Chapter 3

[-] Kawashima Ami's POV

3 days after the Ski Trip

It was the first day back at school, and the rumor mill that was Class 2C was abuzz with the happenings of things since Ryuuji's accident. What spurred this on, you ask? Well, just the fact that Kushieda Minori and Maya Kihara had started hanging out and that Kushieda had pretty much just started ignoring Ryuuji and Aisaka, who had been her best friend up until the last day of the ski trip. Even weirder was Kushieda's behavior towards Aisaka that day – every time Aisaka tried to talk with Kushieda, she'd spout off some reason or another why she was busy, whether it was her job, plans with Kihara, softball club, or something or another.

All this irked Kawashima Ami. She knew that Kihara had a crush on Yuusaku – even though it was obvious that he was still head over heels for Sumire, even after the former Student President had left – so was this another angle to get to Yuusaku? Or something else? She couldn't quite figure it out, so naturally she started making her way to the root of the problem.

"Hey, Kihara"

It was lunch time, and Ami had approached Kihara and asked to speak with her. In a calm manner, too, something she was a little proud about.

"Hey Kawashima. What's up?" The red head asks, turning to face the young model.

Ami shrugs and sits down. "Just wanted to talk. We haven't had the chance since the ski trip." She opens her bento box and starts eating. "Nanako told me that she saw you walking with Kushieda?"

Kihara continues to eat. "Yeah, I was surprised when she asked me if I wanted to hang out Saturday. I always thought that Taiga and Kushieda would be inseparable, but I guess I was wrong."

Ami shrugs. "You think something happened between Aisaka and Kushieda?" she asks, popping an asparagus wrap into her mouth.

Kihara holds her hands out to the side. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure something happened between Taiga and Takasu" Kihara says.

"Oh? And why's that?" Ami asks, before eating a meatball.

Kihara angles her chopsticks at Ryuuji and Aisaka. "Did you notice that Taiga's been a lot less harsh towards Takasu since his accident?"

Ami looks sideways at the pair. True, Aisaka's calling of Ryuuji the various nicknames of "mutt", "mongrel", and other such epithets was a rare occurrence that day. In fact, her usual acts of violence towards the young man had almost completely stopped too. She raises an eyebrow and looks back at Kihara. "You think the reason why Kushieda's been hanging out with you lies with them?"

Kihara shrugs. "I dunno. Not for certain anyways. But I don't think it's a coincidence that Kushieda's been ignoring Taiga just as long as she's been hanging out with simple little me."

Wait, what? This was their first day back from the ski trip. Kushieda had always kept herself busy, but had she started ignoring everyone except Yuusaku? Ami's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance as she pondered this. After a few moments, she turns her look back to Kihara and smiles. "I see. Thanks for that. I'll see you around Kihara!" she says, finishing her lunch and closing the bento box.

Ami stood up, then strode out of the classroom to her usual spot between the vending machines. Hopefully, she wasn't too late, and Ryuuji would soon be by to get Aisaka's juice. While she waited, she pondered… and wondered… and before she knew it, Lunch period was over.

And no Ryuuji. Ami breathes out her nose, frustrated that she'd apparently missed her first chance for answers as she returned to the classroom. Dammit! This frustration piled on top of the frustration from Kihara's half-answer, and she almost – emphasis on almost – slammed the door on the way into the classroom. Ami folded her arms, as she directed her focus to planning what to do before school ended that day.

Some hours later…

With classes for the day over, and everyone leaving, Kawashima Ami did something she did not like doing very often.

She apologized to Kushieda. Of course, Kushieda had called her sincerity into question, since the last time she had apologized was just before Ryuuji's accident, and they both know how that had turned out. Ami sighed. "I will admit, the idea of apologizing to you is abhorrent to me, but it's long overdue. I provoked you, and our fight ended up hurting Takasu. So, the blame lies with me, on both counts. So… I'm sorry"

Kushieda huffs. Then her expression softens. "Apology accepted, Ahmin" she says, a smile appearing on her face.

Ami breathes a sigh of relief. Talking with Kushieda made Ami feel like she was on her period, but she needed to know what happened between her and Aisaka. Her inquisitive mind would not let her rest otherwise. "So Nanako saw you with Kihara today? Don't you normally walk with Aisaka to school?"

Kushieda grins as she takes off her school shoes and puts on her walking shoes. "Yeah, but Taiga's been surrounded by this scary ghost recently, so I had to stay away!"

What a load of bull, Ami thought. "But I thought you liked scary things?"

Kushieda blinks. "Oh, I guess it was an alien then? And I had to stay away to keep from getting abducted! Yeah, that makes total sense!"

Sure it does.

Ami blows out as the two of them walk into the cold winter air. "Yeah, I'm not – "

"Sorry Ahmin, but I gotta get going now! Need to get to work before the aliens and ghosts find out where I am!" Kushieda says, dashing off to… who knows where, leaving a slightly frustrated Ami alone in the cold.

While on her way home, however, she'd see both Ryuuji and Aisaka in the convenience store where she normally got her snacks and such. It was also then that she remembered what Kihara had said during lunch period.

But I'm pretty sure something happened between Taiga and Takasu.

She wouldn't wait until tomorrow. She was going to get some answers tonight, dammit.