five

He told me to follow him after that and lead me back to the school. The gates hadn't closed yet and I assumed it was because of the after-school clubs.

I was right.

He stopped walking when we reached the gym, where a group of boys were playing basketball. There were girls on the sideline, cheering them on. I stared at him confused. Why would he have brought me there?

"You see him?" He pointed to one of the boys on the court. He was tall and had black hair, not to mention a million-dollar smile decorating his face. It took me a while, but soon I realized that he was one of the boys I had seen with him at the library. I nodded, "This is all his fault."

Not a bet. Please don't tell me this is a bet. I'd seen what had happened to other students because of bets, and they never ended well. I didn't want to end up heartbroken and depressed just because of a meaningless "relationship."

"His grandmother wants to marry me off," he said. "She wants me to marry some girl from Europe, and I can't do anything about it." He turned around to look at me, "So I need you to help me." I would've been lying if I had said that I didn't pity him.

"Oh." I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know how. I had never talked to anyone besides my family—how was I supposed to sympathize with him? "But, why do you need me to do it?"

"Because." He paused and looked down, suddenly shy. It was a change from his intimidating stares, "You're the only girl I've spoken to." I was going to correct him and say that he had actually yelled at me, but I figured it wasn't the time to do so.

I don't even know your name, I thought, sighing as I stared at my feet. How am I supposed to be your "girlfriend" if I don't know your name?

"Kutsuki Kiyoshi."

"Hm?" I looked up at the boy to see him looking down at me with a small smile. I didn't realize that I had spoken my thoughts. I felt my face begin to turn hot and looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"My name's Kutsuki Kiyoshi."