He's in Love with Her

As I, Izumi Ryou, stood in front of the school waiting for my friends to arrive, I noticed a student standing not far from me. He was about my height, with wavy black hair that slightly covered his ears, and a slightly thoughtful expression on his face. With no one else around, the silence seemed awkward.

I used to be reserved and didn't like to start conversations, but in high school I decided to change things up and make new friends. New me, you'll have more friends at this school, I encouraged myself, determined to be open and approachable. With these thoughts in mind, I greeted him.

There was a flicker of surprise on his face, as if my greeting had taken him by surprise, but he replied calmly.

At that moment I realized that I hadn't planned how to continue the conversation. But I couldn't stay silent now. If I stopped talking abruptly, the silence would become even more awkward. Maybe I should have thought of a topic of conversation beforehand. Ugh... I thought I had gained more experience in such situations...

As I pondered what to say next, my friends came to my rescue.

"Oh, Izumi, bro, have you been waiting long?" Riku Yugi's voice broke the tension, his tone full of enthusiasm as he approached from behind.

I turned around and saw that Akane Chibana and Akari Michiru were with him.

"No, just got out," I replied, "Are you done with your club stuff? You weren't there long."

The awkwardness that had gripped me moments ago dissipated.

"Yeah, it was just some minor stuff…" Riku confirmed, stepping forward. His blond hair was carelessly tousled. The top buttons of his shirt were undone and his tie hung loosely, giving him a casual charm. Despite his relaxed appearance, Riku had a natural attractiveness that made him popular with the girls in our school. His bright smile shone as he stood next to Akane and Akari.

When I turned my attention to Akane, I found her absorbed in her phone. She was one of the most popular girls in the school, always fashionably dressed, with carefully applied makeup and stylish hair. Her bright purple hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. Delicate touches of blush adorned her cheeks, complementing her soft red lipstick. Her long eyelashes were accentuated with mascara, and precise eyeliner emphasized the depth of her large eyes. Even her nails, painted a delicate red, added to her charm. Although she was dressed in the usual school uniform, her skirt was a little shorter than the rest of the students.

Although she is not as naturally beautiful as Riku, she has taken great care of her appearance, exercising and choosing her clothes and makeup to stand out among the students.

While I was thinking about it, Akane continued to text someone. The school year had just started and she already had quite a few fans.

But it shouldn't have mattered to me; after all, we weren't particularly close. Besides, we rarely talked one-on-one, except for that one time.

"Akari, did you talk to the principal?" Riku turned to Akari, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Oh, yeah," she replied calmly. 

"Do you know him? I often see you with him. It's like he's a relative of yours," he inquired.

"Well, sort of. He's a friend of my father's. He's the one who suggested I go abroad, said it would help me improve my English."

"So, you're leaving tomorrow morning?"

"Yep."

"Our family has a driver, as you know. If you want, I can give you a ride?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

As usual, Akari resembled a doll, her answers were flat and dry. But we were used to that by now, and I thought it suited her demeanor very well.

She was cold, aloof, and reserved. Unlike Akane, she preferred more conservative outfits, often wearing a long skirt. She projected the image of a refined, proper girl who excelled in her studies and maintained a polite demeanor. Her snow-white skin and soft, sometimes cool voice further emphasized this impression.

I couldn't understand how Akane and Akari, who were so different from each other, were able to form a friendship at all.

At first I thought Akari didn't like us, but she chatted with us willingly and seemed happy to walk home with us.

She seemed strange at first, but then I got used to her, especially since Akane interacted with her like any other friend.

Maybe she just had very strict parents; that would explain a lot.

Gosh... I think about such strange things. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. Our group of friends is quite unusual. There's me, who was a loner in middle school, and then somehow accidentally befriended the most popular guy in school. There's Riku, who was a womanizer until recently, but after reconnecting with Akari, his childhood friend, he suddenly stopped going out with girls. There's Akane, the most popular girl in school, who for some reason hangs out with people like me and Akari. And of course there's Akari, who, according to Riku, mysteriously disappeared for a while, only to reappear later out of nowhere.

We are certainly a strange group of friends.

But I should stop thinking about it. I guess because I've been a loner for so long, any group of friends seems unusual to me. And what do I know about such things? I've only had one friend in my life, and that's Riku.

Immersed in these thoughts, I didn't notice that we were already approaching the gate.

As we left the gate, we spotted one of the school's robot assistants used by the teachers. It was walking with a shopping bag in its hands, probably returning to the school after shopping.

The robot resembled a metal skeleton with a metal torso and limbs. It was slightly below average human height and had interchangeable humanoid limbs. Today, robots can have interchangeable limbs, each designed to perform specific tasks. The humanoid limbs make it easier for the robot to move on different surfaces and interact with different objects.

Despite its humanoid structure, it was not an android; the use of artificial skin, hair, or a humanoid face was forbidden. Therefore, despite its humanoid form, its appearance remained non-human.

On its chest was a company sign that read: "Michiru Robotics & Exploration".

Our school only used robots from this company, probably because of the contract. However, there was another well-known robotics company, a competitor, where Riku's father was one of the executives.

"What are you thinking about, dude?" Riku asked, pulling me out of my reverie.

"....Ah... Nothing..." I mumbled.

"He's always like that," Riku turned to Akari and Akane, "Man, you need to stop daydreaming all the time... Wait! Hey! Maybe you were thinking about girls?"

"Nah... I was thinking about robots."

"About robots?" he asked, surprised, "You're as boring as ever..."

As always, the four of us walked home together. I walked on the right, with Akane walking next to me, Riku behind her, and then Akari on the left.

"You're always thinking about the strangest things," Akane finally spoke, still absorbed in her phone screen.

I knew that even when she was texting, she was paying attention to the conversation around her; it was her superpower. She could multitask effortlessly - painting her nails while ranting about various topics, chatting on the phone while talking to us.

"I just thought they had a pretty interesting design," I clarified.

"What, don't tell me you're into that kind of stuff..." Akane looked at me with undisguised disgust.

"...What?..."

Why is she looking at me like that?

"I've heard of such fetishes..."

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you even saying? It's not like that at all! It's just that I like robots! But not in that way!" I started waving my hands in front of me, trying to justify myself. Really, what?! Why would Akane even think that?

"You know, I've heard that the more excuses a person makes, the more likely they are to lie," she said calmly. 

"Who said that anyway! Don't make stuff up! Cut the crap!"

"I mean, I'm not judging, I don't care… Everyone has their own kinks… But… Robots though… Ugh…," she said with disgust in her voice.

Oh… I get it… Is she really just trying to mess with me again?

"You know what…"

"Oh, wait, I got a new message!" she exclaimed, cutting me off. Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned her attention back to the phone screen.

I glanced at her, visibly annoyed.

"Akane? Really?"

However, she ignored my words, purposely or not.

For God's sake... Did she really jump into the conversation to make fun of me?

Hearing Riku's chuckle, I pondered a bit.

Well, not that I minded Akane's jokes. It was funny... But it always surprised me how naturally we interacted when Riku and Akari were around, even though we barely acknowledged each other at school.

When our mutual friends weren't around, it felt like we were strangers. I couldn't figure out why. There was only one time when that wasn't the case. Maybe she only hung out with me because of Riku and Akari...

Throwing a sidelong glance at Akane, I noticed her indifferent expression.

"Robots, huh, what's so interesting about them…," Riku pondered aloud.

"Hmmm..... Well, I like robots too, kinda…," Akari replied.

"Wait… Really?" Riku asked in surprise.

"Yeah…"

"...Hmmm… Well… I guess robots can be interesting…"

Ah, Riku... It's so obvious that you like Akari. It's almost funny that you don't notice how obvious it is.

"Are you interested in robots too?" Akari inquired.

"Yeah... I mean... My dad works for a robotics company... You know that. What about you? Why do you like them?"

"Well, I have my reasons…"

"Really? What's the reason?"

"Well... It's a secret," she replied mysteriously, "But let's just say I'm particularly interested in androids and cyborgs," she clarified.

"...Why them specifically?"

"...Hmmm… I like reading sci-fi stories about them..."

"Oh, I saw that old anime!" Akane suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

That was another of her superpowers; she wasn't shy about jumping into a conversation spontaneously.

She looked away from the phone for a moment, trying to remember something.

"It was about an android who began to question his existence," she said, "it was a thriller..."

"I didn't think you liked thrillers, especially old ones," I remarked.

She only smirked in response, "Pfft... Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Yeah, that theme was quite common in stories from the past. It's less common now, but I still like it," Akari added.

"Hmm, sci-fi, you say?" I mused, "I'm more of a fan of space stories..."

I have often wondered what the authors of those stories would think if they were here today. How accurately did they envision our world?

Many elements of science fiction stories of the past have either become reality in our world or remained the fantasies of their authors. Sometimes their works seem disconnected from today's reality, and sometimes they are eerily prophetic.

"Really?" Akane asked, turning to me.

She was a little shorter than me and looked at me from under her eyelids.

"Yeah… Is that surprising?"

I caught her ambiguous gaze lingering on me for a moment, "No," she finally looked away, "You look like the type who would be interested in such things.

What is that supposed to mean? Is it a compliment or an insult?

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Cause it's boring..."

I wasn't going to take it anymore. Earlier, she caught me off guard, but this time I was ready to play along. I grinned, "You're the one who's boring."

"Oh, really?" she asked, turning sharply to face me.

There was a clear sense of intimidation in her eyes and voice.

And why are you looking at me like that? I'm not afraid of you anymore, hah!

"Yep… You have no taste."

"Oh my God, you're telling me that? Really?"

"Really!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"...Guys… stop."

Akane's phone made a sound and she immediately turned her attention to it.

"Hmph, you're lucky…," she said, obviously addressing me.

There was a short silence between us. Then Akane quietly put the headphones into her ears. Is she really going to listen to music now?

"Yeah, your interests have changed, Akari," Riku said with a sigh.

"Oh yeah, you guys go way back, don't you?" I inquired.

"Yeah, we went to the same elementary school, but then she moved..." At the end of the sentence, a note of sadness sounded in Riku's voice.

I knew that Akari and Riku were childhood friends. That's why Akari quickly integrated into our group. Then she introduced Akane to us as a friend from her class.

"Did you miss me?" Akari asked him as if she had sensed the melancholy in Riku's voice.

"Why are you asking that? Does it matter now?" he replied frustratedly.

I knew he had feelings for Akari. That's why I could understand his current behavior. Akari is leaving tomorrow. Riku had supported her decision as soon as he had heard about it and had not raised any objections. But now, he couldn't hide his frustration.

"Sorry...," he added after a pause.

The way he said it left us awkwardly silent...

"Ah, man!" Akane exclaimed, suddenly taking off her headphones. Without even realizing it, she immediately shattered our awkward silence.

I was already used to Akane's spontaneous nature, so I wasn't surprised how unpredictable she could be sometimes.

"What is it?" Akari inquired.

"I wanted to tell you something, but she refused," Akane replied.

Akane was a master at switching from one topic to another and Akari seemed to be used to it as well.

"Who refused?"

"Hana... She does voice acting and she sent me an audio. She's so good at it," Akane explained with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

So she wasn't texting boys, she was texting her friends in her class. Hmm…

"Probably shy...," Akari suggested.

"Why would she be shy with a voice like that?"

"Does she have club activities today?"

The Hana they were talking about was one of their popular friends who was in the same class as them. I had seen her a few times, but we hadn't talked much.

Thanks to Akane, Akari had become friends with Hana Hayashida.

"Uh-huh..."

"The music and singing club suits her... Akane, why don't you join one?" Akari asked.

"What kind?"

Akari hesitated for a moment, "Like a fashion club? That would suit you..."

"Naaaah... That sounds boring..."

"Really? You're looking for something more exciting, huh?" I interjected.

"I don't know... Is there a fun club at our school, lol?"

"Hmmm... A fun club, you say?"

I thought for a moment and then fell silent. Honestly, I couldn't remember a single club that I thought was frivolous and fun. Not that those clubs were bad, but...

Akari shifted her eyes to me. "What about you Izumi?"

"...I'm still deciding which club to choose..."

I want to join a club to make more friends, but I haven't decided which one to join.

"...I see... Riku joined a club right away," she remarked.

As soon as he enrolled in school, Riku had already decided which club he wanted to join. Which was to be expected in his case.

"Well... he's been into soccer since middle school," I explained.

"Oh? So you still play soccer?" Akari asked him.

"Hahahaha... Yes, I do...," Riku replied with a forced laugh.

He still looked upset. It must have been difficult for him to hide it. Did he really have such strong feelings for Akari? Then why hadn't he confessed until now? I always thought that Riku was bold with girls, unlike me...

"I see...," Akari replied.

Although her tone sounded calm, I thought I heard a hint of sadness in it, but maybe I was imagining it.

Our conversation faded into silence, and as if in time, the surroundings suddenly brightened.

I looked up. The clouds were beginning to part, and the sun was casting a soft glow on the street.

"Pretty," I said.

"Yeah…," Akane agreed.

She stopped and raised the phone.

"Hey... Since you're leaving, let's all take a picture?" she said, turning to Akari.

"Sure."

"Good idea..."

The four of us stood in a line: me, Akane, Riku and Akari. And then Akane took a picture.