ai | s. manjiro & m. takashi

さんじゅうよん

Ai shook her head. "But our house is like in Minato City." She shrugs her shoulders. "What's up with the city though?"

"Here goes the walking delinquent nerd" Makoto mumbles, Takuya and Akkun chuckling at his words.

"Oh nothing!" Yamagishi shrugs, "Just a new gang forming in that area! I haven't quite grasped their name yet."

Ai makes a face before shaking her head. "I don't care about gangs anymore. I've already had a fair share of experience and I would just like to be out of it." She says, stopping in front of the punching machine game. The machine she chose piqued the interest of Makoto, Yamagishi, Takuya and Akkun. They've heard of stories and seen her older siblings in action, so it was a rare sight to see the youngest Shiba to throw a punch.

As the machine processed her slipped token, it bolt to life and waited for Ai to throw a punch. Prepping her arm with a closed fist, Ai raised her hand and threw it forward, punching the ball. As the three digit scored LED ran its numbers to accumulate her score, the four founding members of Ai's Fanboy Fanclub had their jaws dropping on the floor.

Ai scored a total of 927.

Pursing her lips together, Ai shrugs her shoulders. "Not bad." She comments

"Not bad? What do you mean not bad? That's a new high score!" Yamagishi points out, showing to her how she beat the 807 first place to second place.

"Did your brother teach you how to throw a punch?" Akkun asks, turning his head to look at Ai. But Ai only smiled a little and shook her head.

"I only punched out of impulse." She responded before going away, looking for another game machine to play with.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Look at us! We've never been this serious, it's so funny!" Kairi spoke, laughing to herself.

It was six in the evening and the three best friends are situated in their own wooden cubicle inside the juku*, thick books about learning the English language laid before them.

"My mom would kill me if I don't score well enough" Nami groans, holding onto a pink highlighter as she highlights something from her book. "She might disown me if I fail!"

"Can't blame you. My parents would be disappointed in me if I don't score well enough." Kairi says, peering at Ai who looked studious and deep into her textbook. "We lost Ai in Practical English Usage." Kairi says, snickering at Nami.

"Did you say something?" Ai asks, lifting her head up to look at the two of them chuckling at her. "Please I need to score well too!" She says, grinning to herself before leaning her back on her seat. "Taiju or Yuzuha would murder me in my sleep if I don't."

"So what if I fail our exams?" Kairi says, groaning loudly. "What's important is that my parents love me and I eat three meals a day!" She said, throwing away her printed handouts behind her. "Just kidding, I really need to study." Kairi quickly says, standing up from her seat to pick up the papers she tossed.

"Anyone hungry?" Ai asks, rummaging inside her backpack to get her wallet. "I'm going to the vending machine outside. Want anything?" Both Kairi and Nami shook their heads. Standing up from her seat, Ai stepped out of the study room and walked down the stairs, but stopped in her tracks when she sees Mitsuya by the glass doors.

"Hm? What are you doing here?" She asks, blinking her eyes twice.

"Hakkai told me you'd be here. I was supposed to run a quick errand but I couldn't help and stop by." Mitsuya raises the clear plastic in his hand. "I got you your favorites." He smiles at her.

The two of them sat down on the bench besides the doors of the juku, between them were the snacks that Mitsuya bought for her. Removing his vest before placing it on top of her legs.

"Are you excited for high school?" Ai asks, happily snacking on the strawberry pocky sticks.

Mitsuya grins before slightly rubbing his nape. "Not exactly. But I hope to get accepted in the school where the girl I like is studying." He told her. This interested Ai all of a sudden.

"Really? You have a girl you like?" She asks, her eyes widening. "That's so cool! Any girl would be so lucky to have you!" She gushes, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Really?" Mitsuya turns his head to look at Ai. "What makes you think so?"

"You're like boyfriend and husband material!" Ai confesses. "You know how to take care of kids, know how to cook, clean and look after someone even if they aren't related to you at all. You're kind of like a best boyfriend walking package." She said, slowly nodding her head before looking up at him. "Am I rambling too much?"

Smiling at the younger girl, Mitsuya shook his head. "You're good." He told her, relieving Ai.

"Can you tell me more about her?" Ai asks, a teasing grin painting her lips. However, Mitsuya shook his head. "Meanie." Ai pouts, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath.

"You know" Ai begins to say, "You can go home now. Your sisters and Hakkai are waiting for you at your place, I have to go back inside too." She says, removing his vest from her legs to hand it to him. However, Mitsuya didn't quite took it from her yet.

"What time will you be done?" He asks, standing up from the bench as well.

"Eight more minutes." Ai says, checking her wrist watch. "But I can actually go home now."

"I'll wait for you. You and Hakkai can have dinner with us." He offers. But in reality, Mitsuya just wants to spend more time with Ai.

"Alright! I'll just pack up my stuff!" Ai chirps happily, throwing the trash before quickly rushing back inside.

Mitsuya watched her head back in, sighing contently to himself as his heart beats fast.

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juku - Japanese cram school