Inside Out
Stage 1: An Absolute Zero
Honorifics Introduction
San: Used in any situation where politeness is required
Sama: To confer great respect
Kun: the suffix in the end of boys names to express familiarity or endearment, or addressing someone younger
Sensei: Used for Teachers
Senpai/Sempai: Used for seniors and upperclassmen or someone who has seniority
Chan: Also used to express endearment, mostly towards girls
"Damn that Koshiba.." the blond haired boy muttered to himself as he curled into a ball on his seat, planting his face into his arms
"Don't fret over such a small thing. I'm sure one day you'll be able to surpass Kiri"
"Are you looking down on me?" Narumi said as he raised his head and shot Ochiai a dirty look
"No.." Ochiai smiled and continued to type away on his laptop "No..of course not"
"Congratulations!" Kei announced with a smile. He scribbled a few things onto the notebook that was on his lap "That was your...ninth loss to Kiri this year. 3 more and its a new record!"
"Don't you congratulate me! have some pity for me will ya!? and why are you keeping track?" Narumi bounced up and gritted his teeth while making a fist with his hand
Kei raised and eyebrow and withdrew the half-eaten rainbow swirled lollipop out of his mouth
"But I WAS pitying you, Naru-naru"
Narumi looked at the ceiling and covered his face in great despair
"What have I done wrong to make god do this to me..."
"By the way, are you really okay with how things are going?" Ochiai leaned back on his seat and flashed Narumi a smile
Narumi peered through the gap of his two fingers and stared at him "Okay with what?"
He pointed a finger at the nearby window and watched as Narumi walked towards it, placing his hands on the glass.
"Kiri-Chan!"
Kiri walked along the stone-paved path, wearing her usual melancholy-looking face as Billy trotted by her side. He swung an arm around her shoulder with a grinned face
"Lets go to your house!"
"No."
"Then...lets go get something to eat!"
"Nah."
"Theennnnnnn...Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know."
Narumi watched as the two of them slowly disappeared around the corner of the school
'Hes STILL here...' He thought as he began to twitch
"HEY!" He shot his head towards Ochiai, not taking his hands off the glass "The case with him and those whatever called scissors were solved 4 months ago, we even got the S.P back. Why is he still hanging around?"
Ochiai adjusted his spectacles and closed his eyes with a bothered look
"He transferred here a week ago."
Gokusen College is a famous international beauty college in Japan for beauticians and hairdressers including normal school studies. People from all over the world from South America to Asia study Japanese and pay to study abroad here for its rich, top quality lessons to become the worlds best beautician.
Narumi froze, Kei studied him and watched as his mouth dropped open with shock. His smile grew wider as he chewed on the last remaining piece of his lollipop.
"Mmhmm. He seems to have gotten permission from Kiri's mother to study here. Hes to live at her house until its time for him to go." Ochiai said as he reached in front of him with a shaking arm and a displeased face and grabbed his mug of coffee
Kei pulled the lollipop stick out of his mouth and smirked
"Naru-naru, are you jealous?"
Ochiai flinched as he spat the coffee out of his mouth
"W-WHAT!?" Narumi spun away from the window and blushed as he crossed his arms "How can I be jealous!? Impossible."
Kei grinned and pointed a finger at Narumi with a sly look
"INSTANT REACTION! Naru-naru, you like Kiri-chan!"
"I-Im, IMPOSSIBLE! I will never like that mussy-head! Shes too unsociable!"
Ochiai blushed and wiped away the coffee on his mouth with his sleeve
"Th-That's right Kei. Don't speak nonsense. Narumi could never fall for Kiri. The likelihood of them dating is an absolute zero."
Narumi nodded in agreement "That's right!" He tapped his foot and looked around the room nervously as he began to sweat
Kei folded his arms behind his head and glanced at the ceiling with a doubting look
"I'm not so sure about that. Your pretty transparent about these things, Naru-naru!"
Narumi pursed his lips together into a frown
"I-I have to go home now." He grabbed his bag from the chair and swung it over his shoulders
"What, going home? But the next class is-"
Kei watched as he disappeared from the room, He sighed and shook his head
"If he likes her, then why doesn't he just tell her?"
Narumi shoved his hands into his pocket and kicked a stone while murmuring to himself as he walked down the sidewalk
"Impossible..totally impossible. Its just like Ochiai said, the likelihood of us dating is zero" he said to himself as he crossed the street
"Geez, that Kei. always making things-"
He stopped as he came upon a small house with a sign labeled "Koshiba Beauty Salon." He stared at it for a few seconds before noticing he was standing in front of Kiri's house
'What am I doing here...' He clutched his head as Kei's words kept repeating in his mind
'Naru-naru, you like Kiri-chan!'
'Naru-naru, you like Kiri-chan!'
'Naru-naru, you like Kiri-chan!'
"ARGHHH!!" He slapped himself in the head a few times and scowled
"I DO NOT LIKE THAT MUSSY HEAD!!"
"Hmm?"
Narumi froze and spun around to see who the low and unenthusiastic voice belonged to
"AH! MUSSY HEAD!" He jumped back as he spotted Kiri standing behind him with her bag hung over her shoulder
"That's getting old, isn't it?"
"Your skipping class?" Narumi said, changing the subject
"For now. Dad is getting really sick and he needs someone to take care of him, so me and Iori are going to help out a bit.."
There was an awkward silence, she scanned him from head to toe, then raised an eyebrow
"So, were you waiting for me?"
Narumi looked at her from the corner of his eye, then realized he was still standing in front of her house
"N-No!" He stuttered and looked around the neighbourhood for an excuse "I was heading to Ochiai's place"
"But his house is in the other neighborhood, isn't it?"
"Shut up!" Narumi blushed and folded his arms nervously "Whats wrong with taking the long way!?"
"Oh..Okay" Kiri glanced the other way and scratched the side of her head
Narumi peered behind her with a questioned look
"Wasn't Billy with you?"
Kiri shrugged as if she could care less
"I don't know."
'And he was just with you a few minutes ago..' Narumi sweatdropped
"Um.." Narumi began "Tonight.."
"Hm? Tonight?"
"Nothing!" He crossed his arms and glanced the other way
"Well, I'm going to go inside now."
Narumi blinked and turned the other way as he blushed
"G-Go Ahead!"
Kiri walked to the door and opened it with a click. She stopped and turned around
"Would you like to come in?"
"Why would I!?"
"suit yourself."
He clenched his fingers and watched from the corner of his eye as Kiri slowly began to close the door
"WAIT!" He shouted.
Shampoo purred against Kiri's leg, tugging on her pants with her paws
Kiri bent down and picked her up from the floor and held her by her chest with her feet dangling uncomfortably
"Hey" Narumi plopped his bag onto the floor and walked over to a pile of neatly-decorated boxes and colorful envelopes lying on the table
"Have you been becoming famous behind my back or something? Whats with all these thank-you gifts?" He said as he opened up an envelope and began to read its contents
Kiri slowly stroked of Shampoo's fur as she purred towards every stroke
"I've no clue."
"Oh come on, its not like they just randomly showed up at your house"
"Actually, they did."
Narumi ignored her comment and furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the contents of the letter
He glanced at Kiri as he finished the last sentence
"I take these other letters contain the same thing. So you've been helping people with their hair again?"
"I haven't been helping anyone lately as far as I know of" She said, gently placing Shampoo back on the ground and walked over to Narumi's side
"Another bunch just came in today."
"You serious? I'm not in the mood for screwing around, you know" He placed the letter back into the envelope and plopped it onto the table with the other gifts
"...WELL.." Narumi pushed his hands into his pocket and circled Kiri with a smirk on his face "I understand if you don't want to make me look bad by admitting it.."
Kiri crossed her arms and eyed him with an annoyed expression
"If I had helped someone, I would of known myself, wouldn't I?"
Narumi stopped and blinked a few times, realizing where she was getting to
"W-Well, whatever.
"KIRITYYYY!! YOUR FATHER WANTS YOU TO GO BUY SOME MO-"
Iori stopped as he noticed Narumi in the room
"Oh, Naru-kun! Your here? How rare!" Iori leaned on the wall and slyly gritted his teeth into a crooked smile
"Oh.." Narumi expression played a bored look "Its you"
"YES!" Iori placed a hand on his waist and flicked his hair in a girly way "it is ME!"
"What did you want?" Kiri said, changing the topic
"Oh" Iori winked at the two of them and grinned "Your father wanted you to get more hairspray, but since you two are getting along so well, ME will not interrupt your love quarrel!"
Narumi blushed and immediately grabbed his bag from the floor and swung it over his shoulder
"I-I should be going now"
"What, so fast?"
"I-I still have to go to Ochiai's" He remembered the excuse he gave earlier
"Why? Isn't he at School?"
"I'll see you out" Kiri volunteered, changing the subject
"No thanks"
Narumi ran past Iori, making a gust of wind as he passed by
Silence filled the room as Iori continued to smile oddly at Kiri
"Whats with that expression? Kiri asked.
Iori slowly walked towards her, he shook his head and swung an arm over her shoulder as he smirked with pride
"So you like Naru-kun, eh? Depressed that he had to leave?"
Kiri's face turned hot, she looked around the room cautiously and leaned into Iori
"How did you know?" She said in a low whisper
"MY LORD!" Iori jumped back and gasped in surprise "You do!? ME was just teasing you!"
Kiri slapped Iori's head and furrowed her eyebrows
"Of course not! I was just joking with you!"
Kiri grabbed her bag and immediately ran out the same way Narumi did
Iori stood there, dumbstrucked
"Oh my! ME is surpised! Kirity-chan likes Naru-kun!"