Entering high school Takagi-San and Nishikata meet again. After all the teasing in middle school, how will Nishikata continue to face the jokes Takagi-San makes? Will high school finally be the time when Nishikata discovers the true reason why Takag...
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At school:
"Okay Ishikami-kun, this is our school! I think you have to report to the principal about your arrival... then, I'll see you sometime later!" I hold hands with Mira and together we walk to our classroom.
During the way to the classroom, Mira suddenly looks at me with her big puppy eyes, "so, is that the neighbor that you were talking about?" I nod.
"Is he...going to be walking with us to school every morning now?" Mira starts playing with her hair, which I almost never see her do.
"Yep! Unless you mind...?" I looked back at Mira, who glanced into empty space.
"uh...n-no! I don't mind...I don't mind..."
After that, the walk to the classroom was silent.
Nothing special happened at school that day. But somehow, I feel like Mira is acting a little differently. Hmmm, a different side of Mira. Interesting.
We do not see Ishikami-kun until the end of the day, where he waits for us at the front gate. He waves to us, and together we walk back home.
"Cmon, let's go." He seems a little more relaxed around us now. I wonder how school was for him.
"Soo..how was your first day of school? Was it fun? Did you make friends?" I grin, the old Mira is back.
"It was....okay. Not bad I suppose. How about you...Mira?" It's nice seeing him socializing with Mira. I hope that we become closer friends.
When we almost walked back to Mira's house, Mira suddenly stops.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Uh, Ishikami-San, Takagi and I would always have play dates at our backyard, would you like to come sometime and play with us?" Mira lets out a sigh of relief. As if she wanted to say that since the beginning of the walk.
"Oh, my mother probably already made lunch already, and I still have to help unpack. So...maybe next time?" Ishikami looks at me, and then at Mira, who sadly smiles.
"It's alright! You can come next time, you're always welcome here! We are neighbors, right?" I smile at my friend.
There he went, and leaving me and Mira together in the afternoon, another afternoon, another afternoon.
A week later, he finally agrees to go to Mira's house. I assume he was nervous, and maybe a tad shy, if I may say so. I mean- he is going to a girl's house. Of course it'd be nervous. And weird. The only time I've been to a boy's house was when....I went to Ishikami-kun's house with Mom!
"Nice house Mira..." was all he said, and the next second, it was kinda quiet.
Usually me and Mira would play dress up and role play, however, Ishikami-kun may not like dolls and playing as princesses in a castle hehe...
"How about we play board games?" I suggested.
No one had complaints, so we went with board games. ... "Bye!! See you guys tomorrow!" I wave goodbye to Mira, who was standing outside her front door.
Ishikami-kun walks next to me, and together we walk to our houses across the streets.
"Hey...Takagi, do you ever wonder why the stars are always around, but we don't see it during the day?"
Wow, some deep question...
"Uh...because the sun shines too brightly on the sun, therefore the brightness of the stars are not seen...?" I don't know why I answered that. So logically too...
He laughs. I never heard him laugh. I cock my head, and look up at him.
"hm, maybe you're right. Still, Takagi, you do not need to be so serious at this question. Honestly, I don't even know why I asked that, heh..... oh, it's your house. You should go, your mother should be home."
I nodded. And I went inside, watching Ishikami-kun gaze up at the stars before walking back to his house.
Sneak Peek:Chapter 16: Confession
"I-I like you Ishikami-San! I liked you since I saw you...." Her face was so pink, and I swear, she was playing with her hair.
I could say I feel guilty for watching something that is beyond my business, and someone's privacy. I gulped. I can't help it. I continued to watch. Watch Ishikami's reaction. 3 years. It's been three years. And she kept this from me.
Oh well, everyone's got some secrets of their own...right?
