Chapter 2 : Wait, Again!?

*Free Class Period, 4.30 PM*

In this period, it has supposed to be History. However, the teacher who was supposed to come was reportedly sick. So, right now the atmosphere in the classroom is quite lively, despite there are 25 people inside the classroom.

Akane still got simmered in her thoughts about what she witnessed in that last minute before lunch break ends.

A couple tens minutes ago, as she conversated with him, Akane felt some things in Minoru that is similar to 'him'.

His gaze, and his demeanor, Akane feels them quite clearly although just a little bit, as if they are same person.

Even more, that cut wound located on his left upper arm. The same wound 'he' got last night. And Kageno-kun here have very same wound on exact place, too.

Minoru did say that he got his cut wound because of he got cut by a glass shard, but she didn't ask him more about how he even get a glass shard cut his left upper arm. Minoru also reacted when she accidentaly slapped his left upper arm as the additional proof.

But she doesn't think Minoru and Stylish Hoodlum Slayer are same one person. Stylish Hoodlum Slayer, compared to Minoru, he's stronger, relaxed but assertive, and confident. Very different from Minoru's usual presence, speaking tone, and temperament.

However, she got another doubt coming to her.

'What if Kageno-kun and Stylish Hoodlum Slayer was same person all along?'

"…"

As that though emerges inside her mind, she shuts her eyes. And starts thinking many possibilities, may it be the convincing one or not that helps her confirms the aforementioned theory, and a connection between Minoru and Stylish Hoodlum Slayer one by bit.

After spending more than 5 minutes, she reaches to no conclusion whatsoever.

She clutches her head with her palms, scratching her head out of frustation, grumbling and mumbling inaudibly inside her mind.

"Uuugh…"

When she's still deep in her own confusion, suddenly there's a light knock on her desk. It was Minoru.

"Nishino-san? What's wrong? Something's bothering your mind? You look like you're gonna explode any moment, though."

Akane squeaks with cute little voice and straights her posture in very abrupt way, then she closes her mouth with her right fingertips and looking at Minoru with bewildered expression.

That makes Minoru quite surprised. "Whoa! What's wrong with you so suddenly!?" in rather loud hushing voice.

"Ah…eh!? No-nothing. I'm okay." Akane quickly calms down, wearing some little forced laughing expression.

"Seriously, you okay? You have been quite weird since lunch break." slightly frown forms on Minoru's face.

Akane shocked, she slightly cursing inwardly to herself how too obvious and readable she is. But at the same time, Akane is kinda happy a little… Yes, a little, that he concerns to her although she doesn't know why…No! It's not the time to think about him. She has to somehow feign him about what she's thinking hard about.

"Eh? Uuuh… you see, I have to attend some make-up class after last peroid, but I forgot to bring a material I need." Akane replies with little shy face, but there's a small hint of inexplicable expression on her face. While others cannot point that out, but not Minoru.

"Huh… that's unusual of you, but nevermind. What material do you need to?" he's going to his locker to pick any material Akane needs. Stands up, he decides not to think about that.

"It's chemistry."

"Wow, may you being save from her scolding, Nishino-san." says Minoru jokingly

"Want to taste my punch, Kageno-kun?" her veins bulging out on her palm and her forehead while she is making cold and scary smile.

"Nah, please don't do that. Anyway, if you done with that book later, just put it back in my locker." Smiles relaxly, he walks towards his seat as he gives his book to Akane.

"Eh… o-okay. Thank you." she takes the book.

"You're welcome." as he sits back on his seat.

"…"

"?" Is something happened to him? is what Akane suddenly thinks to what Minoru did just now. Something definitely happened to him. Now, instead of just pondering her thoughs and found nothing like what she did some time ago, she chooses to directly ask him. Now or never.

"Uhm… hey, Kageno-kun. Is it just me or have you gotten more friendlier to me?" she voices her thoughts about sudden change of his way of treating her.

"Just your feeling, I guess?" he denies her doubt immediately.

"Really?" just as he thought, Akane doesn't believe about that quickly. "Usually, you just talk a little to another classmates, like something important about school assignment, culture festival, and anything else."

"Yep, really." Actually, he wants to ask about why, not how, she knows what he usually does inside the classroom with other 23 classmates aside from Akane, but he decides not to do it.

"You even joked about hopefully I'm not getting scolded by the teacher later a moment ago."

"Sometimes I just in mood doing it to others, like what just I did to you."

"Is that so?"

"Are you suspecting me for something?" Minoru asks her out of nowhere, caught her off guard.

"Eh?" once again, shocked, and she's sweating profusely.

"Like, after lunch break, you start asking many strange questions at me."

"…!" She gasps and her face starts to pale a little.

"Hmm… not like I care any about that too." He decides not to ask further.

Hearing his reply, she exhales in relief inwardly.

However, silence returned between them. Not knowing what to talk or discuss anymore.

5 minutes remaining before last period of today rings. Akane struggles for finding any thing to talk, meanwhile Minoru beside her continues reading a book. Looks like it's the same book he reads at the lunch time earlier.

And then, she suddenly thinks of something. Not an important one, just a thing she wants to get. That is…

"Kageno-kun." she steels herself.

"Hmm?"

"Can…can I…um…" she hesistates a little.

"Uuh… you want something from me?"

"Ah. Yes, right. Can I…"

She still hesistates for a little. And then…

"Can I have your LNE ID?"

"Huh? That's all you need?" Minoru tilts his head. He doesn't believe what he just hears. But, uh. Nevermind. That's not like he worries about that. She just wants to add me as her one of her friend contact. No biggie.

"Ye-yes, but don't misunderstand, okay? I just don't have yours yet." Unbeknownst to her, Akane's cheek bone was blushing red. Although she's being calm outside, she stammers a bit while saying that.

"Okay, okay. Here's a barcode." he reaches out his smartphone towards Akane.

She scans his barcode with her own smartphone. Then, a notification pops up on their smartphone, indicating a new friend appears on their friend contact list.

Akane's profile picture is her half-full self portrait. In that picture, she's looking at camera while smiling with her eyes closed and she's making 'peace' sign. As for Minoru's profile picture, he's in candid pose looking at the sky with his long sleeve black shirt which its sleeve was rolled up. Minoru's expression was calm on his profile picture.

"Despite being mediocre, he's quite charming, huh…" Akane says it to herself. Indeed, for Akane's opinion, he's got somewhat quite handsome look, despite his frail and sleepy face, she's almost finds herself captivated by him. Thinking abot that makes her blush clearer on her face.

"Nishino-san, you blushing quite hard on your face. What's gotten into you?"

"Huh!?" she's almost jumps out from her seat. "No! Nothing! I'm not blushing! Just your imagination, yeah! So, don't get a wrong idea!" Akane says it hurrily and she almost shouting at Minoru but still restraining herself. While at that, Akane shoots some glare towards him to hide her embarrassment.

"Geh! Okay, okay! I got it so stop shouting, and stop glaring at me!" shocked. Minoru raises his both palm on his chest-level height as he taken aback by her sudden behavior.

And finally, she calms herself down, but still squints her eyes with a little frown on her face.

"Well, I got a new friend, too, so it's alright." he sighs with relief look, plus a little smile on his face.

"Good for you, huh~" She humphs with a flat voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Hmm… welp, is that so-"

Suddenly, the bell rings, signifies that the school time is over.

"Hufft… at last it's over."

"Okay, club time. Let's go, guys"

"Want to drop by Mitsugoshi later? I heard there's a new cosmetic batch from O'real."

"Really? I want to go, but my wallet's screaming lately."

"Hey, who's on cleaning duty today?"

"See you later, Akane-san."

"Bye-bye, Akane-chan."

"Tendouji-san, Kihara-san, here's your school festival questionnaire."

"Ah, thank you Kageno-kun"

"Whoa. thanks a lot, man."

"You're welcome."

Voices of people chatting, conversating and laughing fills the classroom as they start leaving classroom one by one, minding their own business, going to attend their school club, making some appointment for later.

Minoru was done packing his books and stationery inside his sport boston bag. He glances at Akane for a while and…

"See you later, Nishimura-san." he says her surname wrong in purpose while smiles jokingly- just to receive a painful pinch on his left lower arm.

"Looks like someone needs a little beating on his head. Right, Kageno-kun…?" says Akane with deep frown on her face, her eyes shut upwards and she's smiling widely, while her veins bulging up like they're gonna snap in a moment on her forehead and her arm as she pinches Minoru's left lower arm harder.

"O-Ow ow ow ow ow! Sorry! I'm sorry for making fun of you! So, stop pinching my arm so hard!" Minoru pleads to her

"Hmmm… but you don't feel sorry to me. Once again, please~" says Akane with cheeky smile.

"I'm terribly sorry for purposely misnaming someone's surname for fun." Minoru stammers quickly, making some perfect 'fake' depressed face, and bowing his head 90 degrees.

"Whoa, you surprised me there." taken aback, Akane continues. "Okay, okay. From now on, don't do that anymore, you hear me?" Akane scolds him.

"I'll do my best not to misnaming someone else's name." complaining the pain on his arm.

"That's good to hear." Akane smiles

"Okay. I'll going off now. See you later, Nishino-san."

"See you later, Kageno-kun!" she smiles brightly as he leaves the classroom, and her smile she's using is genuine one.

She had used her fake smile for some time to the point she already used to it. But when she communicating with Minoru today, like just now, she somehow could make a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart for a reason even she doesn't know what it is.

Right now, only herself with other two female classmates and three male classmates remains inside the classroom. She waits until the Chemistry teacher that has to give her make-up class this afternoon.

While waiting, she takes out her smartphone from her pocket. Opening LNE app, and then searching his contact.

After founding his contact, Akane stares at his profile picture for a while, then she's smiling. Her smile at this moment is the most natural and beautiful one as if she got her most precious thing she cherises the most on her hands.

And this moment, she realizes one thing. Only Minoru could make her feel this way. He's the only one who can make her smile from the bottom of her heart.

"Kageno-kun, you dummy. Hehe…~"

She giggles as she marks his contact as her favorite contact, and while on it, she sends a sticker on their chat column, no one knows what she did, even the one who in question.

Later, she hears someone's playing piano. Its voice's so beautiful for everyone inside, even outside the school to listen. If she remembers correctly, it's Piano Sonata No. 14. "Moonlight". Although it's not evening yet, anybody who listen to this piece will feel like they're bathing in the moonlight in the dark night.

In the music room, Minoru plays "Moonlight", his favorite piece, beautifully and skillfully. He usually plays piano after school for practice, and he just wants to conveys for everyone in Sakurazaka Senior High how cool it is when the Eminence in Shadow plays piano to spice up battles. He likes "Moonlight" the most because this piece represents the existense of the Eminence in Shadow, to shine in the night's darkness.

After playing "Moonlight" he plays another piece or two as the lounge song for everyone in the school until school curfew time.

*6.30 PM. After make-up class*

"Uwaah… the time's already this late. I hope everyone at home are not mad at me." says Akane as she walks out from her classroom.

The Chemistry teacher is quite exhausted today. So, her make-up class was done earlier than usual. Akane got some scolding from her teacher because she forgot to bring her own book, but considering her side occupation as actress, her teacher gave her a pass.

Outside the school gate, after bowing to the teacher who is on duty, she walks towards her home. Minoru watches her goes leaving the school from the school roof, as if he's watching them from upside.

As she walks passing the almost-dark footway not too far away from school, she remembers what's gotten to her yesterday last night. She's kidnapped by a delinquent who hires an ex-military guy and she saved by 'him'.

She wonders if ever she's getting into another problem, will 'he' come to save her again.

"If I ever get into another problem again, will you come to me again?"

She mumbles his name.

"Stylish Hoodlum Slayer…"

Tap.

A footstep voice.

It shocks her and she turns her body on her back to only see nothing.

'Well, no way it will happen for the second time, right…?' she tries to calm herself.

She sighs before turns her body again. But as she continues to walking ahead, she bumps to someone.

There's someone in front of her, his height is taller than her, but far skinnier than the ex-military guy.

Bad memories starts to emerge once more inside her mind.

"Hey, you there, pretty girl. It is dangerous, you know, for the little girl like you going home alone at this time."

"Wha…" she's taken aback with scared expression on her face. Is it going to happen again?

"Whoa, man. Ya gotta share yer prey with yer partner, you greedy fellow!"

Those two starts laugh horribly as she got trapped between those two.

'Wait, it happened, again!?'

She screams inwardly as she starts run away from them.

Okay, that's it for the second chapter of this fanfiction. Not gonna lie, it was tiring for me because this is the first time in my life making some fanfiction. And thank you very much for you who had helped me correcting some of my grammar mistakes (Maybe this chapter have "many" more grammar mistakes so I need your help again about that. Thank you as always!). The third chapter is still in progress. So, follow and favorite this fanfiction to notify you for its latest channel. See you guys on the next chapter.

She's closer to the truth, and in the due time she will understand everything.