Lessons
"Psst, Risa-chan! Risa! You have to see this!"
The teacher hadn't noticed the three girls whispering in the back of the room, but Satoshi Hiwatari was trained to listen closely. He focused in on the reflection of Risa Harada in the window of the classroom.
"What is it?" Risa asked quietly, partially annoyed. With a slight turn of her head, she spotted a note in her classmate's hand and took it. Satoshi watched her read the note, a slight shade of pink covering her cheeks. She turned to Ritsuko, the friend who had passed the piece of paper. "So?"
"What do you mean so?" Ritsuko hissed. "Are you going to accept?" Both girls glanced to a particular boy who sat across the room. He flipped his semi-long blonde hair and winked at Risa, who scowled and quickly turned back to her friend.
"Of course not!"
"What!" The other girl shushed Ritsuko, and she was forced to lower her voice. "Risa-chan, are you crazy? The most popular kid in school just asked you out!"
"Via note," Risa said disapprovingly.
"Risa-chan," the other girl whispered. "You've been talking about getting a popular guy to surpass your sister for years. Here's your chance... and you're going to pass it up?"
"Did it ever occur to you both that people change?" Risa whispered back defensively. "Not only is Satsuki-san obsessed with himself, but he brags about scoring with each of his many girlfriends. I won't be another trophy for him to display." This managed to shock the two girls AND Satoshi. "If I'm going to date someone, I want him to be genuine; a guy who cares about MY comfort zone."
"I don't get you, Risa-chan," Ritsuko said, defeated. "A few months ago, you would have died to go out with Satsuki."
Satoshi stared in awe as Risa sighed and turned back to her work. "Like I said before, things change, Ritsuko-chan."
The two girls rolled their eyes and talked in hushed tones. Satoshi only managed to catch one other question. "If not him, then who?"
Risa must've heard this too, because she blushed... and glanced at him.
"Hiwatari-san!" Satoshi snapped to attention. "Will you please focus?"
"Yes, Sensei," he replied. He felt his cheeks heat up not because the class was snickering at him, but because from the corner of his eye, he could still see Risa staring at him. She smiled a small smile, then silently resumed her work.
Despite the fact that the class bore on slowly, Satoshi stayed alert. He wasn't paying attention to Sensei, but to the lesson that a certain young brunette was teaching him: Maturity.