Matchmaker - Soukoku

Chapter Six

Tachihara pov

I really don't know how to describe it, but as Chuuya walks away with that tall guy with brown hair, it's like my stomach is gone. I feel gross. I'm not jealous, right? I've never really been jealous before. Never had to. I've always been the perfect child, the oldest, the most responsible, my mother's favorite. I've always had more friends than I could count.

It's okay for Chuuya to have other friends than you, Tachihara. I adjust the straps of my backpack and keep walking, away from the gym. But...

"TACHIHARA!!"

I turn to see Higuchi running towards me, dragging Akutagawa and Gin behind her. She reaches me and bends over with her hands on her knees, panting.

"We're gonna go to a cafe, wanna come? Oh, where's Chuuya?"

I shrug, trying to look careless. "He, uh, he walked off with some tall guy with brown hair. I think they said they were going to the library?"

Higuchi's face lights up in realization and she gives Gin a knowing look. Oh god, who is that guy Chuuya's with? Are they... dating or something?

"What?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips. "Who is that guy, anyways?"

"Oh, Chuuya's friend, I think. I don't know him very well." Higuchi waves me off. "Anyway, let's go to that cafe, right?"

"Yeah, ok."

...

When I get home it's late afternoon. I hang my jacket up in the hallway and slip off my shoes. I tried asking Higuchi again about that guy Chuuya was with, but she just brushed me off. I'm kind of pissed, honestly.

"Oh! Tachihara!" My mother rushes into the hallway, adjusting her earrings. "I'm just heading off to my bible study group, do you think you can heat up dinner at 6:00? It's in the refrigerator, you just need to pop it in the oven for 20 minutes."

"Sure, mom." I smile at her.

"Oh, you're such a little angel." She ruffles my hair, her eyes warm. "I already asked Tetchou, but you can imagine how that went." She lowers her voice. "I worry about that boy sometimes, Tachihara. He either spends all of his time in his room or with Jouno. It's nice that they're so close, but he should branch out more." She shakes her head. "Alright, I've got to go now, see you!" She plants a kiss on my cheek and rushes out the door.

I sigh and tromp up the stairs, stopping in the doorway of Teruko's room. She's sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone, as usual. She got it a few months ago, since she just started 7th grade. I don't think she's put it down once since dad took her to get one.

I clear my throat. "Did you do your homework yet?"

She glances up at me. "I will later."

"You know, when I was in 7th grade, if I didn't do my homework, mom would hang me upside down from the tree in the backyard."

Teruko glares at me. "Do you think I'm dumb? That obviously didn't happen. Now, leave me alone, I'll do my homework later." She turns back to her phone.

"Touchy." I close the door just as she lets out a loud sigh.

I walk down the hallway, peeking my head into Tetchou's room. "Heeeeyyy, how's my favorite little brother?" I ask.

Tetchou and Jouno are sitting on the bed, their legs pressed up against one another, watching something on Jouno's phone.

"Hey, Tachihara." Tetchou says in his blank way. Jouno pauses whatever they're watching.

I lean against the door frame. "How was your day?"

"Fine. You?"

"It was okay. Mom's at bible study, so I'm heating up dinner, it'll be around 6:30, ok?"

"Why is mom always at bible study?" Tetchou looks a little pissed.

"I don't know, maybe 'cause she's literally the most Christian person you'll ever meet?"

Tetchou's frown deepens. "Huh."

"Alriiiight, well I'm gonna go do my homework." I shut the door behind me and head towards my room. Typical Tetchou. I can literally never tell what he's thinking.

I kick open the door to my room and drop my stuff onto the floor. I have a bunch of homework. Instead of opening my backpack, I flop onto my bed and pull my phone out of my pocket. I'll do my homework later.

I find myself thinking back to that tall guy Chuuya was with earlier. I wonder how they know each other. They seemed kinda close. That feeling from earlier bubbles up in my stomach. Am I jealous? I'm not used to this. I've never had to be jealous.

I scroll through my contacts, and find my finger hovering over Chuuya's number. Before I can stop myself, I press calI. It rings twice. What am I doing? I hang up. I have to do my homework. I toss my phone onto my pillow and sit down at the desk in the corner of the room, taking out my trigonometry homework.

...

"Hey, uh, why'd you call me yesterday?" Chuuya sits down beside me in the lunchroom. Higuchi glances up at us.

"Oh, it was an accident, sorry." I brush him off. "Hey, who's that guy you were with yesterday?"

Chuuya scowls. "Oh yeah, sorry about him. I'm tutoring him. You could say we're friends, I guess." He rolls his eyes. "So how's Teruko doing? I haven't seen her in a while." He takes a bite of his food.

"Oh, you know, she's a seventh grader." I laugh. "Moody as ever. Hey, wanna come over later? You haven't been to my house in a bit."

Chuuya looks a little surprised, but his smile softens. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Tachihara! Wanna play basketball?" One of my friends from my team yells from across the cafeteria, holding a basketball over his head.

"Coming!" I shout back. "Ok, see you guys later!" I give Chuuya a quick squeeze on the shoulder before standing up and walking towards my friend. I glance behind me to see Higuchi leaning across the table, whispering something to Chuuya. God, what is she up to now? I chuckle to myself.

I glance to a few tables away from them, and my eyes meet someone's. It's the guy with brown hair from earlier. He's staring at me, his face a mask of emotions that's impossible to read. He kinda creeps me out. I break eye contact first and hurry over to the cafeteria's exit.

What's his deal?

1061 words

A/N: Sorry this chapter is kind of shorter than usual, I've had almost no time to write lately and I won't have a lot of time in the near future, hopefully my writing schedule will be back to normal by December tho! Love y'all <333