a/n: hi guys
this story is still alive
also, random chapter title is random

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"Cinna-chan, Cinna-chan~!" a familiar voice interrupted the image currently forming in my mind, the main characters' romantic scene under the starry night sky's waning moon slowly fading away.

I looked up, and my gaze was met by a pair of animated brown eyes. Kanato-kun loomed over my seated figure, grinning like a child who was given a large lollipop. Closing the light novel that was on my lap, I thoughtlessly offered to him the curry bread I was currently eating and that remained untouched for more than ten minutes. He immediately took a bite without even a single bit of hesitation.

"Yummy~!" he remarked with his eyes closed, before he plopped down on the grass beside me. "Ah! Anyway," he reached toward my head and picked something up, "you have a leaf on your hair!" He showed me the the yellowish leaf that rested on me just a while ago.

"Oh." I nodded as I watched him fling the leaf away and it fell slowly to the thin pile of warm-colored leaves. "Thank you."

He smiled in response then eyed the unfinished bread in my gentle grasp. His eyes went to my direction then the food's. I had a good idea on what he was going to say next. "You're not going to finish that or...?" Yup. Bingo.

I held up a finger as I took one final big bite from my lunch before surrendering the poor bread to the always-so-hungry Kanato-kun. I swore his brown eyes sparkled even more brightly than a diamond reflecting light when I extended my arm to hand it to him.

"Thank you~! Cinna-chan really is the best!" He received the food gratefully, the grin on his face wider than ever.

I nodded in response and watched him eat with much amusement. Really, Kanato-kun looked like a five-year-old stuck in a tall teenager's body!

Three large bites away from finishing the bread, he stopped, wide-eyed, looked at me, then blinked in curiosity. "Is there something on my face, Cinna-chan?"

I shook my head with a smile. "I just think Kanato-kun was being cute," I told him thoughtlessly before turning back to my book to look for the page where I stopped reading. I really needed to make a proper bookmark.

"Ueeeeeh?!"

Kanato-kun's voice made me look at him again, and now his eyes were wide and his cheeks were pink. He blinked twice before crawling closer to me, his face immediately approximately four inches away from mine. He looked like someone who just won a million yen and still couldn't process what happened.

He pressed his lips together and blinked again, his eyes still wide as two compact discs. "C-Cinna-chan, can you repeat what you just said?"

"About what?"

"About me being c-cute!"

His face went another inch closer. Woah, man. Instinctively, my hands found their way to his shoulders, attempting to push him away. I was well aware that he wasn't sleepy and he won't do something as rash as licking me now, but just to be safe. Sometimes, this personification of the cinnamon roll that's too good for this world and too pure ought to learn about proper distance and personal bubbles.

And wait, did I just tell him that he's cute...?

Oh shoot.

That's embarrassing.

Shoot me now.

"W-What do you mean?" I asked, feigning innocence. If I could play it off as something he just probably thought he heard, would I be saved?

"You said I'm cute!" And now our faces were at least two inches apart. I tried to push him away gently so I wouldn't offend him, but to no avail. Kanato-kun is still a dude who's stronger than I am.

You'll regret this in the future, Saki.

"Y-Yeah," I decided to admit to him anyway, since that might be the only way to get him away, "I think Kanato-kun's cute." I looked away, hoping no one would pass by and misunderstand my current situation. "A-Adorable, even."

"Ah!" A large smile broke into Kanato-kun's face before I felt myself squeezed by his long and sturdy arms. The next thing I knew, we were falling, and then we were lying on the ground. "Uwaaah~! Thank you, Cinna-chan! No one ever called me 'cute' before!" And I'm regretting it now.

He cuddled me for a few seconds, then he suddenly stopped, his arms stiff. He quickly sat up, leaving me on the ground. "P-President Akashi!"

Holy sashimi.

My heart's loud pounding ringing in my ears, I immediately sat up and went behind the tree, certain that Akashi-kun wouldn't see me from there. Flashbacks from that afternoon came to my mind, and I felt like curling into a ball and rolling into the void and oblivion, never to be seen by Akashi-kun and Mari-san ever again. He heard my indirect confession. He definitely heard it. How else could his timing be so great, then? He must've been waiting for the perfect timing to interrupt us then.

It took a moment for Akashi-kun to respond. He definitely saw me. "Kanato." I could hear the frown in his voice.

"Yes!" Kanato-kun stood up straight, saluting to Akashi-kun as if he's a commander.

"Do your work once you're done eating."

"Understood!"

And Akashi-kun was gone.

Kanato-kun let out a relieved sigh as I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding. My sigh made Kanato-kun look at me with his brown eyes brimming with confusion and curiosity. "Are you okay, Cinna-chan? Your face is kind of flushed," he asked, inclining his head to the left.

I nodded a little too quickly in my effort to not give anything away. Now that seemed more obvious. Kanato-kun seemed to buy it, fortunately. Just to be sure, I bowed my head a little to hide my heated cheeks with my hair.

"Ah, by the way~!" Kanato-kun started settling and making himself comfortable on the grass in front of me, taking another bite of the bread I gave him. He didn't really seem concerned about Akashi-kun's order; I worried about his safety (figuratively, please) as he started to prepare to converse with me leisurely. "Have you been sitting facing the courtyard for a few days now?" he asked, swaying slowly back and forth as if listening to a ballad.

I nodded. "Why?"

Kanato-kun's expression brightened, if that's even possible. "I was looking for you from the student council room for the past few days, Cinna-chan!" He took another big bite from the bread. "I was worried you got into trouble again! Or you chose another eating place because it's getting colder outside! I really like spending time with Cinna-chan here!" His facial expressions changed from relief, to worry, and then to something which reminded me of a puppy being left by their owner for a day.

Now that he mentioned it, it is getting colder outside as autumn seemed to be starting to transition to winter, which would mean I'd be a human ice cube every single day if I decide to continue staying here for lunch even on December. I was never someone who's good with the cold, to begin with. I groaned inwardly; I'd probably have to look for another spot soon.

"I'll just tell you when I have to stay in another place for lunch, then," I told him, not even sure where that place would be. Ah, well, YOLO.

"Why don't you just eat in the student council room, then?" he proposed cheerfully, his imaginary dog tail wagging furiously. "The room's really spacey and I heard it's super cozy during the winter! I also found a heater there few days ago so staying there would be really really really comfy weeks from now!"

"Uh..." I looked away, not really sure how to respond.

He probably noticed the hesitation in my face (which was actually more than that deep inside) so he added, "Ah, I don't think the others would mind! You see, there are times when Yui-senpai—she's also a student council member—brings her boyfriend who waits for her when we have heavy after school work, and sometimes Eliz—I mean—Mariya-chan would hang out. They usually help out when they stay, though."

I had seen how big and nice the student council room was since I had to work there in the computer with Akashi—AAAHHH! FORGET, FORGET, FORGET!

What I didn't know right now was how to refuse Kanato-kun's offer without hurting his feelings while giving a valid and believable reason. He seemed so bent on making me stay at their room for lunch with that expectant look on his face that I had no idea how to tell him I didn't really want to. Staying in the student council room meant I'd have more encounters with Akashi-kun and Mari-san, and that was anything but what I needed at the moment.

"Um, you see, staying in the council room is a little..." Shoot. I had no idea what to say.

He blinked, waiting and chewing his food. "If it's President Akashi you're worried about, I'm pretty sure he won't mind! He may seem scary but he's actually... well...," he looked away and scratched his head, "...kind of nice deep inside? Y-Yeah! He's nice...! I guess?" He smiled a not-so-sure smile, "So he won't mind!"

Of course he freaking would. I'm practically branded as an annoyance in his mind.

"Well, you see, Kanato-kun, I..." I wracked my head for a good wording to use, one that would not let out much of my current situation with him. "I... with Akashi-kun... I'm kind of intimidated with him..." He nodded at my words, so I continued, "And, right now, I don't think I could handle more social—"

"Are you avoiding the president, Cinna-chan?" he asked bluntly, but neither his voice nor his expression was near offensive. He seemed worried, but still curious. "I overheard Eliza—Mariya-chan mention it—"

"Kanato."

Both of us almost jumped in our places with the sudden call of Kanato-kun by ever-so-familiar voice of Akashi-kun. Immediately stuffing the rest of his bread, he responded, "Yes, coming!" before giving me an apologetic look and rushing off inside.

Great timing as usual, Akashi-kun.

Once I was sure that Akashi-kun would be occupied enough to even bother looking out the window, I dusted off my skirt and made my way inside the school's building as well, crouched down so anyone from the student council room would have no way of easily seeing me through the window (unless they actually get close to it). Being quite successful with that embarrassing act, I gave myself a figurative pat on the back for avoiding any confrontation with the two for the half of the day.

"Ah! Saki-chan!"

Not.

Before I could even consider running away, a hand was already on my shoulder, gently urging me to turn around. I made my death wishes before actually turning around, taking all my willpower to keep my face expressionless, despite bowing down out of habit.

"Uh... Saki-chan?" Mari-san bent down a little to peek at my face, which was mostly hidden by my bangs and my hair.

"Yes?" I replied meekly, trying to think of an excuse to escape from this situation.

"Are you mad at me?" I could hear the genuine worry in her voice, especially with the furrows on her pretty doll-like face.

I shook my head.

"Uh... About that afternoon... I'm really sorry!" She made a 90-degree bow, making me step back at her sudden polite action. Some passers-by looked as some others watched us, probably wondering why the pretty Natsukawa Mariya was apologizing to some social outcast.

Oh, chocolate fudge.

"It's fine!" I replied out of panic, "Please stand up, M-Mari-san! It's really fine!"

She slowly straightened, her expression still worried. "Are you sure?"

"I am!" I said quickly, noting how a guy just looked at Mari-san then at me before walking away.

"If you say so..." She fiddled with her polished fingers as she avoided looking at me. "Um, Saki-chan, just so we're clear, I'm not against you liking him..."

I had to fight the urge to cover her mouth. Or to slap her mouth for getting me in another probable trouble.

"But," she looked at me now, her eyes filled with seriousness and determination, "I also can't fully support you. I'm sorry."

And that may be because she likes him. There could be some other reason, but I had no idea what it could be. It didn't seem like she really dislikes me; Mari-san didn't seem to be the kind to be fake around people she doesn't like. Well, that's from someone who doesn't really know her much.

To begin with, however, I didn't need anyone's support for my feelings for Akashi-kun. Not even Yuki-chan's, actually. I just need to get these feelings into the recycle bin of my body's system, and soon to be permanently deleted.

"It's okay," I simply replied, trying to make a convincing smile. At the corner of my eye, I found Ayashikawa-san walking toward our classroom. "W-Well," I pointed to my said classmate, "I-I have something to discuss with her... If you'd excuse me." I bowed, before immediately striding away.