[CONTINUATION OF THE LAST CHAPTER]
Shizuku cleared her throat and broke eye contact with the familiar stranger peeking from the door. She put on a smile to hide her slight discomfort from what she had just thought a while ago and welcomed the boy.
"Um, is there something I can help you with?" she asked, her voice monotonous as if she's in business mode. Well, she is. Even Yua felt pressured whenever she spoke in such a manner but eventually got used to it.
Upon hearing the girl's question, Yuuji snapped out of his trance too and composed himself before nodding, "I'm sorry for bothering you but Coach Kurosu wanted us to hand it the budget plan for the Volleyball Club" he said and approached the table.
He handed the paper to the girl who in turn took it and started reading the details printed on the sheet of paper.
"Ah right, the funds for the Nationals, right? I'll finish this later today. Um, can drop by and get the signed form after class..um..?" Shizuku mused, ending her question with the intent of getting his name. She was curious about him after all.
Getting the cue of the girl that she was waiting for him to tell his name, Yuuji pulled a generic smile, "It's Kita Yuuji, please call me Yuuji"
"I'd prefer calling you Kita-san," Shizuku returned the gesture and kept the paper in the compartment under the table. "Is that all you need, Kita-san?"
"I didn't catch your name" Yuuji boldly said and sat down slowly on the empty chair just on the other side of the table.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, "It wasn't necessary for me to say" she spoke.
Their eyes met again as if the two were having a contest on who will look away first, as if they even had something to lose. But for both, who clearly had no interest in such things before, it was fun.
"Can I chat with you for a moment, nameless president?" Yuuji didn't understand where his baseless confidence and quick responses came from but he was thankful that he was able to hold such a conversation with the girl.
Shizuku who was slightly distasteful of how he called her laughed, "Yamanobe Shizuku. I don't want to be rude any longer so please excuse my childish behavior earlier" she said and bowed sligtly, embarrassed on how she must've seemed to pick a fight with a person she just met.
Amused by her apology, Yuuji chuckled heartily, "My apologies as well Yamanobe-san, I was just kidding with my previous statement too. Classes are starting so I must go" he got up from his seat and started walking towards the door.
"Though I'd really love to chat with you on some other time" he followed before closing the door behind him.
Shizuku found herself staring at the same door Yuuji had just closed, surprisingly expectant that he would come back. A playful smile played on her face as she rested her chin on her joined fingers.
"Shizuku-chan, do you know him?" Yua, who stayed silent watching the whole provocation scene happen in front of her, asked curiously.
"Why'd you ask?"
"You both seemed like you were having a contest or was it just me? Are you friends with him?" Yua repeated her question, eager to get some answer from the ravenette.
It was a normal reaction for someone who's been her friend for two years. Shizuku had always been feared by the others, she was stern and strict about almost anything and no one could last look straight into her intimidatingly ruby colored hues.
Even Yua still gets flustered sometimes, yet that male student who just left managed to do so. And he even had the guts to smile and joke around with the always serious Shizuku. This had Yua's interest.
Maybe that guy was an old acquaintance joking around when he asked Shimizu her name.
But to her surprise, Shimizu chuckled, "No. Today's the first time I met him"
After closing the door Yuuji had a very evident smiling face, a real smiling face not his robotic and emotionless smile. Even Matsumoto took a few seconds before recovering from what he saw.
"You took your time there, we're almost late. Did something happen?" Matsumoto asked, and again, just like before, Yuuji surprised him with an amused smile on his face.
"Nothing much. I just met the new President" he replied nonchalantly.
In that moment of contact, Yuuji found himself overly interested about this girl. Putting aside the fact that her lips look the same as the one in his dreams, the confident yet defensive look she had on her face was enough to pique his interest.
Still confused, Matsumoto took a long stride to catch up with the Captain, "Are you two, old friends, perhaps?"
"No. I just met her today, Matsumoto-kun" he said.
But clearly the look on Shizuku and Yuuji's face wasn't those who have just met the first time. Weirdly, after their first encounter, faint sounds of small bells rang inside their heads.
As if triggering the start of something.
Well.
It somehow did.