Kaede was very surprised by his words. Arthur's whole demeanor changed when he declared those words. He didn't seem hesitant or scared, nor did he seem uncertain or bluffing. His tone was so full of confidence that Kaede instinctively believed that he was telling the truth.
But, what truly fascinated her was the sparkle in Arthur's eyes. Kaede had always been aware of Arthur's presence in the class. One of the reasons for that was that year after year they end up in the same class.
At first, she found him to be odd, not in a bad sense, but in the sense that he seemed to be completely uninterested in what kids their age would. He was always alone, either scribbling in his notebook or reading manga with so much focus that it always surprised her.
But, what was most notable about him was his eyes. They always looked sad, lost, and yet also hopeful at the same time. She was certain that whatever he was going through, it wasn't easy at all and that was perhaps why she found herself staring at him from time to time.
Slowly, she started cheering for him in her own thoughts. Some days, he would arrive at school happy and motivated as if something good had happened to him, and some other days, he would just look so gloomy that it truly made her wonder if something horrible had happened.
She found those myriads of emotions to be interesting to watch. In her world, Kaede grew accustomed to how fake people could be just so that they could get close to her and gain her favor being the rich milady she was. She simply hated that greatly.
However, she had to do it for her family's sake. For their sake, she had to pretend to like those people and she had to pretend that she enjoyed their presence. Even her peers in class would always try to act nice around her, clearly faking what they truly were.
In that kind of world, Arthur was akin to an extraterrestrial creature. The expressions he makes to himself, the small movements of his lips as if he's whispering something to himself. His solemn aura and everything else about him seemed so authentic and honest that Kaede found it to be a huge breath of fresh air.
That was why she was so glad to meet him by coincidence in that convenience store. She had always wanted to talk to him but she never found the opportunity to. That meeting was a blessing in disguise. Perhaps destiny wanted them to meet at that moment, at that time.
Her impression of him further rooted itself in her heart when he jumped out of his hiding spot to help her against the delinquents.
She could clearly see that he wasn't cut out for fighting and he was clearly scared. But, he still did it nonetheless and that truly affected her. At the same time, her desire to get to know him grew stronger than ever.
Perhaps that was why she found herself easily able to invite him to her house even though they never talked before. Call it a feeling but she was certain that he wouldn't do anything bad to her at all. She knew that was a reckless thing to do but she still decided to follow her feelings because she knew that if she didn't take this opportunity to talk to him, it would never come again.
But, at this moment, Kaede had finally had a clearer look at his eyes and they seemed so full of life, determination, and desire to achieve what he wanted. Something shifted in him that Kaede couldn't clearly pinpoint.
"Oh, ehem, my apologies! I-I didn't mean to speak like that!" Realizing what he said, Arthur quickly coughed awkwardly as he tried to excuse his declaration.
'Shit, I got too into it! Why did I add the last part of becoming the greatest Mangaka of all time?! Am I dumb?! Shit, man! I'm really fucking myself over here!' Panicking inwardly at his blunder, he didn't notice the wide smile that blossomed on Kaede's mesmerizing face.
"That's… fascinating!!" She said, surprising Arthur. "To become the greatest Mangaka of all time! That's a really great ambition! Oh, it sounds so cool too! You can definitely do it, Arthur-kun!" She said.
Her face seemed so excited that Arthur forgot his embarrassment and simply listened to her as she gave him her honest thoughts. He never expected her to react this way to his goal. Not only because it sounded too childish but being a Mangaka was also frowned upon by people since most of those who want to become full-fledged Mangakas end up failing miserably and quitting after that.
"Haha… Really?"
"Of course, I truly believe you can! Your passion for it is clear! I root for you, Arthur-kun! Oh, wait…" She replied.
'Wait, what did she call me just now?' Realizing that Kaede had just called him by his first name, Arthur froze in his place for a second.
Kaede also understood what she did and blushed slightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't ask you if I can address you by your first name."
"Ehem, no, don't worry about it. You can call me Arthur."
"Really? Then you can also call me Kaede!"
"U-Understood, K-Kaede… Kaede, yes, Kaede."
'Well, this sounds slightly awkward but I can manage.' He thought to himself.
"Yes, Arthur!" She replied happily. "Anyway, let's continue the dinner. It's getting cold." Kaede replied.
"Sure."
After that, the two continued their meal while chatting idly. They talked about their lives briefly, what they did in their free time, and some complaints about school and the curriculum. Arthur found himself greatly enjoying these small talks more than he ever expected to.
For someone with no friends like him, speaking freely like this, with Kaede Mitsuhara herself was just so ridiculous!
But, here he was, doing exactly that.
'Well, why should I complain? This doesn't feel bad at all.' He thought to himself.
Time passed quietly before they finally finished their dinner. Kaede knew that this also meant that Arthur would need to leave which was really unfortunate to her.
But, she was also glad that she finally did what she wanted to. Now, even if she approaches him at school, it wouldn't feel bizarre or intimidating since they already got to talk over dinner and even call each other on a first-name basis.
In that regard, she had accomplished her mission and more.
So, when Arthur stood at the door before he bowed slightly to Kaede.
"Thanks for the meal and for treating my injury. I appreciate it, Kaede." He smiled slightly.
"Mm, no problem, I was just repaying your kindness. But, one last thing…" The girl seemed to be fidgeting around as if she was hesitating to say something.
"Hm? What is it?" Arthur asked confusedly.
"Can we… Ehem, I want to be friends with you, Arthur." She said.
"... F-Friends? Are you sure?"
'Wait, what am I even saying?! Being friends with Kaede… Is that even possible?' He mused.
The two of them were from two different parts of life. Being friends was something he truly didn't know would be possible.
"I just want to get to know Arthur more. Is that… not possible?" Looking at Kaede, she had a sad but hopeful look in her eyes akin to an adorable puppy.
'Ugh… Damn it, don't give me that look!'
"Well, if that's the case, then… I don't really mind."
"Really?! Thank you so much!" Kaede grabbed his hand with her two arms before she shook it.
"Let's talk again, ok? Oh, wait, we're on vacation now. Let's exchange numbers." Pulling out her phone, Kaede put it next to Arthur's who was still stuck in his thoughts and didn't realize that they already exchanged contacts.
"Well, ehem, good night." He said.
"Yes! Good night."
Then, Arthur finally walked away and left the building while still thinking about what just happened.
"I just acquired the number of the most beautiful girl in the school… How did this even happen?"