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Chisa had heard the whispers and snickers in the halls of Hope’s Peak. This would be because she was specifically listening for them.
As a rule, Chisa generally did not consider herself to be an eavesdropper. Save, of course, for when she was busy cleaning rich people’s houses. Because wasn’t that part of the job when you’re expected to be everyone’s stereotypical image of a housekeeper? That was besides the point, of course, because the clusters of giggling girls on their way back to the dorms were saying exactly what Chisa had been anticipating they would.
Catching the eye of a girl from a neighboring class, Chisa squeezed Juuzou’s arm tighter, doing her best to muster the goopiest, most starstruck eyes possible.
“Hey,” she simpered, gazing sappily up at her best friend, “Wanna go somewhere more private?”
A distinct squeel of glee could be heard from somewhere in the crowd.
As Chisa had explicitly put her foot down about being seen bringing a boy into her dorm room, the two instead eventually wound up at a small café in town.
“Everything’s going according to plan.” Juuzou leaned back in his chair, taking a self-satisfied bite of macaron.
It happened to be the very same café their schoolmate Ruruka often supplied her confections to on the weekends. Chisa had to admit that she lived up to her SHSL title.
Jabbing a frosting-coated fork in his direction, Chisa respectfully disagreed. “We can’t keep doing this.”
Thankfully, Juuzou had finished his bite of macaron, otherwise some might have fallen out what with the way his mouth fell wide open (and despite her title, Chisa was not cleaning that up thank you very much!).
“Huh?”
Chisa rolled her eyes. He always did have a way with words. “My covering for you like this.
“But it’s going so well!” Juuzou argued, lowering his voice half way through as if realizing that there could still be other Hope’s Peak students hanging around.
“That’s exactly the problem.” Chisa frowned, ignoring the rest of her cake. The dollup of ice cream beside it began to run. “I have to keep my relationship with my actual boyfriend secret, so people don’t think that I’m cheating on Kyousuke with you. And you have to keep your relationship with him secret, because, well, you know.”
Chisa left it at that, because she not about to open that particular can of worms at the moment. Of course she dearly hoped that if Juuzou were to come out, everyone would accept him just as she and Kyousuke had, but the world could be an unfair place.
Juuzou crossed his arms. “I am not seeing the problem here.”
Although Chisa loved her friend dearly, holy crap he could be dense. She leaned across the table, laying a supportive hand on his wrist. “You know I love you, but I want to be holding Kyousuke’s arm in the halls, not your’s. Delightfully beefy as your muscles are.”
After a pause, Juuzou nodded. “Noted.”
“Er, the thing about the muscles, or…?”
“Look, I hear you.” He sighed, and Chisa truly felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine being judged for her relationship, and neither should Juuzou have to for something so petty as his gender, or how many people his boyfriend chose to date for that matter. “I just need some time, okay?”
“Okay.” Chisa smiled gently as just on cue, the bell rang as the café door swung open, none other than Kyousuke Munakata striding in.
“I thought I might find you two here.” Kyousuke smiled wryly as he approached their table, taking a third chair from a near-by empty table and settling down in it.
Juuzou turned beet-red. “Kyo-“ he stammered.
“That is my name, yes.” Kyousuke crossed one leg over the other, clearly pleased with himself.
“I sent him a text before we got here,” Chisa explained cheerfully.
While it was rare that the three found time for a date, it always meant the world to them when they did. And Chisa hoped that some day, it would be able to happen far more often.