Bocchi the Love Story!

22. Difficulty level sky rockets! ( 1 )

Sakurai was humming to himself as he left the Starry's building. After bidding his goodbyes, he decided that it's best he goes home now, it's already 6 pm, and he's still got a long journey full of driving and gas refill to get back to Oreha district. He sees his bike and jogs towards it, ready to get on and go home--

" W-Wait!" Until, a suprising voice stopped him, that is.

He turns around and faces the person who called for him.

" Gotou-chan?" He said, confused and suprised. Maybe she needed something from him, he thinks.

She was panting for a bit, somehow dripping with sweat even though his bike was literally parked just outside the club. Sakurai was amused by it though.

" Do you need a ride or something?" He asked, putting hand to hip. " If so, then I'd be happy to--"

" N-No that's--" She pauses before looking down, her expression sullen for a moment. Sakurai raises a brow, a bit of concern welled up inside upon seeing this Bocchi. 

It's not like he wasn't already used to her usual anxious person.....but this time, it looked different. More serious. She definitely came to him probably because she had something important to say, but he noticed that she couldn't seem to utter it out-- as if it would be painful to.

" S-Sorry, I--" Her lips trembled as she spoke, and then Sakurai interrupted her.

" Take your time. I'll be right here~ " Sakurai shows some consideration, stuffing his hands into his blazer pocket. He deduced that whatever it was, significant or insignificant to him or not, he'll wait patiently until she could catch up to her own pace. She lightened up a bit, nodding in appreciation before proceeding into a small silence.

He wondered what she had to say. It's a jolt of suprise to him, when Bocchi of all people decides to approach him one-on-one like this. Akihiko often described her personality as timid and a social anxiety shipwreck when it came to interacting to people with VERY eccentric personalities. Sakurai was beyond that, he was the entire natural disaster incorporated into one Homo sapien. So this is a very curious development to see from Bocchi, he thinks.

" Is....Akihiko-kun..." he hears her mumble.

Ah, so this was about Asachin! Sakurai relaxes, amusement returning to his expression again. The two of them were into each other, it was clear as day-- a man has gotta be blind not to see that. Perhaps the two of them reached a new development in the time Sakurai hasn't paid attention.