Act 2 – Chapter Two: Of Rice and Saving Graces
It's hot. Thee whole day has been nothing but a wave of heat hitting the classroom, and I can't even retreat to the library to cool down. No air conditioning there. Misha decided to have her top buttons undone half the day, which can't have cooled her down much but did serve to have half the male population of our class drooling. I never really thought of her as 'that' type, but no matter. I did feel a stab of jealousy when I saw Hisao looking at one point, but I guess I can't blame him. Much.
By the time the bell sounds for lunch, everyone is lethargic enough from the summer sun that they struggle to even leave the room to go eat. I hang around a little though, hoping to catch someone in particular...
"H... Hisao?"
"Hey there, Hanako," he replies. "What can I do for you today?"
I lift my hand to show Hisao the bag I'm carrying. I don't even need to say anything, my idea is so obvious. I smile and still ask, just as a formality more than anything else, but also because last night I realised I should start taking the initiative a bit more often. After all, that's exactly why I'm here now.
"Um... would you like to have lunch with us again? I... I brought enough for everyone..."
Hisao smiles back at me, though he can see how nervous I was asking him to lunch. It was pretty tough, but I feel better for asking without relying on Lilly to be here. "Awesome. You don't have to be so stiff about it, though."
"Ah... right."
"I take it we're going to the tea room?"
His last comment caught me off guard a little, but although I get a bit flustered I don't regret anything. "P...please. Lilly said she'll meet us in there, so we should... should..."
"Should?"
"...should go ahead together..."
I would be lying if I said this was entirely my idea. But to be fair, I did make the suggestion for Lilly to go on ahead without us. Ultimately, it was a joint effort. But I tried to be at least a bit assertive. Whether Lilly caught on or not, I can't tell, but she seemed pleased that I wanted to spend more time with Hisao. Even if I am still a bit embarrassed by the stares we received on the journey to town yesterday evening.
As I continue to smile, rather sheepishly, at Hisao, he responds to my comment with a clear enthusiasm. "Sounds like a plan. This heat has made me pretty hungry." I sigh with relief, glad to have been successful in my first real attempt to socialise with someone. He packs his things into his bag, and we make our way to the tea room.
When we get there, Lilly is nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was held up, or maybe she decided to give Hisao and I a bit of space before her arrival. Either way, there's no point in waiting for her without knowing what the hold-up is, so I start to lay out the food I've packed. Ultimately, this was my plan, as I suggested last night to Lilly. Seeing Hisao scanning the herbs in the store with his look of bewilderment inspired me to make something extra special. I ended up buying more than I really needed, meaning I had plenty of ingredients to come up with another of my experiments. It's not much, really, and I did make sure to taste it beforehand, though Lilly's judgement may be a little harsher. No less polite, of course, but still...
"I guess Lilly isn't here yet. Should we start without her?" Hisao's voice is one of concern, as if it's rude to begin preparing without Lilly being here. We already discussed it last night, though, the two of us, and Lilly agreed then that if one of us was late, the other should still make good use of the time available. Lunch can often pass quickly at Yamaku, especially in the tea room, with remarkable speed. I should still say something to assuage Hisao's concern.
"S-she'll be here soon..." I pick up the rice container and try to prise it open, only to meet with what appears to be a tight seal. I swear it wasn't so difficult to open when I was putting the rice in there...
"Here, let me help with that."
Hisao takes the container from me, only to hit the same wall as I did. (Let me guess, did you put this in while the rice was still hot?"
"Y-yes, I was in a rush..." I avert his gaze, looking sheepish at my schoolgirl error. The rice clearly must have expanded while hot, then shrunk and created a vacuum after being shut in the plastic box. The vacuum would have sealed it completely airtight.
"I thought so. It looks like this is wedged shut. We'll need some hot water to get it open." I agree. The hot water will cause the lid to expand and make it much easier to pry the lid off. "But that could be a pain in here. We'd get water everywhere."
I look down at my feet, still embarrassed, but he's right. We could always go to a bathroom to heat the lid, but we're running out of preparation time. Soon enough the lunch period will be over, and we'll have to return to class. It's such a shame, too. I'd used a special blend of spices to give the rice flavour, and I was so looking forward to hearing Hisao's opinion on it...
We're saved, however, by Lilly's timely arrival. "Well, in that case, how about I contribute to today's meal?" As she enters, she carries a bag full of bread rolls and buns. This wasn't part of the plan... though I'm not complaining. "Since you two had a change of plans because of me, I thought I would bring a little something."
"Thanks, Lilly," says Hisao, smiling. "Here, let me get that for you..." He places the rolls and buns in the bowl originally intended for my rice, adding it to my own platter, before beginning the process of brewing a pot of tea. "Well, I'm looking forward to this."
As he starts to eat while the water boils, I try not to stare. Even so, I can't help but search his face through the corner of my eye for signs of approval or disgust. I know it tastes good, I tried it myself, but I'd rather hear Hisao say it. He's a bit less biased, after all.
"Not bad, I guess this is made with the stuff you bought yesterday?"
"Y-yes." Spot on. I continue watching Hisao, hoping he'll say something else. I'm glad he seems to like it, but the more feedback I have, the better.
"Well, it was clearly worth it. Thanks, Hanako."
I'm so pleased that he likes it. "I... I wanted to show you this... after yesterday..."
"It's okay. I was just a little surprised at the stuff you were buying." And little does he know that half of it was for his benefit.
"Hanako's always liked to experiment when it comes to food. I think it's good... most... of the time." As Lilly speaks, my eyes turn to her, and her smile. It's only now that I notice her plate hasn't been touched, and her chopsticks lie on the side unbroken. How sneaky can she get? Making Hisao try my food before she dares to! I'm almost impressed, but I try to feel annoyed at her. I can't quite manage it though, given I know as well as she does just how some of my previous concoctions have turned out. Still, Hisao and I will need to get some sort of revenge on her later. Maybe I can deliberately make something terrible, and Hisao can trick her into thinking it's good...
"Well, it's good, and that's all that counts, right?" Exactly! Now you can start eating, Lilly. Go right ahead!
"R-right." I don't let anyone see my thoughts of vengeance as I stammer like usual. Instead, I wait for Lilly to finish filling her plate with the other parts of the meal, and for Hisao to start eating. I load my own plate and begin.
Later, we're finished with time left before the bell rings and classes restart. The rice is still untouched, but I can always free it and eat it later. I might save some for Hisao tomorrow, if I remember. The rest of the meal is gone, with everyone apparently feeling full. Myself included.
"Thank you Hanako, that was filling," says Lilly, still with a cheeky grin on her face. She ate it anyway, so I claim a victory in my own book. And she did provide the bread, so it would have been poor form for her to not even touch that.
"N-no... thank you for the bread..."
"Yes, it would have been a disaster if not for that." Hisao plays the diplomat, but he's right. I am grateful to her for that saving grace.
"You're both welcome." Lilly's smile turns less cheeky, and more warm, her eyes closed in contentment. "But now, I must be getting back. It's far too easy to be late after eating here."
She has a point, and I wonder to myself if the bell has already sounded. It's sometimes tough to tell in here, though really the entire school is supposed to be wired to ring out the sound wherever people congregate. I guess this must be an older part of the building, or maybe the bell within our earshot no longer works and was never fixed. In any case, the only way to tell is by our watches. It's definitely near the end of the lunch period.
"Yeah," Hisao replies, "I see what you mean. I think we'll just clean up here and then head off." That sounds good to me.
"Well then, good day." We bid Lilly our own farewells as she turns and leaves, the sound of her cane fading into the corridor as she walks. Hisao and I pack everything away, and sit around until the bell suddenly sounds, loud and clear. I guess it does work after all. I never really thought about it before.
Hisao shoots me a glance as we listen to the clamour, but I don't quite feel like leaving just yet. I want to stay a while, savouring the moment. This brief period of rest, with someone who I can be myself with, no matter how nervous I get. If he treated me a bit less delicately then it would be a perfect moment.
"Not... just yet..." I say.
We wait a little longer, my eyes closed in tranquillity. I wonder if this is how Lilly feels whenever she closes her eyes? There's not much more reason for her to close them, after all, as it has little real effect. It's so peaceful. Eventually, Hisao grows impatient.
"We really should go... people will freak out and start a search party if we skip..."
I sigh a little. "You're right." We leave, and make our way back to the classroom. I almost feel like ditching class and going to the library, but would Hisao choose to come with me, or elect to return to lessons? I'd want him to follow, but I have no right to ask him to skip class too. Even if it was his own decision, I'd feel bad for giving him the idea. And if he skips out it's worse than when I do so. As Lilly mentioned to me that he has a heart condition, an absence of Hisao would set off alarm bells for the faculty and nursing staff. His comment about a search party wouldn't be mere hyperbole. At least I have an understanding with Mutou-sensei, plus my condition is hardly life threatening. Not any more, at any rate. They took me off suicide watch a long time ago.
When we reach the classroom, I take a position behind Hisao, as he opens the door, an apologetic look prepared for Mutou-sensei.
"I'm sorry we're late, teacher."
Silence. For a brief moment, I hear nothing, until suddenly a very faint sniggering sound begins to build up into full blown laughter. I can see just a little into the room from my vantage point behind Hisao, and everyone seems to be holding in their laughter. Misha, of course, can't quite contain herself. I'm annoyed, a little. She could at least make the effort to try...
"Pffff... wahahaha! The lovers return! WAHAHA!"
So, Mutou is just as late as Hisao and I. More so, rather. It's not lost on everyone else that the two of us have arrived together, either. I don't know what to think. Whatever people had in their minds yesterday, the situation now is worse by a hundred-fold. People will talk, and I don't know whether I do feel that way, or if the situation between Hisao and I is nothing more than just friendship. I've only known him for just over a week, after all. But gossip will happen whatever the situation may be, especially where Misha is concerned, and it hardly makes my own circumstances easier to hear it like this.
There's no helping it. I can't run away now, that will only serve to add more 'proof' to Misha's wild speculations. Plus, it would be unfair of me to leave Hisao here on his own to face the stares of the class.
"Yeah, thanks," he says in response to Misha's giggling. "You can calm down now."
Keeping the entire class mentally at bay, I press myself as close to Hisao as possible to hide myself, until we reach his desk. I'm just able to make the short walk, quickly, to my own desk and hide my face in my arms as I sit down. Before he does the same, Hisao follows me and whispers briefly in my ear.
"Don't worry about Misha, she's always like this. I enjoyed myself today. Don't sweat it, okay?"
I nod a little, my head still wrapped by my arms, but stay hidden. I do feel a tiny bit better with Hisao's consolation, but around me I can still hear Misha trying to keep her laughter quiet (a vain hope), along with the muffled giggles from at least half the rest of the class. In fact Suzu is the only one to not be laughing, and that's only because she's asleep, like most of the time. Even Shizune has a smile on her face, though her amusement obviously can't be heard.
Just as Hisao finishes speaking, he is forced to return to his seat in a rush, as Mutou-sensei decides to enter the room. He's already in the middle of a lecture, apparently forgetting outside the classroom that he wasn't actually speaking to anyone yet.
"...which, of course, is directly proportional to the charge but inversely proportional to the square of the distance..."
As Mutou drones on obliviously, I hear Misha approximate as close to a whisper as she can manage. Somehow, the teacher doesn't pick up on this, but I've never known that man to let anything get in his way once he's on a roll. It sounds like she's talking to Hisao. I don't want to eavesdrop, but I'm definitely interested in hearing what she has to say, if only because I'd rather know if she's saying anything about me, rather than wait until Hisao tells me second-hand.
"The teacher may not have noticed your tardiness, but I did." I lift my head from my arms long enough to see that most of the stares are gone, redirected towards Mutou instead. Misha is leaning across to speak to Hisao, while Shizune is very deliberately looking out of the window. Clearly, Misha is translating for her, but they're being very coy about it.
"I have been instructed to let you off the hook for today," she continues, "but only on one condition."
"Oh? And what would that be?" I'm certain Hisao knows full well what they want him to do. It's all Shizune ever tries to do with most people.
"You have to help us this afternoon!" I knew it. They were desperate for him to help the Student Council yesterday, and I stole him away to go shopping in town. It makes perfect sense they'd try again now. Blackmail though, is a bit extreme... no. For Shizune it's just another perfectly valid tool to get her own way. I can certainly see why she and Lilly don't get along, and I wasn't even part of the council back then...
"Fine. Just for today." Hisao is taking the easy way out, and I can't blame him. A choice between constantly being pestered by Misha and Shizune, or giving in just once with the promise of future relief, is hardly a choice at all. "I've already told you, I'm not joining the council, remember?"
As if they'll keep that in mind. "Of course!" says Misha. "Doing so could be considered... um, considered..." She looks down at her notebook, as if reading from a prepared manuscript given to her by Shizune. Actually, that's probably what she is doing.
"...under duress and hence would be against regulations." She seems so proud of herself, but when have those two ever stuck to the regulations? One rule for some...
Hisao seems to be following the same line of thought. "How very strange of you to be considerate of the regulations now."
"Things should be done by the book!" With her innocent smile and raised finger, Misha seems like she could almost be sincere. I continue to peek, through a gap in my arms, but Shizune continues to look away. She can't see how the conversation is progressing, but she must have a general idea. If she wrote prompts down for Misha to follow, well...
"It's just that the book hasn't been written for every situation, so there are times when it can be ignored." How convenient.
"And yet," Hisao replies, "you two wonder why no-one else wants to be in the Student Council..."
At this, Misha sticks her tongue out at him, before returning to the lecture. I decide to unfold my arms, confident now that no-one is staring any more, and open my book to take notes. The class drags on the same as always.
A couple of hours later, we are finally free. Well, some of us are. While I begin to pack away my notes from the last class, Misha and Shizune gather next to Hisao, each placing a hand on his shoulder. They're taking no chances after yesterday.
"Hey, I said I'd help out, damn..."
"This is just insurance, Hisao, insurance..." Misha smiles brightly, while Shizune looks less amused. I guess the restraint was her idea then. She won't let anything happen to her slave labour, it seems. I'm not sure I feel confident enough to save Hisao from them, but he's been pretty decent to me this past week, enough that I feel obliged to do something to help. Maybe I can give him the opportunity to escape their clutches off his own back.
"H-Hisao?" I call his name as I'm making my way to the door, but if he thinks I want to hang out (and I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing, by any means) then perhaps he'll be able to come up with an excuse to get out of more work for the Student Council. It's not that I don't like Misha, or even Shizune, but seeing them try to force Hisao into doing their work for them just feels... wrong, somehow. It's one of the things that drove Lilly away from the council, after all.
"Oh, hey, Hanako. What's up?" He takes the bait. Shizune spots the opening too, however, and quickly signs to Misha, trying to close the gap in their offensive before Hisao has time to make a move.
"Hey," Misha translates, "what makes you think you've got time to chat?"
"Oh, relax, this won't take long... Hanako, you were saying?"
Thank you, Hisao. "I... I was going to go to the library, and... and I thought..." Looking at Shizune's expression, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. It's not as fierce as it can be, but the slight frown is an early warning sign not to cross her. But I've come this far, I can't retreat now and leave Hisao to their mercy.
"Sorry Hanako, but Hisao has to come with us. He's got work to do." Shizune signs again to Misha, and my fears of reprisal are confirmed. "Oh! But you can help too if you'd like."
Sure thing, Misha... not. "Um..."
"So, how about it, Hisao?" Misha and Shizune both turn their faces towards him, looking for an answer.
"Hey, Shizune. I know I said I'd help, but I forgot I'd already made plans. Besides, I helped out more than my fair share last week, didn't I? I promise, I'll make it up to you some other time." It's true, he did work pretty hard with me helping Lilly's class on their stall decorations. And many of our class didn't get involved at all, yet still enjoyed the festival regardless of their own input. It's remarkably unfair of the pair to expect Hisao to do even more now, though I suspect Shizune is just looking for excuses to spend time with him. It wouldn't surprise me. Again, I feel a strange pang of jealousy, but I'm still uncertain of my own feelings. I do enjoy spending time with him myself, but we barely know each other. Even so, he's followed my cue about the library. Shizune doesn't seem best pleased, but she pulls Misha away for a moment as they sign rapidly to each other.
Eventually, they return, and Misha gives the translation. "Well, you have a point there. To be honest, we were only going to spend the rest of the budget on cakes. So, if you're not there, it works out better. More cake for us! Wahaha..."
Isn't that the very definition of corruption? When we reach the library I resolve silently to open a dictionary and look up the word, just to check that a picture of Shizune and Misha isn't staring back from the pages.
They leave quickly, finally allowing Hisao and I to be alone again. "Well," he starts to say, "that was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Last week those two were like bloodhounds. Or prison guards. Or maybe prison guards bred from bloodhounds..."
What.
I'm reminded of that strange boy I met in Lilly's class last week. What was his name? Kenji?
"...never mind," Hisao continues. I agree with that sentiment completely. "Anyway, should we go to the library?"
I smile a little and reply in the affirmative. "S-sure." The journey doesn't take long, but I stick close to Hisao as we walk, avoiding the looks our fellow students give us. When we reach the library, I scan the stacks for a familiar face. Sure enough, Yuuko is working here today. I make my way to her and whisper a request in her ear. Next time Hisao and I play chess, I'm certain to win... though I'd rather he not find out my plans, of course.
"Um, you' find that in non-fiction," she replies, "but I'm not sure where exactly. If you want I can look it up..."
"N-never mind." I don't want Hisao to know what I'm up to, so it's better that Yuuko doesn't show me where to find the book I'm searching for. I guess it's obvious that it would be in non-fiction, but the stacks aren't too difficult to navigate, especially considering how often I come here. My request to Yuuko was on the off chance that she would be quicker at searching, but I can easily find what I'm after by myself.
"Hey Yuuko, what's all this about?" It seems Hisao's figured out that something is up. His suspicion has been piqued.
"Oh, Hisao... Hanako was just looking for a book on..." No! She'll ruin my plans!
"N-nothing..." I quickly interject.
"A book on nothing? In the non-fiction section?"
"I... I was just..." It's no use. I can't stop him from being suspicious, and my thoughts go back to a previous conversation between the two of us, where Hisao said that people are inspired to ask more questions when I say 'nothing'. It's the same situation now. He stays silent, however, but as we both look at Yuuko, my eyes pleading her to not tell him, I can see the pressure of keeping the secret is too much. That's the last time I ask her to keep quiet about anything...
"Yuuko, what did..." Hisao's final unfinished comment pushes her over the edge.
"Chess! She's looking for a chess book!" Thanks very much.
"Y-Yuuko..." I begin.
"I'm sorry Hanako... it just slipped out..." I guess I can forgive her. It wasn't really important. But I'd like to be able to match, or even best, Hisao in ability, and studying a bit more on my chess skills would have helped a lot. Now he knows I'm going to try and beat him next time we play. What if he decides he could use some extra study too?
"Well," he says, "it's not exactly a secret any more. Come on, I'll give you a hand. I should really brush up on my skills, too."
"O-okay." That's exactly what I didn't want to happen, but it can't be helped. We make our way into the non-fiction section, leaving Yuuko behind as she returns to the main desk. It's easy enough to find the right section, on games and general activities, and between a card trick book and a guide to kid's games we find a solitary chess book. 'Chess Tactics for Champions.'
I see in the corner of my eye my companion is eyeing it eagerly. I don't give him the chance to take it though, before I quickly grab it and clutch it to my chest. I will definitely improve my chess skills before we next play! Just see if I don't, Hisao...
"Well, I guess that's yours then," he says. I smile mischievously as Hisao feigns a sigh of defeat. "Mind if I borrow it when you're finished?"
"S-sure," I say. It will be too late for him by that point. "I... I just haven't really played against anyone but L-Lilly before, so I thought..."
"Ha, well, it's not like I'm a master or anything. I just played a bit before..." He pauses briefly. Maybe he's starting to infringe on a personal topic, just as I do when my life before Yamaku comes up. I usually avoid the discussion in those cases, so I can't complain when Hisao does it. Or maybe he's talking about his condition? He still hasn't spoken to me about it, with the little I do know coming from Lilly. I feel no need to bring up awkward questions on what she told me by revealing that I know something, even if it is barely anything that I know.
"...before I came here." Yes, the latter case seems more likely from this concluding statement. I feel concern though, so although I tread carefully, I do choose to bring the subject up.
"Are... are you alright?"
"Yeah, I was just remembering something..." Hisao takes a book from the nearest shelf, something about roller coasters, and it's clear the topic is done with. I won't push him for details, and if he isn't ready to talk then I fully understand. It's the same way I feel almost constantly. "Well, we've both got books now, should we go sit down?"
I nod, and we slowly make our way to the usual spot, with the large beanbags. As we both begin to read, I find myself drawn in to the knowledge I'm gaining by choosing this chess book. I constantly refer back to other sections, imagining in my mind the best ways to use different positions of both black and white to my advantage, the best openings to use based on what little I've seen of Hisao's playing style, and how to use those openings to gain the upper hand in the mid-game. I realise that I've overlooked several important strategic elements, such as using the Fianchetto to maintain a strong control of the centre of the board, and backing up the bishops with my knights. I realise how sacrificing my bishops doesn't necessarily give me an advantage when attacking my opponent's knights, and how a staggered pawn offensive can be broken if I can just get behind the enemy lines quickly.
It's only after I've exhausted myself considering a full game between Hisao and myself that I notice him watching me. I guess his book wasn't quite so interesting. Rather than my scars, though, uncovered by my own unconscious reflex brushing back my hair, he's looking at the book, watching me read. I hope he isn't trying to figure out my next strategy... I don't feel so worried. I know by now he doesn't care about my scars, or what I look like. He cares about me, and that's such a rare thing that I continue to let him stare without comment. The next time I look up from the book, Hisao has turned his head away and Yuuko has come across to meet us.
"Um... sorry to interrupt, but I have to close the library now."
"Already?" Hisao sounds disappointed, and I don't blame him. I feel the exact same way. This afternoon has been so nice and calm, the two of us just hanging out, no need for conversation. The time has flown by so quickly...
"Do you want to check out those books? I can do it on the way out..."
I doubt Hisao will want to properly borrow his chosen book, judging by the lack of interest he showed over the past couple of hours. I'd like to read more about the tactics I've been learning though, so I reply positively. "P-please."
"I'm done," says Hisao. "I'll drop this one back on the way through. It wasn't as interesting as I first thought." That much was fairly obvious. I use a small piece of paper as a bookmark and follow Yuuko to the main desk, while Hisao returns his roller coaster book. It still takes Yuuko a few tries to get the book to scan, though. She still believes it's down to her own clumsiness, even though I know full well the computers here haven't been updated in at least the past five years...
"Oh... there we go. Third time lucky. Since this is a non-fiction book, you can only have it for a week."
"T-that's okay." I'm fine with that. If needs be I can copy some of the more useful parts into a notebook, but I'll have plenty of time over the next week to study further. As Hisao joins us, Yuuko shuts the computer down and walks with us to Yamaku's regular hallways.
In the corridor, she looks briefly at her watch, and gasps in shock. "Argh! I didn't think it was this late already...!"
"But you're the one that told us you had to close..." I share Hisao's confusion here, just a little.
"Yes, but, I know, but, that was before I looked at the time! I'll see you later..." With that, Yuuko flees, rushing off like Emi (albeit less pink). I'm still puzzled as to why she decided to close the library without knowing the time, but it doesn't really matter, I suppose.
"I guess all librarians really are neurotic." Hisao smiles a bit as he thinks of some joke that I don't understand.
"Huh?"
"Ah, never mind. I was just thinking that I've never met a librarian that can organise their time, no matter how good they are with their books."
Maybe he knew a few librarians like Yuuko before coming here? I certainly did, books being a great way when I was growing up of keeping the world at bay. "Oh... I k-know what you mean..." I smile again, reflecting as I do that I've been smiling a whole lot more since Hisao came into my life. It's then that I realise the time myself. "I-I have to get back..."
"Yeah, me too. I didn't realise it was this late. Thanks for letting me hang out with you."
There's not much need for Hisao to thank me, even though I did kind of help save him from Misha and Shizune. I accept his thanks regardless. "N-no problem."
"I'm going to my dormitory room now anyway, so do you mind if I tag along?"
"O-okay." I frown slightly, but that's more habit than anything. I really don't mind, and we're going the same way so it makes no sense for one of us to wait until the other has left before setting off ourselves. My pace is brisk though, if only to minimise the chance that I get caught by anyone other than Hisao. More questions wouldn't be great for me, where Hisao is concerned, and there's every chance that Shizune or Misha will still be around, occupied as they were after school hours with 'council business'.
When we reach the dormitories, I turn to see that Hisao is breathing a bit more heavily. I guess he had to jog to keep up with me. "Man, you walk pretty fast," he says. "I used to play in a soccer club, and you manage to outpace me." I blush a little, but smile again, looking down. I'm slightly embarrassed, yes, but it's fun to think that I've beaten Hisao at something. My smile turns slightly more cheeky, a change that isn't lost on my companion. We stay silent for a brief moment, but it doesn't have the air of awkwardness such quiet periods between us usually do. Eventually, the silence is broken.
"Here you go," says Hisao. "See you in class tomorrow?"
"S-sure." I promise myself that I'll be there tomorrow, and make sure to not skip and go to the library again. I've made a commitment now to Hisao with that one comment, and I most definitely intend to keep it.