35

                                    

                                          
"Rejected" Hitomi said with a bored look. 
                          
"I'll give you a thousand yen and do your homework for a month if you agree to go on a date with me and tag along with Gakushū and his girlfriend" Karma showed her his wallet(Author: A thousand yen is Nine dollars in US) 
                          
"Higher buddy" Hitomi checked her nails. 
                          
"Ten thousand yen" (Author: Ninety dollars in US) 
                          
"You've got a date Karma" Hitomi shook his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you"
                          
______________________
                          
"Hitomi-chan? You're Karma's date?" Sakura eyed the orange haired girl up and down. "Yup, I couldn't turn this poor boy down, he was begging" she smirked at the scowling red head. 
                          
"I'm surprised basic is his type" Sakoto said before facing Gakushū. "What the hell does she mean by that?" Hitomi thought, offended. 
                          
Karma looked at Gakushū, and looked away when Gakushū looked at him, then Gakushū looked away when Karma faced him again. Etsuko watched this exchange with a twitching eye, annoyed. "Come ooooon act up on the sexual tension surrounding you two already, don't think I don't notice! I see you eyeing Karma's lips Gakushū! Same to you Karma!" 

                          
"What are we waiting for?" Karma asked, standing beside Gakushū and pretending to look at his phone. 
                          
"Ren" Gakushū answered. 
                          
Minutes later, Ren walked up to them with one of the Nobuyuki twins attached to his arm. Karma and Gakushū couldn't believe it. That was either Takuma or Takuya wearing a skirt and headband. "Sorry for the wait! Takumi took so long powdering her nose, or whatever it is girls do" Ren smiled, nudging the 'girl' with him. 
                          
The 'girl' smiled shyly at them. But when 'she' made eye contact with Karma and Gakushū, they recognized the mischief emmediatly. "Let's go!" Ren held 'Takumi' by the arm and dragged the greenette along. 
                          
Sakoto held Gakushū's hand and followed Ren and his date. 
                          
Karma and Etsuko walked behind the group. The red head's eyes lowered to Gakushū's hand that was holding Sakoto's, and he looked down at his own. "My hand feels cold" he thought. 
                          
Etsuko had finished her popsicle and threw the stick away, shoving her hands in her skirt pocket, an expression of boredom on her face. 
                          
Looking at the boy walking beside her, she bit her lip when she saw that look of loneliness and longing on his face, as he stared at Gakushū and Sakoto's hands. 
                          
"Does president perfect want to let go of Sakoto's hand and hold Karma's instead?" The orange haired girl thought, looking at the couple infront of them. "And Karma, does he only want to hold Gakushū's hand? Or hug him entirely?" She looked at the red head beside her. 
                          
"Take a picture it'll last longer" Karma scoffed. "Pfft, haha!" Etsuko laughed, causing Karma to smile. 

                          
Gakushū looked over his shoulder to see Karma and Etsuko seeming to be having fun together. Karma must have told her a joke. 
                          
In his mind, he replaced that image with him walking beside Karma and telling him a joke in an attempt to be funny, but Karma laughs at him and his attempt of comedy, rather than the joke itself. Gakushū liked that image he created in his mind. 

                          
"Your crush is checking you out" Etsuko whispered. 
                          
"Crush?" Karma frowned. Etsuko rolled her eyes. "You know? Asano Gakushū?" 
                          
"I don't have a crush on that dense second-place-kun" Karma stubbornly denied. "Hm, sure I believe you, I mean it wasn't like you were staring at his hand like a kicked puppy" she teased. 
                          
Karma turned red at her teasing and decided to get back at her by keeping her in an arm lock and give her head a rough noogie. "AHHH!!! FUCK YOU RED HEAD! MY BRAIN!" Etsuko half laughed, half screamed. 

                          
"Stop it Karma" Gakushū let go of Sakoto's hand and separated the red head and orange head. "She had it coming" Karma pushed Etsuko away and instead, placed his arm around Gakushū's shoulders. 
                          
The strawberry blonde looked annoyed but didn't push Karma away, and the two walked ahead, catching up to Ren and 'Takumi' 

                          
Etsuko smirked at the red head and strawberry blonde. 
                          
Seemed like Karma already knows what he wants but won't act up on it yet. 
                          
Seemed like Gakushū is almost there and just needs a little push. 

                          
(Author: Hitomi Etsuko: GET IN LOSERS WE'RE GOING SHIPPING! *pulls on the bell thing by the steering wheel** TOOOT! TOOOOOT! )