"She said the molester is the ex-convict that recently got released from jail," Yoko said straightly with a serious expression.
"Woah, would you be okay to keep working at the shop? I mean how could you be safe?! How do I..." Shouichi boomed, brows furrowed, his face tinged with concern.
"I should be alright. Considering, she gave me this!" Yoko interjected, showing him a box of CCTV equipment. "She said it's an old system that got replaced at the precinct. It can even connect to a mobile app for real-time monitoring!" She eagerly explained, her gaze steady.
"Wow, Officer Akiyama is real nice," Shouichi muttered and thought it was a bit strange but decided it might be of good faith. "I will help set them up in the store today then?" He reconfirmed.
"Sounds great! Akiyama-san also mentioned she would come down to the store again to make sure that there's no blind spot or something like that." Yoko continued.
"About the ex-con... Did the officer say anything else about him?" Shouichi revisited the topic, more information to ease his nerves.
"Yeah, she did... umm... His name is Kasunagi Nabe, 33-year-old…" The mother recalled details of her conversation with the officer, ponderingly resting her chin on her palm.
"He looked way older than a guy in his early 30s... Jail time must have been uncharitable different. Did Akiyama say anything else? What kind of crime did he commit?" Shouichi asked further, intrigued.
"I think he got caught taking un-consent explicit video of middle schoolers," Yoko replied.
"Man… What a total creep," Shouichi sneered, feeling disgusted in his stomach.
"Right!" Yoko nodded in agreement.
"Let's set it up ASAP, Yoko-san. I'm really worried about you, knowing a creep like that walks amongst us," He uttered firmly, his hand clasping on hers and finding a new profound resolution in his expression; he needed to protect her at all costs.
***
"Morimura-san… uh," A déjà vu scenario flashed before Shouichi's eyes as he ran into Morimura Ayane, being cornered by the senior for the second time.
For the record, last time, he almost lost an eye, trying to protect her. This time, the guy appeared to be a decent man, at least on the surface. Namauchi Sosuke was the captain of the soccer club which was essentially a popular senior in the third year. His fluffy hair was dark brown with a charming, unique cut on his left eyebrow.
"What do you want?" Ayane's tone was sharp and unyielding, carrying the air of someone who had little patience for nonsense. Her cold and cruel demeanour, a trademark of hers when dealing with unfamiliar faces, was on full display.
From a safe distance, Shouichi watched the interaction unfold, his curiosity warring with his better judgment. He couldn't help but eavesdrop, though a knot of uncertainty twisted in his gut. Was it his place to step in? Should he intervene, or let Ayane handle this on her own?
"You know, um, you are really cute… And I've seen you since your first year. Do you remember I was the one who showed you around the campus?" Sosuke-senpai began rambling about his fond memory of her, confident and prideful in his motion.
"Yes, I remember. I thank you for that." Ayane bowed her head slightly, her jet-black hair cascaded down with grace.
"Well… I have liked you since that day. Morimura-san." Sosuke-senpai confessed his feelings, his voice never faltered, and his gesture unshakened.
"Oh! It's just a confession. I was thinking if it's bullying or something. Then my job here is done..." Shouichi decided to scoot away after assuring his friend was not in any immediate danger.
"Please go out with me!" The senior declared, bowing his head with an air of elegance that seemed almost regal. Even in this humble gesture, he exuded the poise of a prince charming, his every movement deliberate and graceful.
"Why?" Ayane asked coldly, her facial expression remained unchanged.
"W~What?" Sosuke blurted, baffled by her impassive reaction as though no one had ever rejected him before.
"Wait, this is getting good. I need to spy more. Hehe!" Shouichi mused, the curiosity eventually got the better of him.
"Why do you want to date me?" Ayane asked, her tone stiffened as she stared deeply into the senior's soul.
Dumbfounded by her sudden quiz, Sosuke quickly regained his composure before answering promptly without much thought. "W~well... Because you are smart, beautiful, and elegant!"
Ayane didn't even bat an eye, unimpressed by his generic answers.
"Here it comes…" Shouichi already knew the exact words that were going to come out of Ayane's lips. He knew her way too well.
"Wrong answer..." Ayane said exactly what Shouichi thought she would. It was kind of funny that his friend used the same dialogue as last time. Although he agreed it was proven to be highly efficient.
"Wha~What?! I don't understand, Morimura-san." Sosuke stammered, sweating heavily. He was confused beyond his feeble comprehension, he had to ask, "Is it because you already have someone you like?"
For a moment, Ayane remained silent and unmoving before she gave a slow and deliberate nod.
"Holy Christ... Is it Aoyama Shinji?" the brown-haired senior blurted out, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and scepticism. His brows furrowed as he tried to piece things together. "That guy is a total womanizer! Everyone says he's bad news." Sosuke leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing some forbidden secret. "The rumours about him? They're everywhere."
Shouichi couldn't help but smirk inwardly at the exaggerated tale. "Man, Shinji's reputation is really that bad?" He thought, a tinge of amusement in his mental voice. "Guess I wouldn't know since I'm his guy friend."
Ayane glanced at Sosuke, resisting the urge to laugh at how animatedly he shared the gossip.
"Fufufu, no..." Eventually, she chuckled to herself. "The other one." She replied with a menacing, wide smile.
"The short one? Seito Shouichi?" Sosuke gasped in disbelief, scratching his brows with a thumb. "But he has a girlfriend, hasn't he?"
"And since when does that stop someone from liking or loving someone?" Ayane rationalised, her tone softened as her hands clasped together over her chest. She paused and listened peacefully, feeling every beat of her heart.
Sosuke let out a long deep exhale, "I guess you are right. I can respect that." It was time for him to accept reality with nobility, the man was decent enough to admit his defeat like a champion. "Then, we are both broken-hearted people." He left his final statement before walking away.
Shouichi, who was listening to the whole time, was flabbergasted. The heart beat like a thunder ever so deafening. His mind raced but nothing came but blankness.
"Well, shit...." Shouichi cursed at himself.
***
"You're right, boys and girls. We will finish up early today. So enjoy your lunch!" Rinae-sensei dismissed a class with her friendly voice and then strutted gracefully toward the exit.
"Shouichi-kun!" The sudden voice startled the boy, it was Morimura Ayane who teleported a few inches away from him.
"Ah?! Ayane. W~what do you want?" Shouichi asked with a slightly trembling voice. He couldn't shake the terrifying fact that she liked him. But Shouichi decided that it would be best to play dumb for now.
"I packed extra lunch for you. Come on, let's!" Ayane urged as she took out a pink-wrapped lunchbox from her bag and handed it to him.
"Oh? That's, um, quite sudden. I... have my own lunchbox. It's a tuna san~" Shouichi kindly refused but she cut him short.
"Enough with that, it's not that nutritious, you know. Please eat mine!" Ayane insisted, the uncharacteristic eagerness in her tone was somewhat unnerving.
"Just take it, Shouichi. It's not like Ayane made it herself. It's prolly Namie-chan's cooking." Shinji dismissively chimed in with his assumption.
"Not really. I made it." The girl corrected him outright.
"HA!? I'm wrong?" Shinji gasped, jawdropped.
"Now she made it even worse by saying that. What's wrong with Ayane?" Shouichi pondered in frustration.
With no other option, he promptly received it. "Thank you, Ayane-chan."
"Let's eat together." Shinji pulled up his table and joined them together, making a makeshift dinner table big enough for the three of them.
"Thanks for the meal!" The Aphrodite trio chanted loudly before starting to unpack the food from their containers.
Shouchi unhurriedly unwrapped a pink lunch box that Ayane made for him, his eyes drifted uncontrollably from agitation.
"Wow… The omelette over rice with a lot of side dishes... Moreover, they were delicately crafted into cute shapes by hand. That is way beyond my expectation coming from a girl like Ayane..." Shouichi mused as he snuck a glance at her.
She appeared entirely focused on her lunchbox, seemingly unbothered by his gaze. Shouichi's attention shifted to the food she was eating — it looked plain and under-decorated, a contrast to the meticulous bento she had prepared for him. A stark realisation struck him: she must have gone through multiple iterations, carefully crafting and handpicking the best one to give to him, while leaving the imperfect ones for herself.
"Damn, you are really good at this, Ayane-chan." Shouichi praised her with a sincere expression. The girl was embarrassedly tucked her strand behind the ear. The boy noticed that her ear shape was perfectly curved and decorated with silver stud earrings. Several brown bandages on her fingers from cooking, he never realised these minor details about her before.
"Stop staring… It made me nervous, you know." Ayane told him with a pinkish face. As he studied her facial features, he realised her eyelashes were long and curled gorgeously. After he began to be more conscious of her, a new profound allure was realised, one could say he truly looked at her through the eyes of a man for the very first time.
"Oh! My bad," Shouichi said apologetically, then he began to pick up the chopsticks. As the omelette hit his tastebud, he was overjoyed with their perfect mix of saltiness and sweetness, "It's so good, Ayane." He praised the girl which made her beam widely.
"Really? Can I try?" Shinji asked him curiously, as he reached out to taste it too.
"Here," Shouichi said, offering as he lifted the box.
"Wow, Ayane. You are also a cooking genius. A master chef!" Shinji admired loudly, but she didn't flatter, not by Shinji's praise.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Ayane responded impassively as she rested her chin on her palm.
Suddenly, Ayane extended her finger toward Shouichi's face, "Oh, hang on a sec." She said casually.
"Hey! Shinji is here! Keep your hands to yourself!" Shouichi warned with his eyes as if she would telepathically understand it.
She gently wiped his cheek with her thumb, then held it up to show him. "It's just a grain of rice," Ayane said with a playful gleam in her eyes.
"What are you, a 5-year-old?" She teased, her tone dismissive yet lighthearted.
Her dark purple eyes shimmered with expression and radiance, captivating in their intensity. At that moment, Shouichi realized something profound — her eyes were, without a doubt, the most beautiful he had ever seen. They seemed to draw him in, speaking a language beyond words.
"Sorry. I need to go to the toilet," Shouichi muttered abruptly, springing to his feet with a jolt. He couldn't bear the new Ayane right in front of him.
***
"Goddamnit! This isn't my first rodeo, I should not feel this flooding emotion that I can barely explain. Ugh! What's wrong with me!?" He pondered, gritting his teeth in confusion. The boy stood in front of a large mirror in the male bathroom.
Shouichi thought as he washed his face with water, "... Sorry, Ayane... I have to stay faithful to Misaki. She has not done anything wrong to me..."
"I wonder if things would have turned out differently if I hadn't dated Misaki-chan." Suddenly, I unintentionally pictured him happily going out with Ayane.
"Damn it! What was I thinking? Ayane is my friend." He quickly shook that thought, no matter how hard it was.