[Discontinued] Female Ayanokouji and Random One-shots

We Ate and had Fun

Unwrapping my pan, I lift the bread, bringing it up to my mouth to take a bite, when I heard someone talk to me.

"So Ayanokouji-san~", Matsushita started.

I wanted to let her know I was listening, so I stopped. Halting my actions, I stare at her eyes, my mouth still opened and bringing my food just below my mouth waiting for her to finish her sentence before taking a bite.

"..."

Why was she not speaking? Briskly glancing at our group, I noticed that our whole table was looking at me in silence. Why? Did Matsushita not get what I'm hinting? Wanting to know what she wanted to say, I took a more direct approach.

"I'm listening, Mastushita-san",  the bun still adjacent to my mouth.

"N-no, you can t-take a bite first. Go ahead, Ayanokouji-san!"

Matsushita replied hurriedly. Her face was red and was waving her hand over her face frantically. That didn't seem like her. She gave an impression of a calm and collected individual. I guess Hirata was right, You can get to know people more by talking with them.

Perhaps she wanted a share of my pan, but was too embarrassed to actually ask for one. I would be too, if I'm going to be honest. 

'Don't worry, Matsushita. This pan only costs 160 points. With the starting monthly allowance, you can buy approximately 625 jam filled pans'

Taking a bite off the bread, the taste of strawberry filled my mouth. I closed my eyes, analyzing the flavor of the food. It was sweet, bright, tart, and a little tangy. Unlike the place that I spent the majority of my life in, though foods were nutritious they lacked any kind of  distinct flavor.  

Unaware of everyone around me, I took another bite. This bite larger than the previous one and filled with more flavor. Strawberries taste wonderful.

 As I ate, I remembered a fact that read over my time there. Did you know that Ancient Romans used the berries to treat everything from depression to fever and sore throats?

"fufu~"

A dry chuckle escaped my lips as I was reminded of this weird but funny fact. Feeling my hands grow lighter, I opened my eyes and saw that I've eaten all the jam filled bun... My eyes dart towards my salad.

"I wonder if I'll experience the same feeling when eating a salad as I did eating the strawberry pan", I thought as I reached to grab the salad beside me.

"U-umm, Ayanokouji-kun?////"

"Hmmm? .... Ah."

Hearing someone talk to me, as if snapping out of autopilot, I came to my senses. Everyone was looking at me with wide eyes. Their ears were red and Kushida looked like she was holding something back.

Third Person Point of View

"Sorry, it seems that I got carried away", the petite girl said. Pausing for a second, she continued.

"Anyway, what were you going to say, Matsushita-san? "

'Are you just going to brush over what happened?!'

'I thought I liked Hirata-kun, but now... Do I even like boys?'

'Ayanokouji-san~~'

The emotionless girl's actions created a flustered group, a confused Chinese girl, and an in-love beige haired girl. Seeing the state of the group, Matsushita took it upon herself to calm things down.

"A-Ayanokouji-san, earlier you said that out of all of us, you only knew Hirata-kun and Kushida-san. Why is that?"

Hearing her question, the group's composure reformed, their attention directed to Ayanokouji's reply. Unbothered by the amount of stares she was receiving, she replied aloofly.

"The moment Hirata-kun mentioned self introductions, I immediately thought of what to say. That was my first time doing class introductions. I was homeschooled my whole life, so didn't know what to say."

The group processed the girl's words. 

"So that's why your introduction came out like that, it must have been stressful."

"This means that this year is full of your firsts, right?"

"Don't worry, we're here to help you if you need one."

Ayanokouji was showered with words of comfort. The girl was glad that she had such kind classmates, but studying her interactions with her peers, she had but one question; Were they friends now?

Ever since she one-sidedly declared friendship with Horikita,  Ayanokouji kept thinking what friends really were. Wanting to find a definite answer, She question them.

"Thank you everyone, that said... Are we friends now?", she asked in a confused manner.

"..."

The action itself was so pure that only silence could be the best reply. No one said a word until...

"Kikyou.", the beige haired girl said.

'Huh?'

Everyone was confused. How does that relate to anything? Ayanokouji stared blankly towards Kushida her head tilted to the side, waiting for Kushida to explain. Everyone looked backed and forth between Ayanokouji and Kushida to see what would happen.

Kushida Kikyou P.O.V.

"We're friends now, right? You can call me Kikyou."

"We are? I'm glad to be your friend, Kikyou-san. Since I'm calling you by your given name, you can call me by mine."

Ayanokouji responded impassively, nonetheless, I felt happy with her words. I must be her first friend, based on her question and overall demeanor. I could clearly tell that she was inexperienced in this field. 

Coming from someone who faked her life through almost everything, I wanted something genuine. I wanted to open up to someone. I wanted to see me, my true me, not a facade nor a persona I put. 

I myself don't know why I did what I did. Maybe it was to deliberately get closer to Ayano-... Kiyone  and learn her secrets. Maybe it was a genuine want for something real. Faking and faking and faking, the line between genuinity and facade blurs that I'm not sure whether I'm acting or not.

"I've always wondered at what point two people become friends. Do they become friends after they eat lunch together? Or do you become friends after going shopping or to the bathroom together?"

"Pftt!", I heard Shinohara stiffle her laugher.

Kiyone's voice cut through my thoughts. It was a very hard question to answer. Looking around me, I silently ask for help.  Noticing that they were useless, I just said what came to the top of my head.

"There really isn't a direct way to know whether two people have become friends or not. So long as you enjoyed your time, want to spend more time with them, and they reciprocate that sentiment, then you're be friends. At least that's what I think."

Her eyes shone with clarity. Hearing her mutter, I strain my ears to figure out what she was saying.

"She did look like she enjoyed it. I think she smiled back when... So she was my first friend."

Was she ecstatic over having me as her first friend~? Kiyone's soooo cute!!

Kiyone gave me one of her rare smiles and said loudly,

"Thank you, Kikyou-san. Thanks to you, I found out that I was not completely alone. I was kind of sad being isolated in class. Thanks to you, I know now that I wasn't alone. I had a friend, I just didn't know it. Thank you for being my second friend, Kikyou-san" 

Eh?

Wait a minute! Second? Who took the first spot? I was about to ask her when a voice rang out of the PA. Not caring about the announcement. I cry inside my mind.

'Why am I not first place?!'

This was supposed to be short and like an interlude to te club fair but somehow it became really long... I'm dead, frick.