Chapter Seven

Completely Serious

The sky today was riddled with clouds speeding along off to wherever clouds go. The occasional spills of sun were quickly snuffed out before shining down from somewhere else. Much to everyone’s chagrin, the forecast had predicted a typhoon that had a chance of arriving by the end of the week.

Yuuki spent his lunch break, as well as any other time he found himself bored out of his mind, looking out the window by his seat. The different formations of clouds kept him entertained for a while, but eventually he grew bored of that, as well.

“Did you hear what she said? She...”

“Whaaa—? She actually said that?”

The girls sitting near Yuuki scooted their seats closer together and continued to engage in their covert gossip. As opposed to Yuuki, Yui was quite popular in class, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary for the girls to gather around her seat and make some noise. However, Yui was usually the one to approach them, not the other way around.

Yuuki, on the other hand, barely spoke to three people. Other than Yui, Keitarou and Kento would come up and pester him if they found him alone in the hallways, though as a rule, they made themselves scarce if Yui was around.

Yuuki finished up his lunch and sat back in his seat. He’d wanted to spend the rest of his time reading a book, but the endless chatter from the seat next to him wasn't allowing him to do so. As he went through his other options in his head, such as playing a game on his phone, he suddenly began to feel very drowsy and abandoned those ideas altogether.

“Wow, I guess that’s just the way it is.”

“Kinda crazy.”

The girls next to him weren’t talking about anything remotely interesting to Yuuki, so he simply laid his head down on his desk and rested his eyes. He recalled one time in the not-so-distant past where he’d accidentally dozed off and woke up in a complete panic in a totally empty classroom.

“Really, though, you’re way too buddy-buddy with your seatmates, Yui,” said one of the girls. Her voice was loud, and she spoke clearly enough that Yuuki was able to pick up on every word she said. Normally he’d try to mind his own business, but he had little choice but to eavesdrop this time around as he’d forgotten his precious MP3 player at home.

“I dunno. I just think it’s nice to be on good terms with them,” Yui responded.

“Speaking of, you know who’s sitting next to me now? It’s that Sonoda guy. I dunno how you were able to stomach him. He’s a pain in the ass!”

“Really? He’s pretty smart, though. You could ask him just about anything, and he’ll explain it to you.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather not talk to him at all if I can. It gets pretty exhausting.”

Yuuki’s ears perked up at the mention of one of his acquaintances.

“He goes on and on about his grades or whatever, but, like, did you see what he got in the last midterms? Dude, he placed fifth! Then he still has the nerve to be all stuck-up like that? He sucks.”

“I know right!? I heard him muttering under his breath when he saw the results!” shouted another girl, and the whole group burst out laughing at Kento’s expense.

Guess the guy is popular after all... for all the wrong reasons, Yuuki thought to himself. He then noticed a lull in the girls’ conversation before they started up again, only quieter this time.

“Hey, you think he’s asleep?”

“Maybe, I dunno.”

“No clue. I’ve never even spoken to him.”

“Well damn. He looks like the quiet type.”

“I see him with Hayami a lot, but I have no idea how they manage to get along.”

“Yeah, that guy looks like he’s got a ton of friends, but he really doesn’t. He’s actually super laid back when he’s by himself.”

“For real? News to me, haha!”

The girls continued whispering and snickering among themselves until Yui chose to clear the air a bit.

“It’s less like he’s quiet and more like he’s absent-minded or something. Like he’s sleepy or daydreaming or something,” she said.

“Huh. Are you sure he’s right in the head?”

“Well, he’s definitely a little on the weirder side for sure,” replied Yui.

“Hmm, you sound like you know all about him,” one of the girls said teasingly.

“Wh-What? I just described the way he normally acts!”

“So you pay that much attention to him? Phew, is it getting hot in here or what?”

“L-Leave me alone!”

Their whispering soon erupted into audible giggles. Despite the cacophony happening right next to him, Yuuki was still barely staying awake. Soon enough, his hearing shut off entirely, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Yuuki woke with a start and was greeted by an empty room deprived of all of the bustle and liveliness that was present during lunch break.

God, I did it again. Right, right, fifth period was in the science lab, Yuuki thought to himself. He slowly noticed someone staring right at him from the side.

“Hey, you’re finally awake,” Yui said with a smile. She was resting her elbow on her desk and propping up her chin with her hand. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late. Let’s go.”

Yuuki stared up at Yui, bleary eyed and still half-asleep. He was completely mesmerized by her. She noticed his strange gaze and leaned in closer to him with a cute giggle.

“What’s up with that face? Are you surprised that I waited for you?”

“Huh. So you did.”

“You bet. What’s wrong, Yuuki?” she asked teasingly. “Your heart skip a beat?”

“Thank you,” he said with a relieved sigh. It was reassuring having someone around in the otherwise eerily quiet classroom.

Yui didn’t expect a genuine expression of gratitude from Yuuki, and her once-confident demeanor cracked as she stumbled on her words,

“I... I, uhh,”

“Uhh?”

“Uwahahaha! You had the most peaceful expression when you were conked out!”

“How could you tell? I was lying face down,” his question caught Yui off-guard for a second time, and she averted her eyes.

“Well too bad! Actually, I just came to grab my pencil case that I’d accidentally left behind.” She dangled the case from her hand for emphasis.

“Good enough for me. Don’t want to experience that unpleasant solitude again.”

“Solitude?”

Guess she’s never had this kind of experience before. I think it’d be more surprising if she did, though, Yuuki mused to himself.

“Look at that,” Yui said as she stood up and gestured to the classroom around them, “We've got the whole place all to ourselves.”

“So?”

“Hmm, well y’know, we could do all sorts of things,” she said as she crouched down by Yuuki’s desk and stared him straight in the eyes, “like stare at each other like this.”

Yuuki could now get a good look at all of her well-proportioned features. Her dainty nose was adorable, but what really grabbed all of his attention was that beautifully rounded pair of eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but I think you look a lot like my sister.”

“Wha—” Yui exclaimed. As was becoming routine for her, she was caught off-guard by Yuuki’s remark. She bounced back with a forced smile and stuttered, “R-Really now? What does your sister look like? Is she cute?”

“Yeah,” he answered without hesitation.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“S-Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting such an immediate reply. And a confident one at that”

“What do you mean?”

“Wouldn’t you try to deny that sort of thing?

“There’s no reason to.”

“Hmmm,” she nodded to herself, apparently lost in thought. Her expression softened, and she looked like an idea had just popped into her head. “Wait, so if you think your sister’s cute, and I look like your sister, then...”

“Then what?” he asked dumbly, but received no reply. “I feel like you two kinda have the same personality, too.”

“H-Huh? What’s that even mean? Oh, yeah, what month were you born in by the way?”

“Me? December.”

“I was born in August! You know what that means? You’re a whole four months younger than me, so you can call me your big sis if you want!” she exclaimed as she stood up straight, put her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest with pride. Yuuki did not join in on the sudden festivities, seeing as he failed to see why any of that mattered.

“Then act your age.”

“Sorry, what was that? You want your big sister to comfort you? Maybe give you some pats and tell you that you’re a good boy?”

Yuuki tried, and failed, to hold in his laughter.

“Don’t laugh!” she demanded. At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the start of the next class. Yui snapped around to look at the clock and exclaimed, “See what you did?! We’re gonna be late now because of you!”

“How is that my fault?”

“Whatever! Just get a move on already, gosh!”

Yuuki sluggishly grabbed the necessary textbooks and rose from his seat. Yui, meanwhile, was doing her best to make him hurry on up. Before long, the pair trotted out of the classroom.

◆ ◇

The day’s classes finally came to an end, and Yuuki was more than ready to head home. He was just about to leave when he was stopped by Yui, who still had her notebooks and such spread out on her desk.

“You’re already headed home?”

“Yeah. Goodbye,” he said to her and turned around to go on his merry way. Yui, however, extended her hand and stopped him once again.

“Wait.”

“Hm?”

“Just a moment,” she told him. Yuuki stood there, completely oblivious as to why Yui wanted him to stand around doing nothing. In the meantime, she finished putting her things away before speaking, “Okay, you can go now.”

Yuuki scratched his head in confusion while he exited the classroom. He spotted Kento waiting nearby and skillfully pivoted, stealthily avoiding the nuisance altogether. He managed to exit the school and almost reach the gate when someone creeped up behind him and suddenly leapt out in front.

“Ta-da!”

A wild Yui had appeared, spreading her arms and striking a fabulously bizarre pose.

“What?”

“Let’s walk home together,” she said, flashing him her trademark smile.

Yuuki looked dubious, but allowed her to join him on the walk home. They continued to walk side-by-side, but it bugged him a little that the way she asked appeared to imply that this was now the norm.

“Didn’t you say you bike to school if it isn’t raining?” he asked her, subconsciously glancing at her every now and then.

Though the windy skies were still littered with clouds, the forecast had predicted a zero percent chance of rain today despite the oncoming typhoon. Sure enough, not a single drop of rain had fallen since the morning. All these little clues lead Yuuki to have some reasonable doubts about the entire situation, and an important question began to surface in his mind. Just why would she walk instead of using her bike?

“Just thought I should walk more. Figured I could use the exercise.”

“Walking off that extra fat?”

“What did you just say?”

Yuuki realized much too late that he shouldn’t joke about such things with girls. Judging by the furious look in Yui’s eyes, he’d have some trouble digging himself out of the hole he’d just dived headfirst into.

“Sorry. What I meant to say is that, uh, you don’t look overweight at all.”

“C-Can you just stop staring at me like that please?”

“You have nice legs, too.”

Her slim legs extended from her slightly above-average length skirt and down to her navy-blue socks and black loafers.

“Th-That’s sexual harassment plain and simple, mister! It’s the current year, so you better be prepared to face the consequences, ya hear me?!” Yui shouted, clearly flustered. She pulled down on the hem of her skirt in a failed attempt to hide the entirety of her lower body from Yuuki.

“Oh, right. My bad. I will never say anything like that ever again.”

“But no, yeah, it’s true. I don’t blame you for saying it,” she replied almost before Yuuki was done speaking, making the situation awkward yet again.

“You like being praised?” he asked.

“I never said that.”

“I don’t think I get girls.”

“A maiden’s heart is an enigma, never forget.”

Wonder where she heard that from? It sounds nothing like her, Yuuki thought. He resolved to keep it to himself though, for his own sake, and the two of them continued on in silence.

“You know, the whole ‘exercise’ thing was an excuse just so I could walk home with you,” Yui confessed with a smirk, leaning closer onto Yuuki.

I should have known. She’s really got her sights locked on me.

As long as he was stuck sitting next to her, he had no way of actually steering clear of her. He was at a loss on what to say, and who could blame him? The silence was eventually broken by Yui’s grumbling.

“You put your wall back up and are hiding behind it as usual, huh?”

“You think so? I feel like I’ve been more approachable lately.”

“As if. I’d need the Spear of Longinus to penetrate through your defensive field.”

Yui tried her best to keep the conversation alive, but ultimately the silence prevailed. Yuuki stole some glances at Yui while they silently continued their walk home, and she looked genuinely dispirited. He remembered her telling him that long silences made her feel anxious, but it didn’t seem that she was going to be the one to break the lull in conversation herself this time.

“It’s not that I’m in a bad mood or anything,” Yuuki reassured her.

“Huh?”

“It’s just that I’m not good at talking to people. The aloof nature doesn’t help either,” he continued.

Yui suddenly locked eyes with him, her surprise apparent. This eventually melted into a gentle grin as her eyes began to sparkle.

“This is going to sound pretty cliché, but I won’t let you off the hook that easy,” she said, her voice slowly regaining its liveliness once again. “I personally plan on seeing all the versions of you that you’ve got hidden inside. Like your angry face, or your vexed face, and most importantly, your crying face,” she snickered to herself, trying to contain her laughter.

“So you're essentially planning on bullying me?” He asked, bewildered. She looks in a better mood at least, he thought.

“Hey, what do you say we take a detour?” she asked happily and moved a step closer to Yuuki.

“Where exactly?”

“You know, somewhere,” she answered. She was being awfully ambiguous for someone who thought up the plan in the first place. Not only that, but Yuuki had been planning on heading directly home, so he politely turned down her offer.

“I don’t like leaving my sister home alone. Maybe another time, though,” he refused in a conciliatory tone.

Yuuki simply couldn’t leave Mina alone in their apartment, especially after the stunt she’d pulled yesterday. She’d gotten it into her head that mixing mints and soda was a great idea because of some videos she’d found online. By the time Yuuki got home, the floor was already nearly beyond saving. To make matters even worse, Mina didn’t look one bit sorry about what she did; in fact, she might’ve even looked thrilled about it.

Perhaps it was already too late. Mina constantly boasted about how she’s always the first to leave class when the bell rang. Even though technically school policy dictated that everyone pick a club to join, she ditched her art club duties in favor of coming home early every day. Despite all of the details he needed to consider, Yuuki wasn’t about to bore Yui with them.

“Hmm, worried about your sister, huh?” Yui asked with an exaggerated nod. “You haven’t messaged her much today, though.”

“Is there a daily quota I need to hit?” he asked sarcastically after a short pause.

“Must be hard, you poor thing,” she said, closing her eyes in a dramatic display of pain. Yuuki quickly dismissed her drama queen act, however.

“I don’t know why you care that much about me, anyway. I’m just another classmate to you.”

“Don’t say that. The Narito stocks are goin’ through the roof right now. For me anyways. I think you’re up there at the top among the people I’m interested in,” she said with a smug smirk. Unfortunately for her, Yuuki knew that she only smiled that way when she felt like she’d managed to pull something sneaky, so he called her bluff.

“Oh yeah? So who’s the runner-up, then?”

“H-Huh? Umm, I’m not really sure.”

“Knew it. There is no point in rankings if nobody else is actually competing, bluffer.”

“Bet that sounded a lot cooler in your head. And besides, I think you’re using that word wrong.”

“Since we’re on the topic, I think you’re the girl I’ve talked to the most... and the one who I’ve walked home with the most, as well.”

“Really now? And who’s in second place?”

“... Okay, you got me there,” he admitted. After all, he couldn’t actually recall the last time he’d had a conversation with another girl. Yui seemed delighted by his response, as if she’d been expecting it from the very beginning.

“Haah, you’re making me seriously worried about your future social life here. You can’t stay like this forever, you know? You gotta get out there and meet people! Otherwise, you won’t make it as an adult. I know you, uhh, don’t have many friends, but... umm, you wouldn’t happen to also have a girlfriend, right? R-Right?”

“Sorry?”

“Huh?” They stared at each other, each clearly bewildered for completely different reasons. “Y-You have one then?” Yui blinked in surprise.

“Nah, I don’t,” Yuuki replied as both of them continued to stare suspiciously at each other. Yui was the first to break the awkward stalemate with a round of nervous laughter.

“Haha, y-yeah, figured as much.”

“Sorry. You sounded a lot like my sister there; she keeps nagging me to get a girlfriend lately.”

“I-Is she? Wow. A-And what about it, Yuuki? Got anyone you’re interested in?”

“Not at all. Don’t think there’s a girl out there who’d want to be my girlfriend just because I asked.”

“Ooh, I see. B-But yeah, that was pretty, erm, unexpected. Particularly from you of all people. Would have never guessed that such a juicy story was so close, waiting to be uncovered. P-Pffftt,” she tried to fake a breathy laugh, but faltered, shooting him a wry smile while sneaking glances back at him.

She’s really pushing it now. I gotta give her a stern talking to, at least just this once, Yuuki thought. Even he had a limit to his patience, especially now that Yui was blatantly making fun of him. He looked straight at her and spoke frankly, “Hey, can we just stop this game or whatever? It’s a huge waste of time.”

Yuuki was so concise and straight to the point that it wiped the smile straight off Yui’s face. She tensed up and glared at him with piercing eyes. She then looked away and took a few brief steps in his direction before she gazed up at him once more.

“I’m not playing a game here,” she insisted as she gripped her handbag so tight that her knuckles turned white, “I’m serious about this.”

Yui did her best to stare fiercely into Yuuki’s eyes, almost daring him to do something about it, but it wasn’t long before her expression softened just a bit. Her act, if it truly was an act, was much too believable for Yuuki to simply brush off. However, he was still armed with the truth.

I’m sure you are. You wouldn’t have an undefeated record otherwise. While he did keep his composure, the fact remained that even he was shocked. This was the true Seatmate Killer in action. She’d just made all of her shenanigans leading up to this point look like a mere warmup.

These were the exact kinds of statements that she’d devised in order to mislead whoever was unfortunate enough to sit next to her, to lead them on toward horrible “misunderstandings.” Yuuki could feel her powerful determination. He now realized she would stop at nothing to make her seatmate fall in love with her.

It’s pathological with this one.

“Heh-heh,” she laughed bashfully in a manner that can only be described as so masterful that it utterly captivated Yuuki.

I think I understand now why Keitarou and Kento didn’t stand a chance.

Yui squirmed in place a bit, a nervous blush on her cheeks while she hesitantly tried to piece together a coherent sentence, “So, yeah, I would like to get to know you better if possi—”

She was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind. Her hair fluttered in the air, but the wind was also strong enough to lift her skirt.

“Wh-Whaaaa?!” Yui shrieked. She panicked and tried to keep her skirt pinned down using her hands, but it was too little too late—her underwear was on full display. Her strange screams continued as she squatted down, frantically holding her skirt in place. Her face was redder than the ripest tomato.

Yuuki wasn’t at fault by any stretch of the imagination, but she nevertheless stared daggers at him. He’d been standing in the same direction that the gust blew in from, so nothing particularly serious happened to him. Really, it was Yui’s own fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When the wind finally settled down, Yui remained crouched on the ground. Yuuki began to feel somewhat guilty, since even though it was entirely unintentional, he still managed to get a good look up her skirt. He decided he’d try to cheer her up with a few words of encouragement.

“... C-Cute panties you’re wearing.”

It did cross Yuuki’s mind that it might not be the best idea to bring up what just happened. After all, despite their similarities, this wasn’t Mina he was talking to; in fact, he’d only just been warned about this sort of thing a moment ago. Still, this was the best he could do with his impressive lack of experience with girls.

At any rate, Yui stood up without a word. If anything, she looked a bit unconcerned with what’d just happened, but her lips were quivering slightly, and her face was still a bright red. Yuuki waited patiently for whatever she was going to say, but to his surprise, she just turned and walked off in a huff.

Damn, did I blow it? Yuuki considered chasing after her, but stayed planted in place instead, simply watching her slowly get further and further away. Whatever the case, it seems her problem is more deep-rooted than I thought, he continued. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was that was driving her to such obsessive lengths to achieve absolute victory against her seatmate.

I really do think she’s a good person on the inside, but...

He again ruminated on the fact that Yui might have gone through a traumatic event that altered her personality, much like Mina had with their mother’s death.

Maybe she used to sit next to a psycho killer who murdered her parents? Or maybe she’s clinging to some promise she made with a long-departed friend? Possibly a way to maintain a bond with a long-lost brother, or maybe just some messed up family tradition that she can’t dare disobey? Man, those white panties looked really cute on her, and that tiny bow on top really brought the whole thing together.

Yuuki’s mind raced through an abundance of possibilities, but he simply could not land on a believable answer. The only thing he knew for sure was that he felt sorry for her, whatever her trauma was.

I don’t know if it was fate or whatever that brought us to those adjacent seats, but... I really do want to help her in any way I can. He knew that he needed to remain calm and show lots of patience so that she could one day get better while he looked on from afar. That’s what Mina needed to break out of her blues, and now nobody could ever even guess that she’d been so depressed in the past.

They really are alike, after all. I should make sure to be kinder to her from now on.

◆ ◇

Yui ran from Yuuki like her very life depended on it. She zipped into her home and beelined directly for her room, slamming the door and jumping onto her bed in one swift motion. She then buried her face into the pillow and smacked her legs against the mattress.

Oh god, this is bad. What do I do?! Yui’s mind was racing, and she was in total disarray. I said it! I finally told him that I’m not playing a game!

Yui had initially wanted to wait and see how their relationship naturally progressed before she told him anything like that, but she’d gotten carried away in the heat of the moment.

“Hey, can we just stop this game or whatever? It’s a huge waste of time.”

Yuuki’s words echoed through her mind. They were so sudden; she’d never expected him to use such a serious tone on her out of the blue like that.

I did it! And straight to his face no less!

It truly wasn’t a game; it was an honest-to-goodness confession. One that made known her intention of genuinely making him fall for her, one that admitted her burning desire to catch his attention.

He saw everything too.

What horrible, hectic timing for her underwear to be put on full display just when she’d confessed to him. It was too embarrassing, and she couldn’t bear to stay around him at that moment. Her knee stung as she recalled everything.

Ouch, my knee still hurts from when I fell and scraped it on the way home... Ah! What if someone else saw my underwear while I was on the ground? God! I just want to disappear, Yui struggled to keep herself composed. The fact that Yuuki may be at home now trying to make sense of her words certainly didn’t help either.

He should’ve sent me a text by now or even called, right? And what should I do if he asked me point blank what I meant? Do I have it in me to say it again? Isn’t the timing horrible since he just saw my panties?

Yui contemplated the situation from every possible angle, going through a million hypotheticals in her head. It did nothing to help sort the clutter in her head, however. Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone vibrated—it was a message from Yuuki.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to worry about anything,” it read.

“What do you mean?” she replied. Were they having this conversation in person, she likely would have stuttered like crazy. That message could have a thousand different meanings, and her heart raced while she awaited his clarification.

“I don’t think anyone else saw it.”

“Ugh! That’s what you’re worried about?!” she shouted at the top of her lungs as she sprung out of her bed and hurled her phone at the sheets. What’d he say about them anyways? They’re cute? Was that supposed to be a compliment?! I should’ve slapped him on the spot. Ugh, whatever, I’m gonna sleep my troubles away. Just as her head hit the pillow, the door swung open, and her sister barged into her room.

“Hey!” Yui exclaimed. “Ever heard of knocking?!”

“What are you screaming about? I could hear you kicking the bed from the other room, and I’m sure you’ve got the neighbors worried, too,” Maki said, staring at Yui with a quirked eyebrow.

“O-Oh, you’re home early today, Sis,” Yui said, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction, “What about university?”

“Only had morning classes today, so I got to get off early,” Maki replied in an almost musical tone.

“Laid back as always.”

“I may not look it, but I’m very busy! Sometimes. Anyways, could you be a dear and make me some lunch? Could really go for some meat today.”

“I’m not your maid. Make it yourself.”

“I just can’t cook as good as you,” Maki said, her flattery obviously facetious. She’d already changed into her comfy pajamas and had clearly no intention of cooking, grocery shopping, or doing anything but lounging about.

“Where’s Mom?”

“She went out to dinner with some housewives from work. Didn’t she tell you?”

“Again?”

Their mother took every opportunity to shirk any and all of her motherly duties. Her irresponsible nature was so severe that Yui genuinely believed that Maki inherited all of her laziness from their mother.

“I’m sorry, I'm just not feeling it today,” Yui replied.

“What happened? Oh, you’ve got a notification waitin’.”

“Hm?” Yui looked at Maki, who’d already scooped up her phone from the bed. Yui’s eyeballs nearly popped out of her head in a panic before she hastily snatched the phone back from her sister. “Do you not know the meaning of privacy?!”

“He said he was sorry if he made you angry. How kind of him.”

“Don’t read my texts out loud!”

“Yuuki Narito, huh? Yuuki, got it,” Maki spoke slowly, like she was considering something and committing his name to memory.

“Forget it right away!” Yui shouted. Stupid! I can never let my guard down around her! One mistake, and look what happened...

“So is that the guy?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Did anything happen between you two? You can tell me. I’m all ears. It’ll be our little secret.”

“No thank you. Shoo, now!” Yui yelled as she shoved her sister out of her room. She then stared at her phone for a good while, contemplating how she should reply to Yuuki.

“I’m not angry at all. Sorry to leave you alone back there.”

“Don’t worry about it. Glad you’re OK.”

His reply was polite and quick. So quick, in fact, that it made Yui a bit suspicious. Whatever the case, she had a feeling that things were going to be very awkward when they met at school tomorrow.