"What a coincidence."

"..." This was no coincidence at all!

"You...what..." Shuuya was honestly out of words.

"It just so happens that I live nearby on this street. I just missed the chance to tell you yesterday."

Right on the spot where he dropped her off last night? As if she would believe it!

"Maeda-senpai... what—"

"Let's start walking. We wouldn't want to be late now, would we?"

"..."

Shuuya was determined to crack open this head of his and see what was inside. What was he planning? Why is he really doing this? But she couldn't ask because she knows he'll find a way to snake through and humor her.

"By the way, I've noticed that you have a bicycle in your yard. Why are you walking to school instead of using it?"

"Ah, that," Shuuya grimaces at the memories of her colliding with walls and almost driving herself to death in front of a car. "I thought learning how to ride one was easy."

"But you were so good at it though..." Yuma couldn't help but reminisce.

Shuuya couldn't quite hear what he just said. "Pardon?"

"Nothing,"

She frowns. She swore she'd heard him say something.

***

"At this point don't even bother hiding it," A classmate hollered at them from behind, and their group snickered.

Both Shuuya and Yuma pretended to be deaf and carried on walking up to the small hill that leads to their school.

"Maybe we could seperate here now," Shuuya stops on her tracks and faces him.

Yuma couldn't help but glance at the schoolgates not too far away. "Why? We're not even in front of the school yet."

"That's the point!" Shuuya could only whisper-shout. "I can't be seen with you!"

This made him surprised, and then he frowns. "Why not?"

"People are misunderstanding our relationship!"

Personally, he doesn't have any problem with it. But the girl in front of him right now was bright red in embarrassment.

"...then for today, we'll seperate here."

Only today? So he still plans on doing this everyday!?

"Don't even think about it! Quit walking me to school!" She glares at him.

Before she runs away from him however, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.

"—only if you agree to walk with me on the way home."

"!!!"

Once again, she hears whispers of other students around her. She was well aware of the ambiguous position they're in, in the eyes of others they probably look like lovebirds showing public affection. Shuuya couldn't help but fume.

"I-I have to go!" She pushes him away before running ahead of him.

As Yuma watches her figure disappear in a corner, someone taps his shoulder.

"Yo, your girlfriend looks mad,"

Yuma could only sigh at his brother. "Like I said, she's not—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Soma smirks as he started to walk with the seemingly gloomy man.

"So? What's the matter?"

"..." Yuma paused to think whether to tell him or not, but eventually did.

"She doesn't want to walk to school with me."

"That's it?" Soma frowns.

"She doesn't want me to walk her home either."

"..." Soma couldn't really understand how this man changed this drastically. His brother was usually the calmest and is the deadpan one between the two of them. He never thought that Yuma could be this clingy.

"She clearly doesn't want you hanging around her, I'd actually say she probably hates you."

At this, his twin couldn't help but sulk. Soma could only shake his head in disbelief.

***

At lunch, Shuuya didn't plan on eating in the cafeteria. She figured that if she was out there, she might encounter Maeda and be the subject of gossip once again. But even though she planned on eating peacefully in her seat, trouble still came to find her.

"Honda-san!! Somebody is calling you out to the hallway,"

She almost smashed the cookie she was holding in anger. "If it's Maeda-senpai—"

"It's not! It's a girl!"

"?"

Shuuya has no idea on who would call her out to the hallway. Aside from Maeda, she doesn't know anyone who'd possibly be interested on talking to her.

When she finally walks out of the classroom, she was met by a beautiful girl with long, curly hair.

"...yes, what business do you have with me?" Shuuya couldn't help but silently admire the woman. She's so pretty and tall! She wouldn't be surprised if she's working as a model.

However, the woman's pretty face was showing a fierce expression.

"I can't believe that this was the person Yuma-kun would declare as his girlfriend."

"?"

"Don't even act like you don't know. You snake!"

But she honestly doesn't know!

"I'm sorry, you may have the wrong person?"

"You're funny. Actually daring to say you're not Yuma-kun's girlfriend!"

"Who's Yuma?"

Even her classmates that was watching beside her gasped in shock.

"H-Honda-san... Yuma-san is Maeda-senpai,"a classmate whispered from beside her.

Shuuya couldn't help but freeze. She had no idea!

"R-Right, I forgot," She nervously laughed before turning to the bijin¹美人— literally means "a beautiful person". The equivalent of "ikemen" for women. in front of her who was at a loss.

"You have the wrong idea. We're just friends."

Friends but you don't even know his name... the audience at the side couldn't help but sweatdrop.

"Friends?" Bijin-san laughs. "Quit spouting nonsense."

"I'm not lying," Shuuya confidently states. "Even if you ask everyone in my classroom or around this area. We're just friends."

"But what if you just lied—"

"A lot of people just misunderstood, since they're outsiders and it wasn't explained to them."

"..."

"And if you possibly saw as walking together, that's because we're neighbors," she quickly made up a lie.

While she still wasn't sure whether Yuma's house was actually in the vicinity of hers, she still had to appease the woman in front of her.

Is this woman possibly... Maeda-senpai's ex girlfriend??? It wasn't impossible. Two beautiful people, of course it just makes sense for them to be a thing.

"S-Shuuya!"

Everyone's eyes turned towards the man who rushed to Shuuya's side.

"Y-Yuma-kun!" Bijin-san exclaimed.

Great! He's here. Shuuya almost rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What are you doing, Ayane!"

When a classmate of theirs rushed in the classroom to declare how the school's flower, Ayane, came to bully Shuuya in the hallway of building B, Yuma immediately stood up and ran to where they were. It was a good thing that he was just in time.

"I... I wasn't doing anything," The beautiful woman looked down in submission, all her fierceness gone in a flash under his glare.

Mitsumune Ayane.

His head hurt. How come he forgot such an important person.

Only now did he remember that this girl was one of the girls he's been seeing informally in this age of his. He was popular, she was popular, it only made sense if they sought each other out. But they didn't become official since he was afraid of commitment.

He admits that at age 18, he was fooling around too much. He really was a scum man ever since.

"Ayane, let's talk."

"Okay..." she didn't fight back when she was grabbed by the hand and dragged by the tall man away from the crowd.

Everyone else either resumed in their prior engagements or followed the two after that. Shuuya was left alone in the hallway.

Shuuya finally heaved a sigh of relief after the commotion finally died down.

"I swear, being involved with Maeda-senpai is just the same as seeking trouble,"

She was actually involved in their love drama! Never did she imagine to be confronted like how heroines in school series be confronted by domineering bullies.

I'm innocent— a normal law-abiding Japanese citizen. I haven't committed any crime deserving of punishment. If anything, the only crime I committed is letting that guy close to me!