My Life is Very Shoujo Manga, Chapter 22: Unshakeable Anthony
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
It’s so annoying how whenever you have a crush on one person, it seems like every (unwanted) person on earth presents themselves as an option, and not the person you’re interested in 🙄...
Lately, in one of the classes I note-take for, this one guy named Anthony has been persistently flirting with me, despite me showing zero interest and (in my opinion at least) making it pretty clear. I’ve nicknamed him “unshakeable Anthony”, because I just can’t shake him off.
Like, on my birthday exactly a week ago, he asked me out to coffee and I declined. I didn’t even give him a reason. Just a polite and firm, “no thanks. I’m not interested.”
Then, not even giving it a pause, he asked if I wanted to just study together this weekend instead, then. Even though mind you, I’m studying a completely different course to he was, and I was only in this class as a paid notetaker to assist someone else.
I told him I had plans that weekend (which I did; the kendo barbeque). He somehow didn’t get the hint and asked to walk me home that night. This was the second time he’d done that. I obviously declined. He insisted. I declined again. (I don’t want this guy knowing where I live, since I already have one stalker.)
Because I knew there was a strong chance he was going to offer to walk me home, again, and there was a matter of time before he just follows me (especially since my home is so close to the train station... it’s hard to pretend to be going where I’m not going?) I asked Tony if he would mind meeting me after class and walking me home instead. Ugh, he’s an absolute angel and lifesafer!
To be honest, it was a lot of people in the the kendo beginners’ group (affectionately self-titled the “Kspeds’”) idea that I asked Tony for help. I think they thought it’d be funny to see how he’d handle it.
During class today, Anthony complimented my hairtie... Which is quite awkward. Because it’s a regular, thin, black hairtie. But thanks... (I mean, I can’t be an asshole about it...)
And then he started showing off his tie, which was also nothing special (sorry! I think it was blue and white checkered? And not made from any fancy material, that I could tell... I mean I’m no tie expert, but...) I didn’t want to pretend to be interested in it... so I just gave him a fake smile and gave him a curt (or at least not more exaggerated than necessary), “nice!” Which he detected, and was like “wow, you really are not interested at all about this, are you?”
Class went on as usual, and towards the end, Anthony asked if he could speak to me after class, and I was like, “sure! But I’ll need to dash, as I’m actually meeting up to speak with one of the kendo execs after class about... um, something... important 🙂.” And he was like, “sure, no problems! It’ll be quick!”
I wondered what he possibly had to talk to me about, considering I’d declined him so many times, we didn’t even study the same things, and as far as I’m aware, didn’t have much in common. If he was going to choose this opportunity to confess after I’d turned him down like that, I...
And then class ended, and it was so awkward. He made us sit on the couches just outside the classroom, and I was like, “so... what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” Whilst Tony stood near us, not close enough to interrupt. But close enough for Anthony to clearly feel uncomfortable 😅.
“Oh, nothing... I- I just wanted to talk, like - not anything serious! I’ll talk to you next week if you need to get somewhere...”
“No, no, no. It’s fine! He,” I indicated towards Tony, “doesn’t mind waiting at all. If you had something to talk to me about, you might as well tell me now,” I smiled sweetly.
“No, it’s not like that. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later!” And he sprinted off so quickly down those escalators in Building 11. Oh my gosh, I almost felt bad but it was so funny!
Without thinking, I linked arms with Tony and we also walked down together. I eventually realised midway down the escalator and awkwardly let go. He told me he was okay with it, but I felt bad. And I told him that.
But then, when we actually walked outside of the building, onto the street, on a cold, late, night. The wind was blowing pretty strong, and I asked if I could borrow his arm again.
We both had dinner at Central Park and talked till late, and it was terrible I didn’t even feel guilty at the time. I just felt so safe around him. I can’t imagine him not being mine in the future...
