After Story: Devotion

Chapter 14 - The New Student

"I'm off!" I called as I stood at the entrance to Furukawa Bakery.

As I turned to leave the bakery, I heard Furukawa-san call "Wait!" I turned back to see her running up to me with a box in her hands. "I made a lunch for you," she said. "The school's cafeteria is closed, right?" Before I could reply, she continued. "And the convenience store is too far away. So you'll go hungry if you don't take something! So please, take this lunch."

I wasn't sure what to say: I was grateful for the meal, but the way she suddenly gave it to me left me feeling overwhelmed. "Uh...thanks, Furukawa-san."

"You're welcome!"

I noticed that she was looking at me rather intently. "Did you need something else before I go? I'm afraid that I'll end up late as it is."

Furukawa quickly looked down at the bakery floor. "Um...well..." she started twisting her foot, rubbing the toes of her slippers against the floor. "We've known each other for while, so..."

"So..." I prompted.

"...Would you be willing to call me Nagisa-san?" She suddenly blushed and waved her hands in front of herself. "It's not like I'm trying to make you call me that just because I made you a lunch or anything like that! Um..."

I nodded in understanding. "I'll think about it. But right now I need to get going." I waved as I turned to leave. "Have a good day!"

She smiled, blush still in place. "You too!"

***

"So the middle term is negative but the last term is positive, which means-"

"I get it; it's '(x-1)', right?"

Kotomi nodded vigorously enough that her hair ornaments bobbed. "That's right. Very good, Tomoya-kun."

I smiled awkwardly. "I can't believe how easy this stuff is. And I wasted all that time..." I looked at my work and shook my head in disgust. "I feel so stupid."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over at Kotomi, who smiled at me. "Tomoya-kun, you are smart. You were hurt and didn't have anyone you could talk to." She lowered her eyes.

Of course she would understand that; she had lost her parents and then had some strange man visiting her home almost every day. Of course she'd understand feeling isolated and hurt.

She returned her soft gaze to my face. "I do understand that Sunohara-san is your friend and an interesting person, but he is not the type to encourage you to greater things."

Ain't that the truth? Of course, when the chips were down, he would prove his loyalty...but I think I understood what she was trying to tell me. "Yeah, I suppose."

Kotomi tilted her head and gave me a light smile. "I believe in you, Tomoya-kun. For someone who does not like books, you have already covered much in such a short amount of time."

"Thanks." I returned her smile. "Hey, if I keep going at this rate, will I be caught up by the end of summer break?"

"There are a lot of variables, but..." She laid a finger at her cheek and looked upward; the sign of great calculations. "I'm sorry, I would have to say 'no'; it would take us until about three weeks into Fall Term, and that's if you went straight from school to your extra studies."

I nodded. "I can live with that." I nudged her with my elbow. "Could you put up with me that long?"

Those eye-sparkles again. "Absolutely, Tomoya-kun."

***

I was hungry after the morning lesson, so after saying goodbye to Kotomi-chan I made my way to the reference room. It was a quiet atmosphere, and there were books that I could read while eating my lunch. I remembered saying some mean things about the books there the first time I visited, but now I was curious to see if I could learn anything from them.