Date Her Instead Vol. 3

Chapter Eight: The Boy's Turn

It was a couple of days later when Haruna had an unpleasant encounter. While waiting around for Kanako to get out of her club (Haruna's own club didn't have practice that day), Akio happened to find her. Or at least, he tried to make it seem that way.

"Oh, hey Haruna-chan. I didn't know you were here," Akio said with a smile. Once upon a time, Haruna's heart would've fluttered at even those simple words. She had been in love with Akio, and getting a smile from the boy would've been enough to make her feel over the moon. Now though, her feelings were different. The sight of Akio filled her with disdain. It wasn't because she hated him. In fact, looked at objectively, it was safe to say that Haruna did still like Akio as a friend. Her annoyance instead stemmed from the fact that she knew recent experience proved that whenever the boy showed up, nothing good ever seemed to follow.

In response to Akio's greeting, Haruna simply ignored him. "Honestly I have a bunch of things I want to say to him, but right now I just kind of want him to go away," she thought. Perhaps earlier in the day Haruna would've had the energy to interrogate Akio while simultaneously insulting him, but at the end of the day after sitting through boring classes and her own frustrations, she didn't care enough to bother. At the moment, all she really wanted was to be able to walk back home hand in hand with Kanako, just the two of them.

The thought brought a small smile to Haruna's face, but it was quickly dashed by Akio making further comments. "That's a nice smile there. I wonder what could make you make an expression like that. Or is it more accurate to ask who?" With that remark, Haruna could ignore Akio no longer. She turned to face him, glaring harshly. "If you're just here to annoy me, congrats, it's working," she spat out. "You're so hurtful Haruna-chan. And here I thought we could have a civil conversation," Akio said with an exaggerated sigh.

Haruna's sharp eyes did not relent, eventually forcing Akio to continue unprompted. "Well anyways," he began, taking a seat that wasn't offered to him. "I wanted to talk to you about-" "What's your deal?" Haruna said, rudely cutting the boy off. "Excuse me?" Akio said, surprised by the sudden question. "You just keep putting yourself in between me and Kanako more and more. I wanna know why," Haruna said sternly. "Whatever could you mean dear Haruna-chan?" Akio said faux-pompously. "All I want is to get closer with my friends." "Really? Because to me it looks like you're just trying to get closer to Kanako," Haruna said. Akio remained silent. "You've gotten to talk to her a lot more than me, both to school and leaving. You even got to spend time with her when I was the one that was supposed to be on a date with Kanako." "You sound jealous Haruna-chan," Akio said, an edge of cunning in his eyes.

"Damn right I am," Haruna answered in all seriousness. Akio's eyebrows raised, surprised once again by the girl across from him. "I didn't think you'd actually admit it," he said. "I mean, I don't think I'm some envious psycho about it, but..." Haruna said, being sure to keep her sights locked onto Akio. "Those moments that I've made for just me and her, those are MINE. Back off."

Akio's shock lasted only a moment longer, soon shifting into a more smug expression. "I never thought you could talk like that Haruna-chan. Almost makes me wish I was still the target of your affections." "It's not like mine is the only one that's changed. I guess you were serious about trying to take Kanako from me. Who knew you'd fall for her after all?" Haruna said, taking a shot at Akio. She felt it was karma in a way. Akio had been the one to propose that Haruna and Kanako act like a couple in the first place. By extension, he was also partially responsible for Haruna developing feelings for Kanako. With those feelings fueling her, Haruna fully intended to get Kanako to fall in love with her. That was why it was funny to the girl that Akio would have feelings for Kanako. He had essentially made things entirely more difficult for himself than it ever should've been.