Secret Hideout

5

"So, what do you need help with?" Aiura said.

Kuboyasu felt his face flush. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"Well, um, I guess I wanted some advice. Y'know, because you saw my " mullet's aura" and stuff, I thought you could help."

'I feel like a girl doing this.'

She looked a bit surprised, but was happy to help a friend.

"Great!"

She opened her bag and pulled out her crystal ball. It had enough tacky gems and sequins to blind a person.

She set it down on her desk. She leaned foward and grabbed his hand. She pressed it against her forehead and began to hum.

...

"Aren't you going to ask what I wanted to know?"

She smiled and pulled a piece of chalk out of her bag.

"I don't need to."

She grabbed his hand again and scraped the chalk against his palm to make dust.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

She ignored his complaints and rubbed the dust on his face.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Done!"

She smiled.

"Y-you did what?"

"Go for it."

He felt his face and dusted off the chalk.

'That was a weird little ritual-'

"Wait, what!?"

He blushed harder than before.

'Does she know? She can't possibly! I can't believe... She just-'

"I say you have a decent chance. They don't know it yet, but if you say how you feel, there's a good chance they'll return your feelings."

He thought he would faint. Was the floor moving before?

"Y-you? How? I-I don't... You couldn't have?"

She giggled at his confusion.

"It's what I do best! Good luck!"

He walked out of the classroom, dumbfounded at the results.

"There's a chance!" He whispered.

Kaidou came up from behind and tapped him on the back.

"What did you say? Are you alright?"

This feeling was killing him.

He turned around frantically and tried his best to act natural.

"Gah, Shun! I didn't see you there! I'm fine!"

He was not fine. Not fine at all.

"Are you sure? You seem a little-"

"Nope! Everything's fine!"

Kaidou looked at him funny, but decided to go along with him. After all, he'd tell him.

No matter what.

"Ok, well it's time for lunch."

Kuboyasu went to join Kaidou at their usual table. Hairo always sat at the edge, so he could do sit-ups in between bites. Teruhashi sat on a different table, due to the crowd she drew. Saiki sat in the middle and ate silently while Akechi practically talked his ears off. How he ever finished his food was a mystery no one would ever solve. Toritsuka and Aiura sat at a different table. Nendou sat across Saiki and ate his food, leaving Kaidou and Kuboyasu sitting next to each.

Every.

Single.

Day.

Which would've been fine before, but after their encounter, it was more awkward than ever.

Though nothing unusual happened, Kuboyasu felt on edge for the rest of the day. Especially when it was just him and Kaidou.

His smile...

His laughter...

His...

Everything.

The small talk kept him alive.

But it killed him just as much.

He had to tell him...

Somehow...

"Kaidou?"

Kaidou smiled at him.

"Yes, Aren?"

"I... I..."

He stopped for a moment.

No. He couldn't do this. Not now.

Not like this.

"Are you okay?"

"I, um, want you to come here tomorrow! I'll meet you here at maybe, 5:00?"

Kaidou seemed confused.

"But... We come here everyday. What's so special about tomorrow?"

Uh-oh.

"I, uh have a surprise!"

'Nice going, you coward!'

Kaidou tilted his head in confusion.

"Um, okay! Wait, I have an idea! We should come up with a password so that intruders can't come inside! Come on, say the first word you think of!"

Kuboyasu blinked.

"Uh, ocean!"

Kaidou closed his eyes.

"Lotus!"

They stared at each other.

"Ocean?"

"Lotus?"

...

They both burst out into laughter. Ocean Lotus was a funny sounding password.

"Lotus? Why was that the first word you thought of?"

"I don't know!"

His laugh...

This feeling...

Saiki and Nendou had visited the fort before. They tried to help build. It didn't work out. Though Kuboyasu would never say it, he's glad it didn't. He was just trying to be friendly.

They weren't supposed to help.

It was their fort.

Soon enough, he'd...

'I need to tell him.'