[FFML] [orig] Keit-AI! Tomoyuki x Seiko Chapter 12: Return of the Comeback

[Abdiel]

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Keit-AI! Tomoyuki x Seiko
An Anime-Inspired Original Story from 4chan's /a/ Board
By Abdiel
Original Idea by Hataki !WBLg6PTzh.
http://www.fictionpress.com/s/3206139/

Guess who's back? Back again... No, I'm not talking about Sugata.


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Chapter 12: The Return of the Comeback

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Seiko Okamoto... or rather, as far as Tomoyuki Yamamoto was concerned,
"AU Seiko"... giggled.

No, "AU Tomoyuki" hasn't forgiven her for her gaffe that led to him to
get called "Cherry Boy" by everyone in their version of Maehara High.
She still had to work on delivering a proper apology with Tomoyuki's
help, at that.

She had simply cheered up by then because that was how her personality
worked. As Kazuhito Sugata said, the Amazon Queen wasn't the kind of
person to hold grudges or be depressed by what was happening around her.

"Dude. Your 'first kiss' was almost stolen from you? Seriously?" she
asked.

"I'm dead serious! Goto Yukari from Class 2C almost did. You know, the
girl I told you that was responsible for me being called... you-know-
what."

"Wait. Don't tell me. Are you the kind of kid who gets embarrassed when
you indirectly 'kiss' someone by drinking from the same cup or straw?"

"What? You don't believe in first kisses? You sound like an American!"
came Tomoyuki's presumption. "I mean, sure, the indirect kiss thing is
for middle schoolers to believe, but a first kiss...!"

"_Now_ you really do sound like a cherry boy, you know that?"

"Oh, like you're suddenly an expert on sex!"

"...Well, _no_. I'm not that kind of girl, but I don't care about first
kisses at all."

"Why? Were you already kissed by someone?"

"...That's really none of your business, Cherry Boy."

"Wait, so you _were_? Who was it? It was Sugata, wasn't it?"

"It doesn't count! Kazu-kun and I were still kids back then!"

"Oooh. The plot thickens. Why shouldn't a kiss count? If you've locked
lips with a guy you like, then that counts as a first kiss!"

"I didn't like him _that way_ back then! So there's that loophole!"

"Ah. Then first kisses are important to you, just like with me."

"My first _time_ is more important than my first kiss, Virgin King!"
blurted out the AU Amazon Queen, followed by dead silence.

His face warming up at the thought of AU Seiko's "first time" to the
point of (metaphoric) steam coming out of his ears, the Virgin King
backpedaled, reminding her, "...I would suggest you don't call my other
self 'Virgin King'. Then he'd be _really_ pissed off."

"...Has anyone ever told you what a smartass you are?"

"What did I do this time? Jeez." He was merely trying to change the
subject for her sake. 'Bite my head off, why don't you?'

Well, maybe he shouldn't have shifted to a more awkward subject, but
still... his intentions were pure.

"That's why you've never had a girlfriend. It's that damn mouth you
have!" She breathed down her phone's receiver, which made Tomoyuki
wince. "You two... Yamamoto-kun and you... are the most insensitive,
sensitive jerks I've ever met."

"How does that work?" he asked.

"You're insensitive to others' feelings but you're sensitive when it
comes to your own feelings!" she answered.

After a minute, she said, "If you must know, I lost my first kiss
because I wanted to prove to Kazu-kun that I don't see him as a man, and
I wasn't going to be affected by a kiss from him."

"...Ouch. My condolences."

"It's probably one of many reasons why Kazu-kun ended up with Megu-chin
instead of me in my universe. My Yamamoto-kun should be grateful for
that."

"Oh. Megu-chin. You mean that other childhood friend of yours, right?"
asked Tomoyuki. "I remember you telling me about her."

"Dammit, Cherry Boy. All this talk about Kazu-kun and Megu-chin made me
miss those two knuckleheads back in Hiroshima. I'm going give them a
call tomorrow as soon as I'm done straightening things out with
Yamamoto-kun," said AU Seiko.


===


That Thursday...

So Yamamoto ended up taking the late train _again_ (and AU Seiko
probably so did too unless time zones were different between one
dimension to another) because his makeup call with her took so long it
reached until the early morning.

The late train that Yukari Goto was also on.

"Sugata's probably getting back to school today. You should've taken
the early train instead," said the Cherry Boy as he rubbed his rheumy
eyes.

"...What does that have to do with me taking the late train, Yamamoto
Cherry-kun?" she asked, and Tomoyuki decided to drop the subject. As
usual, he couldn't keep up with her. She seemed rather perky and
cheerful this morning, though.

"So have you and your Internet girlfriend made up already?"

"She's not my Internet girlfriend. But yeah, we did."

"I'm happy for you, Cherry-kun. What were you two fighting about
anyway?"

"Well, let me put it this way. Apparently, I have a way with words and
I'm an insensitive, sensitive jerk."

Instead of asking what he meant by that confusing, contradictory
sentence, Goto did one of her sage nods.

"Yep. That's you in a nutshell, all right. No wonder even your Internet
girlfriend isn't your girlfriend."

As they got off their stop... Shiba Station... and walked their way
towards Maehara High, the twin-tailed weirdo dared Yamamoto, "Race you
to the school, Yamamoto-kun!" and they were off.

Because he was an asthmatic weakling with the athletic ability of a wet
pickle, the always-tardy Goto ended up way ahead of him. Also, because
he wasn't watching where he was going, he bumped into someone before he
even reached the gates.

Meanwhile, Yukari was so focused on winning that she didn't notice she'd
left Tomoyuki behind.

"Ow..." Yamamoto groaned before he got up and dusted himself off. 'Now
I'm _really_ late,' he thought to himself before he offered his hand to
help up the stranger he bumped into. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking
where I was...!"

He saw a flash of lace and velvet before he looked upwards to the sky
after he realized what he was staring at.

This was really foolish of him, because _now_ the young lady with neck-
length hair got really conscious of the fact that she'd inadvertently
flashed her underwear at him.

The girl who looked about a year or two younger than him... probably a
middle school student... got up and smoothened her pleated skirt. She
had a different uniform than those worn in Maehara, but it didn't look
like the standard-issue fuku distributed by the nearby Shiba Commercial
High either.

"I'm perfectly fine! Bless your heart, kind sir!" she bowed. "I
should've been watching where I was going myself." The girl had an
adorable face and voice, like one of those voice actresses from anime.
She also had a weird country accent of some sort.

If she were to audition as a VA or even an idol, she'd probably pass
with flying colors, in Tomoyuki's humble opinion. She kind of reminded
him of Miku Machida, Section 2B's Class Representative, for some reason.

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay, Miss. I'll be going now! Take care!"
he said.

"Bye-bye! Ah! WAIT...!" she said.

"What...? OOF!"

She ended up pushing the both of them into the school campus as the
gates were about to get closed. She then whispered to Yamamoto with an
urgent tinge in her voice, "If you would so kindly help me find someone
in Maehara High, I would be so ever grateful. His name is Sugata
Kazuhito. Will you help me, Mister?"


===


Contrary to popular belief, female contact was not something the Cherry
Boy of 2B lacked, despite his reputation and moniker. Actually, he had
plenty of experience with women... just not anything romantic or sexual.

As long as he didn't approach girls in more than a platonic manner, he'd
be okay with them. He had a "Friend Zone Harem" after all, not an "Enemy
of All Women Harem".

At any rate, he brought the adorable stranger from another school into
Maehara at her behest. No, they didn't go about it "anime-style",
wherein he sneaked her into campus or the nearest broom closet to hide
while faculty were none the wiser of the intrusion. He had her get a
visitor's pass from the guard first and follow school protocol, of
course.

"It was mighty kind of you to help out. I just got back from Hiroshima
yesterday, and I wanted to meet up with my friend as soon as possible,"
she said.

"It's no big deal. I'm happy to help," he said.

'I wonder if she's Sugata's little sister or something? Yeah, that makes
sense,' Tomoyuki thought as he escorted the girl he just met into the
faculty room. Otherwise, Kazuhito would expose himself as an
incorrigible playboy lolicon (pedophile) bastard that dated middle
schoolers.

"So what's your name?" Tomoyuki asked as he stayed with the girl at the
waiting area of the faculty room (classes were still going on, and she
said she was willing to wait until recess for Sugata). He froze as he
heard her answer.

She bowed. "Minagata Megumi. It's a pleasure to meet you, peaches. And
you are?" she asked with the sweetest of smiles.

Yamamoto's voice cracked as he introduced himself as, "Y-Y-Yamamoto
Tomoyuki. Nice to meet you," and bowed back. He'd say this was a helluva
coincidence had he not experienced stranger things, like getting the
cell phone number of the alternate universe version of his crush.

Oh boy.


===


As Yamamoto returned to Section 2B...

"You've become tardier and tardier everyday for the past week, Yamamoto-
kun! You shouldn't do that! You shouldn't follow Yukari-chan's bad
example," admonished Machida in a timorous voice that reminded him of
Megumi and his task at hand.

Megumi and Miku didn't have the _exact_ same voice, but they were about
the same tone, softness, and quietness, like someone who had trouble
breaking plates even when angered.

"But I..."

"No buts! If you want to talk to Yukari-chan, do it in school, not on
the late train!"

Tomoyuki slouched, put a hand behind his neck, and grinned stiffly, as
he stared at the floor then at Kazuhito. The Yankee himself suffered a
tongue-lashing care of their advisor, Miss Juri Kitamura, for coming in
the day after his suspension was over.

Class 2B had become quite the rowdy bunch ever since their school-famous
bad boy Sugata had finally arrived. Kazuhito even greeted the sullen
Matsuda (who'd also decided to come to school) with a nod, telling him
they could have a rematch anytime he wanted.

It was because of this rowdiness that the Cherry Boy couldn't find a way
to tell Sugata that he had someone waiting for him at the faculty room's
waiting area. Recess was about to start, though, so it was now or never.

"...Are you listening, Yamamoto-kun?"

"I am. I won't be late again. We'll even take the early train together
like old times... okay, Machida?" said Tomoyuki.

"You're not just saying that, right? It's a promise," said Miku.

"I've set my alarm at six o'clock in the morning and I'm going to cut
down on my phone time. I swear," he said.

"Who have you been calling anyway? Is it Yukari-chan too?" she asked
with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Her and many different people. Well, see you later!"

"Ah, wait! Yamamoto...!"

The Cherry Boy squeezed himself through the crowd and was about to get
the delinquent's attention when he was left to face an old bully of his
since middle school: Reiji Kanemoto.

"Huh. Cherry Boy."

"Oh. Uh, hey, Kanemoto. Uh, can I speak to Sugata?"

"Nobody's stopping you," Reiji said, but as Yamamoto was about to reach
the Yankee, he added, "So you've been chatting on the phone with a
_girl_ for once, huh? Good for you. Have you been calling that 'Amazon
Queen' entry on your phone book a lot lately?"

Tomoyuki cringed, hoping that Miku didn't hear what the Judo Captain
said. He murmured, "I don't know what you're talking about, I barely
even call Okamoto," before finally making it to Kazuhito.

"Oh, hey! Cherry Boy! Long time, no see! You've been late to class more
than usual. Is it true it's because of the cutie in 2C? Are you
graduating from being a cherry boy at last?"

Yamamoto laughed weakly as he considered _not_ telling the Yankee about
the girl from his home province waiting for him in school out of spite.
"Listen, back at the faculty..."

"Oh, if it's the principal or vice-principal asking me about why I was
absent after being suspended, tell them I told you it's none of their
business and I had family business to attend to."

Tomoyuki cleared his throat, wiping the sweat on his palms as he
continued talking to the delinquent without meeting his eyes. For some
reason, at the back of his mind, he kept remembering how the Yankee
pummeled a humongous Matsuda into submission.

Even if Sugata was acting harmless right now, Yamamoto realized that
Seiko's childhood friend was a bomb waiting to explode nonetheless.

"No, that's not it..."

"If you're afraid of the principal, then don't worry, Cherry Boy. I got
your back! We cool? We cool. Let's go, guys."

Well, that was fast. "Uh, wait...!" came Yamamoto's belated request.

"HEY! FURYOU-KUN! Yamamoto-kun is trying to tell you something!"

Startled, both Tomoyuki and Kazuhito turned their attention towards
Seiko. "Go ahead, Yamamoto-kun. What were trying to say to Furyou-kun?"

"Ah. Well, you see... to make a long story short, there's someone
waiting for you at the faculty room. From your hometown."

By reflex, Yamamoto backed off as Sugata's face turned serious, his
eyebrows furrowed and his grin turning into a scowl. "Really? Who? Is it
my parents? Did Kitagawa-sensei snitch on me?"

"KAZU-KUN! It's been forever!" a small voice squealed from behind them,
and because of how similar the voice was to Machida, everyone turned
towards the 2B Class Rep, thinking she had said the words. All the
Iincho could do was shake her head in denial.

They then turned towards what appeared to be a cute middle school girl
with a pageboy cut running open-armed towards the _way_ taller Kazuhito.

"Bless my heart. Ain't you a sight for sore eyes? I missed ya!" Megumi
Minagata greeted with a more pronounced Hiroshima accent than before as
she embraced the delinquent like a big brother, her cheeks rubbing
against his chest as she buried her head on his uniform.

"M-Megu-chin!?" said the Amazon Queen, her jaw seemingly unhinging from
the rest of her face.

"M-Megumi-chan? said the Yankee as he slowly hugged her back while his
eyes darted back and forth her and his gathering classmates.

"Oh, thank the heavens for your help, um... Yamamoto-kun, right?" said
the fresh-off-the-train Hiroshima girl as she gave Tomoyuki a wave. He
absently waved back.

"Eeeeh?" the rest of Class 2B said in unison. The ride never ended at
the Sugata Express.


===


"So on his first day back from suspension, 2B's Yankee got a _new_ hot
pocket in his harem while Cherry Boy got a new friend applicant in his
at the same time? It's like a circus there in 2B, isn't it?" Yamamoto
overheard from one of several third year students.

"I hear she's actually the Yankee's ex-girlfriend. I guess he has always
been a chick magnet even in middle school."

"I still can't believe he's a lolicon who dates middle schoolers,
though."

"Idiot! She's the same age as he is. She only looks like underage
bait!"

"Class 2C's no better. They have that Manzai Group with their class rep
and her best friend too, right? The pretty one with twin tails who's a
natural dunce and the super-strict cutie with the long hair?" brought up
another upperclassman.

"And 2A's the Student Council President's territory. She might as well
have everyone there as her underlings in the StuCo," said yet another
upperclassman.

"I still can't believe we voted for her instead of someone from our own
year!"

"Nah, man. I can't even remember who ran for president from the third
year. No wonder President Otonashi won by a landslide."

"She's a real beauty queen, isn't she? And she's smart too. Like she was
a born politician or something."

"I think her father is one too. Or maybe he's a magnate. The Otonashi
Family is quite influential, I heard."

"Then again, she's so Miss Prim and Proper, it's kinda freaky. Like
she's too perfect to be real."

"Oh, come now. You know how these prim and proper ladies are once they
end up in the sack, right? They're like insatiable tigresses!"

"...Then there's Class 2D. It's like a miniature Akiba inside their
class."

"Nobody cares about that otaku-ridden class, dude."

From behind the miniature park full of concrete circular benches
surrounding each individual tree that served as their natural shade,
Miku gave Tomoyuki a hangdog look that screamed, 'Are we really
weirdos, Yamamoto-kun? Are we freaks of nature?'

Tomoyuki waved her off and patted her shoulder in as reassuring a way as
he could muster. Aside from, "Ignore them," he couldn't find the words
to comfort her, though. He was starting to believe that something was
inherently wrong with the second years of Maehara High.

(More) like a doting uncle (and less like a former boyfriend, if memory
served Yamamoto correctly), Kazuhito treated Megumi to some snacks,
promising to meet with her for lunch and go home with her to his place
in Roppongi before the big sister of their group, Seiko, insisted that
their childhood friend was safer staying with her apartment in Azabu-
Juuban.

Sugata also shot death glares at Yamamoto, as though he wasn't supposed
to bring Megumi to him. 'How should I know?'

The Cherry Boy considered texting AU Seiko about it, but thought the
better of it. She was too busy making things right with AU Tomoyuki to
be bothered by these turn of events.

Wow. Megumi Minagata. Here in Tokyo. No one had asked the Amazon Queen
and the Yankee what Kazuhito's ex-girlfriend was doing there. Was she
transferring permanently to Maehara? From there, even more questions
started to surface in his consciousness.

Did she want to bring Sugata back to Hiroshima? Or did she simply want
to give her childhood friends a visit? Why now? Why on a weekday? Why
not during the weekend? Or during Golden Week about five weeks ago? How
about her high school? He then began asking himself the same questions
he heard from the infamous Maehara rumor mill.

Was her visit approved by her parents? Did they know she went to Tokyo?
Did she run away? Was she thrown out of the house? Was she visiting
relatives? Oh wait, she _was_ staying with relatives.

Uh, was she... pregnant with Sugata's kid? Was the child already born
after he left her for Tokyo? Was she there asking child support? Will
the Yankee be forced to become a dad working from one part-time job to
another? Will he quit school? Will he break Seiko's heart?

Was this Tomoyuki's chance to snatch Seiko away from her childhood
friend that didn't love her anyway? Would Okamoto come running to the
Cherry Boy's arms instead? Would Seiko become like AU Seiko, with her
first love abandoning her for the shy, soft-spoken childhood friend
with a short haircut that looked like a middle school girl?

Speaking of shy, soft-spoken friends with short haircuts that looked
like middle school girls, what about Miku? Would Tomoyuki end up like
his AU counterpart and fall for her instead? Will she finally see him
as a man and abandon her love for the impossibly perfect (and vaguely
bisexual) 2D bishonen for a schmuck like him?

Okay, how the hell did he end up with _that_ train of thought?

He sat down on the circular bench, put his elbows on his knees, and
placed his hands on his face while asking, "What is wrong with me?"

"Hmm? What's the matter, Yamamoto-kun?" asked Miku.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just living in the past, as usual," he said as he
rubbed and kneaded his temples with his index and forefingers.

By that, he meant he was reverting to his more sycophantic self who used
people as a means to an end because he had no backbone. In the past, he
became so full of himself that it resulted in him locking horns with
Kanemoto. And (predictably) losing face.

Machida giggled, which prompted him to ask with a smile, "What's so
funny, Class Rep?"

"Oh, nothing. Technically, all humans live in the past. They never
experience 'now'."

"Hmm? How does that work?" asked Yamamoto.

"Well, we sense the world around us... our 'reality'... through our
senses, right? It takes time, about 80 milliseconds, before information
is sent from our eyes, ears, noses, tongues, or skins to our brains and
back, so we never see 'now' as it happens. There is always an 80
millisecond delay."

"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! It's like the delay of a live satellite feed from
some far-off country, isn't it?" said Tomoyuki with a smile. "That's
why I love hanging out with you, Machida. I learn a new thing every time
I do because of you."

"So what were you thinking about?" queried Miku, her hands behind her
back and her chest sticking out, which made Yamamoto avert his gaze and
look at the ground.

"You are aware that Megumi is Sugata's ex-girlfriend, right?"

Machida nodded as she herself sat on the concrete bench with Tomoyuki,
and there was about a person-sized gap between them. "Yeah. She looks
cute, doesn't she?"

"I guess," said Yamamoto. "She looks like his little sister more than
anything else, though."

"All three of them... Seiko-chan, Sugata-kun, and M-Minagata-san... do,"
said Machida. "She's like the youngest of the three siblings, although
she's supposed to be the same age as both of them. But that's to be
expected of people who grew up together. To be like family."

Tomoyuki nodded. "She kind of reminds me of you, actually." He then
regretted saying so aloud as Miku... well, she didn't quite _glare_ at
him, but she did give him a "weird" look. Like she had to tell him that
he had his fly open in public but didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"Do you think that maybe that's why Sugata-kun...?" She put her hand on
her mouth, probably realizing she hadn't told Tomoyuki about Kazuhito's
proposal for a date from her that she shot down.

In Yamamoto's point of view, she might've presumed that he probably
already knew, but she wasn't sure if that was the case.

The Cherry Boy considered his answer carefully: Feign ignorance to let
her save face or address what she wanted to ask. He chose the former,
pretending that he didn't hear.

If she'd asked him the question regardless, he would've told her that
yes, she might have been a Megumi Minagata substitute. Now, the question
why the Yankee would leave a perfectly good Megumi Minagata behind for a
substitute of her was up in the air.

"Why do you think Sugata-kun broke up with her?" wondered Machida, which
startled Yamamoto because that was exactly what he wanted to ask next.
'Great minds think alike,' he concluded, although Miku's grade point
average was many notches higher than his.

"I don't know. Are we sure he was the one who broke up with her instead
of the other way around? We have no idea," the Virgin King pointed out.

"Maybe she's a substitute herself," whispered Miku.

"I also noticed that if you spell our names in Romanized fashion,
they'd both start with the letter 'M'. I'm _M_inagawa _M_egumi, and
you're _M_achida _M_iku!" a voice from behind Yamamoto and Machida said.

Megumi guffawed with a lollipop in her mouth while both the 2B Class Rep
and the Cherry Boy jumped back from her.

"We're sorry for talking behind your back," they both said almost to the
point of prostration, but Megumi reassured that they didn't do anything
wrong.

"Y'all weren't saying anything bad, so there's no need to mend fences!
You're both Sugata-kun and Seiko-chan's friends, correct? Any friend of
theirs is a friend of mine!" she said. She then sat between Miku and
Tomoyuki, easily fitting through the person-sized gap with her small
frame.

"Where's Amazon Queen? And Furyou-kun?" Yamamoto asked Megumi without
thinking, and he received a blank stare in return. He corrected himself,
stating, "I mean, Okamoto and Sugata."

"Oh, they even have nicknames here in Tokyo? Ain't that berries? It's
like they're pro wrestlers or public enemies or something! I wish I had
a nickname too," said Megumi.

The Cherry Boy deadpanned, "No. You really don't," which made Machida
snicker.

"I left both 'Amazon Queen' and 'Furyou-kun' behind because they're
having an awful heated debate about whether or not there should be a
unisex tournament among tennis players," informed Megumi as she played
with her lollipop with her tongue.

"Ah! The Battle of the Sexes between Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King! I
remember reading about that!" the information archive or "walking
Encyclopedia Britannica Online" known as Machida said. "There were
actually three matches, and the first one allowed Riggs to spur King to
play against him!"

"Yeah, _that_ match! You know how it is. Two's company, three's a
crowd," Megumi informed the two before realizing the implications of
what she said. "Well, unless you think of me as a crowd here too..."

"No, no, _stay_," the pair insisted. "Three's plenty of company here!"

"Well, then. That's mighty hospitable of you two strangers! Especially
you, sir! You've helped me plenty enough," Megumi pinched Yamamoto's
cheeks in a manner that reminded him of his grandmother. Or Machida.

"As a reward, if you're curious, believe it or not, the one who called
off our relationship was me, not Sugata-kun."

After Miku and Tomoyuki recovered from their proverbial face-faults on
the ground, Megumi requested, "Meet me here after lunch. I want to get
some perspective on... well, let's just say I still have a lot to talk
about, if y'all don't mind."


===


Tomoyuki and Miku came clean.

They confessed to Seiko and Kazuhito (whose head had cooled down after
he continuously shot the messenger... Tomoyuki... with death glares
that triggered the poor boy's asthmatic wheezing) that they hung out
with Megumi during recess.

It was during this time that the Cherry Boy and the Class Rep discovered
from the Hiroshima duo that their fellow Hiroshima native was only
staying a week in Tokyo as a sort of "sabbatical" from her high school
in the province. She should come back home soon after once the week was
over.

As classes restarted, Megumi opted to give back her visitor's pass so
that she could go to the nearest malls near the area while Sugata and
company were still at school.

Apparently, she never informed either Okamoto or Sugata of her return
during lunch. Was it a _secret_ meeting between her, Yamamoto, and
Machida?

"I wonder what she wanted to discuss with us at lunchtime," asked Miku
aloud as she returned to the covered park where they first encountered
the cheerful, younger-than-she-looked country bumpkin. "When Sugata-kun
wasn't looking, Seiko-chan told me behind his back that he was actually
avoiding her for the better part of the week, when he was suspended."

"But she said that she broke up with Sugata, so... maybe he's just
avoiding her because his feelings were still hurt by what she did? Then
again, she did travel all the way to Minato for him, so the least he
could do is meet with her," said Tomoyuki as he felt butterflies in the
pit of his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

"He did, but never told me where he lived in Roppongi nor did he answer
my questions about... important stuff," the diminutive Megumi popped
up from behind the two. Like a ninja. Not only was her voice soft, so
were her footfalls.

"H-Hey, M-Mi... Minagata Megumi-san," was the name and honorific that
Machida settled to call Megumi with right then. "What did you want to
talk about?"

"Do we have someplace more private we could go to?"

"We can go to the roof," suggested Yamamoto. After they got there,
Megumi went to the chain link fence that overlooked the rest of the
school.

"Boy, Tokyo high schools sure are big! Think of how many baseball fields
you can make out of this place!"

"Well, Shiba Commercial High's much bigger. And we're surrounded by
skyscrapers."

"We have much smaller schools back in the province. We don't change
classes per year because there's only one classroom, for example."

"Wow. Really? I've never been to a school that has one classroom per
year. And this is in high school?" asked Machida.

"Yep." Megumi did stretching exercises as Tomoyuki cut to the chase.

"What did you bring us here for... Minagata?" asked Yamamoto.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Can you guys tell me how far along Seiko-chan and Kazu-
kun are in their relationship?"

"...Relationship?"

"You mean they didn't tell you?"

This information floored Machida and Yamamoto. Especially Tomoyuki,
whose world spun out of control once he realized that not even the AU
version of his crush could help him in winning over someone that was
already spoken for.

"What's with y'all? Was it something I said?" Megumi asked in worry.

"Wait, wait, wait. This is big news! Are you telling us that Seiko-chan
and Sugata-kun are already dating?" Machida asked the smaller woman,
grabbing her shoulders for support.

"Why would they keep it a secret? The reason he left Hiroshima was
because he wanted to become a real man! I broke up with him because I
know exactly why he felt that way, even though he gave me the hogwash
excuse that a long-distance relationship with me would be too hard for
the both of us."

"I don't understand," Machida, of all people, said. "Why would he want
to become a real man?"

"Because Seiko-chan claimed he wasn't, that's why," revealed Megumi.
"I expected them to be dating by now, consarn it!"

Yamamoto clawed on the chain-link fence for support, the impact of
Minagata's words too much for his body to handle. "But... neither of
them ever said they were going out, did they?"

Megumi looked at Miku, who merely repeated the last part of what
Tomoyuki asked. "Did they?" asked the Class Rep.

The youngish, preteen-looking high schooler from Hiroshima rubbed her
pointed chin. "I knew it. They _have_ been acting awfully suspicious
around me. Whenever I asked how their dating life is going, they always
changed the subject!"

Miku shrugged. "Maybe they misunderstood?"

"Or maybe they're letting me think they're dating without correcting my
assumptions," the childlike Megumi frowned, which looked more like an
adorable pout. It was Tomoyuki this time who resisted his impulse to hug
the little girl.

Yamamoto shook his head as if to clear it. "Is there any reason why they
would hide whether or not they're dating?"

Megumi considered Tomoyuki's question. "I don't get it. I know Seiko-chan
is head over heels in love with Kazu-kun, and _he_ has it worse than she
does."

Yamamoto felt his heart break. "A-Are you sure? I mean, it could've been
you whom Sugata carried the torch for. And Sugata..." A light bulb
flickered inside the Cherry Boy's head. "Sugata might have changed
during the couple of years you haven't seen each other."

"How so?" both girls asked.

Machida and Minagata tilted their heads at Yamamoto in unison, which
mended the cracks in his heart due to their sheer adorableness. It was
like Megumi was a miniature, non-bespectacled version of Miku without
the thick glasses.

"He... has different women vying for his attention right now. He
might've already lost interest in Okamoto Seiko," said Tomoyuki,
twiddling his fingers together and licking his chapped lips.

"That can't be true!" both the Class Rep and the girl from Hiroshima
chorused, which prompted Megumi to say, "It's not true, is it? I didn't
break up with him for nothing, right?"

Miku was about to answer, but she turned away at the last minute.
Minagata's arms plopped down to her sides in defeat. "So what I
overheard about you being asked out by Sugata-kun really happened,
huh?"

Machida mutely nodded, unable to meet Minagata's gaze.

Taking a deep breath, Tomoyuki stared, "I know it's none of my business,
but..."

"But?" asked Minagata.

"No, never mind," said Yamamoto.

"No, please. I do insist," said Megumi.

"Did you break up with Sugata because you thought he loved Okamoto more
than you?" asked Tomoyuki.

Even the bashful Machida knew that her next-door neighbor had crossed
the line, compelling her to stomp on his foot that might as well had
lodged itself inside his big mouth. He bit his lip to keep himself from
yelping, knowing he was in the wrong.

"...That was what I thought," Megumi answered nonetheless, her face
unreadable. "Maybe I made a mistake if she went for _her_ instead of
Seiko-chan. You turned him down, didn't you?"

Machida nodded again. The Cherry Boy could practically hear the wheels
inside Minagata's head turn.

"I gave them all the chances to hook up and be sweethearts. He wasted
his chance." Megumi turned towards Tomoyuki. "What is Sugata-kun like
nowadays? Why is he called a 'Yankee'? Is it because he picks fights
against anyone?"

"Well, there was this one guy who was bullying me whom he punched to
submission..." he said, trailing off.

"Did he do it for you or to simply beat up the guy to keep him in line?"

"I don't know. I guess both?" Yamamoto didn't feel okay badmouthing the
guy who saved his hide, even if it was the truth.

Megumi must have picked up on his discomfort... Tomoyuki guessed... as
she reached up her tiptoes and patted both the Maehara High School
students on the shoulders. "I've heard enough, thanks. I'm sorry for
involving y'all in someone else's affairs and airing their dirty
laundry. I do appreciate the help, though."

Machida asked, "What are you going to do?"

Minagata blinked. "For now? Spend the week here. I was given a week-
long sabbatical, after all. It's such a shame, though..."

Yamamoto asked, "What is?"

"Well, when they're talking and debating about everything under the sun,
you can almost swear that they were a couple. Kazu-kun never talked to
me like that. They're lovers in all but name."

A rueful smile that belied Minagata's youthful appearance crept into
the corners of her mouth. "They're just like you guys, in fact. But I
guess I must've been mistaken, since you both claim to not be
boyfriend and girlfriend."


===


Thursday night, back at the Yamamoto Residence...

"Talk to me quickly because Machida has been breathing down my neck
about getting up early," said Tomoyuki.

"What? Don't you love hanging out with Yuka-chin on the late train to
school?" drawled AU Seiko.

"Are you taking the late train with her too?"

"No, I live in Juuban. I go to a different route. But she is fun to
hang out with, isn't she?" she said.

"She is, but I really, _really_, want to ask you something," he said.

"Then ask away. Shoot," she said.

"No, you need to update me on your status with my other self first. You
start," he said.

AU Seiko harrumphed. "Your other self is a Prima Donna baby who keeps
avoiding me at every turn. It's getting on my nerves. Miku-chin told me
she's going to talk to him for me, but I don't want to owe my love rival
any favors. Are you _really_ like this when you're angry?"

Tomoyuki blinked. He never really noticed it much, but come to think of
it, when it came to passive-aggressive anger, he _was_ quite adept at
it.

"I apologize on behalf of my other self for being such an annoying
prick. But yes, I think he's pretty pissed off with you. Like I was with
Goto when she 'helped' me get the nickname 'Cherry Boy'."

Incensed, AU Okamoto yelped, "Am I going to wait months until his cold
shoulder thaws off? Are you kidding me?"

"Well, I'm not a confrontational guy. In fact, I might kind of enjoy you
pursuing me for an apology while I ignore you. Must be from all the times
I've been ignored. I do hope my other self isn't like that."

"So that's it?" she asked.

"Well, you really might have to depend on Machida on this one. Or corner
him with a heartfelt apology," he said.

"I can't corner him because he keeps avoiding me, and according to you,
he _enjoys_ it," she complained.

"...Yeah. But he likes persistence as much as you hate it. We're like
opposites in that regard, aren't we? Either that, or you can always call
yourself Amazon Queen to make it up to him."

"Pass. So I shouldn't stop trying to get to him?" she asked.

"Think of it this way. At least you're making him feel special by doing
things that acknowledge him. He hates confrontation, but likes grand
gestures of loyalty. Tug at his heartstrings. Make him go 'Awww...'" he
said.

"Easier said than done. You're both sensitive and insensitive virgins!"
she said.

"Oh, and don't call him that," he said.

"AARGH!" she yelped.

"Did you at least watch Sugata Sanshiro?" he asked.

"...No. Not yet. I haven't gotten the time to do so," she admitted.

"Watch it. If you think Sugata Kazuhito's a man's man, wait till you see
Sugata Sanshiro!" he said.

"Fine. But I don't really see Kazu-kun as a 'man's man'. I don't know
what that bleach blond version of him is like in your world, but as far
as I know, the Sugata Kazuhito I'm familiar with is an even bigger baby
than you are, tough exterior aside," she said.

"How so?" he asked.

"He's a big softy at heart. He can get really sappy around Megu-chin
too," she answered.

"I guess they're about the same. Of course, he couldn't get sappy around
Minagata while she was here in Tokyo earlier because they've broken up
and stuff," he said.

"Yeah, it's a damn shame, huh? When I talked to my versions of Megu-chin
and Kazu-kun, they even shared one phone just to exchange greetings with
me. It's enough to give you diabetes!" she shared.

A second later, what Tomoyuki said registered in Okamoto's brain (perhaps
because she was taller, the 80 milliseconds it took to process the
information took longer to happen). "Wait, WHAT? What the hell is Megu-
chin... AU Megu-chin... doing in your universe's Tokyo?"

"Um, she said hi?" he supposed.

"I'm going to drop this call," the Amazon Queen threatened.

Tomoyuki then supplied the circumstances behind Minagata's arrival in
Minato Ward, Tokyo, including where she stayed, how she met up with
everyone, and the things they discussed on the roof of the school.

He gulped as he relayed the rest of the news. "Can you guess why she
broke up with Sugata?"

"I honestly have no clue," AU Seiko said.

"Get this. She felt like Sugata loved your other self more than he did
her."

"News to me. My Kazu-kun and Megu-chin are so sweet around each other,
it makes me nauseous," she said.

"Herein lies the problem," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"If Sugata hasn't changed like I thought he did and he ends up
confessing to your other self, it's game over for me," he said.

"Oh. You mean, like how Machida and your other self might hook up and
it's game over for me?" she asked.

"Pretty much. Is my other self prepared to confess to AU Machida
already?" he asked.

"I don't know. I hope that's not the case, I was barely able to talk to
Yamamoto-kun about any movies he liked, and then he ends up with Miku-
chin anyway? That's horrible," she said.

"I'm in the same predicament. If Sugata is still in love with your other
self, then I'm done for," he said.

"...But he isn't, is he?" she asked.

"No. Still, he _could_ be," he said.

"What does Megu-chin have to say about it?" she asked.

"She said something about giving you two all the chances in the world,
and you didn't take it," he said.

"Wait, did she _really_ break up with Kazu-kun for my sake?" she asked.

"Maybe she wasn't getting the love she thought she'd get from him. She
did mention she might've made a mistake," he said.

"Still... why didn't AU Seiko and AU Kazu-kun hook up?" she wondered.

"According to Minagata, Sugata was the one who chased after Okamoto all
the way to Tokyo. And last I checked, she was simply waiting for her
chance to confess," he said.

"But a girl confessing to a guy is a bit..." she trailed off.

"I know, right? It should be the other way around! But he didn't. He
never did. That's the only chance I got; him letting go of his chance
with Okamoto," he said.

"I wonder why haven't _you_ confessed to Miku-chin," she said.

"Me? I confessed to her already, remember? She rejected me for '2D'.
She called me 3DPD," he said.

"Eh? 3DPD?" she asked.

"3D Pig Disgusting. It's hard to explain," he said.

"No, I meant the other you. And the other Miku-chin," she said.

"Maybe the same thing happened? Have you talked to your Machida about
her feelings for your... other me?" he asked.

"Well, no. I mean, it's obvious that you're in love..." she trailed off
again.

"Don't do that. Don't be like my Okamoto, who keeps presuming things and
pushing me towards Machida without considering our feelings on the
matter," he said.

"You don't like my other self pushing you towards Miku-chin?" she asked.

"I hate it! Here I am, trying to woo her, and she keeps putting Machida
in front of me! I couldn't react too negatively and risk hurting
Machida's feelings or make Okamoto give me a third rejection."

"I never thought of it that way. But maybe..." she said.

"Maybe what?" he asked.

"Maybe my other self has been pushing Miku-chin in front of her as a
shield against you because she doesn't want her own resolve broken when
it comes to Kazu-kun?" she proposed.

"...Really?" he asked.

"She could also be doing that to help make it easier to reject you
since you're being given a fallback," she said.

"Oh. I liked the other theory better," he said.

"I bet. Are you at least talking to her normally? Like a friend?" she
asked.

"Of course. I wasn't called the Friend Zone King for nothing. It's
getting off the friend zone that's going to be tough," he said.

"I have it tougher. I don't think Yamamoto-kun even considers me as a
friend at this point. So what were you worried about?" she asked.

"Sugata being in love with your other you and her ending up with him, as
corroborated by your other childhood friend, Minagata," he said.

"Fair's fair. I'm afraid that one word from your other you is all he
needs to win over Miku-chin, and it's all over for me," she said.

"I don't know how much better than me my other self is when it comes to
romancing women, so..." A thought entered Tomoyuki's head. "Wait. You
have nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say. Your other you isn't even talking to me," she said.

"Because you called him the Cherry Boy," he said.

"Yeah? And?" she asked.

"That name wouldn't have spread across your version of Maehara had it not
a grain of truth to it. For example, it's _impossible_ for me to call
Sugata a Virgin King even if he is one because of all the women he's been
getting. People just presume he already got laid," he said.

"Oh," she said.

"So let me guess. Your Tomoyuki is someone with a lot of female friends,
but is called a herbivore man... or, as the foreigners call him,
'metrosexual'... because he has never dated any of them and is best
friends with his childhood friend yet treats her like his grandmother.
Am I correct?" he asked.

"...Uncanny. It's like you know him like the back of your hand!" she
cheered.

"Well, sure. We have the same hand. We probably even have the same
fingerprints!"

"Okay, okay! Let me try! Now's my turn," she said.

"_Your_ turn?" he asked.

"You're afraid that your Okamoto is simply waiting for Kazu-kun to
confess to her. But if she's anything like me, then that may never
happen. They're going to stand each other up, never willing to make the
first move. That's why in both universes, Kazu-kun ended up with Megu-
chin," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because our friendship was too important to break for something we
aren't certain would work. I'm a Friend Zone Queen myself, and even if I
don't have a harem of friendzoned guys, I value my friendship with
Kazu-kun too much to take the first step for something more. It's an
ongoing game of chicken. A Cold War. Neither of us dared blink," she
said.

"Is that what happened to you and your Sugata?" he asked.

"...Yeah. I then went to Tokyo to find some freedom from that mess of a
relationship that never blossomed. I loved him, but doing so suffocated
me," she said.

"I'm not suffocating you too, am I?" he asked.

"No! No. Ever since I met you, there's been nonstop excitement in my
life. You're a very insightful person," she insisted.

Like the Grinch after his Christmas misadventure, Tomoyuki's heart grew
several sizes as he smilingly clarified, "No, I mean... Is my other
self suffocating you?"

"Oh. Him? Well, if he's not acting like a Prima Donna baby, he's always
there for me. He listens to me. He keeps me in line when I'm being too
reckless, but not in a way that's controlling. He... guides me. Like you
are right now," she said.

Tomoyuki looked at the time and cursed under his breath. "I'm really
sorry. It's late. Thank you for the reassurance. I thought it was over
when Minagata told me that Sugata was probably in love with you, but if
you're still going to fight for my Prima Donna self, I'll try my best
to romance your other self too."

"Can you please not be that passive-aggressive towards the other me?
It'll make her confess sooner to Kazu-kun, if you're not careful," she
kidded.

"Now we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?" he humored her.

"Good night, Cherry Boy."

"Good night, Amazon Queen."


===


On Friday, at Maehara High, around lunchtime...

A leery Tomoyuki repeated (or paraphrased) what Seiko just said. "You're
inviting me back into your apartment for a farewell party for Minagata
this Friday evening? _Why_?"

Okamoto punched Yamamoto's arm. "What, I couldn't invite my friends
over? You never even tasted my hot pot last time!" she said.

"I don't want to open fresh wounds, but _you know_ why that's the case!"
said the Cherry Boy.

A grinning Seiko slapped Tomoyuki's back hard. "I'm sure you won't pull
the same stunt you did last week! I also promise I won't laugh too hard
when you say Chris Benoit was demoted from the Four Horsemen to Raw,
which is why he committed suicide."

"...I don't get it," he said.

"Of course, you don't, Nancy Grace," she said.

"You're making fun of me," he said.

"Well, yes. Yes, I am," she said.

"Why are you so mean?" he asked.

"You shouldn't take sports lightly, Cherry Boy!" she said.

"Then you shouldn't have picked _professional wrestling_ as a topic if
you wanted to talk about sports," he rejoined.

"Whoa, don't even go there!" She chuckled.

"Fine. Feel free to correct me about my wrong presumptions on sports,
then," he said.

"Sure thing. It's a date, y'hear?" she said.

"...Yeah. It's a date," he said.

"Don't read too much into that, Romeo," she warned as she stuck her
tongue out at him.

For the rest of the day, Yamamoto couldn't stop smiling. It certainly
helped that she slipped into her _adorable_ Hiroshima accent for a
second there. It must've been because Minagata had a sleepover in her
apartment recently.


===


In Azabu-Juuban, at Okamoto's apartment...

"CHEERS!"

All five of them... Tomoyuki, Seiko, Miku, Kazuhito, and Megumi... did a
toast with their respective drinks. Okamoto, Sugata, and (surprisingly
enough) Machida were drinking beer while Yamamoto and Minagata were left
with sodas.

The hotpot was then brought out. The Amazon Queen must've planned ahead
this time around, because she had her home-cooked meal ready ahead of
time instead of having people pick up the ingredients for her.

Emphasis on the home-cooked part, since she was insistent that the Class
2B Iincho and Cherry Boy get a taste of her cooking that they missed out
on last week.

"Wow. It's delicious." Tomoyuki licked his chops.

So this was what he wasn't able to taste because he called Floyd
Mayweather Junior "Merryweather" and thought Seiko was referring to the
game Pac-Man when she began talking about Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao. He
looked over and saw Okamoto beam from his reaction.

"All right, ladies! Do you want more sissy soft drinks and fruit juices
or should I serve Daiquiris next?" needled the "tipsy" Seiko while
Megumi reminded her that she still had a train to catch in the morning.

"What's your excuse?" Okamoto asked Tomoyuki. He answered, "I'm
practicing to be a designated driver. Also, asthma and alcohol don't
mix."

As for Sugata, Minagata, and Machida, they had quite the rapport going.
As expected of the Yankee Playboy, even when faced with having dinner
with an ex-girlfriend and a girl who rejected his advances for
fictional gay dudes, he couldn't be fazed in the least.

"Okay, okay. So let me get this straight. Is a tsundere is a girl who
says one thing, but means another thing? You know, like the Amazon
Queen?" Kazuhito asked Miku.

"Well, no, not exactly. A tsundere can be 'tsun-tsun' or mean, but there
are times when she is also 'dere-dere' or sweet. She's 'tsun' to hide
her feelings for the MC, but she's actually 'dere' or in love with him!"
explained Miku the best she could while withholding hiccups.

"SENSEI! Why is it that when a 2D girl says, 'I-It's not like I'm doing
this for you, b-baka,' it means she's being tsundere?" asked Megumi, who
actually knew more about manga and otaku culture than her fellow country
bumpkins did.

"Ah. That's because there's a marked contradiction between her actions,
which is doing something nice for the main character and her denying
that she did it for him, even though she obviously did it for him. It's
this disconnect between action and words that makes her _moe_."

"Speaking of which, what the hell is 'moe'? Is that even a Japanese
word?" Sugata asked, which prompted Yamamoto to make himself scarce
while murmuring to himself, "Oh boy, here we go."

"MOE _IS_ JAPANESE! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It's the purest love you'll ever
see!"

Even as he closed the door to the apartment, Tomoyuki could hear the
volume of the usually timid Machida's voice rise to "Class 2B Iincho"
levels in her indignation, as though she were having a debate on quantum
physics at a local college.

As Tomoyuki went outside and sipped his cola, remembering how he was
kicked out of Seiko's apartment, he considered texting AU Seiko. This
was the perfect opportunity to get some "live" tips and tricks on how to
woo her counterpart, like a cheat sheet during a test.

"Hey, Cherry Boy."

"Oh. Hey... Amazon Queen."

He didn't have time to email her or call her, though. The _real thing_
was standing right in front of him. Sitting beside the door.

"Uh... Fedor Emelianko!" he blurted out before he considered leaping off
the ledge in embarrassment.

"It's Emelia_nen_ko," she corrected even when tipsy. It was _that_
grievous an error.

"Yeah, yeah. With a _nen_, right? So I've heard," he said.

"You keep trying to talk sports to me. Why don't we talk about what you
want to talk about. Like that weird love story of yours about cell
phones. What's up with that?" she asked.

"O-kay. Here's another, non-sports-related topic. What are you doing
outside?" he asked.

"I don't want to know what _moe_ means. Reminds me of maid cafes and
nerds with flannel shirts crawling all over Akiba," she said, referring
to the nerdy exchange between Miku and Kazuhito.

"Ah. Fair enough," he said.

He sat almost beside her, with the door between them, and did an Indian
sit along with her. So they stared up at the starless sky of Tokyo, the
constellations replaced with the bright lights of the city instead.

He then remembered the things he _did_ share in common with Okamoto that
didn't involve him having to do research about things he couldn't care
less about: Videogames.

"So you have a fake ID named Justin Bailey. Is that a videogame
reference you got from the Internet or did you actually use that cheat
password on Metroid?" he asked.

"Oh, so now _you're_ accusing me of reading EBO articles and feigning
_knowledge_ over videogames now, Cherry Boy?" she teased.

"I'm not accusing you of anything. What's your favorite console you
played as a kid?" he asked.

"Nintendo Ultra CD," she answered.

"Favorite game in your childhood?" he asked.

"Dragon Quest VII. I'd normally _say_ Capcom fighting games, but those
tag team adaptations of X-Men versus Street Fighter didn't even have
tag team features! I had to play those on a friend's Sega Saturn!"

"For shame. You know Segata Sanshiro, but you didn't own a Saturn?" he
accused.

"Yes. Guilty. I liked the commercials more featuring the original Kamen
Rider than the console itself," she confessed.

"Are you going to get Dragon Quest IX in June?" he asked.

"I _would_ if I had a Nintendo Iris! I could barely afford _food_ right
now!" she exclaimed.

"King of Fighters or Street Fighter?" he asked.

"King of Fighters. The series had a better story. It was also the first
crossover fighting game before Capcom began fighting... everyone,
really. Also, Leona is my girl."

"Wouldn't it be nice if there were a sequel or two of Final Fantasy?"
he asked, since in their universe, Final Fantasy was only one game
instead of a franchise.

"Really? That old RPG? I don't know. I mean, was it nice when there was
another Chrono Trigger game, Chrono Cross? I still liked Chrono Trigger
better. Besides, Dragon Quest is where it's at," she said.

"You weren't even born when Final Fantasy was out!" he said.

"You weren't either, but you know about it. We have the Internet.
Emulators. Aside from arcades, I only got to play every last Neo-Geo
game using those. I had one for the Famicom. Did you know you can finish
Final Fantasy using only White Mages in your party? That's insane!
That's like going to battle with heavy armor and a pocket knife!"

The reddening, drunk Amazon Queen undid her ponytail and let her hair
down, which to Tomoyuki's perverted eyes looked like the start of an
adult video. "Augh, this ponytail is annoying me!"

"H-Hey, Okamoto! What are you...?"

His sexual fantasies stopped cold as soon as she spoke. "Back when we
were kids, I beat up every kid in the block in Hiroshima. No one could
stand up to me. I was the bully at the playground. I was an orphan, so
I couldn't really afford any Super Famicoms or Mega Drives. I stole a
Gameboy once from some brat, though."

"I... see," he said.

"Not that there were many videogames to go by in the province. We're not
completely agricultural, but it's a small rural town still. I lived with
my relatives, and all I had were endless male cousins. So I acted like a
bratty kid," she said.

Seiko chuckled to herself. "You'd think out of all the boys I'd been
around with, I'd end up falling for the toughest one of them all, right?
Instead, I got paired up with a neighbor's kid that cried all the time.
Sugata Kazuhito. His father was scary, and he was probably the reason
why Kazu-kun ended up so timid as a kid."

She stood up, and Yamamoto followed suit since he didn't know what else
to do as they paced around the second floor of the apartment complex.

"I made him cry harder than all the other neighborhood kids combined. I
wanted him to man up for his own good. But... he was the only one who
kept playing with me even after I bullied him. Every time. He never
stopped. No matter how hard I hit him. No matter how mean I was to him.
He was always there in the playground, waiting for me."

"...." Tomoyuki should've discovered the familiar pattern right from the
start. Like AU Okamoto, once Seiko was focused on something, it was hard
for either of them to stop from obsessing and concentrating on that one
thing, whether it was AU Machida snatching AU Yamamoto, or Sugata being
an "awesome" childhood friend.

"Seiko-chan is right. She had puppy love something fierce. When other
people started teasing Kazu-kun too, she came to his rescue, saying that
only she had the right to tease him. It might've been love at first
sight, even," said someone from behind Tomoyuki and Seiko.

"M-Minagata!" stuttered Yamamoto while an unfazed Seiko asked, "How's
Miku-chin and Kazu-kun doing, Megu-chin?"

"They're talking about 'True Loli' and 'Legal Loli' now. Their city
slicker talk went over my head. I couldn't take it anymore. Besides, it
looks like you two are having an even more interesting conversation."

"Oh, shut up, you eavesdropper," said the Amazon Queen while she pulled
at and played with her other childhood friend's bangs.

"Megu-chin is an awful more talkative than before ever since she
confessed her love to Furyou-kun. I never thought she had it in her,"
Seiko told Tomoyuki.

"But you yourself didn't want to confess your love to Sugata-kun and
risk ruining your friendship with each other, right?" said Megumi, which
made both Okamoto and Yamamoto choke on their spit. "He was the first
and most important friend you've made since you were little."

After recovering from her coughing fit, Seiko went quiet and slunk into
a corner.

"It's such a shame that you yourself didn't confess," Minagata said.
"Kazu-kun fell in love with _you_ ever since you protected him from his
bullies."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, M-Megu-chin! W-What should I
c-confess about?" Okamoto stuttered. "You keep saying that he fell in
love with me, but he never made a move on me! Stop talking nonsense!"

"It takes two to tango," Megumi said. "Maybe he's waiting for you all
this time."

"Megu-chin, I...!" said Okamoto.

"If you do care for Kazu-kun, please don't tell some random male
classmate friend about it," Tomoyuki winced at that comment from Megumi,
"I beg you to please tell _him_. It's no coincidence why Kazu-kun
bleached his hair or why he's acting like a delinquent. He went to Tokyo
to become a man's man for a reason. Remember, he's here, right now, with
you, instead of with me back in Hiroshima."

"B-But..." said Seiko.

"Have you forgotten what I told you that made you go after Kazu-kun to
Tokyo in the first place?" Megumi asked.

Yamamoto pulled at his collar and walked sideways on the wall like an
escaping inmate (or perhaps a crab) in order to get away from the
volatile scene.

The Cherry Boy's heart was practically ramming itself on his rib cage.
He started wheezing, the stress of the situation activating his asthma
while he fumbled inside his pocket for an inhaler.

If Okamoto did admit to herself that she loved Sugata, what then? What
would happen to all the hard work he and AU Seiko put into this
(hopeless) romantic endeavor of theirs?


===


Next: The secrets of a playboy.

I should attempt making Tomoyuki more Sunohara-like, since I've already
made the comparison and all. Not that Kazuhito needs a wingman or
anything, but it does help define both their characters.

Farewell,
Abdiel
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