Why Do You Like Teasing Me So Much?

Chapter 7: Lunch

"Well you really didn't change since middle school Nishikata!" Takagi covers her mouth while she bursts into laughter.

"You really weren't wrong Takagi-Chan! Nishikata-kun is fun to tease!" Mira runs over to help Nishikata up. Nishikata looks at the hand, and then holds onto hers. When Nishikata was halfway up, Mira suddenly lets go of her grip. Leaving Nishikata to fall once more.

"HAHHAHA!" Mira smiles and chuckles, "I'm sorry, Nishikata-kun, i-it's just that you're so naive and funny! Takagi-chan wasn't wrong about that!"

Nishikata looks aghast at the girl he once thought was the quiet and shy nerd. Are they cousins or something? They have such....similar personalities. Nishikata helps himself up, and almost noticed the small frown on Takagi-san's face. But the frown quickly faded and formed a smile. "Come on guys! Sanae, Yukari, and Mina are waiting for us!" Takagi leads them to the loud chattering cafeteria.

They get in line for lunch, which was fried rice with chrysanthemum tea. Nishikata hands his student card to the lunch ladies, and he gets the lunch. Takagi and Mira already got their lunches, so they were waiting for Nishikata.
Together, they walk to a table at the far end of the cafeteria near the windows. Nishikata sees some of his classmates from middle school. Sanae, the quiet and sporty girl that never smiles. Mina, the exact opposite of Sanae, energetic and playful. Yukari, the love-sick teen that is nice. He suddenly notices two students sitting together at the end of the table. It was Mano and Nakai! So they did end up together. He smiles with jealously at them.

"Come on Nishikata! Sit down and let's eat." Takagi puts her tray next to where he was standing, so he sat down next to her. Mira sat across from Takagi.

"OoOoh Takagi-San, are you and Nishikata in the same homeroom? Lucky~..." Yukari teases, with her chopsticks up and pointing at the two of them.

Nishikata gulped, and he looks nervously at Takagi, who only grins, "Mhm, we sure are! Are you three in the same homeroom too?"

Mina frowns, "No, sadly...I'm in a different homeroom than Yukari-San and Sanae-San. But I'm in the same homeroom as Mano-Chan and Nakai-kun."

"Oh oh oh! I heard that Mano ended up confessing to him at the last day of middle school, are they dating now?" Yukari whispered, casting a look at them.

"Maybe...I don't know yet, so I'll ask Mano-Chan later!" Mina smiles and stuffs her mouth with rice.

Sanae, who didn't usually speak, asks, "Who is this, Takagi-San? Is she your friend or something?" She nods her head at the girl next to her, who waves to everyone and smiles.

"Greetings everyone! My name is Mira Takahashi, and I'm Takagi-Chan's....childhood friend! I've moved back here from America, so I wasn't here for middle school. Hope we can be friends!"

Everyone stares at her in silence, and then at Takagi, who weakly smiles and nods.

Mina breaks the silence by cheering, "Welcome! Let's be great friends, all of us!" And everyone cheers with her as well as laughter and friendship fills the atmosphere of the loud cafeteria. Nishikata looks around and sees some of his friends, and they waved. He invited them to sit with him for lunch. Soon, the nervousness of the freshmen dissipated into the normal happiness of old middle school.