Yeah, edited this chapter because...well...stupidity.

"Koizumi!" I turned to see two classmates of mine, Jiro and Daisuke, leaning close to me with ridiculous expressions on their faces. "Who's face is sillier?!"

"…That one?" I said as I pointed to Daisuke.

The "winner" pumped his fist in the air. "Ahaha! Awesome! Come join us, bro!"

I quirked a brow at them. "Just because I joined you once you instantly think I'd do this regularly?"

Jiro laughed and slapped my back. Hard. "Really, that was an awesome face you made though. How'd you learn to do that?"

"A certain idiot taught me."

The moment they started talking again I had already blocked out all noise from the entire classroom as I lay my head down on my arms. I'm so tired. Why am I so exhausted…?

I close my eyes, letting darkness embrace me. I've got an hour of study hall, so I might as well catch some "z's" before next period. After all, whatever we'll be tackling next is stock knowledge. …To me, anyway.

Seriously, such a school…

"Why am I here?" "Why did I have to fail the exam?" "Why'd I have to be in this school?"

I've asked myself these questions way too many times to count. For the past year I've been painfully contemplating on how I ended up in such a school. How is it that I, despite my level of intellect, ended up in a place so lacking that even a dumbass could get in to?

I, Koizumi Takuto, trying to get into quite a prestigious school only to ultimately fail, ended up in this place. Maido Academy, a rather bland and boring institute of education that happened to be my last choice.

This was also my sister's, Koizumi Risa's, high school for three straight years. A bonafide moron, she managed to graduate and receive her diploma. If an idiot like her could graduate from this place then surely I wouldn't have to make much of an effort. And I've proof of that.

In the one year I've studied in Maido I've taken note of the fact that all tests and exams they've thrown at us are quite elementary. If one would pay attention to their lessons then you'd ace them no problem. But do these students diligently focus in class like they're supposed to?

The answer: fuck no.

It pisses me off to no end. I seriously cannot fathom on why they even bother going to school when all they do is goof around and make a mess of things. They're pissing away all the money their folks spend for their education. I sympathize with their parents. Then again it could be their fault their kids are like this in the first place.

Good grief, I'm talking like a bitter middle-aged man. What the hell am I doing, judging my classmates and their kin? Hell, I'm even talking like one!

Whatever, it's got nothing to do with me so…

With how things are someone who's got even a lick of sense would have to wonder if staying here is even worth it. You come to school to learn, not hang out with friends and waste away what little time you have to prepare yourselves for college. Or at least a job for fresh high school graduates.

And with all the fuss they're making I could barely focus on my studies. If they're gonna waste their time having fun all the time they should at least be considerate to the ones who actually WANT to learn. I mean, come on. There are those who think seriously about their futures.

There was a time that I skipped out on school for a few days to study at home. I could've cared less about my class standing. I actually wished to drop out so I didn't have to come anymore.

So what changed my mind…?

"K-Koizumi-kun?"

Blinking my eyes open, I slowly brought my head up from my arms. I felt drowsy, and my forehead was sweating. How long have I been "napping"? Did I even nap at all? I doubt it…

But that voice just now…

Slowly, my gaze turned to my left. "Huh?"

There stood a girl, about half my height, wearing a white sundress with frills on both the neck rim and hem with a beige open over-shirt with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. She had short brown hair that covered both ears, the end reaching just until chin-level, short bangs slightly combed to one side, fair skin, absolutely free from any blemishes, and big round brown eyes. Her expression showed signs of subtle shyness, yet her eyes held a sort of desperate emotion that may have fueled her resolve, completely overwhelming her feeling of hesitation.

Manabe Hiyori-san. She's been my classmate since school started. We first met when I accidentally hit her on the head with a basketball when I tried to catch it from another classmate of mine. The guy didn't even realize his error until I pointed it out. Moron.

Manabe-san is quite the timid girl. She is completely isolated from the rest of the class. No one is interested in her, not even bothering to acknowledge her presence at all. All because of one trait of hers…

She's an otaku.

I find that sort of reasoning quite stupid. So she likes anime. Big whoop. How is that weird? I like anime, though probably an entirely different genre from hers.

But really, to alienate her from our environment here for such a reason is just plain petty. They're totally biased and picky with the groups they spend time with. If only they took the time to get to know her they'd actually be quite interested in her.

Like Nee-chan she's interested in this game called "Love Love: Perfect Picture" because of one particular character they're mutually interested in: Cain-sama. Personally, I'm quite irked that they're both so in love with a fictional 2D character. Especially my sister. She has a boyfriend for goodness sake!

Otani-san…I apologize in my sister's behalf…

But I can understand Manabe-san's reasons for her interests. From what I've learned from her she's been closed off from society in general because of her love for anime. Not many people are fond of anime, hell they even go so far as to call otaku "disgusting".

Which is why she turned to her games and anime. In a sense it was her sanctuary. It was her only source of comfort. It was her only way of finding her place in this ugly world.

Of course, this is just conjecture on my part. I just tried to piece together what I know about her. My observations of her could be accurate, but I can never truly be sure unless she talks to me about it. But in a way…she did…

"Ever since I met Koizumi-kun…I feel like my own little world has gotten bigger…" "Koizumi-kun, you listened to me talk, and you treated me kindly. Real people are different from the ones in anime… It was the first time I experienced that." "If you weren't there at school, I… School wouldn't be fun anymore~~~!"

Yes…that's right… She was the one. She was the reason why I remain here. She's the one who stopped me from making a rash decision that would later lead to regret. At least that's what she makes it out to be.

Either that or…she didn't want to lose her only friend.

Friend… I guess we're considered friends. Whatever "friends" I have aside from her just give me headaches with their ridiculous games and unnecessary noise. She's actually someone I tolerate.

No wait…that's not right. It's more than that. I… I actually enjoy her company.

She's someone I can converse with without having to deal with any pointless banter. Sometimes she may go off and talk about her favorite games and anime, but I don't mind. I can relate somehow. More like, I prefer to talk about this aside from studies. Boring stuff just doesn't sit quite well with me. And she's a good student. Very diligent. And she has a way of balancing studies with entertainment. A rather competent individual.

Yes, it's refreshing to be around her. She's someone I'm comfortable with. I prefer to be with her than anyone else here. Though she tries to get me to socialize and enjoy the company of others more, in spite of her own social status. She's the type of person to care for others no matter what they say about her. And she's genuinely concerned about me, so I make an effort for her. So far, I guess it isn't as bad as before. But I still get irritated…

Wait, she was asking me something wasn't she? How long has she been standing there? God, I need to stop letting myself drift off to my thoughts so much.

Craning my neck, I felt it crack and locked my gaze on hers. "You need something from me?"

Nodding slightly, she held up a notebook. "It's about our Algebra homework… I'm stuck on the last problem. I have no idea what equation to use."

"Oh, give it here." And she did. I flipped to the page of her homework. "Ah, yeah this one needs to be done with three equations. You see, you need to convert these fractions first to…"

I explained, she listened. She asks questions to make sure. This is how dedicated she is to her studies. She may be an otaku, but she's serious when it comes to important matters.

Yes…this is the type of person she is. Like I said, if only others took the time to get to know her… Then again, I doubt she could relate to any of them if their interests aren't similar. So it could be a problem but…

Sighing, I give her notebook back. "It's kinda hard to explain with all this noise. Tell ya what; I'll stay with you later after school to work on this in the library. We can finish this up and I can take you home like last time."

I dunno if it's something I said, but her face lit up like a red Christmas light bulb, and I could almost see steam blow out her ears. It's an amusing sight, I couldn't help but chuckle. But she seemed up to it so I guess it's okay.

I always help her with something. For some reason I just can't leave her alone. I am inexplicably drawn to this girl. What does Manabe-san have that interests me so much other than her dedication to her studies?

"Alright, let's head to the library as soon as the bell rings."

She nodded vigorously. "Mm! Thank you so much~!"

I smile. Yep, she's definitely worth the trouble.