Week Ten, Wednesday
Ayano rolls out of bed in the morning as soon as her alarm goes off. Literally rolls out of bed, because change is good and Ayano decided it would be fun.
Ayano no longer trusts her first thought of the morning. Laying on the floor, a dull pain coursing through her body, is the opposite of fun. Ayano grunts and pushes herself up, ignoring the slight ache in her arms...and legs...and everywhere else.
Ayano needs to wait until she’s had a second thought in the morning. Maybe a third, actually.
Her limbs are still slightly sore when she’s walking out of her house, ready for the day. The usual six boys are waiting for her, and so is Kokona, who’s excitedly talking to Kizano about their upcoming performance, which is only a few days away.
“Hey guys,” Ayano says, just like always, because change is not fun. “Kokona, where’s Riku?”
Kokona shrugs, still smiling. “He wasn’t up until I was already leaving, he said he’ll meet me at school. You ready for the play, Yan?”
Ayano shrugs back, returning a grin as well. “I’m more ready than ever before. All of my lines are memorized and I’m excited.”
Kokona cheers, then dives right back into her conversation with Kizano, changing the topic to the props they need for each scene. Ayano tries to listen to the conversation, but is quickly distracted by Osano and Amao, who each take one of her hands.
“Hey, Aya?” Osano starts, looking at her. “Want to cook with us before class? I know you’ll have to miss lunch, then, but we’re going to be making blueberry muffins.”
Ayano is a simple soul.
“Of course I do, Osano,” Ayano responds without hesitation. She turns her head to look at Kokona. “Kokona, want to bake muffins with us?”
Kokona nods. “Sure!”
Amao smiles down at Ayano. “You can invite Osorō, too, dear.”
Ayano giggles and lets go of Amao’s hand in order to text the delinquent. He quickly agrees to join.
Slipping her hand back into Amao’s, Ayano knows that today will be great.
When they get to school, Riku is already at the gate. He’s rubbing at his eyes, still waking up, but he beams and blushes as soon as he spots his girlfriend. Ayano watches them talk for a few minutes, then Kokona remembers Ayano, Osano, and Amao.
“Riku, I’m going to the Cooking Club today. Want to join us?” Kokona asks
Riku pauses for a second, but ends up shaking his head. “Thanks, but I’m actually going to hang out with the Gaming Club. Ryuto has been telling me about some new game, and I promised to play it with him today.”
Kokona smiles. “Okay, I’ll see you at lunch!” Then she turns and leads the other three into the Cooking Club room, where Osorō is leaning against the counter, waiting for them. Saki walks into the club room, but she lets out a little yelp and backs out as soon as she spots the blonde. Osorō just snorts and turns to the four.
“So, I heard we’re makin’ muffins?” He asks casually, as if he didn’t just scare a teenage girl with his presence alone.
Amao nods. “Yep! I have a list of ingredients on my phone, here they are!” He pulls it up, setting his phone on the counter as he starts to pull out bowls and trays.
Osorō just eyes the list with an odd glint in his eyes as Ayano, Kokona, and Osano glance at the list before looking for some of the ingredients. “So, you made this recipe?” He asks casually.
Amao nods, smiling proudly. “Yep! Added some special ingredients that make it taste better, and took out a couple that I’m not so happy with.”
Osorō is all too smug as he says, “So, you’re actually the Muffin Man.”
Amao pauses, then turns around, angrily pointing a whisk at the chuckling boy before him. “I will kick you out of my club.”
Osorō snorts in response. “I’m not a club member, you can’t kick me from it.”
Amao pauses, then asks, “Would ...Osorō, would you like to join the club? You always end up in here at least once a week, why not join us officially?”
Osorō rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling when he says, “Sure, whatever. I’ll be in your club.”
Smiling, Amao hands Osorō a kerchief to wear.
Then he snatches it away, and shoves the whisk in Osorō’s face. “If the Muffin Man comments continue, you will be kicked.”
Osano laughs at the shocked expression on Osorō’s face. Ayano and Kokona giggle, too.
“Wow, Amao, I didn’t know you had a mean bone in your body,” Kokona comments, and Amao backs away from Osorō, handing back the kerchief.
Osorō smiles. “Glad to see that brownie boy knows how to stand up for himself.”
Amao’s face drops, any pride gone. “Brownie boy?”
When Osorō’s grin widens, Amao just sighs. “I’ll never win, will I?”
“Nope,” All four cooking kids say at once, then laugh. The rest of the morning is spent baking the muffins, and they leave happy, full, and excited because Osorō joined a club, and is wearing the kerchief.
Albeit, it is on his wrist, partially covered by his long coat, but it’s more than Ayano and Kokona, who don’t even wear anything for their clubs, so it’s really good for him.
On the way to her classroom, Ayano spots Megamo. They make eye contact, and Ayano smiles at him. He nods back, but his eyes quickly stray to look at Osorō, and he scowls. Ayano wonders about that, and decides to ask later.
Morning classes pass by fairly fast, and before she knows it, Ayano is heading off for the Student Council room.
All of the Council members are there when she enters, and they all greet her in their own ways. Ayano smiles at them, returning their greetings, then sits down at her filing cabinet once again. She’s sure that, with a few more days, she’ll be done with the papers. After all, she’s nearly done with her grade, and only the year one’s will be left and any recent documents her club mates have made.
As Ayano works, she feels eyes on her. More than just one pair. Looking up from a paper, she sees all five of them looking right back at her.
“Do you guys need something?” She asks, confused.
Megamo clears his throat, face reddening. “No, Ayano. You’re fine. I was just thinking.” He looks away, staring at his paper. He doesn’t start writing, and his face is still red.
Shiromi smiles, well, more like she doesn’t stop smiling, and says, “You know what, I want to go check on that turtle. I’ll see you guys later.” She walks out casually, leaving behind a confused Ayano.
A few seconds later, Akane gasps. “Oh! I think a student just got hurt! I’ll go check on them.”
She’s racing off as Ayano asks, “But I didn’t even hear anyone? And the doors are closed, how could you-”
“I think I’m gonna go fight a kid. Akane can check on them later,” Aoi decides, and she stalks out, ignoring Megamo’s panicked look and cry of, “Don’t you dare, Aoi!”
Finally, it’s just Megamo, Ayano, and Kuroko. Ayano blinks, confused by everyone’s sudden leave.
Megamo and Kuroko lock eyes for a few seconds, a silent conversation passing between them. It ends when Kuroko adjusts her glasses, and Megamo slams a hand down on the table, face even redder.
“Don’t you dare-” He starts.
“Bye.” Just like that, Kuroko is gone, shutting the door behind her.
Ayano waits a few seconds before looking at Megamo. “That wasn’t normal, right?”
Megamo sighs. “No, no it wasn’t.”
Ayano just nods and turns back to her work. She spends most of lunch working in silence, the room only occupied by her and the President.
In the last few minutes, Ayano decides to take a break. She also decides that she’s bored of the silence, and Megamo is taking a break as well.
“How has your day been?” Ayano asks, and Megamo looks up at her.
“Busy, as per usual.” He frowns then. “But I know yours hasn’t been.”
Ayano nods. “Is that bad?”
He shakes his head. “No, I just believe that you need better company, is all.”
Bluntly, Ayano asks, “Is this why you were scowling at Osorō in the halls?”
Megamo scoffs. “I wasn’t-” He freezes when Ayano gives him her well-used ‘I don’t believe you and I’m not going to pretend that I do’ look. “Okay, yes, that’s why I was glaring. Ayano, he’s dangerous. I’d do anything to protect you, but if you spend your time around a violent delinquent , I can’t be there if he lashes out.”
Ayano snorts. “Osorō acts like a giant puppy. He just wants attention, honestly.”
Megamo looks at her blankly. Dryly, he says, “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t believe that. He’s known for being intimidating and threatening, and he doesn’t shy away from fights.”
“He hasn’t hurt anyone in front of me, and I haven’t seen him with a single new bruise or cut since I started talking to him,” Ayano says truthfully. Because, really, she hasn’t. Osorō doesn’t even wear any bandaging now, a fact which makes Ayano happy. While she may not have actively looked for anything, it was a detail she couldn’t help but notice. “And he’s never threatened my friends. Teased one by calling him Muffin Man, yes, but that’s friendly banter.”
Megamo blinks, as if the idea of being wrong is new.
“Why don’t you try talking to him?” Ayano asks. “You could join us for lunch again, and actually see how Osorō is.”
Megamo looks away. “I suppose it doesn’t hurt to see.”
The bell rings as Ayano smiles proudly, and the rest of the day passes in the blink of an eye.
Ayano looks forward to tomorrow.
Notes:
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