The Latter

Kanae had always been observant, even though this trait of hers had always put her at an advantage compared to her peers, there were rare instances when she gets to hate it like today, as she walks on the corridor to attend her morning classes, she noticed the slightest shift in the atmosphere; other students seem to throw strange gazes towards her. No matter how much they try to act normal, Kanae can sense it — something is off today.

Her hypothesis was proven right when Ritsu came to her class during their break inviting her to have lunch together as she has something important to say.

“So what do you wanna talk about?” Kanae asks while she absentmindedly stabs the katsudon on her bento with chopsticks.

They chose the seat on the corner most part of the cafeteria to get away from the loud chattering of students.

“Kana, brace yourself you wouldn’t believe me for this,” Ritsu’s amber eyes were rounder and larger than usual, there was a hint of panic on her tone. But that wasn’t enough to break Kanae’s calm demeanor as she knows her best friend usually gets too hyped and worked up about things. Thus, she tends to exaggerate even the smallest issue so Kanae kept quiet and let her finish first.

Ritsu leaned closer to her, “there’s a rumor spreading around the campus about you and Keiji being in a relationship,” she whispers.

And that was all it took for Kanae’s usual calm composure to crumble.

Her eyes suddenly went wide in surprise, she almost choked on her food but managed to swallow what seemed to be the last spoonful because she just lost her appetite. Realizing that those unwelcome gazes she received this morning actually are directed at her and that she wasn’t just imagining things.

“That’s ridiculous,” she stated, trying to suppress her shaky voice, “no one would believe that.”

Ritsu sighs and leaned back on her seat, “Apparently, our schoolmates did. You seem to forget not all of them are as smart as you are.”

'This is bad. Scratch that, this is the worst!' Kanae thinks as she clenches her chopsticks and tries to contain her panic.

Meeting Keiji was like opening Pandora's box; troubles keep coming one after the other whenever he spends time with him, but she knows she couldn’t just hate and put all the blame on Keiji because putting his mischiefs aside, he is not entirely a bad person and he couldn’t also be held accountable for those shitty rumors spreading around, at least that what Kanae believes — and wishes.

Maybe they just really have terrible luck 'together'.

God, he barely interacts with other students, especially with guys, so how could others make such rash, illogical assumptions? Kanae’s eyebrows were furrowed in confusion and worry, “Wh..why would they think that way?” she stammers.

“Someone saw you riding a motor-bike with him. Some also mentioned that they saw you together alone somewhere within the school.”

Kanae would’ve acknowledged Ritsu’s ability to gather news or rumors that fast given her outgoing personality but that news Kanae is currently involved in is not something she would be glad to hear so she just closes her eyes, breathes deeply, hoping it will make her feel better.

She couldn't deny what those students saw were indeed true, but still, to form rash conclusions out of those, and spread it around the campus without enough evidence is simply ridiculous.

She placed her fingers on her throbbing temple, “why can’t people just shut their mouths when nothing good will come out of them?”

“Ara-ara, must have been hard being popular,” Ritsu teases with a smirk before she takes a sip of her iced tea.

“I’m not.” Kanae retorts with a hint of irritation, “you’re the one who’s popular.”

“Kana-chan, every teacher and student here in the school probably knew you and the same goes for Keiji. Care to explain what part of that does not make you guys popular? Or rather 'infamous' in Keiji’s case,”

Kanae, with her clever and logical mind, usually wins an argument, especially when the one she is arguing against is her best friend, but today doesn’t seem to be her day that she just keeps her mouth shut, silently admits defeat.

**********

Kanae barely catches her breath as she arrives at Kurayami residence the next Saturday.

She envied how Keiji sits comfortably with his feet hanging on the edges of their porch while she has to ride a bike for almost half an hour after refusing Keiji’s offer to pick her up — not wanting to get seen with him riding a motor-bike together again.

Now, her legs feel numb, her throat feels dry, and her heart probably beats more than a hundred times per minute. She is still lucky that today’s weather is chilly that she had to wear her thick, grey, totoro hoodie just to keep herself warm, or else she’ll most likely be bathing on her own sweat.

Keiji slides his phone back in his pants, the boredom which is evident in his face eventually fades the moment he sees her. He smiles in amusement, “told ‘ya it's better if I just pick you up.”

Kanae didn’t respond, too exhausted to argue with him.

“You look like you’re about to faint,” Keiji teases with a grin, Kanae shot him a glare in return.

“Want some water?” He added and Kanae’s fierce expression slowly softens and relaxes.

“Please,” She replied that Keiji immediately stands up and makes his way towards their kitchen as Kanae parks her bike beside the wooden fence.

A few moments later, Keiji returns holding a glass of cold water. Kanae took it with a ‘thanks’ as her breath started to normalize while sitting on the porch, the same position Keiji was into when she arrived.

“If my driving has scared you, you should’ve told me earlier.” Kanae glances at him after chugging half of the cold water, taking away her thirst. “I could’ve drove slower you know?” He informed as he sat about a foot away from her.

Kanae assumes Keiji doesn’t have any idea about the rumor yet if he thinks the reason why she doesn’t want to ride on his motorcycle again is his due to the way he drives (in which Kanae thinks isn’t that bad, well he drives a bit fast but it is more like in a thrilling way and not in a manner that scares Kanae).

“I’m guessing you haven’t heard about the rumors yet.” She stated as she places the half-empty glass down.

“I’ve got no time for rumors.” Keiji shrugged.

Kanae looks up to him, “Only for troubles, yeah?”

Keiji laughed but didn’t argue.

He looked back to Kanae and raised his eyebrows, “Care to share?”

Kanae took the glass and drank the remaining water first, then she breathed deeply before speaking. “Rumors said we’re in a relationship.” She informed, struggling to utter the last word.

Keiji blinks a couple of times while staring at her nonchalantly, “So?”

Good thing Kanae is no longer taking a sip on her glass or else she’d probably spit already in front of Keiji.

“What do you mean so? It does not bother you at all?” she asked, the pitch of her voice slightly higher than usual, her face also starts to show more reaction than her usual hard-to-read, blank facial expression.

Keiji snickers, “so that’s the reason why you didn’t let me pick you up? I’ve been rumored to be in a relationship with a lot of girls, it’s not new to me.”

“Well, it’s completely new to me.” Kanae pressed as she looked away, trying to suppress her irritation, keeping her calm.

“Oh right, almost forgot you have a reputation to protect. Of course, you wouldn’t want to be linked with someone like me.” The sudden shift in Keiji’s tone is evident. Kanae is having a hard time figuring out whether it implies sarcasm, frustration, sulkiness, or maybe a combination of any of those, or maybe she is just reading too much into things like what she always does unconsciously.

“I wouldn’t want to be rumored with anyone,” she says to completely zero out the possibility of Keiji misunderstanding her and feeling bad about himself which seems to be effective since he nodded in return.

“I can just tell them it’s not true.” he says on a reassuring tone.

Kanae leans closer which slightly caught Keiji off guard, “and you expect them to believe you?”

But Keiji does recover fast.

He also leans closer to her in response, their faces a few inches apart, “You don’t believe in my charm don’t you?” A narcissistic grin formed on his lips before he leans back, “Don’t worry, other girls, do.”

Keiji’s personality is starting to confuse Kanae again. Sometimes he becomes nice out of nowhere, but often he’s the epitome of trouble itself.

Unfortunately now, he is the latter.