Chapter 28

The next day, after school, on a bright and wonderful Tuesday, Tomboy-kun was going for a run, but this time, he felt like exploring.

He ran past the eaves and the brushes near a pond, an ideal camping spot.

He thinks to himself, (I need to take the group here someday. They might like it!)

He chews the scenery in silence, but then hears what sounded like faint sobbing.

Tomboy-kun walks toward the source of the noise, and finds a blue haired person in a school uniform, crying.

Tomboy-kun thinks to himself, (I wonder what she's crying about.)

He then takes a closer look at the person.

(Wait, isn't that OUR SCHOOL'S uniform? What could she be doing out here? Probably something boy related. Yuck.), he continues thinking.

He is about to walk away, but he hears the continued sobbing, making him feel guilty.

(God damn it, Keisuke! Why do you always have to play the hero? It couldn't maybe hurt to see what the problem is, I guess.), Tomboy-kun finishes monologuing and sighs.

He walks up to the person.

Shy-kun looks up at him in tears.

(Whoa! She's kinda cute!), Tomboy-kun thinks to himself.

He then says, "Ma'am, may I ask what the problem is?", in a brave tone.

Shy-kun hesitates as he has never met Tomboy-kun in person, but has heard of him, so strangers are someone he is wary of.

"I-I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.", Shy-kun replies.

"You go to the same school as me, so I doubt I'm THAT much of a stranger.", Tomboy-kun says.

"H-huh!?", Shy-kun looks up in shock.

Tomboy-kun isn't wearing his school outfit, but instead wearing street clothes. Not a completely convincing argument.

Tomboy-kun then pulls out his notebook he happens to have kept in his pants pocket with the school's emblem proudly engraved on the front to show he wasn't joking.

"O-oh! Gomenasai!", Shy-kun says to him.

"Don't worry about it. It's a good thing I had this. I usually just run around the track every day, so I keep it on me in case someone wonders whether or not I belong to the school.", Tomboy-kun says.

This prompts a giggle from Shy-kun.

"Name's Nohara Keisuke. May I ask yours, young lady?", Tomboy-kun says.

Shy-kun puts his hand on his chest, and gives a tearful, but cheerful smile, as if this was luck they had met.

"Kamamori. Kamamori Machiro.", Shy-kun says, looking up at Tomboy-kun.

(Could this person be the girl my friend was telling me was in the Student Council with him?), Tomboy-kun thinks to himself.

"Sorry you saw me cry. Pretty pathetic, huh?", Shy-kun says.

Tomboy-kun puts one leg behind the other, then rests his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose.

"Nah. It's what people do, but also what they SHOULDN'T do.", Tomboy-kun responds.

Shy-kun cooks his head to the side in confusion.

Tomboy-kun sighs heavily, and says, "You don't get it, do you? What I'm trying to say is people shouldn't cry. Life is to short for sad stuff. Never cared for it. There's always a time to be happy."

Shy-kun says near silently, "It was about someone I liked."

"Huh?", Tomboy-kun says flatly.

Shy-kun repeats himself, "IT WAS ABOUT SOMEONE I LIKED!", shouting tearfully.

(So it WAS about a boy! Just like I thought.), Tomboy-kun thinks, recoiling at how correct his hunch was.

"Sumimasen! I won't bother you with the details when there's probably something else you would rather do.", Shy-kun says tearfully.

"Hey. Buck up. I don't need to know the details. You lost hope, but you don't need to do that. Keep your head held high, and believe in yourself.", Tomboy-kun says.

The last three words rang through his head.

"Delaroux-sensei...", Shy-kun mutters

"Uh, wut?", a confused Tomboy-kun questions.

"I-It's nothing!", a red faced Shy-kun says, embarrassed that he said it out loud.

"Ok...", Tomboy-kun said.

"You were right. I need confidence. To believe in myself.", Shy-kun says, wiping his tears.

Shy-kun stands up, and says to Tomboy-kun, "Thank you, Nohara-kun.", with a radiant smile.

(S-super cute! If only she wasn't taller than me...), Tomboy-kun exclaims internally while looking up at Shy-kun.

Tomboy-kun lightly clears his throat, and says in a heroic voice, "It's all in a day's work. Smiles galore!", doing a sentai henshin pose at the end of his speech.

Shy-kun bursts into a fit of laughter.

"I really don't want to admit it, but even YOU are funnier than Motonoya-senpai!", Shy-kun says, on the verge of tears again, this time, due to laughing so hard.

"The old timer? Everyone is funnier than him, but...he has his moments.", Tomboy-kun replies.

At the Motonoya residence, Cringe-kun is studying at the dinner table with a bowl of rice next to his book.

"Hecho!", he sneezes.

"Bless you. You're probably being talked about right now. Good things, I hope. Tee-he!", Taiyuki says from the nearby sofa while watching TV.

"Knowing my luck, they're probably nothing but insults.", Cringe-kun snides, writing down another equation.

"Classic Otouto.", Taiyuki shakes her head.

A brief pause between them ensues.

Cringe-kun breaks the silence.

"So, did I tell you I made someone laugh last weeken~"

"Noooot interested.", his sister interrupts, turning up the volume on the TV.

"Heeey!", Cringe-kun shouts.

At the lake, Shy-kun comes down from his laughter.

Tomboy-kun checks his phone.

"It's that late? I got to go, or my mom is going to kill me! My ass is still sore from Saturday night.", he says.

Shy-kun giggles, and says, "Thank you, Nohara-kun. I needed this. I hope you have a good night."

"Hai, arigatou gozaimasu. You too.", Tomboy-kun replies.

He turns around and pulls a pair of sunglasses, putting them on.

"Oh, and next time we meet, it's Keicchan.", he says, without looking back, before taking off into the sunset.

Shy-kun screeches "Kyaaa!", at the dust and wind he kicked up, holding down his long skirt at the front, coughing loudly and sputtering out dirt moments later.

Needless to say, he was not ready for a close encounter with the red bolt.

"So straightforward, but so cool...", Shy-kun replies, hoping to meet him in school someday.