Next day
At Kimetsu Academy:
Akira POV:
I closed my locker and turned around to see Mitsuri and Shinobu waving to me from across the corridor.
"Hey, guys!" I waved back, running up to them.
"Akira! We finally found you!" Mitsuri's eyes were shining, "Shinobu says she has news about Giyu!!"
"Oh, really?" I gasped, turning to Shinobu, "Spill!!"
I hoped it wasn't good news. It as an evil wish, but I had been overjoyed with the outcome of my picnic sabatoge. Shinobu and Giyu hadn't spoken to each other for days.
"Well... we were texting last night and we kinda fought," Shinobu sighed, "He said that I ignored him at school and that he felt I valued my popular friends more and things like that. We compromised and we're not friends, or dating anymore, until I graduate and promise not to think so low of him. He'll wait for me until we graduate. So that's the end of that."
Oh, wow. My head spinned. My little sabatoge worked that well? All they needed was a little push to teeter off the edge, huh?
"Oh my gosh, Shinobu!!" Mitsuri burst into tears, "I can't believe this! He basically just dumped you!!!"
"At least he'll be waiting for you after you graduate!" I said gently, pretending to be a sympathetic friend.
"Yeah, but he says he may still date until then," Shinobu sniffed, "I hope I don't see him around school that much. It'll break me to see him with someone else."
"Ahh~ That sounds so terrible!" Mitsuri hugged Shinobu tight, "ARE YOU OK, BESTIE???!"
"Shh!" Shinobu blushed, but she seemed revived. The colour was back in her cheeks. "Someone could hear."
"Hey, does this mean you're getting back with Kenzo?" Mitsuri asked, releasing Shinobu.
The best idea came to my head.
"Well, I don't know..," Shinobu grimanced, "He did try and touch me. I hasn't got anything to do with Giyu."
"But it might be fair," I suggested, "If he breaks your heart by getting with another girl, you can make him jealous right back by dating Kenzo. He'll definetly agree, and Giyu will go wild. He knows you hate him, so that'll just make him feel envy even more."
"Oh.. I don't know," Shinobu shrugged, "That kinda sounds twisted, Akira."
"Shinobu, it's up to you," I sighed, "But let me just tell you this- jealousy will get the better of you."
Two weeks later
"Akira!" Shinobu stomped up to me, looking furious.
"Oh, Shinobu! Hey!" I turned around, confused. "What's wrong?"
"You were right!" Shinobu declared, fuming, "I am going to date Kenzo! I will make Giyu so jealous he'll forget to breath!"
"What happened?" I asked, breathless myself. I'd been hoping for this all this time.
"I...," Shinobu's anger evaporated into sadness, "I saw him kissing another girl in an empty classroom."
"Oh, Shinobu," I sighed, hugging her tight. I was secretly estactic. This was sure to stir things up.
Shinobu POV:
I'd knew what would happen before even Giyu himself knew it.
He would move on. He would move on until our set date. I knew it wasn't avoidable. He couldn't stay single forever just for me. It wasn't his fault, I wasn't angry with him.
But it still hurt like a knife, edging deeper and deeper till it hit where it hurt. Even if his actions were justified, seeing them together made me choke. Run. Cry.
I cannot claim him. His is not my property. So pull yourself together, Shinobu, and get on. He's not the only one who can move on so fast.
I wasn't upset with Giyu, but that hatred and evil inside of me just had to get revenge. Give him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe he wouldn't care. But at least he would understand that two could play this game.
Even though I hated Kenzo with all my heart, he was the only one I could ask to date and would definetly accept. He wouldn't even doubt me. He wouldn't ask, 'What about the picnic?' He would just go with it.
I didn't know how long I was going to stay with him. Definetly not after graduation, but did I have to date him for the whole year? I got shivers just thinking about it. I suppose I should just go with the flow, see how things turn out. Maybe if Giyu didn't have a reaction I'd just leave him.
But I knew I couldn't date someone and really love them again. Giyu was the only one for me, whether he still liked me or not. He might hate me, but I would never give up on him. I would wait. I would be patient.
If he wanted to keep dating another girl after graduation, that was fine. I would forget him. Use a forgettion medicine or get Kanae to help me with therapy. Everything would work out, everything would turn out fine. No need to stress about it.
I despised the idea of actually going up to Kenzo and asking to date him. How would I even make it look convincing?! I was a good actor, but with Kenzo I just straight up wanted to slap him.
Ugh, but I had to do this.
. . . . . . . .
"Heyy, Kenzo," I walked up to Kenzo and fluttered my eyelashes, pretending to flirt. It grossed me out so much I wanted to puke right there and then.
Akira had helped me work out a plan to seem geniune and not suspicious to Kenzo. She helped me apply mascara and fake eyelashes so the 'flutter' would look purposeful.
And Kenzo, being the self-absorbed baka, shamelessly flirted straight back.
"Why hello, Shinobu," he smirked, flashing his sparkly teeth at me. I almost gagged.
"So, uh," I looked around, seeing that people were crowding around us. "I wanted to apologise for what happened between us. And if there was a possibility we could... d-d a t e?!" I spat the word out, forcing a wobbly fake smile on my face.
"Hmm!" Kenzo raised his eyebrows, a sparkle in his eye, "A change of heart, I see! And a wise one! Well, my lady, who am I to refuse? I am yours!" He bent on a knee and kissed my hand dramtically. I resisted the urge to slap him with that hand.
"Oh! Really! Wow!" I chuckled nervously, glancing at the crowd, "Thank you! Really a dream.. come t-true! Hehe!"
I just wanted to die there. I felt so embarrased as everyone stared and whispered, giggled and pointed.
Suddenly, my eye caught a familair ocean-blue one, and I spotted Giyu in the outskirts of the audience, passing by with a book in his hand.
He immediantly tore his gaze, looked straight forwards and raising his chin defiantly. He walked past and I was torn to see right behind him, clutching his hand and smiling, his new girlfriend.
I realised I reconised the girl. She was in my math class, smart and pretty. Not many guys went after her despite her beauty and brains since she wasn't as popular and tended to be a little shy, but of course that worked for Giyu.
She had long light brown hair and looked like a K-Pop idol, with a Japanese twist. She wore cute brown circle-shaped glasses that framed her face well and just made her doe eyes look even bigger. She was as short as me and had the sweetest smile, laugh and voice.
I hadn't noticed her before, but now that I looked at her in a new light, I saw her appeal. Of course Giyu would want someone like that.
What was her name again? I racked my brain for an answer.
Suddenly, I realised Kenzo was staring at me expectantly, and I realised I'd gotten dazed thinking about Giyu and his new girlfriend. I immediantly turned my attention back to him, gave a nervous laugh, and hugged him to conceal my actions before.
He was a little taller than Giyu and a bit too tall to hug properly. It ended up feeling uncomfortable and wierd. Kenzo laughed merrily and patted my head like I was a dog.
Later
I sat at my desk, tapping the pencil against my head and staring at the board so it looked like I was listening, but really I was thinking. Hard.
I was in my math class, and since that new girl was in it, I decided to take a better look at her.
During the role, I paid close attention to the names being called and discovered her name was Himari. Of course. A pretty name for a pretty girl.
I observed her intelligently as she listened to the teacher. She had a well-organized notebook and folder. Her long brown hair would fall to the side as she put her head down to take notes. She had curtain bangs which blocked her face sometimes, but just framed her face shape even better.
The more I stared, the more I realised how attractive she was. Not just romantically, but also platonically. She looked like a good friend and always chatted merrily with people sitting beside her to discuss projects.
After a lengthy explanation, the teacher let us get into groups to do some problems together, and I went with Mitsuri and another popular girl, Ikira. Mitsuri mainly did the work while Ikira chatted away and I observed Himari.
Himari and Giyu were in a group together with Makomo. Sabito wasn't in this class.
Himari worked intelligently and finished the problems really quickly. The teacher let them have some free time.
Giyu and Himari chatted and laughed at each other's jokes. Himari didn't look toxic at all. Their relationship looked super wholesome. Makomo and Himari also got along really well. It made me jealous. I wish I had more friends that were like that.
It made me even more jealous when I inched closer to them. Himari hugged Giyu and joked, "You're so tall it makes me feel like a gremlin!! And I love that." She snuggled her face into his jacket. He laughed.
I should be the only one who can make him laugh like that with flirty words.
Ugh. So cheesy. I couldn't resist the urge to eye-roll at them. I didn't think they would see me, but Giyu caught it.
"Hey, Himari," he said gently, "You're from Korea, right?"
"Half-half!" Himari replied cheerfully, "My mother's from Korea and my father's Japanese. Isn't that amazing? It makes me feel unique!"
"Oh, wow," Giyu smiled faintly, his eyes clouding over like he was in deep thought, "I've always wanted a Korean girl."
I've always wanted a Korean girl?
What? My eyes filled with stupid tears, even though I knew he probably said that on purpose. I quickly turned around so he wouldn't see me, and I saw Akira passing by the window outside. The windows were open, so she could have overheard.
I saw her eyes fill with tears, too, although I couldn't understand why. She spotted me and quickly rushed off. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my uniform and tried to distract myself by helping Mitsuri with the project.
Akira POV:
Maybe I had overheard wrong. But I had always had good ears.
"I've always wanted a Korean girl."
Stupid, stupid Giyu Tomioka. I was a Korean girl. Why did you reject me then?!
A/N: You will understand that last POV later 😉