Even In The Next Life

Change

  "Hey, did you hear?"

  "What?"

  "I heard Fudo's been doping."

  "What? No way. You really think he'd do that?"

  "No, seriously! I saw him this morning. No one changes that much overnight without some serious juice to boost." The two males were laughing, and I just looked at them from over my book. 'Fudo....doping? No way, Miki would kill him!' I thought as my brows furrowed. 'Right?'

  For some reason, those two weren't the only ones talking about Akira. It seemed to be a rumor all over the school about him doping or getting plastic surgery or something. I didn't actually get to see what they meant until lunch came around and Akira's table was swarmed by squealing girls giving him their lunch.

  I couldn't believe it was him at first, but everyone was calling him by his name. He was taller than just yesterday, broader too, and his once scrawny frame was lean and more muscular than before. His hair was messy and it was dark around his eyes as they looked sharper, and I was dumbfounded by how he could have changed so much. There had to be a rational explanation for this other than doping, right? Because even drugs would take time for such a change as drastic as this....right?

  Sitting down at my lunch table, I just couldn't wrap my head around how Akira looked like a completely different person, and the crowd of girls were squealing as he actually ate all of the food given to him. I would ask Miki about it, but I wasn't sure how, and my chance never really came, so I'd have to wait until after school when they were practicing.

~

  Filling up my water bottle, I sighed while turning the faucet. If the cute boy I had crushed on had changed so much physically....had his personality changed too? I mean....most people who experienced such a drastic change became total dicks, but would Akira? 'God, I hope not....he was so nice....' I thought while putting my bottle to my lips and walking towards the track. Miki was getting changed already, so I'd just wait in the stands until-

  Hand.

  'What the Hell?' My brows furrowed as a hand placed on the wall had stopped me from walking. Letting my gaze drift up the arm, my ears began to burn as I saw it was Akira. 'Oh, no, he's hot!' I mentally screamed as the taller male was looking down at me. My bottle was still in my mouth, but I used it to hide my face when Akira leaned down to my height.

  "Taiyo, have you seen Miki?" He asked, and his voice sounded a bit deeper than before as well now.

  "Sh-She's getting changed." I mumbled while averting my gaze to the ground.

  "You know, I've noticed that you don't really use my name." I had to take a step back from how close he was standing. "Do you hate me?"

  "Wha-? Of course not!" I continued to hide my face behind my bottle as I couldn't even look at the boy. Like always.... Why did I have to struggle to just look at him?

  "Then you like me?" His voice was really close to my ear, and I took another step back but ran into the wall. "I had hoped so, you know, but I wasn't sure." Akira said, and my face was getting hot. "Ah....Taiyo? Why do you smell so nice?" His voice took on a different tone like he was curious, and I began to hear sniffing before his nose touched my neck.

  "H-Hey!" I flinched out of surprise and smacked a hand over my neck as my face burned.

  "You smell really good, Taiyo." I saw him smile, and it felt just like any other smile of his. "Did you change your soap?"