Yajima-san told me to meet her at 3PM but she said it will be better if I meet her earlier so that we can 'practice'.
- practice for what?
- boy-girl stuff. you know, things that couples do.
- like things I do with Sugaya?
- maybe. but you're just classmates right?

- not amymore

- WHAT? NO WAY!!! O_o
- we're friends

- right. whew you almost got me there. remind me to give you a punch in the gut later haha. don't be late okay!
Part of me tells me that this was a big mistake. Maybe I should have tried harder to talk her out of this, even if it would be useless, but another part of me wants to find out why she wants me to do this.
Is she trying to avoid someone? Is she going to make someone jealous? Or could she just have made this up just so she can go out with me?
The first two are feasible but the last one? Absolutely not. It's about time I got back to reality...
I called Sugaya and told her to meet me at 4PM. I gave a one-hour interval because I wasn't sure if Yajima-san was serious with that part about doing 'things that couples do'. And I'm not sure if Sugaya will bring someone along with her. I'm hoping that she won't.
I was about to leave the house but my sister saw me when I was at the door
"Going on a date, Onii-chan?"
"I think so."
"With whom?"
"Ummm...secret."
"Someone aside from Risako-san?"
"Nah. I'm just kidding. I'm going to see her."
"Good. Because if I learn that you went out with someone else, I'm going to disown you as my brother."
Great. Does my sister have E.S.P. or something? If she had, I'd ask her how'd this day would turn out before I actually got. But the thought of standing up someone as pretty as Yajima-san...I can't let her down. Letting her friends down is almost like letting Sugaya down. I don't do that.
I'd understand if she stood me up, but if I did that to her? Now that is unforgivable.
I am going to meet up with Sugaya later anyway, maybe I can ask her to go eat ice cream with me again. Or maybe I can take her to that accessory shop.
I was surprised to see Yajima-san before me. With what she was wearing, she was in 'girly mode' again. I wasn't sure if she had lipstick too. Nope. Her lips were really just like that. Nope. No view of her legs too.
"Hey! You're early too huh?" she said when she saw me.
Then she stood up and threw a punch. I didn't have the time to ask her why. Maybe she saw me looking at her legs? I closed my eyes before her fists hit me but she stopped it just before it landed. "Just kidding." she said as she patted me in the head.
"You're scary, Yajima-san."
"I am? Maybe that's why I can't get boys to like me. Maybe I'm really destined to be a tomboy..."
"That's not true. It's impossible that boys don't like you. You're a pretty girl. And you play sports. And you're sexy. And you have a photobook. And....did I just say something about a photobook."
"...I'm sexy?" she asked me with a dagger look. I should learn how to be careful before I say something that can kill me.
"I mean..."
"Haha. So you know about it too. It's okay. I'm not mad. I just don't know where you got that idea that I'm sexy. I mean, I feel like I'm a twig."
"You're not a twig." Great. Now it looked like I made her feel bad about her figure. I must think of something nice to say..."Only sexy girls get photobooks right?"
"Haha. Yeah. Maybe you're right. Go buy it when it comes out, okay?"
"Ummm...I don't think I..."
"Are you gonna buy it or not?"
"Okay, okay."
"I was just kidding. Hahaha. You're too easy. Don't tell me you act like that in front of Risako-chan."
"Most of the time, yes."
"Aww. That's real cute but don't show him that later okay."
"Him?"
"This guy we're going to meet. He's from our school but I think he's younger than me. He keeps following me around, calling me princess. I don't like it."
"So you asked me to pretend as your boyfriend so he'll leave you alone, right Yajima-san?" I was right. She is trying to avoid someone. She didn't make this up.
"Right. Also, make sure you don't call me Yajima-san in front of him because that will expose our cover."
"What do I call you then?"
"How do you call Risako-chan?"
"Risako."
"Then just call me Maimi."
"Is it really okay?"
"It's fine. Now, we should start practicing before he arrives..."
Yajima-san said that we should work on clinging onto each other's arms and holding each other's hand so that it'd look sweet. Good thing she didn't say anything about kissing...
"Hey, maybe we should practice kissing too."
Oops. I spoke too soon. My mind went blank after she said that.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" she said as she waved her hand in front of my face.
"Do we really have to? I think holding hands is convincing enough."
"Why, never kissed a girl before?"
"It's because I'm the one who always gets kissed."
"Really? I'm gonna ask Risako-chan about that."
"Go ahead. Ask her."
"Okay, so I'll be the one to kiss you." she said as he moved her face closer to mine. I tried to pull away but it was useless. She kissed me on the cheek. She pulled away then kissed me on the same spot again.
"Yajima-san..." she wasn't finished though. This time however, I was facing her so her lips landed on mine. That was when she stopped.
"Risako-chan doesn't kiss you like that, huh?" she said as she smiled at me.
"Who is that guy, Yajima-hime?!"
We turned around and saw a guy who was wearing a black jacket. His hood was on, even if it was quite sunny outside. He's probably the suitor Yajima-san was trying to get rid of.
"I'm..."
"He's..."
"...your boyfriend? You're kidding me. Are those really your type?"
"What's wrong with my taste?" Yajima-san said as she grabbed my arm and kissed me again and leaned her head at my shoulder.
As much as I enjoyed Yajima-san kissing me, I don't think this is part of the show anymore. She's taking advantage of me!
"There's nothing wrong..."
"Good. So don't keep bugging me anymore, okay. You should go find yourself another girl. I have a boyfriend."
"I thought you were gonna dump him nicely." I whispered to her.
"Shhh. Keep quiet."
The other guy removed the hood and gave me a scary look. He had a plaster strip under his chin. He looked like a gentle person but his facial expression suddenly changed when he looked at me. Then he took off his jacket too.
"I'll leave you alone, Yajima-hime, if he beats me fair and square. Come on, let's fight!" he said as he pointed at me. "And get off your slimy hands off her."
I cheked where my hand was and it was on *gasp* her behind! I took my hand off and placed it in my pocket. Good thing Yajima-san didn't notice. Or did she know that it was there the whole time?
"Come on!"
"Fight? Yajima-san, you didn't tell me that your suitor was a war freak!" I told her.
"Well he did beat up some of the guys in school that talked to me before. I didn't know that he was a jealous guy."
"Talk to him. Tell him we were just pretending. Tell him the truth, that he's not your type."
"No way! If I do that, he'll keep bugging me in school. Please, help we with this one."
"But I can't fight him."
"Okay. Just get hit once then I'll rescue you and scold him. Maybe that'll work."
"What if it doesn't?"
"Well, just hope it does! I don't have any other ideas." she pushed me after she said that and I bumped the guy, who was staring at me all the time. It feels like he wants to destroy me or bury me on the ground, with just my head exposed, then ask Yajima-san to penalty kick my head.
Before I could pull myself together, he put me on a headlock.
"Hey, let go of him!"
"Maimi-chan!!!"
"Hello there Risako-chan! Could you help me tell this brute to let go of my boyfriend! Oh, hello Kuma-chan, Airi-chan..."
"..."
"..."
Yajima-san's suitor suddenly let go of me.
"Your boyfriend?" Sugaya asked.
"I mean, 'your' boyfriend." Yajima-san replied.
"Maimi-chan! You never showed that dress of yours to me before. That's so cute!" said the girl they called Airi-chan.
"You? What are you doing here?" Kumai-san said. I didn't know whom she was talking to.
"Kumai...Yurina? Is that you?" I couldn't believe it, but he was blushing.
"Hah! So you still call me by my whole name."
"You're..."
"I'm what?" Kumai-san said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"You're tall."
"Of course. I wanted to catch up with you."
"You know each other, Kuma-chan?" Yajima-san asked.
"Kinda. He used to go to our school and he used to beat up a lot of people there. And he used to write some letters for me."
"You mean those letters you showed me before?" Sugaya asked.
"Yeah."
"He wrote them?"
"He did."
"Hey they're both pretty cute. My name is Suzuki Airi. Nice to meet you." the other girl said as she bowed. We bowed to her too. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat, Maimi-chan."
***
We went to a nearby cafe. All of us, including Yajima-san's suitor/Kumai-san's secret admirer.
"Risako, I can explain. Yajima-san asked for some help and...."
"Don't bother. I don't want to hear it. I'm disappointed with you.."
"But..."
"I just have one question..."
Uh-oh. Here it comes.
Will she ask me if I'm serious with our relationship? Will she ask me if it's okay if we 'cool down' for a while?
But whatever she says, I know it's my fault. I should have told her what kind of help Yajima-san was asking for. I brought this upon myself. Now I have to prepare for her wrath. Or worse...
"...how come you're not wearing Maimi-chan's clothes? I thought you were gonna wear them?" she said as she laughed.
"What?!"
"I came here, expecting to see you wear a girly dress. Maimi-chan has the best girly dresses, only she doesn't like wearing them much."
"Huh, I don't get it?"
Then she explained it to me. Apparently, Yajima-san DID ask Kumai-san and Suzuki-san to help her and asked them to pretend to be her girlfriends. She already knew about it even before I told her that I'll be helping Yajima-san out, that's why she wanted to bring Kumai-san along today. They thought that she asked me to do the same thing, but unfortunately, I didn't want to pretend to be a girl.
"That's it? You just want to see me wearing girly clothes?"
"What? There's nothing wrong with that, is it? I think that would be cute."
"Umm. Okay. But did Kumai-san tell you why she refused?"
"Nope."
"What about Suzuki-san? Did she tell you why?"
"I told Maimi-chan that I don't like pretending to be what I already am." Suzuki-san said before she sipped at her glass. She blushed and smiled as she looked at Yajima-san.
"Cut it out, Airi-chan. Not in front of other people." Yajima-san told her.
"So what have you been up to? Still beating the crap out of other kids?" Kumai-san asked the other guy who was sitting across her.
"Most of the time, yeah. But I do it because I hear them say bad things about Yajima-san."
"What happened to Yajima-hime?" Yajima-san asked him.
*sigh* "Don't worry, I won't bother you from now on. But I'll still beat up people if I hear them talk behind your back."
"So you found someone new to bother, huh?" Yajima-san said as she looked at Kumai-san.
"No way!"
"Kumai Yurina-hime. I'll be seeing you around." he said as he stood up and left.
"..."
"..."
"...Hey, he didn't pay his bill!"
***
Kumai-san went ahead. She said she was gonna go to Tokunaga-san's place and tell her what happened today. Yajima-san said she'll be the one to take Suzuki-san home.
"Sorry for the trouble, Pretty Boy. But thanks a lot for showing up. I didn't think you'd help me. Thanks for letting me borrow him, Risako-chan." she said as she hugged Sugaya.
"No problem."
"What? You mean you knew about this all along?"
"Yeah. Maimi-chan told me about it."
"You girls are crazy!"
They just laughed at me. They are crazy.
"Make sure you take Risako-chan home, Pretty Boy."
"I will, Yajima-san."
"But you better watch out, Risako-chan. Pretty Boy likes to touch butts."
"I do not!!!"
"Yeah. I know, Maimi-chan. He touches my butt all the time too."
"I do not!!!"
"Is his name really Pretty Boy?" Suzuki-chan asked them.
They laughed at me again. The crazy girls. Then Yajima-san and Suzuki-san waved goodbye and went ahead.
"Do you want to get some ice cream?" I asked her.
"Why not.?" she said as she held my hand. "Let's go!"
***
As we walked towards her house, I felt that I had to tell her that Yajima-san kissed me. I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I tell her the truth.
We stopped in front of their gate.
"Ummm, there's something I have to tell you."
"I know. Maimi-chan kissed you, didn't she?"
"How'd you know?"
"There's some lipstick on your cheek."
I took out my handkerchief and wiped that part of my face which Yajima-san kissed but when I looked at it, there was no lipstick.
"Gotcha!"
"That's not funny."
"Yes it is."
"If you say so."
"Haha. Sorry."
"It's okay with you that she kissed me?"
"That's normal. Yajima-san's always like that. She kisses everyone backstage, anytime she wants and everytime she wants."
"I see."
"But you know why I really don't mind her kissing you?"
"Why?"
She moved closer to me and placed one of her fingers at the side of my lips. She stared at me.
Then she closed her eyes.
Then she kissed me.
For ten seconds.
"Because I can kiss a lot better than her. See you in school." she said as she went inside.
Yep.
She's crazy.
But I'm in love with this crazy girl.