your drama class with their next play rehearsal after you finish sewing up the cast's costumes?"

"Take care, Tenjoin-kun—I hope your arm heals up quickly!" Manjoume quickly says before offering a small wave and smile, running past Judai and exiting the room with his black tie flapping in the air as he turns a corner past the door.

He watches Fubuki bring Asuka into a tight hug, and he smiles weakly at the sibling moment. It's nice to know that Asuka's well enough to accept hugs without being hurt. "I'm off too, but promise me you'll be safe, Asuryn."

"I promise, Nii-san," she sighs, and Fubuki pats her head in return with a loving smile before speedily jogging out of the room as well.

Johan looks smug as he grins at Asuka. "No need to thank me."

Pleasantly smiling, Asuka replies, "I wasn't going to."

He fakes offense, frowning dramatically with a hand to his chest, and Judai chuckles a little at the exchange. Johan and Asuka seem to have their own way of interacting with each other that seems to work for the two of them. That's good. Judai likes knowing that they're getting along. He gets the feeling that they get along because they're both smart or something.

Ayukawa-san seals up the band-aid box and puts her rag on her table. "Anyway, you're all patched up, Asuka-san. You're free to leave now if you'd like." She looks like she's reconsidering. "On second thought, maybe we should fix your hair first."

As Ayukawa-san combs her hair with her fingers, Asuka glances up at him and Johan. She looks like she's debating about which one of them to talk to first. "How come you two are still here?"

Johan smiles very broadly and answers, "I don't know about Judai, but I tagged along when I saw your brother run through the hallways and scream your name. Thought I'd stick around to see the chaos!"

Judai almost rolls his eyes, thinking about how Johan casually assumed Fubuki was reenacting some dramatic scene for his class. It's like Judai was the only one out of them worried for Asuka. Geez.

Looking exasperated with Johan's answer, Asuka merely gives Johan one look before switching over to glance at Judai.

Seeing her look at him makes Judai think about Fubuki bursting open the gym doors and wailing her name out in the hallways, and he fights back a laugh about it now that he knows that Asuka's safe.

Okay, so maybe seeing Fubuki as Distressed Man was pretty funny to him. "I sorta followed for the same reason," Judai admits with a sheepish grin. Her eyes roll at him. In his defense, he did feel worried for her! He took two steps up the stairs for her! "But I also need to drive you home, so I have a valid reason to stay, right?"

Nodding, she agrees with him easily, "Yes. A valid reason to stay." Johan seems to be the subject of her icy looks lately. Judai won't ask because that's probably a Johan-Asuka thing they share. "Something that you don't seem to have."

"I would mess up your hair for that comment, but I don't want to ruin Ayukawa-san's hard work," says Johan with a peaceful smile.

Judai suddenly perks up interestedly and feels himself smile, mischief in his eyes. "Wait, I got you covered." Very happily, he raises a hand and flicks her forehead. When she glares at him, Judai only smiles back wider. Asuka stubbornly looks away from him, sulking and embarrassed, rubbing her forehead. Looking at Johan, he quips, "It's a new thing I'm trying out just for her. It's actually pretty fun!"

Johan tries really hard to stifle this laugh. "I see." Judai has never seen him look so amused before. He briefly wonders what Johan and Asuka talk about when he's not around.

Cheeks flaring with vivid pink hues, Asuka grinds her teeth together furiously and glares at Johan with flames embedded in her eyes. "Leave."

.

.

She's mad. He can tell. He can feel that aura. So, Judai casually asks her when they're both in his car later and he starts up the engine, "Are you still mad?" He drives them out of the parking lot.

Intensely looking out of his car window, she dully asks, "About?"

Carefully, he considers his answers.

If he asks her about being mad at him for the arm sling, would she start yelling at him? Is she mad at him for her bad luck with her arm? Is she mad about the forehead flicking? Is she mad about the rumors circulating? Is she mad that she broke her arm while trying to visit him at the gym to tell him about her meeting? Is she mad about missing her meeting? Despite being in an arm sling with one or two band-aids on her face, she looks significantly better than before. Judai finds solace in this because it would've been much more harder to answer her if she had still looked like a bird's nest gone wrong.

But even so, it's sorta hard for him to pinpoint which answer he wants to give her simply because he has so many.

"About Johan?" he offers, finally. Since Judai had actually witnessed their exchange in Ayukawa-san's office, he hopes Johan can forgive him for using him as a conversation topic because Judai just can't seem to pick a decent question to ask her.

The moment he says Johan's name, Asuka rolls her eyes and huffs. "I'm just wondering, between you and him, who's more of a menace."

He blinks, not looking up from the road. Him or Johan? Menace? For some reason, this is rather hilarious. Johan would get a kick out of this too if he heard—but Judai doesn't want to get him in deeper trouble, so maybe it'll be something that he can just privately laugh about.

Asuka thinks he's a menace. A menace. He almost laughs out loud. Was it the forehead flicks? Really, he doesn't even flick her that hard! These are the gentlest flicks he can ever give out to anyone!

Lips curling up amusedly, he asks, "Any conclusions so far?"

"No. It's something that I can't ever solve," she shrugs with her good arm.

He smiles whimsically, humored by her behavior. She can be funny when she doesn't mean to be. "Then why think about it if you can't solve it?"

Asuka shrugs again. "Something to occupy me."

"I'm flattered we could be of use to you." He rolls his eyes. At least he's redeeming himself by driving her! What does Johan do?

Asuka quips, sounding more pleasant and less annoyed, "On the bright side, you're more useful than him since you're driving me."

The car makes a right turn. Her response makes him perk up a bit. "Doesn't he do anything for you?"

She takes her time thinking, which makes Judai wonder for the umpteenth time what she and Johan talk about when he's not around. "He helps me pack up my papers," she finally replies. "Nothing exciting."

He gives a lighthearted tease to fill the air: "So, it's exciting to be here in the car with me?" He personally likes it. She's his talking buddy, after all.

Asuka clears her throat somewhat awkwardly, making him tilt his head at her behavior. She is adamantly looking out of the window. "Compared to packing up my assignment papers, I'd say so."

"I'm glad that my talking buddy is enjoying herself while she's here," he grins, eyes happy.

Since the roads aren't too crowded, he quickly glances at her for a moment and sees her leaning her head against the window in a mellow manner, probably to take a peek at the buildings they're passing. "It's because she has a talking buddy of her own now," she says, soft.

For some reason, Judai thinks there is another meaning in those words because of how she said it. It makes him happy; makes him happy that she is accepting her place as his talking buddy, like it's starting to mean something to her.

So, he smiles fondly as he drives them to her apartment in a peaceful silence and hopes that she knows those words mean a lot to him. Because he has a talking buddy of his own too and she knows who it is.

.

.

A week passes, and he thinks with certainty that Asuka sucks at being patient.

Judai somehow found himself lecturing her about eating more for three days when the new week began, and he feels silly whenever he scolds her because they are both adults. But, someone has to eventually tell her that she can't possibly live off of rice and other small leftovers for eight weeks until her broken arm heals. And if no one volunteers, then he'll do it himself. It makes sense for him to talk about good health, after all.

He never demanded her to change her lunch contents whenever he scolds her because he respects Asuka enough to let her make that decision by herself despite his nagging, but he does sometimes share his own contents with her if he thinks her lunch is especially light. (His fried shrimp are noble sacrifices. He can handle the losses well enough. Although, she does take other parts of his lunch sometimes.)

But it seems that Asuka finally understands that he nags her for a reason about her health because she finally began buying her lunches too. And he's happy to see real food in those boxes. (In passing, she brought it up to him while thinking he would nag her about buying premade food, but he laughed a lot instead. He buys all the toppings for his lunches while he prepares the rice because that's the only thing he can seem to prep correctly without burning something.)

Today, she did bring another premade lunch—which makes him very happy because that means there is hope that she and her arm will get better soon. She is eating her chicken, which he is perfectly content with, but Judai feels himself deflating at the sight of her swapping her chopsticks with a pen instead.

Again, she sucks at being patient.

He strongly pouts at her, but knows that she can't see it because she's too deep in her grading to notice. So, he casually says, "Asuka," while he taps the side of his bento box with his chopsticks for additional attention-grabbing noise.

Persistently, she heartlessly rebels against him by continuing her grading. He frowns, exasperatedly. "Yes, Judai?" she responds with a feigned pleasant tone after swallowing the chicken.

He sighs audibly. "I thought you were supposed to take it easy while you're recovering." He gives her a look. "Do I need to get Ayukawa-san in here to repeat herself?" Judai eats a cherry tomato as he leans back in his chair and props a leg on his knee. Despite his casualness, he is scrutinizing her and frowns at the way she is leaning against the table right on her broken arm.

Calmly, she replies, "No. I heard her loud and clear." He watches her scribble some answers on a worksheet and briefly wonders what it would be like if she had injured her right arm instead of her left. Maybe she would actually take it easy if it was her right arm.

Disapprovingly, he chides, "Then you should know that it's bad to put pressure on your arm, like what you're doing right now." With his chopsticks, he points to her.

"Things won't grade by themselves." She writes a score for the paper.

He rolls his eyes. Forget calling her Injured Girl. She's Injured Workaholic.

"Yeah," he agrees, eating more rice. "That's why some teachers have TAs. Y'know, teacher's assistants?" He doesn't actually know that many teachers here with TAs, but it's still an option available.

It's just too bad that Injured Workaholic doesn't want to take that option. "Yes, assuming that students are actually interested to assist in a history class," she replies, grading another worksheet. It sounds like she's a little grumpy. Maybe people just don't like history in general? He's sure that he doesn't.

He stifles a laugh. "If it makes you feel better, I don't have one either. I think your brother does, though. Fubuki-san sometimes talks about assigning a girl for his assistant so more people would actually stay awake in his class."

Asuka rolls her eyes. "I think I'll be fine without one if people are going to be distracted like that. Most people are awake for my class anyway."

Judai has to take a self-soothing exhale at her stubbornness. Yeah, she really sucks at being patient. "How about I help you then? Not the whole time, but at least I'm here during lunch."

She finally puts down her pen and arches her eyebrow. She had put her pen down. She actually put it down. He'll take that as a victory, honestly.

"Judai… Your handwriting is chicken scratch; I don't think this is your strong suit." He blinks, feigning offense. (His handwriting isn't that bad—) "But I suppose you could help with sorting the papers alphabetically by surname. I need two hands to shuffle papers anyway."

Injured Workaholic is finally offering for him to help? He perks up a little and looks at her arm sling. "As long as you loosen up on the grading, I'll do it."

When she smiles at him with a defeated shake of her head, Judai feels himself smiling widely. "Fine," Asuka concedes, indulgently.

His heart feels lighter at her finally sitting back for a change as he beams a triumphant smile at her. He tucks away his empty bento box and chopsticks at the side of her desk before sorting her worksheets. Asuka watches as she eats her lunch, something of a soft smile on her lips.

.

.

Rumors are definitely like a work of art because just like art, rumors are creative and colorful.

Judai never bothered to care about rumors before, simply because rumors take everything out of context and he has a difficult time trying to remember all several hundred versions and variations. They used to be a bit entertaining to listen to, though. They're hot topics during his class for idle chit-chat.

Although, maybe he should reconsider this thought at some point because he's sort of getting tired of being the subject of these new rumors. He's also pretty tired of being looked at funny when he's walking through the hallways. Before this week began, he had asked Asuka if he could just wait in her classroom rather than the front of the school before driving her back because those stares were just starting to unsettle him.

Girls looked at him while gushing about something while guys whispered about bets. Judai may not be smart, but he is still a teacher and he has enough intelligence to know that this is all stemming from those rumors Manjoume had brought up back in Ayukawa-san's office the day of Asuka's broken arm injury.

He thought he was safe because his class would've been too busy moving around than to discuss rumors, but things are never that easy for Judai lately. He doesn't know about the girls, but the guys locker rooms have been chaotic with the rumors. It's not even safe when everyone starts small talk while they wait for the slower students to finish their laps, and free play is especially not safe.

Rumors about him and Asuka… Gosh, it's like teachers can't be friends with each other or something; like it's illegal for one teacher to drive another teacher to help her because the first teacher injured her arm. But it's high school, after all. At times like these, he's grateful that there are still people in this school who do not believe in rumors—

"Oh, Judai-san! On your way to Asuka-san's classroom-saurus?"

Although, he has a difficult time trying to see if Kenzan is one of those people.

Even though they went to high school together, Kenzan still uses honorifics with him because he always did admire Judai for some reason. Judai insisted that honorifics aren't needed with him, but Kenzan is adamant to show his respect. (It used to be 'aniki,' but Judai didn't really like one as they grew older.)

And since Kenzan seems to respect him so much, he occasionally keeps up with how Judai is doing whenever they see each other at school. Which is probably why Kenzan stopped him in the hallways while Judai was on his way to Asuka's classroom. Which is why Judai wants to lie down for a bit because Kenzan just had to pick the hallways to chat in, where some early bird students are lingering.

So, given the turn of events and their location, Judai is already dreading for something to happen at hearing Kenzan mentioning him and Asuka in the same sentence.

A polite nod and greeting: "Kenzan." Judai's not oblivious to the piercing stares the more he stands here with Kenzan in the hallway. Good thing he dismissed his P.E class today early by twenty minutes this time because everyone was extra tired. "Yeah, I am."

Kenzan idly readjusts his tie while cradling a folder. "You're both going shopping today for your lunches tomorrow-don?"

He stops, blinks, and stands. "What do you mean?"

Now it's Kenzan's turn to stop, blink, and stand. "Don't you two normally go to buy your lunches for the next day after school lets out, Judai-san?"

He is suddenly very confused. "Uh, no?" Last he checked, Asuka told him that she buys her lunches for school during the weekends. Judai himself likes to buy them on Fridays so that he can have his weekends to himself. "Why, Kenzan?"

The prehistoric teacher clears his throat. "It's what I've been hearing about lately. I've been seeing you two drive together, so I thought it was true-don."

An eyebrow raises as Judai places a hand behind his neck awkwardly. Ah, rumors… They never fail to reach even the teachers. "Why are you interested to know that?"

"Well," he begins, already trailing. "You hardly hang out with the other female teachers or students aside from Asuka-san, even from when we were still students-saurus. I thought it was good that your friendship is still very strong, so I thought I'd support you-don." Kenzan pleasantly smiles.

Gosh, it's like Kenzan is announcing to the public that Judai has a soft spot for Asuka or something. It makes him feel embarrassed. It's not his fault that he likes talking with her, is it? Kenzan might as well have said that into a microphone with how casual he looks.

Judai fakes a cough into his fist, trying to not let his awkwardness show because he is certain there are eavesdroppers lingering in this hallway and Asuka might somehow end his life with her one arm if he says anything remotely misleading. "T-Thanks, Kenzan. I'm glad you're so supportive," he thanks weakly, his smile very stiff.

Contentedly, Kenzan nods. "Of course, Judai-san! I've noticed that she sometimes talks about you in passing when she is fetching something from our department's office-saurus. I'm glad to see that she's been feeling happier lately, since she's been feeling down about her arm-don."

After he says this, Kenzan looks ready to bid him goodbye and walk past him to continue his day, which would've been absolutely fantastic at the moment to ward off eavesdroppers, but Judai honestly doesn't know why he stopped Kenzan at that moment with a distracted: "She what...?"

Asuka talks about him? He blinks.

Piqued by the interruption, Kenzan gives him a scrutinizing look. While he and Judai weren't too close like him and Johan, Kenzan was still involved in Judai's general circle of friends in high school—which means Kenzan has a fair amount of experience with Judai's mannerisms.

As if Kenzan already knows why he was stopped, he replies amusedly, "She sometimes says a comment or two about how you nag her to eat or how you tell her that she's overworking-saurus."

Oh. She just complains about him then?

Gee, he didn't know that Asuka likes to slander him in her history department. He's probably an inside joke among the history teachers by now. How long has that been going on? He's the only P.E teacher here, so it's not like he can complain about her in his department. Sure he talks to some teachers in passing politely, but the ones he normally talks to are Asuka and Johan. Johan doesn't really count since they're already friends. (And it's obvious that Asuka complains about Johan anyway.)

It sort of bothers Judai that she would mention him like that to others. He just wants her to be healthy and to heal up because he is concerned!

He must look pretty funny right now because Kenzan laughs at him. "She means it in a good way-don!" He wipes a tear of laughter from his eyes. "Asuka-san doesn't look angry when she mentions that about you at all, Judai-san. Instead, she looks fond when she does-don!" He still chuckles into his folder periodically.

Judai shifts his eyes, awkwardly squirming as he shoves his hands into his pockets. Asuka is fond of all of that? Geez… He isn't sure if he should trust Kenzan's words right now, given the topic. (The hallway eavesdroppers must be super happy right now.)

Not sure how awkward he can feel right now, Judai is about to thank Kenzan for giving him some (questionable) answers, but Kenzan apparently found this entertaining enough to mention casually: "That question I asked earlier about you and her buying lunch together is actually a rumor I heard-saurus."

Judai quietly gives Kenzan a look: strained and skeptical, but lacking in shock. He's apprehensive, at best. "I'm not that surprised," he mutters, cringing.

Yeah, he could tell that it was a rumor. This isn't the first rumor Judai's heard unwillingly.

Back in the guys locker room, he caught word of 'secret relationship' and Judai didn't know if he should cry (because Asuka won't like that) or laugh (because things are being blown out of proportions). He really likes his time with Asuka, so it doesn't feel right to him that his relationship with her is being taken out of context. He simply likes talking with her, hanging out with her, driving her, eating lunch with her, and having her for a talking buddy.

With the way people here associate him and her with 'secret relationship,' they all make it sound so unnecessarily dramatic that it honestly makes him laugh a bit. It's sort of silly to him. Asuka will probably have a conniption if she knew. Maybe he should tell her later just to see her face.

But right now, it's Judai's face that makes Kenzan laugh again. "I don't believe those rumors-saurus! I'm just glad you two are still friends, and that these rumors aren't cutting in between you both. You two were always closer than some of us-don." With a carefree laugh, he gives Judai a friendly wave before he turns around to walk again. "Well, I'm off to the copy machine now-saurus!"

Closer than some of them?

Quietly waving back, Judai doesn't stop Kenzan this time. He merely ignores the stares from hallway stragglers and continues walking to Asuka's classroom, which is empty by the time he finds it and comes inside. Asuka mentioned that Johan sometimes helps her carry stuff for her class and they'd walk together, so he's not really worried.

Undeterred by their absences, Judai sits himself at her desk since he's always sat there for lunch anyway.

Silence. (Kenzan's voice echoes in his head: Closer than some of us-don.)

He doesn't really have it in him to go looking through her drawers like some weirdo, so he simply takes her box of brand new paperclips to play with. Asuka keeps some stuff out for him anyway.

That unusual talk with Kenzan took up ten minutes from the early twenty Judai saved for himself today. Ten minutes is still pretty early, so if Asuka and Johan are still gone, then those two technically aren't late. Judai doesn't really go anywhere after school much, so he's a patient guy. Patient, and easily entertained.

When he is immersed midway to inventing his own paperclip necklace ten more minutes later, the door finally opens. Johan has a large box while Asuka has her duty log. Aw, he didn't even get to finish his paperclip necklace before they came.

He looks at them very casually, "What's up?"

Unsure of why Johan looks like he's about to burst laughing, Judai watches him come inside before setting the box on an empty desk. "Judai, don't ever get shoelaces, okay?"

Very smartly, Judai blinks. "But you already know I don't wear those?" He likes velcro more since they're more secure. Judai switched shoes with the indoor ones the school provides, but he does own velcro shoes of his own.

His best friend only laughs, leaning on the desk for support. Asuka merely looks like she wants the floor to swallow her up before calmly approaching her desk.

She comes over and puts her log next to the paperclips box and picks up her bag. "Were you waiting long?" she asks him, looking at his unfinished paperclip masterpiece.

He smiles at her because she's the sane one. (Johan is still laughing, and this is rather concerning and confusing.) "Not really. I've only been here for ten minutes." Perhaps it's best to not mention his talk with Kenzan, because what Kenzan said sort of makes Judai ponder about it himself. "These paperclips are pretty addicting."

As if it's an inside joke, Johan chortles, "Asuka, maybe the next story can have paperclips in it!" (What? Next story? They've been telling each other stories? About paperclips..? How strange...)

As Johan saunters out of her classroom with a cheeky grin, Judai puzzledly wonders why Asuka looks so miffed. What stories did they even talk about for Asuka to look so annoyed? Gosh, Judai didn't even look this annoyed when Kenzan mentioned the lunch rumor nor when he heard the other one in the guys locker room even though he thought those rumors were already pretty crazy.

With Johan gone, Judai's about to open his mouth to ask—

"Don't ask." Wow, she didn't even need to look at him.

He quietly closes his mouth and smiles tentatively, casually undoing his necklace masterpiece to put her paperclips back.

.

.

He cannot deny that the curiosity is burning into him.

"You're never going to tell me what you and Johan talked about, huh?" he whines, giving her a glance when he stops the car at a red light.

He hardly sees Johan and Asuka exchange stories before. Judai's only ever noticed that they would have some strange banters because that seems to be all they ever do in front of him. Maybe if he was smarter in the observance of their Johan-Asuka-ness, he could actually understand a sliver of their conversation earlier about stories and paperclips.

And maybe, he sort of wants to know if what Johan and Asuka talk about are similar to things he and Asuka talk about. (What if he said something to her that Johan already pointed out? That'd be so redundant for her!)

Asuka probably picked up on his curiosity because she simply says, "Yes."

In a hopeful manner, Judai replies with a small voice, "Yes, as in you'll tell me?"

She slowly leans into the car seat. "Yes, as in I'll never tell you." He starts opening his mouth— "And yes, Johan will not tell you either."

He pouts, thumping his fingers against the wheel. "That's not fair!" Really, whose best friend is Johan right now? Judai ought to bring up Bro Codes (or whatever they're called) to him the next time they hang out.

"You snooze, you lose?" she simpers, pleasantly.

"I was close to snoozing until I found your paperclips," he smartly replies, eyes flickering to the red light absently. "Good thing I did or else I wouldn't know that you two are probably conspiring against me." Judai would believe that he gets the bad end of the stick for everything if only Asuka didn't break her arm.

She rolls her eyes and rationally points out, "It may not even be about you."

Scoffing lightly, he resumes the car at the green light. "If it wasn't, then you would've told me." She always tells him stuff.

"I don't really tell you things that Johan tells me because you two seem to think similarly, so you already have an idea of what he's thinking about." She looks at the dashboard in front of her.

Goodness, she says it like it's illegal for him and Johan to be best friends. It makes him want to laugh. In a good way. She likes bringing it up when she's defensive.

Plenty amused, he asks, "Like?"

"Things that make my head hurt," she sighs gravely.

It'd be pretty boring if he knew everything Johan thinks about, but if Judai really has to think about things right now that involves him or Johan that would make Asuka's head hurt…

Ah.

Casually, Judai teasingly smiles as he keeps driving. "So, us being in a secret relationship makes your head hurt?"

It's remarkable how fast she turned to face him with the widest eyes ever, gaping with her mouth closed. Judai only takes one glance at her for not even a second before he starts laughing uncontrollably because her face. Her face. It's just that funny! He's really grateful that it's just his car taking this route right now because he can't stop laughing. Maybe rumors are good for something, after all. Asuka hardly makes these faces. It's a nice change.

It's so much of a shock that she needs to breathe soothingly. "Where—"

A wheeze, then he tries to catch his breath. His eyes also feel watery from the laughter. "You'd be surprised at all the things I catch my students talking about when I'm waiting for them to finish their laps, or if I'm in the guys locker room!" During laps today, that was when he found out about the bet stuff. It was much more mild than the 'secret relationship' bit from the guys locker room when he dropped by after he dismissed class. "I recognized some of their faces from your class, and also Johan's class. I wonder if this means we're popular now, Asuka."

If Kenzan brought up the rumors to his face and even said that Asuka brings him up in the history department, then it's safe to assume the two of them accumulated some fame among the teachers as well.

Asuka sighs heavily. "Considering that I've injured my arm twice already, I think I've been 'popular' for a while now."

At this, Judai's amusement wilts. For a moment, the old guilt stirs inside of his chest. "Then I guess I am too since I hurt your arm the first time," he halfheartedly jokes, weakly smiling because it's hard to joke about broken arms when he knows that he's responsible for the first arm injury. (But Asuka said he should drive her while feeling guilt-free. Guilt-free, guilt-free. He's been doing good so far.)

"On accident. You aren't responsible for the sling." It sounds very earnest and truthful.

Really? He manages a small hum, making a turn with the car.

It's suddenly quiet.

Judai quietly drives in this unidentifiable silence for a while until he hears her blurt: "The shoelaces." He gives her an odd look very briefly. Asuka looks peaceful, slightly smiling. "Johan told me that he heard a version of my incident where I broke my arm when you tripped on your shoelaces."

When I tripped on my shoelaces?

Is that why Johan advised him about not getting shoelaces while knowing that he prefers velcro? Stifling a laugh building up inside of him, Judai plays along, "Why did I even trip?"

She smiles as he pulls up to the curb when her apartment is in sight. "You were apparently chasing me when I went to the nurse after you threw boxes at Manjoume-kun for taking me hostage in the hallways."

Grateful that he turned the car off now that they're parked, his head leans on top of the wheel as he lets out that laughter he's been stifling. "I wouldn't have done that!"

Manjoume? Holding Asuka hostage? And Judai himself, throwing three boxes at Manjoume? Okay, he may be a P.E teacher, but even he's not that capable of lifting three boxes of deflated balls and other exercise equipment to throw at someone.

And that bit about Asuka being hostage? Pure laughing material. If anything, she'd strongly stomp on Manjoume's foot, utilize her good arm by elbowing him, and go to Ayukawa-san's office by herself with her chin up because Judai knows she doesn't like it when people underestimate her. And personally, she packs a punch. How do people even think of these rumors?

"Throw boxes at Manjoume-kun?" suggests Asuka, humored.

He fights back fresh laughter this time and sits up. "No, but that'd be pretty tempting." Judai gently flicks her forehead. "I meant I wouldn't have chased after you because I know you'd take care of yourself, so I wouldn't have even tripped in the first place!" He'd walk with her for company, but he wouldn't chase and trip on his hypothetical shoelaces because he knows better than to treat her like she's incapable.

She is suddenly red. "O-Oh…" Awkwardly, she fumbles with the straps of her bag when she brings it over her shoulder.

An eyebrow raised, he inspects her face after he leans his head down. "Are you getting sick? You're as red as my tracksuit."

Asuka shakes her head and looks away and starts opening the car door with a weak smile. "I'm fine; just tired, but I'll sleep it off. See you tomorrow!"

Skeptically, he's about to suggest that she sleeps early tonight to get more hours to rest, but she already scrambles out and closes his car door on him. It makes him inquisitive if she really is okay.

Elbow on the wheel and cradling his face, he idly watches over her. He waits until she retreats inside her apartment complex and is safely inside before he starts up the car to drive home. He shakes his head as he begins to drive off.

Asuka may be very stubborn about overworking, but Judai would like to believe that she at least knows when to draw the line for herself about it at her apartment when he's not around. She lives alone, so he knows that she's wholly in charge of herself. She's responsible despite the overworking. She'll be okay.

He believes in her. He really does.

Maybe Kenzan has a point when he said that Judai's friendship with her was closer than some of his other friendships because he doesn't remember caring so much for anyone else. He never nagged Johan before about health like he does with Asuka.

.

.

The next day, Judai thinks he should really have a scoreboard for the many times where Asuka has clearly demonstrated her lack of patience in front of him.

Giving her a weary look, he trails softly, "I could help…"

Very stubbornly, she ditches trying to resize a picture on her presentation slide and goes to edit the text instead. She also does not answer him at all, as if he is not right next to her sharing the same air. Heartless.

That scoreboard he's been considering should also keep track of how many times he had rolled his eyes at her. He lightly thumps her worksheets on the table neatly. "At the rate you're going, you might need more than eight weeks to recover."

Asuka gruffly replies while typing in a sentence, "You're not a nurse."

Perhaps she is not aware that he needs to know about the human body for him to even have and keep his job. Patiently, he says, "No—but I'm a P.E teacher and I know how bad broken bones can be." He lays her worksheets on the side of her desk and closes the lid of his emptied bento box before eyeing her laptop screen with slight distaste. "Or frustrating, in your case."

Asuka still continues to pretend he isn't there. Judai rolls his eyes again when he sees her leaving actual memos on her slides to resize her pictures later when he is right there next to her with two perfectly functional hands, and he had even offered to help. Okay, that's it.

With a heavy sigh, he gently grasps her wrist and she stops typing. Maybe he's getting through to her because she doesn't show signs of fighting when he carefully lets her go and pulls her laptop closer to him. Good. He was going to confiscate this laptop for the rest of their break if she didn't let him have it anyway.

"How big do you want this resized?" he simply asks her, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket to his elbows and letting his hands hover over the touchpad.

Grumbling, Asuka instructs, "Until it takes up the free space—but leave a bit of the background there so it's easier to read."

He easily does what she requested, fingers gliding across the touchpad with ease. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Cheeky, he smiles as he goes through her other slides to do the same adjustments.

She is sulking quietly, but does not stop him. Again, good. Very good. He'll admit, it's sort of fun to help her out because he can apparently do a fast job of whatever she needs help with and she'd pout at him if he starts boasting. Besides, she wouldn't be so overworked if she would just ask him to help. He's a bit tired of doing nothing but sit there watching her struggle after he finishes eating.

He finally finishes adjusting her pictures, so he chirps, "Done!" Sliding her laptop back to her, he enjoys the annoyed look in her eyes with a self-satisfied smugness. Trying to make his point very clearly, Judai fakes looking at the clock on the wall. "And look at that! It didn't even take me five minutes! That's why it's important to get help if you need it."

A sigh, then: "Thank you for the help that I never asked from you, Judai."

He wants her to smile, so he flicks her forehead and grins at her. "My pleasure, Asuka!"

Asuka doesn't smile back, but she does quietly go through her slides again and seems to have no complaints about the adjustments he had made for her. Being friends for so long, he knows that she sometimes has a prideful streak and probably feels embarrassed, so he'll just gladly accept her silence as gratitude. Besides, he does like helping her so it's not like he's asking for anything in return.

She seems to be working with no more issues, so he smiles at her peacefully before going to play with a rubberband on her table.

.

.

When Johan comes into the classroom without Asuka in tow, the first thing Judai does is sigh because he is haggard.

"Judai?" Raising an eyebrow, Johan puts a stack of worksheets on Asuka's desk. "Did you fall or something when you came here today?" As he asks him this, Johan is walking back to the door and peeking outside.

Trying to maintain some composure over his messy grass-stained hair and dirt-stained clothes, Judai casually asks, "Did Asuka come back with you?"

Johan shakes his head, looking thoughtful. "I think she went to the restroom to clean her face."

"Her face?"

This cheeky smile Johan wears looks secretive. "Something got in her eyes." Judai's gut is telling him that he shouldn't ask. "She'll be back," he says blithely, leaning against the doorframe. "But for now, you wanna tell me why you look like Depressing P.E Teacher again? I thought he was away on vacation for a while."

"I wasn't aware he was supposed to be on vacation." He runs a hand through his hair, trying to flatten the messy strands sticking out. He hopes Asuka won't have a heart attack when she sees him like this in her classroom because he's honestly too tired to go to the restroom to clean himself right now. There's probably dirt on his face too. "I think I became a buttmonkey for my class," Judai says casually.

At this, Johan's face looks like a mixture of incredulity and amusement, but mostly amusement. "Why?"

He exhales soothingly. How is he supposed to explain this to Johan as calmly as possible without sounding like an idiot?

Trying his absolute best to remain as casual as he can, Judai explains, "I was playing a round of basketball with some of my students to help pass time because we were having free play." Johan nods slowly. "I was really into the game until I heard someone scream out Asuka's name from the sidelines that she should be more careful. I thought she was in trouble, so I got distracted and looked away from the game. I didn't see the ball aim for my chest, so I flew into the ground and slid into the grass. When I looked up, Asuka was not even there—and that's when I realized my life really sucks because Asuka would not even be there in the first place since she is still teaching when I have class."

It takes Johan a moment to process all of this. He is blinking. And blinking. And blinking. Two more agonizing seconds pass, and Johan is now suddenly putting his hand over his mouth and Judai can see his shoulders shaking heavily.

Already having accepted his fate, Judai just sits there and smiles in pain as Johan lets out a wheeze and a laugh and then a mixture of both. It's a really good thing that Asuka is not here right now. He's not sure if he can handle the humiliation if she were. He really thought she was in trouble for a moment when that student screamed out her name, and his mind seriously blanked. What if she hurts her arm again? He can't let his talking buddy get hurt again—

"I see the rumors are doing a number on you," comments Johan with shakiness in his voice because he's trying really hard to restrain his laughter to spare Judai's feelings. What a good guy. His students already broke his spirits, so he really wouldn't have minded if Johan did burst out laughing.

Miserable, he simply nods. "They really are." Luckily, Judai's a nice guy himself, so he just let everyone laugh at him until it was time to dismiss class. He sort of deserves it anyway.

Hand still over his mouth, Johan's eyes are twinkling brightly. "You must really care about her."

Awkwardly, he fakes a cough to salvage anything left of himself. It's bad enough that his whole class took advantage of him. "It wouldn't be good if she hurts her arm again, y'know."

"True," Johan laughingly agrees. He's probably wearing a large smile behind that hand of his. "You've been doing a lot of things for her, so I'm glad she can depend on you."

Judai blinks, tired and unable to determine if his chest is thumping and feeling light right now because of the basketball that slammed directly into his chest and literally knocked his breath out of himself. "I like helping her," he grumbles, coughing softly because that basketball really did a number on him. The student who threw it must've been on the basketball team. Judai would have to avoid his students the next time he sees them playing basketball.

Johan's eyes crinkle. "Good. I can see that, with how hard you proved it today."

First Kenzan implied that Judai has a soft spot for Asuka and now Johan does too. Actually, so does his whole class because they thought calling Asuka's name near him would be funny enough to mess with him. Which worked too successfully because his chest and back hurts, he's coughing, he's been wheezing, he tracked dirt and grass on the way over, and his heart is still thumping from the adrenaline.

Goodness. Asuka will probably be the end of him one day, literally.

Sulking, Judai exhaustedly tries to dust off his dirtied jacket and shirt before Asuka can come back into her classroom as Johan quietly watches him with loud laughter in his eyes.

.

.

Three days later, Judai feels himself slowly situating back into usual routine, and his chest and back pain has been significantly better.

His class still gives him amused looks when they see him, but they have been merciful enough to not toy with him again after he casually announced that anyone who mentions Asuka's name will be subjected to three laps around the campus. (He was only kidding because their campus is fairly large, but they took him seriously because they thought he was that miserable.)

Johan has also not brought up their conversation three days ago, which is perfectly fine with Judai because he doesn't want to be reminded of his humiliation again anyway. He managed to dust off most of the dirt and grass (he hid the grass in his pockets) on him by the time Asuka came back into her classroom, so she hadn't noticed. She did notice that he looked fatigued, and all he could even tell her was that basketball is something he would never play again on these school grounds. She promptly gave up asking and it was also never brought up. Again, this is good for Judai and he hopes it will stay that way.

Currently, he is playing around with her paperclips again while she is working on her presentation slides.

Someone walks into the classroom, and he sees that it's Jim from Asuka's department. Judai has seen him before on campus and thinks he's pretty cool. "Jim? You usually don't come around here. Need something?" Asuka asks him, curious.

Smiling politely, Jim lifts up his cowboy hat in greeting and readjusts the crocodile plush sitting on his shoulder. (Judai remembers that he named it 'Karen.' Jim would totally get along with Johan.) "Dino Boy wanted me to deliver these to you." Jim extends a pile of papers to Asuka.

Smiling gratefully, Asuka nods at him and puts the papers gently in front of her. "What happened to Kenzan-kun anyway?"

Hearing Kenzan's name makes Judai jump a little because it makes him think about that conversation he had with him. Still, he politely stays quiet to let Jim and Asuka talk by resuming the making of his second paperclip necklace.

Jim chuckles. "Dino Boy got in trouble for dropping a fake dinosaur bone on a student's leg. Poor kid was bawling." (Judai sends a prayer out to that kid's leg because this school doesn't need more broken limbs.) Jim tilts his hat again and winks at Asuka as she stifles a laugh. "I better go check up on him to see if crutches are involved. I'll tell Dino Boy you said hi. Have a good lunch, Tomorrow Girl. Judai." Judai manages a nod himself when Jim smiles at him.

When Jim exits her classroom, Judai asks her with an arched eyebrow, "Tomorrow Girl?" It reminds him of when Manjoume called her a dove and Judai had thought to connect it with her name. Dove Girl doesn't sound as good as Tomorrow Girl, though.

Asuka goes back to her laptop and types, and she is smiling. Do names like that always make her look so happy? "A nickname. He likes to come up with them for us in the history department because he thinks it's a sign of friendship."

Judai mulls, "I don't have any nicknames for you and we've been friends for years." Maybe he should get her one if she looks this happy over Jim's Tomorrow Girl name.

"You never have nicknames for anyone," she points out.

"Names are easier to remember!" he whines, sitting up in his chair and starting to undo his paperclip necklace on her table to clean up before lunch is over. "I don't see why you have nicknames when you already have a name."

She thinks for a moment. "They're terms of endearment for some people. Nicknames can be anything you associate with that person. You can still use someone's name as a term of endearment too. I think it just depends on the tone you use to say it."

Idly, he looks at her. Anything you associate with that person? If he thinks about it, he supposes his nickname for her could be Talking Buddy since she is one to him.

But to Judai, always calling her Talking Buddy like how Jim uses Tomorrow Girl just doesn't sound like an appealing idea to him. He could handle calling her that on occasions where he teases her, but he just can't imagine substituting her name with it all the time. He prefers viewing Talking Buddy as 'talking buddy' like a simple description than a name—because if it's a description, then he can still use her name.

Because to him, she has always been Asuka. And it will stay that way.

He tells her with a determined nod, "Then I'll stick with 'Asuka' for you."

She's the only Asuka he knows anyway, so there's no point to a nickname like Tomorrow Girl or Talking Buddy.

There will always be one Asuka to him, and it's her.

.

.

After school, Judai remembers being in a conversation with Johan about his best friend's life with his gemstone study club until he sees a dripping-wet Asuka walk through the door, and he suddenly just forgets what he was even going to say back to Johan as he gapes.

She looks absolutely miserable, and it makes Judai remember what his own class had done to him with the basketball. Did his class get to her too? Gosh… Those minions.

Johan decides to bravely speak first: "What happened…?"

Asuka wearily walks over to a random student's desk and practically collapses in it. Her arm sling is also wet. The sight just makes Judai cringe. "I was asking Kenzan-kun when the next meeting was for our history department until Misawa-kun's experiment exploded."

This time, Judai asks, "What experiment?" Oh good. His student-minions didn't ambush her.

"He was asked to perform an experiment that involved exploding water, which was going fine until someone bumped into him and he added too much baking soda," she tiredly sighs, rubbing her temple with her right hand.

With a low whistle, Johan inspects the bits of baking soda on her hair. "You didn't stop by the restroom to clean up first?"

"How can I?" dully asks Asuka, pointing to her arm sling.

Sheepishly standing, Johan rubs the back of his neck apologetically. "I'll go find a towel for you?"

Trying to be helpful, Judai mentions, "The gym has some. I put everything away before I lock up. You know where I keep everything." Searching his pockets, he tosses a pair of keys at his best friend's cupped hands. "We'll wait here, but I guess you better hurry before Asuka shrivels up."

Judai casually ignores the intense eyes on him as Johan snickers while stepping into the hallway. "Will do."

The moment Johan leaves, Judai finds some amusement at how Asuka turns away from him before trying to dry her hair. She's probably annoyed about his 'shrivel up' comment, but geez, he just wanted to lighten up the mood here! Judai knows how it feels to be miserable, given that his whole class bullied him three days ago.

He watches in silence for a while as Asuka attempts to comb through the tangles of her hair. Ending up struggling with one hand, she switches to squeezing her hair—and he's tempted to laugh because Johan left not even five minutes ago to grab towels for her. She seriously sucks at being patient.

Shrugging off his red jacket, he quietly stands up to approach her, draping his jacket on her head like a blanket. She ends up giving a jostle and a surprised yelp, which he could have laughed at since it just sounded so uncharacteristically cute on her, but he doesn't because she would probably throttle him for it.

So, Judai instead kneels down in front of her and improvises his jacket as a towel substitute as he scrubs her hair with it vigorously. "It's not as good as a towel, but it was getting a little sad watching you use your hands."

Asuka splutters, "But your jacket—"

"I have extras," he grins, not even pausing his relentless drying of her hair. "Like, I-have-three-pairs type of extras!" In fact, his extra tracksuits make up a good portion of his wardrobe.

She reaches up to blindly grab his wrist to stop him. He takes that as his signal to stop, and smiles broadly at the mess he made on her hair. She could pass for a witch without even needing to buy a wig.

He brings the jacket down to her shoulders, teasing, "You should consider this hair for Halloween!" Judai leans up on his knees more to helpfully smooth out the top of her hair while she finally releases his wrist.

She sighs. "I think I might stain your car if I leave like this."

His eyebrow raises. "So?" How many times does he have to reassure her about stains?

He continues patting down the top of her hair at the stubborn strands. While he does so, she replies, "So… I might ruin your car."

He stops, refraining from sighing.

Not again. Water will dry. Geez.

"How else will you go home then?" Judai props his arm on his bent knees from his spot on the floor in front of her and gives her a knowing look while placing his other hand on the ground to support himself. "And don't say 'bus'—because I know you don't even take it." She has clearly stated it several times herself. He really doesn't mind sacrificing his car seats for her because she matters more than car seats.

Trying to avoid his eyes, Asuka tentatively suggests, "Walking?"

He is severely unimpressed. "You live thirty minutes away by car." Again, is it that bad riding with him?

She shivers a bit now, so he goes to pull his jacket around her shoulders more securely. "I like walking," she mumbles, halfheartedly like she doesn't really mean it.

Trying to search her face because that tone makes him feel hopeful, he gives a soft tease because she needs a boost to say the rest: "Then why do you still let me drive you?"

A pause.

"We're talking buddies," she ends up saying, tenderly smiling at him.

There seems to be nothing but truth in her eyes when she said this; something like wholehearted genuinity. He likes this smile on her, because she hardly shows it to him and this is the first time she had ever said 'talking buddies' like it has value to her.

Tenderly, he flicks her forehead. She doesn't rub it this time. He almost smiles because he had decided that she is the only one to get these flicks from him. He can smile at her all he wants, but he really means it when he flicks her forehead—they're special because they're reserved for her.

He knows that they're reserved for her because there is only one Asuka that he knows. One Asuka that's in his life.

He feels like he could see the point Kenzan and Johan were making in front of him during those days of their conversations. He really does have a soft spot for her. He really does care a lot for her. He wouldn't spend so much of his time letting her know that she's not eating healthy or she's overworking again if he didn't.

He does feel happy when he picks her up because that's their time; their time away from the crazy rumors, the eavesdroppers, and the intense staring. That's their time. She says that she isn't a good talking buddy, but he thinks she is a good talking buddy because he wouldn't feel like this if he agreed with her.

She's important.

Judai gently pats her head because even though forehead flicks are reserved for her, head pats from him aren't reserved for anyone yet so he thinks it's okay to use it on her too in case she needs cheering up. "We are."

She cradles his face, and he leans into her palm. Her thumb strokes gently across his cheek, and he thinks this is something he won't trade for anything. Her palm is warm. He really hopes her other arm would heal up because her touches are very comforting—heartfelt and tentative, yet secure—and it would be a shame if she lost this touch. He searches her eyes and he wonders if this is how she always looks at him because this is the first time he had ever gotten this look from anyone.

He sees his jacket starting to slip, so he goes up on his knees again to pull it around her slowly. When he looks back up at her face, it almost looks like she's hiding from him behind her bangs. With her chin tucked down like that, it looks as if she's embarrassed.

And despite that, she still has enough bravery to not remove her hand from his face.

His heartbeats are steady, and he feels like he can read that message she wants to pass to him with this gesture. He's spent years trusting and knowing Asuka, so he thinks he can read her messages if she is willing to tell him.

And maybe, he thinks her message got through this time. And maybe, he thinks he doesn't mind it either despite the onslaught of rumors about them.

Lips curling up at her brave attempt, Judai brushes her wet bangs aside. She lets him. "You can still drive me," she says, very softly.

He personally doesn't mind that. Smiling, Judai stands up and brushes off his pants. "Wouldn't have accepted 'no' for an answer anyway." Driving her should be something reserved for him since they're talking buddies.

She glances down at her lap.

Absently smiling, he listens to this happy beat in his chest as he sits himself on top of a desk next to hers so that she won't feel alone in the room.

Johan finally comes back, two towels hung over his arm.

"I got two since I wasn't sure how much water splashed y—" He abruptly stops himself and observes the two of them carefully. Judai is a bit entertained by how much Johan is looking back and forth between him and Asuka periodically, like there is something unbelievable from him sitting with her. Eventually, Johan marches up to him and shoves both towels and the keys to the gym into his arms. Startled, Judai almost falls off the desk as he stares at Johan casually sitting back down at Asuka's desk. "I'm not walking all the way back, so you better take these."

Eyebrow raised, Judai leaps off the desk and approaches Asuka to place one towel around her neck for warmth. Gingerly, he uses the other towel to dry her hair with his hands as he clears his throat. "Keep them for now; we have plenty," he tells her, helpfully.

Amused, Johan observes them as he helps pack Asuka's papers away into her bag. (Judai wonders what he is thinking about right now.)

Asuka just sighs loudly, sounding emotionally and physically tired, as he quietly dries her hair. Sympathetically smiling, he purposely slows down his speed with the towel so that she can destress for a bit.

.

.

She sighs when the car starts. She's been sighing so much lately, and Judai really feels sorry because he still partially did this to her. Misawa inflicted the baking soda and water, but the arm injuries are still from Judai.

Sympathetically, he turns on the heater for her. "It's not that bad," he meekly says.

Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say because Asuka looks like she really wants to lie down and go to sleep because she's so tired. "I was splashed head-to-toe with baking soda and water, Judai." He can really feel the grim mood in his car right now.

"Which won't leave stains by the time you wash it out," he replies consolingly, offering a tiny smile. "It could be worse. What if Misawa used juice instead? Or soda?" And thank goodness that Misawa didn't. If she was that passionate over water stains, then Judai is sure that he'd have a lovely time trying to convince Asuka that juice or soda stains in his car are also acceptable when it concerns her comfort, despite the promise of ants. (At least it'd be a good incentive to wash his car.)

Nodding, she concedes, "All right. But that doesn't make up for Johan." She makes it seem like Johan is the bane of her existence right now. His heart goes out to Johan, honestly.

Judai jokes with a weak laugh, "Sorry, I can't do anything about that."

She harrumphs and changes topics: "Did you two talk about anything interesting while I was gone?"

He thinks for a moment when they reach a red light. "He was telling me about the gems his club was studying lately. Did you know sapphires stand for wisdom?" She responds with a small smile. "Other than that, I think he mentioned taking a summer trip to Europe with that club to hunt for gems. He's really interested—I'm glad, since he spent last summer trying to catch a bunch of weird bugs for his collection."

He rolls his eyes, looking back on last summer. Johan sometimes brought those bugs to him, and Judai would have to sit there for a while listening to him list possible pet names. Johan had also apparently set up bug catching mechanisms all over their apartments to catch overnight bugs. Luckily, going to Europe to collect gems shouldn't be too bad in comparison, but Judai is still worried for the club members because they would have to physically drag Johan away from trying not to catch the European bugs.

"Will you be tagging along with him?" she inquires, conversationally.

He smiles crookedly, amused. "I'm not a member, so I'm not interested in paying for my own transportation. I'm fine just being here. There's a lot of things I like here."

"Like what?"

He starts driving again at the green light. "Like my students. I sometimes see them outside of school and it makes me laugh at how surprised they look when they see me! Geez, it's like they don't think teachers have lives!" It shouldn't be that much of a shock to see him buying popsicles, right? Sometimes, he does jog it off. "And let's see… There's my favorite restaurant. I can go there all I want if it's summer."

Asuka quips, "For the fried shrimp?"

"Exactly!" he grins, making a turn. "There's also this place that sells ice cream that I like. Good popsicles! Or this lake where I go fishing at. And of course, I like all of my friends! See? Plenty of things here that I like."

Distractedly, she hums in response. "Hmm."

Flickering a look at her, he sees her glancing at her sling. By now, he thinks he's accustomed to knowing if she is feeling left out or not because she sometimes looked like this when it was still them with Johan. Her circle of people she knew was pretty small back in high school, despite her friendliness and politeness with others.

Judai adds casually, "I like having a talking buddy too. Wouldn't know what I'd do without her to make things entertaining around here." She brightens up his mornings whenever they talk. It's boring when he drives alone.

She pauses. "Really?"

He nods. "Really."

Tentatively, she asks an unsure: "Even if she stains your car seats?"

He nods.

It really says something if water stains on his car seats is the most controversial topic he had ever discussed with her than with anyone else.

"Even if she broke her arm twice?"

He nods, a small smile etched on his countenance.

His guilt may have subsided nowadays, but he personally thinks he will always feel a sliver of remorse if it comes up. However, Judai can find it in himself to acknowledge it as an accident because the first arm injury led them to have this routine of driving and talking that he likes and she likes.

She hesitates. "Even if she can overwork herself and you need to tell her to stop?"

He nods, something fond in his eyes.

Her tendency to overwork will always get on his nerves, but he thinks that this trait is one of the many traits that defines her as Asuka. She's always been a hard worker—she's always been one of the most successful ones in their group; smart and responsible and ambitious. If she isn't so good at overworking, she probably wouldn't have so many accomplishments.

"...Even if she can forget to eat sometimes?"

Nod.

She has been eating more, and he is proud.

A wavering smile. "Even if she can be very stubborn about doing things on her own and not asking for help?"

Nod.

She has slowly begun to accept his help, even when he takes matters into his own hands. She had not once complained whenever he did that, and perhaps that is her way of acceptance towards his concern.

"Even if she told you already that she doesn't have much to talk about as a talking buddy?"

Nod, and a small laugh.

If he didn't enjoy talking with her, they would not be here.

For a while, Asuka is quiet. She sits there wrapped in his jacket he lent her, watching nothing in particular out of the window. Judai is fine with that, because even talking buddies need to rest.

They would need to rest because it takes time to gather courage to talk about something they really want to say.

And this is good, because his talking buddy eventually finds that courage on her own: "Even if she told you that she loves you?"

He simply nods and smiles. Heartbeats steady, he continues driving and smiling and letting himself repeat the message she had given him just now that he quietly understood from her touch earlier back in her classroom.

Judai is not the best at interacting with people. He is a P.E teacher and he thinks he's pleasant enough towards everyone to fit the image. He likes to take it easy and he's a mellow guy, but he's had his fair shares of awkwardness and aloofness like any other person.

But he can safely say that there are some people that he does gravitate towards. As claimed by everyone, he and Johan are practically twins—they joke around a lot, they sometimes do dumb things together, they have similar thoughts, and they're both pretty laidback. As such, they're best friends.

However, despite that, Johan is still his own person while Judai is his own person. Unlike Johan who is more open to others, Judai actually prefers keeping to himself or those he trusts. He's a person of habit, if he has to describe himself.

So, it can't really be blamed on him that he got so used to driving Asuka every morning and afternoon, seeing her in her classroom every lunch, that it gets to a point where it just doesn't feel right anymore if he didn't see her every morning, noon, and lunch in his car and her classroom.

And maybe, as a person of habit, he also can't be blamed for thinking that he would really like it if he and her could still have this routine between them even after her arm heals up.

"It wasn't Johan influencing me, if that's what you're thinking," he casually mentions after some silence. He didn't have these emotions for long, but he always knew he likes her company. Nothing influenced that part of his thinking. "I've heard those rumors, yeah. Johan mentions you, yeah. But they exaggerate things too much."

He parks the car on the curb outside her apartment complex. She is very still as she sits. That's fine because he knows that she's listening.

Judai switches off the engine and glances out the window. They never really drove back during a sunset before. Perhaps this sunset is comforting to her because Asuka had been looking at it a lot. He personally doesn't really need courage or anything right now; he sort of accepted that he has a soft spot for her a while back.

He exhales. "I like this—" His finger gestures vaguely between the car and her apartment. "—and simply spending time with my talking buddy."

Because he only named one person his official talking buddy. She is here, in this car where he dubbed her that.

"Johan's moving forward in his life and making more friends in his gem club, and he's going to explore Europe in the summer. That's great; I'm really happy for him as his best friend." Judai peers away from the side window and stares at the car wheel absently. "But I'm not Johan, and I'm staying here because I'm content with what I currently have right now. Sure, I don't really go anywhere or do much during my summers—but this is the life I'm happy with." He still doesn't need courage right now, so he tenderly glances at her from the corner of his eyes. He never needed courage to say this: "And I'm happy if my talking buddy is there with me—if she wants to be."

Giving him a look back, she looks like she wants to cry but she doesn't because he knows she doesn't like crying. She probably understands what he is trying to reply back to her message with because she smiles and says: "She would like that."

Lifting up his hand, Judai grins as he affectionately flicks her and Asuka laughs this time without rubbing her forehead.

As a person of habit, Judai thinks it would really be worth it if they can also keep sharing these forehead flicks too—because she seems to be smiling more when he flicks her lately. And that really makes him happy like how this routine of theirs makes him happy.