Perfect Flaws | Gakushu Asano X Reader

37| Keep Clear

 ~To The Story~

"Ah, you've managed to get so many volunteers." A woman in her early thirties smiles with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Asano-kun, and Tomoya-kun."

"It's my pleasure," Gakushu offers the woman a polite smile.

Seo barely even looks at the woman.

"I was worried there wouldn't be many people." She says, smiling with relief as she glances at everyone who was able to come. "The city would have had to close this part of the area if we didn't clean up this part on time."

The storm that happened a couple of days ago caused some damage near the parts where people watch the fireworks and the local shrine. When Gakushu's mother told him about the lack of volunteers showing up, he offered to help and contact as many people as he knew. It was easy to convince his schoolmates and other people he knew.

Some of them were busy today, but overall, the number of people he was able to bring here was impressive.

He thought of asking you... but... he couldn't.

This morning, he was getting ready to text you, but before he could even manage to type a single text down, he was overcome with a strange feeling of awkwardness and embarrassment.

When he questions why he felt this way, the only answer he can come up with was the confession you made to him the other night.

Gakushu refused to acknowledge it, however.

It just couldn't be it.

How many times has he gone through this? Plenty. Rejecting you should be no different.

As to why he didn't invite you? Well, Gakushu just told himself that there was no way you would come and spend an ounce of your time volunteering. Yep, that's it.

"Well, I'll let you gentlemen get to work. Tell your mother I said hi, Asano-kun." She smiles before going off to her duties.

"Ugh. I don't want to be here." Gakushu hears Seo complain.

"Doesn't your school give you extra credits for community service or any volunteer work?" Gakushu reminds him. "You should be thanking me for telling you about this."

As annoyed as Seo was, he did feel the need to thank the strawberry blond. "You're right. Thanks. But still... cleaning a park." He couldn't surpass his grimace as he shows the garbage bag for emphasis.

Gakushu understands. It's not as of he wants to spend the day picking up trash but he already promised his mother.

"Just bear with it. It's a big event."

Gakushu isn't exactly excited about the festival, but it's traditional, and many locals enjoy it.

Seo scoffs. "I wouldn't be complaining if Kaho wasn't invited." He crosses his arms and scrunches up his nose at the girl's name. He came across as annoyed by mentioning Kaho, yet his eyes couldn't help but wander off in search of her.

"Seo, just stop seeing that girl," Gakushu says.

"I will."

"You said that last time."

"Well, this time, I mean it."

Gakushu didn't believe him, but he didn't say anything else. Seo and Kaho broke up just around the beginning of summer. It surprised no one since those two always fought and fought and fought.

They spend some time apart, complaining to their friends about said partner, then cry about how much they miss them, then they get back together. And the cycle continues. Their relationship has always exhausted him from a distance, so he tried not to get involved in the toxic cesspool that Seo and Kaho created between each other.