Chapter Two

Sachie

"Oh no!" I searched frantically in my wallet for the missing dollar that I was sure I had put into it that morning. The lady behind the counter started grumbling that I was holding up the line. Lunch ladies were always in a hurry. I had ho idea why, but they just were.

Things were getting increasingly embarrassing, with me all but tearing my wallet apart.

"Here, I'll pay for that," a quiet voice came to my rescue and handed over the money. Maybe it doesn't surprise you, but it did shock me when I saw that it was Fuji of all people who had helped me out.

"Th—thanks!" I stammered, relieved that I wasn't in trouble and totally thunderstruck that Fuji had stepped in to help. It wasn't as though I was his friend or anything. Was I?

"No problem," he said easily. "Are you sure that's enough?" He scrutinized my miniscule sandwich apprehensively.

"Um, yeah, I think so, uh, so I'll give you your money back tomorrow..." I struggled to make my mouth work.

"It's ok, my treat," he laughed it off.

I went back to my usual table with Chiko, still absolutely stunned into speechlessness. Fuji Syusuke had just treated me to lunch! Fuji Syusuke had just treated me to lunch! It was nothing less than a dream come true.

Obviously I said nothing to Chiko about it, so she just chatted randomly as usual about Fuji, school, Fuji, the latest gossip and did I mention Fuji? Meanwhile, a positive whirlwind was tearing up my mind.

Could it be? Could it really be that Fuji had finally noticed me? Could he want to be friends? Or—I can't believe this—could he like me? Should I tell him that I like him? I mean, I've liked him for three years! But what if he rejects me? Well, he might not, since he was so nice to me. But what if he does?

I waited eagerly for my next class with him, resulting in Chiko thinking that I was out of my mind, wanting to get to the boring English class. Remember, she had no idea that I liked Fuji.

When I stepped into the long awaited English class, I was delighted, though not half as astonished as I should've been when I spotted Fuji near my usual seat. In fact, he was right next to it.

Chiko pouted and mouthed "Not fair!" at me when I promptly sat down, but I sure wasn't going to get up and give the seat to her.

As I had half expected, Fuji turned to speak to me after a moment.

"I know this is terribly awkward, but it seems like I've forgotten to bring my English book as well. Would you mind sharing with me again?" he asked politely, giving me his very warm, very sweet smile.

"It's cool with me," I answered, suppressing a grin with difficulty. In the seat on my other side, I knew Chiko was fuming. It was too good to just merely be an accident. The odds of forgetting both his book and his calculator—incidentally two items used in the only two lessons I had with him—on the same day were just too slim to be coincidental. And of all the people he could've asked, he had to come to me. Twice. I was sure it had to mean something.

Forget about concentrating in class. With his head and mine bent close over the same book, all I could think of was whether I should confess to him.

Are you crazy? You'll just get hurt!

No, I won't! There's a chance that he really likes me!

Why should he? He only asked to share your stuff.

But he wanted to share with me. No one else, me!

I was so engrossed in this silent inner battle that I paid no attention to the teacher, or anyone else, which I guess is why I was caught off guard.

"Thank you for helping me out so much today," Fuji thanked me sweetly.

"Any time," I said happily. On a fit of recklessness, I had the sudden urge to tell him everything, how I'd admired him from the day I first met him three years ago, how I wanted to be with him with every particle of my mind...everything. I opened my mouth, and would've blurted everything out, there and then, if Chiko hadn't grabbed my arm—and looking back, I should have gotten down on my knees and thanked her—and snatched up my bag, marching me out of the room.

"Chiko!" I whined. "Let go! You're pinching me!"

She held on to me until we had reached the school gates, her mouth set in a thin, hard line, eyes icy. Once we were off school premises, she flung my arm away.

"You like him," she snapped accusingly.

"Wha—what?" I was totally thrown off balance by this. "No! No, of course I—"

"Don't lie to me," she cut in. "You should have seen your face back there. You looked just like me—" she blushed slightly "—when I think of him."

"Chiko, listen, I—" Totally at loss, I didn't know what to say.

"You know I like him," Chiko yelled. "And you've liked him all this time, laughing behind my back at how stupid I look going after him, when you've just been waiting, biding your time till you can steal him away!"

As I said, she could really get worked up at times.

"Chiko!" I shouted back. "Just listen to me! I never, ever thought about doing that to you! Yeah, I liked him, so what? I've kept back all this time, haven't I? I've let you take the limelight. It's not my fault if he decides to share my book or whatever."

"Oh, so you knew he liked you," Chiko screamed, practically foaming at the mouth. "You knew and you just stood by watching me play the fool, while you waited for him to go to you, like you knew he would!"

"Chiko, I didn't and don't know anything!" It was true, I knew nothing for sure.

"Yeah, and after you've lied to me for three whole years, I'm totally going to believe another word that you say!"

"Chiko!" I had run out of arguments. "Chiko!" I yell, simply because I couldn't think of anything else to scream at her. Besides, she actually had a point, for once.

"Well, I'm telling you know, Tezumi Sachie," she snarled, deadly calm and deadly serious. "If you look at him in that way again, you can expect never to hear another word from me."

Reason and anger kept little company together in this girl.

I watched her storm off, brown hair like a chocolate explosion, and I didn't know what to do.

Your crush since forever and your all-time best friend. What kind of choice is that?