CHAPTER 3 - June Jitters (2)

[WEEKEND STUDY]

It was ten minutes earlier than the agreed time when Chiba arrived. He chose to sit on a family-size table with only a few diners around and, then, started waiting for his date – I mean – his study partner.

While wondering if he should message her, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He thought it was her only for him to see Sugaya's name on the lit-up screen.

𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚢𝚊: Hey, up for bowling? :)

𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚊: Sorry, I'll be studying today.

𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚢𝚊:Just say you're going out on a date ;)

𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚊: No. We're only going to study.

𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚢𝚊: Wait. It's not just you? Who are you with?

𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚊: Hayami.

There was a slight delay before the lanky artist's reply arrived:

𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚢𝚊: Have fun, man!

'Have fun in studying?' Chiba had thought when a soothing voice interrupted his thoughts. He raised his head to see Hayami in a knee-length blue-laced skirt and white sleeveless with a pair of white slip-ons.

Hayami's forehead creased at the tongue-tied Chiba. "What is it?" she asked, snapping him back to his senses.

"Nothing," he mumbled just as she took the seat across him while giving him a weird look.

Then she started taking out her notebook and pen. She has decided to shrug it off and go on their intention of meeting here.

"I tried doing the practice problems that Korosensei gave us –" she slid her notebook towards him, showing neat handwriting of numerical solutions "– and I'm not sure on some of these problems. Please teach me how to answer them."

***

The clock had struck five in the afternoon when they were done. They left the café feeling accomplished in their group study.

"We should do this often," said Chiba, smiling.

Hayami returned the smile. "Sure. We can study together whenever there is a test."

Then she stopped in her tracks upon catching a glimpse of three boys coming their way. One of them was Hideo Fujiwara, who was Hayami's classmate before she transferred to Class 3-E.

"Oy, Hideo. Isn't that Hayami?"

The three boys all looked at her. The mention of her name has caused Chiba to turn his head their way.

"It's her alright," the brunette said with a sneer when his eyes darted towards Chiba. He let out a snort as he glanced at Hayami. "So you're going out with someone? You have it easy, don't you, now that you're in Class E?"

Fujiwara and Hayami had been good friends in the past until he confessed to her and asked her out. She rejected him on the spot and this made him bitter and distant. Afterward, he began to deliberately ask her for favors until everyone else in the class followed his example.

With that, her studies were neglected.

Chiba could feel the tension coming from Hayami, whose eyes were downcast. This confirmed his suspicion that the jerk was her former classmate in the main building.

"So you'd pick a loser in Class E? No wonder you failed," Fujiwara continued.

Looking back at Chiba, he told him, "I'm telling you this out of pity although you're in Class E. If I were you, I'd break up with this cold bitch..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a hand violently grabbed his shirt, jerking him closer to its owner. Since he was a few inches shorter, he was given a glimpse of Chiba's maroon eyes filled with bloodlust.

"Don't you ever call her that again," Chiba growled.

The intensity of that gaze behind the fringe made the caramel-haired boy shiver. He shoved Chiba's hand away instinctively. "Let go of me, you creep." His voice almost cracked.

Then he marched away while his friends followed after him hastily.

This made Hayami wonder what Chiba had looked like behind his bangs, which caused Fujiwara to cower like that. She glanced at Chiba's coiled fists and realized that he actually got angry because of the hurtful things that were said about her.

Her heart squeezed at the thought.

She, then, closed their distance as her hand reached out for his sleeve. "I'm okay," she whispered softly.

That was all it took for him to calm down.

"Thank you," she added.

He released a sigh followed by a smile hovering on the edge of his lips. "I have been meaning to tell you that you look cute today." Finally, he said it. The thing that has been keeping him garbled ever since he saw her today.

A pink blush crept up on her cheeks. Pleased at her reaction, he turned away.

'What was that about?' she thought. Her nails dug into her palms, thinking that he deserved a comeback.

"Chiba!"

He halted and looked over his shoulder.

"Fujiwara was wrong. You're not a loser –" her aloof expression softened "– although he was right about one thing. I would pick you over anyone else. Remember that."

When she had seen his astonished look, she smirked as if she just won a game before catching up to his side.

She was glad that she ended up being in Class 3-E despite what Fujiwara or anyone else said. Because in this class, winning was not about being above others. It was more satisfying and meaningful than that.

***

"That really happened?!"

Inside the bowling center, Nakamura was surrounded by Sugaya, Kurahashi, Okajima, Mimura, and Masayoshi Kimura while seated on a chair. They had been listening to Ritsu through Nakamura's phone about the encounter that the sniper duo has faced after their studying session.

Of course, Ritsu did not mention the aftermath conversation, which was mostly Chiba and Hayami flirting. She thought by herself that that sort of thing was better kept between them.

"I haven't seen Chiba-chan get mad. He must've really cared for Hayami-chan," said Kurahashi thoughtfully.

"That asshole," Nakamura grumbled with her fist up. "Let's make them pay as we did for Maehara."

"That's what I was also going to say." Korosensei, in his sloppy disguise as a bowling player, whirled before them. He laughed maniacally and said, "So who's up for some revenge, second edition?"

KURAHASHI: Of course I'm in! Hayami-chan is a precious friend so I'm not going to let those who bad-mouth her off the hook easily.

SUGAYA: Nothing would make me happier than giving those pompous jerks what they deserve.

OKAJIMA: If I do something cool like getting back at those people, maybe girls will start to look at me in a new light.

NAKAMURA: No need to ask me. I'm already in from the beginning.

MIMURA: I haven't done these things before so maybe it'll be fun.

MASAYOSHI: Bring it on!

Korosensei was delighted to see the pure bloodlust in their eyes. His students have indeed flourished after these past few months. "Nurufufufufu. Good. Let's go somewhere private to discuss our plan," he said.

Each of them grinned wickedly, up for this game called retaliation.