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A year had passed since then, and they were now in Grade 5. The relationship between Zul and the twins, Arisa and Elly, had grown closer day by day, and they now seemed like family.
Zul and Elly's relationship had developed into a sibling-like bond; they often hung out and played together. Whenever Elly felt bored, especially when Arisa wasn't available to play, she would come to Zul's house.
Despite their closeness, Zul didn't harbor any romantic feelings for Elly. To him, she was like a little sister.
Instead, Zul had recently developed feelings for Arisa. This change came about as they frequently spent time together studying.Zul and Arisa often studied together in the library, side by side. Thanks to these study sessions, Zul's grades had improved significantly, almost catching up with Arisa's impressive academic performance.
One day, Zul was walking with Arisa and Miku after visiting their school library. On their way back to class, Kudo and his gang approached them and flipped both Arisa's and Miku's skirts.
"Kyaa, what are you doing?" Miku shouted. "Oh, it's white," said Kudo. "And the other one is light blue," added his friend, talking about Arisa's and Miku's panties.
"What are you doing?" said Arisa, feeling embarrassed as she turned back to them.
"What are you guys doing? How dare you embarrass Arisa!" said Zul, starting to feel angry with them.
"Oh no, Kudo, that's Elly's older twin sister. We targeted the wrong person. This is bad if her younger sister finds out," said Kudo's friend. "This is bad, we'd better run away before Elly finds out about this," said Kudo.
As they were about to run away, Zul immediately landed a punch on Kudo's face to stop him.
"What's your problem? How dare you guys touch me?" said Kudo. "You think you can just run away after what you did to them?" said Zul, upset.
Both of them suddenly started arguing and began fighting in the school corridor while people gathered around to see what was happening.
"A fight!" said someone who witnessed the fight.
Elly, who happened to pass by, wondered who was involved in the fight. She was shocked to see that it was Zul and her classmate Kudo, while Arisa, her sister, was trying to stop Zul from continuing the fight.
Elly rushed through the hallway, drawn by the commotion. “Onee-chan? Zul-kun? What are they doing?” she wondered, her heart racing.
The scene before her was chaotic. Zul and Kudo were locked in a fierce confrontation, with Arisa desperately trying to intervene.
"Stop it, Zul, there's no need to fight. I'm okay," Arisa pleaded, her voice trembling.
Zul's face was contorted with anger as he replied, "Leave me, Arisa. This idiot always does stupid things to other students. He never changes. I've had enough of him. Let me beat him."
Kudo, bruised but defiant, sneered back, "You’ve got guts, huh? You damn foreigner!"
“Watch your mouth, idiot. Who are you calling a foreigner?” replied Zul.
Right before the situation could get worse, a loud voice interrupted them.
"Both of you, stop it!!" A male teacher had arrived, his face stern with disapproval. "Why are you fighting, Zul, Kudo?!" he demanded.
Turning to Zul, the teacher continued, "Zul, I heard you're the one who started the fight. Why did you hit him?"
"He makes me mad," Zul muttered, his fists still clenched.
"Come with me to the staff office, you two," the teacher ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. As Zul and Kudo grudgingly followed, Miku stepped forward.
"Umm, sensei, can I go too? I'll tell you what actually happened," she offered.
The teacher considered for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Miku. You can tell me what happened at the staff office."
As they prepared to leave, Arisa called out, "Miku, wait! Let me follow you too."
But Miku shook her head, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, let me handle this. You return to our class first."
The teacher addressed the remaining onlookers, "All of you, return to your classes now."
As the crowd dispersed, Elly finally reached Arisa's side. "Onee-chan, are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Arisa looked surprised. "Huh, Elly? What are you doing here?"
"I heard someone was involved in a fight, so I came to look," Elly explained. "I never expected Zul and Kudo to be the ones fighting. What actually happened?"
Arisa sighed, her eyes following the retreating figures of Zul, Kudo, and Miku. "Actually..." she began, preparing to recount the events that had led to this dramatic confrontation.
Elly's eyes widened in surprise. Wow, he dared to land a punch on someone now. Am I influencing him to do that? she thought. He change so much from back then.
After their brief conversation, Arisa and Elly returned to their respective classes. Arisa slumped into her seat, exhaling deeply as she replayed the earlier events in her mind.
After some time, Zul and Miku returned from the staff office. Arisa asked worriedly, "What happened? Are you guys, okay?"
Miku approached Arisa's desk, her expression a mix of relief and concern. "I already explained to the teacher what happened earlier," she began. "Kudo was yelled at and fined by the teacher for what he did. Zul also got a fine and has to write an apology letter for starting the fight."
Arisa's face fell, guilt washing over her. She turned to Zul, her voice soft and remorseful. "Zul, I'm so sorry. You did all this for me."
Zul shook his head, his demeanor surprisingly calm despite the ordeal. "Don't worry, Arisa. I was actually really mad at that guy before. Don't worry about it." said Zul put his hand on Arisa head.
Arisa's eyes met Zul's, and a small, grateful smile spread across her face. "Zul, thank you for doing that. It means a lot to me."
Her smile caught Zul off guard. He felt his cheeks grow warm, and suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. In that moment, something shifted inside him, and he realized he was falling for Arisa.
A few days later, during a class session, Zul suddenly passed a folded paper to Arisa's desk.
"Hmm, Zul, what is this paper for?" Arisa wondered. She opened the paper discreetly underneath her table and read the message: "Let's meet on the school rooftop during lunch break."
Arisa's curiosity was piqued. "What does Zul want to talk about?" she wondered to herself.
As lunch break arrived, Zul was waiting on the rooftop as promised. Shortly after, Arisa arrived.
"Zul-kun? Why did you want to meet here? Is there something you need to discuss with me without anyone hearing?" Arisa asked, her tone curious.
Zul took a deep breath before speaking. "As I expected, Arisa-chan. They don't call you a genius for nothing." Zul took a deep breath, his expression turning serious. "Um, Arisa-chan, there's something I've wanted to say for a while... I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Arisa's eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. "Eh? Why is this so sudden?" she said, clearly flustered and confused by the unexpected confession.
"Actually, I..." Arisa tried to reply but couldn't finish her sentence.
When Arisa didn't respond right away, Zul's smile faded. He looked down, his face turning red. "Uh... it's okay if you don't feel the same," he said quietly. "Maybe you’re not ready for something like this right now." He fidgeted nervously, looking a little sad.
"See you later in the classroom," Zul added hastily, turning to leave as he assumed his confession had failed. He started walking past Arisa, but suddenly felt a tug on his clothes from behind.
"Zul-kun, wait...!!" Arisa called out, holding onto his shirt.
"Huh!? What's wrong, Arisa-chan?" Zul said, shocked by Arisa's sudden action.
"Where are you going? I haven't actually replied to your question yet," Arisa said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Huh, I thought you weren't interested in me," Zul replied, confusion evident in his voice.
"No, that's not it," Arisa said quickly, taking a deep breath. "Listen, Zul-kun. The truth is... I like you too. I've liked you for a while, but I was afraid to say anything. I didn’t want things to get awkward between you and Elly."
The rooftop fell silent once again, but this time the air was charged with a mix of surprise, relief, and joy as both Zul and Arisa realized their feelings were mutual.
"So... um..." Zul started, fidgeting with his shirt nervously. "Does this mean we're... you know... friends who like each other now?"
Arisa nodded shyly, then realized Zul couldn't see her nod since he was looking away. "Y-yes, I think so," she stammered.
They both turned to face each other at the same time, their eyes meeting. Zul, caught up in the moment, thrust out his hand for a high-five. Arisa, surprised, misinterpreted it and went for a fist bump instead.
Their hand and fist collided clumsily, causing them both to recoil slightly.
"Oh! I thought you were..." Arisa started.
"I was trying to..." Zul said at the same time.
They both broke into nervous giggles, the tension easing a bit.
Just then, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang loudly, startling them both.
"We should... probably get back to class," Arisa said, still smiling shyly.
"Yeah, we should," Zul agreed, his ears turning pink. "Um, Arisa, do you want to hang out with me in town this weekend?" Zul asked.
"Hanging out? Is it... a... date?" Arisa asked, blushing.
"Um... yes, something like that," Zul replied.
Arisa grabbed Zul's hand and said, "Okay, let's do it. Let's go on a date."
"I'm looking forward to it," Zul said.
They walked towards the door back into the school building, both red-faced and stealing shy glances at each other, their new relationship off to an endearingly sweet start.
"Eh, he confessed to you, congratulations, Arisa-chan!" said Miku. Both of them were discussing Zul's confession in Arisa's room at her house while doing their homework together.
"Yes, but it shocked me a bit too. I never expected him to say that," said Arisa. "He also asked me on a date this weekend," she added, blushing.
"Eh, he just confessed to you and already asked you on a date? How manly he is!" Miku exclaimed.
"Um, Miku-chan, can you suggest how I should dress properly for the date?" Arisa asked.
"Don't worry, just leave it to me. I'll help you prepare for your date later," Miku assured her.
"By the way, where's your little sister right now?" Miku asked about Elly.
"Oh, Elly's at Zul's house as usual, playing some games," Arisa replied.
"Does she know about this?" Miku inquired.
"I guess she doesn't know," Arisa said. "Also, she hasn't asked anything about this. If she knew, she'd probably want to come along too."
Meanwhile, at Zul's house, "Zul, this game is boring. Do you have another game?" Elly complained.
"Sorry, you've already played all the games I have. There's nothing left," Zul replied.
"Ah, this is boring. I don't have any more games to play," Elly said, laying on Zul's bed.
"Hey, Zul, you've been doing your homework since earlier. Why don't you stop it and play with me now?" Elly asked.
"I always finish my homework first before playing," Zul explained.
"Hmm, you're the same as Onee-chan, always finishing homework first before playing," Elly observed.
"How about you? Have you finished your homework?" Zul asked.
"Me? I usually do it at night," Elly said. "I hate doing my homework during the day."
"Well, that's your studying style. I can't say anything about that," Zul replied.
Elly flopped onto Zul’s bed, her tone playful but probing. "Hey, Zul... when you and Onee-chan were on the rooftop, you looked super nervous. Were you talking about me?" She grinned, but her eyes held a sharp glint. "Or... maybe something else?"
"Huh, you saw that?!" Zul blushed. "Did you hear what we talked about?"
"Not at all. I just saw you from the floor below. Did something happen between you and Onee-chan?" Elly pressed.
"Nothing happened. We were just talking about studying, hahaha," Zul said nervously, trying to hide that he had actually confessed to Arisa that day.
"Really? You seem strange. You're not hiding something from me, right?" said Elly glared at him.
"Hiding something? Don't be ridiculous. I'm not hiding anything from you," Zul said, maintaining a neutral expression.
"Well, if you say so, there's nothing I can do," Elly conceded.
"Hey, Zul, let’s go to town this weekend! Let’s hit the game shop and arcade," Elly said excitedly.
"This weekend? That's the same date I promised Arisa," Zul thought to himself.
"I'm sorry, Elly. I can't go this weekend. I have something to do," he apologized.
"Ah, you're so boring. I just wanted to play with you at the arcade this weekend," Elly pouted.
"Sorry, Elly. Maybe next time," Zul said.
Elly crossed her arms, her grin turning sly. Hmm... Onee-chan’s ‘busy’ this weekend, and now you’re ‘busy’ too? What a coincidence. You’re totally hiding something. I’ll figure it out soon, shethought.
"Elly, what's wrong? You suddenly look distracted," Zul said as he finished his homework.
"It's nothing. I'm just pouting because you don't want to hang out with me," Elly said with a pouty face.
"What's with that face? Here, this is a new manga I just bought earlier. I know you'll like it," Zul offered.
"Huh, a new manga? Let me see that too," Elly said.
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDiUUdl6IA
To be continued…………….. Futagomonogatari IV
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0arDw7zhXf
