Lolita Love Story

The rest of the week, Saikai was too busy to talk to Kougou and truthfully, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear his opinion of her artwork. Since then, he hadn't said much more than simple greetings, and she was fine with that. She wasn't sure what to do about their suddenly advancing friendship, either, and was glad he was giving her space. He kept his eyes focused on his work and she didn't bother looking up from hers, either. Midterm finals were coming up and Saikai was determined to be in the top five scores this year. She studied during lunch, after school, and before school if she was early enough. Kougou seemed to also be busy preparing for finals. She often saw him in the library after school if there wasn't soccer practice that day. All matches would be scheduled around the midterms, she knew, so he had plenty of time to focus on the tests. She could ask him to study with her, Rie reminded her, but she shook it off. He would distract her more than anything, she decided.

On Saturday evening, after coming home from school and cleaning the house for her grandmother, she opened up a textbook and began to study quietly in her room. Math formulas danced behind her eyes as she rubbed them and tried to memorize the difference between indefinite and definite articles. Sometime that night, a rock hit her window, making her jump. She felt the gnawing of fear in her stomach, and forced herself to inch toward the window and look down. The boy with silver hair was standing in the street as he had before. He stared at her for a while, but continued down the street as he had the last time. She watched him go, the knot in her stomach remaining even after he disappeared around the corner. She collapsed on her bed, trying to calm down.

He had done it again. But who was he?



"Sai-chan, there's someone here to see you!"

Saikai pulled the dress over her head, not bothering to put a blouse under it. She slipped her stockings on and slid her feet into the round-toed black shoes. "Okay, obaasan! I'll be down in a minute!" Pulling her pigtails tight, she hurried down the stairs, not sure who to expect.

"Hi, Sai-chan!" Rie exclaimed, grinning. She was wearing denim shorts, knee-high boots, and a tank top with English writing on it. Her blonde-brown hair was curled and puffing out of her knit cap. She was immaculate, as always.

"Rie-chan? What are you doing here?" Saikai asked, bringing her friend inside. "Did we make plans?"

"Nope!" Rie answered cheerfully. "But we should have. You've been locking yourself away from everyone lately. People think you're depressed or something." Rie poked Saikai's cheek like they used to as kids, making a pouting face. "I know you aren't, but if you don't go out sometime, you're going to die from over stressing yourself!"

"I'm fine, Rie-chan, but thank you for worrying about me," Saikai assured her, smiling. That's the Rie she remembered. "But if you want to hang out, I'd love to."

"Yamasui-san, I'm taking your granddaughter for the afternoon. Sumimasen!" Rie called, bowing deeply to the elderly woman, who just smiled and waved after the two girls. Rie straightened to close the door and turned to Saikai. "What do you want to do? Do you want to go shopping? How about swimming? Oh, no, I've got it! Let's go to purikura!"

Saikai laughed. "Sure."

The two girls took their time walking to the arcade, Rie talking animatedly about gossip and boys, but most especially Kougou. "He's really cute, you know! And he seems like he's into you. Why don't you two go out?"

"I don't know, Rie-chan," Saikai said uncomfortably. "It's not that we don't like each other, it's just... I don't know. I don't want things to go too fast. I'm not ready to date someone yet."

"It's not like your record is huge, Sai-chan," Rie said, giving her friend a disbelieving look. "He likes you. I can tell. You like him too. It's not like you guys are having sex. You're just going on a date."

"Don't say that!" Saikai gasped, blushing hard. "I just think we need more time before we can take a step like that..."

"So, hypothetically, if he asked you tomorrow at school... what would you say?"

Saikai stared at Rie, stopping in her step. "Rie, you didn't!"

"Don't give me that look, Sai-chan," she said, laughing so hard Saikai almost couldn't understand her. "It really was hypothetical." She tugged at her arm, pulling her along again. "So, what was your answer, huh?"

"It wasn't funny..." Saikai avoided Rie's eyes. "I don't know... I guess I'd say yes."

"See? Then, what's the problem?"

Saikai didn't answer, and was saved from having to when the arcade came into view. Rie excitedly threw open the doors and scurried inside, towing her friend behind her. The lines into the purikura machines were longer than usual and Saikai began to regret coming for photos. Rie was oblivious to her doubts, though, and secured their place in line for a purikura machine with Tsubasa Masuwaka's pictures all over it.

When they finally reached the booth, they slid the pink curtain closed and as Rie messed with the screen, Saikai heard the laughing of the previous occupants in the editing room. Before she was ready, Rie nudged her and they began to pose for the photos. Saikai laughed after making a weird face and couldn't stop, so she began to pose with the laughter. After a few minutes, they shuffled into the editing room and closed the pink curtain behind them. The two girls flipped through the pictures, laughing hard. Rie drew a mustache on herself in one of them, and put green blush marks on her eyes in another. Saikai wrote laments about her inability to stop laughing during the pictures. The girls walked out of the arcade with several photos.

"Let's go get something to eat," Rie said, tucking the photos into her purse. "I'm starved!"

"Okay, but I don't have much money this weekend. Can we get something cheap?"

"I'll pay for you, Sai-chan, don't worry about it." Saikai was quiet at first, feeling uncomfortable. It was just like when they were kids: Rie always offered to pay for Saikai. She knew it wasn't purposeful, but it reminded Saikai of how different their lives were. Rie's parents were happily married. Her dad owned a successful company and they lived comfortably. Rie had a lot of money all the time because of her family's wealth, and thought of money as trivial. She didn't really value it, like Saikai did, and spent a lot on clothes and makeup. Saikai tried to avoid spending money unnecessarily, but when she was with Rie, she always managed to spend it, if only to keep her friend from spending on her. The topic of money always made Saikai guilty, and then a little envious too.

"No, Rie-chan. You can't do that..." Saikai wasn't about to voice the brunt of her feelings, but she was adamant that she wouldn't let Rie pay for her. "Please, can't we get some street food or something?"

"If you insist," Rie said with forced cheeriness. Then her face actually lit up a little, and she pointed. "Let's go to that convenience store first. I want to get a drink."

Saikai followed, glancing at the candy bars first, as she always did. Rie returned only moments later with a bottle of Calpico* and a devious expression on her face.

"Oh no," Saikai said in a small voice.

"Guess who works here on Sundays!" she demanded in a singsong voice. "Kougou Nagasawa!"

Saikai's stomach flipped. "No, Rie. No no no."

"Yes, yes, yes!" she squealed excitedly and went to pay for her Calpico, dragging Saikai behind her.

"Seriously, Rie! No!" she exclaimed, trying to wrench free. Rie was stronger, but it didn't matter. Their loud little episode caught his attention.

"Sumimasen. Is there a problem?" he asked, from in front of Rie. Saikai let out a little unintentional squeak and turned away, a heavy blush tinting her cheeks.

"Not at all, Kou-san," Rie said in an exaggerated friendly manner. "I'm just about to pay for my Calpico with my friend here. I think you know her, in fact..." She turned, jerking Saikai's wrist and making her turn around. She kept her eyes on the floor and felt his discomfort.

"Um, hi, Sai-chan," he said, surprised. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," she answered meeting his eyes briefly. "I... didn't know you worked."

"It's to help out my dad. He recently... got surgery." It seemed as though Kougou had a shadow cross his face. Saikai felt her heart wrench.

"I'm sorry, senpai. I didn't know..."

"No, I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the thoughts. He smiled absently. "I liked your art." She blushed. "You're really talented."

"Did you see the one...?"

He nodded, grinning wider. "It looks like the real thing."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, blushing hard and hiding her face. "I'm so embarrassed! I didn't even remember that I put the picture in that sketchbook. Please just forget about it, senpai."

"Why? It was good." He laughed. "I'm flattered."

She was too embarrassed to say anything and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I should get back to work. Jaa mata ashita."

"Mata ne."

Rie, sipping her Calpico, came back to Saikai grinning. "Well? It wasn't as terrifying as you thought it would be, huh?"

"It was exactly as terrifying as I expected!" Saikai insisted, conflicted. "Please don't ever do something like that again, Rie. Now he probably thinks I'm following him, or something."

"Oh please! He only wishes to have you following him." She giggled. "Did you see the way he looked at you? You've basically got him around your finger already!"

"What? What do you mean?"

Rie sighed. "I've got a lot to teach you about boys, Sai-chan."