DAY 3

Students of Akademi High are coming in through the school gates. As Ayano is about to step into the building, somebody taps her shoulder. Seeing that it's Budo, she has a somewhat aggregated look on her face and his smile doesn't seem to be making things any better.

"What?!" she questions him like an angry mother.

"Um...I...uh... just wanted to talk to you and get to you" Budo says bashfully. He is very tall and muscular. He has a black hair that covers his forehead and wears a headband most of the time. People can mostly locate him in the martial arts club because he spends most of his time there.

'Why the heck is this guy always talking to me?' Ayano asks and notices him fidgeting.

'He seems interested in me but I don't have time for this. He has to teach me martial arts so I can stand a chance against Raiburu' she contemplates in her mind.

"Budo" she calls out sharply and immediately, the strands of hair on his body stands erect. He is so jubilant because she called his name for the first time.

"Yes" he says like a loyal dog.

"You're going to teach me martial arts" she says and sashays away.

"SURE!!! AFTER SCHOOL!!!" Budo squeals and starts to dance around excitedly. The student council members were watching Ayano from the window of their meeting room.

"Is that the girl? Ayano Aishi?" Kuroko, the vice president of the council requests.

"She resembles the picture that Megami sent us" Akane, the secretary says with her cute voice. She is very popular with the boys because of the cute, girly aura she exudes.

"Then we must keep an eye on her" Kuroko says in a commanding tone. Why is Ayano on their blacklist?

Osana and Raiburu are standing beside a flower bush.

"You are talking to Taro today aren't you?" Raiburu asks in attempt to make her blush.

"Yes but I don't know what to say to him" Osana says and sighs, remembering the bad incident with the bento. Ayano is listening to their conversation while plucking flowers from a distance.

"You'll know what to talk about once you see him" Raiburu says. "I'm going to call him" she laughs and starts to sprint in search of Taro. This makes Osana freak out and act restless.

"R-RAUIBURU! NO! DON'T DO THAT" Osana screams out but Raiburu has already gone inside the school building. For now, it's just her and Ayano in a single space, far away from people. Thoughts start to go through Ayano's head as she stops plucking the flowers.

'This would have been a perfect opportunity to kill this orange haired bitch but, killing her would bring lots of depression to my senpai' she sighs in frustration 'She is lucky to be friends with him'.

At that moment, Taro and a crowd of other people come out of the building. There are witnesses around and Ayano can't afford to be careless or she'll get caught doing something bad. Taro approaches Osana and she starts to frown - as usual.

"Ugh! Taro, you always keep me waiting. When will you learn?" she scolds while pointing at him.

'This bitch needs to learn to shut the fuck up. Always treating him so badly' Ayano thinks in irritation.

"Sorry. I was-"

"Doesn't matter. By the way, what is that book you're always reading?" Osana asks, pointing at the book in Taro's hands.

"Oh. This? This is Deeper Than Life. It's very interesting. Trust me. My grandfather gave it to my father and now, my father gave it to me" Taro says in an enthusiastic way. Osana nods in interest. When it comes to books, Taro very gets very excited. No, he isn't a nerd. He just really loves books.

"Do you want to try the book?" he asks and gives it to Osana. Osana opens the first book eagerly.

"Please be really careful with the book. I don't know what I would do if something happens to it" Taro pleads.

"Just like how I don't know what I'd do if something happens to you" Osana mutters under her breath.

"What did you say?" asks Taro as he leans forward. A shocked and red faced Osana shoves him backward.

"NOTHING! Of course I'll be careful. I'm not stupid." Osana says with sass.

"Then thank you. I trust you" Taro smiles.

"Like you should" she says. They start to walk to class. Ayano starts to secretly follow them from behind. A girl was watching her from behind. She is a spirit who follows her wherever she goes.

______________________________________

Students are sitted in class having their maths lesson.

"So if x is x and y equals to x, what is v? That is your homework" the teacher says. The students groan and start to complain but the teacher leaves the class, leaving them to complain all they want. Osana taps Ayano and she faces her reluctantly. She has to gain her trust.

"What you saw yesterday...Taro and I..." Osana tries to bring words out of her mouth.

"Oh. Don't worry about it" Ayano says sweetly - in other words, her doppelganger.

"Sorry you had to see that. I really don't know what happened to the food" Osana says trying not to look bad.

"It's okay. He did say it might have been an allergy" Ayano says and smiles.

"Thank you for understanding" Osana says in relief. Ayano chuckles in her head.

'You're such a fool' she curses her in her mind.

After classes, students come out for recess. Osana goes to the school fountain and sits there to read the book. Ayano is sitting on a bench with a book in her hands, peacefully waiting for Osana to drop the book somewhere.

FIVE MINUTES LATER

'This pile of shit should drop the book already' Ayano thinks in rage. She starts to plan on how to distract her and everyone else around her. She comes up with a plan.

She goes back into the building and climbs up the stairs. As she climbs, she sees a girl descending the stairs. She takes a book from the shelf and...

Bam!

The book hits the girl's head and she falls down the stairs with a scream. Ayano walks down and bends before her, pretending to care.

"Are you alright? That was a long fall" she says while touching her shoulder.

"ah..ah..my head.."

"Just wait. I'm going to call someone to attend to you" Ayano says and rushes down the stairs. Going outside, she doesn't expect to see a council member there. She sees Kuroko standing at the entrance of the building. Her facial expression changes to *I am so pissed off*
Kuroko majestically walks up to Ayano as students come, rushing into the building because of the loud scream - including Osana.

"Do you know where that scream came from?" Kuroko asks her with squinted eyes, examining her.

"Uh, yes. A student fell. I was just about to call you" Ayano says. Kuroko nods and proceeds to the stairs.
Ayano runs to the fountain and with no witnesses around, she picks the book.

'Aah.. my senpai's book' she fantasizes with a blushed face. She flips through the book and sees a page with Taro's handwriting. She rips the page out and closes the book.

'I'm sorry senpai but obviously, Osana isn't your match. She could never appreciate you the way I do. If destroying this book is the only way you would hate her, I will do it' she says to herself and drops the book in the fountain. She watches the book soak up with a grin on her face before she leaves the scene.

As she goes in, Osana comes out. She can't wait to see the look on her face.

"Osana, is the girl that fell okay?" Ayano asks in pretence.

"Yes. She was taken to the infirmary" Osana says, bows and leaves. Ayano stands on the spot and gazes at her, watching her every move. Osana arrives at the fountain and looks confused. The book isn't on the spot she left it so she walks around, searching for the book when finally, she spots it in the fountain all soaked up.

She is about to scream but she covers her mouth and looks around restlessly, worried Taro might be looking. She gently takes the book out and sits by the fountain, dumbfounded.

'What would I tell Taro. He would be so angry' she says almost close to tears and stares at the ground. Ayano swings her hair and leaves the surrounding.

Kuroko and Shiromi, treasurer of the council are standing next to a window. They were watching Ayano but didn't see her smile; they only saw her swing her hair.

"Do you think Ayano did something bad to Osana?" Kuroko asks like an investigator.

"Hm. What makes you think that? She might just be having pity" Shiromi says, trying to look at every possibility.

______________________________________

School is over. Everyone is exiting the school in pairs. Meanwhile, Osana is waiting outside the building, pacing left and right. She doesn't know how she's going to face Taro. She fears this might be the end of their friendship before she even gets the chance to confess. Ayano is standing by the gate, pretending to be on the phone.

"OSANA!!!" Taro shouts from a distance as he runs up to her. This makes her feel even worse.

"I have good news" he says energetically. She fidgets and looks to the ground as if she's about to get scolded. Noticing this, he gets worried.

"What happened?" he asks in concern. Osana keeps a depressed look and slowly brings out the destroyed book from her back. His shoulders drop and his face transforms to a devasted and disappointed Taro.

"Osana... what did you do?" he asks with an unsteady voice. He takes the book and looks at it like a dead puppy.

"T-taro. I'm sorry. I just left and...."

"Nevermind. I don't want to hear it. I trusted you." he says in a vexed way. He is about to go but Osana holds his hand.

"I don't want to talk to you right now" he says and just stomps off, ignoring her. She scratches her hair in worry.
Ayano looks satisfied. She remembers that she has to meet Budo after school so, she is on her way to the martial arts club.

Knock! Knock!

She opens the door not waiting for an answer.

"You're here" he says lighting up with joy.

"Let's get this over with. Teach me the fundamentals" she says straightforwardly in a bossy way.

"Wait!" Budo interrupts and catches her off guard. He walks up to her and holds her hands in his. She finds this very annoying and offensive so, she slaps his hands off.

"You like someone, don't you?" he asks with a low voice. In honesty, he hopes she disagrees.

"Don't cross the line Masuyama. I'm here for martial arts lessons. That's all" she makes it clear. He feels bad about this but he brushes it off.

"Okay Ayano. In martial arts, there are a few basic things you must master before going to the fundamentals. You don't simply skip the basics" Budo says - he is the true master however, Ayano rolls her eyes, growing impatient. She gets into fighting position.

"Just remember that-" he says but Ayano attacks him with a punch. He slides to the right and puts on an impressed expression. Infact, he likes her more because he has seen this cool side of her.

She is seriously ready to learn and does not see how impressed she is. How would she when Raiburu has clouded her brain? She wants to match up to her and does not care how many moves she has to learn to get the job done.

Fact💡
Budo's full name is Budo Masuyama.

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