"Yo, Nanoka." 

He greeted me with a wave of his hand.

I stared back at him.

"You climbed the tree again?" I asked.

"Heh. Yeah." 

He stifled a laugh,

as his whole body balanced on a thick tree branch outside my room.

The mere sight looked so precarious that I feared he would fall at any given moment.

"Isn't it dangerous?" I pointed out.

"Hey, I only did this because you were taking so long." 

He argued in his own defense.

"Oh, hehe, right." What he said was true.

I bowed my head formally. 

           "I'm sorry..."

"Ah..." Jun probably hadn't expected any apology from me,

because he looked like he was taken aback.

"Geez...you're always like this."

He muttered--scratching his head in frustration.

"Forget it...just hurry up."

Ah right!

If I don't head out now,
we might be late.

"Okay...Wait for me!"

I said before racing out of my bedroom and down the staircase.

   "Nano-chan, have a great day!"

My mother's kind voice echoed from behind

as I grabbed the lunch she prepared for me off the table

and rushed my way out of the house.

"Hehe, slow as usual."

I heard someone remark in a teasing tone 
once I was outside.