Rika-chan called me idiot. Ehhhh? Where did I mess things up? Should I follow her? No, that would put her again in danger... What if the delinquents decided to target her again? Argh, I'll just follow her!
Despite the hallway was not crowded, Rika-chan walked on the sides. Is it because she is afraid to walk in the middle? She continued to walk on the sides of the hallway, until she returned to her classroom. Perhaps the side next to the classroom is actually the shortest distance back to her class... What an energy saving girl I fell in love with...
The delinquent and her gang were suspended from school. I know that they will target her again, that's why I have to follow her all the time. The bell rang, I went back to my classroom, with the bread I bought from the cafeteria, crap... I ended up skipping lunch... Classes went on undisturbed, I took down notes as the teacher says, yet I felt familiar that the topics that will be showing up in the mid-term examinations. I felt like... I've taken it before... It might be just a coincidence. I stopped thinking much and continued taking down notes.
It's after school, I have basketball games with club members. Girls were usually there already cheering on me when I reached there. There were in fact, more girls here than before. I shook my head, while some of my friends even started lamenting about their low popularity compared to me.
"Yuuma look! Those girls are only here for you, if you weren't here, then there isn't even a stick there!" Kaito said.
"Kaito, just cut it out. Yuuma didn't even want to be popular, he just couldn't help it." Hikaru said.
"Eh... Cut it out. I already had my eyes on someone, even though they confessed to me, I'll never accept any of them." I said.
"Woah! This guy talks big!" My friends said altogether.
Concerning about Rika-chan, I didn't paid much attention in the game, I didn't score much today, the crowd seems disappointed, but their intensity of cheering never even drop a bit. I suddenly felt like being worried about Rika-chan, I spaced out a bit. The ball went flying to my head, The ball hit my face, and I landed on my left elbow...
"Yuuma-kun! He's injured! Quickly, the ambulance!" Some of the girls cried. Man... it damn hurts... With this injury, I might be able to go home early, just to make sure she is fine... It was a slight bone fracture, I am prohibited in engaging in sports. It's all for Rika-chan. It might affect my future for basketball games, but basketball is optional to my future career path, so it doesn't matter.
I headed home after the basketball game is being dismissed due to my injury. I walked home, I heard some noises.
"If it weren't you, Yuuma-kun wouldn't look at me like that, you're gonna pay!" It's Maki-san's voice...! I quickly ran over to have a better look on what's going on. To my surprise, it's really Rika-chan being bullied again. I must save her, I rushed into the scene and grabbed Maki-san's hand that were trying to hit Rika-chan.
"Huh? What were you trying to... Eh? Yuuma-kun?!" Maki-san were surprised when she found out that it was me. Without any effort, she ran away, along with her gang.
Rika-chan were trembling, she calmed down and got up. I offered to help her. She gave me a cold stare. I believe that was the face I'm scared to see from her. I tried to talk to her, she didn't even respond.
"Rika-chan, were you mad at me...?" I asked, she stopped walking and turned towards me.
"Yes! Everything were your fault! Because of you, I got beat up like this..." She were very agitated at first, but then looked worried.
"Why... Why is your hand like that?" Rika-chan pointed at my injured arm.
"I got hurt during a basketball game." I replied.
"I'm sorry. I need to head back now." Rika-chan said abruptly. I grabbed her hand and tried to make her stay. She turned around and slapped my face.
"Idiot!" She said again. I guess... I deserved it huh.
Mid-terms were coming, I thought I would like to study with Rika-chan, but she declined every time I asked her to study with me. I guess, I'll just study as usual. Weeks passed, until the start of examination, I felt like I had been solving the questions. It's a weird sensation. Yet I felt like I had really been writing down answers as I did. I blinked for a bit, and I remembered something that I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. I felt like it was some red words next to a wrong answer...
"Remember to mention the reason why the author feels this way." It was like someone had reviewed this with me... I followed the advise of the words, it even helped me to ease through the examination.
I reviewed the questions with some friends, I got really surprised, to get over ninety percent of the questions right. I wonder why did I see the advises written in red words. I walked on the hallway, lost in thoughts. A girl came in my way and bumped into me and fell. It's Rika-chan, with papers scattered around. I quickly picked them up for her, with one of my arm hurt, I accidentally moved it and it hurts a lot.
"Nggh!"
"Are you alright?" Rika-chan said. I endured the pain, and nodded my head. I took a look on the paper I just picked up. The red words, the handwriting looked exactly the same as the ones I remembered from the exam!
"Rika-chan, did we ever studied together before?" I asked.
"We're not even close, why would I even study with you?" She said. She retrieved the papers from me, and walked away. Since that day, Rika-chan never talked with me. I followed her to school, even I tried hard to prompt any new conversations, she wouldn't even give me a positive reply. I asked myself sometimes, should I just give up? Weeks passed, even after the entire summer break, the beginning of the new semester, she never even responded to my messages. During festivals, I went out to hang out with friends, sometimes with girls attempting to hit on me. I declined every single one of them.
"Woohoo! It's winter break!" Some of my classmates shouted. It's about time to take a break from studies, and begin to relax for a few months before getting back on a mood to start another study year. My arm healed, thus I had a last basketball game before we leave the school. Rika-chan still haven't talked to me yet. I sighed, I went home, lost in thought. People were already thinking about how to spend their Christmas night, for me, I guess I'll just stay in my room with games. I generally don't have any plans during Christmas, I even refused to join parties since it'll be annoying if things like last year happened again.
Days passed without me noticing, as the weather started to get really chilly, I stayed in my own room, playing video games all day. It's really boring to stay like this all day, I thought to myself. I decided to head to the central city Akari, perhaps just sitting around in crowded places would make me feel better. I changed into a warm outfit and headed out. Rika-chan's mother was outside. I greeted her.
"Good afternoon, Rika-chan's mother." I said politely.
"Ah, Yuuma-kun, good afternoon!" She said excitedly.
"Is there anything special happening today? You seemed like in high spirits." I asked.
"Rika went out just now, she wore a dress I bought her, isn't it nice?" She replied. What?! She wore a dress?! I want to see!
"Uh, did she tell you where she went?" I asked Rika-chan's mother. She seemed happy after hearing that.
"She usually head to the hairdresser in Akari, she went there alone since middle school, since then, she kept having short hair until now. To be honest, a long hair suits her very well." Rika-chan's mother lamented.
"Since you are out here, do you want to have dinner here tonight?" Rika-chan's mother suggested. It has been a while since I had been in Rika-chan's house for dinner. I turned back to get my parent's permission, and reaffirmed my decision.
Akari, during Christmas is really crowded. Couples, families and even middle school students are all here. Seems like I'm here alone today, I would like to see Rika-chan in a dress though. I walked along the crowd, looking around, perhaps I'll see Rika-chan anywhere. A girl bumped into me.
"Ah, excuse me..." A girl with a longer hair that reaches to the back of her shoulder said. Her physique looked similar to Rika-chan. I hoped that she is around though.
"No, I'm sorry. Are you alright?" I asked. The girl avoided me and walked away. I followed her a bit, then she started running!
The aftermath was... I caught her.
"Stupid! Idiot! Why!" She blurted.
"You looked similar, that's why I wanted to ask for your name." I asked. She glares at me.
"Isn't it very obvious?!" She said. Ah... It's her. I took a look on her dress, she's cuter than ever.
"Hahaha! Rika-chan, this dress suits you very well!" I said. She lowered her head.
"Really?" She asked.
"Well, can I ask you to accompany me for today?" I asked boldly. I started to regret saying this after seconds passed.
"If you wanted me to..." She agreed, yes! A jackpot!
We visited a gift shop. I asked her to wait outside, while I get something. I bought a bracelet, with a star on it. The shopkeeper kept murmuring something after a guy went out with a moon bracelet.
"Just get married already!" I laughed and made my payment. I went out of the shop to see several guys surrounding Rika-chan. Ah... Maybe she is being hit on...
"Hey, do you have a problem with my girlfriend?" I asked them politely.
"Damn... She's been taken. She's damn cute... What a lucky man..." They grumbled.
All that's left is a blushing Rika-chan standing there. I put on the bracelet on her wrist. She looked surprised, but then smiled happily. Perhaps I scored a date with her, I felt a bit familiar with the scene. I wonder what was it. When did I even had a date with Rika-chan like this...? Even with that... That Rika-chan, wasn't even like this. The winds had grown chilly, perhaps the night is nigh, people around were either leaving for parties, some might be heading home for dinner. I held her hand. She seemed like unwilling at first, but she held mine tighter. Perhaps, no matter how she is, as long as she is herself, I'll love her.