ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇꜱᴛ

ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ

I sighed, holding him back by the tip of his fingers, stopping him from doing anything, but also effectively calming him down.

He sighed, stepping back, but I felt eyes carve into my skull.

Yet I didn't turn around.

Naoya turned to me to confirm, earning a shrug from me.

"Yeah, I can't." I bluntly replied, conjuring up the driest reply I could formulate.

Naoya, ready to get mauled to death by Satoru, stepped forward with determined eyes.

"No...you have to say yes. No one rejects me. We'll create the strongest of children, all you have to do is marry me." He placed a hand on my shoulder, but I was as bored as ever.

'Is that lint on his Yukata? It's seriously bothering me...'

"Are you even listening?"

"Oh. My bad. What were you saying?" I itched my chin, earning a snicker from Satoru.

Nayoa's face grew hot in embarrassment, and he stumbled back.

"What excuse do you have to reject my proposal? I can give you anything you could ever want and more!" He managed to splutter amidst the awkward silence.

"I don't like you. At all." I spoke, straightforward.

Everyone around us fell silent, and it was undeniably awkward. Naoya, however, was reaping that side-effect more so than the rest of us.

"What...?" He whispered, evidently in denial.

I just rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time.

"I'm not repeating myself." I yawned.

Naoya's eye twitched, and he seemed to be in a state of complete and utter disbelief.

"Meet me in Yaga's office in 30 minutes. We need to talk."

"Right? Whatever." I mindlessly replied, barely looking up as he hesitantly turned to leave.

'Yeah, I'm NOT listening to that one...'

With a shrug, I turned to Satoru, expecting to share whatever candy he had seized from my secret collection, only to find him laughing with Miyuki.

I almost didn't realise she was here...

"The guy that knocked over the waiter's cart was hilarious! What was even going through his mind?" Miyuki giggled, and I stood there, deadpanning.

"No clue...." Satoru replied, his undivided attention on the woman in front of him. His face looked soft, and my eyes widened.

"I had a great time with you, Satoru..." She smiled meekly. "I'd love to try that again someday,"

My jaw fell wide open.

Was I just not here or something?

"Yeah, totally. Where'd you like to go?" Satoru smiled, causing Miyuki to let out a giggle, nudging him.

"Well, you taking me to Italy was actually the first time I'd left the country..."