Chapter 8: Blueprint?

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Blueprint?

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"Oota?" Inosuki uttered, he seemed to have noticed my sudden paused.

"Oh it’s nothing....so what are we having?" I asked not wanting to indulge on it further for now.

Now that I think about it, I couldn’t find Shion anywhere. Finding someone on school is normally difficult cause of how large and complex the school structure is, she is a first year but I was expecting her to be here by now. Probably went somewhere else, not everyone goes to the lunch hall after class I guess.

"I’m not that hungry, so I’ll stick with snacks for now" I added, i wasn’t having any appetite for anything actually.

"Right, then the usuals?" Aki asked

"Yeah, but I think I would go with a little more spice this time" i approved. His eyes shifted to the crowd for a second then to me.

"Alright, we’ll go take the orders while you go preserve us a table." Aki suggested. I was free so I just rolled with it, finding a spot for us to eat wasn’t easy though. The crowd of hundreds of student in a hall, finding a sit that was not already occupied was all together a different task for me.

But just when I thought I should walk a bit further a voice called out to me.

I turned to the right to see who it was only to seeing the vice president, who had been staring at me a moment ago in front of me. Her presence was like a wall I had stumbled upon, I took a step back from the sudden shock but immediately gain my confidence.

"Vice President, right?" I questioned, honestly I don’t know if it’s me but I thought I sounded like a humbled dog there. I felt small.

​"You’ll be Oota, I presume?"She asked, her voice even though it was filled with this strange feel of authority, it was like a soothing rhythm, soft and gentle.

"Mmm.." I muttered. I had just realised her tone was not from around here. She spoke to me in a pure formal British accent.

​"The President, Mataguchi-kun, has spoken of you at great length." she added.

"R-right..." I don’t know where this is going but I just feel like I shouldn’t say anything to reveal my actual connection to Mataguchi. Since Mataguchi had mentioned me it would seem weird if I denied his existence completely.

She doesn’t seem confused at all, meaning she understood Japanese. Now there is no communication barrier between us. For now I think it would be rude not to reply her with her own accustomed language.

​"There’s no need to reply in English, I understand Japanese perfectly well, so it shouldn’t pose any difficulty. And I gather you understand me, too?" She added, interrupting me before I could speak out.

"We have crossed part occasionally I guess, I can’t believe he’d actually remember me" She didn’t look at me directly but for some reason I couldn’t tell if it was my mouth or face her was watching but to me it wasn’t.

​"Well then, you must have made quite an impression on him." She said, shifting her head to the side a bit, her movements where too perfect and neat, her golden eyes feeling tense as if she could see right through me.

"W-well..hmmm" I stammered from nervousness, I could tell she wasn’t trying to intimidate me in any way but I just felt tensed up in response to her presence.

​"It’s quite alright, isn’t it?" she uttered, trying to calm me down. She stretches her right hand forward as if wanting to have a handshake while she introduced herself properly.

​"My name is Ruby Smith. Oota, would you mind if we had lunch together?" She asked her hair was neatly combed, straight and unfading.

"Y-yeah sure but I came in with some other friends of mine" it would be rude of me to forget about the others, and besides I feel more ’myself’ when I’m with the others. I had just ignored her handshake. She didn’t flinch as if she was expecting as much so she slowly let’s her hand down.

But then I noticed her eyes looked right through me, like there was something behind me she was watching. But the moment I tried turning

​"Splendid. Someone will be joining us as well, if that’s alright." she said stopping my movements.

​"Is something the matter?" She asked.

Honestly I couldn’t see what she was looking at.

What was she looking at?

Right now she was acting kind of weird for me. So I decided to cut the conversation short.

"Anyways lead the way, I will text my friend of our exact location." I said, no hint of nervousness.

​"Quite." she muttered, i followed her from behind, it was weird cause for some reason, some female student looked at me with a foil expression, their eyes shifting to us but as soon as i looked back to them they diverted their eyes away. I was embarrassed.

​"Following a girl around from behind... you really are a dreadful rogue, aren’t you?" Ruby-san said. She had this playfully tone that sent shiver down my spine but I try to remain casual as possible. I increased my pace, walking side by side with her.

​"Oh, you know... people might get the wrong impression if they see us like this." she added. I swear I wish I could just turned to dust or remove her from existence or something like that cause her tricks where cutting real deep into me. I feel like a child, a mama’s boy whatever that might mean in this kind of situation. I felt less in front of her right now.

​"Here we are." she uttered sitting down on one of the chairs that where free, to me it was more than a coincidence that seven chairs where free on the table.

I quickly took at my phone.

"I should text them of the location. Would you be ordering something?" I asked, while I scanned my right thumb on the screen of my smartphone to unlock.

​"I’ll have whatever you’re having." she said adjusting her skirt as she adjusted her position.

"You sure?, I’m kinda into spicy food, not sure a lady like-" I replied but was cut short by her sudden protest.

​"What a coincidence...I’m rather fond of spicy food myself, as is Mataguchi-kun. He must have taken after you."

She’s wanting a reaction

I didn’t react but simply replied.

"Right sure."

This girl sure is tricky, her questions or replies all had neither subtext which all would have led to me exposing my true connection to Mataguchi. I don’t even know why I’m doing this, but I just don’t want any unnecessary issues, I’ve been leaving gaps for her to fill. Making it look like I’m just any other friend or something closer but without me actually saying it.

I haven’t checked on the Wechat for some time now, I should probably use this to text them, i clicked on on the Wechat icon on my phone, seeing that I had already received a message from Aki and then another notification popped up from WhatsApp. I think the other was from Inosuki.

Aki: where you at?

Aki: we can’t find you.

I quickly replied with a text while sending my exact location.

Oota: I’m right at the end to the right

Oota: sorry but can you take my order for two?

Aki: Roger that broski.

Aki responded immediately with a thumbs up emoji. The direction was so unclear but it was enough for them to know where I am.

I took a pic of my self showing my surrounding and sent it to them showing my exact location. Just to make sure, honestly I don’t like taking pictures of my self so I might delete this afterwards.

​"Have you finished?" Ruby asked, she was watching me closely the whole time when i was playing around with my phone.

"Yeah, they should be here any moment now" I replied.

You know it was kinda strange she called out to me like this, but what’s more pressing was the tension in the air now that we are alone sitted. None of us mentioned a word.

"So uh how is student counseling progressing" I asked trying to break the tension.

​"Fair enough, I suppose. Though we were rather tied up this morning with other preparations. The management of the other clubs has been somewhat lax since the start of the first term." she replied resting her hand on her hand which were places on the table.

​"It wasn’t that they were lax, precisely...the school authorities simply demanded greater efficiency."

"Most have be hard on you guys" I added.

"Nothing we can’t do, but more importantly I wanted to ask" she said cutting off the topic while leaning a bit closer to me.

Yep, here it comes. I was expecting this much

"What is it you wanted to ask about?" I asked expecting her to give me the obvious question about ’Mataguchi’ but she replied with.

"How is your ’blueprint’ reacting?" She asked, I couldn’t tell if she was playing or not, my eyes shifted to her eyes, which glows abnormally bright and answered honestly.

"Blueprint? What’s that?" I asked confused. This was the first time I had heard of a blueprint reacting, I mean the word isn’t even a living thing.

"Please can you explain?" I asked further. But she just chuckled suddenly, her hands covering her mouth. For a moment this reminded me of Yamaguchi-san, she also had an habit of laughing softly with her hands covering her mouth.

But she didn’t answer my question, for a second her eyes shifted behind me again

Behind me?

"What a lovely pair" a voice approached from behind, I shifted a bit seeing another female student approaching. Holding a plastic can soda. Immediately she reached to our table, taking a sip from her drink. Mid long Black hime styled hair and brown eyes. Her ears had multiple ear piercings giving off the vibe of your typical gal in school, a rip off of Shion to me.

Her eyes shifted to me for a moment then back to Ruby. Is she ignoring me?

"Miss Smith, may I take a seat?" The girl asked in a Britain accent, she seem to know the vice president well, maybe too well to be teasing her like this.

This might seemed dumb but the name ’Smith’ had just occurred to me, it was infact a Britain name, her appearance do seem foreign too. Maybe mixed?

​"Please, do take a seat. Make yourself at home." Ruby-San replied her mood didn’t change one bit, remained unflinched. Her Britain was too fluid.

The sit was remaining just 4, but before I thought of that Aki, Inosuki and Junpai arrivaled. Both along with Shion.

"Shion?" I muttered in suprise. I wasn’t expecting her to show up here.

"Yeah, we sort of just came across each other on the way here" Aki said sitting next to me on the right.

"Here’s your extra serving of extra spicy burger and chips" Inosuki uttered dropping the tray of snacks on the table.

I did say that it was spicy before but is Ruby-san actually going to eat it? I don’t know of it was intentional but the number of chairs and the number of students matched perfectly.

Inosuki sat down next to Ruby leaving the sit next to me for Shion. I could tell he was doing that on purpose, his getting the wrong idea on things between us. Though I’m down for a relationship with her but i also see her as a childhood friend. Yeah this sort of things are just too complicated.

Shion hesitated for a moment but eventually sat next to me, she was awfully quiet.

I see, must be her guilt. I’ll keep watching for now, utill I get a string

Both the guys group completely refrained from bringing out the topic of Junpai’s girlfriend, cause yeah it didn’t seem like the right time or place to.

Shion silently listened to Aki bring different topics of funny jokes and skits he had recently watched on YouTube while Junpai in turn, indulges. The group were lively, I on the otherhand Indulge as well but yeah the chatter and noise was on it’s own exhausting.

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"Life is all about challenges, there are no sure thing as free or freedom. Only chains disguised as one"

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