Three:

Ayase Miyoko's POV:

The art club room is alive with chatter. We have the whole day off timetable to do sketches of a model. I have no idea how Yamaguchi-senpai managed that. Nonetheless, we're all excited.

I'm honestly pretty grateful that I recently befriended one of the girls in the art club. Chiyo-kun is really sweet and is usually ridiculed behind her back thanks to her appearance. The girls in our year, particularly in her class and Nozaki-kun's class, are really aware that Chiyo-kun is in love with Nozaki-kun. They think that the two look ridiculous together. I can somewhat understand that argument. Some height differences are cute yet Chiyo-kun only actually reaches up to Nozaki-kun's shoulders. That and she looks like she's modelling herself after a Lolita. Not that that's a bad thing. I guess that it's good to embrace your height and appearance. I'm pretty short too, my forehead's at Mikorin's nose. Considering how tall Yuu-chan and Nozaki-kun are, I'm really quite short.

"Girls!" our club president, Yamaguchi-senpai draws our attention to her.

"Hai!" we chime in unison.

"This is Mikoshiba-kun and today he will be posing for our sketches!" she declares.

"MIKORIN!" I laugh.

"Huh, isn't that Ayase-chan's boyfriend?"

"Her boyfriend?"

"I think so."

"They're always together." I begin to blush.

"Mikorin's NOT my boyfriend." I protest.

"Of course I'm not. Miyoko's out of my league."

"WHAT!" the first year girls look like their in shock.

"Oi! Pervert." I flick him in the head.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"Nothin'." I giggle, before bouncing up backward toward my easel theatrically, fringe somehow not getting into my eyes.

"Kyahhh! Mikoto's going to be posing for us ALL day!" one of the ditsy first years exclaims happily. I make a fist.

"I'll pose however you want to. If it makes somebody as enchanting as you happy then I would be honoured to do so."

"He'll get embarrassed." Chiyo-kun smiles.

"Yeah." I nod.

"But what about Ayase-kun?" one of the first years enquires.

"She is a star, you are my sun."

"Cornyyyy." Chiyo-kun and I snigger.

"Get to your easels everybody." Yamiguchi-senpai instructs.

"He called you a star."

"I know." I nod.

"And he called them the sun."

"I know that too." I close my eyes.

What is this feeling that I'm feeling? I'm all hot and clammy. And I feel almost obligated to punch those girls in the face. I'm not well. I'm sick. I'll take a pill. I put my palm to my face. I'm warm. I really ought to take a oil.

"Ayase-kun..."

"I can't believe this!" I snort a laugh.

I can feel his eyes on me. I sigh. "Three. Two. One."

"MIYO-CHAN!" he wails, resting his chin on my head and draping his arms around me. My cheeks are on fire. Everybody's staring at us! "PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!"

"Why would I hate you?" I grin, flicking him in the head.

"Because you hurt me."

"Wuss." I tease. "Now go."

"Okay girls, Mikoshiba-kun will spend the whole day being posed by us. He must stay in the pose you put him in for five minutes and then he gets a break. Be realistic with your poses." Yamaguchi-senpai instructs. "I'll go first."

Mikorin is lead toward the platform he'll stand on. Yamaguchi-senpai has him stand slightly to the side with his hands behind his head so his palms are on his neck, like he's stretching.

We all sketch his body shape. He is then moved around by another of the third year girls.

After five minutes in that pose, Mikorin is given a break. In which the social groups within the art club emerge.

"Excited to be posing for us?" I tease.

"It's not that bad."

"We've left Yuu-chan in class all alone." I gasp.

"I'm sure 'Kashima-kun' will be fine, swarmed by her fangirls." Mikorin roolls his eyes. "You're too concerned."

"Oh?" I tilt my head.

"It's actually pretty ador-." he stops himself. "Adorkable to worry about one of the most popular girls in the school, you know that, right Miyo-chan." Mikorin smirks a bit. I pout.

"Adorkable's not an adjective, baka." I interject.

"It is now." he grins.

"Seriously?" I roll my eyes at Mikorin.

"C'mon now girlies!" Yamaguchi-senpai calls. "Mikoshiba-kun has to go again."

"Right!" Mikorin gets to his feet. "Which of you lovely ladies gets to position me now?"

I grimace and Chiyo-kun frowns.

"Did he really just...?" I cut the orange hared loli girl off.

"Yep." I sigh.

"He'll be all embarrassed now." It's almost as if he vanished. Mikorin's bolted. He's fallen flat on his face with a thud and begun to claw at the door to the art club.

I roll my eyes.

"This is going to be a very long day." I mutter as another girl; Yumi-kun, in Nozaki-kun's class puts her hand on Mikorin's shoulder. I make a fist and Chiyo-kun takes my pencil away so it won't snap.

"Mikoto-kun, it's my turn." she beckons him to the stage.

"Right." He nods, face still on fire out of sheer humiliation. Is it bad that I'm enjoying Mikorin getting all embarrassed? I sigh, closing my eyes. Definitely bad.

After drawing Mikorin in ridiculous poses, only Chiyo-kun and I remain to pose Mikorin. I've been letting the next girl pose him because I don't know how to make him pose. The last girl just has him stand on one leg, balancing on his toes. I have no idea how he maintained such good balance. I shrug. It's Chiyo-kun's turn now.

"Mikorin." she stage whispers. The redhead approaches and she whispers some instructions into his ear. Mikorin looks a tad embarrassed. What did she want him to do. Most of the poses are random yet interesting to draw. It looks like he's the muse for a superhero and a manga protagonist...oh wait he already is a manga protagonist. I smile a bit at that.

I blink several times out of sheer confusion as Mikorin kneels down on the platform, hands shaped as if they were holding a pencil. I shoot Chiyo-kun a quizzical look. She writes a little explanation next to her sketch. I lean over to read it before she strikes the paper with an eraser.

That's the 'Nozaki-kun working on his manga pose'?

Whatever makes Chiyo-kun happy I guess.

"Your turn now, Miyo-chan." Mikorin gets to his feet, brushing off his knees before winking at me. I blush.

"Time for you to move me." he smiles. I sigh. Why am I friends with such a random flirt? Why couldn't I have made normal friends? Chiyo-kun has normal friends...doesn't she...okay, she has some normal friends. I'm completely going to disregard Seo-kun. She's the outlying variable.

I make a few steps toward the stage and take hold of Mikorin's arm, face already hot with embarrassment. Looks like we're both pretty dorky, huh?

"That face of yours, Miyo-chan." he whispers into my ear. "Is adorable." I stop. Did he just call me adorable?