Noise and Silence

006: Three times the charm

Aokori University is a school where most of its student populace is males. It used to be an all boys' high school until the board earned enough funds for it to expand and create a university next to the high school buildings. Even though it is quite new, the education is not second rate and most of their first university graduates became a big success.

So it's very unusual to see a female student at the gates of this school.

"Hey, hey, who's that?" Riku asked his peers as they peeked behind a tree. All four of them stared and wondered at the girl who stood by the gate, all the while earning obvious glances and stares from all the boys who are making their way to school.

"Don't know but she's pretty!" answered Yuki

"Not just pretty, she's hot!" added Haruhiko

"She's definitely my type" sighed Masaru

"I wonder what her name is" Yuki wondered

"Don't know. I'll go ask her!" Haruhiko dared. He was already out of the tree they were hiding from but was immediately dragged back by Riku.

"No, I'll ask her" Riku declared but he was shoved by Masaru

"Out of the way doofus"

"I said I'll go!"

"What did you say butthead?!"

"You got a problem with that?!"

"You bastard!"

All three, Riku, Haruhiko, and Masaru, were at each other's throats when Yuki suddenly jumped between them, completely separating each other… but not for the purpose of breaking them up.

"Hey guys!" the three turned their attention to him "She's gone"

They followed his gaze and nearly dropped down on the concrete sidewalk when reality hit them squarely in the face.

"Damn! I almost had her!" Riku slumped on a chair in an empty classroom*

"Had her?" Masaru quoted on his fingers "Man, she didn't even see you"

"We didn't even get to know her name" Yuki pointed

"Well I was gonna ask her but then this butthead had to go and stop me" Masaru smacked Haruhiko at the back of his head.

"You bastard! I said I was gonna do it instead!"

"Nobody asked!"

"I was already half-way there!"

"No you weren't!"

"You idiots, I saw her first so I have the right to ask her name"

"What did you say dammit?!"

"We ALL saw her at the same time doofus"

"Well you-"

The blaming game stopped when they heard the door open and they saw another member of their small group of friends enter the empty classroom they usually hang out in. The said person dropped his bag in an empty chair and slouched back on another chair beside it with a long stretch of his limbs and a good yawn.

"Hey Ace!" exclaimed Riku and all four of them dragged their seats near him.

"You're earlier than usual, didn't you still have class?" asked Masaru

"We only had a test today anyway*" Ace yawned

"Damn know-it-all, you just nuked that test, didn't you?" Yuki pointed an accusing finger at him and he only shrugged.

"Well that's Ace for you. We didn't give him that nickname for nothing anyway" the four nodded in agreement

"Hey! Did you hear about this cute girl at the gate this morning?" Haruhiko changed the subject and wiggled his brows at Ace.

"Dunno" he plainly said, bored.

"Oh come on man!"

"Dude this one is really pretty! And she's hot to boot!"

"Sorry guys, not interested" Ace waved his hand off

"Ehhh?!"

"Come on man, I bet that you couldn't resist this one when you see her"

"Pfft, yeah right"

"Dude, I know you're not gay but are you normal?"

"Yeah you gotta have at least a girl in your life"

"Well…" Ace pondered and that got his friends to lean on him in anticipation "Nahhh"

His four friends fell from their chairs in disappointment.

After classes, the five lads were chatting away as they made their way out of the university.

"Oh! It's her!" Yuki exclaimed and pointed at the same girl standing at the gate of the school. She's surrounded by a few guys but it seems that she's politely turning them down.

"Hey, hey you're right!" Haruhiko jumped.

When the fifth member of their gang saw the girl, his eyes seemingly widened "It's you…" he mumbled.

He faked a cough which is louder than normal and that caught the girl's attention. When the girl saw him, she dashingly smiled and immediately ran off to him. Ace laughed a bit and felt sorry when his friends made poses with open arms as if they're waiting to catch her.

However, they seemed to have turned into statues when the girl threw her arms around their fifth friend's neck and heard her laugh.

"You're here" he said

"I'm glad! I thought that I came at the wrong time because I wasn't able to see you this morning" the girl smiled.

"Huh?" his friends comically looked at him

"Sorry, I forgot my phone. Hoped I didn't bother you too much"

"No, it's okay. I got to see you anyway" the girl smiled and his friends gaped in shock when he smiled back. "I'm sorry I only got to visit you today. You're a college student now! I just got back from Akira's"

"It's okay. The important thing is that you came" he playfully ruffled her hair.

"Hey what's going on?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't tell me…" Riku pointed an accusing finger "you're Atsushi's girlfriend?!"

"EHH?!" the others exclaimed

"Unbelievable!"

"That's dirty! I thought you weren't interested in girls!"

"Why'd you kept her a secret?!"

"I know she's pretty but you didn't have to hog her for yourself!"

If anything, the person would've punched his friends to kingdom come. But being the passive person that he is, he just groaned. Seeing Atsushi's discomfort, the girl faced the four, loud, university students and bowed. That got their attention.

"Uhmm, nice to meet you" she smiled "I'm Hanazono Hikari"

The four immediately stopped and turned to her.

"Eh? Hanazono?" Haruhiko gaped and the four comically turned their heads back and forth at the two like watching a ping pong match.

"Then that means…"

"Sorry to disappoint" Atsushi sighed at sent Hikari an apologetic look. He hooked his arm around her shoulder "but she's my little sister"

Hikari nodded her head with her sunshine smile.

And for the third time today, not only Riku, Yuki, Masaru, and Haruhiko, but also the by standing male students of the university fell to the ground at the revelation

Aokori University is a school where most of its student populace is males. So it's very unusual to see a female student at the gates of this school. Especially if that female student is the renowned Hanazono Hikari of the elite Hakusenkan High School and when you realized that your friend has the same last name as her and furthermore, her older brother!

If only they knew how protective Atsushi is with his little sister… maybe he'll let them off the hook this time?

*I dunno about you guys but here in our university, it's okay to lounge around in an empty classroom and do whatever you want as long as there's no class going on. I usually do it in my spare time (or if all three cafeterias are full) and watch anime or read :) heehee

*Also, well, from my experience for three semesters, if the class only has a test, the professors allows the student to leave the room early if they've finished.

I AM OPEN FOR REQUESTS AND SUGGESTIONS! JUST PM ME OR LEAVE IT IN THE REVIEWS!

Ciao~!