I guess you could say we are friends

Damn.

I was sweeping the floor of our classroom. I spaced out again during history class and this time I didn't get off so easily. As my luck would have it, the history teacher - the most boring subject where I'm most likely to zone out - was our homeroom teacher. It was also the last class of the day and it was all too convenient for him to dish out the punishment of staying after school to tidy up the classroom.

It was a warm April day and despite the spring breeze coming in through the open windows I was sweating from all the cleaning work I was doing.

Phew… I'm almost done.

:Clack:

The classroom door slid open and I looked over to find Mina entering the room.

"Hi, Mina. I thought you would have gone home"

"We had a class rep meeting that finished just now"

"Keeps you busy eh?"

"Yes and no. I have to attend all these meetings but it's mostly just the seniors speaking and us juniors nodding our heads"

"Doesn't sound too exciting"

"It isn't"

I wiped the sweat off my brows with the back of my hand and stretched my back.

Hmpf...

"Please take this"

Mina stretched out her slender arm to hand me a handkerchief. Who even carries these things these days…

"Thank you but I don't want to get them sweaty"

"It's okay"

As I was trying to wave her off she approached me with gentle strides and reached out to wipe my neck with her handkerchief.

"Hyaaa!"

I got startled and let out a weird sound.

"Pfft..", Mina seemed to be holding back from laughing.

I realized that Mina is quite touchy, like this time, and also last time she held my wrist when we were talking about her coming over to my place to play some games. She came across as so innocent yet confident in her touch that it did not feel intrusive. I just stood there and let her wipe the sweat off my neck for a few seconds.

"Thank you"

"You are welcome"

Now it would be really awkward if I did not follow this up with a further conversation, so I thought I'd just bring up Juno as that's what she's probably getting close to me for anyway.

"Sorry about last weekend with Juno. You must have been quite surprised"

This time Mina didn't look taken aback.

"I was"

"You know, I was thinking – maybe we can actually set up something like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about we casually set up these opportunities for you and Juno to meet and get to know each other? He's always coming over to my place anyway and now that he's seen you once he would not find it weird to see you at my home anymore"

"Do you often have friends come over to your place?"

"I used to. In middle school"

"How about now?"

"You were the first one since I came to high school. I don't exactly have that many friends"

"But you are so sweet and kind"

What does she even know about me to say such things…

"Well, I'm just a bit awkward around people"

"You must be really close to Juno to talk to him like you did last time then"

"Hey, you've done it! You said his name without stuttering!"

"Well yes, I have been practicing"

A momentary pause for me to think about what to say. I'm not really a talkative person when I'm in a group, but if I'm alone with another person I always get nervous when there is a gap between conversations. It made me so uncomfortable and nervous that I felt like I have to fill those gaps.

"So, what do you think?"

She lifted her head slightly and held her chin in a ponderous pose for a bit, and then looked out of the window as she replied,

"I don't think that's a good idea"

"Why not?"

"I really appreciate you trying to help me, but I feel like I should take initiative to approach him instead of relying on others to set me up"

"I get that. But isn't it more natural that you get to know someone a bit by bit rather than jumping straight into some kind of confession?"

Mina laughed a little and said,

"But isn't it more romantic to fall for a boy watching him from afar, and then work up the courage to confess to him?"

"I thought most people didn't want that"

"But I do"

"Right. Let me ask you though – what do you exactly like about Juno?"

"I don't know to be sure. That's why I wanted to know more about him"

"Well he's certainly not eye-catching handsome, so I really don't get what you see in him. For me it would be the other way around, I might like someone if I get to know them better and see in them things I like about them"

"Have you ever liked a boy that way?"

"Not really. I have a twin brother and he kinda ruins my impression of boys"

"Heh, I guess that might be the case for the people that have brothers"

"So… let's try this again. What do you exactly want me to do for you?"

"Hm.. if it's not too much to ask.. could we be friends?"

"Huh?"

"I can see that you are very close to him. You guys have memories of yourselves that I don't know about. You saw the side of him that I have never seen. How do I say… you can tell a lot about a person by looking at who their friends are"

"Well, you already came over to my house and we hung out, I guess you could say we are friends"

"I'm so glad you say that"

I didn't really understand what she would be glad about.

"If I know more about you, I think I will understand him better"

"I really don't mind, but I think you are taking a very roundabout path to it"

Mina said nothing and just answered with a smile that I've now gotten used to.