Sano glanced at me. "Oh, he's indeed a pretty boy."
"As if. You're much prettier." I smirked at him.
Kazuya sneered at the same time Sano glowered at me, but it was too late for a comeback because Kawashita finally reached us. Grinning, relieved, I did a quick introduction before we hopped into the train which was slightly crowded.
"I thought you were mad at me," Kawashita muttered under his breath when we arrived at the Shinjuku-sanchome station. Nanami and Sano were far ahead while Kazuya was on my right.
I gulped and peeked at him. "I wasn't. I'm not. I was busy." I stopped. "I'm really sorry about this. Nanami's heck of a boyfriend ambushed me and I couldn't back out. Please bear with us today. I'll make sure this never happens again."
Kawashita's eyes widened before he sighed. "It's fine. It's why I'm here. This is part of us now." His lips twitched a little. "What's the deal with that guy anyway?"
I followed his gaze and saw Sano whose mood turned sour. "Oh, don't get me started."
Before I could see his reaction, Kazuya called us. I felt lighter as we joined them. My worries fell away completely as we padded along the busy and crowded streets of Shinjuku. We went to see the movie first. Sitting beside Kawashita inside the dark theater seemed the most natural thing except for the part that my throat became parched despite the bottle of water and that my skin tingled every time our arms would touch.
Ignoring it was easier when we got out of the movie theater and entered the department store. I no longer had to hold my breath and watch my heartbeat. Kawashita blended right in with our little group. He talked to everyone including Sano. It was like he was really my boyfriend.
We chose a Chinese restaurant for lunch because we had coupons. As soon as we got seated in our table, Kazuya bombarded Kawashita with questions that I, too, was curious but didn't want to intrude especially with our rules.
Kawashita answered them without hesitation. "I'm nineteen. I'll be turning twenty this February."
An audible gasp escaped my mouth. All heads turned to me. My cheeks heated as I shook my head trying to diffuse the attention.
"Didn't you know?" Kazuya laughed. "Youngblood is awesome, huh, Reiko."
I didn't know I could be more mortified. I covered my face with my hands. "Oh, please, Kazuya, shut up."
But this only made Nanami joined in with the laughter. For once, Sano had no snide remarks. My self-made humiliation was short-lived because Kawashita came to my rescue. For real, this time.
"I'm originally from Kanagawa," Kawashita said, shifting the spotlight back to him. "But I live in the same dormitory as Tachibana-san."
"Really?" Nanami chimed in. Like me, she had no idea Kawashita was sort of infamous.
After that, the conversation flowed easily. Kawashita handled my friends with grace I wasn't sure I was capable of if he ever asked the same of me. However, it wasn't Sano nor I who was the most flustered by the whole ordeal. It was Tanaka-senpai who arrived mid-lunch.
His greeting halted as he stuttered, almost turning back when he spotted an unfamiliar face, always wary with strangers. It even took a full year before Tanaka-senpai stopped acting formally towards me.
I chortled as Kazuya beckoned him back. "It's Reiko's new boyfriend. The one of your making."
"Matsumoto's boyfriend." A slow smile formed on Tanaka-senpai's lips. "The one Tachibana set up?"
"Unfortunately." Nanami rolled her eyes.
Tanaka-senpai ignored her attitude and regarded me. "I guess Tachibana was wrong that it didn't go well. We won't be hearing Kazuya's complaint about how you let go the perfect what's his name again."
I grinned. "You're—"
"Fujisaki." Kazuya knocked his boyfriend on the arm, frowning. "And I wasn't whining about Reiko breaking up with him."
"You totally were," Nanami said, pointing at him. "You thought it was such a waste that she dumped him."
"Is that the lawyer boyfriend?" Sano asked, his first time joining in the conversation.
"Ex-boyfriend." I glanced around which shut them up. I didn't dare look at Kawashita.
"Well," Tanaka-senpai started after a few seconds. "I think your new boyfriend suits you better, Matsumoto."
"That's because you're the one who set them up." Nanami glared at him before she turned to Kawashita who was sitting next to her. "But I think so too. You don't have that unapproachable aura around you, and you look more handsome."
"He also picked up Reiko during that rainy night." Kazuya leaned towards me, his voice chirpy. "He's a keeper."
I shook my head. "That's enough. You guys are scaring him. What if he never agrees to go out with us anymore?"
"That would be because of Nanami and her boyfriend," Kazuya said.
"What did you say?" Sano almost shouted.
I stared at Kazuya. How could he let his tongue slipped?
"Don't be silly, Reiko-senpai." Kawashita's voice sounded amused and teasing. "This has been nothing but delightful."
"You're already on the first name basis," Nanami exclaimed and clapped her hands with a big grin on her face.
I didn't have it in me to contradict her. All I could do was gaped at Kawashita who winked at me.