[Gabriella 2]

A busy weekend has flown by and a new week has begun. Monday had arrived. Nishino went to school in Class 2A with the same enthusiasm as last week. The classroom was strangely quiet that day.

There was a few empty seats here and there. 

First of all, the chairman of the committee was absent. Risa was also absent. With the two girls at the centre of the girls group absent, some of the liveliness of the class was lost. In addition, there was no sign of Matsuura either.

The boys also had the day off with the class clown. He contributes to the liveliness of the class in many ways. If his presence was lost along with that of the girls group, the effect on the classroom noise was noticeable to all. Even the greedily insensitive Nishino felt that it was a bit quiet today.

"...."

It was the end of the second period and there was a long break between the two periods. He was sitting in his seat, preparing for his next class. The subject is chemistry. The classroom was moved to the chemistry room. He takes out his textbook, notebooks, pens and other necessary materials from his desk.

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There was a student who walked underneath him. The presence of a person in front of him made Nishino lift his gaze from his hand. 

"...What's wrong?" 

"It was break time, so I came to visit." 

"...." 

There she was, Gabriella. 

Nishino couldn't think of a good response to her blunt talk. Instead, his mind drifted to the one-sided confession he had been given in the hotel restaurant, and the room that had been locked behind an automatic lock.

The door to her room had been closed for some time. It was only after Nishino had left that Gab noticed this. The door was half-opened with the stopper in between, but the Futsumen never visited her again.

If it had been Takeuchi, he might have come back two or three times, unable to give up the feast hanging in front of him. In fact, he was the first handsome man to do something similar with a Francisca. But Nishino's self-esteem was not so low as to allow him to do this.

The door of the room had been closed by Rose for only a short time. Against this background, she judged that Nishino had become frightened.

She had visited the class next door to mess with him again.

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"You don't have to go all the way to the next class to see me."

"I came to visit, do I need to say it like this to make you understand? 

"....."

Gabriella is smiling. It was the same smile she had given to Rose only a few days ago. Nishino was unsure of her true intentions.

To him, Gabriella is not just a beautiful new student from the next class, but a peer with the same powers as him. If the door of the room had not been locked yesterday, things might have been different. However, that move was successfully prevented by Rose.

Thanks to this, Futsumen is struggling to find the right words to reply. On the other hand, Gabriella's words drew a lot of attention from the people around her.

The only one who is calm is Takeuchi-kun, who knew about their relationship beforehand.

The attention of the people around him raises his spirits. Being aware of other people's eyes on him, he naturally responds in a more pretentious way.

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"It's hard to get rid of cheap alcohol."

He was sitting in his chair with a chemistry textbook in his hand and a smug look on his face. All his classmates were annoyed. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

But Gabriella, unfazed by his cynicism, replied

"Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's a good way to get drunk."

After all, Gaby is used to this kind of communication. Since she left her parent's house, she has been traveling around a lot and has been exposed to a lot of this culture. Her mouth moves naturally and she tries to talk back.

In this situation, Nishino is like a fish out of water and starts to speak up. 

"You're from a rich family and cheap sake is a rarity." he says. 

After one or two drinks, you'll soon get tired of it anyway. It's only the first sip that tastes good. It's like fast food, you get tired of it as soon as you repeat it. 

"I don't even remember having a drink yet." 

The irritation this caused his classmates was considerable. Suzuki, for his part, is struggling to keep his mouth shut as he watches the exchange between the two. "Shut up!"

If it hadn't been Gabriella who had spoken to him he would have interrupted the conversation.

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On the other hand, Takeuchi, who was sitting in his seat in front of Suzuki, was looking at them with an indescribable look in his eyes. It seemed that he understood that Gabriella was seriously attacking Nishino. 

"Yeah, you're timid. You're so afraid of me." 

"I am just standing back. Don't make fun of me." 

"Is that so?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Aren't you afraid of women because you're a virgin?"

"......"

Nishino's fingers, holding the textbook in his hand, are full of power.

The woman in front of him was a classmate, and this was the one thing that made him resist. If it had been another student in the same class, he would not have reacted in the same way. But she and Rose were the few exceptions.

But at the same time he remembered a mistake he had made in the past. It was an incident in Santorini some time ago. He was staying in a hotel with Rose, Francisca and the chairwoman of the committee. 

This is the case of the first time I had a chance to experience with Rose. I'm not going to make the same mistake again.

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"There will be a better man for you," 

Futsumen muttered briefly, shifting his gaze from Gabriella to the desk. 

He continued to prepare for the next class. At the sight of this exchange, voices began to rise among the classmates. To the untrained eye, it appeared that Nishino had unilaterally dumped Gabriella. If the latter's confession was a prank, it would be a big problem for the school caste. 

"Hey, what's going on here?" 

"Isn't this a prank? I'm even more annoyed than usual with you today." 

"Me too." 

"I thought you loved Rose." 

"Oh, by the way, I heard Rose is off today."

"Is she sick?"

Meanwhile, the chime rang, signalling the start of class in five minutes. 

"I'm sorry, but I have to go to class." 

Nishino murmured briefly and left his seat quickly. Gabriella replied with a smile. 

"I'll come back to you next break." 

"No, it's fine." 

It's still the bottom of the caste on campus.

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Faced with an offensive Gaby, there was no other way but to escape. 

Talking to her could spread unnecessary rumors. 

Feeling her eyes on his back, Nishino quickly left the classroom.

◇ ◆ ◇

After all the morning classes were finished, the break time came.

Whether heading for the cafeteria or spreading out their lunches in the classroom, the majority of their classmates were eating lunch in groups of several. Nishino, on the other hand, sat alone. 

His plan for the day is to buy a loaf of bread and a drink from the shop and then head for the roof. Only a few days ago, he would have found Rose next to him. Today, however, she is off sick. 

Having regained his financial freedom after the events of the weekend, Nishino was free to buy his lunch from the shop. He had enough money in his wallet to buy the entirety of today's purchases if he wanted to. Feeling good about this fact, he left the classroom briskly. However, his progress comes to a halt just before he passes the doorway. 

"I've brought my lunch. Would you like to eat with me?"

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It was Gabriella. She had just stepped out into the corridor, when she suddenly appeared in front of him. She was carrying a tote bag in her hand, containing a square-shaped box that looked like a lunch box.

This is my second contact today, following the break between the second and third hours. 

"No thanks." 

"Why not?" 

"Why is it that you eat the food your sister cooks, but not the food I cook?" 

"...."

"I want to know why." 

"It was only until last week that we were short of lunch. From now on I will prepare my own.

"What's the matter with my sister?"

"No, it's nothing. And it's none of your business either."

"So you're okay with me?" 

"....." 

No matter how much Nishino poked her, Gab never seemed to respond. She started to lead Nishino down the corridor, shouting happily. This attracted the attention of the other students. I'm not just talking to Rose, I'm talking to her too. 

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"You're making me do this?" 

"Seriously, it's so annoying to watch." 

"I've posted pictures of Nishino in women's clothes on those forums." 

"...You, that's..." 

Nishino was still in a complicated mood. 

If the other party was the chairwoman of the committee, he would have followed him with cynicism. I'm sure I'd have been thrilled to be a part of the sweet and sour days of my youth that were about to begin. But with Gabriella, it's hard to tell. 

The fact that just a few days ago he had been all over Rose had also made him wary. In his opinion, it was too early to change his mind. The cycle of love is too fast for a virgin.

To him, the story of a couple who broke up after only one month of dating seems like an out-of-this-world event, even if it is a common occurrence. 

He was naturally reminded of the beautiful Italian girl whom Rose had introduced to him.

Who I lost touch with shortly after I sent her a photo. There was a sense of dread that this might be a repeat of that. The fact that he had taken a selfie of himself in a well-fitted suit and that it had gone unanswered had made him hesitant. But most of all, he couldn't ignore the special background she had.

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It was also possible that he would be caught in the act just as he was about to let himself in. In the past, he had actually fallen for similar traps, which had resulted in him turning his bed red on more than one occasion, for which he had been chastised by Marquis.

But it would have been different if he had been treated to a meal at least once. There may have been a few sluts in the west who thought it would be fun to play. But, everyone had rejected the Asian futsumen. Not even a single kiss was given to him.

 "......" 

"What's the matter? You like eating on the roof, right?" 

"No, let's eat elsewhere today." 

Nishino muttering a few words, turns in the opposite direction to where Gabriella is heading. 

He turns his attention to a guy he knows. It was the same joker who had been excused from school in the morning homeroom. He had a bag in his hand and seemed to have just arrived at school. 

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When Futsumen saw him, he was glad to see him and called out to him. 

"Are you feeling all right, Ogino-kun?" 

The joker was surprised by this unexpected question. He didn't expect to be approached by Nishino. But it was only for a short time. 

"It's nothing serious," he said.

"I told the teacher I wasn't feeling well, but to tell you the truth, I had some business at home."

This time, the students were surprised to see them talking to each other. Nishino and the joker were having a normal conversation. At this point, the classmates of Class 2A could not believe their eyes. Until a few days ago, they had been tormenting each other and being tormented by each other. There's no way they could have had any real interaction.

What happened was that he wasn't usually like a friend. 

"Sorry, I have something to do in the staff room." 

"No, I'm sorry to hold you back." 

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Nishino felt that this was a different kind of response to his usual one. He was very pleased with the softness of his classmates' attitude. He welcomed them, but did not bother to question or even deny them. It was as if they had been friends for years, and he completed his greeting quickly.

With a satisfied look on his face, Nishino looks away from the joker, who is now more friendly towards him. The encounter in Akihabara on his day off may have had some effect on him, he speculated.

It was the first school conversation he had had in a long time, and it filled his heart with warmth. 

"Do you know each other?" Gabriella asks, seeing the look on his face.

Even in her own class, 2B, Nishino was widely known to be an outsider. Gabriella never thought he would have a friend in the same class with whom he could exchange a few words in public, but he did. 

"That was my classmate, Ogino. I think I met him in Akihabara on our date." 

"...Is that so?" 

However, Gab, who had no interest in Ogino, responded lightly. 

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There was nothing to talk about, just a small nod and that was it. She had even forgotten that they had met in Akihabara until Nishino pointed it out.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go too..." 

After seeing the joker off, Nishino steps off to buy something himself.

It was necessary to get there as early as possible, as the delicatessen breads in the shop were bought by many students. After a while, when there's no more bread, you can only get jam bread with little jam, or rusks that are too hard, which are not good for lunch.

However, he was repeatedly called upon to wait. 

"Oh, Nishino-senpai! Gabriella-senpai!" 

Kousaka appeared from the corner of the corridor.

He spotted a familiar face in front of Class 2A and called out his name loudly. In the midst of the bustle of the lunch break, he overheard her calling him "senpai" and was surprised to hear him say it. 

He reacts immediately. 

"Kousaka. What's wrong?" 

He has a grin on his face and seems to be in a good mood. It seems that he's happy to be called senpai.

52

He proudly answers the question with his beloved junior. 

"Can you come to the club room after school today?" 

"I don't mind, but what's the matter?" 

"I have something to talk about about the example video." 

"I see."

The video Kousaka is referring to, is a video of the breakdance club dancing at a local dance event. It was made available on the web by a third party and has been viewed quite a few times. 

"Nishino-senpai, you're in the same class as Takeuchi-senpai, right?" 

"Yeah, that's right. Do you want me to call him?" 

"Yeah."

In the end, he had the right to address Takeuchi himself. 

"Oh, and Gabriella- senpai was in the same class as Rose-senpai, right? I would be glad if you can call her too."

"I'd like to talk to you after school today in the club room", Nishino turned to Gab and Kousaka spoke in rapid succession. Then a tall student appeared from behind the group.

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"If that's the case, can't we do it now?" 

It was Takeuchi.

Before we knew it, the handsome guy who stood up from his seat was moving towards the three. 

"Oh, Takeuchi-senpai!" 

"I heard that Rose didn't come to school today."

"What? Is that so?"

"It's only the beginning of the lunch break, so why don't we just go to the club room and discuss it over dinner there? I can't afford to take too much time off from the football team." 

Kousaka nodded his head in response to Takeuchi's suggestion.

Nishino gives a hearty good job to these two and spends time in the club room with his schoolmates.

The man at bottom of the caste is very happy to have unexpectedly won such an adolescent situation.If it's a tie-up, or even if it's just a group of club members, then Gabriella's presence is definitely not a problem for Nishino. 

54

"We're wasting time in the store. We're going to eat this," he said, raising his bag in his hand.

Thanks to an unexpected encounter with Kousaka, she also gets the chance to feed Nishino. 

Gab glanced at Nishino, who was wearing a different coloured jacket to the rest of us. He gets extra points for being a handy junior. 

"Okay. If that's the case, I'll head right away." 

He headed for the club room and walked down the corridor.

◇ ◆ ◇

After Kousaka's call, the members of the breakdance club gathered in the club room.

In a room devoid of desks and chairs, each of us sits on the floor, eating our lunch. They were lined up in a circle around Gabriella's lunch box, clockwise from Kousaka, with Takeuchi 

They all lined up together on the picnic seat she had brought with her.

"And yet, the weekend has been a scary one because of terrorism..." 

Looking at his phone, Takeuchi murmured in a casual tone.

 

55

The screen is lined with the timelines of his favourite social network. 

What's all about terrorism is a music festival in Odaiba.

"Yeah. It's like you can feel how bad it is..." 

Even Kousaka, who replied to the question, reacted as if he were watching a horror movie. 

Francisca's cover-up has been very effective in keeping the media at bay. For those of us who were there, the recent media coverage has been unsettling. 

If the information given is to be believed, it was a terrorist attack on a music event. The exchange over Gabriella's custody. The appearance of Marquis and Matsuura's rapid-fire attack on the fake Takeuchi were also completely absent. In the end, it's just the two of them talking to each other in a strange way, as if they don't understand each other. 

Nishino, on the other hand, is refreshing.

"Don't worry about the details. There's nothing more." 

"..."

His expression is the same as usual, but he is a little more lively than usual, as he has got rid of a pile of problems. It is not surprising that the complaints delivered to the chat room are also more vigorous. 

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For Takeuchi, this was also a frustrating scene. From his vantage point, there was no connection between the Futsumen in front of him and the outcome of the dance event. That's why, today and always, Takeuchi sees Nishino as a senior at the bottom of the caste who is planning to look good in front of his juniors.

He feels that there is something wrong, but he is not yet convinced. 

"What does Nishino know?"

"I don't know anything." 

"..."

"By the way, Kousaka, about the video posted on the internet..." 

Takeuchi-kun goes to change the topic.

57

Prompted, Kousaka opened his mouth.

He looked around at everyone in the room. 

"I've got something I'd like to discuss with you guys." 

"In fact, I got a call from the site last night."

"The video of the dance has been removed, but the advertising fees will be paid in the meantime.  However, in seemed individual teachers put a lot of complaints to the site."

" Oh, I see," 

For better or for worse, was the work of desperate Teacher Otake in order to protect their own job. 

A teacher is a profession that cannot be crushed. 

Moreover, he is already over forty years old, and if he were to be fired from school, he would have to join the ranks of the poor. 

"So, in a nutshell, why don't we split the money?" 

"That's the main topic of today's discussion."

"Personally, I'd rather get it over with and not have any problems later on." 

"Kousaka is right."

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Takeuchi-kun, who answers, is smooth, as if he had somehow assumed 

It's a lot of money for a student like Kousaka, even if he has to share it with the rest of the team. He will be able to devote himself to dance for the next year and a bit without having to take a part-time job. It was a very attractive proposition for him.

However, the other members of the group are in a slightly different situation. Takeuchi, for example, is a rich man whose family runs a hospital. Since he was born, he has always asked his father for everything he wanted and has been able to get it. His future is assured. Gaby's family is beyond rich. The same goes for Nishino and Rose. The former was penniless until yesterday, but thanks to a reward from Gabriella's dad, hos assets have risen to the same level as before. 

We are all rather unconcerned about the situation, no matter how it turns out.

That's probably why the cynical lines poured out of his mouth. 

"You don't need me. The rest of you can share it." 

"No, no we should all share it." 

"No, I'm not that tight with money."

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"I mean, Nishino was reluctant to delete the video before, right? Wasn't it because he wanted money?"

"Unfortunately, what I want I can't buy it with money." 

"Hmm..." 

Takeuchi-kun feels like he's still agitated. 

"You know, there was a student with an injury on his face, right?" 

"You mean the guy from the YouTube club?" 

"Yeah we could share the money with him and get him a treatment," 

"..." 

The casual suggestion of Nishino, hurt Takeuchi's self-esteem.

"I was just about to say that," he said, his voice once again at the edge of his throat. 

The most important line of the day, which I had prepared beforehand, was ruined. The handsome man never dreamed that Nishino would beat him to it.

 Gabriella agreed with Nishino's suggestion.

"In that case, please donate my share to the charity."

60

 

This makes it difficult for Takeuchi to take ownership of the whole process, no matter how much he wants to. It would have been very unseemly for him to rebel against Nishino. His options were very limited and he was forced to agree with the Futsumen. 

"Then I agree with Nishino." 

"Don't overdo it, Takeuchi-kun." 

"That's what I'm talking about. How can you be so arrogant as to ask Rose and Gabriella for lunch?"

"Don't ever ask me to pay you back later, okay?" 

"I'm sure Kousaka will be annoyed." 

"I've got a bit of pocket money." 

"...Oh, yeah." 

The Futsumen does not seem to respond to the words of pursuit. 

As his anger was building up, Takeuchi ended the conversation early.

As a result, Kousaka has a troubled face. 

"Yes, that's right. I think that's the best way to go".

"If that's the case, I'll do the same as my seniors."

61

After a short time of being annoyed with Nishino, Takeuchi-kun now moves to comfort his younger colleague. He has a kind nature towards juniors. 

Even in the soccer club, the support from juniors is enormous. 

"I don't want to sound mean, but my family is rich, so I don't really care."

It is a well-known fact on campus that Gabriella is seen as a lady of good taste because of her common use of handkerchiefs, jewellery and other small items that are too expensive for a student to wear.

And so did Rose.

"Sure, I'm not in trouble with money." 

"Then, I'm the only one..." 

Kousaka still hesitates. Nishino, who was aiming for an opportunity to speak, made a move without missing a chance. 

"It's not just Kousaka. There's Rose." 

"I feel like Rose is going to say the same thing."

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"...Well, I can't deny that possibility." 

If it had been Matsuura, she would have agreed to accept the gift as soon as possible, although she would have looked apologetic, and would have gone home with a big smile on his face. The next day his phone would have been the latest model. 

However, Kousaka was reluctant to accept it. Nishino, emboldened by this, was cynical. 

"Kousaka, have you ever made any money from dancing?"

"What? Oh, no, I don't think so."

This is the fist time Kousaka has earned money from dancing. 

"I don't know what will you do as a dancer in the future, but I'm sure that your reward will be very special.."

" Nishino-senpai..."

"..."

He's been on a bit of a roll lately. Joining the school's break-dancing club has made exercise a regular habit. The physical health that has been achieved in the past has had a positive effect on the mind. In turn, the people around us suffer. 

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The degree of damage is even more pronounced. 

However, Kousaka was still hesitating" 

"...Is that really okay?" 

"Don't hesitate . It's a legitimate reward."

".... "

In response to the Futmen's quick decision, he turned his head down.

Kousaka, who turned to Nishino again, returned his words with the same expression as usual. 

"Then, uh, can I get it?" 

"Oh, of course." 

"...Thank you very much." 

They exchanged with a smile on each other.

Why is Nishino so important? This is a question that Takeuchi has been asking himself repeatedly. However, in a situation where not only Nishino but also Kousaka seemed to have been swallowed up by the atmosphere, the handsome man, who values the atmosphere of the place, decided to proceed with the conversation without interfering.

"I'm sorry, but that's the way it's got to be, Kousaka."

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"Yes, I understand!" 

If he kept silent, Nishino could keep talking endlessly. 

"Oh, right. I have to tell you something else." 

"Something else? Is it a bad thing?" 

"In the morning, at the end of homeroom, the homeroom teacher stopped me and told me that the breakdance club has been approved as a club activity. We're going to get a proper place in the club building next month." 

"I wanted to tell you about it as soon as possible."

"I thought it was going to be discussed at the staff meeting at the end of the month." 

They should have been happy but Nishino interrupted him. He is a man who remembers every little thing. 

"I know it, I heard him say that to the other teachers, I guess if you have such good students, you should please them."

"I see.."

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Nishino, listening to Kousaka's explanation, nodded his head in a rather pompous manner.

"That's why, Id like to thank you for your help." 

Kousaka, bowed deeply on the picnic sheet.

Takeuchi looks troubled when he sees such a polite thing.

If anything, he is the type of handsome guy who wants to live a light-hearted, fun life. He was surprised by the unexpected seriousness of the situation. 

"...Well, if Kousaka is happy, I'm happy too."

 "Takeuchi-senpai ..."

The young man is instantly inspired by the sudden change in his appearance. He knew what to do and immediately took action. He picks up his chopsticks and sets them down with his plate. 

He put it in his hand and sat up on his knees. 

"Well, in that case, I guess my work is done." 

"Huh?" 

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"Excuse me. I'll dance with you when I have another chance."

"Oh , Nishino-senpai ... "

Gabriella had spread out a picnic sheet on the floor of the classroom. 

Nishino stands up, turns his back to the rest of the class and walks towards the door at the front of the classroom. Kousaka calls out to him, but he doesn't look back.

These days he's very fond of talking on his back. He left the classroom, closing the door deliberately behind him.

He thinks it's cool for a man who's done his job to leave quickly. 

"Wait a minute!" 

The two of them look on, wondering what to do.

Somehow they understood what Nishino wanted to do. However, I still felt annoyance at the timing of their unilateral departure. Takeuchi-kun, for example, had to endure repeated remarks, and his mouth was quivering. We are close to the limit. The sound of Nishino and Gabriella's footsteps quickly fade away. 

The issue of the breakdance club is now settled.

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