(Kazama Riku POV)
***
*RING-RING-RING-RING-RING*
"Urfhhh this STUPID alarm clock."
I reached for the alarm shaped like a gun from 'Ereskima', my favorite game series, and flung that stupid shit at the wall when the button refused to turn off the blaring noise.
*CLANG-THUD*
The ear-grating sounds finally quietened down when a few pieces fell apart, a peaceful silence embracing my cozy room.
I blinked irritably at the fact that I was now awake, cursing myself for forgetting to turn the alarm off before going to bed last night.
"Tch, I slept really late.... those rounds went on longer than I thought it would," I groaned, reaching for my phone on the nightstand.
After the practice sessions for the upcoming E-Sports tournament next month began, the seniors and I had been fitting in as many games as we could during our free time.
"Hehe, I have a good feeling about the tournament! At this rate I'll definitely replace that stupid second-year in the main team, how did he even make it this far?"
Remembering how I had specifically targeted and hunted that senior the entire time, a satisfied smile grew on my face.
Just then, I got a notification on Chatly, so I opened it up thinking the seniors wanted to get a few more rounds in this morning.
But it wasn't them.
***
~Hina~
CherryBlossom: Riku, are you up?
GamerGod: Wassup, I just woke up
CherryBlossom: Want to hang out today?
GamerGod: What do you want to do?
CherryBlossom: I was thinking we could go to the cafe on Third Commercial Street, the one Haruna-chan went to with the Cooking Club!
CherryBlossom: Apparently it's awesome!
GamerGod: Mehhh, aren't you tired of sweets by now?
GamerGod: Going all the way there for coffee and desserts is crazy imo
CherryBlossom: She said it was worth it though....
CherryBlossom: I thought all three of us could go
GamerGod: Well, fine then. Text her and we can go together.
CherryBlossom: YAY! Ok, gimme a sec
***
I put my phone down and got up to brush my teeth, a tired yawn reminding me that I hadn't gotten enough sleep.
"I don't really wanna go, but if Yuzuki-san is coming...."
It was a good chance to spend some time with her without making it weird, I couldn't miss the opportunity.
I ruffled my spiky brown hair in the mirror, thinking that it had gotten a little long.
"Should I get it cut? But long messy hair looked cool on that delinquent, maybe I should get something similar?" I muttered as I combed it back a little.
He frowned when he remembered Yuzuki-san talking to him comfortably a few days ago, when they met at the entrance of school before classes began.
'After all I did to stop them from getting to know each other.... Why on earth did they look so close?? Is she not scared of the rumor I made up about him? Even if she didn't believe it, what about all the fights he gets into? That girl has ZERO survival skills!'
I brushed my teeth a little more roughly than I usually did, wincing as I felt the bristles cut into my gums. I spat out immediately, noticing small trickles of blood mixed in with the toothpaste and saliva.
'Tch, he's making people bleed even from a distance,' I chuckled with derision.
Truth be told, I wasn't sure why I was so wary of the man.
Was it the sudden change in his demeanor?
Or maybe just because he was unfairly good-looking?
I couldn't quite put a finger on it, but there was like a voice at the back of my mind telling me to watch out for him. Sounds ridiculous, but even though there was no real basis for it, there was no harm in being extra cautious.
'Gotta find a way to keep Yuzuki-san away from that shithead....'
As I slowly wiped my face with a towel and licked the small cut in my mouth, the phone dinged again. I jogged up to my bed and picked it up quickly, a trace of excitement leaking out unknowingly.
***
~Hina~
CherryBlossom: No good. Haruna-chan is studying for the midterms (T_T)
GamerGod: What, why? There's still a week left!
GamerGod: plus, a few hours outside would still leave the rest of the day for studying
CherryBlossom: Yeah but she said she's aiming for the Top 10
GamerGod: lol what? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
GamerGod: is she delusional? her ranking was even lower than mine, right?
CherryBlossom: that's mean Riku
CherryBlossom: she's actually pretty smart, i think she can do it
GamerGod: don't be silly, i'll lick my own foot and post the video online if she does it
CherryBlossom: that's just weird....
GamerGod: I know, but it's not gonna happen
CherryBlossom: ok forget about it, we can still go to the cafe ourselves?
GamerGod: nah, no fun with just two people
CherryBlossom: ....fine
GamerGod: Don't be mad, come over for ice cream later
CherryBlossom: ok
***
I clicked my tongue at the cancellation of the trip, baffled that Yuzuki-san was genuinely trying to enter the Top 10, as if it would be a walk in the park.
'What is even going through her mind these days??'
I was puzzled at her refusal because she had never really turned down the chance to hang out with us.
But then.... a certain man's image popped up in my mind.
'Could it be... Nahhhh, there's no way!'
I immediately denied the prospect, shoving the thought out of my head. But it kept creeping back in, like a parasite that wouldn't stop trying to wiggle its way through.
I sighed as I powered on my PC, deciding to play a few more rounds before the evening session with the club seniors to distract myself from my wandering imagination.
Technically, it wasn't mandatory, since club activities are supposed to be confined to the weekly meetings to prevent them from affecting our studies, but this was not work to me.
This was LIFE!
"Let's have some fun!"
***
(Hina's POV)
Hina bit her lip as she blankly stared at her phone screen, which had gone dark due to inactivity.
Neither of her friends wanted to hang out with her, and though she knew Haruna-chan was doing something important, the empty feeling in her heart wouldn't go away.
'What should I do....'
She slowly stood up from her bed, walking over to her desk on the other side of her room and opening her school backpack next to it.
She took out a couple of different textbooks and some notes, glancing at the calendar on the wall while deciding to follow Haruna-chan's lead.
Though there was still time until the midterms and she was more or less confident about ranking high, it wouldn't hurt to get started early either.
'No point getting frustrated over this, I can't keep relying on others all the time,' she thought, smacking her cheeks with determination.
After the argument she had with Riku, and especially after his 'choice' in the park, she had decided that her emotions were influenced too much by what he did.
'Haruna-chan was right.'
Why should she care about what he thought about her? Though he was her closest friend, he wasn't the only friend she had.
So from now on, Hina decided that in order for her to take control of her happiness, she would have to change her perspective on things.
But of course..... that was easier said than done.
Hina clutched at her homework sheet tightly, crumpling the paper's edges with the sheer force of her grip. She drooped over and rested her head on her arms, blocking the sunlight so that she could find a moment of solace in the darkness.
'This isn't fair...'
***
"Oi, you're getting distracted again!"
Reiji pulled on Haruna's ear lightly, forcing her to put down the phone in her hands.
"Ow ow ow! Ok, I'm sorry!"
She flung her phone onto her bed, shifting her focus to the stacks of paper on the low table in front of them with a pout.
They were sitting in the bedroom so that Granny could relax in the main hall without needing to stay quiet out of concern for their concentration.
"I was just sending a message..." she muttered despondently, her mind fuzzy from all the studying.
Reiji had come over quite early in the morning, not wanting to waste any time before the midterms arrived, so they had been working for a couple of hours now.
Though she was initially touched by his seriousness, all she felt now was a mind-numbing blankness because of the barrage of information hammering at her poor brain.
"Reiji-tan, can we pleeease take a break?" she asked as she tugged at his sleeve affectionately.
He glanced at her and saw the overpowered puppy dog eyes she was giving him, doing her best to seem pitiful.
He smiled and flicked her head ruthlessly.
"OW, YOU MEANIE!"
"No breaks until lunchtime. Don't worry, I'll make you something delicious, so concentrate until then, ok?" he said, his voice getting soft towards the end.
"....Ok."
Reiji nodded with appreciation at her commitment, turning back to the textbooks with a battle-ready expression.
Although he showed an apathetic reaction to her request, his heart was pounding faster than ever, his thoughts in complete disarray because of this terrifying woman.
'Too cute, too cute.... this is fucking dangerous!'