Week Three, Thursday
The walk to school is pleasant. Birds are singing, the smell of flowers fill the air-
And Osano and Amao are bickering.
Ayano isn’t sure what they’re arguing about, but she’s ignoring it, talking to Taro instead. Which is, honestly, kind of awkward to do when she’s being tugged back and forth between Osano and Amao, each holding one of her hands. She’s used to this by now, which may be a bad sign, but oh well.
Taro, on the other hand, decides to cut into the conversation. “Hey, um, what’s wrong, guys?”
Osano scoffs. “Amao keeps trying to take Aya away from me!” He pulls her closer as he speaks.
Amao huffs. “I would never! I see nothing wrong with both of us holding her hand.” He looks at Ayano. “You don’t have a problem with it, right, dear? You’ve never said anything.”
Ayano just sighs. “Guys, I’ve never had a problem. I’m not being taken away from anyone. I get it, you both need affection. Just hold my hand and stop fighting.”
Both of them blush and shut up. Taro just shakes his head and resumes their conversation. When they all get to school, they go to the fountain. Kokona arrives and starts talking to Amao about a recipe that she’d found.
When Kizano arrives, he walks straight to Ayano, gait confident. “Darling, I’ve missed you!” He cries out, and pulls her into a hug.
Confused, Ayano replies, “But I just saw you yesterday?”
Kizano laughs, then sits down next to Ayano, shoving Amao over. Amao turns to face him, and looks offended, but Kizano cuts him off.
With a smile still on his face, Kizano asks in a low voice, “Now, will someone please tell me why there’s a boy that’s been watching Ayano from the moment I stepped into this area?”
Ayano glances up subtly, and sure enough, Otohiko is watching her from behind a tree. “Ah. He’s back.” She shrugs at Kizano. “He just shows up.”
Kizano looks annoyed. “What do you mean, he just shows up? How long has he been doing this?”
“Since Monday.” Amao shifts closer, leaning in so that everyone can hear him. “He introduced himself Monday morning, and we’ve seen him around a couple times.”
“He’s a creep,” Osano states. “He just keeps staring at her!”
Kizano’s angry when he replies. “So nobody has stopped him?”
Ayano pipes up. “Well, he hasn’t really done anything? He runs off whenever he sees that I’m watching. He only said anything to me on Monday.”
Kokona nods. “Yeah. Like yesterday, he just watched her until he saw I’d caught him!”
Ayano blinks at that. “Yesterday?”
Kokona nods again. “He followed us to the Drama Room, but I heard him when we were looking at the cast list. As soon as we locked eyes, he turned and darted off. You didn’t hear him?”
Ayano shakes her head. “Huh. Weird.”
Taro speaks up. “Weird? Aren’t you, I don’t know, concerned?”
“Or creeped out?” Osano adds on.
“Or completely disgusted?” Kizano says.
“I’d be scared, if some kid was stalking me,” Amao admits. Kokona nods in agreement.
“He isn’t stalking me. Following me in school, yes. But one of us would notice if he was following me to and from school. He’s just a fan of what I did for the play. He said he liked it. He’ll be done in less than a week.” Ayano doesn’t see a reason to confront the boy. After all, he really hasn’t done anything wrong. She’s fine with him, as long as he doesn’t start following her home.
Actually, Ayano isn’t sure if she’d care about that, either. Oh well.
Her friends seem to realize that Ayano doesn’t really care what Otohiko does, because they drop the conversation. That doesn’t stop Osano, Amao, and Kizano from glaring at the boy until he leaves, however.
When they walk to class, all three keep an eye out, staying close. Ayano has a feeling that they’re going to be like this for the whole day.
Sure enough, when the bell for lunch rings, they’re all just as close. The group heads to the library to eat, studying for their science test. They spend the whole lunch period reviewing their notes and textbooks, and by the end, all four of them feel confident for the next day.
On the way to class, Ayano gets a notification that she’s been added to a group chat named, ‘Ayano Protection Squad.’ Ayano opens up the chat to see that Taro, Osano, Amao, Kizano, Kokona, and Ayano, herself, are in it. There’s a single message.
Kokona: He was watching for you at lunch. Ayano this kid is weird.
Ayano doesn’t have to look up to know that the three boys have moved closer, and are scanning the halls. She just sighs and steps into her classroom.
When class is over, Ayano spots Hana, another one of Musume’s friends, texting on her phone. It gives her an idea.
She offers to take the trash can today, and Inkyu happily gives the role over, scared of the delinquents. In the corner of her eye, Ayano sees Hana look at her before texting something else.
The delinquents don’t bat an eye at Ayano as she dumps the trash out. When she’s about to step inside, she pauses.
Musume is hiding behind the school again, texting.
Ayano pastes on a smile before heading over. Musume looks up at grins.
“Hey! Ayano, right?” She asks, her voice bubbly and full of cheer.
“Yeah, and you’re Musume Ronshaku?” Ayano sets down the trash can.
“Yep! Hey, wanna, like, hang out sometime? I’ve got, like, the coolest house! We have a hot tub and everything .”
Ayano pretends to consider it, then nods. “Yeah, that’d be fun.”
Musume shoves her phone into Ayano’s hands. “You totally have to give me your number, then, so I can give you my address and all that. How about, like, Saturday?”
Ayano plugs in her number and hands the phone back. “Saturday sounds perfect. See you then!” She picks up the trash can and walks away.
“See ya, girl!” Musume calls back, then goes back to texting.
Ayano smiles at her friends when she steps back into the classroom. Kizano walks her to the gym, waving away Osano and Amao. He pretends to be calm, but Ayano can see his eyes darting around. So he’s still annoyed by Otohiko.
Ayano doesn’t comment.
Club time passes quickly, and the first act is blocked and run through before club time is over. Kizano and Kokona walk on either side of Ayano on the way to the gate.
When Kokona waves goodbye, Kizano announces that he’s walking home with her, too. Taro isn’t, instead walking Uekiya again, so it’s just the four of them.
Osano and Amao seem annoyed at the addition of Kizano at first, Osano less subtly than Amao, but they don’t comment. When they all get to Ayano’s house, Osano and Amao both give her quick forehead kisses. Annoyed by this, Kizano does so as well. Ayano just smiles, warm and light, and says goodnight to the three.
When she shuts the door, she hears Osano and Amao immediately start yelling at Kizano, but she doesn’t hear the individual words. He shouts back as the three depart.
Ayano doesn’t mind beginning and ending her days listening to their bickering. It just means that they care.
Ayano feels light for the rest of the night.
Notes:
So, something's going on in Akademi...seems that Ayano's high reputation is making certain people notice her. ;)
1268 words.