41 A Beta's Confidence

"What should I do now?!" Shiori cried, burying her face in both of her hands and laying her face on the table they are occupying.

Yasuko didn't know how long has it been and how many times she heard Shiori whine about how she "should have stopped him by then" and "forced him to go with them". She can't help but sigh. It's not like it is the first time Rei did this. He will run away from Haruo and they didn't know where he went then he will contact them the day before he returns to school. The only thing they are sure of is that he found someone, it may be a 'random buddy' as he calls them, where he can spend the night. The longest he had been away was like a month and she doubt he will do that since they are already in university. He will have a hard time catching up on their subjects.

"It's okay, Shio. You know Rei. Who knows? Maybe he already found a place to crash into last night. He is an adult." Yasuko starts patting her back, leaning in as she reached for Shiori's cup of strawberry milkshake before giving it to the girl. "Now, come. Finish your strawberry milk. It won't be cold anymore."

Shiori sniffed, getting the milkshake from Yasuko's hand before nodding. "You're right. And if he didn't come back in the next few days, you---" She points at Yasuko using her milkshake, "Have to do something, okay?"

"Well..." Yasuko blinked, sighing before she nodded. "I will see what I can do."

"I will be easy peasy for you! You can ask uncle~" Shiori pointed out, shrugging before taking a sip from her milkshake.

Yasuko shook her head, smirking at how easy to console Shiori. "Yeah, yeah. I will. But first, we have to leave him alone for a while. Maybe he just wants some space."

"Yeah..." Shiori muttered, releasing the straw from her mouth before placing the cup on her lap and looking down. "I am just worried. I don't know what that Haruo told him that got him crying."

Yasuko was about open her mouth and say something but she was stopped by the sound of squealing from afar. She looked in their direction, brows frowning while Shiori, who was still looking down, slowly lifted her glance in the same direction where her friend was looking as she glares at the person who caused the commotion. She didn't have to think since she immediately knew who it was and what she saw made her mad. Fuming mad. Right there, she saw the black-haired Alpha talking and laughing with some students who are surrounding him as they keep on mumbling about nonsense topics they can think of just to talk to him.

"It is all his fault." She hisses in Haruo's direction, crushing the empty plastic cup in her hand. "What does Rei see in him anyway?"

Her dark brown-haired friend, who is also glaring at the said man, didn't have to answer her since she knew that she agrees with what the blonde Omega is saying. Shiori then slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, muttering; "I will go and talk to him."

Yasuko whose eyes widened, immediately stood up and was about to grab one of her hands to stop her. "Shio---!!"

"Shiorin~1"

They both froze in place. Shiori, who found herself staring at the random guy's black sweatshirt, tilted her head up to look at who it was then she instantly grimaces when she recognized who it was. Meanwhile, there was Yasuko who tilted her head to look at who it was and just maintained her stoic face. In front of them is a very familiar yellow-haired Alpha, standing in front of Shiori with a huge smile on his face. They blinked at him, confused because of two reasons. One, why is he there and standing in front of Shiori like they are close? And lastly, what did she call her? Shiori was the first one to talk.

"Wha---What the hell are you doing here?" She took a step back, "And what did you call me? 'Shiorin'?"

"Sorry, Shiori." A light-brown-haired Alpha popped his head behind Sen and forced a smile, "He was thinking about how to be closer to you and he thought that he should start with how he calls you."

"And he came up with 'Shiorin'?" Yasuko scoffed like it was the dumbest thing she heard the whole day as she raised a brow, tilting her head to look at Sen.

Sen's eyes widened, pouting and brows frowning. "What?! It's cute!"

"And?" Shiori raised a brow, noticing a piece of paper in Sen's hand before looking at the both of them. "Why are you both here?" 

Sen blinked, looking at Dai, whom he found already looking back at him with a worried look on his face before shaking his head and sighing. He then turned his gaze towards the girls' direction as he smiled proudly, eyes squinting in delight before holding the piece of paper with both of his hands and he hold it up in front of Shiori. The Omega just continued to raise a brow at him before glancing at the paper and reading its title.

"'Membership Form'." Shiori reads loudly, tilting her head to the side in confusion before looking at Sen and then at Dai. "What is this?"

"Can you please just tell him to give up, Shiori?" Dai sighed in defeat, massaging his temple. "He may just end up hurting himself because of his stupidity."

"Give up?" Shiori asked, blinking in confusion. "In?"

Sen started laughing, both of his fists on his waist and pushing his chest out as his head leaned back a little. The three just watch him, confused about what he is doing. Even the people around them, who were occupying the nearby tables, were curious as to why he was laughing and now looking at him. He then stopped laughing and squint his eyes in Shiori's direction. "Do you remember what you said while we are drinking in Rei's house, Shiorin?"

"Huh? What did I say?" Shiori asked with her brows frowned, slapping the back of her hand in the air. "And stop calling me, 'Shiorin'."

Dai leaned closer to Shiori, whispering next to her. "It was when you told us that you like Yasuko."

"Oh? I told both of you that?" Shiori leaned back, raising a brow and looking at her left to remember what she said to which Dai nodded.

"Yasuko Matsuyama!" Sen suddenly roared before pointing his index finger at Yasuko, whose eyes widened, "I will join the Karate Team and beat you!"

"What?!"

Shiori's eyes widened as she gasped, blinking rapidly and immediately turning her gaze at Yasuko who crossed her arms. She watched as the dark brown-haired Beta tilted her head to the side, looking directly into Sen's eyes which are still glaring at her. She was staring at him like she was searching for something in his eyes. For what exactly? It's hard to tell.

It has been a minute. Yes, they were just standing there and staring straight at each other for a minute. Honestly, it is already commendable that Sen kept stable eye contact with Yasuko for a minute with his eyes full of determination. 'Good for a newbie' Yasuko thought as she smirk. Though, he still has a long way to go.

"Ehh~ Beat me, huh?" She sighs, cutting the staring contest and nodding before covering her mouth to cover her smile. Yes. A smile. It is a tiny smile but still, a smile. A smile because she found someone funny type of smile.

This shocked, not only Sen and Dai who had never seen Yasuko smile, but also Shiori since she knew Yasuko. She never smiles easily and it was new to her and even weird for her that Yasuko suddenly laughs when she and Dai were just staring at each other.

Sen's shock was short-lived as he watched how the dark-brown-haired Beta's smile slowly starts turning into a smirk, eyes squinting and clouded with something the Alpha can't describe before she said; "I will be waiting for it then."

Ahh. It was confidence.