Closer

"I love you," A girl said to Katsumi.

'Huh?'.

"I love you, Katsumi," The girl said.

'This girl, it's Hamano-san?'.

Eri holds his hands and her face is getting closer to his's.

As she was about to kiss Katsumi, Katsumi snapped out of the dream and he jumped from his bed.

'Huh? A dream?' Katsumi thought. His face is bright red from blushing.

A knock is heard on his door.

"Hey, Nakajima-kun, your mom said breakfast is ready, we gotta go to school," Eri shouts through the door.

"O-okay! I'm coming." Katsumi's lips quivered, stuttering his words. He goes downstairs to eat breakfast with Izumi and Eri.

"Onii-chan, onii-chan" Izumi said.

"What is it, Izumi?" Katsumi replies.

"When is Akimoto-chan coming?"

"I don't know yet, but really? This is your first question of the day?" Katsumi groans.

"Huh, Onii-chan, did you want me to ask you about something else?" Izumi scoffed as her eyes twitched.

"Oh, it's nothing" Katsumi giggled with a forced smile.

"Now, you two. Katsumi, it's almost time for your school." His mom ended the sibling argument. "Also, Hamano-chan, you go to the same school as my son, right?" His mom added. "Yeah, I do go to the same school as Nakajima-kun," Eri said as she munches on her breakfast.

"Then you guys better eat up and go, it's 8:15 am!" Katsumi's mom ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Katsumi exclaimed then finished his breakfast.

"Try to catch up, Hamano-san" Katsumi said as he walks upstairs to get his bag and to wear his uniform.

Eri also finishes her breakfast, "Thank you for the food!" Eri thanked his mom and then ran upstairs.

'Now I gotta wear my...' Eri mumbled in her thoughts.

'Wait... I don't have a spare uniform!'

Eri gulped. 'Ah! Why did I forget to clean my uniform!'

"Here," Katsumi said as he offers her what seems to be a schoolgirl cosplay uniform.

"Eh?" Eri froze up and stared at it, "Why do you have a schoolgirl uniform?".

"It's a cosplay uniform, I realized that you didn't have a spare uniform so this might suffice for now" Katsumi explained.

She gazes disappointedly at Katsumi, her eyes glaring at him "So you cosplay as a girl?"

"No, you got it wrong! Someone else uses this, I bought it for that person" Katsumi affirmed as he waves his hand.

"Then who is using this?"

"I prefer not to talk about her"

"Both of you need to go to school! You guys are gonna be late!" His mom hissed at both of them, which made Katsumi and Eri gulp and their bodies shake.

"A-alright, Mom!" Katsumi stutters as his lips quivered out of fear.

Eri quickly goes to her room to change into the cosplay uniform that looked identical to the actual uniform, while Katsumi runs downstairs to wear his shoes.

"I'm going!" Katsumi shouts as he opens the door.

"Take care!" His mom hollered.

After Eri is done wearing her uniform, she also quickly runs downstairs to wear her shoes.

"I'm going" Eri also said. "Okay, take care, Hamano-chan!" Katsumi's mom said.

And then, Eri also leaves the house and runs to school.

"I wonder if that Demon Slayer game is available in the arcade?" Katsumi murmured as he stares at his own hand. "Wait!" A girl said behind him.

As he heard the voice familiar, his eyes twitched and his face turned expressionless. He starts to walk faster and the girl said, "Wait!!!" as she tries to catch up.

Katsumi stops walking and sighs,

"What do you want, Akane-chan?"

"Please, give this bag of cookies to Miyamura-kun, please!" The girl said as she bowed down in front of Katsumi.

"Why not just give him the cookies yourself, Akane-chan? It's been about a year since you actually talked to him" Katsumi scratched his head, his eyes twitching a bit..

"I'm sorry but please, just give this to him" Akane pleaded.

"Fine, fine, I will," Tatsumi said as he took the bag of cookies from her hand.

"Thank you very much!" The girl said and runs away.

"God damn it, Akane-chan, it's been a year, how are you still like this?" Tatsumi sighed again.

"What's that?" Eri asked as she caught up to him.

"A bag of cookies made by a girl"

Eri steps forward, and scents of strawberries fill Katsumi's nose as she got closer "So, is this from your girlfriend or what?"

"No! You got it wrong. It's Rei's secret admirer, Akane Aoi-chan. She's been like this since 1st year."

"Anyway, see you at school," Katsumi said, waving his hand at her and ran.

"Hey, wait!" Eri shouts as she also ran.

They both arrived at school earlier than they thought, as they were both walking in the hallways, murmurs of students, mostly girls echoes throughout the hallway.

"They went in together?"

"Are they dating?"

As Katsumi and Eri sat in their designated seats, the bell rang and stopped all the gazes of the girls on Katsumi and Eri.

**************

"Finally! Lunchtime!" Hatsuharu said as his face relaxed from the tension.

"Man, Geometry is really hard"

"I know right" Katsumi joined in after getting his lunch

"What do you mean, it's quite easy" Rei said as he sat down at his lunch table.

"Oh, Rei, here," Katsumi said as he gave Rei the cookies Aoi wanted to give him.

"It's from your secret admirer" Katsumi grinned.

"Stop that grin," Rei said, his eye twitching in annoyance as he took the bag of cookies.

"But, you know, Rei? You don't even know this person but..." Katsumi said as his tone changed.

"But?"

"Why are you still taking the gifts?"

Rei's eyes widened.

'I haven't realized that, why am I taking the gifts, I don't even know this person' Rei is lost in thought.

"No answer?" Katsumi asks again.

'Akane-chan, I'm sorry' Katsumi thought of her as he asked that question.

"It's because it's the least thing that I can do," Rei answered the question.

"I'm pretty sure this secret admirer of mine is having a tough time trying to talk to me, so the least thing I can do is accept her gifts."

"I see your point" Hatsuharu agrees with Rei.

"Honestly, I respect that" Katsumi agrees.

As they were talking at lunchtime, rumors earlier are spreading.

"Takada-chan, have you heard about Hamano-chan and Nakajima-kun dating?" A girl said.

"Pfft, there's no way Hamano-san is dating someone like Nakajima-san," Miku said as she let out a sigh after.

'There's no way, right?' Her thoughts start to spiral.

**********************

The bell rang and the students headed to their lockers.

"Come on! I gotta go fast! The library is closing a little earlier today" Rei said as he hurries to change his shoes.

"Um..." A voice is heard behind Rei. Rei turned around and there she was, Akane Aoi, Rei's secret admirer.

"I-I'm going to the library today, wanna s-study with m-me?" Aoi stuttered her words as her face reddened.

"Sure, you're Akane-chan, right? From Class 2-2?"

"Y-yes!"

"Okay come on, we gotta hurry, the library is gonna close a little earlier today!"

As Aoi opened her locker, Rei decided to take her shoes and help her wear it so they can get to library faster.

"Eh?" Aoi's body shivered as Rei putted her feet onto the shoes.

"Okay, let's go!" Rei after doing that, grabs Aoi's hand and run.

'He really loves going to the library, huh?' Aoi thought and giggled a bit as she looked at Rei.

**************

"And there they go!" Katsumi pops out of his hiding spot near the locker room.

"Kya!" Eri blurted as her body shivered in fear and distanced herself quickly from Katsumi.

Katsumi carefully got out of his hiding spot and brush away the dust on his pants.

"Oh, it's you," Katsumi said.

Eri scratched her head, "So what was that about?"

Katsumi cried happily, 'Finally! Akane-chan, you got this!'

"Wait why are you crying?"

"Don't worry about it" Katsumi said as he wiped off his tears.

"Anyway, it seems like we're the attention of school rumors" Katsumi's tone changed from chill to serious.

"What do you mean?"

Katsumi's jaw dropped, "You mean you don't realize the gazes of literally the entire 2nd year students, you airhead?!"

Eri pouted and responded, "Okay! I get it! You big jerk!"

They both made the 'hmph' sound and faced away from each other.

"Look, I don't care that you're the center of attention but I don't want to be part of that, I hate attention." Katsumi calmed down after losing his cool.

"You jerk!" Eri hissed and ran away from him.

"Wait!" Katsumi shouts.

*************

'So this is why everyone hates him, huh? He doesn't care about anyone.' Eri thought as she ran in anger.

'Jerk, Nakajima-kun is a big jerk!'

She arrives at his house, she sighed after calming down a bit. 'But still, he gave me a place to live, some food to eat, he even gave me a room.'

'So how could I ever hate him?'

**************

Katsumi walks in the sidewalk, thinking about what he just has said, 'God, fuck myself, why can't I say it?'

'I just wanted to say that I cared about her so I wanted this rumor thing to end.'

He looked at the evening sky and sighed, 'I really, really hate myself for saying that.'

As he finally arrives at his home, he opens the door, his mom welcoming him back from school.

"Did Hamano-san go here?" Katsumi asked as he takes off his shoes.

"Yeah, she's in her room. Did something happen?" His mom asked, worried about the both of them.

He lets out a fake smile, "Don't worry, mom"

He goes straight to the 2nd floor stairs to go to Eri's room, as he knocks on the door, "Hamano-san? Are you there?"

"What do you want, jerk?"

He sighed "Look, I'm sorry"

Silence is heard from the other side, "I'm sorry, ok! I didn't mean to say that, I wanted to say that I care about you, that's why I wanted to talk about the rumors! I just lost my cool and..."

The door opened and the scent of strawberries again fill the area, the beautiful Eri Hamano appears in front of him.

"Do you mean it?" She asks

Eri lets out a cute pout, "Are you actually sorry?"

"Yes, I am sorry"

"Then prove it"

Eri opens up her arms and smiled, "Hug me"

"Eh?" Katsumi asks

Eri made a sad face, making it look like she was about to cry, "So you're not s-sorry?"

"Okay! Okay!" Katsumi fell into the trap and hugged her. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. He lets go of her after the hug.

"Apology accepted" Eri's mood boosted and she lets out a cute smile.

"Anyway, it's almost time for dinner!"

Eri grabs Katsumi's hand and pulls him from the 2nd floor to the kitchen.

They ate dinner, as the majestic moon granted its presence in the sky.

****************

Meanwhile, in the library.

"I'm so tired" Aoi groaned as she studied for a long time

A cold can gently hit her face. "Kya!" Aoi got startled as her body shivered.

"Sorry! I thought you were sleeping so I tried to wake you up" Rei apologized

"But here" Rei gives an energy drink can to Aoi.

"T-thank you" Aoi said as she opened the can and drank it.

Rei, as he just watches the cute Aoi, by instinct, putted his hand on her head and gave her a headpat.

"Hm?" Aoi responded then looked above her and saw Rei's hand on her head

As she realized, her face reddened.

"W-why is your hand on my head?"

"Sorry but it's just because you're so..."

"Cute. I couldnt resist the urge to headpat you" Rei said as a faint blush appeared on his face

As she heard those words, her face got even more red. 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!' She spluttered in her thoughts.

"Oh look at the time, sorry Miyamura-kun, looks like I gotta go home!" She frets.

"Wait!" Rei said as he grabs Aoi's hand, making her unable to run.

"You want to exchange phone numbers? So next time, if you want to study again, you can just text me"

"S-sure!" Aoi responded

They both wrote their numbers on paper and exchanged it and then, Aoi left the library.

As Aoi walks on the neighborhood, she looks at the paper which has Rei's number on it. She blushes and let out a cute smile. She squealed, "I finally did it!". She pictures him on her mind and blushed as she arrives at her place.