Welcome to Heaven | ✓

17: Birthday Cake

Ignoring the baffled, yet awed looks from my classmates, Okito's eyes scanned the room, features glued still, per usual.

"Is that... the infamous 'Okito'?" Koyuki asked, still stunned. "Is he looking for someone?"

"He was probably worried about Kotori," Miko suggested.

"Huh?" Suddenly, I'd gotten so nervous I could hurl. "Why?"

"You corner him in this hallway every single morning," she reasoned, a small smile in play. "All except today. It seems he couldn't help but worry why."

"That... If he has the time to worry about something like that, then he totally doesn't see me as his rival! Is he looking down on me because he wanted to insult my baking again today? Bastard! He has such a warped personality!"

The only feasible conclusion I'd reached replaced my once taut nerves with a swirl of frustration. Koyuki's hand still in mine, I rose it, tapering my eyelids into slits.

"Quick," I ordered. "Stick out your tongue and taunt him. Like this."

"Wh-what?"

Koyuki's confusion aside, I demonstrated. Making a capital l with my fingers, I slapped it onto my forehead and stuck out my tongue like a petulant child. It was in that exact moment Okito's roaming gaze returned to me.

"Kotori," Miko warned.

I'd garnered the eyes of my classmates, but I dismissed them, per usual.

"Koyuki, do it too," I hissed, compressing his hand and raising it to his forehead.

"I'm not going to— Let go of my hand!" he commanded, tugging it free.

My taunting had seized, mainly because I paused to send Koyuki an equally aggravated scowl. "Why do you make it sound like holding my hand is a bad thing? You don't like it?"

He flushed beet red. "This has nothing to do with that!"

"So you do like it!"

"I— You—"

He was grappling for words, being the embarrassed mess he was. Leaving him to blush in silence, I faced Okito again only to have my heart reel to an abrupt halt.

He was glaring.

The guy I'd known my entire life to be as still as a statue—not even the prettiest dessert capable of making him smile—was now radiating ominous, 'you're-dead-to-me' vibes.

It was because I taunted him.

Or so I was assured to be the case until I realized who exactly he was pinning his stare to: Koyuki.

Was it because I was trying to get him to ridicule him too?

Not liking the idea of Koyuki taking the fall, I shielded his body and stuck out my tongue once more. Okito faltered. Then, with one final side-eye in Koyuki's direction, he turned and walked off.

"Yes, we got rid of him!" I cheered, tossing my arms into the air.

"I-I think my life flashed before my eyes," Koyuki whispered, a hand over his chest to calm his most likely racing heart. "Why was he glaring at me so hard?"

"Our taunting must've shaken him up pretty good," I excused proudly. "That'll show that bastard to never look down on us again."

"Like I said, I don't think he came here or glared at Tamura because he looks down on you," Miko sighed from where she was. "It's more like he..."

"What?"

She shook her head, dismissing the idea. I blinked.

He didn't look down on us? What was Miko implying? That there was another other reason that would make him stop by? Of course not. We cut off all ties.