Mondo, Part 2

Plan A had failed. Actually, it had bombed, miserably and spectacularly. Maybe he was exaggerating, but that was how it had felt. Mondo was now forced to resort to Plan B.

...Which was, unfortunately, very similar to Plan A.

After the failed attempt to pass Kiyotaka his note, Mondo had two other classes to take, neither of which the other boy was in (and thankfully so, as his presence would have made him insanely nervous). He'd spent most of those class periods impatiently tapping his feet, unable to think of anything but what he was planning to do. For a moment or two he tried to come up with a better plan, but being no champion of romance, no such better idea came to mind.

He felt a moment of panic during his last class when it occurred to him that he'd literally never gotten anyone to go out with him. Before, it had been girls, and he understood now that girls weren't exactly his cup of tea, but the point was that all of his previous attempts had failed. This history of failure was scary now that he was actually interested in someone.

Now, though, all Mondo had to do was wait, as he'd opted for the written word to avoid the risk of yelling. He stood as inconspicuously as possible next to a row of lockers and leaned against a wall. He didn't want to give off the appearance that he was waiting for Kiyotaka, though that was, of course, exactly what he was doing.

"Oowada-kun, what are you doing?"

A smooth voice interrupted his train of thought, and Mondo turned to see Kirigiri eying him with blatant suspicion. She had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He hadn't even heard her shoes.

How does she always do that?!

"...'M not doing anything," he managed when the shock passed.

For a moment, the two only stared at one another, and Mondo had no idea what to say. He could feel her studying him like he was a textbook, probably looking for a tell that he was lying, and he was sure he had many. He was no master of subtlety.

Mondo didn't dislike Kirigiri. She was nice enough when she wanted to be, and he respected her skills. He simply didn't know how to read her.

Not that he was a champion at reading people in general, but... Kirigiri was a special case, and he knew it wasn't just him. Normally he felt like he was supposed to protect women. With her, he couldn't help feeling unnerved, and also like she'd never need his help to begin with... Even like he would be getting in her way if he tried. He didn't know how to feel about that. In all honesty, she somewhat frightened him. She intimidated him.

He'd never admit to that, of course. He'd never hear the end of it from his gang. "Boss is scared of a little girl!" They'd laugh, and he felt his face go red at the mental image alone.

After several seconds of silence, Kirigiri flipped her pale hair over her shoulder and rubbed her chin thoughtfully with a gloved hand. Just then Mondo thought he saw Makoto Naegi poke his head out of a doorframe and peek at the two of them, but dismissed it as his imagination. He was probably so accustomed to seeing the smaller boy trailing behind her that he'd started imaging him where he wasn't.

"Well, you're clearly doing something, so there is no point in lying," she said bluntly, looking almost offended that he'd try to fool her with something that simple.

"It's none of yer business what I'm doin'," the gang leader clarified, muttering under his breath. Kirigiri narrowed her lavender eyes, and then a small smile formed on her face as she quickly noted the paper in Mondo's hand and saw Kiyotaka leaving a nearby classroom.

"I believe I have seen all that I need to. I will talk to you later," she said matter-of-factly. She then disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. She never entered or exited a room in a normal fashion.

Mondo took a moment to process what had just happened. He felt like Kirigiri had somehow pieced together what was going on, though that would mean that she had been watching him for some time.

The hell does she mean, she'll talk to me later? Don't I have any say in that? What's her fuckin' deal, anyway?!

Oh, Right! Taka!

The boy in question (the object of his affections) had just left his classroom and was already more than halfway down the hall. The day's classes were over and done with, so it was likely that Kiyotaka was headed back to his dorm to change out of his uniform before... Well, studying. The same thing he did every day after school if he didn't have any other plans.

It broke his heart a bit that Kiyotaka didn't look around to find him, as he would have done a few weeks prior.

"Taka— Kyoudai! Hang on a sec!"

Kiyotaka froze and looked at the biker with wide, startled eyes. Mondo caught up to him in several long strides— his longer legs gave him an advantage here. Before the hall monitor could respond, Mondo yanked his hand open and shoved yet another completely identical note into his palm.

(Actually, it wasn't quite identical. He'd used his last class to make a much nicer note on prettier paper, seeing as his previous one had been crumpled. It was incredibly superficial and dorky, yes, but he felt like it increased his chances somehow.)

"Jus' read it, okay?! And... An' get back to me later!"

Mondo turned on his heel and sprinted away yet again.

"K... Kyoudai, no running in the halls! I do not wish to have to write you up!"

Kiyotaka saw Mondo slow to an awkward speed-walk before he disappeared into his dorm. Mondo's only comfort was that the prefect couldn't see the redness of his face.