Shiko: C-Cupid...? Shiko asks, confused. Erika giggles and nods. A small smirk appears on Aiko's face. She averts her eyes to not get too familiar with Erika too fast
Aiko: You mean set Kuro and Shiko up alright? Haru's eyebrows raise, Kuro covers his face with his palm and Shiko gets a bit pink
Erika clicks her tongue three times and shakes her head no. She lifts two peace signs and points them towards Haru & Aiko and Kuro & Shiko. Every finger pointing to one. Haru's eyes light up and a goofy smile appears on his face as Aiko looks surprised. Erika giggles a bit
Erika: Since it looks like I'm the only one around without a love interest, I'll have to be the one asking why the hell aren't either of you two "soon to be couple"s official yet? She puff her cheeks. Shiko quickly shakes her head no repetitively. Her face is pink
Shiko: N-No no no no- that's not what we are trying to be.... A-At least not me and Kuro.... P-Plus Kuro and Haru will graduate soon and Aiko is just a freshman.... I-... We... she gets overwhelmed, not knowing what to say or if she should speak at all. Erika lightly smirks. Aiko rolls and averts her eyes
Aiko: I don't mind being a freshman. I started late and am 16, he's 18. He can be as playful as he likes. I won't go official with him unless I'm 18 too... wether he wait or not is up to him. She says with little thought. Room falls silent. Haru looks surprised. Erika slowly nods like *understandable, understandable*. Aiko looks at Haru
What?... Haru lets out a short, breath like laugh
Haru: Sure, i don't care- I'll wait- but... you really are considering me and not just playing along?- Aiko rolls her eyes, averts them and slowly nods. Haru's surprised smile gets stuck on his face, he holds his heart comedically and looks at Erika
I think Cupid just took a shot- Aha- Shiko and Kuro lightly smile, Kuro's half like a smirk. Erika holds her arms like she's taking a shot with a bow and makes a *pow* noise. She lightly giggles with a smirk. Aiko plays with her hair. Haru jumps up
I don't know about you guys but I, wanna go run for a bit- SEE YA!~ he quickly ruffles Aiko's hair and before she snaps back, rushes away. Patting Kuro's back on the way out.
After he leaves, there is a few seconds of silence. Interrupted by Aiko, Shiko, Kuro and Erika lightly giggling. Erika looks proud of herself, she sits next to Aiko so they sit 2 by 2 across of each other. Aiko gives her the side eye and lifts up a finger. She barely smiles
Aiko: Sit wherever, I don't care but don't push it- heh.. a big smile appears on Erika's face and she puts her hand on Aiko's shoulder confidently, Aiko pushes her hand away and rolls her eyes, still with a light smile
Kuro: Does sitting there make one overly-confident? I wonder... Shiko lightly giggles, Erika shrugs her shoulders while making a duck face and Aiko smiles a bit too. Erika puts her hands behind herself and lets out a relaxed sigh. She looks at Kuro and lightly smirks
Erika: Never thought I'd be spending such a casual day with the Kurosaki Kaito. Kuro puts his hands on the bed behind him, similar to how Erika is sitting. His expression turns neutral. Shiko and Aiko look a bit confused
Kuro: And what is so special about me?. Erika puffs her lower lip forwards and shucks her shoulders while blinking twice
Erika: I mean besides the popularity that our little fake show & tell sprung on Shiko She looks at Shiko and puts her hand in front of herself Sorry about that- Shiko quickly nods a few times to say it's okay. Erika puts her hand down and looks back at Kuro You're clearly the popular one of this bunch. She looks at Aiko Not that I'm saying popularity is that important- it's just- Kuro interrupts her with a neutral tone of voice
Kuro: Just get to the point. Erika smiles a bit nervously and nods
Erika: Many people around the school has crushes on you and you stand up to the school system so openly. You have good grades and style. You turned Nagisa down. Aren't close to most people but from the little glimpse I've seen of you, you seem- kind. Shiko lightly smiles. Kuro averts his eyes. His expression stays neutral
My question is.. why? Why don't you try to befriend more people? Wouldn't inside people make your "changing the school" plan work better? Or do you have reasonings to not wanna let people in? She lightly smirks. Shiko's smile falls a bit. She looks at her and back at Kuro. A bit worried. Kuro crosses his arms and his expression gets more serious
Kuro: First of all, if you're gonna get close to us, take your time and don't ask too many private questions about me. I take my privacy seriously. Second of all, my reasonings are quite simple. I hate betrayal and it's hard to earn my trust. Therefore I don't let random people into my life. Nor have I had a "crush" on anybody before. Shiko and Aiko slowly nods. Erika smirks
Erika: "Before" you say?~ Kuro avers his eyes, Aiko lightly starts smirking
Kuro: I'm interested. Shiko's eyes widen a bit, Erika holds a fist towards Aiko so she bumps it. Aiko looks up with her eyes, shakes her head no and puts Erika's hand down. *Too soon*. Shiko slowly looks down. Her phone rings. Kuro gets up I have work to do. You guys do whatever you want and don't go through our stuff. He goes to his desk and opens his computer, Shiko goes to the corner of the room with her phone and sees it's her mother. She takes a deep breath and opens it. Erika and Aiko start silently talking to one another to not disturb either of them
Shiko: H-Hello Mother...
Lisa: "Speak with confidence. ...... Anyway. You were pretty alright today. Expected nothing less from a daughter of mine." Shiko silently lets out a breather and smiles very lightly
"However you didn't win did you? You lost to that arrogant young lady with her brainwashed fans that seem to blindly follow."
Shiko's face falls a bit. She takes a deep breath again
Shiko: Yes mother....
Lisa: "That's alright. You were more entertaining and this is nothing but a simple school show. It doesn't mean anything. So your loss is- acceptable. Hikari seemed to enjoy seeing you after all." Shiko hesitantly talks back, sounding a bit more confident though she isn't
Shiko: It did mean something...... It- meant a lot to some people.... I sang what I wanted and got my point across.... I don't feel... sad, about losing.... A few seconds pass in silence without a response from Lisa. Shiko starts to worry more. She gulps
H-Hello?- she gets cut off by Lisa
Lisa: Do you want to continue in this school?. Shiko freezes. Confusion and many thoughts flow through her It's putting you down which causes Hikari worry. I'll roll you somewhere else if that will fix you. Shiko looks down, she sighs and starts thinking a bit. She puts her hand on her chest and takes another deep breath. Kuro looks over to her.
Shiko: No mother. Here... is where I want to graduate... the school isn't what is making me sad... Hikari doesn't have to worry. Tell her I'm happy here... I'm going to make a difference... she says, still in thought but unintentionally sounding quite confident. She realizes what she's said
I- she gets interrupted again
Lisa: Understood. I trust Kurosaki-San to look after you if you mess anything up. Good day now. Walk with pride....... my child. She hangs up, Shiko tears up slightly and looks at Kuro. He gets up and gets close to her
Kuro: Are you alright...? he talks lightly
Shiko lifts her head and looks at Kuro. She moves her head and shoulders like she's saying *i don't know* and looks like she's gonna start crying completely. Kuro pulls her in and gives her a hug. He's warm. Shiko hesitantly wraps her arms around him and lightly holds his shirt. Erika gets up and walks to Kuro's computer curiously, Kuro looks over
Erika: So what are you workin o- Kuro let's Shiko go and quickly shuts his laptop closed, he gives Erika a death stare, similar to how Yami looks. Erika backs off a bit and her expression falls extremely regretful. Aiko and Shiko look at each other and back at them
I'm sorry... I-
Kuro: Curiosity killed the cat. Erika looks down and hesitantly nods. Shiko slowly approaches and puts her hand on Kuro's back. He slowly relaxes a bit, looks away and takes deep breaths. He looks back at Erika and forces a smile
My work is private. You can ask if you want to but I can't promise I'll answer. Erika slowly nods and if you must know. I translate things, do coding, tutor people online etc. Erika nods again, looks to be falling in thought. Shiko pets Kuro's back while averting her eyes. He looks at her and his expression turns soft a bit.
Erika: You're interesting. And sometimes your expression reminds me of Vice President Yami. She says without thinking much. His expression turns neutral again. He looks at Shiko. She looks back at him. He turns to Erika again after a glance at Aiko
Kuro: He's my cousin. Erika lifts her eyebrows. Surprised he even told her. Aiko exclaims
Aiko: HE'S YOUR WHAT!?. Kuro and Shiko avert their eyes. Aiko looks at Shiko YOU KNEW?!- Erika looks at her, confused and matches Aiko's volume of voice
Erika: YOU DIDN'T?!- Aiko quickly shakes her head no a bunch of times. Kuro rolls his eyes and Shiko cracks a smile
Kuro: It's not that big of a deal. He looks at Erika Now Cupid. She looks at him If you're done, I'd like to see you and Aiko out. I have to work after a little talk with Shiko. His expression is neutral, Erika lightly smirks
Erika: Before that...~ she takes a step towards Kuro Is the person you're interested... aware, of that? She smiles innocently, Kuro bows himself to be Erika's height and looks in her eyes. His expression turns slightly cold again
Kuro: Doubt it. ... Now out. Erika shucks her shoulders
Aiko gets up and heads to the door. When they get there with Erika; Erika turns to Kuro and Shiko and points does an air bow *pow* towards them. She giggles and leaves with Aiko. They both head to their own rooms. Kuro looks at Shiko who seems to be a bit pink and averting her eyes. Kuro lets out a light sigh, sits on his bed and taps next to him. Shiko slowly takes a seat, still averting her eyes. A moment passes in silence before they both talk at the same time
Kuro: You know, I-
Shiko: Hey... I-
They pause and look at each other. Kuro shows Shiko with his hand so she goes first. Shiko quickly shakes her head no-no-no-no. Kuro sighs and looks straight ahead before starting to speak
Kuro: I'm... proud of you... You who hesitated to say a single word or raise her voice not only made a bully into a friend but confronted her and others in the same day... You got in front of the school and sang. You talked back to your mother- which I overheard a bit more than you think. Shiko looks down and averts her eyes. A slightly blue smile appears on her face, she knows her change and feel proud too but there's a sense of disconnect where she's surprised to even be the same person
So... you deserve to be proud of that too... Shiko slowly nods and gets a bit teary again You did good... no- great... he puts his hand on Shiko's shoulder further from him from behind to comfort her. Shiko slowly looks at him
Shiko: Thank you.... This... wouldn't have been possible without you..... and... I think I am a bit proud of myself... she says in slight disbelief before averting her eyes
Kuro: Now... you go. What were you gonna say...? He sees Shiko hesitating so waits until she's comfortable to speak. Takes a bit but she does
Shiko: I... never knew you were interested in anybody........ she says with clear hesitation. Kuro's eyebrows lift very slightly. He takes his arm away and puts it behind himself comfortably. He looks ahead
Kuro: I think I... didn't know myself... Shiko quickly turns to him and shakes her hands and head no
Shiko: I- I don't mean to pry- I'm not asking who it is or anything... I just got overly curious and- you don't have to tell me these things anyway I- he looks over at Shiko and interrupts her
Kuro: It's you. He says with little expression. Shiko freezes. She doesn't know if what she's feeling is confusion, happiness, doubt or what. She slowly looks away and falls silent, in thought. Kuro looks straight ahead without saying anything again
Shiko: "He's... interested in me...? So... he likes me!?- Why am I... so relieved... and happy to hear that....? He's was my first actual friend... he... is... my first actual friend... But what if we were more...? I don't think I hate that idea... Does he even mean interest romantically?- What if I just seem interesting in general?- I... I don't know what to say... I-"
Shiko's train of thought gets interrupted by Kuro
Kuro: I'm not asking you out right now or anything... Just felt you should know. He looks at her with the corner of his eye
I of course won't have any ulterior motives as we hang out. Nothing will change unless you want it to. Shiko looks at him, still panicked and not knowing what to say. She just slowly nods, still in some shock.
Kuro gets a message. After giving it a read, he lets out a sigh like laughter and looks down. Shiko slowly snaps out of it and looks at him. He shows his screen. It's from the one and only "Nexus"
N: "Hey Heeey!~ I have an idea and I wanna see it in action!~ Bring your- related person to YNTK day!!~ Kuro-Chan, you just bring whoever. Can be an alive family member or friend. Or in mine and Tsubasa's case, your partner!~ We are gonna be oUt of there and the people we bring will chat!~ I know it seems stupiiiiid, but Tsu-Chan said Yuu could use a day comfortable or whatever anyway so him, Clade, whoever you bring and who Yami picks can just hang out a chat for a bit. I PROMISE, I have a reason~ Soooo- TOMORROW IT IS!~ After school!~"
Shiko looks at Kuro's screen confused, Kuro face palms and closes the phone. He puts it away. Shiko hesitantly speak
Shiko: H-He seems- excited...?- Kuro sighs and looks at Shiko
Kuro: Can you... come as the person I bring...? Shiko gets a bit pink and her eyes widen. Kuro realizes what that sounded like and shakes his head and hand no
I meant- as my friend... We- both have a lot to think about otherwise...
Shiko quickly nods
Shiko: O-Of course!- I- understand... and s-sure! Aha- why not.... they both nervously giggle a bit. When they notice their situation, their giggles turn more genuine and stop at light smiles
Kuro: Cupid's bow really is something huh...? Shiko lightly giggles, Kuro's expression slowly turns neutral after a bit I do wonder what Nin is planning... but we'll have to go along and see... Shiko's face turns a bit neutral too and she slowly nods
Now! He looks at Shiko, she looks back, a bit confused and blinks a few times
I was able to take off my light makeup in the student council room. You still have to take of yours and get into something a bit more- comfortable... We can talk about the YNTK visit tomorrow. Got a lot to think about today... Plus- I've got to work a bit too. Shiko then realizes she's still in her stage look. She quickly nods and gets up
Shiko: Th-Thank you for everything Kuro... I also appreciate you talking to my sister too... and- Kuro gets up too and stand in front of her. She looks up at him and gets a bit pink I-..... Kuro sees her hesitance and ruffles her hair a lot
Kuro: Don't stress yourself too much over what I said... Now go change.. I'll be at your door at the usual time tomorrow... Shiko quickly nods again, slightly bows and rushes out after getting whatever stuff she had. Haru's at the door then and gets in. Kuro is lightly smiling
Haru: Soooo- what did I miss?- Kuro let's out a breath like sigh and shucks his shoulders with a slight smile. Haru puffs his cheeks and after getting in and locking the door, he strips to his shorts and jumps on his bed. As Haru just lays there in happiness, Kuro gets to his work.
-Meanwhile in Shiko's room-
After getting in, she quickly changes into her pijamas and takes off her makeup. She seems to be walking around a lot, in thought. Of the day, of Kuro, of almost being confessed to, of her mother, of Kuro, of the point she got across from the Karaoke competition, Of Kuro, Of Kuro, he just seemed to not be escaping her thoughts. She tries writing stuff in her diary but it feels a bit messy. Finally she lays on her bed and pushes her face a bit into her pillow
Shiko: "Ah.... What if I'm misunderstanding him...? I don't know... but- I can think... Wait he did say he's not asking me out or anything- so is he actually just finding me interesting...? Or was it just a confession and not an ask out? I'm so confused ahhh...."
She turns to lay on her side
"He did say I'll go tomorrow as his friend... he's still my friend right now... Until further notice- I have to not think about it so much...."
She reaches over to her book "History of the Night". The book series both her and Kuro enjoy. She's still a book behind him and is on the 4th book right now. She reads... and reads... comes to about half of the book before she feels her eyes closing. She puts a bookmark where she is, puts the book aside and closes the lights before getting into the bed. Trying to ignore thoughts of her first friend crawling back in. Taking deep.... deep.... breaths...
Shiko: "Today was a good day... everything was- ........ worth it.... heh..." She thinks before finally dosing off, hoping to have no nightmares
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