Rio stood there with her mouth partly open, her soul seemingly having left her body. Yuuki pulled out the bottle from his grocery bag and started drinking from it.
As he did, he noticed a half-empty bottle sitting next to Rio; The same dark-colored carbonated beverage as the one he was holding.
“Woah.”
“Wh-What?”
“Look, they’re the same. You like Dr Peppy too?”
Rio didn’t respond, hastily moving the bottle out of view, over to the other side. She remained on high alert while Yuuki grabbed an onigiri from his bag, unwrapping and eating it.
As she watched him chew on it, she felt the need to air her grievances.
“You’re just munching away without a second thought. Do you even realize the situation you’re in?”
“A happy one. It’s delicious.”
“Happy? You’re happy to have your lunch in a place like this?”
“Quite.” It was heaven compared to the never-ending stream of gossip. It was also pleasantly warm, the occasional light breeze refreshing. “A quick nap here after a nice lunch would be the best.”
“I’ll steal your wallet while you’re asleep. See how you like it then.”
“Now why would you say that?”
“Because you’re not making any sense. You’re telling me you’re somehow content with all of this? I can’t stand deceptive liars like you.”
Despite her bold assertions, Yuuki wasn’t lying nor did he have any intention of deceiving her. “Then what’re you doing here? Go grab lunch with someone, like your shoe locker friends.”
“Friends? Those looked like friends to you? They’re just a bunch of morons who like to mock me, making me out to be some exaggerated character stereotype.” Rio bit down on her lip.
It appeared Keitarou and Sonada’s story wasn’t entirely correct.
“Aren’t you? Seatmate breaker.”
“Seat what? Please don’t give me weird nicknames.” Rio finished off her last remaining tamagoyaki roll. “It’s why I don’t join the disciplinary committee or the student council anymore.” She said, putting away her bento box. “I still hate childish, immature individuals but anything I say will only get me laughed at, so I just ignore them.”
“Mmhmm. And that’s why you don’t have any friends?”
“Wh-Where did you get that from? Also, I’ll have you know I have a b-b-best friend.” She said, stumbling over her words like she didn’t even believe them herself.
Naturally, only one person came to mind. “Yui, you mean?”
“Y-Yes. What about it?”
Someone she called her ’best friend’ had never brought Rio’s name up even a single time. Not to mention that Yuuki, her seatmate, hadn’t seen Rio once.
“For best friends, you sure don’t hang out a lot. Probably don’t even walk back home together.”
“O-Our schedules just don’t align that well...”
Yuuki, of course, wasn’t buying any of it. Rio, perhaps realizing this, let her gaze drop. She stared at the ground, her face twisting.
After being silent for some time, she lifted her head suddenly, her shoulders shaking. “T-That’s right! I’m nothing but a tool! Just one of the many in her massive circle of friends! She recently flaked on me too. We had a group study planned...”
She held a grudge after all. Yuuki refrained from telling her it was partly his fault. Yui, on the other hand, was all like ’I’m sure she won’t mind me flaking on her.’
“Yui certainly has her issues, to put it lightly. No reason to obsess--”
“D-Don’t talk about Yui like that! She’s different from the rest! Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to spend more time with her: walking back home together, texting each other all night, hanging out on the weekends...”
“Then do it.”
“Listen! She’s the initiator and I’m the one that gives in after some convincing! I can’t just ask her to come hang out!”
“Pff.”
“What’s so funny?!”
“Sorry, I just tried imagining it.”
Repeat what you just said and I’m sure Yui would gladly hang out with you. The way you said it was way too cute.
Rio, meanwhile, was furious and ready to pounce on him at any moment.
“You’re smart, you’re pretty yet so... twisted.”
“What difference does it make? Yui’s prettier, livelier, kinder, cheerier, sunnier, loved by all...”
“I think you’re glorifying her.”
Yui really wasn’t all that beloved.
Earlier, someone from her friend group told her to shut up because she was, apparently, monopolizing the conversation.
She also happened to be a sore loser much like a grade schooler, still not having gotten over yesterday’s loss.
“No I’m not. Actually, it’s a mystery to me why Yui even bothers paying attention to a worthless nobody like you.” She suddenly began smack-talking Yuuki, raising Yui up on the most grandiose of pedestals.
The seatmate killer’s brainwashing appeared to be the culprit.
I can’t let her get away with snatching her former seatmate’s heart just for the fun of it, only to then break it. Yui has to take responsibility and atone for her crimes.
“Okay, so basically you want to get closer to Yui but can’t gather up the courage to ask her out yourself. Alright then, I’ll ask her out tomorrow or the day after for you.”
“Eh?” The proposal seemed to have caught Rio off guard as her eyes widened, with a shaky voice she continued. “I-I appreciate it but why... why would you do that for me?”
“There are no bad Dr Peppy enjoyers.”
“H-Huh? What kind of reasoning is that? Actually... won’t I come off as desperate?”
“I know, I know, that’s why I won’t bring up your name. Basically, what we do is...” Yuuki lowered his voice, even though there was no one around to hear them.
Rio, her cheeks lightly flushed presumably with excitement, leaned forward on her knees and brought her ear to Yuuki’s mouth.
✦ ✦ ✦
After having finished eating lunch with Rio, Yuuki made it back to class just before the first bell.
Yui’s orbiters had conveniently dispersed. She shot Yuuki a quick glance as he sat down at his desk before returning her focus to what appeared to be a notepad in front of her.
Yuuki came to the realization that they hadn’t really talked at all today.
He wasn’t even avoiding her, she was actually the one avoiding him, or rather, she wasn’t initiating conversation.
On top of that she exuded this unapproachable aura, which Yuuki simply ignored as he had business to discuss.
“Yui, you free this weekend?”
Her shoulders jumped. She slowly turned her head toward him. “And what if I am?”
“I thought maybe we could meet up again.”
Yui did a double take. “Is this about Mina?”
“No, I just want to hang out with you.”
“Honn...” She started making weird noises, her mouth open as she stroked her chin.
Is she having spasms again?
As Yuuki gazed at her, Yui put on her signature smirk as a distraction. “With me? Oh, you want to go on another date with me? Well, well, well.”
“A simple yes or no, please.”
“Let me savor the moment.”
Yui seemed feisty. Certainly nothing out of the norm for her, perhaps, but Yuuki had a sneaking suspicion he needed to confirm. “You seem in a bad mood today. Still mad about yesterday’s loss?”
“M-Me? Mad over some silly little game? Do I look like a k-kid to you?!”
“Where are the angry vibes coming from then?”
Yui pursed her lips, muttering, “Maybe from you two treating me like a child?”
“Sorry?”
“I’m not angry! We’re... midterm rivals, yes, midterm rivals! Team RiYui’s going to whoop your ass two vs one.”
That’s like ganging up on someone solo fighting bots-- borderline, nay, actual cheating. What a sick mind. Although, that’s why it’s worth fixing.
“But okay, if you insist. Saturday? Sunday? What time? What place?”
“Weren’t we rivals? And shouldn’t you be studying with Rio?”
“Umm, well, I can always study later, it’s whatever. Rivals on weekdays only.”
Study later? When? After midterms are over?
Yui leaned in, her voice growing livelier by the minute. This made Yuuki feel uneasy, as if she was plotting something.
“Hmm, how about you come to my place?”
“Your place it is, then.”
“How’s the afternoon sound? I’m not much of a morning person.”
“I get sleepy in the afternoon... Eh, fine. I’ll swing by earlier and hang out with Mina.”
Yui went along with whatever he proposed. Does she not have any plans? Though, I guess that only makes my life easier.
“Yuuki asking me out. Is Ragnarök finally upon us?”
“Midterms would be the last of our concerns, if that were the case.”
“Also, what was that whole deal with Rio and the picture?”
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Delete that picture already, seriously.” Yui narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. “You better not be up to something.” She started nagging.
Actually, now that I really, really think about it, I should’ve at least waited for midterms to finish before doing this. Yuuki already began regretting his decision.