Alkimia ~the Craft of Love~

4. +EQ and +CQ (Mako + Shuya)

This is Mako, the known dimwitted girl whose best friend is Sakura who has a boyfriend called Yusuke.

Currently, I am standing outside the ambulance which is taking care of Shuya. Admitting Shuya to a hospital is easy. I do wonder, a little too late, who will pay the hospital fee?

A day or so later, I get a message from an unknown number that tells me Shuya needs to undergo eye surgery.

I nod gravely, wishing him all the best.

I can't visit him after he has finished the successful surgery because I am busy with my own things. You see, I catch my boyfriend cheating on me.

I am vexed. I manage to stop Shuya from breaking up Sakura and Yusuke yet I fail to stop my own relationship from deteriorating like this.

"Arata, I solemnly swear we are breaking up," I tell my ex-boyfriend to meet me at a cafe and tell him this

"...I am sorry," Arata knows his fault and apologises appropriately, like the good man he is

I do think this is a shame, but I do not look back. When he asks whether we can still stay as seatmates, I reject, saying that I will look for someone else to be my seatmate instead. Arata nods and we part away.

Now that I am not busy with a relationship, there is no point for me to put on-hold my search for a part-time job.

4.

Shuya is quite popular in our class. When he comes back, everyone cheers for him. Not a lot knows what happened, but everyone knows Shuya has undergone surgery.

Shuya wears glasses to protect his eyes. The girls swoon at his new image. I notice the glasses are not reflective of light like normal glasses.

Because I am not sitting with Arata anymore, I have taken over Shuya's empty seat. Now that he is back, I make a space for him to sit.

When Shuya reaches the upper row after talking to others, he pauses at the sight of me. Surprised? What? Didn't you already notice I am here, when you swept your gaze across the classroom?

"Oh," I realise what he wants, "Sorry, I will move away,"

I take my bag and stand up, Shuya halts his movement on holding me back. I look at his arm, which is hanging awkwardly, then at his face.

"You...can stay. I will move," Shuya murmurs, taking back his dangling arm

I raise my eyebrow, honestly surprised, "Why are you so meek?"

Shuya, who said he will move, has not moved. He frowns at the table, then glances at me, "Why are you here? What about your boyfriend?"

"We broke up," I tell Shuya, sitting back on my seat with a sigh, "I caught him cheating,"

Shuya's jaw drops.

Shuya turns his head to look at the lower rows, at Arata who catches his expression and cowardly turns his head away then hunches his shoulder in shame.

Shaking, his head and his body, Shuya recollects his jaw and roughly sits down beside me. Shuya is angry~

"It's not related to you, so you don't need to be angry," I tell him, patting his fist which is clenching tightly, "Relax. You just underwent a surgery,"

Shuya silently glances at me, so I ask him, "Are your eyes okay?"

"Yes," Shuya nods, "I will need to do some checkups later, but they are not hurting anymore,"

"Good," I use a deep voice to say that while nodding, folding my arms and accepting the answer authoritatively

Shuya has a faint smile on his lips. He also has a tender gaze on his eyes. I ask him, "Have you told Sakura and Yusuke about your operation?"