Volume 2, Chapter 2: She knows

*****

3 weeks had passed and nothing major has happened ever since...well except for me seeing Hoshizawa too much lately. She also gives Ryu yakisoba bread when they always meet. I for one were happy for Ryu that his plan was working even though it was so ridiculous to imagine, but one thing that was bugging me was that they only seem to met each other whenever I'm not around. Because of that, I've thought of something why, but I chose not to say anything about it since I don't want to assume. I've always had good hunches on these situations but I prefer not to go ahead and conclude things without any solid evidences. 

If I'm right about it though, then I'm happy for Ryu that they even got to that stage!. He's always been popular and good looking, he's just bad with a lot of women when they come at him at once, but even he can do many things when he puts his mind into it. 

Other than that, I've been helping Yuu's basketball team sometimes. I only help after class when they're short on members to practice with. Some of their members always go home straight after class so when that happens, they always call me and Ryu to come and help with practice. Ryu wasn't really good at playing basketball but he doesn't hate it. He only participates whenever I agreed to come and help in Yuu's practice

...

It was almost near for the exams to come. While although Ryu and I never really have any problems with studying since we have our own methods to deal with it, it was a different case for Yuu and Take

"Aggh! I don't understand! Why's this the answer?! Ryucchin's been helping me a lot, but I still can't grasp the meaning of it!"

"Haha, just take your time Takeshi, its literature after all. It may seem easy at first, but its really hard to understand every deep meaning that it has"

"It's even making it harder for me because of this line Ryucchin! Why's the main heroine only kept watching the main character in a distance?! Doesn't she love him?! She should just go for it and confess, right?!"

"That's the way the author wanted the main heroine to be in the start, Takeshi. You just have to find the reason in between those lines to find out why the main heroine's like that"

Somehow...I think that situation is the same from whats happening right now...or maybe that's just me?

"No! No! No! Impossible! Its just impossible! The author made it impossible! *Sigh*...I envy Ryucchin, Shunicchi, and Masacchin for being so smart..."

"Shun and I are used to studying. Masato's the only exception, that guy...I rarely see him listening in class, yet he knows the answer when he gets called out! Isn't he practically cheating?!"

"I'm just built different, get on my level, Browny! Blondy! Hey, Shun! Are you done tutoring that meathead? There's a quest here, and I need your help since you know how to beat it"

"Sorry, Masa, not yet. I still have to study after I'm done teaching Yuu"

"Tsk, just how dumb that meathead, blondy, and browny is?! Alright then Shun, I can wait. The event for that quest lasts for 3 days anyways. You can just guide me how to do it later"

"Hey! Why am I involved?! And why's Shun the only one you call by his name?!"

"Shut up browny or I'll kick your ass!"

"Yeah sure. I can tell you how later"

Masa's the only one in our group who doesn't really study. Well, even if he doesn't study, he still gets the answer right from the teachers. That's why the teachers have no issues with him even when he plays while they're teaching. When the questions are hard and no one wants to answer, they always call Masa to stand up and answer it, and of course, Masa always answers the questions with ease. Even though he's a hardcore gamer and a fan of Risha chan's, he's what'd you call a prodigy when it also comes to studying

Masa came back to his seat to play another game while the rest of us continue to go back to what we were doing

"*Sigh*...Literature is one thing, but math is on another whole level of difficulty that I have to tackle later too...I bet Yuuchin right now is having a harder time than me-"

"Then you do this...and that should be the whole answer. Practice a few more and you should get the hang of it pretty quickly"

"Oh, I see!...Like this?"

"Yeah, you got it right already"

"So that's how you do it! You're so good at teaching, Shun!"

"No, not at all, you just learn so fast that I didn't had a hard time explaining it to you, Yuu"

While Take has been having a breakdown in literature, I was able to explain to Yuu the fundamentals and the formulas that he need to know and learn in order to pass math. Fortunately for me, Yuu understood quickly what I taught him in which he tackled math with ease

"No way...Yuuchin solving math problems without breaking a sweat...? Are my eyes deceiving me?"

Take looked at Ryu like he was downing at him for some reason

"Ryucchin...you aren't very good at teaching, are you?"

"That's rude of you, Takeshi! And did you compare me to Shun just now?!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't act as if you don't know anything!"

"Boo!, boo!, I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"

Take looked away pouting from Ryu as Ryu tried to make him admit to it. From what I've experienced, Ryu isn't really bad at teaching, he just has his own way of explaining things that he learnt from class to other people. Although it may sound like he's a complicated person when it comes to teaching, that really isn't the case at all

"Ryu isn't really a bad teacher, Take. He really just can't explain it to you clearly like how he understands it himself. Plus, like Ryu said, literature might seem easy at first, but its harder than you think. Logical and rational thinking won't help you out, you also need to put yourself in someone else's shoes to understand what the author is implying. That's what I've learned from Ryu when I was also struggling with literature"

"Fufufu, that's exactly right! My disciple!"

"Who're you calling your disciple?!"

"...?...Like for example?"

"Like the one you just mentioned earlier, suppose you're the heroine who watches the main character from afar, for what reason do you do that for?"

"Obviously because I love him, but I'm scared that he might reject me if I confessed right away so I started learning more about him first by watching from afar- Oh!"

"Oh, he got it exactly right, Shun"

"See? The more you put yourself in the character, the clearer the answer will be"

"I see...I didn't thought of that. You've made it so easy to understand even for someone like me! Thanks a lot, Shunicchi!"

"H-hey...Shun?...Takeshi?...y-you made it sound like I wasn't much of help to you guys...! Yuu! I helped out a lot today, didn't I?!"

"No comment."

"Why?!"

We laughed as Ryu felt miserable. I feel sorry for him for once, but cheering and praising him here will only end up inflating his ego more than it should be. I held back on trying to comfort his shattered confidence, sorry man, you have to know sooner or later that I don't always have your back. You have to bear it yourself...

Ryu and I continued to help Yuu and Take in their studies while once in a while, giving a clearer explanation to Take if he doesn't get Ryu's explanation before class starts...

*****

It was time for recess and this time, Ryu wasn't with me, but with Hoshizawa instead. You're wondering why? Well you see...it'll take some time to explain but I'll shorten it to spare you the time...

So basically, one of the newspaper club put Ryu in the 'Most Handsome Guys Spotted in Shiri Houdou High' of course we didn't know that it was circulating around the school for days now because we, ourselves don't read newspapers. He got hunted by many girls from different sections and different grade levels hence why he isn't with me right now, because he's running for his life as we speak. It was even a miracle for me that he didn't passed out to how many girls were flocking onto him. Maybe he's getting used to it without him noticing and realizing it? And he's slowly building tolerance over it? But then again, this is Ryu we're talking about, his fight or flight response probably ticked off and chose to flee the scene...

Ryu told me that he would be waiting behind the school's big tree since anyone's hardly ever go in there. I agreed and he ran off to somewhere he can hide for the time being...

...

As I was heading over to the cafeteria to buy the usual food, I suddenly bumped into Hoshizawa who seems that she already bought her lunch, the same lunch that he always give to Ryu

"A-Amagasa kun?!"

"Oh! Hoshizawa san! Its been a while since we last talked!"

"Huh?! Oh!, Yes!...It is..."

Hoshizawa looked down on her right side as she said that...wait...is it just me or is her face redder than before?

"Um...Hoshizawa san? Are you okay? Your face is all red, do you have a fever by any chance?"

"A-a-a-i-i-its nothing! Really!"

She tried to deny as much as she could in order to stop me from worrying

...Does she perhaps...don't want to talk to me...?

With all the things that are happening right now, I assume that she doesn't want to talk to me at least...I guess I should respect it...

I quickly made up my mind and tried my best to leave the scene

"Oh, is that so? Alright then, I'll go to the cafeteria now, see you later, Hoshizawa-"

"T-There's no more yakisoba bread left!"

"-Eh?"

She already gone to the cafeteria? but recess started a few minutes ago! She's fast!

"I-I already bought the last one...I-I can give it to you...if you want..."

"Oh really?! That'd be wonderful! But, is it okay? I mean, you bought it for yourself, right?"

"N-no! I don't mind! Plus...I always have my own lunch with me..."

Huh? Then why did she brought one?

...

...Oh...I get it

"I'll let Ryu know that you gave us another one, thanks a lot!"

"Its not for Ito kun! everything's for you!"

"Eh?"

"-Ah! N-n-nothing!"

Ah...there's smoke coming out of her head...well if its for me this time, then I shouldn't complain too much

"Is that so? I'll gladly take you up on you offer then! Thanks Hoshizawa san!-"

"So, would you please go out with me?!"

...

...Do my ears deceived me just now...?

I slowly looked back at her to confirm once more

"Eh? W...what?

"..."

What did she just say? Its not what I think it is...right?

Hoshizawa looked away, trying to hide her flushed reaction

No way...is she really confessing here right now?! To me?! Seriously?!

...no! I must have misheard it! Certainly! Calm down me!

I gulped down harder as I tried to confirm once more

"H-Hoshizawa san...a-are you-"

"!, N-n-no! I didn't meant it like that! What I wanted to say was...if you want to go...with me...to eat together..."

"...oh"

"..."

...

Hoshizawa blushed while feeling embarrassed as she tried to clear up the misunderstanding. I too wanted to dig myself alive after assuming everything just now...

...but I really thought for a second there that she was about to confess to me! How naive of me to think that when we barely know each other at all! Aaagh! I just want to jump to the school's highest building right now!

I tried to calm myself down once more as I replied to her request

"I-is that so? T-then...I don't mind at all! We still have more time before the next class starts, so lets go now, shall we?"

I tried to stop myself from stuttering while saying that. Hoshizawa smiled brightly, blushing at me as she thanked me

"T...Thank you, Amagasa kun! You won't regret it! I swear!"

"Haha, What is?"

I didn't gave too much thought to her last statement and instead smiled at her as I felt myself getting warm from her smile. Its the smile the she gave me back then when we met at the rooftop. I was a bit confused about what she just said earlier, but I couldn't help but laugh a bit because she's still a normal girl inside even when she's a rich, respectable daughter of the ChokoChoko Company...

*****

And now we're back to the present. Hoshizawa and I are on the rooftop as we eat and talk about what we did over these past few days. She had bought her own lunch with her as she previously mentioned while I ate the yakisoba bread that she gave me beforehand

Hoshizawa opened her lunch box, which was full of luxurious meals that I could never imagine. It was even glittering and shining as she opened it...

...'Is this what rich people eats for lunch everyday?' I thought to myself

"That looks delicious, Hoshizawa san! Did you made it by yourself?"

"Y-yes...I always wake up early to prepare my own lunch before I go to school"

"Oh? You make your own lunch? You're so hard working, Hoshizawa san. I, myself don't make my own lunch since I can't even cook. I admire people like you!"

"O-oh! This is nothing! I've been doing this since middle school, so I've kind of got used to it...but thank you, it makes me happy to hear you say that!"

Even though I can ascertain that she doesn't have a fever, Hoshizawa has this heat that I can't explain that was surrounding around her. I tried to ignore it up until now, but I'm getting worried that she might have a fever after all...

..Still, I never imagined someone like her would be cooking her own meal...I thought for sure she has her own personal chef like the ones you see in those animes...guess I really shouldn't judge a book by its cover...

"I-If you want to..."

"?"

"...I can also make a separate lunch for you...only if you want me to!"

"Eh?! Ah, no thanks...for me, I feel like you only have to make a lunch for someone that you really like"

That's what I believe...or if I'm going to be honest...that's what I always see in one of those romance animes...

Plus, I already had enough of the death stares that the people gives around me, I probably would never see another day if I let Hoshizawa make my lunch!

"Then what about this, Amagasa kun! What if someone in our school loves you and told you that she wants to make you lunch everyday for you, how would you respond?!"

Well, that came out of nowhere

"Hold on for a moment, Hoshizawa san, you've just skipped a lot of important things in there! First of all, even if she knows me, there's a chance that I don't know her in the first place. I'd rather take things slowly and know more about her first. Secondly, even if I already know her, if I really don't like her, there's just no way I can give back the same feelings that she has. And lastly-"

"Lastly...?"

"-I've set my standards too high, too high that I'm pretty sure no 3d girl can top it off!"

"..."

"..."

...

There was a moment of silence between us after I've just said that...

...

...And now, I've been regretting why I had said such an embarrassing thing! What are you even saying Shun?! You're being creepier than Ryu right now! Why you're like this when you talk to girls! Now Hoshizawa definitely thinks that I'm weird or something! *sigh*

I gave out a silent sigh when suddenly Hoshizawa mumbled something

"...I see...but..."

"...but...?"

"...You still haven't answered my question regarding about whether or not you'll agree with her making lunch for you if she says she loves you?"

"..."

"..."

...

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?! And here I was...thinking about something else...*sigh*...

"M..my answer earlier still stands! I follow those three things like my life's on the line!"

AAAAAGH! YOU'RE MAKING IT EVEN WORSE SHUN! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! JUST STOP, YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF!

I want to bury myself alive right now and hope for the best that people forget I exist!

I changed the topic at hand to save myself some face from the embarrassing things I said

"Oh yeah! The exam! Are you studying for it properly, Hoshizawa san?"

"Eh? Um...yes...I always study whenever I get home..."

Thank god I was able to change the subject! Otherwise I don't even know where the question will lead to!

"Oh? I didn't know Hoshizawa san was a studious person"

"It isn't a big deal, after all, I can only mostly score 92% in middle school"

"92% is already something you can be proud of, Hoshizawa san! I can only get 90%, the school's needed grade for getting in at most"

"Yet you and Ito kun are the ones who're teaching Ishimoto kun, and Murata kun? I somehow can't believe what you've said just now *chuckle*"

I swear...this girl's smile and laugh are something else...

"It's true though! And besides, Masa's the one who's surprising in our class! He doesn't look like one, but he's definitely the brain of our class!"

"I can agree on that one *chuckle*"

Hoshizawa let out a small chuckle as she started listening to me more about me and my friends

"Yuu and Take asked for our help because they said that they'll definitely fail. That they weren't good at studying at all. They knew that Ryu and I got in Shiri high through the entrance exams so they asked us for help. And since Ryu and I don't mind at all, we helped them in their studies"

"But isn't the grade needed for those who pay the tuition was 75%? I don't think they need to study that much..."

"Although Yuu and Take's grades were above 75%, they need at least 90% grade if they want to go to college that they want to. They wanted to go to a college where all of the best of the best, basketball players that have gone to"

"Oh...so thats why..."

"Yeah, there are 8 subjects in total. Ryu and I decided to split it up into 4 parts. Ryu teaches Take the 4 subjects, while I teach Yuu the other 4 subjects, mainly-"

"Math, History, Science, and English, right?"

"-Huh? Oh, yeah, those 4 subjects. Well I couldn't say anything much for now, but I personally think that they'll reach 90% in the exams if they keep progressing like this"

"That's great! What about you, Amagasa kun?"

"Me? Well, I'm already prepared for the exams, but I still study. I don't want to get complacent after all. Plus, if I study too much, I'll miss-"

"The character in the anime that you always watch at night, Hina chan, right?"

"Yeah!, Hina chan!, because of that particular reason"

"That's Amagasa kun alright! *Chuckles*"

Hoshizawa and I kept talking about many things as we ate our lunch and waited for the bell to ring. Hoshizawa left ahead of me while I stayed a little while on the rooftop...and for some reason...I felt like as if I forgot something...

*****

...

"I still feel like...I'm forgetting something..."

but I don't know what it is-

"Oh, There you are Shun! I was waiting for you behind the big tree!"

-Oh...its not someTHING, but rather someONE...

I've met up with Ryu who was already in the classroom. I looked around the classroom and it seems that I was the only one who haven't returned yet. Luckily, the next teacher weren't here yet, so I immediately took my seat 

"Yeah sorry, my bad. I forgot"

"YOU FORGOT?! How could you forget your one and only best friend! I was there you know! I've kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting for you! I even almost got fr0ze to death there!"

"You sounded like as if you had caught yourself in the middle of the winter and just barely survived. Aren't you exaggerating too much?"

"Because that's just what had happened!"

"Dude, we're literally in the middle of spring, what are you even on about"

"Now you have to make up for me! Two yakisoba breads tomorrow!"

"Huh?! We barely can even finish one!, do you think that we'll finish two of those?!"

"Oh yeah, you're right, the how about this! You pay for our yakisoba bread tomorrow!"

"Dude, I've always been the one who pays our food. Shouldn't it be the other way around this time?"

"Oh! Uhhh!, Arghhh!"

Ryu kept struggling thinking of a way for me to make up for him. Well he's right though, I was the one who forgot that we'll meet up in the big tree, so its only natural that I have to make it up for him. And I've just had the best solution for that

"Alright, alright, Ryu, as my apology for today, I'll buy you chocolate after school"

"Really?! Make it three then!"

Ryu's eyes lit up, like some kid who got told by his mom that he'll get what he wants

"Huh?! Three?! That's the same as buying 2 yakisoba breads then!"

"You've already promised Shun! Or are you not a man of your words?"

Tsk! This guy had balls to say that to me! I shouldn't had suggested what I said just now

"Oh by the way Shun, where were you during break time?"

Oh yeah, I was caught up by Ryu's ramblings that I forgot to tell him where I was during break time

"Oh yeah, about that-"

"Everyone take your seats! Class is about to start"

"Aww...save it for later Shun!, I'll ask you again later!"

"Yeah, sure"

As soon as I was about to say the reason why I didn't showed up in the big tree, The next teacher came in to start the class. Although I wanted to tell Ryu already why, I decided to wait after class since I know how he'll react to it once I tell him...he'll definitely flip out again when he hears it that's for sure...

*****

Class was over for today. As promised, I bought Ryu his 3 chocolate bars as we walk home from school

"Man! Nothing really beats ChokoChoko's chocolate! They definitely are the best chocolate company!"

Ryu opened the first two chocolates and quickly annihilated it out of existence

"Uwa- I just bought you 3 chocolate bars and you already ate 2 of them?!, just how much do you love chocolates?!"

"A lot, and may I remind you that I haven't eaten anything since break time! Because of certain someone-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already, sorry for asking, geez"

"Oh yeah! About that! Where were you Shun?"

"Oh, right. I was on the rooftop with Hoshizawa san and-"

"YOU ATE LUNCH WITH THE HOSHIZAWA SAN?! IS THIS FOR REAL?! YOU AREN'T JOKING ME, RIGHT?!"

Ryu came closer to my face as he said that, and oh boy, I was right. I knew that he would react like this

"You're too loud! And you're too close!...Yeah I did, I ate lunch with Hoshizawa san on the rooftop"

"Wait...you said that you ate lunch with her...DON'T TELL ME YOU-"

"No I didn't! She gave me her yakisoba bread! She had her own lunch with her at that time"

"I see...I mean, I'm still surprised but, I should've expected your broken luck stats..."

"Broken luck stats? Did you really just said that? What am I to you?, a cheater cheating in life?!"

"Isn't that the case?! You eating with Hoshizawa san even though you barely talk to each other, while me, who even had a plan, managed to get to talked to her once every other day and only getting yakisoba breads...aren't you winning on life too much, Shun?!"

"You should be happy that you're able to talk to her more often and you're getting something from her, that's better than what I had, getting to eat with her once"

"This and that are different! Getting to eat with Hoshizawa san is a bigger thing than what I had right now! What if she gave you chocolate while you were eating?! I knew it...you were also after for the chocolates...my chocolates to be exact!"

I gave Ryu the dumbest look I got

"That's what you're worried about?! Why would I even do that?! And who does that?!"

"I can't believe my best friend was lying to me...he was also after for the same thing!...Ah! IS THIS WHAT THEY SO CALLED FRENEMIES?!"

"..."

Yep...Ryu's common sense is no longer there...the only way I can fight off his stupidity is to fight it with another stupidity instead!

"Suppose that you're right on your assumption about me Ryu, but let me ask you this, if we had the same goal, why didn't I did your plan from the beginning?"

"T...that...that's true..."

"See? There's no way I would've done it, right?"

"Yeah! For a moment there, I thought that my best friend betrayed me!"

"There's no way I would do that to you, not to my only best friend"

"I'm sorry for doubting you man! I'll never doubt you again, I swear!"

Checkmate. I'm so glad that Ryu's this simple-minded. Makes me glad that he's this easy to handle...yet he's also easy to fool if you look at it in a different angle...

"By the way Shun, why did Hoshizawa san asked you to eat with her?"

"Eh? I...actually don't know..."

"Huh? You don't? How's that even possible?"

"I really don't! And I forgot to ask why because it was all too sudden!"

"I see...I believe you! If you said you don't know, then you don't! I swore earlier didn't I?"

"You really were serious about that? I thought you were joking"

"Fufufu! Like you, I'm also a man of my word!"

"Stop acting cool, it doesn't fit you at all"

"I'm not! I'm telling the truth!"

I laughed softly as I pondered over Ryu's earlier statement...

...but like what Ryu had just said, why did Hoshizawa asked me to eat with her?

...wait...how did she know the subjects I'm good at? How did she even knew what anime I was watching?

We barely even talk to each other, so knowing those things through me was out of the question...

...Did she just happened to hear?

...

...No, that's impossible too. Ryu, Yuu, Take, and Masa always talks about their favorite characters in the anime, but I never talked about mine about Hina chan since they hardly ever asked me about those things, and if they did, they always asked me whenever she wasn't around...

...And since the exams haven't started yet, she shouldn't have had known what subjects I'm good at, nor heard about it from us...unless someone told her about me...

...maybe Ryu told her about me?

...

Also...these past few days, I thought for sure she was avoiding me...but after what happened earlier, it confused me even more...

...perhaps there's a reason...?

...

I was deep in my own thoughts while Ryu kept silent, eating his last chocolate bar that I bought for him...

...

At the end, I stopped myself and thought that maybe I was thinking about it too hard for no reason at all...

"...yea...there's probably no meaning to it at all...probably..."

"? Did you said something, Shun?"

"Nothing"

...it's probably just my wild imagination...

*****

End of Chapter 2