81ST GEAR - SINCE WHEN DID WE BECOME A COUPLE ANYWAY?

“Good morning, Jonathaaan~”

It was a bright and sunny Monday morning. I used to hate Mondays like every person in the multiverse, but since I got to see the most beautiful girl right on my doorstep, I would reconsider hating Mondays.

Wait, Flu and I meet almost every day, so I think I will still hate Mondays the most!

“G-Good morning, Flu.” I wiped my eyes. “You’re awfully early today, huh? And you even went to my house.”

“Ah! It was just a coincidence! Tahahaha!” Flu scratched her head and gave a forced laugh. “I woke up too early so I decided to walk around these parts. It was just pure luck that I stumbled upon your house!”

“Liar,” I said with a smirk. “I saw you wait at the front gate thirty minutes earlier.”

“Teehee~” Flu slowly rubbed the back of her head. She is also blushing while smiling, which makes her more adorable than ever.

We started to walk side by side towards the main highway. Normally, children are going through here to get to the nearby elementary school. But there's none. I looked at my watch and realized that we are about thirty minutes earlier than usual for our meeting time.

I realized that Flu is awfully silent. When I looked at her, she was fidgeting as she just stares at the floor. Her face was still red, and there is this wide grin on her face. I am not used to this awkward silence, and I have to clarify some things before going to school anyway, so I initiated the conversation.

I have to build up and not jump to our main topic first. She might be shocked and confused if I ask about our relationship.

“So… You like w-weather?”

“Eh?” Flu’s face has a huge question mark.

What the heck am I talking about? Am I this socially awkward that I can no longer do any random conversations?

Normally, I can talk well and fine with Fluonessia, but at least our topic is about Speed Battles. Other than that, we have no common interests except anime, so it is awkward for me to start a conversation!

“U-Ummm…” Flu muttered as she stared at me with her twinkling blue eyes.

“Y-Yes, go ahead,” I said.

“A-About our relationship… We are dating now, aren’t we?” Flu asked.

I was surprised that we are thinking about the same thing! Maybe Flu is struggling with this awkwardness too, and she is taking the initiative! How much of a wuss am I about these things? I hate myself!

“Y-Yeah. I love you, and you love me, right? That makes us a couple, I guess.” I nervously scratched my blushing cheek.

“S-So, how do you want to treat our dating relationship? Should we announce that we are dating through the paging system of the academy?” Flu asked.

“T-That’s a bit extreme!” I cried.

“So you want to lie low then? Let’s hide our relationship and meet up in the dark alleys every night?”

“That makes us look like drug dealers!” I cried.

“Hmmm?” Flu crossed her arms and tilted her head as she dived into deep thought.

I took a deep breath and stopped walking. I looked at her face and then smiled.

“Maybe let’s just tell the people one at a time. We don’t need to be a show-off or secretive either. If they ask, we answer.” I said.

“That’s a great idea!” Flu pumped her fists. “I’m sure they will be surprised that we are now dating! They will be like ‘Woooow! You guys are now a couple! I never thought of that! Congrats!’”.

“Y-Yeah, kinda like that,” I said.

Now that the mood between us has been cleared and the doubts about our relationship and our plans about it have concluded, I can now sigh with relief and joy. I will just treat Fluonessia the same way I treat her before, but I will try to sprinkle some love now and then. We still have a player-coach relationship, so I will have to emphasize that once it’s time to practice.

All of a sudden, Flu pressed her face towards mine and offered her open palm.

“Shall we go then?”

I nodded with a smile and held her hand for the very first time as lovers. And then-

“Stardust Accel!”

<>

The bell rang from the Saint Crusade Academy's tallest tower, signaling the class's end. It is still 2 PM, and most people are readying for their club activities. Some of my classmates even grouped themselves to plan what are they going to do with the excess time until nightfall.

“Fluonessia!” The paparazzi and the great heartbreaker Heffy appeared right in front of my girlfriend. Her magical camera has already been tuned up with a huge lens.

“Oh, Heffy! Are you going home already?” Flu asked.

“No! I want to take pictures of you during your practice!” Heffy said. “The Journalist Club President told me that your Stardust Accel will be a great cover for our magazine!”

“E-Eeeh?” Flu became flustered. “A-Are you sure about that?”

“Of course! You are a National Speedmage Tournament Contender after all!”

“Okay! I will do my best!” Flu gave a determined smile and pumped her fists.

“Oh, you too, Jonathan!” Heffy turned to me and pointed her camera at me. I heard a dozen of clicks that have meant that she is now taking my photos without permission.

“Wait, stop it! I said stop, Hilda!” I cried as I blocked the camera’s lenses. “Why should you take pictures of me?”

“The students want to know more about the Demon Coach of the Merry Knights! And I have to write an article about your love story with the Smiling Phoenix!” Heffy said.

“Ack!” Flu’s eyes went round and wide, and her face became beet red. “W-Wait, Heffy… Y-You know that we are dating?”

“You called me five times last night and told me the story of how you confessed to your crush out of the blue!” Heffy held her waist. “Don’t you remember?”

“A-Ah! Tahahaha!” Flu scratched her head with a wry smile. “I-I kinda forgot.”

“Wait, I was her crush?” I asked.

It was supposed to be a rhetorical question but I was too surprised by the sudden info dump. Heffy smiled at me innocently and put her camera on my desk.

“Come here, Jonathan~,” Heffy said with a hand gesture.

“What?” I slowly pushed my face a little bit forward, and then-

Flick! Her finger struck my forehead!

“Ouch!” What was that for!?” I cried.

“That is for Fluonessia! You are denser than spellbound osmium!” Heffy sermoned.

And then she flicked my forehead again!

“Ouch! Stop it!” I cried.

“And that’s for always getting my name wrong!” Heffy gave a long sigh. “You two look cute as a couple, but I swear you also share the same dumb brain cell. People are already talking about you two since the start of the second term.”

“W-Whaaaat?” Flu cried.

<>

After clowning around with the paparazzi, we went to the Merry Knights Guild Building for practice. We had Flu’s practice pictorial first and some interviews with both of us and then Heffy went home ahead. Then I had Ericka and Cruzo have the standard laps to time their speed.

It was just a normal training day for us, and the only weird thing that happened during practice was Cruzo hiding from the paparazzi. Cruzo also tried doing laps while munching unhealthy potato chips, saying that he wants to build up his lost fats and get himself ready for a Round 2 Confession with Heffy.

It was already five when we decided to call it a day.

I was packing up my things at the lounge, and Ericka was sorting some documents at the front desk. Cruzo was there still eating junk food and drinking cola.

“Jonathaaaaan~” Flu excitedly hopped right in front of me with a smile and a blush. “Let’s go home together~”

My girlfriend is so adorable that I can get a heart attack because of her cuteness! I covered my face so that my blushing cheeks will not be exposed to everyone in the room.

“Let’s go,” I said in a muffled voice.

Just before we could turn to the exit, Ericka’s voice caught our attention.

“Flu, Jon, may I have a moment?”

“Y-Yes? What is it, Prez?” Flu asked.

“Did something happen between you two?” Ericka shot a crimson-purple glare at us.

“Eh? How can you say so?” Flu replied in a nervous voice.

“I can smell something fishy, but I cannot point my finger at it,” Ericka said as she crossed her arms.

“Fish?” Flu sniffed her left and right shoulders, then she proceeded to sniff mine. “I don’t smell any fish.”

“That's not it, Flu,” I groaned. “What our Useless Prez means is that there is something weird about us two.”

“Oh, wooow! So you can smell that, too!” Flu’s eyes sparkled in amazement.

Flu and I forgot to tell the guild about our relationship. We were too consumed in our practice that the fact that we are boyfriend and girlfriend just went through our heads. So it was impressive of our Useless Prez that she knows how to read her members.

“Wait, don’t tell me.” Ericka spread out her hand to us. “Let me guess…”

Our Useless Prez started her elimination and deduction inside her head. After five seconds, her cheeks blushed and her eyes became wide.

“D-Did you two had s-s-s-s-s-”

“Speed Battle!” Flu immediately shouted. “Yep! Jonathan and I had a Speed Battle yesterday!”

“Not that!” Ericka yelled. “Did you two have s-s-sex!?”

“Waaah!” Flu’s skin instantly turned red like a chameleon. She immediately gave a denial gesture while stuttering out loud. “N-No! W-W-We haven’t even kissed yet!”

Ericka gave a long relieved sigh. “Okay, so I am wrong. What is it then?”

“Fluonessia and I are dating,” I said.

“Oh, okay,” Ericka said.

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Wait, you’re not even surprised?” I asked with a forced smile.

“Should I be surprised? I mean, you two are always holding hands whenever you go in and out of the Saint Crusade Academy. You two even filed your leave after the Regional Speedmage Tournament to comfort each other, is it not?” Ericka said.

“Y-Yeah, but we are not in a romantic relationship back then. Since when did you learn that we’ve been dating?” I asked.

“Since the start of classes? No? Wait, you guys are not dating back then?” Ericka scratched her head she is starting to suffer from migraine.

I think our Useless Prez has misunderstood my relationship with Fluonessia right at the very root.