The Piano Romance (Notice Me, Senpai)

False Hopes

Bridgette couldn't believe her ears when Ren reaccounts to her his Bridgette-is-an-XYZ-fangirl theory. She stayed silent for the next three hours, throwing darts to the talkative Chiaki who had given him an idea about XYZ, although indirectly.

"Baka..."

Ren just kept on staring at her, somewhat feeling the awkwardness between them.

And now, he almost looks like him. Luckily, he doesn't have blue eyes.

The school bell rang a little over four o'clock, and everyone's busy fixing their things. Today she was assigned in the cleaning duty with Emi; she had refused Ren to take her home today.

Bridgette walked to the backyard with Emi carrying a sweeper and an empty trash can. Her assigned place isn't that big, and she enjoys sweeping the ground.

Dried leaves were scattered all around the place, which made it more enjoyable to Bridgette. She looked and saw Emi already starting to clean off the ground. She had been quiet lately and she was suspecting it's got something to do with Aki.

"Emi chan," she called to her to strike a conversation. "What's up?"

"I'm good, just a little worried you didn't showed up this morning."

"Uh, yeah. I was in our house last night, it was kinda far so, yeah."

"Ah, I heard so."

"You heard? From who?" Bridgette asked. She don't remember telling anyone that she has gone home.

"Tachibana senpai said he called you last night," Emi said coldly. "He told me to tell you that he needs to see you." Silence enveloped them, like everything has turned to become awkward. Bridgette stepped closer to Emi.

"You are jealous." she said to her, smiling as she held her hand. "You are jealous, right?"

"I am not."

"Yes you are." They both fell silent again.

"What should I do?" Bridgette asked. Emi stopped sweeping and looked at her. A cold wind slightly blow at them, scattering the swept leaves again. The girls just ignore it.

"I don't know what I should do with Ren."

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

"Hey, can anyone dust the erasers?"

"I'll do it." Seiran volunteered. It was his turn for cleaning, and he wasn't really expected to do some chores. Everyone was like 'are you sure?', 'don't bother yourself', and many other things, making him look like a lazy rich kid.

"You sure, Mizuki?"

"Yeah. I'm dead bored in here, might as well I help." And he was handed with two chalkdust-filled erasers.

Now, how do I do this?

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

"Why?" Emi asked. She knows that Bridgette's answer to her question yesterday was a lie. Ren had been closed to her since she transferred, and their attraction to each other was obvious right from the beginning.

"You know that I had not spoken the truth... About my feelings."

"Yes."

Bridgette sighed. She stared at the leaves at her feet, then started sweeping them again. The school ground was silent except for the distant shoutings of the practicing cheerleaders.

"Are you in love with someone else? Say... Tachibana senpai?" Emi asked when her friend didn't replied to her.

"I can't judge my feelings. I like them, I like everyone. But Ren and Aki san were different..."