To Haruna, it seems as though, wherever she goes, she is bound to keep meeting Sakura.
"Psst" Madoka calls, leaning her head a little closer towards Haruna, mumbling. "Your face is so red, no one flusters at the sight pickled cucumbers and monjayaki."
Meanwhile, in another table, Sakura is flustered and looking away.
"Hey..." Sasaki mumbles, leaning a little closer to Suo. "What's up with him? And is this really okay?"
A smile paints Suo's lips as he nods his head. "Yeah, of course."
Tilting his head behind him, he watches as both Sakura and Haruna have the same flustered expressions on their faces. To think that someone like him has already made a move on her is surprising. Suo doesn't want to imagine how things will go out for them if they continue to be like this.
"Sakura" Sasaki mumbles, a slight frown forming in his lips. "I'm happy for you, I really am, but...if you want to go out with a girl, you need to be more upfront and confident."
"Shut your yapping." Sakura replies, causing Sasaki to jolt and lean back to his seat.
"Thanks for bringing Haruna's lunch for me today, Sakura." Kotoha spoke, placing down three plates of omelette rice to their table. "You sure are handful!"
At her words, both Sakura and Haruna fumed towards her direction. As she brushes them off, Kotoha diverts her attention to Madoka. "Would you like rice balls to go with the cucumbers?"
Madoka beams, excitedly nodding her head. "Yes please!"
As Nirei rambles on, both Madoka and Haruna zoned off from them.
"Do all guys know only about fighting?" Madoka asks as she leans closer to Haruna. In which Haruna responds by shaking her head.
"Anyway, I'm done eating. Can I go?" Sakura says, standing up from the booth and ushering Nirei to scoot over so he could get out.
"So fast!"
"You left your veggies..."
"That's not very nice, Sakura." Suo begins to say, drawing Nirei's, Sakura's and Sasaki's attention to him. "You can't just go as you please. You haven't even said hello to Haruna and she's sitting just behind us."
Sasaki covers his mouth as he holds back his laughter, Sakura grits his teeth, ready to pounce at Suo all the while Nirei gasps and raises his hand up to wave hello towards Madoka and Haruna.
"Just look at Nirei right here." Suo says, ushering a hand towards Nirei. "He's greeting her and surely enough, he'll sweep Haruna's feet off the floor than you know it."
"Shut it!"
"I actually think Lady Luck is with Sakura!" Nirei speaks up, raising a hand up in the air. "Because...of all the students that tried their luck with Haruna, he's the only one that made her stop and look at him."
"It's actually painful looking at the faces of the guys whom she rejected." Madoka speaks up, taking a bite of monjayaki.
"Now that you think about it, I used to see Furin students who would always pass by Pothos." Kotoha says, a finger poking her cheek. "I used to think 'Ah, they're probably just patrolling.' But they would stop and stare whenever Haruna's behind the counter. I realized...they weren't patrolling!"
"By the way," Nirei says, turning his attention towards Haruna. "I can't help but wonder if you're in a relationship already." At his words, Madoka almost choked on her pickled cucumber, Haruna scalded her tongue and roof of her mouth with the monjayaki while Sakura shuddered.
"I passed by a flower shop yesterday and you were all smiles with- oh, Sakura, you look just like Hiragi having a gastric problem."
"Shut up. I'm not sick."
"Are you perhaps...jealous?"
Fed up, Sakura angrily takes a hold of his spoon, ready to throw it at Suo's face. Sasaki immediately stands up, a firm grip on his arms. Nirei using his arms to shield himself from his anger.
"Oi."
Five heads turns their heads and finds a fuming Kotoha. Behind her, Sugishita continues to drink on his cup of coffee quietly.
"Don't fool around with the cutlery."
Five heads nod at the same time. Suo and Sugishita remaining unbothered as they continue to sip on their cup of coffee.
Just then the door to Pothos swings open, the door chime clinking together.
"KOTOHA! HARUNA!"
"Your hair looks so cute today, Kotoha! It suits you very well!"
"Ah! Sacred Heart's uniform looks good on you, Haruna!"
Fishing his phone out, Umemiya begins to tap away at his phone.
"Oh, right! The little sapling I talked about the other day has gotten so big!" Umemiya beams, upper body tilted over the island table. "I'll send it over when the summer hits!"
Haruna's eyes sparkled at the picture while Kotoha, who has her back turned on him, continues to wipe the dishes after washing them. "I'm looking forward to it."
Nirei, who's eyes continues to stare at Umemiya suddenly shuddered to himself.
"What's...going on?" Sakura asks.
"As you can see," Suo replies. "He has taken a liking to this place."
"Sakura! Sakura! This is bad! Lady Luck isn't on your side after all!" Nirei spoke, tugging on his sleeve.
"Hah?!"
"Apparently" Nirei continues, pointing a finger out to Umemiya. "That guy is the one who Haruna is with at a flower shop yesterday!"
Sakura's eyes darts towards Umemiya's and Haruna's in front of him, he watches as he place a hand on top of her head and give her a pat. The expression that Haruna made is a beaming one. It must be an expression she reserves only for him as he thinks.
Inside Sakura's mind, he imagines the two of them holding hands while strolling in town under the sun, whatever kind of flowers she chose being held in her free hand.
At the thought, something inside his stomach burned. An unpleasant feeling making his stomach churn, causing him to let out a quiet groan.
"What? Sakura?" Nirei asks. "You alright?"
He gives her a nod, looking over at her.
"Yeah." Sakura replies, sinking back down to their booth.
As he musters his courage, he turns his attention towards the table behind them, both Madoka and Haruna munching on the last of their pickled cucumbers. As Haruna turns her head to look back at him, she blinks her eyes twice at him. Already anticipating what he has in mind.
"Are you dating him?"
It was Haruna's turn to spat out the cucumber inside her mouth.
"Don't be stupid!" Hiragi roars.
"No no, it's okay, Hiragi!" Umemiya says, running a hand in an up and down motion, as if calming him. "You see, Haruna here, is my cute overachieving little sister!" Umemiya beams, continuously patting the top of Haruna's head. "Tell you what, Sakura. If you like her, then just go out with her." He says, nodding his head earnestly, even raising his right hand. "Honest to the bone."
As Hiragi occupies a seat besides Sugishita, he pops another Gas-kun 10 pill into his mouth. "There's always a catch in the end." He says, catching the attention of Nirei, Sakura and Suo. Pocketing the pill box back inside the inner pocket of his jacket.
"In exchange, you have to re pot plants, plant garlic and bamboo shoots with me." He says, a grin on his face.
"You can't be serious! It's still spring!" Sakura exclaims.
"That's right!" Umemiya beams. "Solent white garlic is actually best when grilling barbecue and bamboo shoots are good for your digestive." He then takes a side glance at Hiragi. "You should eat loads when we eat barbecue too!"
"So...you three are...?" Sakura speaks, his words trailing off.
"The three of us were raised in the same orphanage. Ume just calls us his sisters." Kotoha replies, looking away.
"Sheesh. I though you're going to say something grim." Sakura says. His eyes then glances from Kotoha to Umemiya then to Haruna.
"Wait a minute, Haruna's obviously the youngest." He says, the tips of his ears turning pink upon unknowingly mentioning her name. His attention turning towards Kotoha. "Are you the older sister? Because you look like you're over twenty-"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence as two chairs comes flying between him and Nirei.
"Kotoha's very much mature than me and Haruna." Umemiya replies, smiling at Sakura. "But goodness, Sugishita! Don't go tossing around things around the cafe now."
Through with the pickled cucumbers, monjayaki and rice balls, Madoka stands up from her chair and begins gathering her belongings. "Thank you so much for tonight, Haruna and Kotoha!"
"Oh, are you going home already, Madoka?" Kotoha asks.
"Want us to walk you home?" Umemiya offers.
Madoka shook her head. "No thank you." She says, beaming at Kotoha and Haruna. "Thank you so much for the food!" With that, she exits the cafe.
However, just as Madoka leaves, they could hear the sound of the car's wheels skidding on the road. The sound making the rest of who is currently inside Pothos to look out the window.
"Watch out, you dumb brat!"
"I haven't seen your face before! You're not from here are you?!"
"Uh oh." Umemiya sounds.
As they all watch, they witness how Madoka headlocks a man in her plump arms while slapping the bald spot of his head.
"Hey, dumbass. You've already got four eyes!"
"It's your fault for not looking, you bitch!"
"No, it's yours, you four eyed bastard!"
When Suo notices something, he casts his eyes down and notices how Haruna is just smiling at how Madoka handles the situation. He too is aware of how she is nicknamed as Furin's Ideal Type and to be frank, he too isn't spared from that. A small smile paints his lips as he continues to watch her, a faint pink dusting his cheeks.
プロフィール
Sacred Heart High School, First Year, Class One
Birthday: April 14 (date of adoption; real birthday is unknown)
Height: Five Apples
Weight: Three Apples
Blood Type: B
Likes: Coffee with lots of sugar and creamer
Dislikes: Coffee without sugar and creamer
• Haruna (春奈) means 'springtime' and Tachibana (橘) means 'orange, tangerine'
• She doesn't like going out with coins inside her wallet
• Uses a yellow colored floral phone case
• Apparently, she likes fruit infused water drinks
• Likes loafer shoes
• Hates orange colored shirts
• Her style consists of: wide leg pants, oversized clothing and plaid patterns
• Haruna learned how to cook so she wouldn't have to keep relying on Kotoha