Cool! Today my hair will stay bone straight, Sunny thought as she saw the first rays of light slighting through her curtains.
Her phone vibrated again; Yuta hadn't stopped texting and calling since 6 am.
Yuta Fujimoto suffered from severe ijimé [bullying] in the first year, Sunny had stood up for him and no one that time wanted to have issues with Saitama senpai's girlfriend.
Yuta became a reliable friend when with him Sunny could be herself even though he was a guy.
Like Madoka, Yuta was a member of the photo club where Sunny hanged out. Sunny just ran little errands and made sure that the good humor filled the walls to the brim.
Sunny took photos too, but they were not as polished as Yuta's and Madoka's who mastered not only the old and the new digital touching up methods.
The messages kept coming:
SO YOU ARE DATING DOMYOJI [Hana Yori Dango reference].
BE CAREFUL THOSE RICH KIDS ALWAYS HAVE THEIR CLOCKS WINDING BACKWARDS THE "FLOWER GIRLS" WIll SCALP YOU.
Sunny didn't reply because he was at the bus stop.
"Ittekimasu, I'm leaving grandma!"
"Itterasshai"
Sunny lived with her maternal grandmother. When her parents died, their company went bankrupt, the money was used to pay creditors, and the other half was kept for her.
Sunny's father was an only child whose parents now lived in Germany. So she had a choice between living there, or in Japan, at age 13 she was more interested in the manga Shirayuki no [Snow White] than Frankfurt sausages.
Besides her maternal grandmother lived alone, so it seemed a good idea.
Isu, Sunny's mother, had a hard time adapting to the French capital. She was a foreign exchange student who was about to give up on studying in France till she met Gregory her husband to be.
Isu ended up spending 20 years of her life in France where she and her husband produced wine which they exported all over Asia.
°°°
"Hayo, did you sleep well, your highness?" Madoka asked.
"Are you kidding me, I tossed and turned so much, tell me it didn't happen and that it was a dream."
"We had the same dream then," Madoka replied.
"Né, Madoka what would you do if you were me?"
"Nothing, it's too late."
"Maybe Matsumoto San has forgotten?" Sunny said in an attempt to reassure herself as she spoke.
"I doubt," Madoka answered pointing at the bus stop where Masumoto stood next to Yuta the huffing and puffing bull.
"Hayo," Madoka said casually.
"Ohayogozaimasu Matsumoto San," Sunny said lowering her head to greet him.
Madoka giggled hearing her friend greet Matsumoto San so politely.
"What are you doing here?" Sunny asked him.
"I was intending on picking you up with the car, but your street is too narrow. So I sent Miyama San away, we can take the bus together if you don't mind."
Sunny minded, but she didn't let it out, she had to keep her composure and her tatémae [public face].
Wow, thought Madoka he does not beat around the bush,"Ouji Sama fighting!" She yelled in a sign of encouragement.
Yuta annoyed to see his daily routine shattered by a Kento Yamazaki wannabe mumbled things. From his facial expression, you could only imagine the curse he was casting like a warlock.
He liked having his harem to himself, and he didn't appreciate the idea of seeing his Sunny caught up with another one of their school's super guys.
It was true Matsumoto never took public transports, a big brand car picked and dropped him off every day.
I should just follow his lead, for now, Sunny thought. The bus arrived; everyone got on and swiped their Suica card [Japanese bus pass].
Masumoto realized he did not possess one.
"I'll pay," Sunny said seeing his discomfort.
"Sasuga kanjo! " [Way to go girlfriend] said Madoka who as enjoying the scene.
Embarrassed Matsumoto, excused himself.
"Yaré, yaré, aren't you supposed to be some kind of rich guy?" Yuta said nodding his head in disapproval.
"Aren't you supposed to be quiet?" Sunny retorted before Matsumoto could reply.
Sunny hated when people brought up backgrounds as if it were the person's identity.
"What you saying chitogé?" [Nisekoi character].
"Nani!" Screamed Sunny.
"Nisemono, Nisekoi no onna!" [fake object, fake love woman], Yuta shouted back.
"It's nothing," explained Madoka to Matsumoto, "they get along really well, but they tease and argue like this every day."
Sunny's gaze fell upon Masumoto's; he seemed amused.
Was she amusing?
Did he see her as some kind of toy?
The noise they made annoyed the other passengers; they commuted taking a train to arrive at Nishimori Koko.
As they walked, side-by-side Sunny decided she and Matsumoto needed to get their story straight.
"Matsumoto San," Sunny started.
"You can call me Shota," he replied.
"Iie,iie, Masumoto San is fine," Sunny said embarrassed.
They barely knew each other she didn't want people to gossip about how impolite she was to speak to him so casually.
"Then, just add Kun," Matsumoto suggested. [It's a less formal way to address yourself to a man or boy with whom you are acquainted with].
"Shota is fine for me," said Madoka from behind, Sunny turned to give her a dark stare.
"It will be Matsumoto San for me," said Yuta who had no desire to become a friend with one of their school's idols.
"I was not expecting you to call me in any other way anyway," replied Matsumoto.
Madoka and Sunny looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.
Her laugh is so authentic, it is not fake, or one of those smiles girls used to look cute, Matsumoto thought.
Sunny's spontaneous reactions were part of the things Matsumoto liked about her; her natural made her shine.
Madoka was using her hands to cover her smile whereas Sunny laughed with no restriction.
Matsumoto's gaze upon her made her stop, "why are you looking at me like this?"
Once again Saitama after effect did its duty; Sunny constantly feared being judged.
Here she feared Matsumoto would throw a cold remark instead he just murmured, "I envy you."
Sunny blushed at his statement why am I blushing? He keeps surprising me; I have to make things clear.
They entered the school, and we're arriving at their class floor's corridor.
"Masumoto ku-uu-nnn," Sunny started.
"Hai."
"How long do you want this to go on? I mean this relation- contract-friend-thing? I mean we're in this for all the wrong reasons."
Matsumoto halted, "Sunny, I think you should run!" he said looking at the end of the corridor.
"Eéé, nani?" Sunny asked as she looked in the same way as Matsumoto only to see a group of girls charging down the corridor in their direction.
Sunny wondered where the school hall patrol was as Madoka pulled her to another staircase, the three friends hid while the girls asked Matsumoto twenty questions.
"Wow, Sunny you are done, for now, all those fans will kill you," Yuta said.
Even though Yuta disapproved Sunny's relationship, he looked to check if the halls were clear.
"Don't mind them, I know it is easy to say, but there is nothing else you can to do," Madoka added.
"I can stop this; I mean I can stop the relationship, right," Sunny said while shaking her head up and down to gain her own opinion.
"But is it really what you want? You haven't even begun anything," Madoka replied.
Madoka sympathized with her friend's situation; it wasn't simple to be in a couple with the top notch guy. If you were not chosen by the school's fandom voting poles as the perfect match. You became an outcast, quickly dumped by the popular counterpart who surrendered to the pressure.
How Sunny had come to date, the basketball player was strange, but Madoka felt her friend was not indifferent to the boy despite her apparent protestation.
Madoka was right; now this had begun a part of Sunny already did not want to let what was happening between Matsumoto and her go.
°°°
Sunny left her to friends and walked to class arriving before the bell rung. Matsumoto wasn't there, still held up by the girls.
"Né, Watanabe San don't you think you're exaggerating, Kaian San from 2C said she saw you forcing Masumoto to take the bus earlier on," started Mori San.
Oh, my goodness it's only 8 am, how can Mori already be on the warpath, thought Sunny.
"Forcing, are you kidding me! How I can force a guy who is almost 15cm taller than me on a bus or to follow me anywhere else?"
"Listen up Watanabe, excuse yourself towards Matsumoto San and Asano San," Mori San said.
"What? Why should I excuse myself to Asano?" Sunny retorted, she didn't have any problems with Asano Sumire.
There was a respectable distance between the two girls, Asano showed her nobility by never taking part in Mori's childish inquisitions, which honored her, raising her above the ordinary mortal.
And in Sunny's eyes princess, Asano was not interested in the arranged marriage students planned between her and Matsumoto.
Sunny's desk was blocked by Mori and two other girls when a familiar voice suddenly said:
"Yes, please tell me why she should apologize to Asano San? Especially when Asano has never manifested any interest what so ever in my being," Shota said.
No one saw him walk in and now he was taking his seat.
Asano buried her head behind a book angered to be involved in a story which didn't concern her.
The rest of the girls in class were all red of embarrassment, whereas the boy's expressions were opaque still under the effects of early morning slumber.
"I don't get it, people all over the world who date kiss," Shota added.
HAAAAAA, I just died, this guy just killed me. On my tombstone it will be written here lays the girl who was stabbed to death by a boy's words, Sunny thought as Shota's sentence flowed in her ears.
"Don't tell me she forced you," said Mori.
Shota chuckled, "It's me, I mean I begged her to go out with me." This bluntness of speech didn't resemble him, and it left the class dumbstruck.
Everyone turned to look at Sunny, and the teacher entered the class.
°°°°
At break time, Madoka was at Sunny's classes door with something for her.
"Hai koré, melon pan delivery, I thought you wouldn't be able to leave for lunch with all the commotion. The news is spreading like wildfire; the different groups are looking for you."
The school had many Matsumoto clans with diverse percepts, there was:
- The Matsu ikémen fans: Genuine worshipping group.
- The Matsu okané: The gold diggers and Matsumoto industry fans.
- The numbers: Basketball fans of him and his number 11 shirt.
"Arigato," Sunny said with her eyes shining with tears of gratitude.
Matsumoto had left for lunch without even worrying about the bomb he had unleashed. No one in the class dared to say anything; Matsumoto had made his choice nobody could protest.
But it was another story for the rest of the school's students who were not restricted by the tacit rule.
"Don't worry too much about the situation and the girls are just jealous," Madoka reassured. "See you at the club after school," she said before leaving.
"Hmm, mata," Sunny said as she unwrapped her melon pan. She ate while looking at the window.
Sunny's stomach grumbled the melon pan didn't fill her. She was an eater, and the snack wasn't enough, but she didn't have the will to venture outside. When she heard a thump on her desk, which made her turn.
"Matsumoto Kun" she stammered.
"Sorry I'm late I went to pick this up. I thought you might be hungry; I asked Miyama San to bring you something I hope you like it."
It was a double-decker, no a triple-decker jūbako bento box as Sunny noted under the envious eyes of the jealous girls and hungry boys of her class.
"Do you want to eat outside or here?" Matsumoto asked.
Sunny didn't know what to answer she was still in shock.
"You didn't think I'd let my girlfriend eat alone, did you?"
Yaméte kudasai Matsumoto Kun, stop it, or I might start to like you, Sunny thought. Sunny was one of those girls that if you wanted to seduce, you had to whisk sweet dishes in her stomach.
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