Alkimia ~the Craft of Love~

7. -IQ and -EQ (Shuya + Mako)

Thinking about the past, Shuya has a mushy thought, 'Maybe my heart was stolen by her the moment we collided,'

He, until high school, always gets what he wants. And yet, in high school, Shuya has what he wanted in front of him. However, his head will always turn to face another direction. It's...annoying.

"Don't you mean unsettling?" Yusuke says that just to piss him off, isn't it?

Sakura, as if catching on what her boyfriend means, nods and smiles, "Mako always can get into people's hearts easily,"

They are wrong, in Shuya's opinion. Mako, the girl he should be wanting's best friend, is not in his heart. In fact, Shuya is highly suspicious that small girl has taken his heart instead.

Why would he feel at ease only when she is with him then? It's because his heart is finally by his side, isn't it?

At this point, there is a clear difference between Mako stole his heart and Mako being his heart.

7.

Mako is not wrong in excluding him from their activities because he has ulterior motive towards Sakura.

It still irks him how whenever she sees him, she will briefly lose her cheers.

Shuya has to click his tongue when he is with Sakura, his target, yet the best friend and boyfriend are chatting happily among themselves without paying attention.

"Aren't you worried?" Shuya asks Sakura

"I believe in Yusuke and Mako," Sakura replies sweetly, then goes to hug Mako to demand the best friend having school lunch with the couple again

Having a date at the amusement park is only natural. Having a girl who hasn't reached the minimum required height with them is a bit troublesome. To just leave Mako alone while they enjoy the rides... To borrow Yusuke's words, it's unsettling.

"Mako, you aren't going to stop Shuya from following us?" Sakura brings up this topic when Mako wants to leave us alone to enjoy our rides she can't participate

Distracted, Mako replies, "It's fine. Keep being lovey-dovey to discourage him,"

And what has her so distracted to not even look at Shuya?

The House of Mirrors.

"Why don't we go there together later?" Yusuke suggests

"I want to try it out first," Mako smiles at them, "See you later!"

Shuya finds himself following this small girl instead of harassing the tittering couple.

Mako glances at him, "You want to take a look at yourself?"

Shuya stays silent, hands in pockets and moody.

Seeing their reflections, Shuya thinks, 'This could be a crime scene,'

A small girl with a young man following her shadow. To outsiders, if he is not her Brother, then he is a...

"Shuya! Shuya! Stop! I am taller than you here!" Mako delightfully laughs at one of the  reflections

In Shuya's perspective, their heights have become similar. So, this is what a tall Mako looks like?

Mako finds joy in whatever she does, so he just lets her do as she pleases. He draws a line when she involves strangers though.

7.

Entering second-year, Mako is delighted to be a little taller and celebrates. Just as she grows, he also grows too. Mako doesn't seem to realise that because she only compares their heights once.