Lunch break.

I leaned on my chair to stretch my hands up and legs down. “Nghhhh!!!”

It feels so good to let all my stress out.

“Woah!” I almost fell.

Kaito holds my chair up, “Ow, ow, ow, ow! Hana you’re heavy! Get up!”

I tilt forward.

“Sorry Kaito, I forgot you were pretty weak.”

“Yeah, I know. Warn me next time.”

“It’s an accident. I can’t warn an accident.”

Kaito sighs, like he’s suffering from severe depression.

Suddenly Hiro came to me in a rush, “Hana, can I ask you a small favor?”

“Hm? Sure, it’s been a while since you’ve asked me a favor.”

He smiled, “Let’s talk about it while we eat.”

“I feel like this isn’t a ‘small’ favor.”

“Y-yeah, kinda. But not that big also?”

“Uh huh. Sure.” So obvious.

“Okay. Uhm, can Kaito and Yuri come too?” he asked me instead of Kaito who’s right beside me.

“You know you can just ask Kaito right here, right?” I gestured that he’s behind me.

“Hahahaha, that’s right, sorry, I also kinda need to talk with Yuri too.”

“Not kinda, you probably need too.” I added.

Kaito glanced at Yuri, but she scoffed at him.

“Is something going on between-”

“Okay Hiro! That’s all the questions you get. Let’s go and go!” I dragged Hiro away, “see ya later Kaito!”

If Hiro knew what it was, he’ll probably make things worse. No offence Hiro.

I dragged Hiro until we were far away enough, we couldn’t see our classroom. I let go of his arm.

“So, what’s going on between them?” he asked as I removed my hand.

“If I tell you there would be no point in dragging you out. I’ll tell you after they made up.”

“Ok, sure. That’s fine for me.”

“So, why did you wanna call all of us? It’s been a while since you’ve hanged out with us.” I said.

He nervously chuckles, “Sorry…...”

“…… I’m not that mad. I also have other groups of friends that I talk with. But you should talk to us more, you’re the one who dragged me in this group, y’know?”

He giggled, “Yeah, I did do that.” He gleefully smiled, “Sure, I’ll hang out with you guys more.”

“Good answer!” I playfully shoved his shoulder with my shoulder.

He did the same to me.

It’s been a while since we talked like this.

“Anyways, back to my question, why’d wanted to talk to all of us?”

He looked around him, looking if there’s anyone who might hear what he might say, “It’s...umm... y’know the transfer student, Isla Scott.”

The heck?!

Shocked Pikachu face insert here, “!? You Got Love at First Sight?” I laughed, “You’re an actual maiden in love!”

“Shush! Too loud.”

We were walking down the stairs to the cafeteria. So, there were a few people around us.

“Opps, sorry.” I said.

He sighed.

“But…...” I teasingly chuckled at him, “how romantic.”

His face exploded, “Ahhh! Stop it! Ahhh!” He covered his ears, closed his eyes and acted like a kid by making sounds with his mouth, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”

Despite his handsome face, the way he's acting makes him look like a monkey.

I laughed, “Oy! Oooy! Now you’re the one how’s noisy. Shush boy.” I was teasing him more, but he couldn’t hear me.

Since he couldn’t hear me, I need to get more physical to get his attention.

I rapidly pressed his sides with my fingers and immediately he stopped covering his ears and defended his sides. “Aiiie! Stop!”

When he opened his ears, I attacked it with my powerful words of teasing.

“Oh Scott-san! Scott-san! Where art thou Scott-san! Defy thy father and refuse thy name!” I said exaggerating my gestures of longing, similar to how the real Juliet would do.

His face is beet red from all my teasing.

“Lalalalalalalalalaalalalalalaalalaaaaaaa!” he covered his ears again, but this time he opened his eyes to see if I tried to get physical.

Instead of getting physical, I just playing a role as if I was Juliet, longing for Romeo to come for Juliet. I exaggerated it enough so he could understand what I was trying to say.

It work.

“Please, Hana! Stop! Aren’t you embarrassed?” he removed his ear protection.

“Okay, okay! I’m going to stop.” I stop. But I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. It’s been so long since we could’ve hung out like this. It’s kinda nostalgic.

“Y’know if you want her attention, just talk to her. Just be you.” I suggested in a much more serious tone.

“It can’t be that easy. You would at least, do...um…. smoothen it out first? Y’know—”

“Hiro.” I interrupted his dumb sentence, “It is that easy. You did it back in kindergarten. You embarrassed me in front of our classmates when you wanted to introduce me to Kaito. That pissed me off so much!”

“Oh, yeah. I do remember.” we chuckled, “You were so cold to me. Hmmm….” he mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

“You were like asking me about the flower and stuff. That was sooooo annoying.” he chuckled again, “I just wanted to be alone, but you were too dense to notice.”

When I remembered what had happened, it was strangely irritating nostalgic.

He laughed, “I’m really sorry about that, but—”

Before he finished his sentence, trouble came in the form of a boy.

“Yo, Hiro-kun!” a person slapped his back.

Hiro gave him a smile but obviously didn’t like getting slapped in the back by him, “Ow! That hurts Hinata.”

“Ah! Sorry.” He apologize, which I didn’t think that he was able to do.

Hinata Yoshikawa, was infamously known to be the alpha of our middle school’s pseudo gang. Same grade as us. Delusional, a pretender school delinquent and has a face you would love to hit a bat with, in total, I hate him. As well as the whole school. He’s also the guy Hiro’s frequently hanging out with last year.

“So, about the thing back there, you know we were just fooling around, right? Just a prank.”

He was probably talking about what happened this morning. I saw them laughing as they left when Hiro got in to trouble with Sakai-sensei. They were probably doing some stunt, but Hiro got in trouble instead of them.

“Yoshikawa, can you stop with your pranks? You’re already a high school student. Act more like it.” I didn’t know why, but my mouth acted first before my thoughts.

He looked at me like I was the one interrupting the conversation, “Oh? The girlfriend wants some attention.”

“Let’s not go there Yoshikawa.” I tried to intimidate him.

“Hey umm—” Hiro tries to cut the tension.

He scoffs at me, “Why? You’re not gonna beat me up cause you’re a ‘high school’ student.” he tilts his head up so he could look down on me.

I did had a fight with him last year. But that was because of this person’s actions, caused Hiro to get sick and was stuck at home for almost a week. I won the brawl but got detention for a week. Luckily, he got detention for two weeks, because he hit a girl.

I took a big sigh, “I don’t want any trouble, can you please leave us alone?” I tried asking ‘nicely’. Because I might beat this guy up again just by seeing his face.

Hiro tried to explain something, but Yoshikawa’s voice got louder, “I’m sick of all your yapping about me bothering Hiro-kun, it’s not like his only friend is you.”

“I’m not just yapping about something trivial; you did the same thing before. I’m just making sure the stupid person who got him in trouble last time doesn’t do the same thing again.”

“You!” he was about to raise his fist, but stopped, “Just, shut up.” he said in a lower volume.

“That’s right! Back off!” I taunt him.

“Hana please. It wasn’t Hinata’s fault that I got in trouble.” Hiro got more aggressive and block himself between us. He was protecting him from me.

“How come it’s not his fault? He got you in trouble a million of times, how is this any different?”

“Because I asked him to help me with the same thing, I’m asking you.”

As soon as he said that I realized that I was in the wrong.

I tried reasoning, but nothing came out.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted some help.” Hiro said.

I couldn’t look at Hiro. I looked at my surroundings instead.

We apparently had made a scene. There were a lot of students looking at us and had heard our argument.

“I’ll see you later Hinata.” Hiro said goodbye to him.

He left. Now it’s just me, Hiro and the crowd of students.

“Hana, you should get out of here. I’m sorry about that, I’ll talk to you once things calm down.”

“Don’t be. It was my fault.” I said before I left the scene.

He didn’t stop me from leaving.

Something’s wrong with me today. I feel like my emotions are getting all over the place. Ever since this morning, my mouth would just say something on its own. I feel like I could snap any minute now.

I went to the most secluded place I could find. I went behind the buildings and looked for a secluded place.

I didn’t find any. There were students still behind the building, instead I went to the tennis court and was about to eat there. But some of my fellow club members were practicing. I went around the court towards the bushy area.

As I arrived, I saw a hole in the fence leading outside the school.

I had my lunchbox with me. I would be fine if I eat outside.

I went outside the campus and went to the nearest park I could find.

I sat by the bench.

I had the time to think about what happened.

I ate lunch thinking about it.

Finished eating lunch still thinking about it.

Packed my things while I regret what I did.

Still had a few minutes until the bell, so I decided to stay for a bit.

No one came. Not even a person past through the park. There were some animals though, like cats walking on top the fence and ants going back to their colony with food that they’re carrying.

Right beside the bench was a small shrub with two Sumire flowers in it.

I scooched over to feel the flower. I knew what a Sumire flower feels and smells like. It’s just whenever I see any flower, I feel the urge to know what it is.

It kept me calm.

It gave me control of my emotions, of my thoughts, the way I act.

Today was the closest of me almost snapping, well I did snap a bit.

I must stay strong or else the people I care about won't be able to rely on me. Especially my dad and my brother.

I can’t be weak.

After I’ve gathered all my thoughts, I feel the same as I’ve always been.

I grabbed all my stuff and went back to the school.