Not My Type

五

 "[Name], I want you and Aoi to work on a project for this year's cultural festival."

Both Akane and [Name] were at a loss for words. The cultural festival was months away! Even for someone as goal-driven as Teru, this was too early to even be thinking about the cultural festival. Plus, why would Akane need to partner with someone who wasn't a part of the student council?

 "What exactly am I supposed to do with her, Minamoto-kaichou?"

Teru slid a folder in Akane's direction. "[First Name] [Surname] is famous painter, wouldn't you think a lot of people would go here to see an exclusive exhibit? Kamome Gakuen would receive recognition from this—or so the principal says. This is also an opportunity for you to start painting again, [Name]."

[Name] remained silent, her eyes fixed on the folder in front of her.

 "But why me? I have a bit of knowledge about paintings but not in the way [Surname] has—"

 "—Aoi, you'll be her caretaker."

The sound of a slam turned Teru and Akane's attention to [Name]. Even with her mask on, they could see that her face was flushed. She was breathing heavily with her fists clenched. The glare that she directed to Teru made a shiver go down Akane's spine.

 "Teru, what do you think I am? A child? Why does glasses here need to take care of me? I can paint peacefully on my own, thank you very much! If you want, I'll make paintings way better than the ones I did in the past!"

In spite of the anger he was facing, the smile on Teru's face didn't disappear. "That would be delightful, [Name]. I know you can do it."

What seemed like a stifled shriek escaped [Name]. "You're on! If I do this, then you better stop butting into my problems! Whether or not I continue to paint, it's none of your business anymore! Got it?"

 "Of course. I'll be looking forward to that, [Name]."

 "What are you going to do now? If I'm not wrong, you said you haven't painted for a while now."

Akane passed a can of [favorite drink] to [Name], who stared at it for a few moments before taking it. The two of them were outside the building, seeing as the only thing [Name] could say when they exited the student council room was "I need some fresh air or I'm going to kill that stupid blond president".

The next few minutes were spent in silence, that was until [Name] finally looked in Akane's way.

 "You must be confused," she said, setting down her empty can, "well, it's just as you've said, I haven't painted for a while now."

 "Why?" His question made the artist flinch.

 "That's... that's a story for another time." [Name] stood up from the bench they were sitting on and stretched her body. "Come on, we're going somewhere. You plan on helping me paint, right?"

The bespectacled boy almost dropped the can he was holding. "What? Where?! Classes are still ongoing, mind you!"

[Name] huffed. "Who do you think I am? Just trust in Teru and I. He must've made the necessary arrangements." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Akane's wrist. "The first step in painting is finding inspiration!"

Even as [Name] pulled Akane outside the school, he couldn't find the right words to say. First of all, was there really a need to skip class for this?! Second, someone who wasn't Ao-chan doesn't have the right to drag him like this! Third, where on earth were they going?! Akane found himself sitting beside [Name] in the train, of course with him knowing absolutely nothing about where they were going.

 "I don't really appreciate being pulled around, [Surname]. You aren't even Ao-chan."

 "Call me [Name]." The girl stared straight into his eyes. "Also, your obsession with Aoi is apparent. Not that I mind, really."

Caught off guard, Akane adjusted his glasses. "Fine, [Name]. I wouldn't necessarily care about your opinion of me, anyway." A smile slowly appeared on his lips. "Why would I need to hide my feelings for Aoi? I believe that showing it to the world only proves my sincerity."

[Name] shook her head. "Haven't you considered liking someone else? What if Aoi never likes you back?"

Akane looked offended at this. He pointed his finger at [Name] and shook his head. "The only one for me is Ao-chan! If... if she really does like someone else then I'll work hard to be better than him! You never know, [Name], but Ao-chan may like me back someday. Besides, my type is Ao-chan!"

 "How can you say that? Ao-chan's been the only one you're interested in..." [Name] trailed off.

 "Ha? Isn't a type only natural? Ao-chan is everything I seek!" He crossed his arms. "For sure though, you're not my type. You're hard to predict and you're close with that demon of a president too! You even called me glasses despite knowing my name!"

A dry chuckle left [Name]. "Is that so? People have said I'm quite attractive."

Akane's face scrunched up in disgust. "Ha? Are they blind or something? You're more of a slave driver than an alluring charmer." His words earned him a smack; how on earth did a sickly person have this much strength? "See? This is why you're not my type."

[Name] scoffed at this. "Come on, I believe I'll be able to make you fall for me even without being your type."

 "It's good to dream but this is getting way out of hand. Besides, why do you insist on finding inspiration as soon as you receive the info from the president? There's still a lot of time before the cultural festival."

 "Do you have an idea how difficult it is making an exhibit from scratch?" Leaning against the seats, [Name] stared at the ceiling of the train. "It's actually hard to find inspiration, especially if everything just seems dark. I told Teru I'd make this different from what I used to do in the past too. You're my assistant for this. You should be honored, I never ask people for help."

Something different? "Why don't you just do something completely opposite to what you usually do?"

 "Easier said than done. Most of my paintings are scenery. Almost everything I paint is what I see."

 "So you mean to say it's ordinary?" Akane furrowed his eyebrows. Unlike her, the sights he was graced with everyday wasn't all that ordinary. "Why not paint something that's more like fantasy?"

 "Fantasy?"

 "Yeah, if it's you, then you might be able to make fantasy a reality."

[Name]'s eyes sparkled at this.