CH 15: Jealousy feels

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I had so many school work to do. This chapter is a cliff-hanger. The next one will be posted tomorrow or the day after.

Breakfast Nook, EMC

A part of Youko's "little improvement" towards maturity was to make her own bento for lunch so that she won't be too dependent on Usada all the time. Youko knew how to cook and her decorations got better every single day.

She was at the breakfast nook so early in the morning, preparing her bento and eating her cereal at the same time. She was joined in by Ryuuji, who was an early bird himself. Youko looked at her finished bento and was surprised to see that there were many finger foods left.

Meanwhile, Hiromu appeared from the kitchen with an empty bowl in his hand. He wasn't used to waking up early that's why he seemed to be half-asleep. His buddyroid Nick was trying to wake him in full by shaking his shoulders, but Hiromu would just bob his head at him. He sat at the nook opposite Youko and Ryuuji and squinted at the two bentos prepared by Youko.

"You'll eat all that?" Hiromu asked while filling his glass with juice.

"ohayou Hi-ro-mu" Youko corrected, emphasizing that he should've greeted her before asking her a question. "That yellow bento is mine. The blue one is Ryuu-san's. I prepared them both", she added proudly.

"bento for Ryuu-san?" Hiromu exclaimed. He was paying too much attention at Youko's last remark that he didn't notice his glass overflowing with juice.

"Hiromu, your glass!" Nick said in panic. He steadied the pitcher and took a kitchen towel to absorb the mess. "G—gomen Nick!" Hiromu replied, his eyes dilated in surprise.

"What's wrong with you Hiromu? You're losing your sense of reason" Nick said back. Ryuuji didn't have any idea what the buddyroid was telling about. He just laughed at what happened and excused himself with the blue bento box. Hiromu frowned at his own irrational behavior and grabbed the cereal box to distract himself.

Youko went to the opposite side of the nook to stand beside Hiromu. She leaned her face to study his expression carefully. Hiromu looked awkwardly tense in watching her from the corner of his eye. When he can't take it anymore, he asked apprehensively, "what?"

Youko grinned widely and said, "Someone is jealous at Ryuu-san". Nick snorted when he heard her remark. Hiromu almost wanted to lie, but since it's not in his nature to do so, he just shrugged and forced a laugh.

"Uzo" Youko said, looking at her time. She realized that she had to hurry for the morning ceremonies.

She left by leaving a paper bag near Hiromu's glass. Hiromu opened the paper bag and found a red bento inside.

School Grounds, PM

Youko's school gate was swarmed by students of diverse backgrounds. Hiromu and Nick failed to blend with the crowd as many heads turn to point at the buddyroid. Nick thought loudly that he was popular with the ladies. But Hiromu sighed and said, "They're looking at you because you look different."

They arrived at the gate ten minutes after the last period bell rang. Youko was easily spotted from afar because of her jelly bun. Nick waved and called out to her. Youko turned her head and was surprised to see Nick and Hiromu by the gate. Hiromu's here!, she squeaked. She waved back at them enthusiastically.

They were supposed to meet at the center of the school grounds when Youko was blocked by Commander Kuroki's son. Takeru Kuroki seemed confident in his usual preppy attire and cheery attitude. His twin sister Taki wasn't there with him. Hiromu frowned by his sudden appearance while Nick scratched his head in bemusement.

"Youko-chan, let me walk you home" He offered.

"chotto matte, Takeru" Youko said, dancing her eyes from Takeru to Hiromu. She grabbed Takeru's arm and dragged him to a place where Hiromu and Nick couldn't hear them. True enough, both Hiromu and Nick couldn't hear even a single word. They watched while the two chatted from a tree nearby. Youko and Takeru exchanged smiles and laughter every now and then and Hiromu thought that it might be better for him to go away so that he wouldn't be much of a disturbance.

He turned to Nick and said, "Nick, bike-mode on". He was asking that Nick turn himself to a bike so that they could go home to the base by themselves. The buddyroid hesitated at first but Hiromu's facial expression was already flat so he turned himself into a bike even if he didn't want it to.

Hiromu was about to ride Nick when Youko came hurrying towards them. Takeru Kuroki passed by them but he never went closer. He just smiled, waved a hand and continued walking away to the bus stop.

Youko turned to Hiromu and asked, "doko-ni? You're not going home without me aren't you?"

Nick stuttered for the right words. He hoped that Hiromu wouldn't be too blunt to hurt her feelings in his reply.

"We don't want to disturb you" Hiromu said objectively.

"But you're not." Youko insisted, "Besides, I think I'd want to eat crepe with right now."

"Crepe?" He said, raising his eyebrows, "But you just ate Usada's jelly bun. Just what kind of stomach do you have?"

Youko puffed her cheeks for the untimely slip-of-the-tongue remark. Oh dear, Nick said to himself. The buddyroid wished he could vanish on the spot to give privacy to the two.

"And bring Kuroki-san with you. You're of the same age" Hiromu added, looking away.

Youko squinted her eyes and studied Hiromu's facial expression again. She never guessed that he'd be insecure about their four-year age gap. She remembered that he used to emphasize being an adult while he belittled her as a child. Hiromu was being jealous again and Youko found it too kawaii.

"I'm okay with a stupidly honest adult" Youko said, grabbing Hiromu by the hand.

What happened in the conversation between Youko and Takeru

"What is it that you're going to tell me, Youko-chan?" Takeru asked, sounding hopeful.

"We can't walk home together like we used to, Takeru" Youko replied, "It's not the same as when we're kids."

Youko thought that Takeru will be mad at her. But he remained his cool instead. "I see." He glanced at Hiromu from afar and said to her, "Could it be he replaced Hasegawa-sensei already?" (A/N: Hasegawa-sensei appeared on episode 37 of the Gobusters).

"I admired Hasegawa-sensei, but it's not love" she corrected him.

"I envy Hiromu-san. But what I can do, he met you first" He noticed that the buddyroid turned himself into a bike upon Hiromu's command. "Hurry up, I think he's about to go away." He smiled widely and gestured Youko to walk away from him.

Kitchen, EMC

Growing up (and raised) by a sister, Hiromu sure knew how to cook well. Nick would oftentimes cook for him, but his oneesan would always ask for his assistance in baking (A/N: Did you remember the last episode of Gobusters? Hiromu helped his sister in baking a cake for Youko). This time, he consented to Youko's request of making her a crepe as an afternoon snack.

Youko watched in silence while Hiromu stirred the ingredients for the crepe. Realizing that she had homework to do, she scattered her materials on the nook and began flipping from one page to another. Hiromu glanced at her when she was not looking and he smiled at her in discreet.

When he was done, he put the crepe on the plate and placed it delicately infront of her. He sat on the other side of the nook (just opposite her) and watched her do her homework. A naturally straightforward he was, he would point out her mistakes and help her correct it. Youko appreciated every help that came from him.

Youko's side bangs fell on her face and she still proceeded in answering her problem sets. Hiromu wondered why it didn't bother her—so he did an unnatural thing to do—he extended his hand and clipped her bangs on the side of her ear. It didn't help that his hand touched her face. Youko looked up to him and they stared together awkwardly in each other's eyes.

"Gomen" Hiromu said, removing his hand.

"Uhm, ano…" Youko struggled to say the right words, "there's something I'd like to tell you, Hiromu."

"What is it?" Hiromu asked, getting apprehensive.

"That I—"

All of a sudden, Ryuuji came with a folder in his hand. Hiromu and Youko jolted from their seats in surprise. "Ryuu-san!" they cried in unison. Ryuu-san returned their gaze in puzzlement. Bypassing the expression on their faces, Ryuuji turned to the untouched crepe that was lying beside Youko.

"That crepe looks exactly like Rika-san's" Ryuuji said.

"Ah" Hiromu said, nodding in agreement. Then he wondered as to why Ryuuji knew what his oneesan's cooking looked like. "Why do you know about that?" he added.

Ryuuji put a hand on Hiromu's shoulder and said, "Because she made one for me and I'm going to meet her tomorrow at a restaurant." He pointed the folder in his hand and smiled.

Hiromu and Youko looked at one another. Few years ago, Ryuu-san had a marriage interview (A/N: The New Year episode of the Gobusters). Both Hiromu and Youko were there to spy on Ryuu-san and Rika-san. And it seemed now—(judging from the folder that Ryuu-san pointed), that Ryuu-san would soon be getting another marriage interview…

Could it be with Hiromu's oneesan?...

A/N: A preview for the next chapter:

"You tell Ryuu-san" Youko insisted as she pushed Hiromu through the door, "you're blunt"

Hiromu remembered the conversation that he had with Ryuuji before. "Whoever likes Youko-chan will have to pass through me". Then Hiromu imagined being locked up in a big cage with chickens. He almost froze on the spot thinking about it but Youko whacked him at the back.

"Hey you—" Hiromu said, pulling Youko's cheeks together. "Am I the only one who doesn't want to hide this relationship?"