Natsuo, during the summer break, tried to write short stories for the club journal but he got stuck.
He decided to go to school in order to borrow a book for references, he invited Rui to come with him but she refused.
When he arrived at school he found Sota inside the clubroom.
«What are you doing here?» Natsuo asked.
«Just some routine stuffs. Kiriya-sensei told me to create an index of all the books we have» Sota sighed «I almost finished, why are you here?».
«I'm searching for a book, I got stuck with my story» Natsuo replied staring at the bookshelf.
«Got it. When you chose it let me know which book you take, I'll update the index».
Natsuo was staring at the bookshelf while Sota was writing the titles of the books on a piece of paper.
Few minutes passed.
«Have you found the book you needed?» Sota asked him.
«Not really».
«Then, would you mind tell me what happened between you and Hina-sensei during the campaign trip?».
«EHHH?» Natsuo shouted «What are you talking about?».
Then he remembered about the small talk he had with Hina at the end of the trip.
«Nothing» Natsuo said «I mean i don't even know what she was thinking back then... And since the trip she has kept distance from me. I think she is trying to avoid me».
«Mh» Sota looked back at the paper he was writing «I understand. Maybe there is something that bother her».
Natsuo didn't speak.
«I take your silence as a "yeah there is something that bother her and I know perfectly what is it"» Sota said.
«Eh.... Yeah».
«Well I won't ask you anything else» Sota smiled «You don't need to worry about it».
Then Natsuo grabbed a small book from the bookshelf and showed it to Sota.
«You take this one? Nothing else?» Sora asked and Natsuo nodded «Okay let me update the index and then you can go».
Sota wrote Natsuo's surname near the title of the book.
«Take care Nat» He said to his friend.
«Yeah you too» Natsuo then exited from the clubroom.
Few seconds after Sota heard a big noise coming from the hall.
After that someone shouted in English
«SHIT MY LIFE SUCKS».
Sota ran out from the clubroom and headed where he heard that voice.
He found Natsuo and another guy lying on the floor with a bike not far from them.
«SECOND YEAR?» The stranger asked Natsuo, this time he spoke in japanese.
«Ye-yeah I am» Natsuo said.
«Nat are you alright?» Sota asked Natsuo, helping him to stand up.
«ARE YOU A SECOND YEAR TOO?» The blond guy asked Sota.
«Y-yes».
«WOW» The stranger grabbed both of their arms and shook them «WE ARE GONNA BE CLASSMATES».
He then stopped «I'm Alex but you can call me Al, what about you?».
«I'm Fujii» Natsuo replied to Al.
«And I'm Yamamoto» Sota replied.
«No no I mean your names».
«Oh well I'm Sota and he is Natsuo».
«OH but you called him Nat. I'll call him Nat too as a symbol of our friendship» Al then shout «YOU ARE NAT-CHAN AND YOU ARE SO-CHAN».
Natsuo and Sota stared at each others in confusion while Al panicked.
«EHH? WHAT'S WRONG?» Al shouted «Don't they ca their friends 'chan' in Japan?».
«I can't really follow you. Just why are you driving a bike inside school during the summer break?» Natsuo asked scratching his own head.
«I'm gonna transfer here after the summer break» Al said «I'm here to get the documents ready. There wasn't anyone because of the summer break and I found an abandoned bike at the entrance».
He put an hand on his chin and continued «You know, no people, abandoned bike.... There is only one thing to do».
«Not one, zero zero» Sota said «You'd be in troubles if the teachers saw you».
«It's okay» He said «I wasn't seen».
He then grabbed the bike and sat on it
«Are you two busy?» The blonde guy asked.
«Not really» Said Natsuo while staring at him.
«I'm rather busy» Sota said «I need to finish with the books and go to buy something for dinner».
«Then Nat-chan come here» Al pointed the seat of the bike.
«WHAT? WHY?» Natsuo shouted.
«Don't be shy, I'll drive you to the entrance come on».
«Okay okay, I don't care about it» Sota said while walking away and waving them «Bye bye».
He returned to the clubroom, few minutes after he heard a teacher screaming «WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A BIKE INSIDE SCHOOL?».
«Seems like they got caught» Sota said to himself while he was reordering the bookshelf.
Later
Sota was walking inside a supermarket, staring at a shelf, thinking for something to cook.
«Mmhh, If I want to prepare meat I should take this as side dish» He said grabbing a small can.
«Why don't you use this one» He saw an hand handing him another can.
«Oh yeah I could-» He immediately stopped and turned his head «RUI?».
«Don't shout my name in the middle of the supermarket» Rui said annoyed «Plus poor choice of you buying canned food, fresh food is way tastier».
«Yeah yeah whatever» He sighed «Oh by the way. I met Natsuo at school, we met a foreign student that will be transferred to our school after the break».
«He hasn't returned home» She said «I think he is hanging out with him at this point».
«Yeah probably, well see ya then».
Sota was about to go away when Rui stopped him.
«Oi» She said gaining his attention «I read that manga you bought me».
Sota's eyes widened when he heard those words.
«And?» He asked turning his head towards her.
«I like it. A bit too gory and brutal but I enjoyed it».
«How brutal?» He said with a teasing tone «Weren't you the girl who enjoyed stuff like "Smoke, Soil and Sacrifices"?».
«D-do you still remember it?» Rui asked.
«Obviously I do» He said «We are friends aren't we?».
«Yeah we are» Rui was surprised by his words «then if you have other stuff to advise me I'll gladly accept it» she said.
«Oh» Sota smirked «I'll guide you into this world. I'll be Charon and you'll be a soul waiting for-».
«Stop it, that's gross, strange and .... Awkward».
«Fine fine» He said «Do you want to eat or drink something? I still have spare time. We can talk about it while we eat something fresh».
Rui nodded «Okay then, but you pay».
«EH?».
«This is what is so called chivalry».
After that they went to eat a cup of ice cream in an ice cream shop not too far from the supermarket.
«Do you live near here?» Rui asked.
«Not really, I'm here because I needed to run some errands for Nee-chan».
«Do you have an older sister?» She asked him.
«Yeah, is a bit older than Hina-sensei» He replied her «But she behaves like a child».
«Just line Hina-nee» Rui said bluntly.
«I think they would get along pretty well» He chuckled.
Rui was serious, she wasn't laughing or giggling at Sota's "joke". She was staring intensely the cup of ice cream
«There is something wrong?» He asked her.
«I want to ask you something» Rui rised her head «I thought about it, I was about to ask Natsuo, considering that you are old friends, but it wouldn't felt right to me».
«Eh? Are you going to confess to me?» He said sarcastically.
«No idiot».
«T-that was a joke».
«You told me about your past with sports and the incident you had back then that forced you to stop» She said.
«You want to know more about it?» Rui hearing his question steadily nodded «Fine fine. Let me start from....».
He put an hand on his chin «Yeah! Okay. Everything started when I was a child. My parents were usually abroad for work, well they still are right now but when I was a child I used to stay at my grandparents house with my sister».
He was playing around with the spoon he used to eat the ice cream, he was nervous about it.
«Well I learned the basis of my cooking skills from my grandma and I spent a lot of time with my grandpa watching sport matches in tv. My grandpa's favourite sport was baseball, he followed every match of the NPB and his favourite team was the Yoimiuri Giants».
He took a deep breath «Thanks to him I started to playing different sports, I started with baseball but I didn't like it. Then I tried both basketball and football and so on. I wasn't talented but I really enjoyed it. Those times were the best time of my childhood».
Rui was listening carefully at his story.
«When my grandpa died I was shocked by it, I never thought he would've died. I decided to continue to practice and play sports because I thought it was the most normal thing to do in order to keep his memory alive».
«And then that incident forced you to stop?» Rui asked.
«Yeah exactly» He said «When i was forced to stop it I was destroyed, It was like everything I did for my grandpa was slowly disappearing. I was ashamed of myself, I put the blame on me and now, after years of distance, I think I was dumb to think it in that way... But now I'm fine I guess».
«Or at least I moved on» He chuckled «My legs won't return at the greatness they had before».
«If you are-» Rui was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She grabbed it and replied to the call.
«Hello?» Rui said «Natsuo?! What?» She was rather worried.
«Okay I'm coming» She said hanging up the phone.
«Something happened?» Sota asked her while she was preparing to leave the shop.
«Natsuo is at the police station» She said rising from her seat «I'll go to look after him».
«Wait» Sota said stopping the blue haired girl «Let me come with you».
The two of them reached the police station where Natsuo was. When they arrived they saw Natsuo near another guy with blonde hair.
«Who is that guy?» Rui asked Sota seeing him from afar «He is the one you told me about?»
«Yeah» He replied «The transfer student».
Rui and Sota reached Natsuo and Al position.
«Why did you come in such a hurry?» Natsuo asked Rui seeing her «And why are you two together?».
«We met at the supermarket» Sota replied.
«And I was surprised to hear that you were here» Rui replied.
«I wanted to clean myself by this morning's false accusation» Natsuo replied her.
Al's blue eyes ware staring at Rui.
«I'm sorry for keep you waiting» Said one of the policemen, then he pointed Rui and said «Who is this girl?».
«She probably is one of the victims» Natsuo said to the policeman.
«Oh then please come with me to check the underwear, sadly we can't return it to you for these days» The policeman said.
The two of them went away.
«Nat-chan, So-chan» Said Al «Who is she?».
Natsuo was hesitating, he wasn't sure how to describe the relationship he had with Rui, plus he didn't want Al to know about his "family" situation.
«A friend» Sota took the lead of the discuss after he saw Natsuo's face worried by Al's question «The three of us are friends».
«REALLY?» Al shouted «Then you must introduce her to me, I want to go out with her».
«What?» Asked Sota.
«She is so cute~» Al face was overflowing of joy.
«W-why don't you pick her up on your own?» Asked Natsuo.
«W-well» Al panicked «I know that Japanese girls are shy s-so... If I try the American way she might avoid me and I don't want it to happen».
He then pointed both of them «You need to help me».
«WHAT?» Natsuo shouted.
«PLEASE I BEG YOU, HELP ME» He shouted.
«Fine fine» Natsuo replied to him «We will help him right?» he was staring right to Sota this time.
«U-uh y-yeah» Sota stuttered.
Later Rui, Natsuo and Sota were returning home together.
«So» Said Natsuo «Did you find your underwear?».
«Yeah but I can't have them back, those are pieces of evidences. Plus this underwear thief had a lot of small stuff, he surely had a taste for lolis».
Natsuo was staring at her blankly, Sota noticed it and grabbed his arm.
«I need to go this way» He said pointing a side street «We need to split».
«Why are you grabbing me then?» Natsuo said.
«I need to tell you something. Rui can you give us a bit of time to talk alone?» Sota asked her.
«Fine» She nodded.
«Bye Sota» She said staring at him, then pointed a place not far from them and said «I'll wait you there Natsuo» and she walked away.
«What's the point of this?» Natsuo asked him.
«Do you remember what Al asked us?».
Nastuo nodded.
«Were you going to tell her about it today right?».
«W-well yeah».
«Then forget it» Sota was staring at his eyes.
«W-why?» Nastuo asked.
«It's not the right time, she just met him, we should strive for a more quiet strategy. This approach is too direct».
«Well I think you are right» He said to Sota «We can meet Al tomorrow and explain him the situation».
«Yeah why not» Sota said «Then see you tomorrow».
«See ya» Natsuo said running towards the place Rui pointed before.
"Not the right time? Too direct? These were truly the stuff I think?" Sota asked "I can't blame Al at all, he felt the same thing I felt when I saw her for the first time".
Sota remembered when she saw her from afar her first day of school.
«How do I think of her» He whispered.
A/N
Yoh guys, here there is the new chapter. Shorter than the last one but finally best boy Al is here u.u
Oh and btw look what Mappa announced along with Chainsawman.
Takt op.Destiny, it kinda reminds me Fate and I'm sooo curious to watch it when it will come out, after all it's a joint project between Madhouse (OPM, Death note etc) and Mappa (Aot, Jjk, Dororo etc).
I'm hyped af.
Vote/comment and see yaa!