Chapter 3

Today was the day that he was going to school. Kaito put on his school uniform and looked himself in the mirror. There were dark circles under his eyes after he hadn’t been able to sleep, though Kaito figured that he was making an effort to go to schooll. Yuya said she wanted to show him off as her awesome boyfriend, so he decided that he will show Yuya that he will indeed change. That he’s making an effort. Kaito took one final glance in her mirror, clapping the palms of his hands against his cheeks, before saying, “All right, this is it. I’m going.”

Kaito went to the door and put his hand on the handle. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath, before he opened the door and went out into the sunshine. Spring started, which meant that school started. The sakura were in bloom. The sunlight glared into his eyes, and Kaito started to make his way to school.

When Kaito started walking towards school, he felt stares up on him. It’s been so long that he actually ventured outside, that it was a surprise to see a red-haired gangly teen with headphones around his neck coming out of the woodwork.

“Is that…?”

“Kaito Takasu? Yeah, he’s finally coming back…”

“What should we do? Should we approach him?”

“Ssh! Don’t let him hear you talking about him. He can peer into your mind and make things move with his mind. You don’t want to get on that guy’s bad side, do you?”

So his classmates went on without acknowledging his existence. Kaito let out a sigh. He knew that they hated him, all right. IF not hate, then feared him. They wanted nothing to do with him.

Kaito felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Good morning, Takasu-kun,” Minako said while she folded her hands in front of her and looked towards Kaito. It seems she’s forgiven him. “Did you get any breakfast this morning?”

Kaito shook his head.

“I can manage without.”

“That’s no good, Takasu-kun,” Minako said while shaking her head and wagging a finger at him. “We can’t have you suffering from malnutrition! You should’ve come to my house earlier and had breakfast with us! You know that you’re always welcome there.”

“I know,” Kaito said. “Don’t worry about it, Minako.”

Minako huffed her cheeks, before finally relenting. “I packed an extra bento box just in case this happened. Though remember, after school I’m coming over to your house and helping you clean it up. You shouldn’t shoulder all this burden alone.”

When they made their way into the classroom, they went to their assigned seats. Yuya was there, and she nodded to Kaito when she saw that he attended school.

“Hmhm,” Yuya said. “Would you like to have lunch on the rooftop with me? Minako is more than welcome to join you too, of course.”

Minako bristled at the sight of Yuya, and Kaito thought that he saw Minako pout a little when Kaito said. “Sure. How’s everything going for you?”

“Business is going well as usual,” Yuya said with a dismissive air, before she said.” Anyway, it just so happens that I packed an extra bento for you, Kaito-kun. I’m sure it will be much richer and extravagant than Minako-chan’s bento.”

Yuya took out a bento box that was far too large in size, regalled with various foods within it’s compartments. Kaito almost drooled at the sight of it, though Minako gave him a disapproving look when he saw the huge meal that was awaiting for him.

“Kaito-kun has a bento already made for him,” Minako said with a huff. “I bet your stuff isn’t even homemade, coming from a spoiled rich girl like you. You probably got the food from expensive uppercrust part of the city instead of cooking it yourself.”

Yuya smirked. “Ah, but you’re wrong. I’ve managed to take a few cooking lessons here and there and I’ve learned a lot of fabulous recipes to put int a bento. Of course I have cooks to cook for me, but I wanted to try it out for myself. It’s to prepare myself as a future wife for Takasu-kun , of course. And it only has the finest ingredients in it. I’m rather proud of myself and my bento; I can learn anything and everything that I set my mind to. But that’s what happens when you’re perfect like me.”

Minako huffed. “Perfectly arrogant. You have too much of a high opinion of yourself, Yuya-san.”

Yuya let out a laugh, before saying, “Don’t worry, Minako-chan. Not everyone can be as perfect as I am. It’s just an unattainable standard. That’s why I, Yuya Akabane, be a guiding icon for the other students in class and possibly students everywhere around the world.

“She means well,” Kaito said to Minako. “Though…I didn’t know that you were set on marrying me, Yuya.”

“M-Married?” Minako sputtered. “When did this happen, Kaito-kun? And why? Why Yuya-san of all people!”

“Well, I haven’t seriously considered it yet,” Kaito said to placate Minako, and it was Yuya’s turn to pout now.

“Really? You wouldn’t want to get together with a gorgeous, smart, talented woman with unbelievable assets? I’m shocked, Kaito. It’s an easy decision if you ask me.”

“You would probably marry yourself if you could,” Minako said. “And I suppose your ‘unbelievable assets’ would be appealing to the superficial male…”

“Minako, darling,” Yuya said with a flip of her luxurious golden hair. “Girls want to be me and guys want me. I can perfectly understand why you would be jealous. Still, sweet little Minako has her little mean streak too, it seems. I like that. It makes you a more well-rounded character rather than a flat nice girl that you see populating fictional books and movies…”

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“I’m not a character, I’m a person!” Minako said in frustration. “Yuya, you just think that everything is a stage or a fictional narrative. You have a flair for the melodramatic and obviously see yourself as the star. You would probably make a one girl show out of yourself because you think too highly of yourself and adore yourself too much. You should learn a little bit more modesty.”

Yuya gave Minako a secretive smile. “Even one as amazing as myself should have a character flaw. Pride is mine, I suppose, but really, Minako, I love bringing out the worst in you. It’s fun to see what would be a typical ‘nice girl’ play against type and actually bear her fangs. Cute little kittens have claws, after all. Us girls are made of tough stuff, not just sugar, spice, and everything nice.”

“Ugh,” Minako said while crossing her arms in disgust. “One of these days I need to straighten you out.”

“I’m as straight as a circle, dear Minako.”

Minako threw up her hands. “Fine, have it your way. But if Kaito is really going to marry you, then I’m part of the package deal. He usually consults everything through me, of course.”

“He consults everything through you? Does this mean that he needs your permission to go to eat or go to the bathroom. Or, god forbid, does he need YOUR permission to have sex with me?”

Minako flushed. “Takasu-kun…say something…or stand up for me…or something! Just don’t let Yuya dig her claws into me!”

“You two need to learn how to get along better,” Kaito said at last, to which Minako pouted and Yuya rolled her eyes at Kaito.

“Please, Kaito, sometimes you ought to grow a pair,” Yuya said. “What happened to the times when you used to declare your undying love to me?”

“That was when we were children,” Kaito said, starting to sweat and feel the pressure of Minako’s gaze upon him.

“You wanted to be the wife too,” Yuya said with a certain smile, having fond memories of that. “Of course, I’m all about unconventional gender roles, but still. That was cute.”

Kaito blushed. “Please don’t talk about that.”

“Awwwh, am I teasing poor little Kaito-kun too much? Don’t worry Minako, I can dig up some dirt on him too if you’d like.”

“Yuya, you’re starting to irritate me,” Minako said in an eerily serene voice, which even gave Yuya pause. Yuya started to calculate whehter or not she wanted to push Minako’s buttons further, though Kaito finally said. “Look, you two really need to learn how to get along. You two are my good friends, and I don’t like seeing you guys at each other’s throats,” Kaito admonished. “Yuya, I know that you get off on pressing people’s buttons, but please restrain yourself. And Minako, you were deadset on not liking Yuya from the start. Be kinder to her.”

Yuya fluttered her lashes at Kaito.

“Oh Kaito, you’re wrought between indecision, aren’t you?” Yuya said as she looked to Minako, then back to Kaito. “Of course, I could’ve used my charisma and all my talents to win you over, though I thought that Minako ought to have a fair chance at you too. Normally I believe in crushing my opponents completely until they cry for mercy, but I think that Minako would make a worthy rival. I’ve always wanted a rival that stood on par with me.”

Minako rolled her eyes. “Please, the only person that you consider so highly is yourself.”

“Well, of course Minako isn’t perfect like me, but she might be close to it if you wanted a second rate version of a wife.”

“Yuya, Minako,” Kaito said, suddenly snapping. “Please. Stop arguing. I’m already stressed out enough as it is, I don’t need you two bitching at one another to make things work.”

Both girls gave pause.

“I’m sorry, Kaito-kun,” Minako said in a soft tone. “I know that you’re stressed out and us arguing doesn’t help it. So, Yuya, as much as I don’t like you…temporary truce?”

“We should make love, not war,” Yuya said with a wink, before Minako flushed and hid her face behind her hands.

“Well, as long as you two called a truce, I can accept that, I suppose,” Kaito said, before he prepared his materials for class.

—x—

“It’s lunch time!” Yuya declared, before she presented her bento towards Kaito and said to him. “Eat up every last bite, Kaito. You can also suck your fingers while eating the finger foods. I don’t mind.”

“Somehow you make that sound like a perversion,” Minako said with a faint sniff, before she presented her bento towards Kaito as well. “Please Kaito, help yourself.”

Kaito looked from Minako then to Yuya, before weighing the options before him now. If he took from Yuya’s bento first, he know that Minako would raise a fuss, and it would be likewise the same if he tried to sample Minako’s first. What was a guy to do, when stuck in a situation like this? Still…both looked delicious and filling, and Kaito’s stomach grumbled from the lack of breakfast. He needed some food to nourish himself, and he used chopsticks to pick up a sushi roll from Minako’s first, then put some omelette rice together with it. He ate and chewed, and found the meal very satisfactory.

“Minako’s is delicious as always,” Kaito said. “But I’m surprised, Yuya. When did you become so good at cooking?”

Yuya absolutely beamed with pride. “The secret recipe should be kept secret, don’t you think? It gives my dish more appeal and intrigue that way. Besides, if a cook revealed all their techniques, then the flavor wouldn’t be as savory, I don’t think. So just sit and enjoy, Kaito, and appreciate the aesthetics of my bento.”

“Wait a minute,” Minako frowned, before she sampled a piece of the meal herself, before saying. “You didn’t make this at all, Yuya. You bought this from a high tier restauraunt and stuffed them into your oversized bento. You should be ashamed of yourself for lying.”

“Ohohohohoho,” Yuya said with a smirk, before saying. “It looks like the cat’s out of the bag now, hm? But don’t worry about it, darling Minako-chan. I knew that I couldn’t compare to your home economics skills, so I thought this would be the best way to one up you. But hm, I’ve been discovered, mm? Well, that doesn’t matter now. As far for everything else, I’m perfect in every regard. One day I will surpass your cooking skills, and what will you have left, dear Minako-chan?”

“Shut up,” Minako said while curling her hands into fists. “You’re so infurirating! This is why it wasn’t a good idea to…to be her boyfriend!”

Minako stood up, and she glared at Yuya before pointing an accusatory finger towards the blonde.

“Yuya Akabane, this is an interrogation. What do you feel about Kaito and why are you trying so hard to be his girlfriend? There’s got to be some scheme of yours, right?”

Yuya let out a sigh, before she cupped her ahnds around her mug of tea and took a delicate sip. She smirked towards Minako, before saying, “Why does everyone always think that I’m scheming something?”

“Because that’s what you do!” Minako cried out. “You scheme. You backstab people. You’re the least trustworthy person that I know!”

“Minako…” Kaito said quietly. “Yuya isn’t that kind of person.”

“You say that, but she humiliated you in front of everyone else in the past, right? Out of petty jealousy!” Minako stabbed a finger towards Yuya.

“My, my, darling Minako,” Yuya said, winking one eye open and staring at Minako. “You think that you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you? Well, I’ve always known that you were kind of dense, but this is unbelievable. Really, Minako. I have faith that you’re smarter than that, but you just refuse to acknowledge the truth.”

“Really? What am I not getting? That you’re massive…troll or whatever that gets her jollies off of decieving other people and turning them against one another?”

“I would never lie to you, Minako,” Yuya said with a sudden serious expression on her face. “I’ve been honest with you this entire time.”

“I don’t get you, Yuya,” Minako said, before she let out a huff and stormed off. Kaito noticed that Yuya’s gaze lingered on Minako, before she turned to face Kaito with a bright smile on her face.

“Well, Kaito,” Yuya said. “Now that we finally have her out of the way, let’s work on polishing you up.”

Kaito nodded, though inside, he felt numb. He had a premonition that there was more to Yuya and Minako’s relationship than meets the eye.