°˖✧Gaijin✧˖°

°˖✧We Are Chuubou✧˖°

While everyone else is complaining about the impending marathon, Ari and Shigeo are doing nothing of the sort. If anything, he feels more motivated than ever to do well. He's been working very hard in the Body Improvement Club, and he knows he can do better than he did last year, ranking in at 291th place. Why is he so motivated, you may ask?

Well, because if he makes it into the top ten by next year, he's finally going to be a man and ask Ari out! He'll definitely be able to do it by then!

"Are you nervous about the marathon this year, Ari? This sort of thing is unusual where you're from, isn't it?" He asks as they pack their things away.

"Nope!" She shakes her head before she points her thumb at herself, a proud smile on her face. "In fact, I don't even have to run since my mom gave the staff a doctor's note, so they exempted me!"

"Huh?" He blinks in surprise. Usually, you can only be exempted if you're sick that day, which people will often fake so they don't have to run. "A doctor's note...?"

"Yeah. My lungs only work at 40 percent."

Less than half?! He immediately feels guilty for ever struggling to breathe while going for runs with the Body Improvement Club. "C-Can I ask why...?"

"Heh, well, that's what happens when you move out before your lease is up, Shigeo!"

He stares at her, trying to wrack his brain in order to understand what she's trying to say. Moving out before your lease is up...?

Upon seeing that he's genuinely confused with what she was trying to say, she lets out a soft sigh. "I was born prematurely. I was supposed to be due in October, but I was born in August."

"Oh!" He says in realization. She was making a joke!

"I thought it was pretty clever," Dimple comments with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Dimple."

"Hey, Mob," Mezato's voice grabs his attention, and he glances up to find her approaching his desk, looking a little nervous. "There's something I want to talk to you about. Can you meet me on the roof during lunch? It's really important, so... I'll be waiting for you."

She walks away, and he misses how Ari watches her go with a scrunched nose and a pout.

"Uh oh, Shigeo! Maybe you'll get asked out again! For real this time!" Dimple grins, not-so subtly glancing at Ari's pouting face as he says it. That gives him a glare from Megumi.

"I think she just wants to talk. I don't get how you can be so dramatic."

"I liked you better when you were so much more naive. You used to get all red whenever you even talked to a girl!"

Well, that much is true, but things have changed. Being friends with Ari has helped him in that department immensely... he glances over at her, at how she has her arms crossed under her chest and her cheeks puffed out as if she's annoyed. His heart skips a beat.

Still as cute as ever.

"I'll come back and eat with you when we're done talking, okay?" He promises her.

"'Kay..."

True to his word, he meets Mezato up on the roof during lunchtime. "Thanks for coming, Mob. I wanted to talk to you about the marathon," she explains. "I had an idea. You should use your powers to run faster, and then you can win!"

"Uh, why?"

"Well, about that! There's a fan club that has been looking for you!"

A fan club? That totally strokes his ego, and he finds himself smiling in delight. "A fan club?"