Even In The Next Life

Claim/Filler

  "What's with you?" I looked up while pausing my paintbrush to see a girl standing beside my canvas.

  "Huh?"

  "I said, what's with you? You think you're so cool now for hanging out with Miki and Akira, don't you?" She crossed her arms under her chest while looking at me.

  "....I don't think I understand what you're implying."

  "What I'm implying is that you need to back off." She raised her chin. "Just go back to painting your little pictures and following Miki around like a lost puppy. Don't you understand that you're a bother to Akira?" She glared, and I lowered my paintbrush from the canvas.

  "So this actually happens? I thought it was just some manga cliche." I mumbled.

  "What?"

  "Just because you say so, you cannot dictate who I hang out with or not. First of all, I don't even know who you are. Second of all-"

  "Taiyo!~" My eyes went to the door as my name was called. Akira was leaning in the doorway with a big smile on his face. "Miki said you had club activities today, so I came to check it out!"

  "Akira!" The girl's tone went sweet as she gave a friendly smile.

  "Oh, are you a friend of Taiyo's? Thanks for taking care of her." He smiled while walking over.   "What are you painting?" Akira came closer and looked over my shoulder at the canvas. "Ah, that looks like Tako!"

  "Miki wanted me to paint a portrait of him." I replied while looking at the half-finished cat.

  "If you like animals, I paint them, too." The girl spoke, pushing up her chest as she smiled at Akira.

  "Cool. How long have you known Taiyo?" The black-haired male asked while slinging an arm over my shoulders.

  "Oh, forever!" She giggled. "I remember when we-"

  "You're a bad liar." Akira cut her off while still smiling. It was a bit unnerving.

  "Huh?"

  "You're a bad liar. I heard what you were saying before I came in. I have pretty good ears, you know?" I slightly tensed as Akira leaned on me. 'What is he doing....?' I thought. "And Taiyo could never be a bother to me. She's my girlfriend."

  "....Girlfriend?" She then laughed. "That's a bad joke, you know." And her laugh cut off when Akira grabbed my chin, made me look at him, and then kissed me. I was taken by surprise, and my grip on my paintbrush tightened as he licked my bottom lip. His tongue slipped past my lips, and my face was getting red from embarrassment since someone was right there.

  I hid my face behind my hand when he pulled back from the kiss, and he smirked at the other girl.

  "Taiyo is mine, so she can't be a bother."

  "Are you serious? What's so special about her?" The girl gave me a dirty look. "She's like a freaking nun."

  "I don't have to justify anything to you, but there's a whole list of things special about her." Akira pointed at me. "And I don't want to catch any of you picking on her, okay? She's mine, and I don't like others touching what belongs to me." He was being rather possessive, but I couldn't say that I didn't like how he was telling the girl to back off. "Oh, and keep up the good work, Taiyo. The painting looks great." The boy pecked me on the cheek before walking away.

  "You going back to practice?" I asked.

  "Yeah, I gotta get back before Miki notices. She'll make me run more if I got caught skipping!"

  "Like that's a problem for you." I chuckled while waving goodbye, and the girl scoffed.

  "He'll leave one day, you know." She popped off. "He'll get bored, and when you don't put out, he's gonna find someone that will."

  "Now you're just saying anything to get under my skin, huh? Instead of trying to ruin other people's happiness, why don't you go try to find your own?" She went quiet as I returned to painting.