fox on the run | miya osamu

two-faced

"I DIDN'T KNOW OSAMU-SAN LIKED GYARUS." Suiren hears various chatters just as she's about to exit the toilet stall, but this gossip stood out the most to her ears.

"A gyaru? Just because I'm tan?" she asks herself, looking at her tanned arms and legs. "It's normal that I'm tan. I run," she justifies, but she couldn't exactly say it out loud.

"Hey, she isn't a gyaru." The confused Suiren hears an oddly familiar voice. It's impossible for her to mistake Miko's voice for anyone else's.

"Eh? You're defending her now, Miko-chan? That's so unlike you!" Another voice echoes through.

"She looks slutty. Wearing those skimpy shorts even when she's not practicing," someone else adds. She's a little glad it wasn't Miko's voice.

"She wears bloomers for fuck's sake!"

"What's wrong with bloomers?" asks Miko.

"Do you see anyone else in track and field wearing bloomers? Only she does."

"She wants attention that bad?"

"You think so?" Miko asks again.

"Besides, Miko-cchi, if you keep sticking to her like glue, she's gonna snatch your Kita-kun right before your eyes!" one of them warns.

"She's dating Miya Osamu already," Miko reasons.

"Eh? So? I bet she wants them both!"

And that's when Suiren realizes that even though Osamu fended off her stalkers, she got herself a new bunch of people to deal with. His fans. "Took me long enough to realize that," she scolds herself, acknowledging how popular he really is.

She decides to leave things as they are for now and just let it go. "It's not like Miko-chan badmouthed me," she tells herself after hearing their footsteps, a sign they finally left. With them now gone, she unlocks the bathroom stall door and after a glance of herself in the mirror, she leaves.

"Oh, Chuunchun?" Unlike earlier, this one is a pleasant surprise. It's definitely Miya Osamu.

"Ah, Osamu-san." It sparks a smile on her face as she turns around to see him. "Hello" greets Suiren.

Osamu takes a few steps towards her. "The prawn filling you made was so nice, and oh- I haven't returned the lunch box, have I?" he asks.

"You can return it after classes as usual," she tells him, "I'm glad you liked it. I'm still learning how to cook."

"Uh, Chuunchun? Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" she murmurs, visibly confused.

"Yeah, you look a little, uh, red," he answers, lifting her chin to give himself a better look at her. The fact that she gets red when angry is still unknown to her surprisingly.

"I- I'm okay." She flinches away, averting her gaze to the side, as her hands become shaky.

"Right, skinship isn't your thing," he sighs. "Sorry," he adds, visibly dismayed with the rejection.

"You sure you're not sick though?" Osamu's still worried but this time, he doesn't bother to touch her anymore. He did want to touch her forehead to check.

"I think I'm okay," she reassures, no longer looking at him.

"If you say so," he says.

"Then, I'll be going now, Osamu-san. I'll see you later." Her voice remains soft and shy, something Osamu liked.

"Mhmm, y-yeah, see you."

"And, I also have cleaner duties. I might make you wait," she adds before lowering her head and leaving.