Pimple

I am still in disbelief that the summer vacation is over. Ugh. Good thing I have finished my homeworks just last night. Woo~

It's 7 in the morning and I am walking towards the direction of the school.

Sure our school holds many students, huh? Numerous of them are using the same route I am taking right now.

Ugh, it's morning but it really is humid already. I should use another route with less people.

This way is a little bit longer than what I was taking earlier but here, it is more serene since it is facing the sea.

But...! I have a problem!

I am currently wearing a surgical mask, the one people use when they have a cold.

Don't misunderstand though, I am wearing this fabric because.....

I HAVE A PIMPLE IN MY NOSE! What an unfortunate turn of event!

I would have preferred if it spawned under my chin or in my back but it appeared in an embarrassing spot! Is my body teasing me as well?!

Speaking of teasing, I also wore this mask in order for Suzuki not to see my pimple.

For sure, she'll be like, "Hahaha! You look like a red nose reindeer!".

I have to avoid stumbling her on the way.

"Oh, Tanaka. Good morning." greeted Suzuki as she tapped me in the back.

"S....Suzuki! G...Good morning to you!"

Is fate playing with me too?!

"Taking a different route as well?" asked Suzuki.

"Y...Yeah. It's better to use this walkway this time."

I have to get away!

"By the way, why are you wearing a mask? Do you have some sort of cold?" inquired Suzuki.

Gehk, she surely looks curious!

"Uhek! Uhek! Uhek! C-Crap, I wanna get rid of this cough...."

I never knew I had such talent in acting!

"Hmm.... Let's see if you have a fever." said Suzuki as she gets closer to my face and touches both my forehead and hers.

M....My heart can't take this!

"Y....Your face is too close, S...Suzuki."

" Oh, you're really hot right now. You should be staying at home." suggested Suzuki.

It's because I'm getting flustered!!

"I...I can manage. Besides, it's the first day of the new term, I don't want to be absent."

"Is that so? Okay, then. Let's walk together." suggested Suzuki.

H....Huh? That was easy. Anyway, I survived the first wave of Suzuki's actions. I need to make it through the day!

...

*bell rings*

"Lunch time, finally."

The situation will benefit me since Suzuki usually goes down to get something in the cafeteria. With her gone for a while, I shall remove my mask for a while and eat my lunch without her witnessing!

What an impeccable strategy!

"Tanaka, aren't you going to the cafeteria?" asked Suzuki.

"No, I have a lunch box with me. You can go without me."

Kekeke, I just need to wait for her to go down.

"Guess I don't have to, then." answered Suzuki.

W...WHATTTT?!!!!??

"S.... Suzuki-san, aren't you going to buy lunch???"

"I don't have to, since I have a lunch box with me too. My mom cooked for me this morning." revealed Suzuki.

I.....I'M IN TROUBLE!!!

"Well then, let's eat. Ah~ She also put some rice balls as side dish. I'm in delight." said Suzuki.

C....Calm down. There's still some sort of exit to this fiasco.

"Aren't you going to eat yours, Tanaka?" asked Suzuki.

"I wanna go to the rooftop for a while, see ya!"

"You can't though, they closed it for the meantime." answered Suzuki.

"T....Then, in the school garden...."

"Apparently, they also closed the garden at this hour since they frequently water all of the plants at this point of the season." revealed Suzuki.

DAMN IT! My exit points are blocked!

"Tanaka, you are acting weird today. Are you evading me?" asked Suzuki.

S.....She's triggering a hide-or-bust flag!

"N....No, not really...."

"Then eat here with me. There's no problem, right?" said Suzuki.

"S....Sure."

I'll just turn around slightly.

"Why are you turning around?" asked Suzuki.

This girl..... She's really scrutinizing me!

"Tanaka, why don't we play a little guessing game? Since you really act different." initiated Suzuki.

"F...Fine, what are we gonna do?"

"Let me guess what "errand" have you ran when we were at the mall from "that" time." said Suzuki as she looks at me while smiling confidently.

It's from the first day of summer vacation!

I brought the newest volume of BQF that time, but I never revealed it to her.

Plus, I said I went to buy a T-shirt, Did she forget it already?

"W...What an airhead you are, Suzuki. I even told you the reason back then. Sure then, I'll take the challenge!"

Look how confident I am, Suzuki! You'll never guess that I went to the anime shop for that BQF DVD!

"If I got it right, then you have to remove that mask and eat your food here in the classroom." said Suzuki.

C....CRAP!

N...No, she doesn't know the fact. I...I'm safe.

"If you lose, then I get to eat my food somewhere else."

"Fine with me." answered Suzuki.

"So, what's your guess? I'll give you 5 seconds. Go!"

Fufufu, 5 seconds is not enough to think the true reason!

"You went upstairs to the anime shop and bought the new volume of Blushing Queen Futaba series, am I wrong?" guessed Suzuki as she grins at me.

"H...HOW?!"

"Because of this." said Suzuki as she shows me a photo.

"T....That is.... ME?! How?!"

"Hahaha! Riko sent this to me that day and moment she took it." disclosed Suzuki.

T... That's why Saoinji Riko was focused on her phone the time I stumbled upon her!

I....I am utterly defeated before the game even started! Tsk!

"Now, remove that mask and eat thy food, Tanaka." teased Suzuki.

G...Guess I have to do it!

"Tanaka, you really don't have your pimple in the nose. Hahaha~" said Suzuki.

"Y.....You knew?!"

"Hahahaha~ It seems I do." revealed Suzuki.

"H....How?!"

"People rarely get colds during summer time, plus that cough by yours earlier was pure acting, right? Nice try, Tanaka~" mocked Suzuki.

S...She got me again!

"Suffocating the pimple in a cloth or mask might worsen it. You shouldn't compress it..." advised Suzuki.

Huh? She's being nice to me today.

"...or your nose will be redder than Rudolf the Reindeer's. Hahahaha!" mocked Suzuki.

Or maybe not?!

"There's this rumor around teens that a pimple means that you have a crush on a certain person and you are always thinking of him/her." said Suzuki.

W....who even spread that crazy rumor?!

"You're blushing, Tanaka. Hmm~ I guess your body says that you like someone. Hmm~ Who might that be?" teased Suzuki.

I.... I have a crush?! T...to whom?!

W...Wait! Why is Suzuki's face the only thing popping out in my mind in this topic?!

D...Does this mean....I like Suzuki?!

T....That can't be possibly true. I....It must be that fact again that she's the girl I am usually with.

"You're blushing even more. Hmm, I wonder who is in your mind right now. Is it me?" asked Suzuki.

"N....No! T...The summer heat is just...."

"Aw, too bad. I am always thinking about you, though." revealed Suzuki as she looks at me in the eye.

"W...What....?"

"Hahaha! You sure are extremely flustered, huh?" teased Suzuki.

"L.... Let's just eat, for God's sake!"

I lost again!!!!

"By the way, I meant what I had just said." stated Suzuki.

"M....Maybe because your thinking on how to embarrass me more!"

"Hahaha! That's why I'll never say "it" to you since you always miss the bull's eye." answered Suzuki.

B... Bull's eye? What does she mean?

"H..Huh? Bull's eye...?"

"Lunch time is going to be over soon, we should eat now. Ahwm!" said Suzuki as she chews her food.

"Oh no! I almost forgot the time!"

------END OF CHAPTER 10----