Facade

A Bit Of Help

"Teddy bear guy! That's the fifth time you've been called that!" Hitomi snorted.

She was obviously not trying to conceal her happiness.

"Don't laugh!" Saito yelled at the short girl.

Where were they? Lunch, of course!

"How could I not? Seeing your face when someone calls you that is just hilarious!"

"For me it isn't! I'm going to detention again because of you!"

Before this conversation, he was called teddy bear guy by a kid two sizes smaller than him. Granted, Saito was the tallest in the school, but still... What did he do? Nothing else but punch the kid straight in the face. Fortunately for the kid's life, the teacher walked straight in the classroom. He got detention. Again.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you can't take a joke and have to fight like a kid every time."

"I wish you were born without a mouth." He mumbled.

"I wish you were born with patience." She snarked back with a strangely optimistic voice.

"It's hard to tell if you're serious or joking."

"Really? That's funny." She said in an indescribable voice for Saito.

It was a combination of boredom and enthusiasm. That was the closest to describe it. He didn't even know these two adjectives could mix!

"Weirdo."

"Saito~!" Running was heard.

Weird girly, yet somewhat manly running. Like a twelve year old boy skipping.

"Usami?" Saito questioned as he turned around.

"Don't be so unfriendly! Call me Haru!" Yup, that's him alright.

Who else was so feminine yet recognizably manly?

"What do you want?" Saito asked in his usual annoyed voice.

Hitomi was enough energy for him, he doesn't need more energetic people.

"That's cold. I just wanna hang out!" He said in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Yay! More company!" Hitomi said happily.

"You can sit next to me." She patted the place next to her.

"Thanks, sweetie."

He plopped down next to her and eyed them suspiciously.

"What are you doing hanging around twelve year old girls, you pedo?" Haru commented with a grin.

"P-pedo!? Shut up! She's sixteen!"

"Is that true?" Haru asked in a fake concerned voice.

"No." Hitomi answered sweetly.

Her high pitched voice gave him even more of a vibe of childish air.

"I expected a lot from you, Saito, but pedophilia wasn't one of them."

"W-what?! She's lying!" Saito said accusingly and pointed at her.

"I'm actually seventeen." She added with an innocent smile.

Both of them had serious faces, then they burst out laughing. There's no way she could be older than Saito! She looks like she's freaking twelve, not seventeen!

"Pfft! Yeah right! I could barely believe you were sixteen! Let alone seventeen!" Saito said through laughter and wiped away a tear.

"Oh, man. That was a good laugh! But, seriously, how old are you?" Haru asked, looking a bit drunk from laughter.

Hitomi crossed her arms with an unamused face.

"I told you, seventeen."

Haru's very dark skin went white. He couldn't believe it!

"Then you're the same age as Yui-Chan!" He said with sparkly eyes and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Then you can help me as well!" He said enthusiastically.

"You're going to believe her that easily!?" Saito yelled.

How could he believe that? It's like he's an idiot. Oh, wait, he is. Sigh, whatever.

"Why did you even come here, Usami?" Saito asked, still annoyed that people are here.

"Now, now, Saito is that the way you treat your elders?" Haru asked jokingly.

Even though he didn't act or look like it, he was actually soon to be eighteen and on his final year in this school. The funny thing was he was much shorter than Saito, who was currently fifteen and a half.

"Just answer the question." He retorted coldly.

How could it ever be his fault that he doesn't have friends?

"Geez, I just came to talk, grumpy. Is there something wrong with being social?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure you came here to have tea and gossip." He answered sarcastically.

Saito glared down at him. He knew that wasn't it. He looked quite intimidating.

"Haha. I need your help, actually." He said nervously and scratched his light brown emo hair.