Page 73 of Psync
“What do you want?” Haruka asked as he slid a plate in front of Eli.
“I saw Aaron, and he asked me to find out why you haven’t been coming to practice.”
“I’ve been busy.”
Eli looked up from his plate in surprise. He’d assumed Haruka had been going to his club activities while Eli was in class. Apparently not.
“The captain said he didn’t want to kick you off the team, but you haven’t been returning his texts for the past two weeks. He’ll have no choice if you don’t show up today.”
Haruka nodded and continued to eat.
“Well, anyway, I’ve discharged my responsibility. It’s all on you now.” Bryan turned his attention to Eli. “As for you, what’s up with you stealing my best friend?” His voice was playful, and he nudged his water bottle against Eli’s plate.
“I’m not stopping you from hanging out,” Eli said, frowning. “He’s free to do whatever he wants.”
“Claws in, kitty. I’m just teasing you.” Bryan leaned forward on his elbows, then yelped and gave Haruka a dirty look.
Haruka didn’t look up from his plate.
“It must be nice having your own personal bodyguard.” Bryan reached down and rubbed his shin.
Itwasnice, actually. Very nice. And he wasn’t planning on giving him up anytime soon, so Bryan needed to shut up about it before Eli gave him a kick too. He tried to convey this via glare.
“I see why you stick close to him, he’s so cute I could eat him.” Bryan braced his hands on the table and shoved his chair back. “Missed me that time.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Why are you friends with him?”
“He’s convenient.”
“You’re lucky to have me, and you know it.” Bryan affected a wounded posture.
They finished breakfast while Bryan filled them in on all the department gossip. Haruka and Eli were at the top of the list, but Bryan seemed to tire of getting kicked so he moved on to the next best thing and regaled them with everything he knew about the department head secretly hooking up with the professor of Korean Literature.
Eli was never going to look at either of them the same way again.
Once Bryan left, Eli jumped on Haruka. “You can’t skip archery practice.” If Haruka got kicked off the team, Eli wouldn’t get a chance to see him in hakama again and that would be a crime.
“Why not?”
“Because . . . extracurricular activities look good on a transcript. And quitting them for no reason doesn’t.”
Haruka shrugged then stared down a boy in a football jersey carrying a tray toward their table until he changed direction. “Your friends have class during practice.”
“I’m not going to get murdered if I’m alone for two hours.”
Haruka gave him the stink eye.
“Whatever. I’m going to the archery field to draw this afternoon. You can do whatever you want.”
Haruka grunted, but Eli got the feeling he was pleased.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Eli
Coming to the field was a terrible idea.
The fence was lined with Haruka’s fan club, and they actually cheered when Haruka stepped out onto the field with his bow. That was when it dawned on him that if Eli could see all of the skin Haruka’s outfit displayed, so could everyone else.
