Wrappers kept piling up on Kunie’s desk. Masami didn’t scold her. She didn’t say anything.
She was busy chatting with Sahana. Toyomi sat alone. He spent the lunch break writing a poem.
‘Am I selfish?’ Sahana asked through the table where her face was planted.
Masami hesitated. ‘You were a little before.’ Sahana looked up and Masami held her hands up in surrender. ‘But I forgive you! I get what it’s like to want to spend all your time with your crush.’
Perhaps that was an unwise thing to say. After all, it brought a glimmer to Sahana’s eye and a grin to her face.
‘Ooh, when did you have a crush?’
‘Anyway, I think you should try and talk things out with Toyomi. I don’t think he’s worth breaking up with.’
‘But what if he doesn’t forgive me? I was so harsh to him. He’s probably better off with one of his fangirls.’
Masami raised an eyebrow. ‘You really think someone like Dooru is more suited to him?’
Sahana scrunched her nose and tucked her lips in like a lemon sucker. ‘...Maybe…’
‘Be honest.’
‘But I’ve never had a fight with a boyfriend before. I haven’t even had a boyfriend before.’
‘You could give him a present.’
‘But what if he thinks I’m trying to buy him back?’
‘Then make him something.’
After a few seconds of thinking, Sahana ripped a page from one of her exercise books and began to write a poem. Without even realising, she had left Masami alone again.
Masami gave Kunie a mix of a glare and a loving gaze. When Kunie noticed eyes on her, Masami looked away, only to look again once Kunie’s head was back down.
Finally, Sahana spoke. ‘You didn’t tell me you had a crush on someone.’
Masami coughed. ‘Had. Past tense.’
‘Was it someone I knew?’ Masami’s gulp gave Sahana the answer she desired. ‘Who?’
‘Look, I don’t really want to talk about it. It was a stupid crush and it’s only a matter of time…. It was only a matter of time before I got over… that person.’
Sahana frowned. ‘I see.’
During cooking club activities, Masami gave her batter a limp stir, her mind stirring much faster. Sahana looked at her with concern but didn’t know what to say.
She knew what to say even less when Masami began stirring the batter at almost superhuman speed. Murder wasn’t in her eyes, per se, but at least jaywalking, maybe even vandalism. She got faster and faster and that vandalism in her eyes was quickly upgraded to physical assault. The only thing Sahana knew was that she should step away.
Fumie, however, moved past her initial fear and put a hand on Masami’s shoulder. ‘I heard you and Kunie had a big fight. Want to talk about it?’
At first, Masami considered shaking her head and saying that everything was fine, but Fumie’s gentle hand on her shoulder pushed her into nodding. Fumie asked the teacher if the two could speak alone for a moment and the teacher allowed it.
Sahana looked at her watch and left for the theatre club. Fumie led Masami to a spot by the stairs, where they sat down.
Fumie didn’t have to even ask anything before Masami exploded with anger. ‘Who does Kunie think she is, calling Sahana selfish like that? And why’d she get so angry at her in the first place? Talk about a chip on your shoulder. Sahana’s been so nice to us but I guess that’s not good enough for Kunie. Urgh, she’s the worst! What did I even see in her?’
Immediately, Masami covered her mouth. Fumie held onto the cross around her neck. Masami waved her hands about like an interpretive dancer at 1.75 playback speed. ‘I didn’t mean that! That was, uh, just an inside joke between Kunie and I! I’m not gay or anything like that.’
Fumie closed her eyes and sighed. ‘Masami, tell me the truth.’
The stairs got wet with tears as Masami whimpered, ‘I love her. I’m sure you don’t want to hear that, and you probably think I’m disgusting and wrong, but please… just let me cry over this.’
‘You think I could stop you?’ Fumie wrapped her arms around Masami’s shoulders and patted her head. ‘It’s okay. Cry. Keep going until the tears stop and it no longer hurts.’
‘What… happened… to… me? This isn’t… fair! What… made me so gross?’
‘You’re not gross. You’re just a regular human being who’s going through something. God has a plan for us and I doubt his plan for you involves you being sad forever. You can get through this.’
‘And of course, of all the girls I had to fall for, it just had to be her! She’s so stubborn! She hasn’t tried to make peace at all when it’s her fault this fight happened in the first place! I have to get over her. I wonder if there’s a way to get over someone in a day.’
‘I think you should talk to her.’
Masami leaned back until she was out of Fumie’s grasp. ‘Huh? Didn’t you hear me?’
‘I’m not saying you have to go out with her. You know my thoughts on that. But if you’re supposed to be such good friends, this little spat shouldn’t be enough to completely end your friendship. I think you need to let go of your own stubbornness.’
‘But she started it!’
‘That’s exactly what a stubborn person would say.’
Masami sniffled and wiped her eyes. ‘I… guess you’re right.’
‘And if she pushes you away and your friendship ends, I’ll be there if you need some support. I can bake you some cookies if you want.’
Masami chuckled. ‘Thanks.’
Fumie gave her one last hug before standing up. ‘Come on, let’s go back. Sahana’s not there to make weird food, so you’re our last hope.’
Meanwhile, in the theatre auditorium, Kunie kept forgetting her lines. Even the cues for her to speak slipped her mind. Dooru tapped her feet each time until it became too much for her.
‘Ukiwa, do something! Kunie needs a big talking-to!’
The shout woke Ukiwa up. ‘Ah, yes, Kunie, come with me.’ She took the student outside of the theatre.
‘So, uh, is everything okay?’ Kunie said nothing. ‘You’re not exactly giving me much to work with here.’
Kunie held her arm in and rubbed up and down it. ‘There’s nothing to work with. Sorry for messing up.’
‘You sure?’ Ukiwa asked. Kunie nodded. ‘Okay.’ As Ukiwa turned around and headed back inside, Kunie managed to muster up her courage.
‘I’m in love with a girl.’
Ukiwa turned back and clapped her hands together. ‘Really? Tell me the deats! That’s what the kids say, right?’ Kunie stepped backwards. ‘Sorry. So, is that what you’ve been worrying about?’ A nod from Kunie. ‘I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s getting more and more accepted these days. Does the girl like you back?’
‘I think she likes a different girl.’
‘Oh, well, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, even for lesbians.’
‘Don’t tell anyone, okay?’
‘Your secret’s safe with me,’ Ukiwa said before opening the door.
The next morning, Ukiwa was actually at homeroom on time. When Kunie walked through the door, the teacher scanned the room for the girl Kunie might like. When she saw her student’s heartbroken face and followed the eye line, she gasped.
‘Oh, so that’s the girl you like, Kunie!’ Everyone turned their heads. ‘Oops.’
Tears floated in the air as Kunie whipped around and ran out of the classroom. That afternoon, the theatre club heard the news.
She had quit the club.
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