Girl Next Door

Chapter Forty

"What do you want with Risa?" Kyosuke asked Chiba.

"It's better if I were to speak to her," replied Chiba calmly.

Risa heard the boys' conversation from the edge of the crowd and came forward.

"Excuse me," she said, raising her hand, and all eyes were on her.

"Risa...?" said Kyosuke, looking at her with concern, for he did not trust Chiba one bit.

"Ah, so this is Risa-san?" said Chiba with a smirk.

"Yes, I'm Risa Takanaka," replied Risa with a reluctant bow. "And may I know what proposition you would like to discuss with me?"

Then Chiba walked over to Risa and said, "Charmed to meet you, Takanaka-san. I am Chiba Hozuki." Then he took her hand and kissed it, causing Risa to blush and Kyosuke to fume in the background.

"H-Hozuki-san...?" said Risa, bewildered.

"Well, Takanaka-san," said Chiba, "I was hoping to discuss with you my proposition over dinner later."

Both Risa and Kyosuke were shocked at Chiba's request.

"D-Dinner...?" asked Risa, rather flabbergasted.

 "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" a outraged Kyosuke said, coming between Risa and Chiba. "You're not taking Risa to dinner, Hozuki."

Chiba chuckled. "And why is that, Matsumaru?"

"Because... students of Yoshiba must never associate with students of Minamino," replied Kyosuke with a frown.

"What?" asked Chiba chucklingly. "Matsumaru, Minamino and Yoshiba are merely friendly rivals. That doesn't mean we cannot form a partnership."

"Partnership?" asked Kyosuke, unable to figure out what he meant.

"Kyosuke..." interrupted Risa. "I think what Hozuki-san's trying to do is unite our schools."

"Risa?" Kyosuke turned to her. "How would you know?"

"I don't," replied Risa with a sigh. "That's why I'm going to discuss it with Hozuki-san over dinner later."

Kyosuke could not believe what he heard from Risa's lips, nor could the crowd who listened to the discussion.

"W-What are you saying, Risa?" Kyosuke asked, quite outraged. "You're saying you actually want to go to dinner with him?"

"At least until I've heard him out," replied Risa. "This is not for you to decide Kyosuke. I'm the one he asked."

"But Risa..." said Kyosuke in a worried tone.

"Hozuki-san, I accept your offer," said Risa to Chiba reluctantly.

"Great," replied Chiba. Then he handed her a brochure from a prestigious restaurant. "Meet me at this restaurant at about seven in the evening."

"A-All right," said Risa.

"Very well, my business here is ended, I must return to Minamino Academy," said Chiba, smiling at Risa. "I shall see you later, madam." He waved at Risa as he and his friends turned and walked away from the crowd.

"Dude," said Itsuki as he and Chiba walked side-by-side down the hallway, "you really think that chick will go with us on this?"

"Oh, she'll say yes," replied Chiba with a smirk. "I looked into her eyes and it was pure niceness. She will say yes." Then the Minamino students left the school.

Later at recess, Risa was at her locker putting on her shoes. She was still rather uncomfortable of having dinner with a boy she just met, but she was determined to find out what Chiba wanted with her. Then she was approached by Kyosuke.

"So, you're really going to dinner with Hozuki?" Kyosuke asked in a serious, soft voice.

"Kyosuke, I hope you understand why I'm doing this," replied Risa in a concerned manner.

"But I don't, okay?" replied Kyosuke sharply. Risa was surprised at his sudden hostility.

"What's wrong?" Risa asked him.

"I can't believe you'd actually be this reckless," said Kyosuke, turning away from her in scorn.

"What on earth are you talking about??" demanded Risa.

Kyosuke turned to her once more. "You would actually trust that guy?"

"And why shouldn't I trust him??" asked Risa with a raised voice.

"I had to put up with his spoiled butt for three years in junior high," replied Kyosuke angrily, "so don't talk to me about who to trust!"

"What is your problem??" demanded Risa with her clenched fists at her side. "I'm trying to find out what Hozuki-san wants. Why are you so threatened by him?"

"Because he is a dishonorable person," replied Kyosuke, arms folded. "He can never be trusted."

Risa paused for a moment.

"I have to go," she said softly. "I have to know what he wants. You can't stop me."

"Fine!" replied Kyosuke, raising his voice. "Go out with that jerk, I don't care! Don't let my concern for you hit you on the way out."

Risa's heart took the blows of what Kyosuke said. With that, she frowned and gave Kyosuke a hard slap on the face. It stung his cheek for a while. Then Risa abruptly turned around and walked away.

Kyosuke watched as his friend marched away angrily. Part of him wanted to apologize for what he said to her, but another part was angry and didn't care anymore. He just put his hands in his pockets and walked towards class.

At the classroom, Kyosuke and his friends sat together and talked to him about what happened.

"Whoa," said Takeru in an astounded tone. "Risa-chan slapped you?"

"Don't ask," replied Kyosuke softly.

"Takeru-kun..." said Ichiro, glaring at Takeru lightly.

"Sorry," said Takeru.

"What was she mad at you for?" Ichiro asked Kyosuke.

Kyosuke sighed. "I told her that I didn't care about her having dinner with Hozuki and to never mind me being concerned for her."

"I see," replied Ichiro.

"Of course she'd get mad if you told her that," put in Takeru.

"Well, you don't have to rub salt in the wound, Takeru-kun," said Ichiro.

"I'm just saying, if you said that to Risa-chan and she got mad at you for it, then that just means she wants you to care about her," said Takeru with a half-smile.

"I do care about her, okay?!" replied Kyosuke in a raised voice.

"Easy, buddy," said Takeru, taken aback. "Just trying to help."

"I care about Risa more that you know," said Kyosuke softly. "That's why I couldn't let her go to dinner with that creep."

"Sometimes, you have to consider Takanaka-san's feelings too," said Ichiro.

"I know," replied Kyosuke with a long sigh. "I just wish she could forgive me for what I said."

"She will, Kyosuke-kun," said Ichiro.

"Yeah," put in Takeru. "I've never known Risa-chan to be the type to hold a grudge over something like this."

Kyosuke sighed once more. He rested his head on his table, wondering what the outcome of Risa's rendezvous with Chiba would turn out.