chapter sixteen:  CREAM COFFEE

His eyes were just slightly bloodshot, from not playing video games all night, but thinking. Till it was two in the morning, he was for some odd reason contemplating on his life so far and what would come after. Be that as it may, his train of thought led to Miruka's past. It was day after the picnic, where they played games and just kept having fun post-confession.

Kenma let his feet slide on the tatami mat flooring into the tiled kitchen, where his mother had left a note. Quickly, he stuffed some ground coffee into the metallic machine, taking it up in his fingertips and letting out a sigh. Today was a coffee day, an unconscious decision. The cat was back again.

'Your father and I are on a business trip together - please stay safe!'

It was like this usually, his mornings. The whirling of a coffee machine, a stray he regularly conversed through glass because of his dislike for animals, the straightforward print written on pink paper and the scent of his washed uniform. They were always early, regardless of how late he slept, so he could always feel the crisp air prick at his bare arms.

The cat nudged against the window pane and Kenma glanced at the white cat, who mewled with annoyance. He moved to the sugar and cream, taking the jug filled with the bitter liquid and pouring some into a mug, adding the extra ingredients. The boy could never stand his coffee black - there had to be lots of cream and one sugar cube.

Then, he eyed the feline and stared at it emotionlessly.

What do you want now?

It hit its paw against the glass. It didn't stop glaring at him, their blue eyes poking at him. Oddly, it didn't make him uncomfortable. They just wanted them to make him talk from what he could gather.

"Leave," he whispered, shifting his view to the tiles. He had counted them many times, including the small ones, always adding up to seventy. The cat didn't budge.

"You can't stay here forever."

With that, the cat stopped pestering him as if he could clearly understand the high schooler, took one last glance, finally jumping off the ledge. Kenma never really understood why someone like him who never had a soft spot for animals could understand and communicate with them so easily.

They would be beginning the summer festival at Nekoma which would be held on the Thursday and Friday. Saturday, they cleaned up the aftermath then escaped back home to do whatever they wanted. The week after, exams would be held then it was the camp.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be chosen to be a class representative like last year. His lack of motivation definitely affected the class, but still carried out their craft stall.

Clearly, he could remember Miruka's enthusiasm when middle schoolers asked for her help. She was always good at art, specialising in the cutesy kind, but still held the ability to draw anatomy with precise measurements. The girl seemed like the better choice to be the class representative, but straws were drawn and he got the shortest one.

Somehow, she always ended up wherever he went.

The clock signalled for him to leave and so he placed his mug into the sink, washing it out then grabbing his messenger bag. He left, locking the door and stepping out of the gate to the road. The cat was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, his phone started to play the chirping noise, indicating that an orange haired 'crow' had messaged him. He tapped out his password, entering his messages and inwardly grinning.

aahhh!!!! i'm so excited for the training camp!! also good luck with your festival, we're having ours after the training camp!!!!

The text was predictable, yet funny. The overuse of exclamation points were in no way sarcastic - Shouyou probably had no idea what sarcasm was. Kenma stopped around the corner, finding a whistling Kuro who was waiting for him by the transmission pole.

Their walks were quiet, Kuro sometimes talking about his morning. They enjoyed the peaceful mornings where Shibuya was oddly quiet and each others' presence. The bustling of people and students would be heard in just forty five minutes if they stopped and stayed. Living in Tokyo was great, although it could be a pain listening to the traffic. It was at the start of building up, as they crossed the road.

In the span of half an hour, they reached the school with ease. They stuffed their shoes into lockers and parted ways. Although they rarely spoke from dawn, by dusk one could talk for days on end and the second would reply in short bursts.

Kenma walked to his classroom silently, stuffing his phone into his blazer's pocket. He entered, finding a few of his classmates sitting around and talking or studying. It was the calm before the storm, the storm being Miruka who could cause a riot before her friends in the class if she wanted to.

Her presence was easy to find and identify, warm and filled with conversations to be started. Excluding her peach coloured hair that had small tufts bobbing at the hairline which bounced as she moved.

Then, she stepped inside in all her extroverted glory and greeted all with a cheerful smile on her face. She look uplifted and happy, most likely from yesterday. Her eyes that reminded Kenma of the coffee he had without the cream, targeting him.

"Ah, Kenma," she breathed, setting her things on the table two rows away from his. "How are you?"

He shrugged, Miruka sighing and ending it with a short chuckle. "Well I hope that you're in a good mood to discuss things with me, because in two months we have to get ourselves running to Comiket and we've gotta look our best!"

Oh yeah, Comiket in August.

From her side, she pulled out a large square sketchpad and a pencil case that overflowed with markers. Kenma was in awe of how prepared she was, organised and ready for anything. He had no trouble with organising his events and items as they were but few, but she had so many things going on around her and inside her bag, that it seemed like magic the way her things and burdens looked like air.

Miruka shifted the pages till she found a sketches of outfits from manga, video games and anime. They were a little rough and scribbly, yet well coloured and detailed. Each part of the fabric was labelled and her writing was all in pink.

"I was thinking," she began, mumbling and playing around with a mechanical pencil. "That maybe, even if its just a little bit cliche, we could do a Sailor Moon cosplay? I've asked the staff at Comiket to check if anyone that's been invited is doing it but they said no!"

Kenma nodded and focused on the Tuxedo Mask outfit, that hid his face and had a very formal look. She was planning to be Sailor Moon of course, which was her ideal choice.

"Your opinion?"

He blanched for a second and watched her eager face beam at him, waiting for his response. The tuft bounced again and he blushed slightly. If he was able to, he could draw every part of her face - from her large eyes the narrowed at the sides, her fringe that was made into a slight 'V' shape on her forehead, smooth skin and nose that was pink at the tip.

This was when he remembered his realisation from yesterday.

I liked her.

Immediately shooting his head down, he wondered why he did that, the looked back up. A cough came out from his throat and Kenma nodded again.

"It's fine," he mumbled, staring at it blandly. "We can go with it I guess . . ."

Miruka raised an eyebrow then let her features soften, the strands falling against her cheeks. She briefly explained where she could get the fabric and doodled around her designs aimlessly, animals adorning the edges.

The bell rang and the teacher entered the classroom on time as usual, everybody shuffling to their seats and the girl grabbing her things and scrambling to her place. She winked playfully at him, making his cheeks redden even more, so he turned away as fast as he could. Kenma could feel her toothy grin from behind his head.

"As we all know, our school summer festival will be held on Thursday and Friday," the teacher said, taking out some straws, two cut short. They would be deciding who would be the class representatives the same way again.

"We must choose two students who will lead us in the festival. The two with the shortest straws will represent us this summer."

He stood up, straws in a fist. The first row went first, the the next, up until Miruka's row with nobody chosen yet. Two girls went with no luck, then it was her turn. She pursed her lips and pulled a straw.

It was a short one.

The class exclaimed, lucky that she was going to be representing us. The role was good for someone like her with ideas overflowing and a good outlook. The second was found out shortly, a boy with black hair and grey eyes named Kato Hotaru. He got good marks and was an average student that was in the calligraphy club.

Once the teacher had left to let us discuss our the plan of our class, the room began to be talkative again. Miruka and Kato talked with each other smoothly, throwing back replies like it was nothing. He towered over her by at lest twenty centimetres so he had to bend down his head whenever they spoke.

A trickle of envy ran down Kenma's back.

"Minna-san ~ !" Miruka called out, grabbing everyone's attention instantly. "Has anyone got any ideas for the stall?"

Hands went up and Kato brought out a pen and notebook, taking down each idea.

"A crêpe stand!"

"Mask making?"

Miruka wrote them on the chalkboard as well, making a table for each suggestion.

The suggestions were multiplying and they had about plenty within five minutes. Kato let out a breath of relief, thankful they had gotten plenty of ideas. The class kept on conversing, while Kenma sat alone discreetly playing on his PSP.

The girl coughed purposely. "So, we've got ten stalls to choose from and I've crossed out the ones we can't do because they're either taken or it's cause we can't afford it."

"We'll be having a vote on the following choices," Kato continued, pushing up his round glasses. "The choices are a theatre, a face painting and mask making booth, a cafe, a light show."

Each event seemed quite nice, but they didn't particularly catch anyone's eye. The representatives and Kenma noticed it, the two eyeing each other with a knowing stare.

"Although," Miruka interjected, the intone in her voice going higher. "There is one other option that may be possible,"

"What does a petting zoo sound like to you all?"

An eruption of voices resounded the classroom, Miruka and Kato smiling at each other triumphantly. They had found the right choice. This was definitely something that could catch anyone's eye. The problem was, how were they going to do it?

The pair talked it out with each other, Miruka playing with the cowlick on top of her head and sticking her tongue out. She had been doing that a lot recently, especially when she was listening and concentrating hard in class.

Kato hit the table in front of them by his palm twice. "We have already conjured a plan to do this, although it'll be hard to carry it out."

"'Conjured'?" Miruka snorted. "You sound like a wizard, Hotaru-kun!"

Everybody laughed. Her charisma and jokes could make even the most stoic of faces laugh — even Kenma was trying to hold back a chuckle. Whether it was the way she said it, her loud laughter after the punchline or the cheesy pose or expression she made next, she was the life of the party.

He was destined to be standing in the corner, watching from afar.

"Anyways," he continued, Kato shaking his head in exasperation. "Miruka-san owns a pet store and can find us a shelter that can loan us some animals. We'll be holding it outside obviously, hopefully with the permission of the principal."

"I'd like all of you to participate within every activity," the said girl proclaimed, a small spark in her voice. She was looking at everybody, but Kenma could easily feel that it was directed at him. She wanted him to join in.

But it's impossible.

Her teeth scratched together into a smile fit for the ages, overflowing with determination.

"All of you."

There was silence at first, then another uproar of cheers. They were all excited and fired up ready to take on this festival with all their might. It was going to be the best, they knew.

It was also going to be the most important they'd ever experience.

• • •

hi. so i'm back from the dead?

ALRIGHT!

as you know, i've been undergoing some serious amount of pressure and workload from basically everything as December is basically a month of stress and parties and so so much work. somehow, i have managed to work on a 2000 word chapter for you guys as an apology.

at the moment, i'm under so much stress that i am calm eating a slice of leftover cake in the shape of a volleyball. great isn't it? i have a geography project to work on and kumon math sheets to do.

(i'll explain that in a rant later on in life if you don't know what it is)

((if you do, and you are experiencing it yourself — my condolences))

also WE. HAVE. REACHED. FOUR. THOUSAND. READS. AND OVER 450 VOTES.

WHAT A MIRACLE I ACTUALLY WANT TO CRY

THIS IS LIKE THE BEST CHRISTMAS SLASH BIRTHDAY GIFT FROM YOU GUYS LIKE THE SUPPORT IS AMAZING I CANNOT HANDLE IT

AND THE BIRTHDAY WISHES AND VOTES FOR THE WATTY AWARDS?

I AM SO THANKFUL

i'm gonna end this on a high note (keeping it short) and thank you all, who have been with me through this with me since chapter one and those who have picked it up just yesterday

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH

– michaela