Class ended.
I went through lunch, still walking around the school.
Well, more like escaping Aira.
...
She seems to have actual friends that I didn't know about.
Good for her.
...
I packed my bag, preparing to exit the classroom.
...
I think I'll head on to find Shaina. Making sure I'm the one in her mind is a crucial thing to do to get her favor.
...
"Oh, Josh! Do you really have errands to do?" Aira went up to me near the door.
"Ah, yeah. I can't go home early tonight. Probably."
"Aww.. That's to bad."
"Yeah. Well, I'll go now!"
"Ah, wait!"
She called me out, but no. I won't turn my back.
...
Our room is on the second floor of the building.
...
Since I told her I have an errand to do, heading to the teacher's room might be the right place to make her believe.
...
I went up to the third floor, and headed to the faculty room.
I didn't enter. But I looked around to make sure everyone near me will think I will.
After seeing that nobody seems to mind me, I ran to the second floor.
I checked if there's still anyone in our room.
Aaand, no. Everyone went home. Good.
I checked on the other room.
There she is.
Shaina, reading a book, alone in her classroom.
...
"Hey." I looked through the door.
"How'd you know I was here?" Shaina stopped reading.
"Ah, it's just a really common trope in dramas. The silent smart girl often stays to be alone in her classroom. Often studying, or doing something weird, connected to her backstory." (Josh)
"That's a very distinct trope. I think I haven't seen a show like that." (Shaina)
"Do you even watch drama shows?" (Josh)
"That's a very flawed assumption to say. Yes. I watch television as well." (Shaina)
"Ah right. You look like that you're normally studying. Are you doing weird things right now?" (Josh)
"No. I'm just studying." (Shaina)
"Ah. Why don't you study at home then? Why stay here? Do you have family problems at your house?" (Josh)
"That's a greatly insensitive thing to ask. But no. I don't have such problems." (Shaina)
"Why then?" (Josh)
"I'm just lazy." (Shaina)
"A smart silent girl, who's lazy? Truly, I have seen everything." (Josh)
"That's a very stereotypical thing to say. Do you actually think of your life as a telenovela?" (Shaina)
"Yes. I'm the director of my own show. Why not make it as dramatic as it could be? I'm the main character of the story anyway. I should experience dramatic things to make me look as a cool, good guy, main character." I say that I sit beside her.
"Truly, you live with a delusional mindset." Shaina closes her book.
"Don't mind me. Friends can actually push you to go home with them. Do you not have friends to walk home together with?" (Josh)
"Again, a very insensitive thing to ask. But no. I don't have such friends that could walk home with me." (Shaina)
"Ah, finally. A situation that happens within such trope." (Josh)
"Is such word as "sympathy" an unknown thing for you?" (Shaina)
"Ah, was I insensitive? Well what if you just talk about it?" (Josh)
"What a way to make me talk. Do you actually expect me to speak after showing how unworthy you are to be spoken about problems?" (Shaina)
"Actually no. I don't expect. But you seem to be vulnerable enough to speak." (Josh)
"Attacking a girl when she's defenseless? How disgusting." (Shaina)
"I still want to know though."
Shaina sighed.
"Alright. To be able to last in a conversation like that with me, you sure deserve a reward." She puts her book inside her bag.
"Is this reward some sexual act? If so, let me just say that's pretty hot, but no. I don't support actual underage sexual acts with another." (Josh)
"Shut up. You sure have watched and read a lot of perverted material to be thinking of that. No. That's not the reward. You can do sexual acts by yourself anyway." (Shaina)
"How do you know the specific processes and a reason for such thoughts? Do you yourself indulge in such things?" (Josh)
"Do you want to listen to my story?" (Shaina)
"A smart, silent, and lewd girl. I think I've seen that trope before too. It's also probably my favorite trope in a harem."
(Josh)
I heard Shaina chuckle a little.
...
I don't think the rumors about her never smiling are true.
Also, I can't seem to hold my thoughts when talking with her. As soon as I think of response, I immediately say that to her.
This makes flirting hard. I haven't done any moves. All I've done is banter with her.
...
"You see, I did have close friends. Well, one close friend. He was the only person I ever talked to." (Shaina)
"Ah, you use the term "close friends", when if you think about it, he's just your only friend." (Josh)
"Again, an insensitive comment." (Shaina)
She chuckled once again.
"We did walk home and stuff. We laughed at jokes, did some crazy but funny things. He was someone I could do stuff with without thinking about being embarrassed." (Shaina)
"Name?" (Josh)
"Kyle Brunos." (Shaina)
"Ah, that'll definitely be something relevant." (Josh)
"Anyways, he had his own groups in this school too. He seemed to be in the "bad boys" group, but he still is a nice guy." (Shaina)
"You call this group "bad boys", but I think they just look like intimidating guys. Well, what happened?" (Josh)
"He changed schools." (Shaina)
"Ah, sounds a bit anti-climatic. Are you sure that's all? Nothing happened before he left?" (Josh)
"You sure know how stuff in drama works. And here I was, trying to make you not think about that. Actually, you're a lot like him." (Shaina)
"You're dodging the question." (Josh)
"Ah, I'm sorry." (Shaina)
She looked around first, probably making sure no one was there.
"*sigh* He was a guy I really trusted. As you may have seen, there are a lot of guys wanting to court me. Kyle wasn't one of them. He wasn't taking advantage of me, attempting to make me fall for him. He wasn't making any advances towards me. He was just being a good friend."
"Saying a lot of guys chasing after you. That's a big head you got there."
"Is it not true?"
"Hm, fair point."
"Well, I thought he wasn't one of them. I found out that him being not making any moves was just him being a genuine friend. Turns out he was actually doing that to have a better chance of success when he does start making moves."
...
I paused for while.
Shaina's now looking at me.
...
"W-well, how'd you know about this?" I asked.
...
DAMMIT!
DAMMIT!
SOMEONE ALREADY DID THIS TO HER!
She'll be more on guard now since she knows things already!
DAMMIT!
...
Maybe I should stop.
Maybe I shouldn't go for her.
How about I just become genuine friends with her?
...
That's stupid.
Her being my girlfriend was the reason why I'm here in the first place!
...
Shaina kept looking at me.
...
It wasn't an endearing look. More like a look of judgement.
Did she figure me out?!
...
Shaina let out a big sigh.
"His group of friends forced him into spilling the truth. They couldn't believe he's just friends with me without making any romantic advances.
He was peer pressured, and admitted his plans. He did plan to court me. He thought being good friends with me gives him a higher chance of making me his girlfriend."
"What happened next? Did you reject him?"
"Of course. It felt like our entire friendship was just a lie. I realized that the reason why he acts different towards me, being nice and all, is that it was not his true self. He faked it to win me over."
"With you saying "nice, kind", and other positive comments, I infer that this Kyle acts like an angel when around with you? Of course that's fake. Someone with that attitude in our age can rarely exist."
"Ah, but you're wrong. He wasn't an angel. He wasn't complimenting me. The fact that he's straightforward towards me is the reason I call him "nice"."
...
Straightforward...?
...
Shaina looked at me directly.
"You know what is it that we always do?" She looks at me. Directly.
"Uhh... What?"
"Banter. We always banter because of his straightforwardness."
...
Oh no.
...
He's exactly like me.