After a year and some change, it had been time for middle school. Even though I had gone up a grade, nothing really changed. I still talked with Teru-kun, I'm still bad at math, and I still can't skip stones. Everything was pretty much the same. Except one thing. My feelings for Teru-kun. Every day I faced him, I liked him more and more. I craved to spend more time with him every time he looked at me. It was so frustrating because I already knew that I didn't have a chance.
Because I went to school with Teru-kun, I had to witness the endless flirting from other girls that he must endure. Honestly, it seems nice being a chick magnet. A whole bunch of girls were willing to do anything just to be near Teru-kun.
Both Teru and I had applied for the leadership elective and got in, so we had plenty of time to spend together. We also had the same English class and lunch period as well. This may sound like a blessing, but it was a curse. My feelings for him grew more and more, and I'd get jealous easily. That was when middle school changed for me, I realized that elementary and middle school are so different. This was a different ball game. When your hormones are out of wack, you can think of truly terrible things.
"(Y/N)-chan?" Teru said.
"Hmm?" I answered.
"Can you help me file papers for our elective after school? It's fine if not, just asking." He had asked.
"Oh, yeah, sure! I don't mind." I respond.
A little after school, I had walked to the classroom. It was completely silent, and even when I was walking, you could hear the quiet creaking of the wooden floors. I sat at the small table with Teru.
"Ah, (Y/N)-chan, thanks for coming! I couldn't thank you enough, so I got you something that might be a little nostalgic." Teru dug through his bag.
"Hmm? Whatever it is, you didn't have to, I don't mind helping you at all!" I commented.
"Well, think of this as more of a 'Thank You for Sticking With Me' type gift."
He pulls out a small origami box, the contents inside being a peach and a white lily flower.
"E-Eh? Teru-kun, why did you do this? It's sweet and all, but why so suddenly?" I questioned.
"Last night I was thinking about how I was luck have a great friend like you, and I wanted to do something to show how grateful I was. I saw the white lilies in my backyard, and they reminded me of you." Teru-kun smiled brightly.
"That's... Thank you for this. I just have one question though..."
"What is it?"
"How long did you fight with Kou-kun to get the peach?"
"Fifteen minutes or so. It was worth it though, don't you think?"
I stood silent after that. I felt a conglomerate of emotions, but most of all, I felt insufficient as a friend.
"(Y/N)-chan, why the glum look?" Teru asked with a concerned tone.
"You've been so good to me, even though I do nothing. When we were near the pond asking each other questions a year ago, and you said that you would go to dinner with me, while I just said (favorite actor). You've always been so nice, and I don't know why! I can't match your level because you're always so considerate while I'm not." I burst out.
"H-huh? (Y/N)-chan?" Teru mumbled.
I looked down at my feet feeling nothing but guilt and shame, twiddling my thumbs on the desk. Suddenly, Teru-kun lifted my head up to face him and sandwiched one of my hands between his.
"(Y/N)-chan, you're already doing more than enough. You make me happy whenever you talk to me. If anything, you're more than enough. You're taking time out of your day to staple stupid school papers with me."
Silence.
"I'm sorry, Teru-kun... We should probably get these papers stapled, huh?" I mumbled apologetically.
"Yeah, but first," Teru whispered in my ear, dragging me out of my seat and into a warm embrace. "You're the best." The hug lasted a full minute, and in that moment, I felt complete and content. I didn't need anything else.
"Thanks... Lets get to stapling the papers, shall we?" I ask.
"Mhm." Teru agreed.
While we were stapling, silence filled the air yet again. The Cla-Klink of the stapler had been repeated in a pattern, dulling the lack of sound.
"So, (Y/N)-chan, lets make an effort to get through school together. Not just for middle school, but high school as well!"
"Teru-kun... Yes."
After that day, I had seen Teru in a new light. A different perspective. I saw another face of his that I'd never seen before. He wasn't the only new face that I had run into, though.
"(Y/N)-chan, I have a question~" Tsubasa-chan asked.
"What is it this time?" I groaned.
"Is Minamoto-kun into girls like me?" Tsubasa poked her cheek pointing to herself.
"Tsubasa-chan, you're being overly obnoxious about this." I complain.
"Awww, come on! You are with Teru-kun almost 24/7, and you can't tell me at least a teensy weensy bit about his preferences?" She whined.
"Tsubasa-chan, I'm not in the mood for this today."
"Okay, I'll ask about it tomorrow!" She smiles.
'What a dimwit,' I thought.