Chapter 12

Waking up by the sound of her phone’s alarm ringing, Hanako turned around in bed, feeling her entire body ache, begging for more sleep. With one eye open, she looked at her phone and checked the time; maybe she could get just another 5 minutes of sleep before she needed to get up. At least that’s what she thought until she saw the date and remembered that today was the day of their finals for the 1st semester. 

I guess I should wake up Iyori, it would be bad if she was late on this day. While those thoughts ran through Hanako’s mind, she slowly sat up on bed, rubbed her eyes firmly and then opened them completely, only to be shocked by the sight visible right in front of her. 

“IYORI?” Hanako shouted and Iyori fell off the chair she was seated on. 

“What on earth?” said Iyori and turned around on the chair, looking at her sister in annoyance. “Why are you shouting so early in morning?” 

“You... You’re up?” said Hanako and stumbled out of bed, curious to find out what would make Iyori get out of bed on time, even earlier than Hanako herself. 

“Are you studying?” Iyori suddenly realized Hanako was able to see all her notes and she quickly gathered all of them in a pile and started shoving them into her bag. 

“It’s nothing,” said Iyori. “I’m gonna take a shower first today.” Iyori zipped up her bag and quickly walked to the door, leaving Hanako who was feeling more confused than ever, behind 

The thoughts and questions that filled Hanako’s mind didn’t leave her, not even after taking a cold shower to wake herself up, and when she met up with Iyori at the dining table, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. Hina and Aiko were both chatting with each other, talking about what she still needed to buy before the baby came and how she was feeling lately. Iyori, on the other hand, was eating her breakfast in silence, intentionally diverting her eyes from Hanako, whose gaze she continuously felt lingered on her. 

“If you had told me you were gonna take this exam seriously, I could’ve helped you study,” said Hanako silently, Aiko and Hina still too engaged in their conversation to pay attention. 

“I don’t want to study with you,” said Iyori cold, still not sparing her sister a look. 

“I know,” said Hanako firmly, although Iyori’s words hurt. “I know, but isn’t it hard to study on your own after such a long time?” 

“I didn’t study on my own,” answered Iyori and Hanako widened her eyes. 

“Really? Who did you study with then?” 

“None of your business.” Iyori’s voice was even more firm and cold than before, something that only seemed to add on to Hanako’s suspicion. 

“Why can’t you tell me who is it?” asked Hanako, slowly piecing the things together in her head as she continued: “Don’t tell me... it’s not... him?” The twitch in Iyori’s eye was enough to make Hanako certain and she immediately shouted: 

“It is him? It’s that boy Shuya!” Iyori quickly shushed Hanako, but it was already too late, both Aiko and Hina had stopped talking and were looking in their direction with great curiosity. 

“My my, Hanako, what are you talking about so loudly this early in the morning?” asked Hina, worried that the girls were having a fight. 

“Mom, listen to this!” started Hanako, while Iyori frantically waved her arms in the air, gesturing for her to stop talking or she would kill her, but Hanako didn’t hold back. 

“Not only did Iyori study for our finals. No, she was tutored by the top student in our school!” 

“Seriously!” yelled Iyori, but her mother quickly spoke up as well. 

“That is wonderful, Iyori, I’m so happy you are working hard.” 

“No mom, it isn’t wonderful,” said Hanako before Iyori could intervene again. “That boy, Shuya Takahashi, he is bad news. The rumors say—” 

“Hanako, I didn’t think I taught you to be someone who listened to rumors,” said Hina firmly and Hanako shut her lips tight. The air suddenly turned thick and grey, until Aiko cleared her throat, having stayed out of the conversation until now. 

“Your mother is right, don’t believe everything you hear,” said Aiko, and Hanako swallowed, feeling even more embarrassed about what she said. “It’s better to give people the benefit of the doubt and try getting to know them. That way you will find out for yourself what kind of people they are.” Hanako nodded her head slightly to what Aiko said. 

“I know, I was just... worried.” 

“That’s okay, and Iyori, you should be careful,” said Hina and turned her attention to Iyori. “Even if this boy is the top student, you should still be careful about who you befriend.” 

“Yeah yeah...” said Iyori and got up from her seat. While taking her empty bowl and cutlery with her to the kitchen, she slowly muttered the words to herself; “I’m the one who’s bad news.” 

“Are you leaving?” yelled Hanako as she saw Iyori walking to the door. “Wait for me, let’s go together!” 

*** 

Three days really felt like an eternity and Iyori was on the brink of giving up several times. It was only for Shuya’s pep talk at the end of each day, his constant cheering and positive spirit, that she was able to continue until the very end of the finals. The only good thing about these three days of hell, was to get off early on the last day, being able to leave at noon. The teacher had just barely left the classroom when Shuya appeared before her and looked at her in anticipation. 

“How did it go?” he asked and Iyori looked up, having rested her head on the table for a second. 

“How am I supposed to know? I didn’t get my results yet,” muttered Iyori, too tired to get into a serious fight. 

“Don’t you usually have a feeling about how it went? I know I do,” replied Shuya and dragged his chair towards her table and sat down in front of her. Iyori sat up straight when she felt Shuya getting closer. 

“Well, I don’t, and why are you here? Can’t I get a few minutes of peace?” 

“I just thought we would go out to celebrate,” whispered Shuya. 

“Sorry, no can do,” said Iyori and Shuya raised an eyebrow. “I have neglected my other clients way too much lately. I have to go to work for real today.” 

“What? It can’t be that bad.” Iyori looked at Shuya for a second and thought of something before she reached into her pocket and took out her phone. 

“Wanna make a bet on how many seconds it will take for someone to request me after I check in?” Shuya looked at Iyori’s phone where the app was open and her finger was lingering over the ‘check in’ button. 

“Oh come on, you are being dramatic.” Shuya only just finished his sentence before Iyori clicked on the button, and after blinking twice, a message popped up on the screen. 

“Mr. Sakamoto is requesting a date,” read Iyori out loud after looking at the message. “And accepted.” Iyori immediately gathered her belongings and got up from her chair, while Shuya was still seated in front of her, looking dumbfounded. 

“I need to get going, work is calling.” Iyori took a step forward, but all of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks and turned around, just slightly, as she muttered something. 

“When I get the results, if I actually did well... let’s go out and celebrate then.” The words were spoken quickly, and just as quickly did she move forward and left the classroom, leaving Shuya behind with a confused face, only for it to slowly turn into a smile. 

“Stupid girl, of course your results will be good,” whispered Shuya to himself. “You studied so hard after all.” 

*** 

When Iyori arrived outside the small cafe she and Tomoki always visited together, she quickly noticed the red bicycle parked outside and after looking around for a few seconds, she spotted Tomoki standing not too far from her, waving his hand happily. 

“I’m sorry, Tomoki, did you wait long?” said Iyori and looked up and directly into Tomoki’s eyes, immediately melting his soul. 

“No, don’t worry about it,” said Tomoki and sent back a smile that could cure any depression. “I’m just incredibly happy you checked in today!” 

“Yes I noticed,” said Iyori and giggled. “You requested my in less than a millisecond.” Tomoki let out a chuckle at Iyori’s exaggeration, even though it wasn’t far from wrong. 

“Shall we go inside?” asked Tomoki and held out his hand, which Iyori immediately took in hers, feeling his warmth spread throughout her body. 

“I just thought we would go out to celebrate.” Iyori froze for a second when she heard Shuya’s words repeat inside her head and Tomoki looked at her in confusion. 

“Is something wrong?” asked Tomoki and took a step closer to Iyori, laying his other hand on top of hers and Iyori quickly came back to her senses.

“No, no I’m sorry,” said Iyori and tried to shrug it off, but by the look on Tomoki’s face, he didn’t quite believe her. In spite of that, Iyori still did her best to avoid the topic. 

“Come on, let’s hurry inside. I want the most out of our date, since it has been so long since we last met up,” said Iyori. The flattery seemed to have an effect, at least one good enough that Tomoki decided to simply nod his head and continue inside. 

Why did I think of Shuya just now? thought Iyori while she followed along quietly, and just as Tomoki held my hand. What’s up with that? 

“What do you want?” Iyori looked up and realized they were already standing in front of the counter and she quickly ordered her usual drink and a cake to go with it, something that made Tomoki chuckle. 

“Why are you laughing?” asked Iyori while they both walked to an empty table. 

“You’re just so... predictable...” Iyori pouted her lips. 

“I hope that doesn’t mean you find me boring,” answered Iyori and sat down on the chair across from Tomoki. 

“On the contrary. It’s one of the reasons why I like you.” Iyori immediately felt herself blushing. Even if she knew the guys who requested her probably did it because they liked her, hearing it out loud like that, really was embarrassing. But then again, she did play the role close to perfect, so if her customers didn’t feel this way, something was certainly wrong. 

“Thank you,” said Iyori and looked up, locking eyes with Tomoki even though she really wanted to hide her blushing cheeks and look away, but when she saw Tomoki’s cheeks change color too, she knew she made the right call. 

I’ve still got this, Iyori told herself and the date moved along smoothly. Tomoki really was one of the easiest dates she had. He was good looking, kind and always treated her well and made sure she was having a good time. Sometimes it even felt like she was the one paying him to date her. 

“Ah, so you have been busy because of your finals?” said Tomoki after he, once again, managed to make the conversation about Iyori instead of himself. 

“Yes, I... I really don’t want to repeat another year.” Talking about these things was very unusual for Iyori to do on a date. She usually made sure to show herself from her best side and never really spoke about her private life, trying her best to keep work and her private life separate, but it was like Tomoki could cast a spell on her, making her feel like it was okay to open up about everything. Just spill it all. 

“I’m sure you will pass this time!” said Tomoki and squeezed Iyori’s hand even tighter. “You said you got a tutor as well, that will make things a lot easier.” 

“It did help me a lot, without his help, I would’ve never been able to pass this exam.” 

“His?” Tomoki suddenly let go out Iyori’s hand and Iyori was snapped back into reality. What was she doing? Not only had she been thinking about another guy while on a date with Tomoki, now she was talking about him too. 

“Y... yeah... he’s one of my classmates. Since he is the top student in our school, when he offered to tutor me, I felt it would be stupid to say no.” 

“I see,” said Tomoki and leaned back in his chair, making the distance between him and Iyori even wider. “So he even offered to tutor you. Sounds like he’s into you.” 

“What? No!” said Iyori quickly. “He’s a weird person, I’m pretty sure he’s just bored out of his mind.” 

“Really?” said Tomoki, leaning slightly forward again and when Iyori nodded her head, he grabbed her hand again. “Then I’m glad.” Iyori let out a sigh of relief. That was a close one. 

“I know this is all an act,” started Tomoki and Iyori looked up in surprise. “I know this is all just business to you, but to me, these dates with you are precious. I don’t wish for things to develop outside of this, in fact, my only wish is for things to stay just the same. And that you, when you are on a date with me, only look at me. You only think of me. Because even if we are only boyfriend and girlfriend for a few hours, I can still get jealous.” Tomoki sent Iyori a smirk and Iyori knew she was blushing again. When it came to Tomoki, she really was at his mercy. 

“A... Anyway, how are your studies going?” said Iyori. “Somehow, we always end up talking about me, but you’ve got to have your own struggles. Studying medicine can’t be easy.” 

For a split second, Iyori was sure that not only did the smile fade from Tomoki’s face, but something looking like anger appeared instead. But it really did only last for a second, and the usual smile quickly appeared again. 

“It is hard, but I’m managing,” said Tomoki. “But I don’t really want to talk about all that with you. These dates are my safe space, where I don’t have to worry about my everyday life. That’s why I never bring it up.” 

Wow, I really am on a roll today... Iyori internally scolded herself. 

“I’m really sorry, I haven’t been a very good date today.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m not mad or anything. Let’s just forget about it and enjoy the rest of our date.” 

Tomoki truly meant what he said, because the rest of the date went by without any problems, and after they parted ways, Iyori quickly received a message on her phone saying; “Mr Sakamoto gave your date a 5 star rating, congratulations on another successful date.” 

Stupid Tomoki... I did nothing worthy of 5 stars, thought Iyori to herself and put her phone back in her pocket. She already had another date lined up for her, so there was no time to think about this stuff. All she could do was work hard and make sure she earned the next rating she got. 

A few more dates later and Iyori was on her way home. Luckily things went better on the other dates since those guys loved to talk about themselves, so all Iyori had to do was listen and flash a smile once in a while. But after her fiasco of a date with Tomoki, she was too nervous to just sit back and relax, following her usual routine. So by the time she was on the train home, her body was drained from all energy. 

This is even harder than Shuya’s study dates, thought Iyori to herself, until she realized those could in no way compare to a “real” date. Shuya knew her as Iyori, not as Yuki. When she was with him she never had to put on an act. She never had to worry. She could just be herself. 

Scolding herself for thinking about Shuya again, Iyori nearly missed her stop and had to run out of the train, completely out of breath. 

At least the walk home went without problems and Iyori felt relieved when she opened the door to her house and walked inside. It was completely silent, but then again, it had gotten pretty late, so everyone had probably gone to bed already. 

At least that was what she thought until she took another step inside and noticed a small light on in the living room. Fearing the worst, she was ready to sneak by, but it soon became clear to her that the shadow sitting on the sofa, wasn’t her father. It wasn’t her mother either and judging by the height, it wasn’t Hanako either. 

“Aiko?” said Iyori in a low voice and Aiko turned her head, finally taking notice of Iyori. 

“Oh, Iyori, I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” Aiko’s voice sounded tired and her eyes looked even more dead. 

“Wake me? No, I just got home, didn’t you hear the door just now?” 

“Is that so?” said Aiko. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately, so I guess I’m not entirely present.” 

“Really?” said Iyori and walked further into the living room, sitting down across from Aiko. As she looked at her, she wondered how it felt to be pregnant. She didn’t look comfortable, probably because she was already 8 months in. If things went according to the plan, she would be giving birth in the middle of summer holidays. 

“Is there anything I can get you?” asked Iyori after a short while of silence, but Aiko simply shook her head. 

“No thanks, I just feel a little better when I sit up,” said Aiko with a smile, but only a second later, her expression changed into a wince. 

“What? What happened?” asked Iyori in shock. 

“Don’t worry, nothing serious happened. The baby just kicked again. She’s a feisty little one, maybe she will grow up to be like her aunt Iyori.” 

“I hope not, I’m not really a role model or someone to look up to.” 

“I don’t know about that,” said Aiko and was about to continue talking, but suddenly winced in pain again. “She sure is going at me tonight.” Aiko chuckled slightly and Iyori did the same. 

“I think she wants to come out and meet you,” said Iyori and brought a bigger smile to Aiko’s lips. 

“Do you want to feel her?” Iyori looked at her sister-in-law, unable to find a good way to turn her down, and before she knew it she had leaned closer and placed her hand on Aiko’s round belly. A few seconds went by in silence while nothing happened, but then suddenly, a huge force pushed against the stomach and Iyori immediately felt the vibrations in her hand. 

“Wow!” said Iyori as she pulled her hand back in surprise. “You’re right, she seems like a strong girl.” 

“I’m happy she will be a strong girl, the world isn’t going to go easy on her so she needs her strength,” said Aiko. 

“I think she will be alright no matter what, she has you and Haruki as well. You are both gonna be great parents, I’m sure of it.” Aiko suddenly turned quiet and Iyori realized how embarrassing the thing she just said was and she immediately looked away. 

“I mean... um...” stuttered Iyori, but she couldn’t find the right words. 

“You know, you really are a kind girl, Iyori,” said Aiko. “And here I was, scared that you might not like me.” Iyori lowered her head again, knowing exactly where Aiko was coming from. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry about the way I treated you. These last few years haven’t been easy for me,” said Iyori, but just as Aiko was about to say something encouraging, Iyori sat up straight and looked directly into Aiko’s eyes as she continued: 

“But, I’m trying to improve! I want... to be better... and believe in myself.” A faint smile showed up on Aiko’s face as she looked at Iyori. It really was like looking in a mirror. If only she could tell Iyori about her own experiences, how much she used to hate school and how sure she used to be back in the day, that she would never be able to finish an education. She wanted to tell her not to worry about anything, tell her that things would work themselves out one way or another, just like they did for her, but it didn’t matter. Iyori already found her own strength and learning through her own experience would work better than any advice Aiko could give her. 

“Your finals finished today, right?” asked Aiko and Iyori nodded her head. “Hanako seemed really relieved when she got home. What about you? Did it go alright.” 

“I don’t know... I hope so...” answered Iyori, thinking back on earlier in the day when Shuya asked her the same question and she quickly continued; “I don’t really want to think about it too much, otherwise I will end up worrying endlessly. I did what I could, now I just have to wait until I get the results.” 

“I think that’s a good mentality. There’s nothing more you can do now. But no matter what, you can be happy, knowing you did your best, right?” Iyori looked down. 

“I guess... But now that I actually put in an effort, I am getting greedy. I want... I want to do well, so my dad can be proud of me. Just this once.” 

Hello everyone!

Even though I'm the one writing this story, I can't help but turn into a fangirl whenever I write about Tomoki. I just love him!

What about you? Do you like Tomoki as well? And what do you think about this chapter overall? Please let me know in the comments down below.

I hope you're all doing well and are healthy and happy. Take good care of yourself and stay safe!

Love, Annalise~