"Don't tell me..." Itsuki gasped. Keita frowned as Itsuki is about to spout nonsense.
"It's love?!" Itsuki said, pretending to be surprised.
"I wonder." Keita said, putting his had on his chest to feel his palpitating heart slowly calming down.
"So do you know the reason why she became like that?" Itsuki asked.
"You've got nothing to do with her, mind your own business." Keita replied.
"Well then." Itsuki said as he returns to his seat. It didn't take long until the next teacher enters the class. Though Keita is concentrating in class, his mind occasionally wanders off to what happened earlier. A few hours later, the bell rang, indicating the end of today's school hours. Keita's phone dinged.
"Can you wait in class for a while? I want to bring you to Mio-chan today." Kanade sent a message.
"See you tomorrow, Keita." Itsuki said as he rushed out of class. He always seemed laid-back, but he is busy after school. Keita is not interested, so he just stayed in class. The students leaves the classroom one by one, Ayumi came over and talked a bit.
"Why are you not leaving yet?" Ayumi asked.
"I'm waiting for someone." Keita replied.
"Oh, I thought you don't have friends?" Ayumi asked.
"I don't really have any." Keita replied.
"So... They are here?" Ayumi asked. It sounds like Ayumi is implying that she knew who Keita is going to meet.
"They?" Keita asked for clarification.
"Ah well, I should be going then, see you tomorrow!" Ayumi waved and walked off. It took a short while for the classroom to become silent again. Keita took out his phone and messaged Kanade.
"I can come over now." Keita sent. It didn't take a while for Kanade to send a reply.
"Alright! You can come to 2-A now!" Kanade sent. Keita picked up his bag and leaves the classroom. He peeked into the classroom before locking it up, it reminds him of his childhood days where he would peek out of the door before closing or locking it up.
"Oh, Keita! You're here!" Kanade exclaims as she saw Keita emerging from the staircase. She went ahead and pulled Keita's arms and escorted him into her classroom.
"Wait, Kana-nee! Pull me like this, what if people found out?" Keita asked. The door slid open, with only Mio sitting in one of the seats. She smiled and waved her left hand. Her left wrist is the place where Mio cut herself with, now wrapped with bandages thanks to Keita.
"So Mio-chan! This is Kei-kun! He's all grown up right?" Kanade said, as if she is bragging being the one who had seen Keita for a long time. Mio blushes and looked away.
"What's the matter? I know Mio-chan is shy, but this is Kei-kun!" Kanade said.
"N-no! It's umm..." Mio said something.
"What was that? You already met with each other?" Kanade exclaimed.
"Yes, this morning." Keita said. He didn't tell Kanade that they met during lunchtime.
"Well, do you have anything you want to talk about? I guess I'll wait for you then!" Kanade said as she walked out of the classroom and closed the door.
"Kei-kun... I..." Mio stopped herself as she wanted to say something.
"What?" Keita asked as he clearly do not get what she was trying to tell him.
"Never mind..." Mio said.
"I guess I will say something too, if becoming friends could help you, I'll do it for you." Keita said. As Mio clearly understood the situation, Keita had stopped making friends since he met with the accident. While Mio herself kept blaming herself, Kanade is the one who seems unchanged, yet she knows there is a lot of things going on in her mind.
"Are you sure? I remember you don't like making friends..." Mio said.
"I told you, I can become friends with you if it helps. Just don't go hurting yourself because of something stupid like that." Keita looked the other way with his face blushing slightly. Mio smiled and holds his hand with both her hands.
"Uwaa!" Keita got surprised.
"Then I'll be in your care, Kei-kun!" Mio said happily. Keita's heartbeat starting beating faster.
"Ugh, is this what happens during puberty? I'm way past that time but now, this feeling..." Keita thought to himself.
"Alright, Kei-kun can go home now." Mio said.
"Wait senpai, are you not going home now?" Keita asked.
"No, I'll continue painting." Mio said.
"So you found something new to paint?" Keita asked. Mio nods slightly, her smile tells Keita that she is fine.
"It's good to see you smiling. I'll be off then." Keita pats on her head. And leaves the classroom. Mio puts her hand onto her head and try to mimic what Keita had done to her.
"It's good to see you smiling... Ehehe..." Mio smiles to herself.
Kanade, who was waiting outside were looking at some printouts presumably from her class notices Keita.
"Oh, you're done talking to Mio-chan?" Kanade asked.
"Yes, Shiroyuki-senpai said she will be painting." Keita replied.
"Shiroyuki? Senpai? Why do you act so distant?" Kanade asked. She dragged Keita back to the classroom.
"Mio-chan! Kei-kun just called you Shiroyuki-senpai! How unforgivable!" Kanade blurted.
"Ah! Kanade-chan!" Mio, who was in the middle of something just now, was surprised.
"Ugh, can we just go already?" Keita asked.
"No! Call her Mio-chan!" Kanade said.
"M-Mio-senpai..." Keita said blushingly.
"Oh! That works too! Let's go home!" Kanade said as she marched out of the classroom.
"I'm sorry for barging in with Kana-nee..." Keita apologized.
"Wha..." Mio seems like she's dazed. Keita waved his hand in front of Mio and she got surprised again.
"Did something happen?" Keita asked.
"N-nothing! Ah, could you call me like how you did just now?" Mio asked.
"Mio-senpai." Keita called.
"Alright, thank you..." Mio said. Keita waved his hand and leaves the room. As the doors were closed, she quickly hide into a corner and curled up.
"What to do? Why am I feeling like this?" Mio thought to herself. Keita's kindness somehow brought a change to her, which she is aware of, yet the feelings that she was not able to express back then overflowed. She quickly packs her stuff and heads to the art club room to resume painting.