Volume 6, Chapter 6: The Reveal, and the Change
*****
...
Soon after I was done from doing the scavenger hunt, I was able to finish the relay race with our class ended up going first place, despite having a huge gap from the start and a 5 second delay in my part. This achievement was followed by the applauds and cheers from my classmates, who thought that we would have no chance at winning at all
"And you told me earlier that it'll be difficult huh?"
"Well, you know its been a while since I've actually ran that fast right?"
"Fair enough, still, I can't believe you're still able to run that fast"
"Really? I thought I became slower for some reason"
"Eh? That didn't look like that to me earlier..."
Ryu said, making me rethink that maybe it was my imagination after all...
"Amagasa kun!!!"
All of our classmates approached me right after
"I didn't know you're a beast at running! You should join the track and field club!"
"Ahaha, that's-"
"Hey, hey, do you always train yourself everyday?! How much do you train in a day?!"
"Oh, no, I'm-"
"Have you been hiding your true abilities this whole time?! You shouldn't you know!"
"Well-"
"I'm so jealous you can run that fast! Your girlfriend must've been proud of you right now huh? Oh wait, do you have a girlfriend Amagasa kun?"
"Uh-"
"Tell us!"
"..."
It was the girls from our class who bombarded me with questions. Although it was kinda a bit surprising for them to approach me all of a sudden, it kinda feels good to get acknowledged from something you're good at
"AGGGGGH! WE WON, WE DID WIN, BUT AT WHAT COST?!"
"NO FAIR! NO FAIR! WHY'S GOD SO UNFAIR?!"
"COMRADES! ALTHOUGH THE RESULT WAS UNEXPECTED, WE SHOULD LET HIS SUDDEN POPULARITY PEAK SLIDE, HE DID WIN FOR US AFTER ALL!"
"UUOOHHHHHH! JUST THIS ONCE! DAMN YOU AMAGASA!!!!"
I'm confused...are they happy about it, or mad about it?
Or both?
...
But anyway, what's important right now is-
"-Ryu! Help me out here!"
"Fufufu, the tables have turned, huh?"
Ryu was referring to those times where he was always getting swarmed with women and I always save him
"Will you just help me out?!"
"Oh? I don't know man..."
"Are you serious?!-"
"-But someone might be...able to..."
"...?"
He said, as he was slowly looking at some other direction
"...no...from the looks of it, she will do something about it..."
"Huh? What do you mean-"
-Ah...
...
What Ryu was referring to this whole time, was none other than Miu
...
and this whole time...Miu was just standing quite far away from us, "staring"...
...
...while facing in our direction...
"Hoshizawa san? Why's she standing so far away from us?"
"Beats me"
"I don't know either, but listen here Amagasa kun-"
"Hey guys! Will you come here and listen to what I have to say? Except for Amagasa kun and the others"
"Eh???? Alright, talk to you later then, Amagasa kun"
"Uh, yeah, sure..."
Thanks to Marika's interruption, my other classmates all gathered around her, leaving me, and the others at peace...
...It was then that Ryu suddenly said something
"Alright! Here's a question for you Shun! What happens when you, the boyfriend suddenly choose some other girl other than your girlfriend?"
"Huh? That's rather out of the blue question"
"Is it now?"
"What are you even-"
...
"-Oh..."
I get it now...
"Yep. You messed up big time"
"I really messed up"
"Seriously messed up"
"..."
I DIDN'T KNOW! I WAS TOO FOCUSED AT THAT TIME! I WAS DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD GO FOR MIU OR KANA SENPAI EARLIER!
"Aggggh! Now it looks like I can't talk my way out of this one!"
I said, as Miu was "watching" us from a distance, almost as if how a spectator would act
"...Why did you choose me...?"
Kana senpai said, as she was looking down at the ground
"Eh?"
"...You said earlier...'Sorry, but I need you'..."
"Ah- that's-"
"Yeah Shun, why did you?"
"Well if you would let me explain without interrupting me I would! *Sigh*, its because at that time, what's written on the paper was-?!"
Suddenly, Miu, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her
"..."
"Oh?"
There was a brief moment of silence between us before I was able to react to what had just happened
"Um, Hoshizawa sa-"
"Miu"
"-Eh?"
"You aren't calling me by my first name, Shun"
"Oh, uh, I don't want the others to know that were on a first name basis-"
"Call me Miu"
"-...Miu..."
She then smiled as she gently hold my hand
"Miu, about earlier-"
"Why?"
"-Why...?"
"Why did you chose Kana senpai?"
"..."
"Why?"
"Its because if I chose you, people would make a fuss about us"
"..."
"Rather than choosing any girl that I don't know, I chose Kana senpai instead"
"But why?"
"Huh...?"
"Why can't it be me?"
"Why...wait...you do know why I can't right?"
"I know! I know that you can't, but just this once, why can't it be me?!"
"Miu..."
By any chance...
...Did Miu had enough of this...?
...This kind of relationship that we have...?
...
...Did I make the wrong choice...?
"...Miu...you, Shun and I, already had talk about this-"
"I know, and I kept my promise as far as I can..."
"..."
"...But what happened today, made me realized..."
"Realized...?"
"That I'm scared...I'm scared of losing you, Shun..."
"But that's not going to-"
"Happen, right? Yes, I trust you, but I don't trust the people around us"
"..."
"I even overheard some girls from our class earlier, they're starting to take interest in you..."
"..."
Miu tightened her grip on my hand, as if she was signalling that she doesn't wanna let go
"I'm sorry for making you anxious about all of this"
"No...it's not your fault...I might be jumping to conclusions very fast, but I can't help it...I really can't help it..."
She then put both of her hands on both of my hands as my eyes locked on onto her eyes...
"I...don't wanna lose you Shun..."
"Miu..."
I can feel the shakiness from both of her hands as she put down both of my hands...
...without any hesitation and hope for reassurance on Miu's part, I gave her the paper that I pulled out from the box earlier
"This is...?"
"Read what it says"
...
" 'Someone you're proud of'..."
"I want to be honest with you Miu. I did think of you first the moment I read that, but if I chose you right after, people would really think that something's fishy is going on with us...that's why I went with Kana senpai...because I'm proud to be her friend"
"...So that's why you said that in front of the organizers...thank you..."
I nodded at Kana senpai, who was happy to hear what I said back then
"Do you believe me Miu?"
"..."
"Miu...?"
"...What if you chose me...what would you say?"
"That I'm proud to have you as my girlfriend"
"..."
There was no lie behind my words, everything I said was the truth, and the only truth...
"Can you...say it again to me?"
"I'm proud to have you as my girlfriend, Miu"
"I knew it..."
"...?"
"I really don't wanna lose you Shun..."
"I'm the one who's scared to lose you, you know!"
I said to her in a jokingly way, although I meant every part of it...
...I mean...an average guy like me, and the school's beautiful girl...who do you think is the most scared of losing the other?
"So um...are we done here? Are you guys done fighting?"
"I guess that really makes the two of us, *Chuckles*"
"We aren't fighting! Right, Miu?"
"Like my love says, we aren't, Ito kun"
"See- wait, 'love' ?"
"...?"
Last time I check, Miu was never this assertive...
...right?
"You can have the paper back, love"
"Oh, okay..."
...She did it again...
She said 'Love'...
...
As long as she's happy now I guess...
...As I was about to retrieve the paper-
"?!"
"..."
Miu suddenly pulled me in closer to her again...
...as she kissed me gently on the cheek
"W-What?!"
"Caught you by surprise? *Chuckles*"
"Today's Hoshizawa san is so passionate huh man?"
"..."
"Its 'hot' right now huh?"
"...Shut up..."
Seriously just shut up Ryu! At least let me savor that moment!
Why does Miu have to be so cute and affectionate out of nowhere?!
"...You know...that's gonna cause some ruckus..."
"Ruckus?-"
"AH! DID HOSHIZAWA SAN KISSED AMAGASA KUN ON THE CHEEK?!"
"SHE DID! SHE DID! I TOTALLY SAW IT!"
"IS IT WHAT I THINK IT IS?! IS IT?! ARE THEY...?!"
Uh oh, We didn't notice that they were done discussing over there...
"N-No! Its-"
"Do we even still need to hide it?"
"Eh?"
"Isn't it the truth? You're my boyfriend, and I'm your girlfriend"
"..."
...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!!!
Of course that would be their reaction...
"Y-You're kidding...right?"
"No. I'm serious"
"B-But! Hoshizawa sama! Why would you even date this loser-"
"I appreciate it. If. You. Don't. Talk. Bad. About. My. Boyfriend?"
"S-Sorry..."
For once...I've never seen Miu snapped at someone like that before...
...And it seemed like that was enough to make the boys' spirit in our class shatter before her...
"Miu, are you really fine with them knowing about our relationship?"
"MIU?!"
Ah, I forgot to call her by her last name...
"At this point...I want them to know, love"
"L-LOVE?!"
They said again, in unison...
...But I too was also surprised by her calling me that so suddenly...
"But the rumors...your reputation-"
"One of the things I realized...is that, does it even matter?"
"Huh?"
"Rumors...reputation...does it even matter? No, I think what matters the most is...us..."
"..."
"I want to be honest with you starting from now on love. I don't wanna lose you, I can't lose you, and I want you to be mine, and only mine. As how I am only yours. That's why I want them to know that you're mine, and nobody else's..."
She said as she hugged me tightly in front of everyone else
"I-I-IS THIS REALLY HOSHIZAWA SAN?!"
"HOSHIZAWA SAMA WAS TAINTED BY AMAGASA! UNFORGIVABLE!!!"
Hey! I didn't do anything to her!
"Don't think about them, think about us...please..."
She said, as she held my face, our eyes locking to each other once more
...
I already knew that sooner or later, she'll eventually want to step things up, make our relationship known and not hidden...
...but I didn't anticipated the way she was feeling deep inside...
This time...
...I'll definitely consider her feelings...
...no...
I will understand her feelings...
I gave her a determined look as I gave out my answer to Miu
"I guess its about time to brag about my girlfriend too, the school's beauty queen"
"*Chuckles*, Many boys have complimented me like that in the past...but its always different when you're the one saying it...I can't help but fall for you deeper"
Oh god! Now I'm the one getting embarrassed! Why is she so affectionate today?!
"H-Hey Hoshizawa san, don't leave us in the dust! Tell us!"
"Yes. We are dating for a while now...so can you girls promise me not to flirt with him? I get jealous whenever that happens..."
"OMG! A NEW SIDE OF HOSHIZAWA SAN! SO CUTE!!!"
...
Miu's also decisive and more...honest...?
...Is this even the Miu that I know...?
Miu then looked at me once more, leaned onto me as she whispered something onto my ear
"I'm also proud to have you as my boyfriend, love. More than you know. I love you, I really do"
"?!"
Calm down Shun, Calm down yourself! You mustn't lose composure in front of your classmates!
Suppress your fluster! Recall the digits of Pi!
"Amagasa kun's blushing pretty hard right now"
"And is trying to hide too! Cute!"
"I wonder what Hoshizawa said to him?"
"Isn't it obvious? Its definitely those three words!"
"The three, powerful words huh?"
"Definitely!"
"We really can't leave things just like that can we?"
"WE GOTTA KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM!"
"...?"
...
"?!"
They then grabbed Miu away from the scene, leaving me, Ryu, Kana senpai, and the boys behind
"Well...it looked like your problems got solved one after another huh Shun?"
"Yeah...for now..."
"...Congratulations, Shun..."
"Thanks Kana senpai- Wait, I thought you were against it?"
"...I was at some point...but after seeing you two like that...I just have to accept it...what kind of a friend am I if I don't support your happiness?"
"Kana senpai..."
"I'm not like your 'friend' over there at least"
"Hey! I am helping Shun from time to time!"
Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulders from behind
"A MA GA SA KUUUUUUUN"
"?!"
"CARE TO EXPLAIN TO US HOW YOU GOT HOOKED UP WITH OUR GODDESS? A LITTLE CHIT CHAT IN A PRIVATE ROOM WOULDN'T HURT"
"Um-"
"REFUSAL IS NOT AN OPTION, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?"
"..."
And that's how the relay race for today's event ended, with me probably getting interrogated to death by my male classmates...
*****
End of Chapter 6
