Chapter II

'It's over… My scholarship is going to be terminated. My grades are going down for sure, I'm not paying any attention to all of my classes this morning after all. Miracle is the only reason if my grades are not going down after today.'

Nao sighs for the 4th time ever since they left their classroom to eat lunch in the garden of the school.

"Are you okay, Nao-chan? You seem to be down ever since we left our classroom." 

Mayuri asks, worried coating her voice.

"Ah! I'm okay, perfectly okay!" 

Nao flinches and quickly answers, causing Ishikawa's twin brows to furrow.

"Are you sure? You've been spacing out ever since the first subject, you know." 

Miyuki said while coming to a halt followed by Mayuri and Nao, lastly.

"You can tell us what's wrong, you know. We're best of friends, after all." 

He added with a toothy grin plaster on his face and Mayuri only smiled brightly.

Nao looked at the twins before averting her eyes away from them then heaving out a heavy sigh.

"I… I-I d-don't have any j-job a-anymore… I-I'm j-jobless now." 

Nao stutters as she chokes her cries while avoiding any eye contacts.

"Eh?! Why?!" 

The twin exclaimed with worried flashing in their eyes.

"T-The f-f-full-timer recovered from h-his i-injury and was able to w-work now, so h-he replaced m-me." 

Nao said between sobs as she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"I-I still have money-for everyday n-necessities. T-The o-only problem i-is that I don't know how long i-it will last." 

She said between sobs as she wiped her streaming tears.

Mayuri and Miyuki felt a pang of pain in their hearts and the female younger twin embraced the crying black haired girl while trying to shush her cries.

"Don't worry, Nao-chin! We'll Help you find a job, okay?! I'll ask our parents if you could work in the café that Mom just opened, okay?! So don't cry anymore, please! It pains us to see you crying, so don't cry anymore, Nao-chin, please!"

Miyuki pleaded as he helped Mayuri in comforting Nao who couldn't help but cried more because of their kindness.

'I've always been thankful for you two ever since I met you in middle school. Thank you, Mayuri-san, Miyuki-kun.'

A noticeable smile crept up to Nao's lips as she wiped the tears that won't stop any time soon. 

As the twins are so busy comforting Nao, they didn't notice a pair of blue eyes watching them. 

'Hm, so Ms. Scholar doesn't have any job right now… Maybe I should offer her a job and ask her about this string that connects us, maybe she knows something about this.'

Klein smiled and look at the string that comnects their fingers before turning around on his heels and walked away, leaving the three alone.

...××××× ...

"I'm really sorry for causing trouble like that, Mayuri-san, Miyuki-kun. I'm sorry for crying like a baby." 

Nao apologized while hanging her head low.

"Now, now, don't apologize, it's normal for a human to cry, you know." 

Miyuki assure with a bright smile and plaster on his face.

"And don't worry anymore about your job, I'll ask Mom if you could work in the café she just opened. I'm sure she'll let you work there, she knows you for quite a long time now, after all." 

Mayuri smiled and Nao couldn't help but to also smile before shaking her head a little.

"Thank you, but I don't want to cause you trouble more than I've caused you ever since we met." 

Nao turned down with an apologetic smile plastered on her face.

"Eh?! What about your rent then?! Your daily expenses?!"

Mayuri asked with wide eyes.

"That's right! What would you do about it?! Besides, it'll be fine, you're not causing us trouble as at all, I swear!"

Miyuki added with a raised hand as if he's promising just as he said.

Nao's smile only widens before she stands up from her seat and swings her back on her shoulder before facing them with the brightest smile she has.

"I'll be okay, Mayuri-san, Miyuki-kun. I'm sure I can find a job on my own, I'm sure!"

The twin couldn't help but to feel a little assured, but still worried a little.

"Well, I need to leave now since I still need to look for a job! See you tomorrow, Mayuri-san, Miyuki-kun! Be careful on your way home, okay? Thank you for your hard work!"

Nao smiled and waved her hand and left the room before any of them could speak.

"Geez! Nao really likes to make her life harder than it is already!"

Miyuki puffs his cheeks as he lets himself fall down on the chair.

"But if you imagine it, Nao-chan is a strong and independent girl, isn't she? She lives on her own, she also takes care of herself and others in the orphanage all on her own, and works and studies hard for herself." 

Mayuri smiles, her eyes never leaving the wooden sliding door of their room.

"Yes, just like what Mom and Dad said, 'Dear Nao is a wonderful girl and she'll be a wonderful Mother someday'." 

Miyuki chuckles and Mayuri looks at his twin with a teasing smile and no need for words for his face to turn beet red.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!"

Mayuri only chuckled before leaving the classroom and Miyuki only heaved out a sigh before grabbing the younger twin's bag and following her.

________________________________________________________

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***