Trapped in the Past
Spelted Tongue

As an apology from Dion for making Alita and Kagami misunderstand, he treated the two teenagers to a bowl of meatballs complete with orange ice as his drink. Dion's offer was well received, the food was almost barren when only a few minutes ago they ate.

Dion was pensive to see them eating voraciously. They seem to be very hungry. Especially this horse-drawn girl in front of him, her name is Alita and Dion also just found out that the man next to the girl is named Kagami. They're Ruri's friends.

Too focused on seeing the two teenagers eating, Dion doesn't realize a girl is walking towards them. When the book that the girl was carrying landed perfectly on Kagami's head and Alita just realized it was Ruri.

"Hubliness! Don't eat at school. You're embarrassing!"

Ruri sat down next to Alita, thrusting the girl a drink. He choked on Ruri's punch just now.

Eating race? So the two of them ate so voraciously because they were racing? Dion thinks they're starving. His eyes turned to glance at Ruri, his heartbeat instantly irregular, as this was the first time he had seen Ruri this close.

"We were treated to him." Alita pointed at Dion. "He said he wanted to talk to you, Ruri," he continued, glancing at Dion as he finished his meal again.

"I met Alita on the street by accident. That's why we ended up here" Kagami said.

Ruri glanced at the foreign man in front of her. Unconcerned about the man, Ruri did not glance at him in the slightest. However, after hearing Alita and Kagami's explanation she scanned the man's face.

"Do you need to be with me?" his tan was flat, there was not the slightest smile on his face.

Dion's fretting, the plan shouldn't have ended like this. However, this was a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with Ruri. He ventured to speak.

"I'm Dion Andesta, from 1B. I saw you win a meticulous smart race some time ago. Can I study with you at the library?"

Dion bit his tongue, he didn't really want to say this. Supposedly the sentence that came out of his mouth was, does Ruri already have a boyfriend? Would he be friends with Dion? However, due to being too nervous, the eyes that reflexively glanced at the textbook that Ruri brought along instantly changed the content of her thoughts and sentences that she spoke. Really bad, if it is like this, Ruri would not agree to it. Because they just don't know and suddenly Dion offers to study together? He really sucked.

"Oh, so that's why you followed Ruri earlier?" sahut Kagami who just finished eating. The food ran out earlier than Alita, meaning she won.

Ruri frowning. "following me?" His eyebrows shot up, intimidating Dion.

Slowly felt cold sweat coming out from his forehead. Dion set his breath, his plan was completely muddled. "So I wanted to tell you this, but seeing you go into the library, I was locked up." He scratched the head that felt not itchy.

Ruri didn't make any more expressions. He looked at Dion flat. "First, I tell you that winning the race yesterday was not because of me, but because all the participants who participated had tried their best. And secondly, you don't expect more of me, I'm not who people talk about!"

Dion froze staring at Ruri for longer than before. He realized two things from the sentence the girl said. First, Ruri was much prettier than when she looked from a distance, her eyes were plump and clear, her long hair that was constantly unraveling adding to her appeal. Moreover, since he was wearing glasses .. he looked even sweeter. Sweet glasses.

The second one, although Ruri's way of speaking sounded rude, but actually she was kind. If not, maybe he will not want to reprimand his friend who had eaten in a hurry, or maybe he will not want to be friends with them. Their personalities were opposite, but Ruri seemed to have no problem with that. Once again his chest warmed up, feeling the seed of love slowly grow. He realizes, that Ruri is the girl who has made him fall in love more than anything else. Dion smiling.

***

The next day, as they had agreed yesterday, Dion picked Ruri up to his class. Then they both went to the library while carrying their respective textbooks.

Alita and Kagami look from a distance. They have no interest in joining.

"Eating race again?" Alita challenging.

"This time do not have fruitful food, like yesterday" suggested Kagami.

There was no day without drama, they were truly like a child who kept making a fuss. Then it was Alith who always pecked at the flames of commotion among them. Kagami liked it, by laughing with the girl he forgot the grubbiness lodged in his heart.

"Why don't they come?"

On the way to the library, Dion invited Ruri to a conversation. Their steps go hand in hand.

Without switching the gaze from the tile he stepped on, Ruri replied. "They're more concerned with racing to eat than studying."

"Why is that?" Dion's getting curious.

"Grade two later they plan to work, so, before that comes Alita proposes what if she and Kagami race in the meal. I don't know what the two are related to, but what Alita says is, if they work later their time together will be shorter. And before that, that's why he was," said Ruri, his wry eyes glancing at Dion for a moment. "You don't mind if we're just the two of you, do you? Your girlfriend's angry, isn't she?"

Dion was stunned to hear it. That should be the sentence he had to say to Ruri. Not otherwise. "No. I don't have it, and I'm not even a little distracted. What about you?"

Ruri shakes. "No."

In the library they sat at the right-most table, there empty. The quiet atmosphere is much more fun in learning.

Dion thrust out the material that he was difficult to understand to Ruri. The glasses girl gave him an explanation. As Ruri explained the matter, Dion's mind was not focused on the lesson. Seeing the face of Ruri who was talking to him, Dion was fascinated like seeing an angel. Dion had already anticipated this, therefore the material he asked Ruri to teach was material that he had actually understood.

"Try to repeat what I explained!"

Feeling that Dion was just using himself like other men, Ruri told Dion to repeat her explanation just now. If it is true that the man intends to study and has no other covert intentions, surely he can give a re-explanation.

Dion smiled faintly. Understanding if this girl next to him was the type of person who was very careful.

Ruri had yet to fully trust Dion, but upon seeing the man was able to grasp the material that she was clear on very well, slowly the trust grew.

They are getting closer as the number of words are thrown out. Ruri slowly behaves normally to Dion, just like she behaves to Alita and Kagami. He laughed occasionally when Dion made an unintentional joke.

"Lu like to learn?" asked Ruri suddenly. His eyes looked forward.

"Studying is mandatory. I don't think we like it, we should like it" Dion said.

Ruri looked at Dion and their gazes met. "This photo is sticking out of your textbook earlier. I didn't see it on purpose, sorry." His hand thrust out the photo he meant, the smile on his face fading away.

Dion was stunned for a while, he didn't even realize the photo was snuggling in one of his textbooks. It was a photo with him with the SD class, it was broken, showing nothing but the face of a little girl standing in the second row. Dion unconsciously still kept it.

"thank you. I just realized this picture is here. The picture's broken, see only the little girl in the second row is visible."

Ruri looked at Dion's direction. He saw that photo. "If you study a lot, you'll notice the photo sooner. This is proof that your textbooks are rarely opened. What exactly did you say you wanted to study with me? Though it doesn't look the least if it's your original intention."

Dion remained silent. He was too lightly judging Ruri. A small thing like this alone was capable of him properly analyzing.