10 Signs You're In Love With Your Best Friend • OHSHC

Chapter 8

On the outside, the manor was the perfect display of peacefulness. A gardener went about his job, trimming hedges and tending to the small patches of colorful flowers in front of the windows. Maids and house workers could be seen through the aforementioned windows, carrying out their duties and keeping the estate in perfect condition. However, inside of Aiko's bedroom, it was anything but peaceful.

"I can't believe he'd ask her on a date like that!" Fumed Hikaru. He was sitting on Aiko's bed, arms crossed, and his face in a tight pout.

"All he did was ask Haruhi to help him pick out paint swatches for his bedroom after school," Aiko began, "I highly doubt that counts as a date." Hikaru shot a glare towards the girl, forehead wrinkling as he kept pouting.

"He just likes to piss me off!"

Aiko rolled her eyes at the boy's childishness and poked his forehead harshly. "You'll get wrinkles prematurely if you keep making that face," she lectured.

"That's not true," Hikaru protested as he rubbed the spot that she had poked, "You're lying."

"No," Aiko argued in a singsong voice, "I read it online!" She leaned closer to him, squinting her eyes as they honed in on a spot just below his hairline. "In fact, I think I can see some already!"

"You're lying," Hikaru retorted as he pushed the girl away from him, "My moisturizing routine is too good for that to happen!"

Aiko simply hummed and tapped his forehead again. "One, two, three, four..." she counted off as she poked and identified the nonexistent wrinkles. Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise - or perhaps it was fear - and he dashed over to the mirror.

"Wait, are you being serious?" He questioned in a panicked voice. Hikaru searched and searched his forehead for any unsightly wrinkles as Aiko just laughed behind him.

"I'm just kidding! You're face is as perfect as it always is," Aiko gasped out between giggles. Hikaru glared at her in the mirror and, after one more look at his face, turned around and plopped back onto the bed.

"I knew that," Hikaru said as he turned his head up at Aiko, "I was just trying to amuse you." In a desperate attempt to change the subject, Hikaru quickly grabbed a book off the desk. "What's this? Your diary?" Hikaru inquired as he looked through the pages. Instead of confessions about love and dark secrets too embarrassing to tell anyone, drawings of anything from animals to people adorned the pages in messy sketches and far-from-complete pictures. In all honesty, the pictures were good. Amazing in fact. He held the sketchbook up so that Aiko could see and peered over his shoulder. "Did you draw these?"

Aiko spared the pages a simple glance. "Yeah, I did. So what?" Hikaru flipped through the pages once more.

"Why'd you never tell me that you drew? These are amazing!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up over-dramatically.

Aiko shrugged. "I mean, they're really no-"

"The hell they are!" Hikaru interrupted with a yell. "They're amazing! I'll fight you over this!"

"Oh please," Aiko began with a curt laugh, "I've seen you fight, and trust me, it's nothing to be impressed over. Aren't you scared that you'll break a nail?"

"Tch. As if," he retorted as he examined his perfectly cut nails, "I just got a manicure, mind you."

They both paused. A moment passed before the two burst out laughing. "I don't even doubt it at this point," Aiko said with a chuckle as she picked up the sketchbook off the floor that Hikaru absentmindedly threw. Aiko ruffled through the pages, pausing every now and then to look at one of the messy drawings, before setting the book on the table. "By the way, thanks for reminding me," she said suddenly.