"Take a seat, Teruya."

"Huh? What?"

"Please, please, I insist."

Syo ended up sitting between Takiyo and Ren, elbows on his knees.

"Now, Nishikawa hates you?" Takiyo asked.

"I'm asking if she does." Syo corrected him.

"Do you hate her?" Ren inquired.

"No, not really." Syo answered.

Takiyo and Ren deadpanned. They had no words to say.

"What?" Syo asked.

"Your expression..."

"What? I look scary?"

Takiyo and Ren stared at him. "You...treat her..."

"Nishikawa-san has social anxiety, right?" Syo said, looking down. "So I thought it would be better if I don't force conversation with her. I'd just be making her uncomfortable..."

Takiyo and Ren stared at each other. So everything revolved around Syo's general appearance and Yuko's social anxiety. They both stared at him intensely.

"...why are you guys staring at me like that?" Syo asked, unsettled.

"All this time... We thought you hated Yuko!" Ren shouted.

"What?" Syo yelled, appalled. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Ren said, holding his head in his hands. "Go and make up with her!"

"But we never fought..."

"She thinks you hate her right now, you know?" Ren said slowly and clearly, making sure the message got across.

"Why?" Syo asked, downcast.

"Observe." Ren adjusted his bangs to make it look like he had an emo fringe. Then he replicated Syo's expression almost perfectly. "If someone looked at you like this, would you think they liked you?"

Syo looked as though everything he knew until today was a lie. "I...I looked like that when I was neutral? My friends never told me..."

Ren nodded and fixed his hair. "You looked like how Takiyo does now. Do you feel he likes you?"

Syo looked at Takiyo, who stared at him with an expressionless face. "No, can't say I do." Syo said. "But I'm not emotionless. I laugh and stuff! I pull pranks on my friends all the time!"

Ah... So he was an Arisu at heart.

"That's hard to believe." Takiyo remarked.

"Well, anyway, we won't get anywhere by sitting around! Get up!" Ren said, standing up himself. "Let's go to Yuko."

"Oh, okay." Syo said, standing up. "But you know what the most depressing part is? I laugh and be very bright in class when talking with my friends, but nobody seems to notice..." He sniffed. "Like that one time Nishikawa-san knocked my bento out of my hands? I was laughing a second before that..."

"That's just sad. How does that even happen? Then why don't you smile all the time?" Takiyo stood up too and dusted himself.

"If I smile too much," Syo said depressingly. "My face hurts. So I only save it for important stuff!"

"So convincing Yuko you didn't hate her wasn't important?!" Ren yelled.

"I don't just go around smiling at people. And anyway, she would hardly look at me!"

"You would hardly look at her." Takiyo contradicted.

"What? I tried to catch her eye sometimes!"

"She tried to catch your eye sometimes." Takiyo corrected.

Syo seemed dumbfounded. "Is this the typical situation where 'two people took turns looking at each other and kept missing them'?"

"That's absurd." Takiyo stated, but Ren burst out laughing.

"That's actually funny!!" he laughed, as Syo and Takiyo stared at him.

Ren calmed down looked at the two of them.

"Wow, now I can see how un-Takiyo-like you are." Ren said. "You seem to be nothing like our darling Takiyo."

"Darling?" Syo asked.

"Never mind him." Takiyo said, dragging Syo by the arm. "That guy belongs in a mental asylum."

***

"Yuko!!"

Yuko turned around, wiping sweat off her forehead. She just finished with her work. She turned and saw Ren was running excitedly in her direction. She pulled off her bandana and looked surprised.

Ren hugged her.

"Congratulations!"

"Huh? Why?" Yuko asked.

"Because, you have a new friend!" Ren aid, letting her go.

"I do?" Yuko asked.

"Yeah!" Ren looked back. "Where is Takiyo?"

Yuko shrugged. Then she saw who was walking with Takiyo, and instantly stiffened.

"Don't be like that!" Ren said joyously, slapping her on the back. "He's a nice guy! He's kinda like Arisu!"

"Are you just forcing me to reconcile with him?" Yuko asked suspiciously.

"No. See for yourself." Ren grinned proudly.

Yuko looked back at Takiyo and Syo, and saw that Syo was smiling. It improved his impression greatly. The other girls dropped whatever they were holding in shock.

"Go!" Takiyo shoved him in Yuko's direction.

"Um... Nishikawa-san," Syo began, smiling kindly.

"...where's Teruya-san?" Yuko asked, looking around him.

"I'm right here." Syo said.

"You're..." Yuko realised, and bowed. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"I-it's okay." Syo said quickly. "You apologize to me way to much. I just wanted to say...I think there's been a misunderstanding between us."

"What?" Yuko looked blank.

Syo sighed. "I don't hate you, Nishikawa-san, and I'm sorry if it seemed so. But I thought you hated me."

Yuko took time to process. Finally, she settled on, "I-I don't hate you."

"Then that's good!" Syo said smiling.

"Hey, Ren, are you sure this is the same person?" Yuko whispered.

"Yeah, he's Teruya Syo." Ren said, smiling.

"Now that that is cleared." Syo held out his hand. "Friends?"

Yuko stared at him, then shook his hand and smiled. "Sure! But then...can I call you Syo-kun?"

"Huh?" Syo blinked.

She so assumes friends naturally call each other by first names, Takiyo noted.

"Okay. Then I'll call you Yuko, fine?" Syo replied.

"Okay!"

They match each other on straightforwardness!! Takiyo thought. And they became friends so fast?

"Well then, now that we're friends, let's work hard together, and get the gold!" Syo said.

"Yes!!" Yuko cheered. Then they both stared at each other.

"Are you sure you're the same person as before?" They both asked together, then they laughed.

"Okay, so Syo-kun, some things you need to know if you're gonna be friends with us." Yuko said all business-like, bringing him into a huddle. "Firstly, Ren and Arisu-chan like each other, but they don't admit it."

Syo grinned. They were surprised at his playful nature.

She got comfortable with him way sooner than she got comfortable with me! Takiyo observed.

"Secondly, Takiyo-kun likes Michi-chan, and we're trying to get them together."

"Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" Syo asked.

"Yes, but he's an a**hole." Yuko said dismissively.

"Fair enough." Syo agreed.

"I think that's about it." Yuko thought.

"Yuko likes Anzai-senpai!" Ren added, and Yuko practically tackled him.

"Anzai-senpai?" Syo blinked. Yuko blushed, then nodded. "But Hirose-senpai..." Syo shook his head. "Never mind! As your friend, I will support both of your unrequited loves!"

"Oh yeah," Yuko added. "And Takiyo-kun is the prime teasing victim."

"I'll keep that in mind." Syo grinned evilly at Takiyo.

"Excuse me, I helped resolve this conflict." Takiyo said in a dignified voice.

"It wasn't really a conflict in the first place." Yuko shrugged. Both Takiyo and Ren knew that even though Yuko looked chill on the outside, she was on cloud nine on the inside.

"Hey, what are you guys doing without me?" Arisu asked, appearing out of nowhere as she always did.

"Yuko made a new friend." Ren indicated Syo.

"Teruya-kun?!" Arisu shrieked.

Huh, I feel like déjà vu is happening. Takiyo thought.

"Then, can I call you Syo-chi?!" Arisu asked excitedly.

"Okay, if I'm allowed to call you Arisu." Syo shrugged.

Okay, definitely not déjà vu.

"Sure!" They shook hands.

"But...I'm glad to become friends with Takiyo." Syo said.

"Why? All you get are sarcastic looks and remarks." Arisu reasoned.

"No, he really cares for his friends." Syo explained. "I saw near the vending machine. I thought I was going to have to step in, but Takiyo managed. Ishida was talking trash about you–"

Takiyo tackled Syo. He covered his mouth. "Shut your mouth." Takiyo hissed.

"What did Takin say?" Arisu asked, eyes glittering, eager for more teasing material.

Takiyo let go of Syo and glared at him. Syo turned to the others and said, "Nothing." Takiyo exhaled, but then Syo turned back and winked at him.

It's Kaneshiro, guy version!! he thought.

"He said something embarrassing, didn't he?" Arisu asked him seriously.

"Maybe..." Syo shrugged, but gave her a knowing look, which Arisu easily deciphered. Takiyo wasn't going to have it easy.

"Anyway, now we all are friends, right?" Arisu said, clapping her hands together.

"Yup." Yuko, Ren and Syo chorused.

"Great! Then let's have a wholesome sports festival!"

"Yeah!"

"Cheer, Takin!"

"Takiyo, cheer."

"Cheer, Takiyo-kun!"

"Cheer!"

"Cheer!"

"I'M NOT GONNA DO IT!!!"

Author's note
Yay! Syo is one of the MCs now, so you'll be seeing a lot of him. I wonder if I did his transition properly. I don't think it's the best... (╯︵╰,) Basically, Syo is a Takiyo-Ren-Yuko-Arisu hybrid XD
Yuko, because he's different with friends and with general public.
Takiyo, because his vibe and impression.
Ren, because he's popular with girls too.
Arisu, because he likes to tease people.
Anyway, let me know what you think of Syo! Personally, I like him, and hope you do too. (◍•ᴗ•◍)