Amidst the shadows and the secrets

Night Thirty-Five

"He can." He leaned back on her bed. "That's how we all save money." 

Maybe I can ask him later. "How is class?" 

"Boring as expected but easy to keep up." He answered with his eyes closed. "My laptop is stuck, and I have trouble with that thing." 

I have to finish my homework. "Depending on what it is, I might be able to help you." 

Hearing that, he changed to a sitting position and realized she meant it. "Back in a sec." He hopped forth and back with his laptop. "I have two damn essays to write but no clue how to start. This program isn't working either. How do you write essays so easily?" 

"Do you want to know how I do it?" She considered on telling him her trick. 

"Am I missing out on something? Tell me, woman!" He gave her his laptop. "Or just show me." 

It's almost hilarious. She turned her head. "What kind of essay do you have to write?" 

"One for social studies and one for history," he answered and moved her between his legs to see what she does. "Do you need my book to understand or not?" He wanted to know her secret because she always finish any essay within record time. 

She signed him to be quiet and opened another website, where she guided him through the details. 

He followed what she did and how she picked mental illness as a topic. He facepalmed himself for never searching anything up. Seeing more options available, he noticed he had to pay for it but this would certainly help him. "My lips are sealed, babe." He gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you." 

He calls me babe? She turned her head, but he left with his laptop. Still feeling the kiss, she put her hand on her cheek. I... I have to finish my homework as well. I hope I can trust him with this and that he won't run me out. 

Back in his room, he found another thing that she wrote for him, telling him to edit the essay for the last changes. 

✦✦✦ 

Done with her breakfast, Chisana started cleaning it when Reiji came inside. 

"Good afternoon, Chisana." Reiji hoped she won't leave like she had over the past few nights. 

How can I... I know he apologized, but I have no idea how to forget how he treated me. Hanging her head, Chisana closed her eyes to turn and walked into the pantry for her snacks and some candy. How can I do this? To pretend that nothing happened and talk to him like I used to. Even if I forgive him, I can't forget how cold he treated me. Or how distant he was. No matter that he did it to get close to Seiko. She leaned against the wall, gathering some strength to face him. 

"Are you seriously going to ignore or avoid me, Chisana." 

His voice stopped her in her tracks at the kitchen door, and she bent her head a little. 

"You are the one who started to make a habit of having tea with me after school, and you found the perfect opportunity to do that before I start on my homework," continued Reiji, hoping to have a normal conversation with her again. "Or that you come to play a game of chess. I'm waiting for you to make a move. You also stopped spending time with me during the lunch break at school. Now, you just come to pick up your cup of coffee and leave for the library or back to your homeroom for homework." 

Please, stop! How can we go back to how it was? "It doesn't work that way, Reiji." She refused to look at him, afraid of showing him a few tears. Tears that are burning just by talking to him. "I thought we were friends, but then, out of nowhere, you dropped me and went with Seiko." You betrayed me. You made me feel left out! Having lunch with Yui a few times and with Seiko once. "Am I to forget that you scolded me a few times for things I have no control over? I have no idea how to fix things between you and me, or if we can go back to that friendship we had first, but I need more time." I can't even look at him. "I'm sorry, Reiji, but I can't." Squeezing her eyes shut to force the tears back, she fled out of the kitchen and to the nearest bathroom.