"Cheers!"
Kiara,
Keiji, Nite, Aoi, and Shion have a toast with their coffee and Kiara quickly
sip her frappe
coffee which she regretted because of the brain freeze it gave her.
"Ah,
brain freeze! Brain freeze!"
Kiara
cried as she lightly hit her head continuously.
"Stop
hitting your head, or else you'll become more stupid."
Keiji
commented and Kiara could only glare at hi while her twin stick his tongue at
her as he claim the victory while Aoi chuckle at their silly behavior while
Nite smile at them as he drink his black coffee and Shion only sat there
silently with a smile plaster on her face.
"You
ordered a black coffee, right, Nite-kun?"
Aoi ask
ad Nite nod his head at her as a respond before sipping his black coffee.
"Isn't
it… too bitter?"
Aoi
ask, trying to hide the bitter face that she's wearing when she saw Nite taking
a sip of his black coffee.
"Yeah,
but I don't mind the bitterness, in fact, I like it, I like black coffee."
Nite
respond, taking a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich.
"Why?
Do you want some?"
Nite
offer which Aoi quickly rejected and so did the blonde twins.
"No,
no, don't offer her a coffee."
Kiara
shake her head.
"She
can't handle bitter stuffs."
Keiji
added and Aoi only nod her head at their words.
"Hmm, I
see… That's why you always drink milk instead of tea and coffee."
Nite
hum, turning to his side to face Aoi.
"Yes…"
Aoi
respond gloomily.
"I want
to at least try drinking a coffee, but I just can't bear the bitterness."
Aoi
added before taking a bite of her slice of ice cream cake.
Nite
only hum in respond before taking another sip of his coffee.
"Then,
how do you drink medicine?"
Nite
ask and Aoi flinch and turn her head away from Nite and eat her ice cream cake silently.
Nite
raise a brow before turning to face the twins and they heave out a sigh.
"Forced."
"Melted."
The
twin responded and Nite look at Aoi blankly before letting out a light chuckle.
"It
must be hard to make her drink her medicine."
The
twins only nod their heads at him.
'Not at all.
She even drink them without any water or any liquid substance. She can handle
bitterness all right.'
Aoi
felt a gaze and follow the gaze and met a pair of blue ones.
'How long have
she been staring at me?'
Aoi
look return Shion's gaze with a smile before speaking.
"Are
you having fun, Shion-senpai?"
Aoi ask
with a smile.
Shion's
stoic face was quickly replace with a happy face as Aoi ask her.
"Yes, I
am. The atmosphere is so nice, and every one of you get along well."
Shion
respond with a smile.
"I see,
that's good then."
Aoi
smile back.
"Yeah!
And you'll have more fun in the future!"
Kiara
butted in with a bright smile plaster on her face.
"Yes,
I'll look forward to it."
Shion
smile before raising her glass that's filled with iced tea.
Nite,
Aoi, Keiji, and Kiara also followed and they have a toast.
"Cheers
to a fun year in Art Club!"
++++++++++
"Goodbye, Senpai, Aoi! See you tomorrow!"
Kiara wave her hands at the brown haired girl and the senior
black haired girl.
"Yes, see you tomorrow. And be careful on your way home."
Shion wave back with a smile plaster on her face.
Aoi and Shion smile at them before turning on their heels and
wait outside the café and after a moment, a black car drive in front of them.
Shion went into the front seat while Aoi in the backseat.
"How was the small celebration, Milady, Shion?"
Takishi ask with a genuine smile plaster on his face.
"It's not that bad."
Was all Shion's respond as her smile disappeared the moment
she closed the car.
"I see, how about you, Milady?"
Takishi ask as he drove off.
"It went fine."
Aoi respond, her smile already gone.
"I see…"
Silence filled the car as they drove off and Shion's
attention was on the front while Aoi's was outside besides her, watching the
people and places they passed by.
"You know, Milady… You don't have to continue pretending like
every day, you know. You can stop pretending and be true to yourself. And
besides, it's very tiring to conti-
"Takishi."
The
white haired old man shut his mouth when Aoi called out his name.
Aoi
turn to look at Takashi through the mirror and smile.
"Its
fine, I'm fine in pretending, it's okay, you don't have to worry about me."
Aoi
assure him with a genuine smile.
"But..."
"Takashi.
You and Shion-san knows why I can't stop pretending, right? The two of you
knows more than anyone the reason why I cannot stop. And besides, pretending
like everything's normal is normal for me, so please stop worrying about me and
let's focus on the road in front of us, okay? One of us might die, if you
don't."
Aoi
chuckle and Takishi quickly return his attention back to the front.
"Please
stop saying things like that, Milady."
Aoi
only chuckle at his words before turning her attention back to the window
beside her.
She
lean her cheek on her knuckles as she watch the places and people they passed
by.
'I'm sorry,
Takashi, Shion-san, I'm sorry if I'm making you worry every day. I just can't
stop, rather, I don't know how to stop pretending. Because when you've been
pretending your whole life, it'll be a Normal thing to do and you just can't
stop. I just hope that this pretending will be stop one day and I don't have to
pretend anymore, I hope.'
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