Heart-Strings

CH 13

Finally

Izumi looked at the large door in front of her.

The same door she saw a few weeks ago.

"I really made it."

The thought was with dismay.

She couldn't believe she had actually made it.

Yes her grandmother kept saying she was going to make it, but she didn't want to fully believe it.

The reason was that when she didn't make it, it wouldn't come as a big shock or a let down.

She smiled.

A genuine smile.

"Do you want to go inside now, or do you want to look at the building some more?"

Izumi turned her head to look at the person who had just said that.

Her sight was then met with Shouto's blanked expression.

Izumi tilted her head in confusion before noticing that they, more of her, were blocking peoples way.

She then noticed of his shaking manner.

She mentally slapped her forehead before rushing to explain.

"Sorry, I didn't believe I had actually made it! It still feels a bit unbelievable." She said with an awkward chuckle.

Shouto stared at her for a bit before nodding.

"It's fine. You shouldn't doubt yourself as much. I might not know you for long, but you do pretty well for yourself." Shouto said with his usual monotone voice.

He then stepped forward, pulling Izumi with him as they made their way inside.

Huh?

Izumi blinked and stared at Shouto in confusion.

"Did he just compliment me?" She thought.

She shook her head to dismiss the thought.

To her, Shouto did not seem as one to compliment others on a daily basis.

To add more to that, even his own mother seems surprised by any interaction he has with people.

That itself just proves her conclusion even more.

She nodded to convince herself and to stop the slight blush that was slowly making it way to her face.

She stared at Shouto in trance while her thoughts were running.

Hm?

"Is he blushing?"

She gazed at his flushed ears.

She stared at them in a daze before dropping down her head.

She looked down with a smile on her face.

Both her ears and face started to redden at the sight of Shouto and her own thoughts.

Shouto pulled Izumi into the school, and she had just let him do so.

—

People were rushing into classes, some were meeting up with their friends, and others were walking in the school as if they already knew of the interior.

"Where is your class?" Shouto asked.

He then looked around after the question.

"There are too many people."

His eyebrows furrowed.

Public spaces weren't exactly his type; but then again, he didn't really have a choice.

"It's class B-1!" Izumi excitedly answered.

She was extremely happy and eager to look around the school.

She might've already been to the school for lots of times, but this time it was "different."

"B-1?" Shouto asked in confusion.

His gaze was turned to Izumi.

He tilted his head in confusion.

"Mhm!" Izumi nodded.

"It's in the basement somewhere." She continued; furrowing her eyebrows to make sure of the information.

"Oh, Ok." Shouto said as he looked down at Izumi.

He drooped slightly.

-
He wouldn't admit it but he had wanted their classes to be close, even if it was slightly close.

The basement was quite far from where his class was.

This then made him slightly unhappy.
-

Izumi nodded.

"Yeah." She smiled

She looked down at herself before realizing.

"Ah, here you go!" With that being said, she then went on to remove the gloves and scarf that was on her.

"Don't worry it's ok, you can have it." Shouto said.

He then proceeded to remove his phone from his pocket to check the time.

Izumi paused in the midst of her actions.

She was about to remove the second glove before she stopped.

She looked up at Shouto before tilting her head in confusion.

"Are you sure? Aren't you cold?" Izumi asked worriedly.

"Yes, don't worry I'm fine." Shouto answered.

"Let's go, I'll drop you off." He continued as he put his phone back in his pocket.

As he did that, he followed it up with looking around to know where the staircase was.

Izumi looked at Shouto for a moment before smiling.

She nodded a slight nod.

"Ok! We need to go right here then." Izumi said.

She grabbed Shouto's hand and turned him to face the other way.

Shouto nodded; both to her actions and words.

A smile made its a way on Izumi's face as she saw his nod.