A/N: Hey all! I'm back with another chapter! I don't really have much to say prior to the chapter so let's get straight to it, eh?
Enjoy!
I don't own Kodocha or any of its contents.
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
"Flashback/Dream"
Life As We Know It
-O-
Chapter 6: Curiosity killed the Cat
-O-
Matsui Fuka drummed her fingers against the hardness of her desk. Things had certainly livened up around here with the addition of her estranged best friend, Kurata Sana. It reminded Fuka of her younger days, when she and Sana didn't have a care in the world. They were inseparable, joined at the hip.
With Sana's energetic personality and Fuka's intelligence, they were the perfect duo.
Back when they were both in middle school, Fuka remembered being devastated when she learned Sana was moving.
How could she leave her best friend? The only person who was able to deal with all the baggage that came with her? The only person who understood Fuka on an emotional level?
Yes, it was true that she and the auburn haired girl were at odds when they first met, but that spawned into a beautiful friendship. Everyone Fuka had ever met was always intimidated by her mature personality and strayed away. Fuka was constantly alone.
So when this bubbly, energetic, hyperactive auburn haired girl showed up and instantly won the hearts of those around her, Fuka was fuming with jealousy. How could this new girl, who hadn't even been here a week, already capture the attention of all those around her? She had been trying to do that for years!
So it was only natural that Fuka retaliated with absolute bitterness. Jealous of Sana's genuine and sincere personality, the brown haired girl often teased and ridiculed Sana. Fuka thought she would bend over backwards and take the heat.
But, boy was she wrong.
What Fuka failed to realize was that the new girl had fight in her. Most fights ended in senseless bickering that ended up with the teacher having to put them in separate corners of the room. Fuka couldn't stand Sana's attitude and personality. She was always so happy, so full of life. It didn't help that a lot of the kids use to say that she and the hazel eyed girl looked alike.
But, eventually, things sorted out because they became the best of friends.
She was devastated when her father abruptly announced to the family that he was promoted and had to be transferred to Tokyo for work. While Fuka was… polite and sometimes friendly, she had already established strong friendship with the girl known as Kurata Sana. And, she was dating someone that she felt she truly loved.
It wasn't easy for Matsui Fuka to make friends. It took a really long time for her to adjust to Sana and her personality. How was she supposed to start over? Sana would be okay. Her auburn haired best friend would be okay. She would be okay because she was overly friendly, befriending all those that she interacted with.
But for Fuka, it was a challenge.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that since she was a child, her parent's put incredibly high expectations on her. With her father running a company and her mother running a few sushi bars with her uncle, Fuka was always expected to do well. Success ran in her family's blood. Growing up, her parents reprimanded her for anything less than an A in a class. When she started gymnastics during elementary school, her mother never failed to pressure her. With her mother being a star gymnast at her prime, it was only natural that she expected such results from her only daughter.
All her life, it was always about meeting those high expectations. So it was only natural that Fuka expected highly from her peers. This could be why they perceived her as a snobby, arrogant brat throughout elementary school. Fuka's expectations were too high for anyone to truly reach. This caused a lack of friends for Fuka. And the lonelier she became, the more she stuck her nose in the air.
It wasn't until Sana stepped into her life that she came back down to earth. Her best friend grounded her, reminding her that sometimes it's okay for expectations to not be met. Fuka's braggart personality settled immensely, causing her to become well liked.
She owed it all to Sana.
They had a tearful goodbye, which was especially odd considering who the two were. They promised to keep in touch, to not forget about one another. And Fuka never did forget about her best friend. She never forgot about what Sana taught her.
Sighing, Fuka leaned back against the cold chair.
It was certainly a surprise to see her that morning when she walked into the class. The brown haired teenager had to rub out her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. And when she blinked, Sana was right there, in the flesh, with her contagious smile and bright eyes.
It was surreal having her best friend back. While she loved the gang, it was refreshing to have the idiot amongst them. Fuka wouldn't admit it out loud, but Sana brought a liveliness to the group that she didn't know they were missing.
But then again, it was Kurata Sana.
And of course, Fuka noticed the changes in Sana. Not as dense or as oblivious as she once been, Sana was relatively perceptive. She was quick to notice small things, which was hard to believe. The auburn haired girl had always been blind to everything around her. Fuka noticed the increase in sass and sarcasm, also. While Sana's playful personality and attitude was still intact, Sana was as witty as ever.
It made Fuka ponder on what her best friend's life was like before arriving to Tokyo.
More importantly, it made her wonder why Sana was in Tokyo. During their short reunion, she mentioned something about her mother's job, but it sounded strange to Fuka. Her mother was a writer. Writers don't move around.
Being caught up in the celebration of her best friend returning, Fuka failed to realize it sooner.
Sana always did have an act for hiding things pretty well. You would never think anything bothered her with the way she smiled. She had a knack for keeping people out in the dark, this she did know. Just as it took some time for the young Kurata to get to know Fuka, surprisingly enough, it took the brown haired maiden a little longer to learn about Sana.
This begged the question for Fuka.
Was Kurata Sana hiding anything from her?
She supposed only time would tell for the brown haired girl.
"Yo!"
Speak of the devil…
Fuka shifted her gaze towards her best friend and smirked. "Wow, you actually made it on time today."
Laughing with embarrassment, Sana rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah… I figured it was about time for me to pick up the slack. I think my excuse for being new is wearing itself thin."
The brown haired girl rolled her eyes. "You think?"
The duo laughed, knowing Sana's horrible timing and her normal tendencies. It amazed Fuka that Sana was actually here on time. They both had cleaning duties after school and their teacher assured them he would stop by to ensure they showed up for their shift.
"Because this is my first time at cleaning duty, I don't know where you guys keep your supplies at. So if you could show me the way, that'd be great!" A grin appeared magically as Sana set her stuff down.
Fuka nodded in response.
"Sure thing. Follow me."
And she took the lead, heading down the hall towards the supplies closet.
"And here I thought that you would have the work half way done by now." Sana snickered.
Fuka rolled her eyes. 'How typical.'
"Ha ha, good one Sana. You had me going there." She noted, dryly. The auburn head stuck her tongue out at her.
"You're no fun." The auburn head said, pouting.
"Yes, so I've been told."
And the conversation carried from there.
There was never a dull moment with Kurata Sana. She could strike up a conversation with even a rock if she had too. It was an adventure with her, always having a story to tell. Today, she was talking about her mother's new book that was supposed to be released in the few upcoming weeks.
As they rounded the corner and made their way to the supply shed, Fuka thought this was the perfect time to pave the conversation for Sana's reason on coming to Tokyo.
"-and who knows? She might even write a sequel! She's been working on it for a while, but Mama's been stuck on this one part of her story and she seems to have trouble getting out of it."
"Hey Sana?" Fuka asked as she grabbed the broom and passed it over towards said girl.
"What's up?"
After grabbing all necessary items, both girls walked outside the shed, with Fuka locking the equipment shed behind her.
"Why did you move to Tokyo?"
Fuka watched as the girl's eyes widened, probably caught off guard with such a question.
It was an innocent enough question, wasn't it?
"Didn't I tell you already?" Fuka frowned.
"If you did, I wouldn't ask again." Sometimes Sana really knew how to get under her skin, Fuka thought as she watched her best friend put a finger to her chin.
"Are you sure?" Sana started, "Because I'm sure you did ask."
Fuka narrowed her eyes at the auburn head in front of her. Was Sana trying to persuade her into thinking that she did ask when she didn't? Because the brown haired girl didn't count her asking on Sana's first day back.
"For the last time-" Fuka dropped the cleaning supplies onto the classroom and crossed her arms out in front of her, ticked off. "I didn't ask. Now, will you drop the act? It's a simple question. Why are you evading the question?"
Sana opened her mouth to answer the question, but no words were spoken. She knew better than to push an agitated Matsui Fuka. But how could Sana answer a question she wasn't sure of the answer too?
"I'm not evading the question, Fuka." Sana began, "And I moved because of Mama's work."
She watched as her best friend rolled her eyes and scoffed. Fuka turned away, grabbing the Windex and headed towards the windows.
"Sana, writers don't move around. It doesn't work like that."
"Well, that's what Mama's reason was for coming to Tokyo for!" She stomped her foot, like a child throwing a tantrum.
Fuka threw her an inconspicuous gaze, almost like she didn't understand what Sana was saying.
"She said she needed a new change of pace. That Nagoya had become boring to her and she needed something fresh and new to inspire her writing." The auburn haired teenager said as she wiped down the book shelf.
The Osaka native watched her best friend out of the corner of her eye and saw an expression of feeling that she rarely saw on Sana's face.
Sadness.
When was Kurata Sana ever sad?
"So she made you leave? Because she needed a change of pace for her book?" Fuka decided to push it, see how far she would get. "Didn't she think about your feelings at all?"
Sana turned to Fuka with a slight glare. "It didn't bother me, okay? Sure, I had a bunch of friends that I was sad leaving behind, but I knew I would make more to wherever I went. And I have. I met up with you again and I met Tsuyoshi, Aya, Ayame, even that broody Hayama Akito."
Sana had a point, Fuka thought.
"Yes, I was sad to leave Nagoya. Do I miss it? Of course I do. But am I happy here? Yes, I am. So honestly Fuka, that's all that I could give you." Sana sighed and turned without another word to Fuka.
To say Fuka was surprised by the sudden outburst, even if it wasn't really an outburst, of her best friend. Sana wasn't the same girl she left behind in Nagoya. Within a matter of three years, Kurata Sana had matured, changed into someone Fuka almost didn't recognize.
Deciding it was best to drop the topic now, Fuka continued with her assigned after school chores. This was a conversation for another day.
-O-
"Ugh!" Sana groaned as she smacked her head lightly against her locker.
Once she and Fuka had finished their after school duties, there was this awkward silence between them as they placed everything back in the supplies shed and made their way towards their lockers. She tried making conversation, hoping to settle the awkward air between them. But, Fuka was hell bent on keeping the tension.
It was an awful habit of Fuka's that the auburn haired teenager disliked. Fuka didn't know how to let go of anything. She would keep it awkward on purpose, making sure it was uncomfortable for anyone in the proximity around her.
And that's exactly what she did.
"Why does Fuka have to be so frustrating?" She asked herself. "I don't know why she's being so persistent."
With a heavy sigh, Sana closed her locker shut and headed towards the exit of the school. A rare look of solemn crossed her naturally bright disposition.
Fuka brought up a valid point, she thought. Of course Sana pondered on the why. Why did her mama make them move to Tokyo? She felt that it had more to do than with her mother saying that she needed a new place to inspire her to write her new book. But her entire life, her mother never gave her a reason to question her choices.
Until now.
"Stupid Fuka." Sana muttered as she clenched the straps of her backpack tightly.
She was happy where she was now. Of course she missed her life in Nagoya and the friends she left behind, but she was enjoying herself in her new life in Tokyo.
Shaking her head to throw out the awful thoughts, Sana put her infectious smile on her face to hide the doubts. It was something that would work out eventually. Things always happened for a reason.
Hayama Akito watched as Kurata Sana walked out of the school with her head low; a sight he wasn't accustomed to seeing. Whenever he caught glimpse of the girl, she always had that annoying smile plastered on her face.
He had just finished writing an essay on respect, which, according to his lab teacher, he had none. After making a snide comment to his teacher about his lack of respect in students, Hayama found himself stuck with a 500 word essay on what it means to respect your elders.
To say he wasn't in the best of moods was an understatement. He didn't take orders well from others, especially those who spoke to him in condescending tones. And he was easily irritable with those type of persons.
His lab teacher had officially made it on what he called his "shit list."
And when he was grumbling, making his way out of the hallway, that's when he noticed a rare sight.
A sulking Kurata Sana.
Having already seen her earlier in the day, he wasn't in the mood to deal with her rambunctious self. But, there was a solemn aura surrounding the normally happy girl.
Hayama watched her carefully, noticing the way her face fell so low and how discouraged her body language was presenting itself. With her shoulders shrugged, head down low, and eyes dull, he could have sworn he was looking at his past self.
Within the last two weeks, Kurata Sana was always smiling radiantly. He didn't think that the girl had a bone of sadness in her, as cliché as it sounded. But now, he felt like he was seeing a peeled layer of her emotions; almost as if her bright disposition was just a mask to the world.
He supposed Kurata Sana wasn't always just a happy girl.
He supposed that there was more to the auburn haired girl that had already made such an impact.
But it was only for a brief moment that he was left questioning. Coming back to his senses, he shook his head, reminding himself there was no need for him to be concerned for such trivial things.
It wasn't like he was friends with her.
Even as that thought ran through his head, his mind went back to only a few hours ago when she asked him to participate in their idiotic project for their English class.
Hayama didn't want to work with her, well anyone really, but especially her, because of how cheerful she was. She was consistently happy. And every day when he passed by her in the halls or was in the same class with her, he wondered how it was possible to be as gleeful as she was. He didn't need that type of influence around him.
But in the last few minutes, he saw raw emotion from her that was… dare he say it? Intriguing to him.
Which made him think that maybe Kurata Sana was just as fucked up as he was.
But only for a moment.
Scoffing, he frowned. How naïve of him. There was no way that someone as loud and gleeful as Kurata Sana was as fucked up in the head as he was. That was plain, stupid thinking on his part.
Shrugging off the weird thoughts in his mind, Hayama steadily paced his way home, his answer becoming clearer with each step.
-O-
The sky was darkening as the gray storm clouds rolled in and the thunder was making itself known. Ayame watched with frightened eyes as the rain began to fall lightly. She loved the rain, but was anti thunder. Once the phenomena took over the sky, she went looking for shelter under the sheets of her bed.
And today, that's what she wanted to do.
Unfortunately, school had her out early in the morning.
"Yo! Ayame-chan!"
At the sound of the young Hayama's name, she turned, coming face to face with a smiling Kurata Sana.
"Hey Sana-chan!"
"Some rain clouds, huh? It's only sprinkling right now, but I have a feeling it's going to fall hard much later." Sana commented as she gripped the umbrella tightly over her head.
"I agree. But I hope it starts to rain much later. Like when were out of school later." Ayame commented and Sana laughed slightly.
"Are you afraid of the rain, Ayame-chan?" Ayame went rigid as the sound of thunder encased the entirety of her surrounding area. She held on to her umbrella for dear life and bit down on her lip. Sana noticed Ayame's severe reaction and immediately put a hand to her shoulder.
The blonde chuckled dryly. "Not really as much the rain as the thunder I guess you can say."
Sana nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "Well, you can just sing the Thunder Song from the American movie Ted. That always makes me feel better in a thunderstorm!"
Ayame didn't know why, but she couldn't help but laugh as the auburn haired girl said that to her. It would be just like Sana to suggest watching an American comedy to cure her thunder phobia.
"Seriously?" She asked through tears and laughter.
Sana grinned and nodded. "I'm serious! It's such a funny movie and the bear, Ted and his best friend John, are hilarious! Mama doesn't like me watching it, but whenever thunderstorms roll around, I just sing that song and I feel a lot better!"
"You don't seem like the type of person to sing such a vulgar song, Sana." Ayame commented, recalling having seen the video on YouTube somewhere.
Laughing, she jumped on her toes and said "Well, it isn't really my cup of coffee," Ayame was sure that Sana meant tea, "And I don't sing along exactly, but I reword it to where it's acceptable."
Now that sounded more like Sana than anything, the young blonde thought to herself.
"But I guess I can try it out." Sana grinned, giving her the thumbs up.
The girls got lost in conversation, eventually making their way into the school gates. Similar to themselves, almost everyone was using an umbrella to save themselves from the rain. There was only a few brave souls that were bearing the cold rain.
"I really wish they would cancel school for this type of weather."
Sana laughed at Ayame's comment as she shrugged off the droplets of water from her umbrella before putting it away in her locker.
"Yeah, I wish school wasn't a thing period." She commented as Ayame closed her umbrella.
"Hey guys."
Both teenagers turned to see Akimoto Hiro walking up to them with a bright smile on his face.
"Yo!" Sana greeted.
"Hello Hiro-kun." Ayame followed.
"Some weather brewing out there, huh?" The green eyed 4th year said as his eyes laid on Kurata Sana. Ayame noticed the slight twinkle in her eye and couldn't help but giggle slightly.
"I'm okay with it, but Ayame-chan here wishes she could have just stayed home."
The youngest Hayama pouted, throwing a hurt glare towards the young auburn teenager.
Hiro shifted his gaze towards Ayame and chuckled, embracing her in a brotherly hug. The young blonde immediately blushed, his warmness filling her cold body. Nothing about hugging Akimoto Hiro was taken as a romantic act; rather, it was taken as a brotherly gesture.
"Hiro-kun!" Ayame shouted into his arms as he laughed.
Sana giggled, saying "Aww! So cute! It's almost like he's your older brother!"
"Someone's gotta watch out for this kid, right?" Hiro said as he released Ayame from his hold. The warmness that enveloped Ayame disappeared and she almost wished that Hiro didn't let go.
Sana didn't miss the jab the older teenager made as he smiled through his teeth.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Ayame shouted and Hiro threw a scrunched face at her.
"Ha! If you count almost burning your house down when cooking dinner capable!"
Sana watched as the two conversed and smiled sincerely. If it wasn't for the vast difference in appearance, anyone would think they were siblings. Hiro had such a charismatic personality with his charming smile and bright disposition. Ayame was a bubbly and outgoing girl who could strike a conversation with a rock. The relationship the two shared seemed almost obvious.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought about a broody, stoic blonde haired boy who shared the same blood as the girl in front of her. The image dampened her mood because she knew that the relationship Ayame had with Hiro was a far cry from the relationship she had with her actual brother.
As she glanced around the room, Sana's eyes landed on the boy who currently had her thoughts.
He was shaking the rain droplets from his umbrella as he stuffed it into his locker. The same apathetic look that he bore everyday graced his tanned face.
Did it bother him that Hiro was so close to his sister? That the green eyed boy was caring for her more than he was?
She didn't realize she was watching for so long because Sana could feel a hand at her shoulder and she jumped in her place.
"Whoa, you okay there, Sana?" Staring straight into his bright, emerald eyes, Sana could feel a blush creeping to her cheeks.
"Huh? Oh yeah! I just kind of dazed out." Bending over, scratching the back of her head, Ayame and Hiro both glanced at each other, then back at her with suspicion. Then, they shrugged their shoulders and went back to conversation.
The morning bell chimed.
"Ah, I better get going. See you at lunch, Sana-chan! Bye Hiro-kun!" Ayame said, significantly happier than when she entered school.
Both figures waved bye as the youngest of the trio scurried away and Hiro turned towards Sana. "Shall we go?"
Sana smiled, following his lead. She missed all the glares and envious stares thrown her way as she walked up the stairs with the most popular boy in the school.
-O-
The day had moved relatively fast and now Sana was sitting in English, sighing in frustration. As much as she hoped Fuka wouldn't make today awkward, her wishes were crushed. It was almost uncomfortable sitting in the same area as her. Fuka kept throwing her awkward glances and making unnecessary comments.
Because it was that obvious. Fuka wasn't exactly hiding her bitterness about Sana's lack of answers.
At lunch, Tsuyoshi had nervously asked the two if there was anything wrong. Before Sana could even answer, Fuka turned the question towards her and said "I don't know. Is there, Sana?" Shocked and confused, she couldn't even muster a reply.
All eyes were on her, but she was so thrown back by Fuka's counter that she was simply lost for words. She loved Fuka to death and considered her a great friend, but the brunette was a real piece of work sometimes.
She was selfish and manipulative when she didn't get the things she wanted or when things simply didn't go her way. Sana had always thought that Fuka had something against her because of their past. The auburn haired teenager wasn't sure if her best friend would ever let it go.
Even though they were so close, Fuka always made it out to be competition between the two, even when Sana was against the idea. Fuka made sure to always make it about her or her winning over Sana. And it was quite irritating.
Sana could remember all the sarcastic and condescending tones from Fuka. There were so many times where Fuka would just rub salt into the wound, making it sting. And even though she was never keen on letting the brunette get away with her patronizing tone, it still hurt.
"Really Sana? How could you have gotten a C? It was so easy!"
"How could you not land that? All that practice for that?"
"Why is math so hard for you? It's like you're not even trying!"
But despite the obvious flaws, Sana loved Fuka to death. She supposed that superiority complex of hers resulted from growing up in a household where mistakes were not allowed. Her mother was a perfectionist and required nothing less than perfect from the brunette. Sana could recount countless nights in her room where Fuka as glued to her computer or books due to studying. Or the hours Fuka spent in the gym, practicing her gymnastic moves for her next performance.
She couldn't really blame the girl for expecting perfection when she wasn't allowed room for error.
It was still a tough pill to swallow.
So she choose to hide away in her English class, watching as the rain fell heavily. The light patter from this morning turned to showers and she found herself entranced by the falling water from the sky.
She was running away.
But who cared?
If Sana wanted to run away, she could. She was going to confront the issue soon anyway. Might as well get away from the tension for a while before Fuka pushed for more answers to questions she didn't have the answers too herself.
So lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice when a new figure entered the room.
His blonde eyes locked with her immediately. He could only ponder on why she was in the room so early. Normally, she would be one of the last to enter. Most likely because she was too busy talking away with every person possible.
But as he watched her so closely, she seemed to be under pensive thought. Her signature smile wasn't even plastered on her face like it usually was.
That was… odd.
Hayama Akito walked over towards her as his seat was right behind hers. But even as the blonde made his way over, she paid no attention to him. Was she really that deep in thought, the blonde thought to himself as he sat down.
Kurata Sana did not seem like the girl who lost herself in thoughts like that. She was more the speak before you think type of girl, he had concluded all those weeks ago. But now, it was like a complete stranger was sitting in front of him.
Because while Kurata Sana was a stranger to him, she didn't even seem recognizable.
Beep. Beep.
Surprising both the teenagers, Hayama watched as the auburn haired teenager jumped in her chair and checked her phone. He scoffed. 'Typical.'
When he leaned back against the chair, there was a loud squeal and Sana jumped in her seat for the second time within a matter of minutes. She turned towards him and blonde clashed with hazel. No doubt surprised, Sana quickly masked her pensive state with a smile.
He noted that immediately.
"Oh! Hayama! I didn't even see you come in!" She said with her signature smile.
Fake or real? He thought to himself.
But wait… why does he care?
He doesn't.
Hayama scoffed once again, rolling his eyes. "Do you ever pay attention?"
She frowned almost instantly. "Of course I do!" He rose a brow and she immediately shrunk in her chair. "Just not when you came in." She muttered, her cheeks tainted in slight pink as if she was embarrassed.
"What are you doing in here so early anyway?" She turned the conversation quickly, he thought. Humor her? Or ignore her?
"I always come in this early." He replied passively.
"Always? That's no way to spend your lunch." She commented.
"How I spend my lunch doesn't concern you."
Probably not the best reply, he thought as Hayama watched her go from shocked to angry within a matter of seconds.
"I wasn't asking you how you spend your lunch, you jerk." She started as she crossed her arms. "I was just saying that's a waste of 30 minutes. Might as well do something better with them than just sit in a classroom when you're going to be doing that already anyway."
She had a point, unfortunately. But he wasn't about to let himself be told by this auburn haired girl.
"Then humor me, Kurata." He locked eyes with her and sat up straight in his seat. "If those 30 minutes are so precious, why are you sitting here wasting them away in a classroom you will be spending the next 75 minutes in?"
Taken aback by his question, she furrowed her brows. "Because running away from my problems is something I'm pretty good at so I'm going to sit here and wait for the problem to catch up to me and bite me in the butt."
Hayama was stunned slightly in her reply. The mask she put up so proudly faltered for that quick second and he caught a glimpse of her masked emotions.
And what he saw left him with slight shock.
"Are you really that self-righteous about yourself that you can't muster a curse word like ass?" The blonde recovered quickly though as he muttered his next reply. He watched as she rolled her eyes.
"I think you're getting me confused with a certain brunette. I hardly find myself with my nose in the air."
She had a point… again. Dammit.
"Fair enough."
She eyed him carefully, as if she was waiting for his next move. He didn't have a reply to her statement because it was true. Being shown up like that was a blow to his ego but he could eat it up. He wasn't so full of himself that it damaged any sufficient part of his pride. That he had enough of. His sister could attest to that.
"Have you decided yet?"
The question caught him off guard, but quickly he was able to remember why she was asking it in the first place.
Was Hayama Akito going to willingly work on this idiotic project with her so they could pass this class with higher than a C?
He had been thinking about it for some time, unfortunately. It wasn't something he wanted to give much thought too when there was other things that should have kept him up at night. But, he hadn't been able to make up his mind right away, weirdly.
Anyone else and the final say would have been established the moment their names were read.
But Kurata Sana had a way and it thoroughly pissed him off. Because this was supposed to be easy. Ignore the new girl. Avoid making friends. Graduate high school. Move on in life.
Life had a tricky way of putting things together.
Sana bit down on her lip as the blonde haired boy remained staring at her. She was delving on whether she wanted to ask him. The auburn haired teenager felt like she gave him sufficient time to make the final decision.
If his final decision was no, he would have said so by now… right?
Patiently and anxiously, the anticipation was building. She almost wanted him to just rip off the band aid and avoid the sting if he was going to say no instead of letting her gnaw a hole through her lip. But Hayama was not showing any signs of the latter.
"I'm not asking you to share your life story with me. I'm just asking you to meet me half way." She reassured him, hoping that it would help with his thought process. But there was no change. His eyes remained as detached as the day she first met him.
"I can even start." She smiled, "My name is Kurata Sana. I am sixteen years old and have moved around 4 times in my life. I was born in Tokyo, but grew up in Osaka and Nagoya. My birthday is March 9th and I live with my mama, Kurata Misako and our house maid, Shimura."
As Sana spoke, there was no change in the blonde behind her. Not even a single crinkle line moved. She could truly not read his emotions.
She sighed in defeat. Was his silence the no she was already anticipating?
"Alright, fine. Sit there and brood for all I care." She said as she turned around and pouted in her chair. Why did he have to make everything so difficult?! She wasn't asking him for much! She was practically pleading for him to meet her half way! How hard was that?
Apparently really frickin' hard.
The loud chime of the bell rang, meaning the lunch was over. Checking her phone for any messages, there were a few from Tsuyoshi and one from Hiro. None from Fuka.
Sana didn't know why she expected there would be.
The classroom began to fill in and one after another, a student stepped into the room. They paid no attention to her and Hayama in the back. Some would greet her and she would return the gesture. But most just walked in without a care.
When the teacher walked in, Sana pulled out her notebook and began to write down the notes from today's class, hating the English language for being so difficult to learn. She had always heard that the English language was the hardest language to learn. What possessed the front office to place her in this class? Had they not taken a look at her grades? Language wasn't her strongest suit.
At the mention of their project, Sana flinched slightly. Her teacher once again reminding them that without the completion of this project, they would not obtain any higher than a C in the course. Her mind traveled back to Hayama Akito and hoped that he cared about his grades enough to change his already seemingly decided decision.
She quickly went back to the lesson plan and Sana diligently paid attention to the scribbles on the board even if she didn't know what they meant half the time.
Class moved quickly because the bell chimed, catching her of guard. Their teacher reminded them to work on the project at least for half an hour every day once more before everyone flooded out of the classroom.
Sana was one of the last few in the class as she made her way out the door.
But she felt herself being tugged back as a hand gripped her arm. She turned quickly, her instincts taking over. The words were already forming at the tip of her tongue.
Then when she locked eyes with him, they disappeared just as fast.
"Hayama?" She questioned.
"Half way. And that's it."
Her mind blanked as the words left his mouth.
"No more, no less. We meet half way." He said again.
But this time, her mind registered his words.
Did Hayama Akito just agree to do the project?
She could feel the corners of her mouth rise as the smile split her face in half.
Hayama Akito just agreed to do the project.
"Seriously?" Sana had to ask for reassurance.
"Only half way, Kurata. That's the only way I'm agreeing to this."
She nodded vigorously. Who was she to deny his request?
"Just half way! Got it!" She saluted, then burst into a fit of giggles. He had released his grip on her at that point and watched her with careful eyes.
Hayama probably though she was mad.
Oh well.
She didn't care because he agreed to do the project with her!
"Are you always this weird about things like this?" He asked her.
"Weird? Oh yeah. Definitely." Sana reassured. "About school projects? Never. I'm just happy that you're giving me a chance."
Sana could tell he was thrown off by her sudden change in tone. One minute she was overly excited, the next, sincerity drowned out the bubbly energy from moments ago.
"So thank you." She genuinely smiled at him, appreciating what it must have took for him to decide to let her in, even if it was half way.
"Don't over think any of this. It's just for a stupid grade." He muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Right. The project." She said, the smile still plastered on her face.
He rolled his eyes and turned away, making his way to their final class of the day. "Whatever." He sputtered before his back disappeared into the sea of students.
Sana watched him shrink in the distance.
Hayama probably agreed to do this because of the project and cared about his grade more than he cared about making her life miserable.
But that didn't bother Sana.
She was thrilled that maybe, just maybe this could be the breakthrough she was patiently waiting for with him.
A/N: And this chapter is now done! Wow. This was intended to be much shorter and updated much sooner, but there was a lot more that went on than originally planned. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! A lot of insight on Fuka. Some good, some bad. There's a lot of inner conflict between the two girls that still needs to be touched on. Fuka and Sana are best friends, yes. But there is a lot of inner tension that needs to be resolved, as you all can see.
And Akito agreed! How many of you saw that coming? It was probably obvious. But that doesn't mean that he is going to make it easy for Sana. Watch for a lot of future disputes between the two, which we already knew was inventible. Next chapter, we will touch on a lot of reactions to the project and we will learn more about our protagonists of the story. Little by little, past of our favorites are going to be shed to light so that's something to look forward too
I hope you enjoyed the chapter all in all! Reviews, criticism, comments, questions, etc. are always welcomed! Let me know how I did so I can do better for the next time! They are always appreciated! I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I hope it's soon!
Until next time!
-Dark Waffle