Are you the one that loves me? (Yōu x MC)

Chapter 12

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Chika and Riko yelled as Sumio explained what happened to them. "IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?!" 

"That's exactly what I said." he sighed, "It's fine we have like a whole month and a half."

"You better be practicing basketball every single day until then!" Chika shook him, "We're not handing Yōu over to that guy!"

"Why would she agree to that?!" Riko paced back and forth in a panic. 

The basketball game had ended about an hour ago. Sumio thought back to the conversation that took place after Shoji left. Yōu had left him with one chilling message before she and Tsuki went home.

"If you do lose, I'll personally kill you." she was dead serious. 

All Sumio did was sigh. There wasn't much he could do, all of the pressure was on him. 

Riko and Chika were definitely not impressed with what happened. And apparently neither was Haru.

"I leave to go somewhere for one day... and this is what happens?" she sighed, "And why are you coming at me? Aren't you the older brother?"

"I just thought you'd want to know!" he said getting ready to walk out of her room.

"Why couldn't you guys have just won?"

He gritted his teeth, "Oh I'm sorry, if some bastard didn't elbow me in the face I could've stayed in the game!" 

"How's your face anyways?"

"The bleeding stopped, it's pretty much just a gash right now." he said at the doorway.

"Hey, you're gonna win next time right?" her tone became serious.

"Of course."

"Good, I don't want you to hand Yōu-'nee-chan to anyone that isn't you." 

"Well either won't happen." he stretched, "I already told you, Yōu and I are just friends. At some point in time I was trying to get Shintaro together with her, but that didn't work out."

"Does she like someone?" his chest tightened just a twinge. 

"No one from what she's told me. But then again, her life is her's." he looked at his sister, "And you have to respect that fact."

"Right right." she laid back down on her bed, "But I'm just saying..."

"Good night." he closed the door and headed to his own room. 

He took a deep breath. Why did he care if Yōu liked someone? That was her business and not his. He's supposed to be the supporting best friend. 

Right...?

Yōu Watanabe sat in the bath in her house. She sighed as she remembered the moment when Sumio appeared next to Tsuki and her.

Her heart started to race when she heard his voice, in fact just thinking about it made her heart beat faster.

Ever since that night in the forest, every time they interacted it felt different. At least to her it did. 

"This is stupid..." she floated in the water. "Calm down already." she took a deep breath.

It didn't help. "Mou!" she complained.

"Everything alright in there Yōu?" her mom knocked on the bathroom door. 

"Everything's fine mom..." she said.

"Alright."

She had no words to explain why she felt different around him now. She was still trying to get him to go out with Riko right?

Yōu closed her eyes, there was nothing different now than back then. So why did she feel this way?

Eventually getting out, she made a plan. She had no clue what this feeling was, but she one hundred percent wanted it to go away!

And she came to the conclusion that it was her needing to achieve her goal: getting Sumio and Riko together as a couple!

"Okay!" she cheered, "Operation get the idiot with my best friend is a go!"

As Sumio arrived at school tomorrow people greeted him with questions.

"How's the face?"

"You'll get them next time."

"You should beaten him up."

His responses to the questions were as follows: Fine, for sure, and I'll do it next time I see him.

He wasn't that bent on the last game. Just move on to the next one he reminded himself.

As he walked into the classroom he spotted Yōu and Riko. "Yo."

"Yo!" Yōu waved back. 

"Good morning." Riko said as he sat down at his desk. 

"You have practice today?" the energetic girl asked him.

"Yeah, but it'll probably end sooner since we had a game yesterday. Why?"

"Well, Riko and I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the arcade or something." She grinned.

"Sure, why not." He said.

Yōu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his answer.

Now all she had to do was finish the job and get them together.

So after school the three of them arrived at the arcade in their city. The place was mostly empty aside from a few other high schoolers.

As they started to play games together Yōu began to strategize. She glanced around the little arcade looking for a way she could possibly get Riko and Sumio closer.

As Sumio proceeded to lose to Riko in air hockey, Yōu pointed at a basketball game.

"Riko! Play me in this!" She ran over to the two machines. There was a versus mode so two people could play and try to get a higher score than the other.

"You're just gonna beat me." Riko sighed.

"Not if Sumio helps you." She shoved him next to her. "It'll be you two against me. Sumio, show her how to properly shoot."

While he demonstrated and helped her with the position of her hands, Yōu nodded, satisfied with what she did.

"Am I the best wingman or what?" She thought to herself.

A little while later she spotted a photo booth. "We should go there!" She pointed.

The others agreed not realizing what she was attempting to accomplish.

As Sumio and Riko went in, Yōu "attempted" to join them.

"It's kind of crowded..." she stepped out, "It's fine, you two go ahead."

"Are you sure Yōu?" Sumio asked, "I'll get out so you two can-"

"I already said it's fine!" She shoved him back inside.

Riko silently mouthed the words "thanks" as they sat back and took some pictures.

When the photos printed, Yōu smiled seeing the two of them together.

Yet, a part of her didn't feel right.

She glanced at the two or them who were laughing at each other's expressions in the photos.

Seeing those two together left her feeling weird. She couldn't quite pinpoint the feeling.

She shook her head, helping Riko was the most important thing. After they started dating would be when she would analyze why she felt weird.

Especially since she was happy for them... right?

Hope you're all doing great! I have two quizzes I didn't study for so...

Be safe! Mask up! Don't be stupid!

-Kazuya