I Help You. (Sakusa Kiyoomi)

11. Playful Banter

November 17th, Monday, Day 1/30

I was so happy when the last bell rang for today because that meant I only had to wait ten minutes until the Art Workshop Club starts. This would be our fifth meeting and I was dying to continue on my art piece before it was due, especially since I had recently found the perfect muse.

I packed my things up and was ready to go when I heard a commotion outside my classroom. I poked my head out the door frame just to get a sneak peek at the reason, and immediately I made eye contact with the last two people I would like to see.

Well, perhaps besides Mrs. Sakusa.

Komori and Sakusa were walking down the hall, toward my classroom, and nobody could stop staring. It was disgusting, actually, how godly they were being treated.

The moment we saw each other I bolted back into the class to mentally prepare myself for the apology. At this point, I could hear their footsteps coming my way, and when they entered, I just went off.

"Hey, guys!" I awkwardly smiled. "About this morning,-"

Sakusa closed his eyes and cut me off. "We don't need to talk about this morning."

Oh, thank goodness. "Then..why are you here?"

"Hashito sent me to get you. We're waiting in the car."

"I just wanted to tag along, " Komori smiled.

"You don't have practice today?"

"No, we have Monday afternoons off."

"Well, I have a club meeting today so you can leave without me. I can just walk home when I'm done."

"What club is it?"

"Guess." I raised an eyebrow, eager to see his assumption about me 

He put both of his hands in his pockets and snickered. "Could it be the Lock club? Or maybe the 'choose the correct room' club? Actually, I'm thinking it's the 'learn to keep your opinions to yourself' club. Those are just guesses though..."

I looked at him with pursed lips, then at Komori, then him again, then back to Komori. "Did you know that you were friends with not just a clown, but the whole damn circus over here? Like, I'm convinced he isn't actually a part of the volleyball club, but the comedy club."

Komori went into a fit of laughter. "Wow, it's been a while since I've seen anyone talk about my cousin like that."

I lowered my eyebrows in pity and grabbed Komori's hand, offering my condolences. "Oh dear, you're related to him? I'm so sorry."

"It's not as bad you think. He's just really moody and picky all the time."

"I'm not."

I checked the time on my watch. "okay, well, I'll see you at home Sakusa. I don't wanna be late. Again. Bye, Komori-kun!" I waved them goodbye.

----

I pushed open the school doors while zipping close my portfolio.  I briefly looked up to open the second set of doors when his figure catches my eyes.

"Sakusa-kun? What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you." He said this plain as day, as if I would expect this. He did not have his mask on.

"...why? It's been like an hour a half."

"There's about an 80% chance you'll get abducted or mugged if you walk alone."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. The people here are rich, but they're greedy. Plus, you're a new face on the block."

"Oh wow....so you really do have a heart?"

"More like a conscious." He grumbled as we began walking.

As we walked the twenty-minute path to his house, I pulled out the black notebook from my messenger bag and flipped to the empty page.

 So far, I had written that he plays volleyball.

"If you were an animal, Sakusa-kun, what kind would you be?" Tactical question. No suspicion. Perfect analytics.

"I'm not an animal."

Imperfect subject.

I sighed. "That's why I said 'if'. For example, IF I was an animal, I think I'd be a cat."

" I think you'd be a fox."

I made a goof smug face while putting some hair behind my ear, jokingly saying, "Because you think I'm foxy, huh?"

He frowned watching me. "Scratch that. You're a raccoon."

"Okay, well, I think raccoons are the cutest animal alive so thank you for the compliment."

"Raccoons are disgusting."

You scoffed. "Okay, woah there, forget you just called me a raccoon? And you know what? If you were an animal you'd be a goldfish because you're such a simpleton."

"That joke was very simpleton."

"Okay, well at least I'm not so boring my pet rock ran away from me."

"You think I have a rock as my pet?" He lifted an eyebrow and smirked a bit.

"By the looks of your mom, I think you have humans as pets."

Perhaps I went a little too far because he stopped talking. 

"Sorry...that was probably really rude." I think, for the first time since we met, I was genuinely sorry for something involving him.

"No, I think she's crazy, too."

The rest of the walk home was a mix of awkward but relaxing quietness between us. The loudest thing was our footsteps and the occasional car passing by.

The both of us seemed to think the sidewalk was rather interesting.

Hmm, I've only been in his company for about a full day at this point and he's proven to be more or less different from his parents. Especially his mother. 

11.