omiai | blue lock

十四

"I know were all eighty inside the classroom but to make things less compact, I've decided that three people should sit in one or two desks to maximize the room." Mrs Tokoyami announces, standing in front of a full classroom.

"I've brought a ballot with me." She says, patting the box with her hand. "Get one number each then find two others who has the same number as you then pick any seat you like."

One by one the students of Class A and C fell into a line, plucking one number from the ballot box.

"I hope we sit together." Tao says, standing behind Misa.

"I hope so too." She wishes.

When it was her turn, Misa slips her hand inside the box then makes a left turn, unfolding the paper to see number 12 written. Immediately, she turns around to look at Tao.

"What number did you get?" She asks.

The brown haired girl frowns, showing to Misa the number 19 written on her paper.

"I guess we sit far from each other, huh." Himari chimes in, showing to the other the number 3 on her paper. "I'm too close to the blackboard, Misa's in the middle part of the room while you're almost at the very back." She says, looking at Tao.

"I just hope I get decent seatmates." Tao wishes, her shoulders slumping.

Getting on by taking a hold of her bag, Misa moves to go to the middle of the classroom, pulling a chair out to sit on desk number 12.

"I can't believe I got the same number as Reo!"

"You're so lucky! You'll be seatmates with Nagi!"

"I want either of them to be my seatmates!"

"Excuse me" Reo says, grabbing the attention of many on him while holding up the piece of paper he got from the ballot box. "Did anyone get number twelve? Please switch seats with me."

Misa couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows at him. Why on earth would he switch places with someone just to be her seatmate? Any girl would kill just to get closer to him, to be honest.

"Me too." She hears Nagi respond, raising the piece of paper he took out. "If anyone's got number twelve, please switch places with me."

"Ah- I got number twelve!"

"Me too! I got number twelve!"

Not sparing a glance on the person who got the last two, both Reo and Nagi walked closer to the middle of the classroom, taking and lifting a chair in their hands before sitting on either side of Misa.

"Hi" Nagi says, peering at Misa's face.

"Hm? You two know each other already?" Reo asks, looking at the two of them.

Both Nagi and Misa then pointed at each other.

"I forgot my book, so I asked if he could share with me."

"What she said."

Mrs Tokoyami claps her hands. "Settle down now, everyone. Let's begin our lesson."

Just as Reo gets comfortable and leans his back against his seat, he sees Nagi through his peripheral view, resting his head on top of Misa's left shoulder before passing out to sleep.

Growing up, he's always had things being given to him and had people looking up at him hopefully that one day, be the next to take over the Mikage Corporation then he'd take over the city of Tokyo and finally the whole country.

Reo never had to lift a finger for the things he wants. Everything he wanted, he'll just come and get it. That's why he defied his parents by getting into the soccer team of Aoi Private Academy. Because not being given to what he wants excites him.

And now to see the person closest to him grow closer with the girl he likes? He felt...left out. How did this happen under his nose? How could he have missed it? It was like the weekend that he spent with Misa didn't happened at all.

It's okay. Reo tells himself, purposefully sitting closer to Misa to the point that their arms and legs are brushing against each others. 

If there's something he wants, he'll take it. However the circumstance may be, he'll not stop. After all, acquiring the world is useless if Misa is not in it.

"The messages in your love letters are getting bolder and bolder." Tao comments, peering over Misa's shoulder as she reads what is written on the paper.

"What are you going to do now?" Himari asks, crossing her arms as she leans on the wall with her side. "Prince charming love letter boy is asking you out on a date this weekend. Are you going with him?"

"What kind of code name is prince charming love letter boy?" Tao asks. "You're already giving it away!"

"It's the best I got!" Himari barks back.

"I think" Misa begins to say, earning both Himari's and Tao's attention to her, "I won't go." She adds. "But I'd like to get to know the both of them!"

Setting her bag down, she immediately takes out her stack of sticky notes and a pen, responding a letter to prince charm love letter boy and mysterious love letter boy.

Hi Prince Charming!

You seem eager to know me. Well, me too! Before I can give you my response to the cafe date, I want to get to know you.

How do you know me? Have we met before? What was your first impression of me? Do we share a class together? Or do we not? Have we crossed paths before in the hallways?

I really want to get to know the real "you".

You're really sweet. Your words always bring a warmth to my heart. If I may ask, what is the one thing you liked about me?

"I've responded to both prince charming love letter boy and mysterious love letter boy!" She announces, showing the letters to her best friends.

"I know for a fact that they'll be leaving me another letter, so when they come back here, they'll see that I have responded to them!" She says, folding the papers into two and then placing it inside her locker. "Let's give it until tomorrow afternoon."

 "I would have named them Love Letter Boy A and Love Letter Boy B." Tao responded, adjusting her glasses.

"Not even good enough nicknames." Himari replies, "But Misa used mine so" She then sticks her tongue out a Tao, bleeping at her.

"Why you-"

"And because prince charming love letter boy mentioned about this cafe opening near our school, I've decided not to go there until I know a little about him!" Misa declares, closing her shoe locker.

"I'll purposefully avoid going there and even going there with someone else. That place is strictly dedicated for prince charming love letter boy!" She adds.

"Whatever you say then." Tao replies, Himari slinging an arm around Tao's shoulders.

"Want to go to Mine cafe?" Himari asks, grinning.

That caught Misa's attention. "Mine cafe?"

"Yeah." Himari replies, "It's the cafe that your prince charming love letter boy is talking about. Just a few walks from our school actually."

Suddenly, Misa is tempted to go with them. Wanted to spend time with them at this cafe that opened, wanted to try the food they offer, wanted to take pictures and immortalize the time they spent there.

"I'll pass." She responded, giving them a tight lipped smile. "My first time there will be with him!"

"Don't say it like that!" 

"Double meaning, Misa!"