-7:47PM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2016-
After shopping together, Miyazaki, Leah, and Jousuke are walking side by side, having just left a snack store with paper bags full of food, including the weird items they got.
Leah held the small penguin-shaped mochi and said "These snacks are so cute! I-I almost feel bad eating them..."
Jousuke slightly smiled and said "You can always take a picture first. Want me to hold it for a shot?"
"O-oh—no, it's fine! T-thank you..." Leah replied with a blush.
As Miyazaki crossed her arms, she walked ahead of them and said "Tsk! You two sure are taking your time. We're going to be late meeting the others."
"We still have a few minutes. It's not that far from here." said Jousuke with a smile.
Miyazaki dramatically smiled and said "Ugh! My feet are killing me. This place is huge. Why did you guys split up anyway? So stupid."
In spite of Miyazaki's obvious actions, Jousuke was genuinely concerned. He asked "Are you okay? You wanna sit for a while?"
Miyazaki replied "N-not really... I mean... unless someone wants to carry me. But who'd be dumb enough to do that, right?" and then she happily you thought to herself "It worked!"
Leah quietly gasped. She quickly looked at Jousuke and then she thought to herself "Wait... she wants Daikuhara-san to carry her?"
Jousuke paused for a second. Then he said "If your legs really hurt, Miyazaki, I can carry you."
Miyazaki blushed so hard and said "W-what!? I-I didn't ask you to, idiot! B-but if you insist... I guess you can..."
Leah felt her heart beating louder and faster than earlier. She thought to herself "She really let him carry her..." and then she murmured "How lucky..."
Jousuke crouches and lets Miyazaki climb on his back.
As she blushed, Miyazaki said "You better not drop me!"
Jousuke chuckled and said "Don't worry, you're lighter than you act."
Miyazaki replied with a slightly mad tone "Hey! What does that mean?"
Leah forced a small smile and said "I-It's nice you two are close..."
A few moments later, they arrive at the exact spot where everyone should meet. Everyone were sitting on the bench and chatting. Miyazaki got off Jousuke's back.
Chuujou noticed them and said "There they are!"
"Eh? Miyazaki-chan? You're here." said Poku.
Miyazaki replied as she saw Poku "Poku-chan... I just... bumped into them. Totally coincidence! Daikuhara-kun wants me to come with you guys."
Poku teasingly asked "You carried her here, Daikuhara-kun?"
Miyazaki "Shut up! Don't make it weird!"
Poku teasingly replied "I didn't say anything yet!"
As Poku continued teasing, Miyazaki crosses her arms and turns away with red cheeks. Leah stands quietly, smiling, but her eyes glance at Jousuke for a long second. Jousuke doesn't notice. He's unwrapping a snack.
Leah murmured "I guess... I'm always one step behind."
Miyazaki overheared her. She shoots a quick glance at Leah, then looks away silently. The quiet war continues between them, as the group laughs and walks deeper into the mall.
A few moments later, everyone ate the snacks Jousuke, Leah, and Miyazaki bought.
Chuujou bit the spicy onigiri and said "Ugh! this one's... t-too hot. Who even made this?"
Chihara and Basaki laughed. Chihara said "You picked the one with the warning label, genius!" then they continued laughing at Chuujou.
Chuujou was annoyed.
Jousuke offered a drink to Chuujou and said "Here. Drink this before you start sweating."
As Chuujou accepted it, she said "Lifesaver!"
Miyazaki is looking off to the side with her arms crossed, clearly still flustered from the whole carrying situation. Leah is unusually quiet while eating her mochi.
Jousuke noticed Leah's silence. Out of concern, he asked "You okay, Boutsuki-san? You haven't said anything since we got here."
Leah startled and replied "E-eh? O-oh, y-yeah. I'm okay. Just tired... I guess..."
Miyazaki sharply but quietly replied "You had plenty of energy picking out snacks earlier."
Leah replied "I guess I drained all of it, Miyazaki-san..."
Then, there's a brief silence. Jousuke glances between them.
Jousuke calmly asked "Did I miss something? Something seems off between you two."
Miyazaki quickly replied "What are you talking about? She's just acting weird."
Leah softly replied "I-I could say the same about you..."
Then, a strong wind blew from the outside. The boys are too busy laughing at a meme on someone's phone to notice. Everyone were chatting. However, Jousuke furrows his brow slightly.
Jousuke directly asked "Is everything okay between you two?"
Leah forced a smile and replied "Y-yes! Of course. I-It's nothing."
Miyazaki avoided Jousuke's eye contact and said "Nothing important. Don't worry about it."
Jousuke slowly replied "Alright."
In all of a sudden, Basaki asked "Hey, anyone wanna walk around again?"
"Let's go check out that claw machine spot." Sugiyama replied.
"Only if Daikuhara-san plays. He's the lucky one." said Abeno.
Jousuke stood up and said "Sure, I'll come."
Then, he looks back at Leah and Miyazaki.
"You two coming?" he asked.
Miyazaki stood up quickly and replied "Obviously. Someone's gotta make sure you don't waste all your coins."
Leah quietly replied "I'll... come too."
As they walk, Jousuke stayed in the middle again. The girls walk silently on either side. He glances at both of them—Miyazaki's tense posture and Leah's quiet eyes.
Jousuke thought to himself "They've been acting weird ever since we left the snack store. Are they mad at each other?"
Suddenly, a claw machine full of penguin plushies caught Leah's attention. Her eyes brightened for a moment.
Leah softly murmured "So cute..."
Jousuke noticed it and then he asked "You like that one?"
Leah blushed and she replied "I-it's cute..."
Miyazaki clicked her tongue and said "You fall for anything with a round face."
Leah quietly replied "At least I don't fall for someone and pretend I hate them..."
Miyazaki stopped with a stomp and then dhe sharply asked "What did you just say?"
Jousuke stopped, looking back and forth between them.
Leah's eyes widened as she didn't realized what she'd said. She replied "I-I didn't mean it! I'm sorry..."
Miyazaki looked away and said "Tsk! Whatever."
As she continued walking, she thought to herself "Did Daikuhara-kun notice?"
Jousuke thought to himself "Okay, now I know something's going on."
Jousuke (gently):
You two... if there's something wrong, you can talk to me. Or at least to each other.
Leah "It's nothing... really. I'm sorry, Daikuhara-san."
Miyazaki got slightly mad at Jousuke and then she said "You're too soft, y'know that?"
Jousuke calmly smiled and replied "Maybe. But I still care."
The tension lingers silently as they walk towards the claw machines. Leah looks at Miyazaki from the corner of her eye. However, Miyazaki doesn't look back, but her fist clenches slightly.
Jousuke steps up to the penguin machine and slides in a coin.
Jousuke thought to himself "Alright, penguin plushie, let's get you home!"
Leah said "You don't have to, you already have one, right?
Jousuke replied "I want to."
He carefully maneuvers the claw. He managed to get one plush, then drops perfectly into the hole.
Abeno saw it and said "He did it again!"
Jousuke grabs the penguin plush and turns to Leah.
"Here." said Jousuke as he offered the plush to Leah.
Leah blushed and asked "F-For me?"
Jousuke replied "You lit up when you saw it. I noticed."
Miyazaki watches silently. Then, without a word, she steps to the next machine. One with red foxes. She slides in a coin.
"Tsundere rage pull?" Poku teasingly asked.
Miyazaki sharply replied "Shut up."
She drops the claw, but it misses. Then, she sighed deeply.
Jousuke approached her and asked "Want help?"
As Miyazaki was gritting her teeth, she replied "N-no!"
Leah quietly hugged the plush with warmth as she watches them. She thought to herself "He notices her too. He's so kind..."