Chapter 10: The Girl I Care About
The boy had a girl he cared about.
She was lively and intelligent.
Though a girl, she excelled at sports, her energetic figure a common sight on the playground.
She was a caring friend, always the first to offer a helping hand.
She was a responsible student, always completing her tasks with a smile.
She was… the girl he admired.
The boy loved playing soccer, not just for the sport itself, but for the chance to see her in her element, her confidence and skill on full display.
He won some matches, lost many more.
But it didn’t matter.
Seeing her bright smile was all the reward he needed.
But lately, everything had changed.
For some reason, the girl had become withdrawn.
She was distracted in class, lost in thought during breaks.
The classroom felt empty without her cheerful voice, the playground dull without her energetic presence.
What had happened to his bright, cheerful girl?
That day, the boy couldn’t take it anymore.
As soon as class ended, he walked straight up to her.
“Kyoko, is something bothering you?”
………………………………………………………………..
“Yo?”
Kyoko, startled out of her reverie, looked up to see the boy standing before her, his expression filled with concern.
‘Yo… It’s Yo…’
‘What do I do? He’s talking to me!’
‘He’s worried about me… I’m so happy!’
‘But what should I say?’
‘He’ll think I’m weird if I don’t say anything…’
“…”
In the end, all she managed was a stammered, “I-I’m not feeling well.”
And with that, she fled the classroom like a whirlwind.
“Not feeling well? You should…”
“Drink plenty of fluids.”
The boy finished his sentence, his voice laced with disappointment, but the girl’s seat was empty.
He bit his lip, his shoulders slumping. After a moment, he turned and trudged back to his own desk.
“Oof!”
Lost in thought, he bumped into someone.
“Oh, sorry about that. Yo, isn’t it?”
The boy looked up to see Kosan staring down at him, a knowing smirk on her face.
“It’s okay,” he mumbled, brushing himself off. “I should’ve been paying attention.”
“Right.” Kosan drew out the word. “Say, there’s something off about Kyoko lately, don’t you think?”
“You’ve noticed it too?” The boy looked at her in surprise.
“Of course! She’s my friend, you know. I’d be a terrible friend if I didn’t notice something was wrong.”
“Friend?” The boy frowned. He didn’t recall them being particularly close.
“Yes, friend. Why are you so surprised?” Kosan looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Sure, we bicker sometimes, but that’s just how we show our affection.”
“Is… is that so?” The boy was skeptical.
“So, Yo, do you know why Kyoko’s been acting so strange?” Kosan asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“You know?” The boy’s head shot up.
“Hee hee hee, I do. But why should I tell you?” Kosan’s expression shifted in an instant, her earlier concern replaced with playful malice.
“But… you’re her friend, aren’t you? Tell me what’s wrong! Maybe… maybe I can help!”
The boy’s anxiety spiked. He didn’t care if Kosan was messing with him. All he wanted was to do something, anything, to help the girl he cared about.
“Oh, you want to help her that badly? Since when did you two get so close?”
The classroom fell silent, all eyes on them.
The commotion had drawn the attention of their classmates, their curiosity piqued by the unexpected drama unfolding before them.
“I… I…” Caught between a rock and a hard place, the boy wished he could disappear like Kyoko had.
As if reading his mind, Kosan spoke, her voice laced with amusement. “Come on, Yo, don’t be a chicken. Running away won’t solve anything. Besides, Kyoko hates weaklings.”
“Kyoko…” The boy froze, his gaze fixed on Kosan.
‘This is working even better than I expected,’ Kosan thought gleefully.
She stood up and walked over to the boy, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Give me one good reason why I should tell you.”
The boy’s expression shifted rapidly. Just as Kosan was about to give up on him, he seemed to come to a decision.
‘There must be something I can do!’
He took a deep breath, trying to appear calm, but his voice trembled with nervous energy.
“I… like…”
“Oh?” Kosan’s eyes widened. “Like what, Yo? Be specific.”
“I… I like Kyoko!”
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Just as the bell was about to ring, Kyoko slipped back into the classroom.
She walked back to her seat in silence, acutely aware of the curious stares following her every move.
‘I’m never doing that again,’ she thought, assuming her classmates were simply reacting to her uncharacteristic behavior.
She snuck a glance at the boy. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before they both quickly looked away.
Kyoko’s cheeks burned as she lowered her head, her heart pounding in her chest.
Class, daydream, break, daydream, class, daydream, lunch, daydream…
The day passed in a blur.
Later that night, as Kyoko lay in bed, unable to sleep, she heard a soft knock on the door.
‘Who would be knocking at this hour? Is someone playing a prank?’
She had no intention of getting out of bed.
But then…
The lights flickered on, and a familiar voice broke the silence.
“It’s no time to be sleeping, sleepyhead.”
“Huh?”
Kyoko sat up to see a wide-awake Kosan and a sleepy-eyed Bubbles standing in the doorway.
“What are you…”
“Don’t just lie there! Get up, we went through a lot of trouble for this.”
“Even if you say so…” Kyoko frowned, confused. “What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night!”
“Yo is waiting for you downstairs,” Bubbles mumbled, stifling a yawn.
“Yo?”
Before Kyoko could process this bombshell, Kosan grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed.
“Come on, let’s go!”
“Wait! It’s freezing!” Kyoko protested, shivering. “Let me get a jacket! It’s winter, for crying out loud!”
“Do you really want to keep him waiting? He poured his heart out, you know.”
“If you’re too scared to face him, I’ll just tell him you chickened out.”
“No!”
Kyoko was wide awake now. She grabbed Kosan’s arm.
“Well? Are you coming or not?” Kosan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!”
Before Kosan could say another word, Kyoko was out the door.
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