112 - Shizuku's Plan

RAW

The late summer sun bathed the courtyard in its golden light.

Sitting cross-legged on the grass under the shade of a tree, Haruto stared blankly at the lunchbox he’d brought with him.

Watching Haruto’s lack of enthusiasm, Tomoya, seated next to him in the same position, spoke up.

"Hey, Haru, are you okay? Summer heat getting to you? If you don’t want that fried chicken, I’ll take it."

"Sure…"

"Wait, really? You’re actually giving it to me? Don’t mind if I do."

"Go ahead…"

Haruto’s distracted replies didn’t change, even as Tomoya cheerfully took the fried chicken from his lunch.

"Man, your lunch is as good as always."

"Uh-huh…"

"...Hey, Haru, what’s with your ears? You’ve been fiddling with them for a while now."

Haruto had been gently pulling and rubbing his earlobes between his thumb and forefinger.

"Hey, Tomoya…"

He slowly turned to look at his friend.

"Have you ever… had your earlobe bitten?"

"What? My earlobe? No, can’t say I have."

Tomoya frowned, puzzled by Haruto’s bizarre question.

"Did a stray dog attack you or something?"

"Maybe… you could say I was attacked…"

"Seriously?! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I mean… it wasn’t exactly unpleasant. Actually, I… kind of didn’t mind it. Getting your ear nibbled on isn’t that bad, you know?"

"...You’re unbelievable," Tomoya muttered, looking at Haruto with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Their odd conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out from afar.

"There you are, Otsuki-kun."

It was Saki, who spotted Haruto and Tomoya in the courtyard and approached, waving cheerfully.

"Hey, Aizawa-san. What’s up?"

Haruto turned his gaze to Saki as she stepped into the shade.

"I wanted to ask you something. Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks."

Saki sat down beside Tomoya, then continued, "Is Tojo-san not with you?"

"Ah, Ayaka’s probably still swamped with questions," Saki replied with a wry smile, referring to the swarm of students who were always curious about Ayaka.

"Our classmates’ interest in Tojo-san is a bit excessive, don’t you think?"

"Totally," Saki agreed, chuckling. "Though if her secret ever got out, this school would erupt into chaos."

She shot a playful glance at Haruto, who scratched his head awkwardly.

"So, Aizawa-san, what did you want to ask?"

"Right. Ayaka mentioned something earlier—Dojima-san, is she like a childhood friend of yours?"

"Shizuku? I guess so. Her dad runs the karate dojo I’ve been attending for years, so we’ve known each other since we were kids."

"Ah, I see…" Saki nodded, looking thoughtful.

"Why? Did something happen with Shizuku?"

"Well, this morning, Ayaka ran into her on the way to school. Shizuku asked to be friends with her, apparently."

"Shizuku said that?" Haruto blinked, surprised.

"Yep. They even walked to school together."

"Really…?"

Haruto murmured, trying to figure out what Shizuku was up to.

"Haruto, you told Shizuku about your situation with Tojo-san, right?" Tomoya asked.

"Yeah, she said she’d help me…"

"Then maybe she’s trying to get closer to Ayaka as part of her plan?"

"That’s… probably it," Haruto admitted, still uncertain about what Shizuku was planning.

Saki, observing Haruto’s confusion, added with a laugh, "Ayaka told me Shizuku said something like, ‘Let’s be besties forever!’"

"Yep, that’s exactly the kind of thing Shizuku would say," Haruto chuckled, imagining the scene.

"She’s a little eccentric, but Shizuku’s a good person. I trust her when she says she’ll help."

"If you say so, Otsuki-kun, then I’ll believe it too," Saki replied with a smile.

The bell signaling the end of lunch break echoed through the courtyard.

"Crap, I barely touched my lunch," Haruto exclaimed, realizing too late that his fried chicken was long gone.

"Hey, Tomoya…"

"I asked before I took it!"

"Yeah, but you ate all of it!"

Saki burst out laughing at the sight of their bickering.

That afternoon, after classes ended, Haruto began packing his things. He glanced toward Ayaka, surrounded by her usual crowd of admirers, and sighed before heading for the door.

But before he could leave, Shizuku appeared at the back entrance of the classroom.

"Hey, Ayaka-senpai! Let’s head home together!"

Haruto froze in surprise as Shizuku marched into the room, unbothered by the stares of Ayaka’s entourage.

"Come on, senpai, let’s make a quick getaway," Shizuku said, grabbing Ayaka’s arm and pulling her along.

The other students, confused and annoyed, began to protest, but Shizuku stood her ground.

With Saki stepping in to defuse the tension, the group eventually left together—Haruto and Tomoya included, joining their lively exit.