"Shouichi? What are you doing?" Ayane asked sharply; he could sense a hint of hostility in her voice.
"Oh! Morimura-senpai, nice to finally meet you. I'm Ishikawa Misaki, a first-year student from Seihei school." Misaki introduced herself with a bow.
"It seems like you already know who I am. Tsk! Shouichi, you need to come with me right now!" Ayane urged him before returning a cold glance at the junior.
"Umm, what should I do? What just happened? I understand that Ayane sometimes acts cold toward strangers but it's never to this extent." Shouichi pondered, unable to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"It~It's okay, Shou-senpai. I have to go as well. See you later!" Sensing the tension in the air, Misaki responded, bowing at them with respect.
"Ye~yeah, see you. Take care, Misa-chan." Shouichi returned with a weak smile at Misaki. The girl waved and soon departed in the other direction.
"Hey, Ayane. What was that!?" Shouichi asked with a frown face, still puzzled by her sudden stance. Ayane didn't answer but kept pulling his hand, leading him somewhere.
"Wait? Where are we going? Ayane?" Shouichi repeated, confused.
"..." Ayane remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together. She pulled him toward a nearby park. It was nearly dark, and the area was completely deserted. The dim glow of lamplights cast long, faint shadows as Ayane gripped his wrist firmly.
"Ayane, please tell me. Is something troubling you?"
"Talk to me!" Shouichi pressed again. "She seems super pissed! Man, what did I do again!?" Shouichi wondered, sweating nervously.
"...Why are you with her? Aren't you supposed to be with Shinji?" Ayane finally spoke, her voice firm and unyielding, her eyes locked on his with a serious intensity. Shouichi was taken aback, surprised that she was actually referring to Ishikawa Misaki.
"Misa-chan?" Shouichi asked to confirm.
"Yes…" Ayane confirmed flatly.
"You see, it's a bit of a coincidence. Shinji was sick and I bumped into her by accident." Shouichi explained nonchalantly. He lied a little, it was actually Misaki who bumped into him but she didn't need to know that.
"The girl is bad news! Stop hanging out with her, Shouichi-kun. " Ayane said firmly. Her violet-purple stared right into his soul.
"...May I ask why?"
"Just stop!" Ayane said, raising her voice. She was obviously upset.
"But…" Shouichi was lost for words, flabbergasted.
"Do you like her?" she finally asked. Her tone was a blend of discontent and sorrow. Shouichi studied her carefully, trying to gauge her emotions.
"Why does she have to ask that? Is she jealous of Misa-chan? Could Ayane really be jealous? Impossible!" Shouichi's thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of the situation.
After a few moments of silence, Shouichi didn't say a word but gave a slow, deliberate nod. Tears welled up in Ayane's glittering eyes, threatening to spill over.
Slap!
Unexpectedly, Ayane slapped his cheek. A hot, stinging sensation spread across his skin, leaving it numb. Yet, Shouichi remained calm and composed. But internally his head was in turmoil as he gritted his teeth bitterly.
"...Goodbye," Shouichi said softly as he turned his back and walked away, a storm of confusion, hurt, and anger swirling within him.
"The girl is a murderer, a murderer!" Ayane eventually shouted out the truth, the truth that she didn't want him to know.
"Seriously, Ayane?... Did Misaki kill someone? How did it happen? Misaki wouldn't be capable of doing that, right? Nothing seems to make sense right now." Way too many questions floated in his mind.
"Doesn't matter, I'll be the judge of that," Shouichi replied to Ayane before leaving the park.
Ayane sat alone in the dimly lit park, tears streaming down her beautiful face, her expression a mix of profound regret and overwhelming sadness.
Shouichi got home with sadness lingering in his eyes. His face still felt numb, and his heart ached. He wondered if Ayane's hand was alright. How could an amazing day turn sour toward the end? He let out a deep exhale to vent his frustration.
"Ding!" Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
"Shou-senpai! I had so much fun today. I hope we can do it again sometime." Misaki messaged him, followed by a cute sticker of her avatar blowing a kiss. It really did lighten up his mood a little.
"Hahaha. Yeah, let's do that again, sometime." He texted back.
"Ring!" Suddenly she video-called.
"That was quite sudden," Shouichi thought as he walked toward the bathroom mirror to check his face. He looked miserable, but it didn't matter. He wanted to talk to Misaki.
"Senpai! I miss you already!" Misaki greeted him, her cute face laced with a cheerful smile. Shouichi noticed that the girl had changed into casual clothes, letting her silky hair cascade down freely.
"H~Hi! Misa-chan, why are you calling me so suddenly?" Shouichi replied, faking a smile.
"What happened to your face, senpai?"
"I fell on my way back, Haha."
"Oh, I didn't think you'd be that clumsy. That's not good. Please be careful next time!" Misaki cheered him up with a gentle smile, she appeared genuinely concerned about his well-being.
"Sure, I will!" He reassured her, firm in his voice.
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Well… I usually read some novels. I don't understand some kanji since it's been forever since I used Japanese."
"Wow! That sounds interesting. I don't understand some kanji myself, despite having lived here my whole life. Hahaha." Misaki stuck her tongue out playfully, and Shouichi felt a bit of his sorrow lift.
"What about you? What do you like to do?" Shouichi asked in return.
"Oh! I'm glad you asked! This!" She replied with enthusiasm, panning her camera toward her desk. Although her room was shown briefly, Shouichi noticed the pink decorations and anime posters on her walls. She was secretly a huge anime fan and a movie geek, he noted.
"Oh, Nekoneko collections," Shouichi murmured as he spotted the small cat figurines. Misaki proudly introduced her rare items and favourites, one by one.
"One moment senpai!" Misaki suddenly spoke up. Soon she placed her phone on a desk facing the camera toward her.
"Wait?! What are you doing, Misaki-chan?" Shouichi shouted in shock as he saw her begin to remove her top, revealing her white bra and pale, pristine skin. "Is she some kind of exhibitionist?! That's a bit too daring," he thought, his heart racing.
"Fufufu, did I make you flustered?" Misaki mischievously smiled at him.
"Of course not…" Shouichi lied, covering his eyes with his hands. He could still peek through the gaps between fingers though.
"Hang on, I'm just gonna show you my favourite Lolita costume!" Misaki explained while she was taking off her pants. Soon Misaki had only undergarments on her, namely a bra and a pantie. "It's too lewd!" Shouichi's mind short-circuited. But at least he got a confirmation that her breast size was an F-cup, with a minimum E-cup!
"But… but you can change off camera, though?" Shouichi pretended to whine but still, he couldn't keep his eyes away from her alluring body.
"Tada! How's it, senpai? Senpai?! Are you there?" Misaki asked excitedly after finishing her transformation into a black and red-accented Lolita costume. Her signature twin tails were back, adorned with large black bows. She was pushing the limits of sexiness, a stark contrast to the sweet Lolita style she wore on their first date.
"Ah? Sorry! I spaced out again." Shouichi admitted.
"Fufufu, this is a Gothic Lolita style. Do you like it better?" She probed, grabbed her skirt and swung around gracefully.
"Yeah, I love it! This is a bit more mature and sexy."
"Hahaha, I'm happy! Maybe I'll wear this on our next date!" Misaki said, intertwining her fingers and placing them on her chest cutely. "Next date mentioned? Does that mean she likes me?" Shouichi pondered.
"~Sorry, I gotta go now," Misaki said after she heard knocking on the door, she whispered, "Good night, Shou-i-chi senpai!"
"Ah, good night, Misa-chan," Shouichi replied and the call disconnected.
After a few moments, silence filled Shouichi's room once again. He lay on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind began to process the events of the day, Ayane's outrageous claim still lingering in his thoughts.
"Misa-chan is a murderer?..."
"...And what's wrong with Ayane? Maybe I need to talk to her properly this time. I won't let my emotions cloud my judgment this time." Shouichi made up his mind with unwavering determination.
The morning arrived, and Shouichi in a school uniform strolled along the same path to school. After a while, he spotted crowds near the front gate of the school.
"He~ya! Shou-senpai!" Misaki greeted energetically.
"Oh, good morning, Misa-chan."
Misaki stood in front of the school gate, waiting for him. She looked cute in her school uniform, the large red ribbons in her twin tails complementing it perfectly. Her hair was a deep shade of purple, and her obsidian eyes gazed at him innocently.
"I was just waiting for you, can we walk to class together?" She suggested and leaned in close.
"Yeah, I don't mind that at all."
"Yippy!" She exclaimed in excitement.
Without wasting a second, she instinctively linked arms with him, her chest brushing gently against his arm, sending a spark through his core. Doing this in school is a bit bold for me, he thought but complied anyway.
The couple walked across the school grounds together, and Shouichi soon noticed the prying eyes of other students directed at them.
"Misaki is really popular among the male students. Strangely, I haven't seen her around before," He thought.
"Are they dating?"
"Ishikawa is walking with that international student, don't turn too quick!"
"What a cute couple."
"F**K! My Ishikawa-chan is taken!"
"Blud got 'W rizz' but you don't. Just give up, man!"
Gossip echoed through the field as they went.
"Tsk!" A female clicked her tongue in exasperation as she followed them from a good distance. It was Morimura Ayane with a melancholic expression. Her frameless glasses concealed her face partially.
Ayane bit her lips discontentedly as she stared at the cheerful couple.
The lunch break began and Monday's club lunch proceeded as usual...
Today, Ito Emi, Morimura Ayane, Aoyama Shinji, and Seito Shouichi were sitting at a big table in the rugby club room. Meanwhile, Ito Toru, Hinoda, and Naggi had some errands to run so they couldn't show up.
The dense atmosphere and dark unpleasant air filled the room, causing a stale dining experience.
"...What happened between you two?" Shinji eventually broke the silence, pointing to both Shouichi and Ayane.
"Hmph!" She angrily turned her face away, her cheeks puffing up into a cute pout. It was somehow irresistibly adorable. Shouichi smiled weakly at Shinji, unsure of where to begin.
"Cheer up, you two. We ain't got all day," Shinji said, partially forcing them to make up.
"Ayane-chan, if I offended you in any way, I'm sorry..." Shouichi finally apologised, though he felt like it wasn't entirely his fault.
"Shouichi-kun, I also apolo~" Ayane began, but soon was interrupted by someone.