Read The Girl Behind the Perfect Smile :: Chapter 14: A Quiet Afternoon

The next day, the sky was covered with soft gray clouds.Hiro walked through the hallways with his usual quiet steps. He kept his head slightly down, avoiding unnecessary eye contact. In his mind, the same thought kept returning.Why would someone like her want to spend time with me?He still didn’t understand it.During lunch, he sat alone near the window, as always. He had just opened his lunch box when a familiar voice spoke behind him.— …Move over a little.Hiro looked up.Waguri was standing there, holding her lunch box. Her expression was slightly pouty, and she wasn’t looking directly at him.— You’re sitting in the best spot again, she muttered.— I can move if you want…— I didn’t say that.She sat down next to him anyway, placing her lunch box on the desk with a small thud. Her shoulder almost touched his, but she quickly adjusted her position, leaving a small space between them.For a moment, silence filled the air. Hiro kept his eyes on his food, feeling a little tense. He still wasn’t used to having her so close.Waguri poked at her food, then spoke in a slightly teasing tone without looking at him.— You’re always alone. Don’t you get bored?— I’m used to it.— Hmph. That’s a sad answer.She rested her cheek on one hand and glanced at him from the side. When she noticed he was still looking down, she frowned slightly.— You never look at people properly, she said.Hiro’s fingers tightened around his chopsticks.— It’s not like people look at me either.Waguri went quiet for a second. Then she sighed softly, as if annoyed.— There you go again with that kind of talk.She turned her face toward the window, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.— You’re not as invisible as you think, she muttered.Hiro’s heart skipped a beat. He finally looked at her, but she quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the sky.— Don’t get the wrong idea, she added with a small pout. I’m just saying. It’s not like I care or anything.Even though her words were sharp, her voice was softer than usual. For the first time, she didn’t seem like the perfect girl everyone admired. She seemed more real… and a little tsundere.When the bell rang, Waguri stood up and packed her things. Before leaving, she stopped next to his desk and looked at him from the corner of her eye.— Tomorrow after school. The usual place.Hiro blinked.— You’re… inviting me again?Waguri’s cheeks turned faintly pink. She quickly looked away and crossed her arms.— I’m not inviting you. I just might be there. Whether you come or not is your problem.She started walking toward the door, then suddenly stopped and glanced back at him with a slightly teasing expression.— But if you don’t come… I’ll be in a bad mood.Before Hiro could answer, she left the classroom.Hiro stayed frozen in his seat, his heart beating faster than he wanted to admit.She was becoming more honest little by little.And he… still didn’t know if he deserved to stand next to her.