Connect

6: Shifting Focus

"You all should seriously stop blaming Gumi," Len put an arm around my shoulder. I had told him a bit about what had happened with Neru and Luka. It had made him angry but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"If you don't like him, it should be fine," he had said.

I had nodded silently. The problem was that I did like him. I couldn't tell Len, though.

Neru scoffed at Len and he rolled his eyes. I observed Miku for a reaction. Her response surprised me.

"I think, maybe...," Miku was quiet, "Maybe Kaito likes Gumi..."

"Huh?" Neru's eyes widened. I stumbled and nearly tripped on my feet. Len held me up.

Miku shook her head. "I don't think this is right," she said, "We can't all have Kaito, right? Maybe I should start shifting my focus. You know, broadening my horizon. I don't think I'll get Kaito..."

"B-B-But...," Teto grabbed Miku by the shoulders and shook her back and forth, "Miku! What're you saying?"

"I still like Kaito," Miku said, pushing Teto away, "But I'm going to let him go. I might like someone else, you know."

My jaw just about dropped. This didn't sound like Miku at all. Neru looked like she was about to faint. Teto kept blabbering incoherent sentences.

"M-Miku...can't...you...p-please...fangirl...," Teto stammered. (A/N: I just put a bunch of random but applicable words together. Looking over it, I realize what Teto says....)

Neru took a few slow, deep breaths. "Okay," she said to herself, "Okay..."

"Miku's growing up," Len said softly, chuckling.

"I'm not going to be so easily fazed," Neru exhaled, glancing at me and then looking at Miku again, "Just because Gumi befriended Kaito doesn't mean that I'm going to stop chasing him!"

'Befriend', I thought, grimacing, that makes me sound like some sort of horrible, scheming person or something.

"S-Same here!" Teto yipped, "He'll take his pick, won't he?"

"But Gumi doesn't like Kaito," Len said. The girls looked at him. I looked down at the ground.

"Yeah, but Kaito likes Gumi!" Neru replied, "Besides, how do you know she doesn't like him?"

"He doesn't like her," Len said, "Trust me."

My chest ached suddenly. It felt as though someone had skewered my heart and a sort of deep, penetrating, sinking stone of dread had been dropped into my body. It was like dropping an ice cube into a glass of water, the way it plunges deep before slowly floating to the top. I had told Len that I didn't like Kaito, but Len knew Kaito better than I did.

"Gumi?" Len looked down at me. My legs were shaking and there was nothing I could do about it, "Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine," I lied, "Just...haven't played basketball for so long..."

"Oh," Len helped me stay upright, "That makes sense."

Neru rolled her eyes. She was still my friend but I was angry with her. "I'm still chasing Kaito. Gumi can..."

"You guys don't get it!" Miku snapped suddenly, jolting us all, "This has nothing to do with Gumi, so leave her alone!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teto was finally speaking normally now.

"I was already thinking like this," Miku shook her head, "For a few weeks now, I've been thinking...we can't all get Kaito! We're obsessed!"

"I am not obsessed!" Neru yelled.

"Yeah, neither am I!" Teto joined in.

"Well, maybe you're not, but I was, okay?" Miku screeched, "And now I'm not, okay? I'm not! I don't care anymore! If...If one of you ends up with Kaito, I'm happy! I'm moving on!"

"Arghhhh!" Oliver roared suddenly, "All this is making my head hurt!"

Miku sighed and walked over to me, clasping my arm, glancing up at Len and then at me. "It's not your fault, Gumi. I'm not angry nor am I jealous."

"I...I...," I couldn't say anything. The words were stuck in my throat. Miku nodded, as though to say that she understood what I was trying to communicate.

"Len says that Kaito doesn't like you," Miku said. The pain in my chest started up again, "But even if he does, that's fine. It's his choice. I think somebody should be allowed to love whoever they want. Besides, it's not like we really have a handle on feelings, right?"

Len nodded for me. "I'm glad someone understands," he muttered, tousling my hair, "But you know what really ticks me off?"

"What?" Neru asked. She was still angry, I could tell. Her fists were clenched and her brow was furrowed.

Len exhaled slowly before speaking again.

"Everything was fine last year," he said, "When we were all still in middle school, before Kaito. Now, I'm not blaming Kaito or anything; he's my friend and he hasn't done anything wrong. Luka used to like Gakupo before Kaito showed up, and now that's all screwed up. Everything is screwed up because ninety-nine percent of the school's female population is fawning over one freaking boy, and they don't even know him. It..it makes me furious."

I looked at Len's expression. He was done his ranting and with a soft sigh, he pulled a smile onto his face.

"Whatever," he smirked, "Not my problem, right?"

Neru and Teto frowned at him and silence draped our little group. We kept walking. Neru started texting and Teto dragged her feet along the pavement. Miku had her head down, walking beside me. I was between her and Len. Oliver had his face in a book.

"Bye," Neru mumbled as we arrived at my bus stop. She looked at me apologetically but the apology didn't leave her lips, "We're still going to the mall on Saturday, right?"

I nodded slowly and offered a small smile despite my still simmering anger. "Yeah," I said. I gave Miku a quick hug and the girls began walking away.

"You're going to be okay, right?" Len asked, staying by my side. He looked down at me and I looked up.

"I'll be fine," I said, "Don't worry."

Len opened his mouth to say something but he stopped. I looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"Len!" I wailed, "Tell me!"

"It's nothing, okay?" He smirked and ran a hand through my hair. I froze. The way he ran his fingers through my locks felt different than usual, "I'll see you tomorrow, Gumi."

And with that, he pulled his hand back and walked away. I watched as he disappeared into the distance. I slowly took one hand, pressed it against my flushed, hot skin, and then I whispered my reply.

"Bye."