Accordance

25

Spring

"It's been a full year since we met."

"Has it?"

"Mm."

"Wow. A whole year."

"Yes. It came fast."

"Sure did."

***

He had had enough. They had fooled everyone. Or maybe they had only fooled themselves. The bullying had stopped. For a while, they had been convincing. But he could not and would not continue the act. It was time for her to come back to him.

***

He waited for her at the bottom of the hill. When she came up, she stopped, looking at him.

"Hiroto...what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Standing there."

"Waiting for you."

"Oh..."

"This isn't the first time I've done so. Come on." They made it up the hill and he could have laughed at how out of breath she was.

"Someone got out of shape during Christmas."

"Shut up. Everybody ain't always runnin in the dead of winter like you." He chuckled.

"You should have come with me. It would have been fun." She cut her eyes at him.

"No thanks."

"You wouldn't have been huffing all the way up the hill." He teased, poking her forehead. She pursed her lips.

"Ah, is it real... are my eyes seeing this?" Tobu came up to them grinning. Rae dropped her mouth in shock.

"Tobu... your English..."

"It is better mm? I wanted to practice. I still have way to go."

"I'm proud of you! You did well Bu!" He blushed and looked at her from under his bangs.

"Now, we needa get you a haircut so you can show that handsome face of yours." She teased. His cheeks grew pink.

"Rae..." He grinned though.

"You two are together again? Took you long enough."

"Sure did." It seemed like everybody had been waiting for them. Aiko and the others came up to them. She hugged her and Rie. Shinju bowed politely and Momo ruffled her hair.

"How y'all?"

"Good. Better now that you and Iwase back together." She blushed.

"Uh... just cause we walkin together don't mean-"

"Together mean together. Y'all was bout to make me and Tobu come find y'all." Tobu chuckled and glanced up at Aiko. Rae lifted her eyebrow.

"Since when y'all on first name basis? Aiko, I didn't know you knew Tobu like that." She flipped her hair back and sighed.

"See you was too busy ignoring bruh man that you missed our interactions." Both her and Hiroto were floored. Interactions? What kind of interactions were these?