Our Last Summer [Old Story]

Chapter 3 - A Kindness Too Sudden

A/N: This chapter is from Haruka's P.O.V..

(The same day is still going on.)

~

After having dinner, Haruka wore her night gown and went out to take her usual night stroll.

Shinji's garden was, unexpectedly, big. Even the idea of someone like him having a garden, was weird.

"Not creepy, just different", Hikari's words flashed through her head and she wondered how a fun girl like Hikari could even bear the thought of that boy.

"Couldn't wait to change into your dressing gown, huh?"

Her face went white for a second on hearing that.

Great! The most annoying person was standing right behind her and there she was - in her nightie.

"Well, I didn't expect to find you here", she replied while facing Shuu.

He just smirked and started walking beside her.

She gazed at his shirt-pocket, until he finally spoke up, "Am I that irresistible that you can't stop staring at me?"

"Shut up! I wasn't staring at you!"

"Then what were you looking at?"

"That rose in your pocket; it's beautiful."

He simply gave it to her. "The last one I gave you, took a lot more effort than this one."

"You're not telling me that you grow them!"

"Of course I grow them."

She stared at the rose mindlessly before taking a short peek at Shuu. His hair swayed freely in the breeze.

He was arrogant - yes, but his emerald-green hair and his matching eyes also made him extremely attractive. It was not hard to get lost in him.

Wait, WHAT? Shuu? Attractive? She must be too tired.

She looked sheepishly at the ground. Luckily for her, the dark night covered her red-strained cheeks.

Tired - that had to be it.

There was a one-minute silence between the two - enough time for the brunette to recover from the shock.

"So, I haven't seen you play in the Basketball team for a while now", she began.

"We had exams and unlike a certain brunette, I had to study."

"Hey! I studied hard too. Not my fault if I can manage my time well."

"Yeah, I believe that", he responded sarcastically.

"Hmph!"

"... But I bet that defeating you would still be a piece of cake, although I am out of practice."

"Why you-!"

"Prove it."

"Alright, tomorrow morning, 8:00 a.m., we will have a match."

"You're on."

Silence again. The walk was almost over.

The boy's expression had, for some reason, slowly and gradually changed from overconfident to one of sorrow - almost as if, he was sorry. Then, he spoke in a low voice, "It's my birthday."

"What?"

"..."

"Oh, happy birthday. Why didn't you tell me before? Just wait here; I'll get something for you."

"Thank you. There is no need; your presence in itself, is a gift."

Her face went beet-red.

Had he really just said that? Was he toying with her, or was he genuinely trying to be nice? And above all the confusion, his face expression was just the same. He was definitely not the dense-type like Satoshi to have not realised it.

~

She had come back to her room. Suddenly, Hikari came running inside and shut the door as fast as she could.

"Hikari, what's the matter?"