Ch 36

POV Shizuo Hiwari

"So have you decided about it Shizuo?"

During lunch, I was questioned once again by Hinata. And just like in the morning I didn\'t have an answer.

The thing is, I obviously like Nishikawa kun, and I know Shimabukuro san likes him as well. That is the problem. What if he doesn\'t like me and prefers Shimabukuro san? Would it be right of me to come in between them? They have known each other for years, and she is much closer to him compared to me.

"I\'m going to the toilet." I said as I put those thoughts in the back of my mind and escaped the situation.

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.

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"AH."

Oh shit. I am falling.

While returning from the toilet I bumped into someone on the stairs making me unable to keep my balance. Just as I thought I was going to break a few bones two slender arms quickly supported me before I could fall down. We were hugging each other like partner dancers with him holding me from falling down.

"Sorry about that."

I wanted to thank the person for preventing me from falling down but my thoughts stopped working when I saw who it was.

"Shimabukuro san?"

Why is my luck so bad? I bumped into the one person I didn\'t want to see the most right now.

"Oh. Hiwari san."

I quickly separated from her.

"Umm. Sorry I wasn\'t paying attention." I apologized.

"Ah. No. I am also sorry. I was also not looking"

"…"

After staring at me for a few seconds she put her hand in her pocket and fished something out of there.

"Hiwari san I almost forgot to tell you this but happy birthday. Here this is a present for helping me out a few days back." She said as she handed me a wrapped present.

That was something I really wasn\'t expecting. It took me a few moments to realize what she was doing.

"Thank you but you didn\'t have to prepare a gift for me." I replied flustered.

"It\'s just a small token of appreciation." She said as she put it in my hands. "It\'s not like I got you anything crazy. It\'s just a pair of cute hair clips."

While receiving her present I suddenly felt guilty about the thoughts I was previously having. She got me a gift, and all I was doing was getting jealous of her. It wouldn\'t be a surprise if Nishikawa really prefers a kind girl like her over a girl with an ugly heart like me.

I stared at the little gift she had given me for a few seconds, before looking back up at her.

"Shimabukuro san, would you like to come to my birthday celebration?"

It was an impulsive decision I made. I knew she was a rival, a competitor. But so what? Even though she was the same conditions as I was she bought me a gift.

Although I made that decision instantaneously, I don\'t really regret saying that.

**          **          **

POV Kei Shimabukuro

"Shimabukuro san, would you like to come to my birthday celebration?"

My first thought was that she invited me out of courtesy, in return for the gift. I wanted to refuse it. I didn\'t want to go to some party only to be left alone in a corner.

"It\'s fine. You don\'t need to invite me out of obligation." I replied brushing her invitation off. But maybe it was wrong of me to think like that.

"It\'s not out of obligation! I want you to come."

"…"

I couldn\'t react to her earnest eyes looking at me like that. What am I even supposed to tell her in this sort of situation. In the end I just decided to tell her my true thoughts.

"Umm. I don\'t really have many friends. If I go I will likely be sitting in a corner alone. It\'s fine if I don\'t go. Really."

I had thought she would either be disappointed or try to convince me more, but after hearing what I said, she seemed… Relieved?

"It seems you are misunderstanding Shimabukuro san. Although I did say \'party\' it\'s nothing more than a few close friends."

"Ah. Then since they are close friends of yours will I not be intruding?"

"Shimabukuro san are we not considered as friends?"

I did not know how to reply to that.

"Especially after that day\'s conversation. Even if you don\'t consider me as a friend we are more than just regular classmates, are we not? Some sort of rivals maybe?"

"…"

Seeing me still hesitate she continued speaking,

"If you are still worried about being left alone, Nishikawa kun will also be there."

I suddenly felt guilty about thinking she had invited me out of obligation. And also, for… well… thinking that she was in the way of me and Ha chan. I finally gave up on declining her invitation.

"Fine. I will go."

Hearing my answer her eyes lit up.

"That\'s great. Then we will meet after school ends today, alright?"

I could only nod in front of her enthusiasm.

**          **          **

POV Shinji Makoto

"Hey. Nakano"

"Are you angry?"

"Hey"

With the whole Shimabukuro-Tanaka problem solved, I was now free to solve my own problems. The whole time during class, I was calling out to Nakano softly to which she didn\'t respond whatsoever.

"Nakano!"

Just then my absolute perception triggered and I moved my head to dodge a piece of chalk flying towards me. Thankfully, I always kept my trait activated at a low output which saved me. Unfortunately, Nakano wasn\'t so lucky and the chalk hit her square in the head. It seems although I was trying to whisper, it was too loud as the teacher heard it.

"Makoto, Nakano take your lovers\' quarrel somewhere else."

After the teacher told us off, I felt a prickle at my skin, as if somebody was staring at me. I turned to look beside me only to see Nakano glaring at me.

Although it was my mistake in the first place I turned my face away from her and promptly ignored her.

What is she acting like this for? It\'s not like she is a model student anyways, how does it matter if she gets scolded or not? Is being called lovers that much of a problem to her? This is much less than the rumours about the both of us a while back. My resolve was damaged once again by Nakano\'s actions.

After that trying to even talk to her became impossible. Seeing no way of attack for now I just left it as is.

.

The rest of the classes just went by normally like any other day. And soon,

"Ding, Ding. Ding, Ding"

The last bell for the day rang.

Finally. It\'s beginning. Operation \'Melt the ice\'.

I turned my face right, to try to break the initial barrier only to see a Nakano with tears in her eyes.

**          **          **

POV Akari Nakano

Even if I was not angry before, I definitely am now.

Because of doing that, the people in the class definitely think that we are a couple in the middle of a fight.

"It\'s not like sensei was wrong."

"What do you mean to say Hinata?" I snapped back.

"Don\'t act like you don\'t realize it Nakano. Simply put you and Makoto kun are in a lover\'s quarrel right now."

"That\'s wrong. I don\'t even like him as a person, much less be his lover."

"I don\'t think the you of last week would have said the same thing."

"Yes, she wouldn\'t. And I am glad that now I do. If I had known he was a playboy, I wouldn\'t even had gotten closer to him in the first place."

"…"

Without me noticing, I had started to shout at her. Luckily, we were in an empty washroom so nobody heard me.

"umm. Sorry."

"Haah. Fine. Do as you wish. Just don\'t regret your decisions in the future."

With that line, Hinata turned and left.

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.

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Although I was sitting in class, I couldn\'t focus on what the teacher was saying. My mind was wandering back to the words Hinata had told me.

Don\'t regret it later. The events of middle school flashed in my mind again. Back then I had decided not to get involved in any romance for the rest of my life, but in the end, I did. Did I regret doing it? I looked to my left to see the figure of a handsome guy with long eyelashes taking notes in his notebook.

The memories with Makoto played like a film in front of my eyes. The kabedon in the karaoke, the many walks we had together, the ice cream talk, the haunted house event, the date at the arcade, and then him hugging another girl on a date. All those happy moments, the embarrassing ones, and even the painful ones flowed through my mind one by one. After a long time of thinking, I came to the answer.

If I am asked me whether I regret my actions, then,

Yes, I do regret.

But not the fact I changed my decision to remain uninvolved in love. In fact, if I was given another chance I would still do it. What I regretted was that I was not able to become the person you like.

"Ding, Ding. Ding, Ding"