It is now lunch time after the awkward event the day before and the two girls are chatting on their seats while eating lunch.

“Sera? Are you alright? You look like a zombie!” Mika told Sera who has dark lines under her eyes and looks ready to pass out.

“Oh?” Mika rubbed her eyes, trying to keep herself awake. “I just was not able to sleep a wink last night.” Even the way she spoke showed that she was completely tired.

“Sorry!” Mika stood up then bowed deeply to show her sincere apology.

“Ah?” Mika tilted her head since she was not able to understand why Mika was apologizing.

“It was me who dragged you there and put you in that embarrassing situation. Sorry!” Mika replied while still bowing.

“Oh that? You don’t need to apologize for that. It is just that after being able to stare at him straight in the eyes for several minutes, whenever I close my eyes I can see his face. My heart then starts to beat fast and my face feel hot which is why I was not able to sleep.” Sera explained while turning red and looking downwards.

“That’s it? Ah... You got me worried for a minute there” Mika then sighed with relief and stood upright again and went back to her seat.

“Hmmm hmmmm! Although it robbed me of my sleep, I feel somewhat fulfilled!” Sera said with a smile.

“Fulfilled!? By that moment!? Are you sure?” Mika raised her voice again as she questions Sera.

“I shouldn’t?” Sera once again is clueless.

“Of course you shouldn’t! If you really like him then why don’t you try and spend time with him more?”

“But how? He is in the other class so...”

“Come on Sera! The classroom is not the only place where events take place! How about you wait for him in the streets tomorrow morning and make it as if you run by him by coincidence!”

“Oh? That sounds like it would work!”

“That’s it then! I’m just going to buy something to drink, do you want something?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks Mika.”

“No problem!” Mika replied with a thumbs up and a smile. She went out of classroom to get some drinks when she had an encounter.

“Ohoh? Just yesterday you were so opposed of Ethan for Sera! Yet now you are helping her to get closer with him. What is it with the change of heart?” Leon who was wearing his usual top hat and cheeky smile appeared.

“It is just because I thought he was a bad guy! But after yesterday he looks quite harmless... Wait, how did you know that I was helping her?!”

“Ohoh? You didn’t know? I can read minds!” Leon raised his arms side wards as if he was a very powerful creature who have the world in his grasps.



“What?!” Mika was surprised and backed off a little while thinking “So that is why I can never beat him!”.

“Just now you were thinking “So that is why I can never beat him!”, am I right?” Leon said as he pointed his index finger on Mika’s forehead.

“Ugh!” Mika who believed Leon is now on a lost of words. Now that she knows that Leon can read her mind, she was starting to lose hope of competing with him. “I was so foolish! He was way out of my league!” is what runs through her mind while sweat runs through her face.

“Right now you were thinking “Leon is so cool, I think I am falling in love with him!”

“Wh-what!? Am-am I thinking that?” Mika herself started to doubt herself.

“Hahaha! That was- hahaha!!” Leon tried to talk while laughing hardly but he was not able to until he calmed down a bit. “I’m joking! I just heard you while walking by since your voice is very loud.” Leon said while wiping off his tears of joy.

“Ah...” was all Mika said in an expressionless manner before she went closer to Leon and kicked him on the stomach.

“Ugh!” Leon groaned in pain before he fell to his knees then flat to the ground.

Mika just walked away slowly as the other one falls to the ground. On her mind, she was thinking “I win!” and acts like a protagonist on some action novel when in fact she is just like a child who used violence after losing in a play of words.

 

Morning came by and Sera was waiting on the streets near the school for Ethan to arrive. She also practiced saying “The weather is good today!” last night so she was absolutely ready. It was thirty minutes before class starts so she stood there, waiting for Ethan to pass by.

Ten minutes passed by and Ethan was still nowhere to be seen. She just took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

20 minutes passed and her target was still not around until she decided to go to school by herself. She passed by the room of class B just to see that Ethan was already on his desk, sleeping.

Although disappointed, the feeling of amusement upon witnessing Ethan sleeping so early in the classroom weighed out more.

“You’re Sera right?” The cheeky short guy Leon came by and approached Sera. “Just a tip, Ethan sometimes comes to school very early to get some zonkers since his mother wakes him up too early.” His cheeky smile widened before he went inside the classroom, not waiting for Sera’s reply.

Sera who received a strange advice from Leon did not even bother to be curious as to why the boy know this information. In her mind, she just decided that “I will wait way earlier then!”.

 

The next morning came by and it is an hour and a half before classes start and Sera was already waiting on the streets nearby their school. The sun was not fully able to completely rise yet she was already there, waiting.

Half an hour passed and Ethan was still not around. “It is still early, I just need to be patient!” is what is on her mind. Another half an hour passed and it was the same time she started waiting yesterday but she was still patient enough to stay.

Since she was on the wait very early, she was positive that Ethan has still not arrived school so she decided to wait longer even if there is only ten minutes left before time.

It is now five minutes left before time and she needs to go now or else she will be late. She was about to start walking when she saw Ethan from afar, running at a crazy speed. Although she was able to see him on the path to school today, Ethan was running so fast that Sera was not able to approach him.

Due to waiting until the last minute, Sera was almost late then he met the boy in the top hat who is grinning widely.

“Sorry about that. He said his mother was out of town today that is why he got up late.” Leon apologized while smiling which is not sincere at all.

With all the failures despite waking very early, Sera decided to give up on the plan to be able to walk with Ethan in the morning.

The next morning came and Sera went to school in the normal time she comes without thinking of meeting the boy she likes.

After a few minutes of walking, she is somewhat regretting that she did not put any effort today to be able to walk with Ethan. “Ethan...” She unconsciously called his name.

“What?” A familiar manly voice echoed on his side while walking. She was so lost in thought that she did not notice that she was already walking beside him.

“Ah-ah! M-morning!” Sera was all flustered that she stuttered on her greetings.

Ethan just nodded back. Although Sera practiced having some small talk with him, she was not able to put it in reality since she was not expecting it to happen today.

Although she was able to meet with him in the morning after all the effort, all she did as they walk is blush and look at the ground.