Budo x Ayano

Chapter 16

Maya's POV

I was devastated by the fact that Budo invited his friends over to join us on a picnic that was supposed to just be between the two of us. But then again, I never told him exactly that it would just be the two of us... Besides, I only packed enough food for two, at most three people. Putting up a cheery front, I told the rest of the group that I had forgotten something at home. "Um hey, guys, I er, forgot something at home," I said. "Let me just go back and get it real quick!"

The group glanced at one another before Sho said, "We can just go with you. Your house isn't that far, right? And if you need to get something it shouldn't take that long." Panicking, I tried thinking up of another excuse. "U-um it would probably take a while to find it, and I don't want to make you guys wait." That excuse should be enough, right? "It's okay," said Ayano. "We don't mind waiting, right guys? And besides, you just said it would be real quick." Ayano stretched out the "real quick" in her sentence, emphasizing it, as if to make sure the others heard exactly that. The others nodded their heads in agreement. Ayano sounded way more cheerful now than she had a moment ago. It might just be my imagination though. Yeah, it was probably just my imagination. Yet even as I tried to convince myself, doubt still lingered in my mind.

Was she...plotting something? Even as the thought crossed my mind, I shook it off, scolding myself for thinking like that of a friend. There's no way. Ayano's a true friend...

Nodding my head as a sign to allow the martial arts club to follow me to my house, the walk there was fueled with excited chatter. I kept my head on the ground, wondering if I could just tell them that the picnic was supposed to only be for me and Budo. But I couldn't say that. I didn't want other people, even if they are my friends, to know that I like Budo. And I've always been the type to follow people, not decide on my own. The type who let people do want they want, even though what I want is way different, letting them walk all over me like a doormat. I'd like to change myself a little by little one day though.

Reaching the front of my house, I heard an, "ahh!" sound, to which I turned around to see Shima mid-slip on a banana peel. Ah...that must have fallen out as I was taking the garbage out... Luckily Juku caught her arm on time. "Wow, I'm slightly impressed that you slipped on that, " said Mina. "I thought those kinds of things only ever happened in cartoons." After the initial laughter that followed after that scene was over ended, I told everyone to wait outside and was about to shut the door when I heard Ayano say something. "Hey, what do you need to find anyways? Want us to help you?" I shook my head and said, "I have a good idea where it might be, and I have to take care of some... um... girl business first!" That was a lie. But it seemed to work. The boys looked confused, wondering what I meant. Mina and Shima nodded their heads in understanding. Okay, so I guess I stalled for a little bit more time.

Hurrying inside, I quickly took out ingredients from the refrigerator, deciding on quickly making some sandwiches. Then I looked around in the drawers, hoping there were some kind of desert left over.

Ayano's POV

I guess I have to admit that Maya dodged those bullets, although barely. I knew full well that Maya only prepared enough food for herself and Budo. Maybe Maya is smarter than she seems... or maybe the martial arts club members aren't as bright as I thought they were. That, was a matter of opinion... As Maya closed the door, I took out my phone and decided to try and amuse myself. Lets see how long Maya would take to prepare a meal enough for seven, hmm? So I timed her.

The answer was around 15 minutes, when Maya burst open the door and said, "Hehe, sorry, I noticed that I forgot to make the dessert." And out she carried a large bag. "I placed the desert in here along with our main food. Geez, and I thought it was a pain carrying some off the food around in my backpack!" Smart. Pretty smart. She had grabbed a huge bag to place the food in, which in the beginning consisted of only hers and Budo's picnic together. Then she made more food to put in there, claiming that she had only forgotten the dessert while saying that she had food already in her backpack for the rest of the martial arts club members, so it seemed like she was inviting them all along.

But I had a plan of my own, too.

"Hey, Maya," I said. "Sorry, but I suddenly feel like I need to go to the bathroom. Could I maybe use yours?" Maya nodded, and I turned towards the doorway, shooting a fake apologetic look behind me, as if to say sorry for making them wait even more. The members shrugged, shook it off, and grinned back. As I was about to turn around again, I felt eyes staring at me, like they were trying to catch or find something like a cop searching for a robber. My eyes went up again and suddenly locked eyes with Budo, to which at once when he noticed that I caught him staring at me, he quickly adverted his glance. Well that wasn't suspicious at all.

Lucky for me, the house was positioned so that when standing at the doorway, you could only see the living room and not the kitchen. I made sure to take a peek right as Maya was going inside. As Budo, Maya, Mina, Shima, Juku, and Sho started chattering outside, I sneaked quietly into the kitchen and swiftly pulled out and put back all of the drawers, looking for the right one. Ah... here are the knives... they won't notice one missing, right?