Hello everyone, Lealius here with a new chapter
Special thanks to FluxFeather for his help on this chapter. He´s working on an abridged series for Shikimori´s Not Just a Cutie, so go check him out so you don´t miss it
With that, enjoy
Shikimori´s Not Just a Cutie belongs to Keigo Maki. I just own the OC
Tuesday, April the 23th 2019
Makoto was at his classroom, writing down notes as the teacher went on with their lesson
Or at least, as best as he could, because
-"Why on Earth did I do that?!" he kept on tapping his finger on his notebook. He was nervous, despite what his typical "unfriendly" face looked
He was referring to what he said this morning to Kamiya
-"You ever need to talk, let me know" he said in a hurry, but still clear enough for her to hear
-"Huh?"
-"She must have been creeped out by what I said. It doesn't help that I ran away"
He carefully threw a glance at his side, right where she was
She was fully focused on what the teacher was saying, a neutral expression on her
-"She doesn't look weird out at least"
Feeling that she was being watched, her eyes went slightly wide, and looked at him
Luckily, Makoto turned back to his notes, trying to keep a cool composure
-"I mean, she's probably just trying to be polite for my sake"
He passed a hand through his hair
-"Well" he remembered yesterday's events "I don't really regret saying that, but"
He let out a sigh, today was going to be a long day
The school bell rang
-"For once, I´m glad to have one of my appointments"
He got up his seat, and then he saw Kamiya heading for the exit
-"Should I clear things up with her?"
He didn't want a misunderstanding between then, not when she has enough on her plate as it is
Taking a breath in, he left his classroom, turned right, and saw her about to get down the stairs
-"Kamiya-san" he gently called for her
-"Huh?" she turned around "Oh, Rakki-kun" she tightened the grip on her bag, looking away "Can I help you with something?"
-"She's nervous" he felt like an idiot "Great, she has enough issues at home, and I just make things worse!" he grabbed his head in defeat "Listen, I"
-"Hey, Kamiya!" someone called
Looking at the source, they saw Nekozaki approaching in a jog
-"Hello, Nekozaki" she replied kindly
The sigh of relief did not escape Makotos ear
-"Say, is everything ok?" the cat girl was worried "Oh, Rakki, you´re here too. Were you two talking about something?"
-"Um, I was about to ask Kamiya-san something" he looked away "But you can go first, Nekozaki-san" he went for the stairs "See you both later"
Nekozaki tilted her head as he left "Ok, that was weird" she looked at Kamiya "Anyway, did something happen yesterday? I was on my way out after practice with some of the girls from the team when we heard a scream. When we got to the exit, we saw you all shaken. We tried to catch up, but" she put a hand on her chin "Say, Rakki was there too, now that I think about it"
-"Oh" she saw that "Well, I got call saying that my mom had collapsed and was taken to a hospital"
-"What?!" she yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders "Oh my god! Is she ok?!"
-"Yes" she raised a hand "She has already been discharged, but needs to take better care of her health"
Nekozaki let out a sigh of relief, releasing the blue haired "That's good. We were all worried"
-"Sorry about that"
The black haired waved off her concerns "What are teammates for? I only wished we knew so we could have been there alongside you and your family"
-"Rakki-kun came alongside me. His father saw mother at the hospital"
-"Really?" she smiled, folding her arms "Good work, Rakki"
-"Yeah" she smiled as well "He was really kind"
Meanwhile, Makoto came out of the bathroom on the first floor
-"Time to go now"
He walked down the hallway, head down and with his thoughts "I should find the time to properly talk to Kamiya-san tomorrow. I"
That's when he bumped into someone
-"Ah!" a female voice yelled as she took a few steps back
-"Wow!" Makoto waved his arms to keep his balanced
A mountain of papers spread around on top of them, others fell to the ground
-"S-Sorry! he panicked "I was not paying attention to where I was going, I"
-"N-No problem!" she said "I also couldn't see where I was going! Shouldn't have carried so many papers at once!"
She was of average height, the same as Makoto, who is 170 cm tall. She had a pixie like haircut that was a copper shimmer color and dark brown eyes, and white skin
-"Let me help you" he got down on his knees, and began to clean the mess
-"You don't have to do it, Rakki-kun"
-Huh?" he looked up "How do you know my name?"
To this, she blinked "Um, we are in the same class, I sit in front of you"
-"Oh" he looked down embarrassed "Sorry, but, I don't really talk to anyone"
-"I-It´s fine" she felt bad for some reason "Let's just get to cleaning"
A few minutes later, they had finished picking up all the papers and sorting them correctly. Afterwards, they delivered them to its destination
-"There" Makoto dusted off his hands "It´s over"
-"Thanks, Rakki-kun" she was slightly more relaxed "I was helping a teacher to take this to the faculty office before going to the volleyball practice"
-"Oh, so you´re a member of the team as well?"
-"Yes, though my skills could use some improvement" her face lit up "Ah, I remember now!"
-"What?"
-"When we were leaving practice, we saw you and Kamiya running towards somewhere, did something happen?"
-"Oh" he grabbed his neck "You saw that. Well, it was something related to Kamiya-san, and that's all I´ll say on the matter, it is her privacy after all"
-"That´s fine" she was pleased with his answer "It's a good trait, and I was asking because we worry about her as her teammates"
-"She´ll probably tell you if you ask, but good to know she has good teammates" he checked on the time "Oh, I´m running late, will you be ok from here on now?"
-"Yeah, don´t worry"
-"What´s your name by the way? I haven't properly asked, kind of rude of me"
-"Tokugawa Sumire"
-"Nice to meet you Tokugawa-san. Take care"
-"You too"
And he went towards the exit
Sumire began her journey to the gym
-"So that's Rakki-kun"
She didn't think much of him at first, considering his weird way to introducing himself
And there were the comments about him, how he thought of himself as superior as others, or the unfriendly expression he always has on him
-"But he apologized to me and helped me with the papers. He also helped Kamiya, so maybe he's not a bad person after all"
She got to the gym, and joined the others for practice
While also wondering more about Makoto
Nighttime at the Rakki residence
-"I´m home!" Makoto´s dad yelled as he was closing the door
-"Welcome back!" Makoto yelled from the kitchen, standing in front of a bubbling pot and stirring the meal with the wooden spoon "Dinner is almost ready!"
-"Let me set the table!"
A few minutes later, father and son were having dinner
-"Oh, by the way" Saizo said while taking out of his pockets "Here" he tossed them on the table
Curiously, Makoto picked them up "Movie tickets?"
2 of them to be exact
-"There was a raffle today at the hospital and I won one of the prizes. I am not interested in the movie they are for, but feel free to use them if you want during the Golden Week"
Makoto looked at the tickets "Haven't really checked what's showing either. Worst case scenario, I´ll give them to Yuu so she can take Shikimori-san"
After dinner, Makoto was resting on his bed, reading a book
Until
Shikimori-san: Good evening, Rakki-kun. Can I call you? If you´re not busy of course.
They had changed numbers last time at dinner, though it was more out of politeness than anything
-"I wonder what she wants?"
Makoto: Sure, go ahead
A few seconds later, his phone rang
-"Hello" the pink haired voice came
-"Good evening, Shikimori-san. What can I help you with?"
-"I was just wondering if you have any plans for the Golden Week?"
-"No" he has not bothered to organize anything beyond the typical family meeting "Why?"
-"Well, I was wondering" her tone sounded shy all of the sudden
-"Yes?"
-"Do you think you can give me some cooking pointers?"
There was a pause on Makotos end
-"Izumi-san told me you´re quite the chef"
-"It's nothing to write home about"
-"Point is that, I tried cooking lunch for Izumi-san once, and" she looked away, sweating "Well"
-"He told me that it made you both spit in disgust, yes"
-"Nghh" she got red "So embarrassing"
-"Yuu told me that you´re taking cooking classes with aunt Motoko"
-"Yes, but there won't be classes during that week, and I don't want to lose practice"
-"I"
-"Pretty please? I want to make up for that time"
He internally let out a sigh, can't really say no to her
-"Very well, does Monday sound good to you?"
-"Yes!" she said a little too cheerfully "Thank you so much! I already have a dish in mind, so I'll text you the ingredients and everything so we can go buy them!"
-"Sounds good, take care now"
-"You too"
And he hung up
-"So much for a lonely Golden Week… Cooking, huh?"
Being a while since he had done it outside home
Friday, April the 26th 2019
The school bell rang, signalizing the end of the day
And the beginning of the golden week
Lots of cheers came from everybody as they headed towards the exit
Minus certain two students
-"So noisy" Makoto internally complained while picking up his stuff "I better get ready to help out Shikimori-san"
He got off his sit, and pull his bag from the back of the chair
Without realizing that the zip of it was opened, and the sudden movement made it to spill a certain item
-"Oh no, the tickets!"
But before he could go get them
-"I got them, Rakki-kun" Kamiya said while bending down, since they landed right next to her feet
She and Makoto were the only students that had yet to leave
-"D-Don´t worry" he panicked
She picked up the tickets
By instinct, her eyes went to them, and when she read the title for the movie
-"Ha!" she let out a small gasp
-"Kamiya-san?"
-"Ah!" she looked up "Here you go, Rakki-kun" she extended the tickets, an amicable smile on her face
-"Um, thanks"
-"That´s a great movie you´re going to watch"
-"Really?"
-"Yes!" she sounded excited, at least more compared to their previous interactions "It's from a popular picture book series aimed at adults that is being adapted into movies, and you wouldn't believe how fast the tickets for this one were sold. I myself could not get them, so I am surprised you managed to"
-"She sounds quite enthusiastic about it" Makoto thought, somewhat surprised "My dad won them at a raffle at work"
-"That 's good. I hope you and whoever you are going with enjoy it"
-"... she sounds happy, yet"
Her small gasp when she read the tickets did not escape his ears
-"Does she want to go see it?"
And should he ask about it?
-"We haven't really talked since I said what I said the other day"
He then remembered her fathers words
-"Me and my wife are not at a good moment in our marriage, we are trying to work things out, but I can see Ai worried about us, but she's always putting other people's feelings before hers…I am glad she has a good friend"
-"Maybe"
-"Have a good Golden Week, Rakki-kun" she began to head for the exit
-"She needs this"
Taking a deep breath
-"Wait, Kamiya-san"
-"Hm?" she turned around "Yes?"
-"It's ok if you say no" he clarified for her "But… Do you want to go see the movie together? I don't have anything else planned for this week"
He felt somewhat hot for asking her this
Something that was against his original plan
-"Really?!" she raised her fists "I"
Makoto´s eyes went wide
Kamiya realized her little outburst "Ah!" and turned pink "I mean, are you sure? Aren't you going with someone else? I'd hate for you to make room just for me"
-"My original plans were to give it to someone who I don´t know if they want to see it. I wouldn't be offering if I have an issue"
She looked down
-"I" he waved his hands at her "Of course, no pressure, just two regular people hanging out!"
-"Then" she glanced away from him "Let's go. I have practice that day, but I'll be free by the time the movie begins"
-"Good" he was surprisingly calm "See you at the theater then"
-"Yes, have a good day" and walked away from there rather fast
Once he was alone, Makoto let out a long sigh, back hunching "Yikes, that was way too much"
He collapsed on his bed as soon as he got home
Monday, April the 29th 2019
After buying the ingredients, Makoto and Shikimori went to the pink haireds house to start the cooking lesson
-"Ok" the pink haired had finished tying her apron, and was raring to go "Thanks for the help once more, Rakki-kun"
-"No problem" he replied politely
The ingredients were set up on the counter
-"So, we are making cupcakes today, since making launch didn't work out so well, but I won't make Izumi-san spit in disgust like last time"
-"Let me take a look at what you do first" he said "I need an idea on where your skills levels are"
She started to pour differents ingredients into a bowl
And that was the first sign of problems
-"Um" Makoto said hesitantly "What are you doing?"
-"Hm?" she looked at him, a bright smile on her "Putting the ingredients into the bowl"
-"I got that, but why aren't you using measurement tools?"
-"Eh?" she tilted her head
-"Actually" he looked at the counter "I haven't seen any tools at all, you don't have those?"
-"We do have them, but I can mostly get by without using them"
As soon as she said that, a lightning bolt hit Makoto´s head
-"That's" his eyebrows were twitching, face contorted "You"
-"Is that wrong?" Shikimori asked, holding the flour bag close to her, noticing the state he was in
-"OF COURSE IT IS!" Makoto yelled
-"Huh?!" she was taken back by his sudden outburst
-"You can't just wing it when it comes to sweets and treats, or in cooking in general!" he lowered his voice, though he was still angry "Otherwise you'll end up with something so bad that you might as well poison someone"
-"Poison?!" the pink haired repeated, terrified "But dont chefs measure by hand when putting the ingredients?!"
-"That's because we have years of practice!" he facepalmed "And yes, dumb luck exists, but you can't rely on that alone! What on Earth are you doing when you and my aunt are at class?!"
-"Well" she poked her fingers with each other, pink on her face that matched her hair "I´ll admit, Motoko-chan is more of an expert on that, and I wanted to impress her, so I figure if I acted professional, it would look cool"
To this, the future chef let out a sigh "I understand that, but there are steps to follow for a reason, Shikimori-san"
-"I…. You´re right, if I don´t put in the necessary effort, I am insulting those who have been working on this for years" she raised her hands, turning them into fists "Let's start again, Rakki-kun, and I´ll listen to anything you have to say!"
-"Ok" he grabbed his head, somewhat ashamed "And I´m sorry, I overreacted, it's just the way my sensei taught me"
-"No, it was the wake up call that I needed!" she clapped her cheeks "No more fooling around!"
And so, they spent the next couple of hours with Shikimori cooking, while Makoto gave different pointers
Until they finished making the cupcakes
-"Well?" the pink haired asked, rubbing her hands anxiously
Makoto was taste testing her work
He swallowed
-"There are things to improve" he said "But, for being your first time making these, if I were my sensei, I would give you a passing grade at most"
-"So it was decent at best?" Shikimori felt disappointed, back hunched
-"Don´t be so hard on yourself" he said, noticing her state "These things take practice, and I´ll help you more if necessary"
-"Yes" her spirits had been lifted up "You're right, I can't give up"
-"Good" he folded his arms "I'm sure Yuu will love what you make"
-"Thats" she blushed, pouting cutely "I mean, that would be a plus"
To this, he chuckled without realizing
Once he got home, he collapsed in bed once more
-"Yuu, you have really picked up a peculiar one"
Tuesday, April the 30th 2019
Afternoon in the city, the sky was blue with barely any clouds on it
Makoto was waiting in front of the theater, back resting against a pillar. His outfit consisted of a white jacket with the sleeves rolled up over a dark blue t-shirt, jeans and brown sneakers
He took a look to his surroundings
-"Kamiya-san was not exaggerating when she said that this series is popular"
Thanks to winning the tickets, all he and Kamiya had to do was check-in at the booth
It saved them from having to put up with the long line that was forming, with people as young as him to adults
-"From what I read online, it's about a young man from a futuristic city that fights as a vigilante trying to uncover the corruption in the city while discovering his own past"
Quite the sci-fi series
He checked the time
-"It will start soon"
He folded his arms "She did say she had practice. Maybe she's too tired and decided to rest"
There goes his negative thoughts
But then
-"Yo, check her out" a man about his age said
-"Huh?" Makoto looked up
-"Yeah" his friend said "She looks quite stylish"
Following their gaze, he saw her sprinting
The ace of the volleyball team was wearing a white dress blouse with a black belt, black capris similar to leggings and black low-heeled Mary Jane shoes, alongside a brown purse
The loner felt something brief within him. Something brief yet warm
-"Hi, Rakki-kun" she said once she joined him, panting slightly "Sorry I'm late"
-"It's ok" he reassured "Haven´t been waiting for long"
-"That's good"
-"Let´s head inside"
They were inside the theatre, watching the movie
-"My solemn interest is uncovering the truth" the protagonist of the movie said, a hand on his chest while his other arm was extended, striking an extravagant pose
He did this while standing on top of one of the many buildings of the city, all of them covered with neon lights, while flying vehicles travelled across
-"A little flashy for me, but not bad at all" Makoto said while going for his can of soda "There are some things I don´t understand, but that's probably since I haven´t read the books"
Suddenly, an explosion happened, engulfing the protagonist in a big cloud of smoke
-"Hah!" Kamiya gasped, hand on her chest
She was absorbed by the movie
Makoto looked at her
-"I guess it means more for her"
And yet, seeing her enjoying herself, knowing she's going through some rough stuff at home
-"Guess it was worthy"
Unbeknownst to him, he was smiling
-"Well, that was enjoyable" Makoto said, pleased with himself as they left the theater
-"Yes" Kamiya agreed
However, she looked slightly disappointed
-"What´s wrong?" Makoto asked, noticing her mood
-"Well, I know movie adaptations of books won't be 100% loyal to the source material, but" her hands had been turned into fists to her sides "They skipped some of the best parts from the book, like the meeting of the hero with"
She jumped on her spot, realizing her little fan moment she was having
-"Yes?" Makoto asked, eyebrow raised
-"Umm" she looked down "N-Nothing" she was embarrassed
-"Oh, no" he quickly added, worried that he might have made her uncomfortable "I guess for a long time fan of the series, being upset is understandable"
-"R-Right" she fixed her hair, looking at him "It's just, I don't know any other people who follow this book series, except for one person, so" "
-"It's ok" he raised a hand "I understand"
"Anyway, thank you for inviting me, Rakki-kun, since I couldn't get the tickets after all"
-"No problem" he checked the time "It's almost dinnertime, and dad will eat outside with some colleagues from work"
No need for him to cook that much for dinner
And right on cue, his own stomach growled
-"Sorry" he put a hand on his stomach "I guess I'm hungry"
-"It's fine" the blue haired said
-"Since we're already here, I´ll go get something to eat, what about you?"
-"Well" the volleyball player held her purse closely "My parents will eat outside" separated unfortunately "So I was also thinking of getting something outside, to end the Golden Week"
-"Would you like to eat together then?"
Nodding in agreement, they went to look for a place to eat
At the food court, they put their trays with their burgers on a table
-"Oh" Makoto realized something was missing "We forgot the napkins"
-"Should I go get them?" Kamiya said
-"No, it's fine, I got it"
And he went to pick them up
A few moments later, he returned with them
-"Here it is" he took his seat, putting the napkins on the table "Now, let's enjoy our"
-"Ngh?!" Kamiya looked up, eyes wide
-"Food" Makoto finished, voice trailing
The reason for this was that the blue haired had taken a bite out of her hamburger
Her cheeks were full, and there were crumbs on her lips
She swallowed
-"I" she looked like she had been caught red handed "I'm sorry"
-"It´s ok" Makoto said, a reassuring smile on him "You were hungry. I can imagine that after practice, you get quite hungry"
-"Well, yes" she replied, shoulders shrunk "I do get hungry after practice, and I didn't get popcorn at the movies because I didn't want to spoil my appetite" she put a hand on her chin, reminiscing "Though, I wouldn't have minded those either"
-"You really love your food, huh?"
-"Yes" she looked at him, lips pursed "Is that… not normal?"
-"Not at all" he waved her concerns off "Making tasty food and making people smile with what you cook… That's the goal of every chef"
-"..." Kamiya kept staring at him
-"What?" Makoto asked, somewhat nervous
-"Nothing, it's just… You were smiling, Rakki-kun"
-"Huh?" his mouth hung open "Was I?"
He was
-"Well, yes" he scratched the back of his head "When it comes to cooking, I really get into it" he grabbed the pinch of his nose "Sorry, I must sound weird"
-"Not at all" the blue haired said "We all have the things we like"
-"That´s true. I have always been fond of it, took plenty of classes and the like, even a few competitions" and a lesson for Shikimori, but better to skip that "Though it started out as a necessity at first"
-"What do you mean?"
-"Well" he folded his arms "My dad" he let out a sigh "Has terrible eating habits"
-"Eh?" she tilted her head
-"Well, if it was up to him, we'd eat nothing more than ramen, coffee and chocolate bars. So, I had to learn how to cook so he would eat more balanced meals"
-"I-I see" she replied, a drop of sweat falling
In another part of town, while eating with his colleagues, Saizo felt a shiver down his spine
Back with Makoto and Kamiya
-"You'd think that with him being a doctor he would know the importance of a healthy diet" he went for his drink
-"..."
-"Ah!" Makoto realized he said too much "I mean, don´t worry" he waved his hands "He's still going to take good care of your mom"
She shook her head amused "I know, he seems reliable"
-"How is she doing?"
-"Well, she actually agreed to take a few days off, she has a lot of those accumulated, though getting her to fully relax is proving so be such a challenge" she let out a sigh, she sounded tired "I only wish she realized she doesn't have to work herself to the bone anymore"
-"I´m sorry" Makoto said, face glued to his food "And how are things between her and your father?"
-"Well" she grabbed her arm "They are talking more at least, so I can only hope"
-"I see… Well" he gulped "I told you before, if you ever need"
-"About that, Rakki-kun"
-"Eh?"
She bowed her head "I´m sorry, I appreciate your support, but I don't feel its right to ask you to help me with my issues when I can tell you have your own stuff going on" she looked away from him "It's not right, I just couldn't figure out a way to say it"
Makotos mouth hung open in disbelief
-"So all this time, she was not creep out by what I said, but she was worried that she was being a burden to me"
He tightened the grip on his pants
-"I can´t let this continue" he put his hands on the table "It's ok, Kamiya-san"
-"Huh?" she looked up, confused
-"You don't owe me an apology. I did that because I wanted to… I´ve been raised to help people when needed, so, this may sound strange coming from me, but… Don´t worry about it"
-"I" she grabbed her arm once more "Are you certain? I feel all I do is receive and not give"
-"I didn't do it because I expected something in return, so it's ok, promise" he smiled reassuringly to her
To this, she couldn't help to smile back "Very well, Rakki-kun, but do let me know if I am being too much of a burden"
-"Ok, but you are not" he clapped his hands "Ok, let's eat now, enjoy"
-"You too"
And the two enjoyed their meal, no tense atmosphere whatsoever
On the way home, Kamiya was thinking about today's events
-"Thank goodness Rakki-kun did not have any issues with me tagging along"
Hanging out with him was actually nice, and it was a good way to keep her mind off her family situation
Speaking of hanging out, she checked the calendar on her phone
Particularly, about the upcoming shifts for the library
-"I wonder what Izumi-kun did during the Golden Week?"
She quickly shook her head
She shouldn't have those thoughts
Wednesday, May the 1st 2019
The Golden Week was over, and it was time to return to classes
Makoto was walking towards school
-"These last couple of days were… really fun"
He had a good time with Shikimori, minus some exasperating moments
And hanging out with Kamiya was quite fun too
-"Maybe I should ask Kamiya-san if she wants to hang out again? Or would that be too much?"
There it was, that warn yet brief feeling inside of him
But before he could question what it was
-"Rakki!" someone yelled
Turning around, she saw them
-"Nekozaki-san and Hachimitsu-san?" he thought
The duo huffed when they got to him
-"Morning" he said
-"Morning… Uff" the cat girl wiped some sweat off her forehead "I'm glad we found you before you got to school"
-"What do you mean?"
-"We need to confirm something with you" the blondie said
-"What?"
-"Well" Nekozaki began, cheeks pink as if she was embarrassed "You´re not into Micchon, right?"
-"Who?"
-"She means Shikimori" Hachimitsu clarified
-"Oh… Wait" it dawned on him "Me being into her? Of course not! Even if she was not Yuu´s girlfriend, I don't see her like that!"
-"Really?"
-"Yes!"
To this, the two girls let out a relieved sigh
-"Thank goodness" Nekozaki said "I mean, you don´t look like the type to do that, and we have already verified with Micchon, but we needed to be certain, and to warn you as well"
-"What do you mean?"
-"You might want to take a look at this. Someone posted it on our class group chat"
Hachimitsu showed him her phone
And what he saw made his hands tremble, eyes wide, and mouth opened
-"Huh?"
That's all he was able to utter when he saw a photo of him and Shikimori at the supermarket they had gone to
And below that the words
New couple formed