p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Chapter 4/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"A/N: Sorry for being late. After graduating from collge, I was trying to get a job and studying for it. I really don't have any energy to write or draw these days…br /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongspan lang="EN-US"April 20th, 2006. Snowpoint City/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari was working in the convenience store when the bell on the door rang. Hikari looked up to find her teacher standing there. She stood up and greeted him. He nodded and headed to the refrigerator. Hikari was sure he lived nearby. He actually paid a visit quite often. Usually, he came for the beer or oden or snacks. They didn't talk much but he did answer her questions when she had one while studying. He didn't mind her delaying his return home. So, Hikari usually studied biology while working. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari stared at his back, still standing up. Then the bell rang again and Haruka came in./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hikari! Surprise!" Haruka approached her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hi. What's up?" Hikari asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Well, I just wanted to ask what you would want for your birthday! It's only 4 days away, right?" Haruka beamed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Anything you give me would be fine, Haruka. I always love your artworks." Hikari said, thinking what she would want./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Really? Well, you don't really have a favorite character. Who should I draw for you?" Haruka frowned a little, thinking./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Excuse me, Miss Shundo." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Haruka jumped in surprise and found Shinji behind her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Gah! I'm sorry." Haruka stepped aside as Shinji placed cans of beer and packs of almond on the counter. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Haruka glanced at the teacher and grinned, "Okay Hikari. Think of who you want or the 'birthday present' and send a chat, okay? I will be waiting!" Haruka emphasized slightly on the word 'birthday present', waved her hand and exited the convenience store. Hikari waved her goodbye back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji was silent./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""That would be 3000 Pokeyens." Hikari told him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""So, it's your birthday?" Shinji asked, as he took out his wallet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Um, yes, sir. On 24supth/sup." Hikari replied. Since they encountered each other more often than they should, they were used to talking to each other. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari wondered why he asked that. Was he trying to get her a present as well? But that wouldn't be fair to other students. She shouldn't expect special treatment from the teacher, right? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Mmhm." He slowly nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari returned the change. Just then the door opened again and a young woman with strawberry blonde hair walked in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Shinji! There you are." She walked up to the said man and clang to his arm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji? That woman just called her teacher by his first name, right? Only close friends or family members do that. Or…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari blinked awkwardly as the train of thought passed through her brain, thinking of the worst. But, Shinji's expression didn't change./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"She looked like some super model to Hikari. Her clothes were kind of showy, showing her curves. Hikari unconsciously compared herself to the woman. Hikari was rather a petite girl. She was small, and her body didn't really have feminine curves. She normally wouldn't care much but she did at the moment. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yumi, I told you to wait a bit." He replied with a sigh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Okay, he just called the woman by her first name as well. Hikari's heart was pounding really fast now. Were they siblings? But usually siblings don't cling onto each other like that. She couldn't imagine herself doing that to Shu or Kouki. And they didn't really look alike. Does that mean she was his… girlfriend?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari was staring at them, and the woman noticed it. She studied Hikari for a second and smirked. Hikari frowned at that. What was that?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I will see you tomorrow, Sakurazawa." Shinji told Hikari as he picked up the plastic bag./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Um, yes sir." Hikari replied and watched the two leaving the store. She stared at their back through the window and Shinji's arm was now around her shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari bit her lips. She suddenly felt weird and awkward. A bit a frustration filled her head as she sat back down on her stool to resume to her studying. But she couldn't focus on it well. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari returned home with Kouki and after taking a short bath, she turned on her computer to send a chat to Haruka./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: hey, Haruka, I'm here./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: Hikari! I wanted to hang around a little more, but u seemed busy XD/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: no, I wasn't. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: never mind that, so did u think about who u want? /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari tapped her chin for a moment. She couldn't think up of who she wanted as a painting. Haruka usually drew something for her birthday. So Hikari was used to that, but she just couldn't think up of who she wanted. Last year it was Jun. She burned that piece after getting an okay from Haruka. Well, someone popped up in her head but she ignored the thought./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: then can I choose for u instead? /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: no. u are trying to tease me/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: I never told u who I was thinking! so there is someone u have in your mind!/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Crap./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: pls don't. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: u can't deny ur feelings forever/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: idk what u r talking about./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Then someone knocked the door./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hikari, can I come in?" It was Kouki./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Just a bit!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"ShinyH0424: hey I need to go now. I will just leave it to u/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emspan lang="EN-US"Flowergirl05: got it!/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari logged off and opened the door for Kouki. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""What's up?" Hikari asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Nothing much, I just have a question about math assignment."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Sure, what is it?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Kouki was apparently having trouble with function so Hikari explained the whole thing from top to bottom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Okay, would that work now?" Hikari asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yeah, I guess it's fine for now. Anyways, do you have something in your mind for our birthday?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Well… I don't want to celebrate it big. What about you? It's not like I don't want to rest but mid-term's soon so, yeah…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I agree. Is there anything you want?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Just an awkward sibling hug and that would be fine." Hikari said with a laugh. Then what she saw in the convenience store flashed in her mind. Yeah, siblings wouldn't do that. She was definitely his girlfriend./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Is something wrong Hikari?" Kouki asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""What? Oh, um, nothing. No need to worry, I'm just tired a little." Hikari laughed nervously. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongspan lang="EN-US"April 24supth/sup, 2006. Snowpoint City/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Happy Birthday, Hikari!" Shu said when Hikari walked down the stairs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thanks. Good morning." Hikari said with a smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Oh, there you are. Happy birthday, Kouki!" Shu greeted his other cousin as well. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thanks. Happy birthday Hikari!" Kouki said with a grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thanks, bro. I have a gift for you." Hikari handed him a small packet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""It's the pen you wanted to have." Hikari explained./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thanks! I have one for you too." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari received a pair of new hairpin from Kouki and an expensive lip balm from Shu. The hairpin wasn't yellow, but it was pale pink. Like cherry blossoms. Hikari thanked both of them and exchanged her hairpin to her new ones and put the lip balm into her bag./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"When they arrived at school, everyone of her classmates congratulated her with a smile and some of them gave her a small snack as a gift./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you." She thanked them. Soon there was a pile of small gifts and snack on her desk. When Shinji entered the classroom, she was about to get them all into her bag. Shinji saw that and Hikari blushed in embarrassment. Shinji didn't say a word about that and started the morning assembly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hikari!" After the assembly, someone called out for her from outside of the class./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hey guys!" Hikari stood up from her seat and ran to the door, where Haruka and Kasumi were with Satoshi. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Here, this is for you." Kasumi said as she handed Hikari a small package./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari squealed, "Thank you! Mind if I open it now?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Not at all."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari opened it to see a bracelet in it. She grinned. It was a thin silver with a small heart charm on it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you." Hikari said as she put it on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""And this is from me." Haruka gave her a cylinder-shaped container. It probably had her drawing in it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""And don't open it now. Later at home." Haruka added. Hikari was puzzled but nodded okay. Did she really draw who she was thinking?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari then spotted Jun, her ex at the back but ignored him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you for the gifts, guys. I'm so happy." Hikari hugged her friends./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hey, it's really nothing." Kasumi said with a grin and hugged back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hey, Hikari." She turned to see who it was and groaned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Go away, Kuwata. And don't call me by the first name." Hikari frowned at the blonde boy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yeah, go away. Who do you think you are to call her that?" Haruka agreed and growled at the boy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I mean, it's your birthday today. So I-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Get away from me." Hikari backed up from him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="KO""/spanspan lang="EN-US"Hey, I'm just trying to be friendly."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="KO""/spanspan lang="EN-US"Friendly by coming up to my house every once or so? That's creepy as hell." Hikari snapped./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="KO""/spanspan lang="EN-US"It's not like I'm causing any harm. I'm just trying to be nice to you again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="KO""/spanspan lang="EN-US"Well, I don't need that. And I want you to stop." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Jun was about to say something but stopped when Satoshi glared at him. He mumbled something under his breath and walked away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I have a bad feeling about him. Look out, okay?" Kasumi told Hikari who nodded in agreement./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hey! Sakurazawa! Iwai Sensei called you to come." One of Hikari's classmates called Hikari./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Oh, I guess I have to go now. I will see you guys at lunch." Hikari immediately headed to the faculty office. Her pace was getting faster and faster. She was still holding on to her presents. Hikari wondered if he would say 'happy birthday' to her. Just by thinking that, her heart was pounding./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji saw that but didn't say anything about it. "Good, you are here. Hand this out to the class." Shinji pointed to the stack of paper on his desk. Hikari was holding the gifts so she hesitated for a moment but managed to lift them all up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Be careful with that." He said./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""No need to worry!" She said but immediately after she said that she tripped on her foot and the paper went flying everywhere. Hikari stood up right away, but she was very embarrassed because everyone in the office was staring at her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Are you okay?" Shinji asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yes! I'm fine." Hikari replied, face red./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji didn't take it and stood up to help her pick up the paper and the gift boxes as well. He gave her the pile and placed the gifts on top of the pile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I told you to be careful, troublesome." He started calling her that ever since their talk in the hallway. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I'm fine, sir. And don't call me that." Hikari said with a pout./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I will stop if you stop being so troublesome." He said with a stern face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari humphed and turned around. She stopped for a brief moment in a hope for her teacher to congratulate her for her birthday. But he didn't say anything. So, she exited the office, feeling a slight disappointment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Later that day, when Hikari was working, she heard a loud noise from outside. She looked out through the window and spotted the woman she saw from last week. She was fuming as she stomped away, and Shinji was behind her. He didn't look like he was in a good mood and neither did she. They were bickering and yelling at each other. Hikari kind of wanted to hear what was going on but the sound was muffled by the windows./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari gasped when the woman pushed Shinji away roughly and walked away out of the sight. Shinji rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. Then he glanced at her direction and realized that Hikari had seen the whole scene. He looked embarrassed. Hikari turned away and tried to forget what she just saw./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"But the door opened, and Shinji came in. Hikari greeted him like nothing happened. Shinji grabbed a chocolate bar from the bottom of the counter and placed it on the top./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""That would be 100 Pokeyens." Hikari said, trying to sound like her usual chirpy self./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Did you see what happened?" He asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari breathed in deeply, "No sir."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji grunted, "Don't lie to me Sakurazawa."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Even if I did see it, there's no need for you to worry. It's not like I'm going to tell the whole class or something." Hikari said, trying hard not to show any emotion into her words. But her curiosity was killing her instead of a Glameow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yeah, thanks." He sounded sarcastic./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""But she was your girlfriend, right?" Hikari asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yes, she is. Don't tell others that I have one though, I'm trying my best not to talk about my private life at school." Shinji said as he handed her the money./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I promise I won't. Um, can I ask why you fought? I mean I already saw it." She asked, putting the bill into the cash register./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Didn't I just tell you that I don't want to talk about my private life, Sakurazawa?" Shinji replied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Well, you did, but seeing it made me curious. If you didn't want me to know, then maybe you should've fought somewhere else." She said with a grin on her face. She was teasing him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji did think Hikari was getting too close to him. She was the only student who was eager to talk to him or even be friendly to him. He didn't mind her talking to him at school about school stuff, but this was different. But they did fight in front of her workplace, and he suspected that she would just keep asking if he didn't tell her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Alright, fine. Troublesome girl." He groaned, "She wanted me to move to Eterna City."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Eterna City? Why?" Hikari's pulse fastened, hearing that./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""That's where she lives. I told her many times that it won't happen, but she insists it every time we meet."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""But, if you like her, don't you want to live close to her?" Hikari chose her words carefully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji looked down at the student, he didn't want to give his student a clear answer, "I have a job here. And it's important to me, Miss Sakurazawa. And she should be the one to move here since she's the one who wants to have a date every day."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari wanted to ask more but she didn't want to cross the line, like he said, so she just nodded. After all, she was part of the job he was talking about./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"He picked up the chocolate bar and handed it to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Umm…."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Here, take it. I'm sorry you had to see, um, that incident." Shinji insisted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you." She replied and grabbed the bar. She put it in her bag. He checked his watch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"She realized that her shift was almost over. She hesitated. Kouki would say something if he saw her with the teacher. Hikari had already told Shinji that he didn't need to bother with walking her home, when she met him in the store again on the third day of the school. Shinji asked her if she was sure, and she said yes. She didn't explain why he didn't need to because she didn't want him to think of her as a little girl. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Um, won't you have to go after your girlfriend?" Hikari said that to decline the offer, although she wanted to accept it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Shinji grumbled, "No, I don't have to. So, do you want me to or not?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Just out of curiosity, are you worried about us that much?" By us, she meant the class. And he was sensible enough to notice that./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Actually, yes. And especially you. I saw you trip down, or almost trip a lot, it's almost a miracle you can still walk."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Oh…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Now, answer the question."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Then, yes. I guess." She said sheepishly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I will wait outside." Shinji headed out the store and sat at the table which was on the porch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"She pulled out her phone and texted Kouki he wouldn't need to come since she was with Haruka. She gulped, because it felt bad for lying./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"After she came out of the store the two started walking to her house's direction. This time he wasn't walking behind her, but beside her. They walked in silence, and Hikari could hear her own heartbeat through the quietness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"They finally arrived and Hikari took a deep breath./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Alright, we are here. Thank you for walking me, sensei." Hikari said with a smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Mmhm. Oh, and Sakurazawa," Shinji spoke./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Yes sir?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Happy birthday." He said quietly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari felt like her heart was about to burst. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""I will see you tomorrow." He spoke and walked away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Bye!" She called out after him and went inside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Hey, where's Haruka?" Kouki asked when she came in./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Huh? Oh, um, she went home. She said she had homework to do." Hikari lied again. Kouki was right. She was going to lie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Okay…" Kouki raised his brow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""What?" Hikari frowned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US""Nothing." Kouki shrugged as he entered the kitchen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"Hikari headed toward her room upstairs. She sat down on her desk./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"'Happy birthday.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"His words echoed in her head. She inhaled deeply and exhaled. She closed her eyes, thinking up of any distraction then it hit her. She quickly took out the cylinder container given from Haruka and she opened it. Inside there was a sheet of paper and she gasped./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"It was her. Sakurazawa Hikari's portrait was there. She carefully traced down the lines with her fingertip. It was beautiful. Hikari had never asked Haruka to draw her, before. Usually it was her favorite singer or other friends. One time it was her mother. She carefully rolled the paper and put it back into the container, reminding herself to buy a nice frame to hold the portrait. She squealed to herself and liked down on her bed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 14.266666px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font', sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN-US"This was the best birthday she'd ever had./span/p