Ch 38

POV Akari Nakano

Standing here with the breeze blowing feels so calming. I should come here more often.

As I was sorting my feelings in my heart, I received a call on my phone. Surprisingly, it was from Makoto. I was going to pick it up, but after thinking for a bit, I decided not to. It was childish, but at least it vented some of my frustration towards him. However, that didn\'t discourage him from sending me messages.

After seeing the notification appear on my phone, I opened it out of reflex. Only after a few seconds did I realize he could see I read his messages.

Well, leaving on read is in some ways crueller than not reading the messages at all, no?

His first few messages were begging me to forgive him. Although, I didn\'t respond, that did calm my anger towards him a bit. Just as I was going to reply to him his next set of messages taunting me made completely incensed.

What happened to you feeling sorry? What happened to begging for forgiveness? I knew this bastard would never stop lying to get into people\'s hearts. He had done so on the first day, and he never really changed his behaviour. It once again reminded me of how much I hated him.

Hmph, just see if I ever even think of forgiving you again.

As I was cursing Makoto in my heart, he sent more messages, again with a completely different tone. Just by reading them I understood that his plan was to guilt trip me from the beginning. But I won\'t fall for his tricks anymore. I sent him a message telling how I wasn\'t needed by anyone like an emo kid going through their rebellious phase.

Nakano: <Shut up. Shizuo will be fine even if I don\'t come. In fact, won\'t she be happier if only she and Nishikawa are there?>

However, instead of receiving pity or a sorry in the next message what I received from him was a threat. At this point I completely lost it. Only now I realize I had completely played into his hand.

I probably didn\'t think this deep enough, or maybe Makoto was just too scheming, but my messages only backfired on me. Thinking back upon it this was a carefully planned trap which gave me chances to accept loss multiple times, but my stubbornness to not respond only increased the stakes finally leading up to blackmailing me for my location

After trying to threaten him by violence a few times I realized how futile it was. Even I knew they were just empty threats. In the end I had to relent to his demands and told him my location.

To my surprise, his reaction completely changed upon hearing that. For the first few seconds I didn\'t understand what he meant by \'don\'t make any stupid decisions\', and even when I did I thought he was making a joke. But seeing no follow up messages made me realize that he really thought I was going to jump off the roof.

The I thought about him worrying about me made me feel a sadistic satisfaction I hadn\'t felt in my life. Just as I was about to message him and tease him about it the door to the roof was slammed open.

"NAKANO!"

Being called out suddenly with such intensity out of nowhere would surprise anybody. The next instant I was pushed to the ground and a person was hugging me by my waist.

"Ma-Makoto?" I called out after a few seconds.

However, instead of responding he didn\'t move and kept laying on my chest. I could feel his heart rapidly beating and see the sweat on his skin. It was clearly he had run all the way to the roof as fast as he could. Although, I did expect him to come here after I told him my location, I didn\'t expect him to rush here.

At this point, all thoughts of teasing him for caring about me were out of my mind, and I even felt some warmth in my heart from his actions.

We just lay like that for a about a minute before I pushed him off. "That\'s enough. Move off now."

We disentangled ourselves and an awkward pause was created. I didn\'t know what to say to him, I had been actively ignoring him afterall, and he only kept staring at me without saying anything.

After a seconds of silence, I finally spoke up to clear the awkwardly pink atmosphere.

"So you thought I was going to commit suicide?"

"A depressed girl, crying on a roof alone, after school. You tell me, what am I supposed to think in this sort of situation?"

He saw me crying? My face turned red from his gentle tone. I had to remind myself of his playboy actions before I could calm myself.

"That isn\'t any of your business is it?"

Although I said that in an indifferent tone, Makoto was the main reason for my mood. I didn\'t expect anyone to notice that though.

"How is it not my business? We can be called deskmates. No?"

Hearing his reason really cooled my feelings more down.

"So as long as it is a deskmate you will jump into their arms?"

"Oh, that part is exclusive only to you." He said with a grin.

"…"

I really didn\'t know how to respond. Does he talk to other girls this way as well?

"So tell me why were you crying?" He asked again.

"Well… There wasn\'t really a big reason for it. It was just stress from everyday life. You know, homework, exams…" and heartbreaks I silently added.

Upon hearing my response, he stared at my face closely for a few seconds before turning away and lied down back facing the roof.

"Haah. What a waste of my feelings. You need to pay me back for all the effort I put in."

I have to pay you? Mister, if I have to pay you for this, you probably have to sell your human rights to me for the pain you have given me.

"What about Shizuo\'s birthday? Aren\'t they waiting for you now?"

"Weren\'t you the one who said Hiwari san will like it better if she is left alone with Nishikawa? Since you are closer to her and understand her better, I figured you would be correct. I am just following your advice."

What advice? Clearly he is trying to infuriate me.

"Makoto, didn\'t you see me crying? I am not going because I feel a little sick today. You on the other hand don\'t have any problem with going with people, do you?"

"What are you saying? Didn\'t I tell you that day? Interacting with anybody, to any extent sucks at my energy. Sometimes I don\'t even feel like responding to other people."

His words stunned me, and I remembered the conversation we had during the Golden Week at the amusement park. But if that is true then why…

"Then why are you talking to me right now?" I asked impulsively.

He opened his eyes slightly and looked into my eyes, "Don\'t you know the answer to that as well? I don\'t need to keep up appearances around you."

What does he mean by that? Because if someone heard this they would definitely think me and Makoto are lovers.

"Forget it. I shouldn\'t have asked." I mumbled and lay down beside him.

It was unexpectedly comfortable. The cool evening temperature, with a slight breeze caressing our faces. I would have drifted off to sleep in a few minutes if I closed my eyes.

"Hey Nakano, are you really not going to go?" He asked softly.

"I already told you didn\'t I? I don\'t feel so good today."

"I feel you are completely fine though. You were healthy enough to threaten me multiple times at least."

"Shut up."

"See?"

"I really hate you Makoto."

"Eh? I love myself though. Guess we don\'t have similar tastes, do we?"

He is doing it again. Always acting like you don\'t understand the situation even when you perfectly do. I really hate that part of you.

"I am not joking."

"So am I." My eyes opened at that statement and what came into view was his handsome face staring down at me. "I am serious Nakano."

I could only avert my gaze.

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POV Kei Shimabukuro

When we reached the school gates, four people were standing there already.

"Hey! Why are you guys so slow?"

"It\'s not like you had to wait for long Tsukumo chan. It\'s been less than five minutes." A person I had never seen before was standing beside Tsukumo san, pacifying her anger.

Onii san was also there, with Nakano san standing beside him.

"Happy birthday Hiwari san."

"Yes, Happy birthday Hiwari san."

Both Onii san and the new person greeted her.

As we left onii san asked Hiwari san,

"Where are we going?"

"Where do you guys want to go? I was thinking of an arcade first."

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