Chapter 39:

Back again

Ana avoided Seto all week. Every time their eyes met at school, her heart beat wildly, and she couldn't focus in class. At this rate, I'm going to lose my mind. On the last weekday of school, Goda called her out and asked to see her in the teacher's office. Sanae went to practice and Ana went to see Goda. She didn't look at Seto as she left. When she got to the teacher's office, she let out a sigh of relief before heading in.

Goda waved her over and handed her a paper. "Sakurai-san, I know you missed a lot of school at the beginning of the semester… Well, I recommend you get a private tutor to help you get back on track. Especially if you intend to go to college. Right now you won't make it into your top choices."

Ana looked at the paper and realized it was a summary of her grades. The color slowly drained from her face. Have my grades ever been this low?

"I don't think a student tutor would be enough if you want to catch up. I recommend talking with your family about it." Goda looked at her sympathetically.

"Thank you for your concern. I'll discuss it with them." Ana left and headed to the library. She stopped when she found Seto standing outside. He turned to her, but the look he was giving her was one of annoyance. She said nothing because her heart was going crazy. I can't do this right now.

"Kaiba-sempai!"

Seto didn't turn to the person calling him, but Ana's eyes slid behind him to the pink twin tailed freshman that was skipping up to Seto with a glowing expression on her face.

"Kaiba-sempai! It's so good to see you again—" Minami tried to grab onto his arm, but Seto smacked her hand away without even looking at her. The girl seemed truly shocked.

Seto didn't take his eyes off Ana. He made a tisk sound before walking around her and leaving. Crap… I've really pissed him off. Well, I guess ignoring him when he hasn't done anything wrong would put him in a bad mood. Ana snapped out of her thoughts when she realized how close Minami's face was to hers.

"You're Sakurai-sempai, right?" Minami glared at her. "You dated Kaiba-sempai last year. Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Huh?" Ana couldn't believe this girl was asking her something so personal to her face. Ana couldn't decide if it was embarrassing or refreshing. At least she's not spreading rumors behind my back. "I didn't like him when we were dating."

Minami took a step back and glared at her. "Well, whatever. Kaiba-sempai's mine now, so don't—"

"That's incredibly rude of you to declare that someone is yours without their consent. In fact, it's downright delusional and childish. What are you, a character from a badly written romance novel? Are you mentally stable? When did Kaiba-san become a thing that you could possess?" Minami looked taken aback at Ana's words. Or maybe it was the look of revulsion on her face. "Did you buy him? That would be slavery. Honestly, you couldn't afford to buy him even if you did. You couldn't put a price on him. So, take your childish delusions and shove them where the sun doesn't shine. You're acting like a stalker. It's creepy."

Ana turned and left the girl alone in the hallway, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She quickly left the building and stood next to the gate. Crap. I was going to wait in the library for Sanae. Ana looked back and forth at the street. There wasn't anyone there. I guess Amin-chan went home. Ana pulled out her phone and clutched it. Should I call Onii-san and ask him to come get me? She shook her head and looked down the street. I don't want to trouble everyone forever… I don't want to be weak forever. Taking a deep breath, she took a step outside the gate and then another. Slowly, she walked with her head down, clutching her cell phone tightly. The thirty-minute walk shouldn't have been very long, but it felt like ages. Finally, she reached the door to her home and sunk to the ground, panting. I-I did it. The door to the house opened and her brother came racing out. He must have seen her from a window.

"Ana!"

"Onii-san. I made it." She smiled up at him weakly.

He looked at her surprised and then let out a sigh of relief before patting her head. "Good job, come inside."

Ana stood up shakily, but made it inside. She couldn't help but grin the entire time.

Ana looked into the mirror at her skirt and blouse that was enhancing her figure. Is this a bit much? He said he liked my legs that one time… Ana shook her head and grab her purse before running down the stairs. She ran outside and waited at the gate entrance for Seto. She had to keep her promise and hang out with him today. He'd texted her Friday night what time he'd pick her up on Sunday, but hadn't told her anything else. What are we doing today? I hope it's not another surprise trip.

"Sakurai-san."

Ana turned to Seto's voice, her heart pounding like crazy. He walked up to her wearing black jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt with a high collared neckline. He was holding a wicker basket with a blanket over top.

"Wait… Sakurai-san?" Ana tilted her head, confused at why he was being so formal. She looked around, but didn't see anyone else. "Why are you calling me that way?"

"What way?" Seto stared at her with cold eyes.

Oh, he's really pissed. Did I ignore him too long? Maybe now he doesn't like me anymore…? Ana's hands felt cold at the thought. Seto turned and headed down the street, beckoning for her to follow. She followed him in silence, her thoughts running a mile a minute. Wait, was there something he wanted to tell me on Friday? Why was he waiting in the hallway? Did Minami declare that because something really happened between them? No, that's silly, right?

Ana's thoughts went round and round as her anxiety increased. Well, it's all fine, right? We really shouldn't date anyway because it would be hard and annoying, right?

"Sakurai-san!"

Ana snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Seto. He was pointing into a park. She followed him mindlessly. Oh, this is the park that we had our first fake date at. Unlike last time, there was a chain blocking the stairs that led up to the top.

"What's this?" Ana read the sign that said "Private property, no trespassing."

Seto lifted the chain and held it up for her. "I bought it."

"Huh? Why?" She asked, baffled as she ducked under the chain. Seto went under after her then took the lead like last time.

"Because I found it relaxing to work at." He didn't turn back to her as he climb the stairs.

"Are you planning on working again?" Ana felt a little hurt. He was the one who invited her. Or is he going to ignore me because he's mad?

"Should I?" His tone sounded spiteful.

Ana felt a lump form in her throat. When they made it to the top, she found a bench had been installed under a tree. Seto went over and sat down on the bench. Ana went to sit down too, but before she could sit next to him, he placed the basket in the middle of the bench. She was forced to sit with it in-between them. Sitting down, she felt numb as she watched him take sandwiches out of the basket. He handed her one and a soda before opening his and eating it. Ana unwrapped the plastic from the sandwich and bit into it. She was so nervous she couldn't taste anything. So, this is how my first crush ends. He stops liking me before I can even tell him I've fallen for him. Ha, pathetic…

Ana looked over at Seto, who was silently eating his lunch. A wave of anger hit her. That's just not fair. Seto took a sip of his drink.

"Amin-chan, I like you."

He choked so hard on his drink that it spilt onto his pants, and the drink fizzed over onto his hand as he pulled it away. Soda in one hand and sandwich in the other, he looked over at her. His face was bright red and mouth wide open in a mix of disbelief and distress.

"Eh?" Was all that came out of his mouth.

Ana burst out laughing at how silly he looked, but that only deepened the expression of embarrassment he was wearing. He took a deep breath. Slowly, he composed himself as he took out a napkin and wiped off his pants. When he finished, he turned back to her, his eyes narrowed and his mouth twitching.

"I get that your pissed at me right now though I'm not sure why, but I really don't appreciate you using my feelings to mess with me." Seto growled.

Ana stared at him confused, then realized that he thought she'd said what she did just to play with him. "I wouldn't ever play with people's feelings like that. Besides, you don't seem to like me anymore, so what does it matter?"

Seto looked even more confused. "When did I say I never liked you anymore?"

Her heart skipped a few beats. "Wait, so you do still like me?"

"Of course, I still like you—what are you making me say right now?" Seto's face was the brightest red she'd ever seen on a person.

Ana set down her sandwich and soda, afraid that she'd grip them too hard and crush them. She turned her head away and grabbed the edge of the bench instead.

"Then why did you stop calling me by my first name and why are you being so cold today?" Ana couldn't look at him as she asked. It felt like the heat in her body had accumulated in her face.

"Because you've been ignoring me and it pisses me off. I think anyone would get a little irritated if the person they liked avoided them when they didn't know the reason. Ah! That's not important. Why did you say that? That's too far for a prank."

Ana's anger boiled at his accusation. She stood up, walked in front of him, and looked down at him. She could tell her standing above him irritated him.

Before he could get up though, she repeated herself, "I like you."

Even his ears turned red, but if that was from embarrassment or anger, she couldn't tell. For once he seemed at a loss for words. She could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process what she'd said.

"I'm serious. I like you. I'm not just saying that to mess with you," she said it again.

He blinked a few times before asking, "Why?"

"I like your face." She half teased him. He gave her a funny, embarrassed, and annoyed reaction. "Well, I'm not kidding. You're handsome and have a nice body. Other than that, you're smart, though your kind of a showoff. You're driven, though you can be an asshole about it. Your talented, though you don't have any humility—"

"Are you sure you like me?" He interrupted and frowned at her. "Because right now it sounds like you have just as many dislikes as likes."

She sighed and looked at the ground. "I'm sure. You're reliable and I trust you. You can be fun to be around and I feel like if I need help, you'd be there for me if I really needed you."

Seto didn't say anything, and Ana glanced up at him. His eyes shifted from side to side as his mouth seemed to twitch. She held back a laugh at his cute reaction. Finally, he sighed and stood up.

"Then… What?" He asked.

Ana smiled evilly and crossed her arms. "What do you mean what?"

He scratched the back of his head and looked a bit confused. "Well, you said you like me."

"So? Oh, are you thinking this is a confession? I'm not asking you out. I'm just telling you how I feel." Ana grinned at him, getting back at him for his weird non-confession.

His eye twitched as he seemed to understand what she was doing, but to her surprise he just sighed before giving her a very serious look that made her feel exposed. "Will you go out with me?"

"No!" Her voice broke a little as she accidentally shouted it. His mouth opened slightly and his brow furrowed. He looked hurt. Ana quickly cleared her throat and tried again. "I mean. I can't just date you like a normal high schooler."

He was quick on the uptake. "Your family?"

"Yeah… and my grades." She admitted.

"Your grades?"

Ana sighed and pointed to the bench. Seto sat back down, and she did too.

"My grades fell dramatically because I was out of school for so long. I can graduate high school, but I don't think I could get into my preferred college with how much my grades fell. I want to go to college so I can…" Ana glanced over at Seto. He was leaning on his hand that was propped on the bench and giving her his full attention. Damn those pretty eyes.

"Teach snot-nosed brats?" Seto said, bringing her back to reality.

"Ah, yeah… So, you remember that. Then again, you can quote stuff I said from the first day we met. Exactly how good is your memory?" Ana wished she had his memory. Then school would be easy.

"You're miss understanding. I try to only remember the things that interest me or I like. There's not enough space in my brain to remember every annoying detail of everything that gets thrown in my path. Anyway, keep going."

"Right…" Ana blushed and looked away. "The current issues I have right now is that if I date you, grandpa will demand we date with marriage in mind. Casual dating isn't a term in his vocabulary. Also, if we got that serious, he would demand that we get married right away and I wouldn't be allowed to go to college. They would expect me to produce an heir as soon as possible. Since my grades have plummeted, I can't even argue that I have a chance to get into the college I want and so yeah… that about sums it up."

She finished her explanation and turned to look at Seto. His eyes were closed, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Was that too much? It is a lot of baggage to deal with… He took a deep breath then looked at her.

"Ana-chan, I can't date casually," before she could panic, he quickly explained, "If I went around dating casually, then people in my company could claim that I'm frivolous, and that if I can't take my relationships seriously how could I take my company seriously? It's stupid and unrelated, but they'll use anything to mess with me. I'm still young, so they think I'll be easy to overthrow. I'm not saying we have to get engaged, but if they think I'm just fulling around, then that will end up badly. So, I can't date casually. I have to be able to say that I'm looking at you as a future potential partner even if nothing comes of it later."

"Oh, ok. That's fine. But I don't know if my grandpa will—"

"Your grandpa can't force me to do jack shit. I won't be pushed into anything I nor you don't want."

Ana chuckled. "Well, that's good. That takes care of one thing… Now if I can just get my grades up and convince them to let me go to college."

"That won't take any convincing." Seto looked very confident when he said this. "I can't marry a woman who isn't smart. At the bare minimum, you should have an undergraduate degree or it would look bad on my family name. Plus, I can tutor you. I doubt your grandfather would turn down time for us to get closer. And if you really want, we could study to get into the same college together. That seems like something your grandfather would like."

"That… might actually work, but can I get into the same college as you?" Ana didn't feel sure.

"What are you talking about? Of course you can. You're just a little behind. If you weren't smart, I wouldn't like you." Seto smirked.

"That's a very Amin-chan way of complementing someone." Ana rolled her eyes, but when she made eye contact, she paused at the look he was giving her.

"I'm… not a nice person. I don't have the capacity to be nice to more than a few people in my life. I'm… probably not going to change that much until the day I die. I'll be an asshole ninety percent of the time, but I promise you can rely on me and I'll try my best to give you the ten percent that's left over. So, would you go out with me?"

Ana wanted to tease him and tell him how unromantic his confession was, but she decided she could do that later.

"Yes." She smiled, then couldn't help but laugh. Seto held out his hand toward her and took his. "Shaking hands is very formal for people who are agreeing to date."

Seto didn't let go of her hand, though. Ana looked from her hand to Seto and back again.

"Um, Amin-chan—"

"You can call me Seto since we're dating," he said so suddenly that it threw her off.

Ana quickly pulled her hand out of his and held it against her chest. "Maybe later."

"I have a question. Why did you push me into the fountain and why have you been so weird the last couple weeks if you like me?" Seto asked.

Ana fidgeted and glanced over at him. "I was embarrassed. It was the first time I've ever liked someone and I kind of figured it out as we took that picture…"

"Got it. So, if I see you push any other guy into a fountain, I should quietly get rid of them," he said it with such a straight face that she couldn't tell if he was fully joking or not.

"Amin-chan, don't be one of those weird possessive boyfriends that gets rid of every guy that looks my way. I don't think I'm that bad looking, so you'd have a lot of bodies to hide. That's just too much work. Do you know how many girls I'd have to kill if it was the other way around? More than you'd have to get rid of." Ana sighed.

Seto stared at her blankly. "What are you talking about? At least three to four guys check you out in class every day."

"Ten girls looked at you on Friday alone in the hallway. Five in the classroom and even one teacher was eyeing you." Ana snapped.

They both paused and looked at each other, surprised, before laughing out loud.

"There's something wrong with us," Ana commented.

"I'm perfectly normal. I'm not sure what's wrong with you though." Seto gave her that boyish grin, and Ana pinched his arm in retaliation. "Why do you always get violent when you lose?"

"I'm your girlfriend now, so concede to me sometimes." Ana felt embarrassed saying girlfriend for the first time.

Seto tilted his head while smiling. "What's in it for me?"

He really is an ass. Ana decided not to answer and instead finished eating her sandwich. They both finished eating and decided they should head back to her house. They'd been talking longer than they'd thought. This time they walked side by side in silence. Ana could feel Seto closer than usual. Feeling nervous, she looked up at him and found his eyes were locked on her hand. The desire on his face was so obvious it was funny.

"Do… you want to hold hands?" Ana asked.

Seto looked up at her and, much to her surprise, nodded. Her finger twitched as she looked at his hand.

"Funny, I don't remember you asking permission before." Ana teased.

"Sorry," he said, looking a little guilty. "I just didn't think I'd get another chance to do it, but I shouldn't have done it without your permission."

"You being considerate is odd."

The look he gave her made her heart skip. "It's because I like you."

She couldn't really hear anything else as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Reaching out, she lightly touched his hand and felt him flinch. He looked surprised. Afraid she'd done something wrong, she tried to pull back, but he hooked her pinky with his. They both seemed a little surprised by this. She didn't pull back, and that seemed to spur him on. He gently touched her palm with his fingers and slowly slid them down until the tips of their fingers were touching. She spread her fingers until he could interlock hands with her. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until after he'd secured her hand. It's just holding hands! If I get so worked up over this stage then later… Ana stopped thinking and decided not to pursue those thoughts further.

As they approached her house, she nearly stopped when she saw her brother waiting at the gate for them. Instinctively, she wanted to pull her hand from Seto's but when she looked up at Seto she found him staring at her. Ah. He's not going to stop me if I do that. Something about the fact that it was her choice calmed her down, and she kept holding hands with him even when her brother turned to them. Hikari's eyes fell on their intertwined hands and he let out a defeated sigh. What? Did everyone know how I felt but me and Seto?

When they made it to her brother he merely said, "I'm guessing you want to tell grandpa."

Ana swallowed hard, but nodded. Hikari sighed but went on in ahead of them. Ana stopped breathing until she felt a gentle squeeze from Seto. She looked up into his usual Amin-chan smirk and somehow felt relieved. That's right. If anyone can pull this off, he can. All right, I'm ready. Ana took a deep breath, and they headed on in.