Rivals Are My Friends (YanSim Male Rivals)

Yellow Cheesecake (2/2)

Hanako finally went to bed at a reasonable hour that night and woke up pretty early the next day (That wasn't out of the ordinary, he went to bed at 1 AM on the regular and still managed to get up and go to Osano's house to annoy him at 6 AM) Early enough to complete his homework at his own house. Albeit that didn't stop him from breaking into Osano's house, lurking around in his room while he slept peacefully under the covers (He didn't even get yelled at when Osano woke up, just an evil side eye). Besides the fact he still didn't have a proper idea for Aso's gift, he took these all as good signs for a good day. However, his luck ran dry and the day decided to rain on Hanako's parade when he went to the track field.a

"He's...not here?" Hanako's voice dips at the end with disappointment. "Yeah, which is weird since he just came back yesterday, but something came up in his family and he needed a day off. He'll be back tomorrow though." Mantaro gently explains, "If you want I can pass along a message."

Hanako shakes his head at the offer, "No thank you, I would like to give it to him myself, but thank you for offering." Hanako bows and runs off before Mantaro could get another word out. Itachi walks up next to him, eating a banana as he watches Hanako go. "Who was that?"

"An underclassman looking for Aso. He wanted to talk to him but I told him that he wasn't here."

Itachi hums, "He looks weak."

"Itachi--!" "What? You're thinking it too. Iruka could beat him without breaking a sweat and he's built like a limp wet noodle." (The boy in question, Iruka sniffles and silently whines at the words, "Aso says I'm building up.")

Hanako held onto the jacket for the rest of the day, even slipped it on halfway through when he got the chills despite it being warm that day ("Am I getting menopause?" "Baka that only happens to middle aged women and they get heat flashes, not chills.") There were a few questioning stares as most recognized the jacket, but no one asked him about it. And surprisingly, none of the bullies bothered him; not because they suddenly grew a conscience and thought 'let's give Yamada a break from torture, we did that yesterday' but because Musumo wasn't at school either (without musumo, those four might as well be lost pups). At the end of the day Hanako dragged himself to the Cooking Clubroom and slipped into the chair, draping himself over the countertop. "Why does the universe hate me, Amao?" He groans into the hard surface.

"What have I told you about my countertops?" Amao doesn't look up from his work of frosting swirls onto freshly baked cupcakes. The warning was gentle, almost sing-song, but there was a threat under the surface (Osano learned that the hard way).

"Sorry." Hanako drags himself off the counter and gets up to retrieve the wet wipes from under the sink counter, wiping over the entire surface. While doing the task, he notices a stark white streak on the sleeve of his jacket and stops; Powdered sugar. He got powdered sugar on the jacket and powdered sugar wasn't even on the table. Now he had to wash the jacket again. "Rito-senpai wasn't here today, so I couldn't give him back his jacket. But I did talk to one of the Sports club members, never done that before."

"How come, cupcake?"

"Because I never had a reason to."

"No, Hanako--" The raven sees the brunet holding out the finished plate of cupcakes with yellow and green frosting. Hanako's cheeks tint pink, Amao was offering him a cupcake, not calling him it. "Oh, yes please~!" He takes one and stuffs his mouth before he could say anything else embarrassing, moaning at the sweet taste. "Delicious as always."

"Thank you," Amao sets the plate and puts on an oven mitt, walking to the oven. "And look on the brightside on your situation. You have more time to think of a gift you want to give him."