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"W~ow, you really do have a lot of pictures of Shin-sama." Hamano whistled, leaning on the desk with a spread of fresh new pictures of Raimon’s popular strategist.
"I told you. Calling him by Shin-sama is forbidden." The girl seated at the table says, with an odd firmness past her cheerful voice. Hamano cringes jokingly, pressing his lips together into a goofy, sheepish smile.
"Haha, sorry." He shifts, curiously picking up one of the photos on the top layer. The two of them were here in the classroom after school hours, and only a few other students were around. There wasn’t any practice today. The color of the pink sky glowed through the windows, as the orange clouds floated on lazily.
"You really have a good eye for these." He mused. None of the images had motion blur. The timing of each pose was perfect, as well, capturing body language and emotion, with or without the player’s face. Akane knew her stuff.
The manager nodded, radiating pride. “I love Shin-sama, after all.”
Though, truth be told, she put care in each picture she took. It’s just that this one boy was her centerpiece. “Do you ever get fangirls… You know, the ones who want to buy your pictures of him?”
"I do." She replies flatly.
"Geh—!?" I was kidding!
She raises a finger though, her face still as pleasant as before. “Even if they offer me a lot of money though, I’m not patronizing the competition!”
"You’re so serious…" Hamano can’t help but laugh about it.
"Ah." He looks up abruptly. "It’s getting late, shouldn’t we head home?" Akane nodded.
"That wouldn’t be a bad idea."
"Yeah, I’ll escort you home."
—
The walk was calm, and quiet. Hamano glanced over to his companion who was a bit further front than him, opening his mouth, then closing it again.
"Hey, Yamana…"
"Yes?" She turns her head as the two keep walking. The sky by now’s darkened to a gentle pinkish-purple.
"Um… it’s nothing."
Akane blinked, then chuckled softly. “You’re so weird.” Turning forward she began to walk again.
I don’t want to hear that from you. Hamano thought, but in the fondest way possible. You wouldn’t think she was a sci-fi and paranormal fan from looking at her. Girl was just full of surprises, and he had known her for a year now.
"Well, actually…" He started again, after catching up to her pace. "You know it’s almost Valentine’s, right?" He turns his head. "—You should give Shin-sama something~"
"What did I say about using ‘Shin-sama’?" She pointed her finger at his cheek casually, then raises it to her own. "Of course I will. It’s already planned out."
"He gets a lot of chocolates, so you should make yours something special! What about a fish-shaped one because he likes cats?"
"You just want to see fish-shaped chocolate." Akane tilted her head. Amused, nonetheless. "By that logic I could get Shin-sama nekomimi."
"And a bottle of milk." Hamano smirked. The two began to laugh under their breaths.
"Oh, here’s my road. I can manage the rest of the way." Akane bowed slighty. "See you tomorrow, Hamano-kun."
"Bye!"
He waved his arm absently, even if it wasn’t likely she was going to face back. Hamano sighed, but still smiled by his own company.
… When had it gotten this dark? He held onto his bag with his left hand to hurry on the way home.
—
Valentine’s Day already, huh. It was always a little silly a holiday, seeing students too shy to approach others (moreso if they were upperclassmen) and resorting to leaving the gifts a lot of the time at the shoe lockers than doing it directly. And then there were the friends who freely traded chocolate like it was nothing.
Hamano as resident class clown didn’t really expect to get anything, but he didn’t mind! If anything it was amusing enough to see others who similarly didn’t expect anything flustered that they did. Like his best friend Hayami just now.
"Hey, maybe you really are i~ke~men!" Hamano laughed, solidly patting the taller boy’s shoulder. ‘Shut up’, his glare indicated, but Hamano could see he was a little happy, past that. And that just made him snicker more.
"Hamano-kun!" Huh? That was…
Akane, outside the classroom.
"What’s up?"
Without a word, she smiles and picks out something from her bag. Hamano looked on curiously. She raises up a small plastic bag on her palm. —Wait. Wait. He wasn’t dreaming, was he? He felt heat race up to his face, and he stammered, “I-is that…”
"For you." Akane giggled innocently. "Isn’t it obvious?"
"Th… thank you…" Hamano takes the bag into his hands, still lightly trembling. Inside were a dozen or so chocolate fish. They each had simple details, their eyes dotted, and scales as curvy lines. But that she put the care in these to begin with...
Can he even bring himself to eat these?
"What about Shindou…?"
"I’ve already given his, of course. Now I’m just giving chocolates to all my good friends!"
Hamano doesn’t immediately reply, still staring at his gift. “I’ll be off, then.” Akane bowed. She then took a few steps moving onto the room further into the hall, before…
"Shindou’s really lucky." Hamano suddenly thought out loud.
"Hm?" Akane turned.
Realizing what he just said, Hamano scratched the back of his neck. “Ah— It’s nothing. Thanks for the chocolate, Yamana!” He gives her a thumbs up for reassurance. “I’ll always be your friend!”
"Where’s that coming from, all of a sudden…?" Akane softly smiled. "You’re so weird."
Hamano pressed his knuckles against his hips, his grin now taking on a side of cheekiness. “I don’t want to hear that from you.”