Silently in Love

Chapter 4

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Kuro stood at the train platform, waiting to go to school. He took his book that was tucked under his arm and flipped it open.

"Somehow she has changed lately..." He overheard a conversation between two male underclassmen.

"Yeah I thought the same thing."

"I heard she can't speak though."

"That's okay. Girls who talk too much are annoying."

"She is kind of cute...that first year girl...Ogawa."

Kuro felt annoyed. He was trying to read, but he was being bothered by their childish conversation. She wasn't even that pretty! Were they blind?

"Oh, isn't that Ogawa coming this way now?" Kuro heard one of them ask. He felt himself flinch slightly, but he did not peel his eyes away from his book.

"Good morning!" He heard one say to her. Maybe if he just didn't look at her, she would magically disappear from existence.

"Oh wait! Be careful, you're going to bump into-"

Akari was bowing as she walked past her classmates that she hadn't realized she was going to walk right into Kuro. Her face connected with his chest and she gripped her nose from the pain. She looked up, apologetically and when she realized just who she knocked into, her face paled. Kuro looked at her as if he wanted to rip her head off and she coiled away.

'Why can't our meetings be normal for once?!' She thought frantically and bowed to him continuously. 'Oh noo, he looks angry.' She suddenly felt ill.

Kuro looked at her as if she were a plague carrier. He was sure this girl was born to wreak havoc on his life. She bowed over and over until he was sure she would snap in two. He sighed and snapped his book shut. He tucked his book under his arm, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm starting to think you are purposefully following me around." He said. Her mouth fell into a grim line. Was this guy trying to pick a fight with her? Akari's thoughts were filled with ways she could kick him and get away with it, but her eyes caught something on his shirt. She gasped and immediately grew fearful of how he would react. He looked down at his shirt and found she left an imprint of her lips. She bit her fingernail and looked ashamed. She had put on a colored lip-stain that morning. He let out a long and slow exhale.

"Ogawa Akari..."

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Chiyo was putting her shoes away at the shoe lockers when, from the corner of her eye, she saw Akari running towards the doors as if the devil was at her heels. Chiyo smiled and waved at her.

"Hi Akari! Why are you in such a hurry? We aren't late for class." She said. Akari ran up and practically ripped off her shoes and threw them into her locker. Chiyo looked over Akari's shoulder and saw Kuro kiting a string of females behind him. He did not appear to be in a good mood. "Hey...what is that on his shirt?" Chiyo squinted her eyes, but Akari abruptly grabbed her by the hand and they ran to the classroom. Akari let out a loud sigh of relief and stumbled to her desk. She was safe in the classroom for now.

When the train arrived, there were so many people onboard that thankfully Kuro couldn't get to her. Once the train arrived at their school station, she had bolted out the train car and ran to school without looking back. She could feel his glares as if they were daggers on her back.

Akari thankfully had a fan in her bag and began to fan herself. She was sweating from the exercise. Chiyo sat down beside her.

"What did you do to him?" Chiyo asked, but Akari quickly shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. At that moment, Mao bolted through the door and ran to them.