I'm updating two chapters as an apology for the readers.
Tell me your thoughts?
Chapter 4
Takao entered their classroom the next morning feeling down-spirited, Midorima on his tow. The hunt for Cancer's lucky item for today, a square-shaped stone, left them exhausted. They practically walked to school since they couldn't ride in the rickshaw while crouching in the street for the square stone. If Oha Asa started demanding life-threatening items, Midorima will have to look for a new ride.
"G-Good morning, Takao-kun." Nayana greeted with a shy smile.
Takao conjured a weak smile and plopped down on his desk, sighing. Now all he wanted was to sleep through classes.
Until a certain blonde walked in.
Perked up, Takao greeted Maihara with a lively expression.
"Good morning, Maihara-chan!"
(He moved on from –san to –chan.)
Said blonde was taken aback, flushing red and stuttering something incoherent before sitting down on her desk, eyes never meeting the dark-haired male's. Takao only chuckled before resting his chin on his folded arms on the table. He remembered their conversation yesterday and honestly, the basketball player was a bit afraid that the blonde girl would lash out at him for touching her notebook (he, after all, has a little sister). Thank heavens she didn't. She did sputter things like 'you shouldn't…' or 'that was…' but they're all unfinished so it doesn't really matter.
When their English teacher walked in, everybody stood up to greet him and Takao's thoughts wandered back to the conversation he had with Maihara when they exit the clinic yesterday.
*Flashback*
"Takao-kun?"
"Hm?" The dark-haired male hummed as he jammed his hands in his pants' pockets. He tilted his head a fraction to her direction and noticed that she was standing two feet away from him. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"W-What?!" She sounded defensive and ready-to-run-any-moment-from-now.
"Why are you standing so far? I'm not going to bite." He teased. The blonde girl struggled not to pout but failed miserably. After several moments, she moved one step closer to him (still a foot and half away) and fidgeted with the keychain on her bag.
"Why did you offer to help me with…" Blush. Swallow. "…Midorima-kun?"
Takao grinned.
"No reason."
It was true. No reason. At all.
*End of Flashback*
"So? When do we start our Notice Me, Senpai mission?"
Ruka choked on her yogurt and coughed, her throat suddenly itchy. It was their Recess time and instead of staying in the classroom as she usually does, she decided to go out and clear her head (and avoid a certain happy-go-lucky classmate).
So much for avoiding, though.
"Woah! There, there…" Her dark-haired classmate rubbed her back soothingly as she coughed profusely. "You okay?" He asked after a minute when she finally looked up to him, face red.
"T-Takao-kun! Please don't do that again!" She protested and patted her pocket for her handkerchief. Damn, she left it on her desk.
"Here." He handed her his white handkerchief and the blonde eyed him weirdly before accepting it.
"Thank you." She mumbled and eyed him again. She didn't know that some high school boys still carry hankies around.
"Don't stare at me like that. My mother always nagged me to bring one in case a crying girl needs it." He explained and Ruka snorted a laugh. "I know, right? Weird."
They moved to the sides as they were standing in the middle of the hallway. Takao leaned against the wall while Ruka fidgeted with the handkerchief.
"So? The Notice Me, Senpai mission?" The dark-haired wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she glared at him.
"Don't call it that!" The blonde hissed under her breath, eyes darting around them in case someone was listening.
"What? You'd rather we call it the Notice Me, Shin-cha—" He never get to finish the sentence as Ruka stepped in and covered his mouth with her hand, 'shhing' heavily and nervously looking around.
Someone cleared their throat behind her few seconds later.
"In case you didn't know, classes will start in 10 minutes nanodayo."
Ruka froze and Takao waved casually, saying, "Mmmf mmn!"
The blonde thankfully recovered quickly. She removed her hand from Takao and spun around. She came face-to-face with Midorima's torso. She looked up and fought down a blush. She has never seen him this up close.
(Ruka only reached the middle of his chest.)
Midorima was watching them skeptically.
"M-Midorima-kun!"
"Hm." The green-haired acknowledged her with a slight (barely-there) nod and stared at Takao.
"Hehe, we're coming Shin-chan." Takao said with his usual grin. Midorima then passed them by. When he was out of earshot, the dark-haired male dodged several of Ruka's whacks. She finally managed to land one on his biceps. "Ow! If you want to touch my guns so badly, you could've just asked nicely!" He joked.
"Are you trying to turn me in?!"
"Nope. It was an accident." The dark-haired snickered. "And 'turn you in'? You make it sound like you're a criminal." Another snicker.
Seriously…
The blonde huffed and walked away, feeling slightly ashamed at whacking Takao. They're not that close but her palm just really itched to do so. She just really, really, reaaallly hopes that Midorima didn't heard anything.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he didn't heard anything." Her classmate said cheerfully, falling into a step beside her, hands behind his head. Ruka eyed him warily before moving away slightly. She threw her yogurt cartoon to a nearby trash bin but it hit the wall instead. Takao chortled as she rushed to pick it up. "That's off the course."
"Yeah, right. Show off." She rolled her eyes and threw him the small cartoon. He grinned (as usual, nothing shocking there) and shoot the cartoon carelessly.
It went in.
Ruka turned away to hide a pout.
"Takao."
Takao looked up from the gadget in his hand (while munching) to Midorima who was scowling at him. It was lunch break and as usual, he and Midorima were in the cafeteria, eating.
He just received Maihara's response in his earlier text. (He may or may have not pestered said girl for her cellphone number.)
'I'm Gemini. Why?', she typed back.
"Eating while texting is prohibited. It's an insult to the food, nanodayo." His partner said grumpily.
'Tell you later. Shin-chan is grumpy.'
He hit the send button and put down his phone. Midorima went back to eating silently.
"Right. Shin-chan hates it when I'm not giving him full attention." The shorter of the two joked bravely and received a whack on the head in response. "Ow!"
"Stop saying nonsense, nanodayo." The green-haired scolded sternly.
Takao snickered.
It was weird.
Ruka has been staring at Takao's reply for a while now. 'Tell you later. Shin-chan is grumpy', it says.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she locked her phone and placed it on her desk. She has finished eating lunch several minutes ago so there's nothing to distract her from the fact that she, Maihara Ruka, was now friends with Takao Kazunari. The blonde never thought such happening could take place.
It wasn't bad, really. On the contrary, it was fun. His happiness is contagious it should come with a warning.
Ruka sighed. Although she wished he would stop calling it the Notice Me, Senpai mission. It was embarrassing enough without the crappy title. He even shortened it to NMS, for goodness' sake.
Anyway, what's my horoscope got to do with Midorima-kun? Takao-kun said it's very essential…
The blonde leaned her elbows on her desk and cradled her face in her hands. Their text conversation went like this:
T: LUNCH!
R: I'm perfectly aware, thank you.
T: Hahaha, you sounded like Shin-chan!
R: I do?
T: YES! But the thank you should be changed to nanodayo. HAHAHA!
(Ruka deadpanned at her mobile.)
R: Very funny.
T: I know ;P
(She put down her phone after that. It beeped again.)
T: I remember something VERY essential and crucial that will determine your future relationship with Shin-chan!
(Ruka blushed at the 'future relationship' and before she could come up a reply, another text came.)
T: You're blushing. Hahaha. Tell me I'm right!
R: You're not. What is it?
T: I'm sure I am. What's your horoscope?
(At this, she rolled her eyes but decided to play along.)
R: I'm Gemini. Why?
T: Tell you later. Shin-chan is grumpy.
The blonde could hardly wait. She wanted to know everything about her beloved Midorima. Plus she's really looking forward to talking with her dark-haired classmate again. Having a friend with nothing to worry about coming up a topic (it's impossible to run out of things to talk with Takao; he's very talkative; and funny) is very refreshing. Ruka wasn't a people-person very much.
"Ruka-chan?" Kyoko came up to her desk, looking hesitant and shy.
"What is it?" She responded, slightly surprised. They're not that close and Ruka was sure the brunette only asked her out yesterday because of the 'bumping incident'.
"Are you free after school?"
Eh?
By the way guys. There are lots of italicized sentences in here but whenever I read this on my phone, it doesn't show that they were italicized. I hope it's only in mine... it makes me worry.