Hated by You ☆ | Riki Nishimura

第30章

Starry Sky

Hitomi sat comfortably on Niki's bed with Bisco on her lap. Bisco's fur was so soft and smooth that she could have pet him for the rest of her life. Niki sat in front of her on his desk and were teaching her the most important matters that could be asked in the history test tomorrow. 

Or that's what she assumed. But her concentration was completely lost and she was staring at the ceiling in fascination. Niki noticed that she wasn't paying attention at all and snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Are you even listening?" He irritably asked.

Hitomi flinched when he snapped his fingers and finally could pay attention to the real world again. "Maybe?" She answered hesitantly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Niki inquired in frustration. Hitomi was quiet for a moment. Bisco stretched on her lap and took another comfy position. "You have a starry sky up there." Hitomi stated and ignored his earlier question. Niki didn't even look at there when he already knew what she meant. "Hm, I should have removed those times ago."

"Why? I think they're pretty. I like them." Hitomi smiled. "Oh, and are you ambidextrous? You seemed to change your writing hand a lot while taking those notes." She curiously inquired.

"Enough with the questions. You came here to study and you can't even concentrate." Niki scolded her. He seemed frustrated already, but he is like that so often that it didn't affect Hitomi at all anymore. He stood up from his chair with the notes and his history book and evicted Bisco from her lap. The dog tingled to the kitchen with Reina and left them alone.

"Hey!" Hitomi sulked. Niki sat right besides her on the bed. So close that their elbows and thighs could touch among themselfes.

"Now. I'll make sure you concentrate. I'm watching you, okay." Niki said in a threatening voice as he glared at her.

"Alright fine." Hitomi complained. Why did she even come here in the first place? Even though she'd get tutoring in history, it will still remain as the most boring subject. She didn't even care anymore will she pass or not. It's just the first half of the school year after all.

-

Reina called Niki and Hitomi to eat dinner after their study session. It was like Hitomi was doing her homework with a dad, when Niki couldn't stop scolding her for not knowing the basics that every kid should know. But she can't help it that she has zero interest in such a subject. 

But it was hilarious. Hitomi felt like spending a night with a friend. Friend? She wasn't sure about using that word. They aren't really enemies anymore, but they aren't in a relationship either. Acquaintances? Classmates? Something like that.

They had a small dining table for four people. Niki and Hitomi sat next to each and his mother on the opposite side. Reina made ordinary chicken and rice. But since it wasn't made by Hitomi's own mother it tasted different. She liked it a lot.

"How's the studying going?"Reina asked while grapping some more vegatables from the serving dish. 

"Badly. She as stupid as a do-" Niki started, but his sentence got cut off when Hitomi angrily stomped on his toes and nudged him a little. "Ouch-"

"It's going all good." Hitomi corrected even though Niki would've been more right. Niki glared her angrily and Hitomi also gave him a resentful look.

"Well, that's great." Reina said happily. "And by the way. Your mother suggested if we could spend the Christmas together, the four of us. And I said yes, since that'd be a great idea and because we are so small families anyway." She added. Christmas with Niki? That'd be a huge change for this year. Hitomi loved to spend the eves only with her mother, but now there would be more people. 

"Okay." Niki shortly agreed. 

~

Hitomi stepped out of the classroom after the History exam. She sighed deeply. It didn't go that well, but she's sure she'll pass. Maybe Niki's tutoing had a bigger effect in her achievement than she thought. Mina stayed in for a little bit longer to finish her test. Hitomi waited her in the corridor so they could go to lunch together. 

Only this day and tomorrow of school, so the Christmas break would start. Hitomi can finally sleep in and relax for a moment. But, she remembered what Niki's mother said yesterday. They would spend the eve with Nishimuras. She was quite okay with it, though. It's still Christmas, and she won't be only with Niki, but with their mothers as well. They had one night already with the four of them, and it was funnier than she thought. Even though that time she loathed Niki a lot, but he's not the same anymore. Niki seems.. nice. If she could say.

-

It was snowing again and the weather was cold. The soccer field was empty, expect for the snow. There would be no longer Yuma, Niki and their team playing on the field. Instead of outdoors they trained indoors these days. Hitomi comes watching their practice when she has time.

Now she was sitting in the audience. There was only few people with her watching the team. She has her notes and study books with her and simultaneusly studied for her math exam, which is in the afternoon today. Math wasn't really easy, but she was confident enough that she will pass. Still, bit more studying won't do any harm.

Niki was on the substitute bench at the moment and he was watching the game while sipping some water. He glimpsed at the audience quickly and saw a familiar person sitting there. A small smile formed onto his lips. Niki took a couple of running steps before heading up the stairs to the stand. He turned to the row where Hitomi was sitting. She didn't notice his approach, until he gently touched her shoulder and got her attention.

"How did the history exam go?" He asked while panting softly. Hitomi raised her gaze at him from the math notes. "Oh, I think I did well." She proudly answered. Niki sat next to her and looked what she was doing with all her studying stuff. "Math, huh? Oh right, we have the test today. Well, I don't care. I'll fail it anyway." He said.

"So you literally tutor me in history, but fail all the other classes yourself?" Hitomi inquired in disbelief.

"Mm, something like that." Niki proudly agreed.

"Captain! Inoue got knocked down!" Some boy from the game yelled. Hitomi raised her gaze again to the game and indeed there was a boy laying on the floor. It's not really new, though.

"Ash, seriously. Can't Seita stop kicking the ball so hard? They couldn't survive a second without me." Niki complained in disappointment. "I need to go then. Bye, Hitomi." He said and quickly got up from his seat. Hitomi saw his hand approaching her head and she thought he was gonna ruffle her hair, but it wasn't that. Instead he gave her a gentle pat on her head and then jogged down from the stand. 

Hitomi got a weird feeling of his sudden move. The same that she got at her front door, when Niki drove her home on his bike. She tried to ignore it. There's no way she could perhaps.. like him? No, it definitely can't be.

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