One Step Closer [Fruits Basket]

Chapter 21: Old Flame & New Love

A few days later (Natsu's POV)

"Why are we meeting in the counselor's office instead of the student council room?" Yuki asked.

I sighed and shook my head.

"I don't know." I responded.

Yuki and I were walking down the hallway and headed towards the counselor's room. Once we reached there, Yuki opened the sliding door. It was totally dark inside the room. Both Yuki and I noticed a girl inside the room sitting on the floor with papers and files scattered everywhere.

What in the world...?

The girl noticed us and quickly got up.

"I'm sorry. I'll clean it up." She stated.

Yuki and I walked up to her.

"Are you feeling unwell?" I asked as I reached out to her.

But she got away from me and hit her back on the bookshelf. Both Yuki and I were surprised at her action.

"I'm fine." She muttered. "Hold on."

She walked to an adjacent storeroom and opened the door.

"Manabe, get up." She called out quietly.

Manabe...?

Wait a fucking second?!

Don't tell me...!!!

I looked inside the storeroom to see a boy of our age was laying on an old couch.

"Hmm?" the boy replied.

"There're people here." The girl responded.

"Wake me up if an alien comes." He stated in a sleepy tone.

That voice!

There's no doubt!

That is him!

But what is he doing here?

Don't tell me he's part of the student council?!

"Yuki Sohma and Natsu Honda are here." The girl stated.

The boy quickly turned around his head and locked his eyes with mine.

"Ahhh!!" he yelled out.

Yuki and I both freaked out and literally jumped in the air.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Now they know I was slacking off!" he said.

Yuki raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. The boy walked out of the room and stood in front of us.

"But I wasn't slacking off. I'm innocent. Just deep in thought for a bit." The boy went on.

I sighed and shook my head.

Again I have to tolerate him...

Oh god...

Please have mercy on me...

The boy turned on the light and gasped at the mess around the room.

"Machi, was it you again?" the boy asked.

Wait...

That girl's name is Machi...

That means she's his...

Machi started to clean the room while the boy introduced himself to us. More like he introduced himself to Yuki and started to blabber about how to spell and pronounce his freaking name. I sighed in irritation.