Chapter 11: The day after

"That will be all for today. Don't forget about the test coming up" Sensei said as she exited the class.

I was putting my books inside my bag when I felt a tug on my shoulder, "Koichi-kun, do you have some free time today?" Sakura asked.

"Of course, I'm never too busy for you" I replied with a smile.

Her cheeks flared up, "Th-then do you mind accompanying me to buy some mangas?" she replied.

"Sure" I replied as I picked my bag upon my shoulders.

She followed up with the same as we both exited the class, "You know, there's a sale at the mega-mart, hence I decided I should buy some mangas today" Sakura added.

"Were you tracking this specific sale?" I chuckled.

"I was! there's this specific manga that I'm interested in purchasing for a long time" she said as I saw her eyes glitter, what's this enthusiasm?!

I sweatdropped, "What's this manga, if I may ask?" 

"Oh, it's just a one-shot fic that the author is thinking about writing for genshin impact" she replied.

"He's shamelessly breaking the third wall again isn't he?" I replied.

"You're right" she chuckled.

"Oi, you two. Where are you going?" I heard Remi's voice from behind us as we both turned around.

"Oh, hello Remi!" Sakura said as Sengoku and Remi joined in.

"Are you two headed somewhere?" Sengoku asked.

"We were just headed to the mega-mart, you know to buy some maAAAAANOWWHH" I was saying before I felt a sharp pinch on my waist from my right where Sakura was standing.

"J-just for some shopping", she overrode my dialogue.

"We were headed to buy mangas too!" Remi decoded my pain.

I heard Sakura sigh, "Wait, you read Mangas too Remi?" she asked with surprise.

"I even told you this before" Remi exclaimed.

"Then let's just go together, IF you guys are okay with it" Sengoku proposed.

I glanced over at Sakura who gave me an assuring smile followed with a nod, turning back towards us, "Sure" I smiled.

[Time Skip]

"Oh, you're here for those one-shots? so you're into romanawnce-manwgaaws" Remi was in the middle of saying before her cheeks were punished.

"Man, I don't get these mangas. I mean I get that it's an art but why not write a novel instead?" Sengoku said as we both stood behind the girls. 

"Well, not everyone wanna read texts, sometimes people need images in there too. Although, text on images is rather good too. Pair it with an interesting plot and cute characters, you have a best seller" I replied.

"Well if it were that simple, we would be having the whole world consuming mangas more than tv shows and animes don't you think?" he replied.

"Man, everyone got their audience. It's an esoteric group that reads manga, while most of the others just watch animes" I replied.

"Makes sense..." he replied.

The girls came back by now with mangas in their hands. As Remi and Sengoku started to head towards the cashier while, Sakura came close to me...really close to me as she stood on her tippy toes, wait wait wait this is deja vu.

My heart started beating faster.

"You don't find me weird for this right?" she whispered in my ears.

Man, I was expecting a kiss? god, "Why would I?" I chuckled.

"You know, some people find reading mangas and anime weird" she replied.

"Not me, I do read fanfics too" I smiled.

Her tensed face relaxed a sweet smile came on her face, "You know, I like that accepting side of yours" she said as she teased me but I could see the blatant blush on her shy face.

 "Tha-that's...good to hear" I got thrown off a bit my poor heart took a second to sink this cuteness of her in.

I heard her chuckling, she's doing this intentionally...God, I'll get her back.

Paying for the mangas we headed out, "Now what, I don't wanna go home yet" Remi said as she clung to Sakura.

I WANNA HUG HER TOOOOOOO, "There's a bowling alley at the top of this mall...we can head there-" I was saying before Sengoku cut me off.

"In" he didn't even take a second to think.

"I haven't gone bowling in a long time," Sakura said.

"Same, last time I bowled was years ago" I smiled.

"Aren't you two just getting your excuses ready?" Remi asked with a devilish smile.

"Oh well"

[Time Skip]

As our group got up at the alley we pushed the door open as the atmosphere inside kicked in. 

"Can we have a lane for 4?" I asked the cashier at the desk.

"Make it 6" I heard a familiar voice. 

We turned around to see a crossov- Yuzu and Futaba?

"Guess we weren't alone who thought of bowling after school now haha" Yuzu chuckled. 

"Oh, hello Futaba-san!!" Remi said as she held her hand.

I saw uneasiness creep up on her face, "He-hello Ayasaki-s-san" she replied sweat dropping.

"Can we join you guys? If you're okay with it" Yuzu asked.

"Buddy, you're always welcome with us," I said as our group just increased by 2.

"Can we have a lane for 6 instead?" I asked the cashier.

While the girls were busy getting clung on by Remi behind, I decided to pay for this.

"No problem sir, that would be 800 yens for 2 hours," she said removing a card.

I began taking my student card out to pay while I heard Sengoku did the same. Taking it out I placed the card on the table as 2 more cards joined me. 

I looked at my left Sengoku placed his while Yuzu also placed his card, "Let me pay for this" Yuzu said.

"Oh no no no...you've helped me a lot back there, let me do this" I replied.

"Well that I can see, you two were holding hands behind Sengoku cheekily haha but that doesn't make it a valid reason for you to pay" his words came out and so did my embarrassment. 

"I'll pay for this, I didn't get to treat you two back at that trip" Sengoku added.

"How bout this, the one who loses, pays?" The cashier spoke.

"That's not a bad idea" Yuzu smiled.

We got the card as she pointed at the room, "Lane 8" she spoke. 

I turned back to see both Sakura and Futaba both with beet-red faces, holding either cheek of Remi. I'm pretty sure she said something embarrassing back there. 

"We-we got the card, let's go," I said sweat dropping.

We headed in and as instructed took the lane 8, "So, who goes first?" Yuzu asked as we kept our bags on the couch set behind the table near the lane for the spectators to sit.

"Let me give it a try, I haven't bowled from quite some time" he said.

"I'll join you too Kakeru-san" Remi said standing up.

"S-sure" he said blushing. Look at this simp, was acting all mighty when I was helping Sakura get together with Ishikawa but blushes like a girl when he talks to his girl-

"Koichi-kun" I heard a loving voice as turning around to a smiling Sakura with a bowling ball in her hand. 

I'm the same as him...

"Ye-yeah?" I asked.

"Look at this, this ball is so pretty!" she said as she held a ball light pink in color with white sakura trees illustrated on it.

"Sakura holding sakura illustrated ball, what a sight" I joked.

"Hey!" she chuckled.

"Alright, let's see what you got Sengoku" Yuzu said as he had a ball in this hand aswell as Futaba standing next to Yuzu.

Sengoku put the fingers in the ball as he carefully held it and threw it rolling on the ground as it hit all the pins resulting IN A STRIKE ON THE FIRST TRY?!

"*Cough* *Cough* Okay okay" Yuzu fake coughed as he chuckled.

"Its now my turn!" Remi said excitedly as she threw the ball which instead of going straight went straight into the free space in the lane resulting in a fowl.

"NOOOOOOO" She sadened up.

"Do-don't feel so down that was a nice attempt!" Sakura tried to comfort her as the pair gave space for the next competitor.

"You can go up first Rio" Yuzu said with a smile.

"I'll t-try" she said as she threw the ball which had a good pace and roll but not line, Instead of going straight it just went a bit right towards the end knocking out 5 pins out of 10.

"Oh, nice throw Rio" Yuzu said as Futaba stepped aside and let Yuzu do his thing.

Yuzu came up next and threw the ball spinning at a high pace but the same as Futaba it spun off towards the end, knocking 8 out of 10 pins. 

"We both suck"; "We both suck," Yuzu and Futaba said at the same time before bursting into laughter. 

"Alright, we're up next Sakura" I said looking at my cute girlfriend still awed by the beautiful ball.

"Let's go" Sakura said as I let her go first as she gracefully rolled the ball which was thrown outwards but spuned in later in knocking out 8 pins.

"Ooooh, nice throw Sakura" I said as my hand just went up for a high five which she accepted and gave me a high-five right away. 

"Good luck Koichi" she spoke shying away as she returned to her demeanor after the excited high five.

"I'll try" I smiled as I threw the ball which again spined in towards the end knocking out 9 pins.

"Ooo. Almost" Yuzu said.

"Well, first 10 wins?" 

-Some disappointments later

"I am sorry Kakeru, I held you back" Remi cried out.

"It's totally fine Remi, we won after all!! Ple-please calm down" Sengoku was trying his best calming his girlfriend down 

"Are they always like this?" Futaba asked as we four stood a bit far from them.

"Oh, you have no Idea Futaba-chan" Sakura sighed.

"Man, why'd they turn the AC off for us? It's getting so hot in here" Yuzu said as he eased his tie out a bit and unbuttoned his neck button.

A certain brownish-grey hair'd color was drooling looking her boyfriend ease his tie before a unrest came on her face.

"W-W-WAIT ZUZU We're leaving already you don't need to do that" Rio came rushing to him pushing his tie back up for him.

"Bu-but it's hot here" he replied.

"Did you forget about that... thing on you neck" her voice kept going lower towards the end.

"Oh...yeah, anyways let's just pay. We're gonna win next time though, right Rio?" Yuzu tried to change the topic.

"Ri-right"

[Time Skip]

"Nakamoto and Futaba-chan, they look so close to each other" Sakura said as we both were walking back to our home, it was already around 8 in the evening as the air whirling passed by was now a bit chilled. Luckily both of us were wearing our school jackets.

The footpaths empty and not a lot of people on in as the street lights being basked on by the fallen leaves on the ground which were also being pushed away by the chilly air just set the tone to the atmosphere.

"Well, yeah...they've been dating for a year or more now. Although I'm quite confused on what was Futaba trying to hide on Yuzu's collar bone" I replied.

"It's like they complete each other...I really like seeing them together" Sakura said.

"I know right...although I think I can say the same about us" I chuckled.

I saw Sakura's eyes widening up, "I-I don't know how to reply to that" she blushed.

Man...I really want to kiss her right now, but I don't wanna come out as a creep god...what is this new dilemma. She's so fucking cute.

Maybe if I just muster a bit of courage.

We were about to turn in on her block before I mustered up my courage as I took her hand, "He-hey Sakura"

"Ye-yeah.." She turned around with evident blush on her face. 

"Can we ki-kiss...If it's okay with you" I said looking straight into her eyes.

To my surprise, her eyes widened up as she basically froze. There were yellow truck headlights flashing on the road next to us indicating a truck coming our way, confirmed by the engine sound getting stronger and stronger.

"Ah, I'm sorry if this is was too fas-" I heard the truck whizz past us bringing in air and sound but something else I felt was something on my lip...Sakura had crashed her lips onto mine. 

Her lips were soft...warm...and just home, she opened her mouth a bit and so did as we let out tongues intervene and do the talking. Sakura's hands were against my chest while I wrapped my hands around her waist as we both entered a trance. 

Holding her by the waist, she feels so delicate...I understand now what Sengoku meant when he said he feels like he wants to protect Remi. We were broken out of our trance by the same truck that got us in to this as it pressed horn as it was a bit further away from us surprisingly the horn was loud enough from such a far range too.

"I-I wanted to do this for a long time..." Sakura said backing off with a smile.

"Same he-here" I managed to reply.

"I think being shy around each other is normal but we shouldn't be holding back..." she said shying away and looking to the side.

"Ye-yeah..." I just smiled, "Let's go home then? I think we've created a bit of scene" I said pointing at the people looking at us.

If Sakura wasn't already embarrassed now she definitely was as she grabbed my hand again and started walking fast and away from this mess we created.

She kept dragging me throughout the road as if guiding me out from darkness. 

God, I'm such a simp.

"Oh and by the way, Futaba Chan was trying to hide the hickey she left on him"

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Me alive, miraculously. Also what do you guys think about the genshin impact oneshots would you guys give it a try if I post it? 

Also, what do you guys think about this chapter?