Vivid Bad Squad Polyship (Slow Burn)

AT WKND

"Ah, Mizuki, you look happy," An observed Mizuki walking into homeroom ten minutes early.

"Hm? I suppose I am. I had a ton of fun a few days ago ♤" Mizuki took a seat. An moved closer.

"Ooh, really, what was it☆? A release party for your group's latest song? Somebody's birthday party¤°?"

"Neither, that book club Toya-kun and Azusawa-chan started." An only looked into Mizuki's eyes curiously. "They're your teammates, surely they told you about starting that Seventh Cicada book club..."

An had never questioned the practice schedule they'd thrown together, even when she saw an unscheduled day where all of them were free. The reason never came up, even when she visited him in his class to have lunch with him. "Huh. Nope." Mizuki was a little disconcerted by her blank face. "So how was it~?" She went back to her usual energy as they chatted. The entire time, though, her thoughts drifted.

'If I'm the love rival to Toya and Akito, why does it feel like Kohane and Toya just went behind my back?'

An swept the floor at the weekend Garage. It was a day Akito had work and Toya had library duty. Kohane was probably studying or hanging out with her family... right? An pulled her phone out of her apron: there were no new texts. She couldn't text her first even if she wanted to, with her confession the other day. Kohane didn't receive her feelings even then, so it was obvious she couldn't imagine being with An romantically at all.

Then she was pouting at the floor with a death grip on the broom, biting back tears. She looked at that booth where she'd cradled Kohane's soft face. The way she blushed, and her wavering brown eyes, it really seemed like... but it was impossible. An had done all she could.

'I need to just move on...'

An finished cleaning and turned the sign to "open."

A couple uneventful hours passed by. Working with her dad seemed to give her endless energy as long as she could remain in alignment with him. She could sing, clean, entertain, mix drinks for hours as long as she could tell him what she did and hear him praise her. Even now, she was multitasking while chatting with a customer. Her eyes turned downward.

'Why couldn't Kohane even stop by...'

The bell rang. 'Speak of the devil and he shall appear?!' She looked up with bright eyes, breaking her conversation about VBS's upcoming events. 'Oh- oh...' "Welcome, Toya-kun."

"Ah, perfect timing," the musician at the bar stand cheered. "I was just wondering about your practice routine a few weeks out from your big opener in May." Toya felt An give him a strange look. Was it disgust? Disappointment..?

An stiffly nodded. "Ah, me too, to be honest." She immediately went to attend to some other customers. That was not the way to hear Toya's answer. He brushed it off and continued discussing with the musician the importance of both rest and marathons in a schedule.

The peaceful time he spent chatting and drinking coffee was offput whenever An crossed into his vision. She was a bombastic and confrontational singer turned aloof waitress whenever she saw him. He still found her weirdly cute, and her endless determination and open affection were enviable. He could never act that way to Akito like she does to Kohane. Akito... he was all Toya really needed, but... An made his heart hurt by ignoring him. Toya had no idea what he'd done wrong (you didn't do anything wrong my precious T-T) and he didn't know how to talk to An as she kept flitting around. It was like the friendliness she'd shown him had disappeared.

Toya hung around for another hour-ish. It was nearly time for them to close and get ready for the night rush. At last, it was only the two of them. Toya got up and approached An. Ken walked back through the doorway he'd gone through. An tried to walk by him to clear a table but Toya grabbed her wrist. Author may have to retract her statement about him being precious.