After talking with Kiyoshi yesterday, Kazumi was finally able to sleep peacefully.
But for some weird reason… she couldn't stop thinking about him.
The next morning, on her way to school, she noticed Kiyoshi walking ahead on the street.
Without realizing it, she started following him.
Then suddenly—
"Kaazzuummiii!"
"Huh?!"
Emily suddenly jumped onto Kazumi from behind and hugged her tightly while Rose casually walked beside them.
"Kazumi, you've been acting weird these days," Emily said. "You haven't eaten lunch with us for three straight days. Are you okay?"
Kazumi forced a smile.
"Oh… it's nothing really."
Rose looked at her carefully.
"You know you can always trust us if something's bothering you."
Emily grinned mischievously.
"Yeah… you can tell us everythiiing…"
She leaned closer.
"And anythiiing..."
"Like when you and Kiyoshi suddenly became close."
Kazumi instantly blushed.
Rose crossed her arms with a smile.
"Yeah, don't think we didn't notice."
The two girls stared at her while Kazumi awkwardly avoided eye contact.
"C-Come on, you guys… I don't know what you're talking about…"
Emily pointed dramatically.
"Look! She's blushing! Something really IS happening!"
While they teased Kazumi, Rose suddenly noticed someone walking ahead.
"Oh look, it's Kiyoshi."
"Speaking of the devil," Emily laughed.
Before Kazumi could stop her, Emily suddenly dashed toward him.
"Emily?! Wait!"
Kazumi chased after her while Rose followed behind calmly.
Emily tapped Kiyoshi on the shoulder.
"Good morning, Kiyoshi!"
Kiyoshi flinched slightly.
"H-Huh? G-Good morning…"
By the time Kazumi and Rose caught up, Kazumi already looked like she wanted to strangle Emily.
"What are you doing, Emily?!"
Emily innocently smiled.
"Nothing. I'm just greeting our classmate a good morning."
Then she looked at Kiyoshi.
"Right?"
Kiyoshi awkwardly nodded before greeting Rose and Kazumi in a soft, shy voice.
"G-Good morning…"
Kazumi blinked.
This is strange…
He wasn't acting like this yesterday when we talked alone…
Emily suddenly leaned closer to Kiyoshi.
"Wow, your hair looks really pretty huh. Honestly, I almost mistook you for a girl."
Rose nodded.
"And it smells nice too. What shampoo do you use?"
Kiyoshi looked embarrassed.
"U-Uh… I just use the same shampoo as my mom. She's the one who buys it…"
Emily sighed dramatically.
"Aww… what a shame."
"…?"
Then, with absolutely no warning—
"So, are you and Kazumi dating?"
"EMILY?!"
"Come on, it's just a normal question."
Rose thought: No it's not.
Kazumi thought: NO IT'S NOT.
Kiyoshi thought: Definitely not normal.
Kazumi quickly bowed her head.
"Kiyoshi, I'm really sorry. They're just messing around."
Emily crossed her arms.
"No I'm not."
Kazumi forced a smile while glaring directly into Emily's soul.
"Hahaha… yes she is."
After a few seconds of terrifying eye contact, Emily finally sighed.
"Fine… sorry."
Kiyoshi suddenly laughed quietly.
"You really have interesting friends."
For a second, the soft smile on his face made all three girls freeze.
Emily recovered first.
"Are you single?"
SMACK.
Kazumi immediately hit Emily on the head.
"SHUT UP!"
That day, class somehow started feeling normal again.
Well… mostly normal.
Kazumi kept secretly glancing at Kiyoshi during class—
—but nearly died when she caught him glancing at her too.
She immediately turned away and pretended to focus on the lesson while her heart pounded wildly.
At lunch, Emily suddenly invited Kiyoshi to eat with them.
Kazumi honestly wanted to smack her again…
But deep inside, she also wanted to know more about him.
The four of them sat together in the cafeteria.
Emily proudly introduced herself first.
"My name is Emily R. Holloway, I'm 15, and I like gaming, music, and sports."
Rose followed calmly.
"I'm Rose M. Winters. I'm also 15. I like makeup and cooking."
Kazumi hesitated for a moment.
"I'm Kazumi… Kazumi L. Bennett. I like reading, writing… and sports too."
Then all eyes turned toward Kiyoshi.
"I'm Kiyoshi H. Jisei. I like music, drawing… and cooking."
Emily immediately grinned.
"Alright, Jisei. Let me ask you something important."
Kazumi already have a bad feeling where this was going .
"What type of girl do you like?"
Kiyoshi nearly choked.
Emily proudly continued.
"I'll go first. I like a guy who's funny, handsome, and not boring."
"Emily, I told you—"
"And our friend Kazumi here is single too," Emily added with a smug grin. "She's pretty, kind, and—"
Kazumi immediately covered Emily's mouth.
"MMPH MMPH—"
Rose laughed.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
Kiyoshi looked at Kazumi for a moment before quietly saying—
"Yeah… I think Kazumi is pretty."
Silence.
Kazumi's face instantly turned red.
"EEEEEEEH?!" Rose squealed.
"LOOK, SHE'S BLUSHING!" Emily shouted through Kazumi's hand.
"I'M NOT!"
"You totally are!"
"I'M NOT!"
As the girls continued teasing each other, Kiyoshi quietly watched them.
For a moment…
He smiled.
Maybe because he admired the kind of friendship they had.
Later that afternoon, while walking home, Kazumi kept thinking about what Kiyoshi said earlier.
What type of girl do you like?
Why am I even thinking about that?!
"It's not like I care or anything…"
Then suddenly—
She spotted Kiyoshi hiding behind a wall near a kindergarten.
Kazumi quickly hid too.
"…What is he doing?"
Carefully peeking out, she noticed Kiyoshi staring at a small pretty little girl standing near the gate.
And then—
Kiyoshi smiled.
A suspicious smile.
Kazumi's imagination immediately went insane.
Wait…
What if he's not interested in women?!
What if he actually is into little girls?!
As Kiyoshi slowly approached the child—
Kazumi's brain completely exploded as she ran to wards him and shouts.
"YOU PERVERT!!!"
Kiyoshi turned around just in time to see Kazumi flying toward him.
BAM.
Her kick sent him crashing to the ground.
Kazumi immediately grabbed the little girl protectively.
"Don't worry, child! Big sister is here to save you from this pervert!"
The little girl blinked in confusion.
"…Pervert?"
Then she looked at Kiyoshi rolling on the ground.
"Big brother?"
Kazumi froze.
"…Big brother?"
The little girl happily ran toward Kiyoshi.
"Ahahaha! Big brother's down!"
Kazumi slowly realized what she had just done.
"…Oh no."
After apologizing to Kiyoshi for almost the entire walk home, Kazumi finally learned the truth.
The little girl's name was Marry.
Kiyoshi's younger sister.
As Kiyoshi silently stared at her with the most disappointed expression imaginable, Kazumi felt like disappearing forever.
His eyes practically screamed:
Do you seriously think I'm THAT kind of person?
By the time they parted ways, Kazumi was still dying from embarrassment.
But later that night…
As she laid in bed thinking about Kiyoshi and his little sister—
She couldn't help but smile.
Kiyoshi being a big brother…
…was actually kind of cute.