Ethereal Wheels

Chapter 3

Getting mistaken for my cousin. It's been awhile since someone did the same thing to me. I haven't heard that line for about, how many years?

"..." I tapped my pencil against the cooking club sign up sheet, contemplating about Sakamichi's recent run-in with people from athletic clubs.

"Maybe he'd be more talkative among people who're in athletic clubs." I muttered quietly.

"What'cha doing, Chiaki-chan?" My new friend or rather my upperclassmen that's in the cooking club as well asked. Her name is...Koizumi Maya. A second year student and current vice president of the cooking club. Apparently the cooking club's system goes by one of the third years having the role of president, while the vice president's role are filled by one of the second years completely. Quite an interesting system indeed, in fact they have a pair system involved in order to help each other out.

"Koizumi-senpai...it's nothing. I'm just worried about someone." I answered while filling out the necessary information needed on the sheet of paper.

"Talking about someone?" Koizumi's smile seemed really creepy now, "What did you fall in love with someone at our school?"

"Huh?" I practically dropped my pencil the moment she mentioned that and immediately admitted in denial, "No!"

"Really?"

"Yes really! It's nothing like that senpai!" Flustered I decided to tell my reason, "It's my cousin that I'm worried about. He still hasn't made many friends since his first day of high school."

'Only because he thought he'd make friends through the anime and manga club. In the end the club was suspended, and now Saka-nii is trying to revive the club by earning more members.'

"Eh? You have a cousin here?"

"Yes. Yes I do." I'm beginning to see yet another repeated course of surprised reactions toward me having a cousin.

Koizumi was convinced that Sakamichi needs to man up and try out an athletic club himself. I could only snort in return to such a statement.

'If he admits in being interested in an athletic club.'

I thought to myself.

'Then maybe, just maybe he'd start opening up to more people.'

"Hey! Chiaki!" Koizumi waved her hand across my face trying to get my attention, "Someone by the name of Kanzaki Miki is asking for you."

'Kanzaki-san?'

Without any time to think, Kanzaki already high tailed it over to my desk.

"Chiaki-chan!"

'S-Since when did she start calling me 'Chiaki-chan'?! We're not even that close! We're just acquaintances!'

"Kanzaki-san, h-how did you find my class?" I felt my voice croak under her eyes. It's as if I've been nailed to the ground by mere peer pressure.

"Oh I just simply learned from your cousin, Onoda Sakamichi-kun, about your classroom along with the fact that you transferred over to West Kujukuri Middle School in your third year."

'Is she a stalker?'

I feel like I've been ratted out by a cop.

"Sorry, if I sounded weird, but I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to join the bicycle racing club as assistant manager."

"Assistant manager? But aren't you the manager for the bicycle racing club?" I pointed out to her, "Then there's no point for an assistant since you're the manager. Plus I'm already signing up for the cooking club right now."

"Please, Chiaki-chan!" I froze in horror as Kanzaki continued giving me more and more details about her love for bikes, aside from that I still don't see about why she continuously trying to persuade me into going in to the club. Besides...

I tighten the grip on my right hand holding my pencil.

'There's someone I don't wish to see again.'

"Then what's the reason about why you want me to join?" I'm actually curious as to why she chose me. 'I don't even ride a bike as good as Saka-nii for Pete's sake!'

Kanzaki thus proclaimed, "I have a good sense that your eyes are good in searching people's qualities in both physically and emotionally when it comes to riding a bike!"

I jerked the moment I heard Kanzaki say that line getting the sense of that this girl heard something about me, "Where did you hear that? Not from Saka-nii, right?"

Kanzaki shook her head, making me somewhat relieved on the fact, "This is something I noticed when you pointed out about your cousin's quirks the last time we talked."

"Kanzaki-san. Are you sure you want me to join?" I questioned the bicycle lover as I continued to discuss. "I don't really know much about bikes, but my ways of figuring out people is something that even you can do. Why would you need me?"

"That's because it's your talent." Kanzaki smiled warmly at me. "It's not anyone else, but only yours."

"..." I quietly wondered about Kanzaki's offer, "I'll think about it. It's possible to do two clubs at the same time, right senpai?"

"Yeah, it's possible. Just don't fail your classes." Koizumi gave me the thumbs up.

"I'll answer you when I have recollected my thoughts, Kanzaki-san."

"You can call me, Miki. If you want. After all we're friends by now, right?"

"Right, Miki-san."

Four days later...

I don't know why, but when my cousin just told me this while wearing a physical education jersey over his uniform. I felt my eye twitch hearing a certain rude student's name.

"Imaizumi-kun wants to race against me today." Sakamichi started. "I'm hoping that if I win, then he'd join the anime club with us."

I stopped my roller blading abruptly. The name Imaizumi and race sounded in my head.

"And you didn't tell me this until now." I frowned at my cousin, "Saka-nii."

"Sorry, Chiaki. It just happened so fast when Imaizumi-kun challenged me four days ago. He was too persistent in wanting to race against me."

Sakamichi lowered his head down hoping,"Also...It'd be great if he become my friend."

'Friend...?'

Surprise filled within, and then I smiled before giving Sakamichi giving him a thumbs up, "Then do your best in earning a friend. I'll support you all the way!"

Onoda Chiaki

Birthday: Oct. 14

Appearance: Shoulder length black-hair that's often tied into a side pony tail and blue eyes. Particular traits in which she and Sakamichi share as cousins through their fathers. Often seen wearing a red ginkgo accented hair band (its also a gift from Sakamichi).

Description: She didn't move in with her cousin until her last year of middle school due to her dad becoming a college professor in an area close to Chiba. Before, Chiaki would always be conscious of her cousin's inability to make friends with people of the same interest as him. However during her early years, Chiaki was already in contact with someone who competed in bicycle racing tournaments. Although Chiaki would continuously be saddened whenever she hears about that part of her past, since she wanted to forget about it the moment she decided to help make friends for her cousin. In her mind setting: Family comes first before anything else!

Fun Fact: The reason about why Chiaki call's Sakamichi, Saka-nii, is because he's seven months older than her even if they're the same age. There's a childhood friend that's involved in Chiaki's reason to not go back into the world of cycling, yet she doesn't wish to mention about it especially to Sakamichi.