"Tell me again what you said to Chuuya," Fyodor asked for the third time.

"I told him I thought he was cute, and that's why I gave him the candy," I replied.

"And what did he say?"

"He said thank you."

"And...?"

"And nothing else. Just a thank you."

Dazai and Fyodor exchanged looks.

"I think you scared him off, Kolya."

"Well done," Dazai teased.

"Don't be like that!" I protested. "He was probably enchanted by me. Everyone likes chocolate."

"I don't," Kajii said. Ranpo let out a scream and clutched his chest.

"You don't like chocolate?" he exclaimed. "You're a monster!"

"It's too sickly sweet! It's horrible!"

"Monster! You've gone too far! Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonored you! Dishonored your lemons!"

"Hey, hey, but don't mess with my lemons!"

They started to fight and pull each other's hair while the rest of us watched.

"I bet a hundred yen on Ranpo," Dazai said.

"Only a hundred? I'll bet five hundred."

"Hey!" protested Kajii, while Ranpo pulled his ears.

We laughed, and then I saw him passing by at the end of the hallway.

Again, he was accompanied by his friend, another taller redhead (although Chuuya-kun was already quite short). They walked past us, and Chuuya smiled (again, I'm not entirely sure if he really smiled because he had a mask covering his mouth) and waved to me.

I smiled back and waved to him. Then he walked away, and I let out a sigh like a love-struck schoolgirl... which makes sense because I am a love-struck schoolboy.

"Ahhh~ Chuuya-kun is the most wonderful being in the universe," I sighed, placing my hand over my heart.

"I remind you that you said the same thing about Mushitaro-kun, and things didn't end well," Dazai commented kindly.

"Thanks for reminding me, Dazai-kun," I muttered, not very thankful. "I'm sure this time will be different. I haven't hit Chuuya-kun with a basketball yet, and he doesn't hate me. Plus, he smiled at me and waved, which means he remembers me."

"Of course he remembers you, Kolya. It's not hard to distinguish the random guy who offered you chocolates when you didn't know him at all."

"Haha, very funny, Dos-kun."

I didn't understand why my friends downplayed my feelings. Just because they didn't feel the same love that I did didn't mean it wasn't valid! That was what annoyed me about them; they were very sympathetic but never empathetic.

"Anyway, I'm going to the library," Dazai announced, getting up.

"I'll join you," Ranpo offered, giving Kajii one last punch. "I have, um, something to check."

Fyodor came closer to me and whispered in my ear, "I bet you anything that the 'thing' he's going to check is Poe."

I chuckled. "Goodbye!" they bid us farewell. "Save us a spot in the art workshop!"

"I can't promise anything!" Fyodor shouted as they were already going down the stairs.

He and I looked at each other, laughed, and got up to go to the workshop.

"Come on, Kajii."

"I'm dying!" he whined.

"Come on, don't be a crybaby."

We spent the day chatting and laughing. I almost forgot what I had told Chuuya-kun the day before. And finally, the school bell rang for dismissal. Without even saying goodbye to the teacher, everyone rushed out like a bat out of hell. So, once again, the boys and I had to do the cleaning.

The teacher thanked us, and we left together. Except for Kajii, Kajii was one of those who ran out as soon as the bell rang.

Fyodor turned to me.

"What are your parents saying?" he asked. I checked my phone.

"They're quite far away, and there's a lot of traffic."

"I see. I'd love to stay with you to wait, but..." he gestured to the exit, "I have transportation, so..."

"Of course, no problem," I smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," he smiled too. "Move it, Dazai! The transportation is about to leave."

"I'm coming!" Dazai said goodbye to some guys he was talking to and left with Fyodor.

And there I was, as usual, alone.

My parents didn't arrive in time to pick me up before they closed the gate, so I had to wait at the main entrance. Chuuya was there, alone. His friend must have left already. I took a deep breath to gather courage and sat down next to him.

"Hello," I greeted. He jumped.

"Oh, hi!" he said. "You startled me."

"Sorry," I apologized. I took a chocolate out of my pocket. "Want one? It's a bit melted, but I think it still tastes good."

He smiled and accepted the chocolate.

"Do you like chocolate?" he asked. He didn't eat the candy; he just put it in his pocket. Maybe he didn't want to take off his mask to eat.

"I love it. Chocolate is delicious."

"Isn't it? I really like it too. Oh, look at that! They've come for me," he smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"Sure, goodbye."

We said goodbye, shaking hands, and he left. His guardian was a young, beautiful woman with reddish hair tied up in a half ponytail, and she was wearing a navy blue suit. She might have been a police officer or held some government position.

I stayed there waiting for a while longer until they came to pick me up, and I could finally leave.

"How was school?" Mom asked from the passenger seat.

"Fine," I replied.

"Fine, how?" Dad insisted, driving.

"Well, fine. Normal."

They didn't press further. I had many things to tell, like the self-portrait we drew in art class or the exhibition we had as homework for tomorrow, but I didn't feel like talking. I could only think about Chuuya.

Every day when I arrived at school, I bought chocolates from the vending machine and during break, I looked for Chuuya to give them to him. Also, when they didn't pick us up early, we stayed talking at the entrance gate. They always came for him before they came for me.

Once I dared to ask for his number, and I ended up looking like the fool I am. He said he didn't know his cell number but knew the landline.

And I, being the fool I am, instead of understanding "landline," I thought he meant "signature."

I didn't know why he would want to give me his signature, but I took out the pen anyway. After all, if a cute guy offers you his signature, it's not right to refuse. Later on, you can forge the signature to make it appear on your marriage certificate.

I offered him the pen.

"Hmm?" He looked at me with a face of not understanding. I have an innate ability to make people make that face.

In the end, it turned out okay, more or less. He took my hand and wrote his number there. I must have turned red when I realized he said "landline" and not "signature."

And I called him once, and again, and again. He never answered.

Until I came up with the best idea I've had in years: instead of asking for his number, I would give him mine.

"Congratulations, Nikolai. You're a genius," Ranpo teased.

"At least I have the guts to talk to my crush, unlike others," I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him.

Ranpo blushed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, turning his head.

"Oh, no?" I replied with mischief. "What, are you trying to tell us that you go to the library just to read?"

"Well, Nikolai, that's what you do in libraries."

"That's true, but we all know here that you can't take your eyes off that guy, Edgar. It seems like the stalker was someone else..."

He jumped up suddenly.

"That's none of your business!" he yelled, completely red. "Now I'm going to the library, to read! And if I happen to run into Poe, well, so be it!"

And he left, with a red face. We laughed.

"How cute," I commented.

"How pathetic," Dazai said.

"Don't say that. Someday, you'll fall in love too."

"Ew, no!"

We laughed again. I saw Chuuya walking ahead and jumped up like a spring.

"I'll be right back," I announced and ran out. "Chuuya-kun! Chuuya!"

He turned around. Again, he was accompanied by that annoying guy. Why did they never separate?! They stick together like gum!

"Hello," Chuuya greeted. His friend looked me up and down.

"H-hello," I stuttered. "You know, I was thinking, since I call and you never answer, I could give you my number, and you can text me."

Horror. I sounded very desperate, didn't I?

"Oh, well. Okay," he smiled again. Chuuya looks very cute when he smiles, even with half his face covered.

I handed him a piece of paper with my number on it.

"Text me," I smiled and ran away.

Now, all that was left was to wait.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I forgot to say that this fic is based in the real life. MY real life. 

/cry 

Thanks for reading!