#1
Once upon a time, there was a country bumpkin named Shinomiya Mitsuko who lived with her parents in a farm at Kyushu, Japan. That was until the Mother Almighty sent her to live with her Brother in Tokyo; her royal decree being, "You need to bond with your brother more, Mitsuko."
And so, I moved into my brother's apartment.
I now go to a nearby school called Seirin High, and this is a journal I started to record events of my life in said school. Mom said I should keep one because it would be the best years of my life. (Highly doubt it based on my middle school experience, but since I love her, I decided to do it.)
Will try to keep this up.
#2
Seirin is a pretty neat school. It's relatively new since it just opened last year, I think. Or was it the other year…?
Can't exactly remember. It's only been a month since I got here— I went to Seirin since it was the closest school to our place here. I didn't want to go somewhere far since my brother is always away for work. He's going to stay in Tokyo for a while, but he's barely home due to his newly opened restaurant.
He does give me cooking lessons, though. I guess that's where the bonding comes in. Can't say it's a bond filled with nothing but love and affection since he's very strict when it comes to cooking— one chop on the head for every mistake, and I make them every single time.
But he does finish the food I cook for him. And he'll cook for me afterwards. (Though I think he's just showing off because of the Smug Look™ on his face every time I am forced to admit that his cooking is good. I should not stroke his ego anymore, to be honest. It's already big enough with him being the famous "Magician of Legumes" Shinomiya Kojirou* and all.)
He's not so bad, even though he can be rough at times. Once, he gave me the ultra rare Head Pat™ (the ultimate sign of approval and possibly affection) when I cooked hot pot for us.
I'm sure he adores me as much as I adore him.
(Well, not really, no. We have a love-hate relationship, as you can see.)
#3
My first day of school was great— I arrived right after the opening ceremony. I was horribly late. Absolutely great.
And I looked like complete trash— my hair was a mess from running, and dark half-circles probably grew underneath my eyes. I even forgot to bring glasses and contacts. (I had to squint real hard to see clearly.) I shouldn't have watched the entire season of an anime the night before.
There were stands everywhere, and most of them were related to sports. I definitely did not consider joining one since I am no good when it comes to athletics. A simple morning exercise like a jog is okay but any more than that is a death march to me.
I do remember getting invited into the Occult club, but I turned down the offer. Did I look that much of a corpse back then?
#4
I got into class 1-B, by the way.
There's this huge guy with flaming red hair who stood out in my class, and his eyebrows are super thick. They're so thick they form like two lines in each eyebrow so he looks like he has four eyebrows.
I forgot his name, but I call him Four-Brows in my head. Fitting nickname, I say.
#5
I'm the one in charge of the flowerbeds outside our school building.
I've always loved growing all sorts of plants, and it's probably because I grew up in a family of farmers. Plus, I wasn't in any club; had nothing better to do anyway.
Mom even sent over some seeds for me to use when I mentioned it when she called. The country bumpkin in me was beyond ecstatic.
#6
Currently, I am on a quest for true love.
…
Just kidding, my brother would kill me. I'm looking for some guy whom I referred to as Fifth Guy.
It all started when the school's basketball team did something pretty spicy on a Monday morning assembly.
Four-Brows did the startling opening. He made a bold announcement about defeating miracles and becoming the best player Japan. I was confused about the miracles thing but was amazed he balanced himself easily on those railings without getting scared of the height. I gave a round of applause for his balls of steel.
There were three guys who did their statements, too— one had a long back story that got interrupted, next was a saint who was willing to go through the pain of training to help a senior (it was probably some sort of joke, but God bless him), and the last one joined in for the sake of love.
Then, there was the fifth one. Or, at least I thought there was— I did see someone who had a microphone, but I didn't get to see their face properly.
It was then proven when I saw a message written on the field the morning after.
Mystery Fifth Guy wrote "We will be the best in Japan", and whoever that he was, he had my instant respect and admiration. It probably took him a while to write that huge message on the ground so he must've gone to school earlier than everyone else. And from what I saw, he even used chalk, too!
Imagine all the effort he put through all of that just so everyone could see the declaration of his goal and acknowledge it. I wanted to know who he was, as I may now be his fan.
Thus, my search for Fifth Guy commenced.
#7
Of course, I've had my visits in the school gym.
However, I didn't really go that much since I might end up bothering them. I don't want to get banned from the gym so I kept my visits as few as possible.
I didn't know anyone from the team— most of them were second years. There was Four-Brows from my class, and I did try to muster the courage to ask him but seeing how intimidating he was…
Did I forget to mention his extra thick eyebrows gave him this bad guy vibe?
Plus, his red eyes were sharp as knives and fierce like a tiger. Not only that, I think he's about six feet in height. Or more. I think he's a foot taller than me…? Jesus, imagine talking to that guy— with him looking down on you with those predator-like eyes.
I'd like to have something to protect myself first before I even greet him with a casual good morning. I remember he tried to dunk Tanaka-sensei's head one morning. It was funny until I saw him glaring at something at his back.
I stopped laughing right away.
#8
The seeds sure are taking their time to grow. I know it's not been a while since I planted them and there should be a small sprout by now. But apparently, nothing's coming out from the soil.
Weird.
I did water them properly. Set up a schedule for watering time and measured the exact amount of water needed for each kind of plant.
Should I use a fertilizer then? If I'm going to use one, I need the fresh ones. But that might cost too much. Where can I get dried leaves in this city anyway?
I need to do more research for this. If I'm going to be serious about this flowerbeds business, I'm going to do it all the way.
I want nothing but the best for my babies!
#9
In any case, I still haven't found Fifth Guy yet, but I do know I'm getting close.
According to the information I've managed to gather from inquiries with Takeda-sensei to eavesdropping on the boys (and some girls) in my class, the basketball team will be playing at the semi-finals of the Inter High.
I'm honestly amazed they got through the preliminaries. I did hear they were pretty good since they got into the Final League of the Inter High last year, and that was supposedly a great feat for a basketball team that got only formed last year.
I still don't know where it'll be held, but I got my ways. I heard the boys are going to watch them this Saturday, and their meet-up is at the station on 10 AM. I'll just follow them from there.
#10
God, I sound like a total stalker. But I'm not. I swear to Christ, I'm not. It just happened that I don't know where the basketball team is going to play so I need to figure out a way to watch their game. Why am I not born in this city instead?
Ah, God.
Hopefully, I won't end up somewhere and have to beg my brother to pick me up. Which I'm almost sure he isn't going to do. He's probably going to let me suffer for hours before he does.
Gods in the heaven above, hear my prayer. Please do not let those classmates of mine stray from their path and lead me in some weird place in Tokyo.
Amen.
#11
Day of the semi-finals has arrived. Currently standing from a distance where my classmates are supposed to meet. It's only been 15 minutes since I arrived, but my stomach is growling. I regret not having lunch before I went off.
But, my excitement to see Fifth Guy for the first time is enough to overpower my hunger.
I wonder what he's going to be like.
From what I've been imagining since the day of the Message on the Ground, I imagined him to be a guy who gives off this certain kind of vibe that makes you want to lean on him for support. Someone you'd rely on in tough times and ask for help because you know he's going to his best for you.
Ah, I may be going too far with my imagination. I feel like I'm giving more meaning into something that's supposedly simple. It was just a small thing he did, but geez, why am I like this anyway?
A fan will be a fan, I guess…? One has to appreciate the small things.
I hope he'll be playing today. But it's okay if he's not. Either way, I'll get to see him, and that's more than enough for me.
#12
Waited for almost an hour and finally figured out they were probably gone by then— that, or they cancelled their plans. I thought it was weird none of them were showing up until I finally realized that they probably met up somewhere or stayed at home instead.
Went home in total despair.
#13
I'd like to believe my brother probably noticed I was down (I did not whine at him at all) so he took me with him to this okonomiyaki restaurant. The owner was supposedly a friend of his, and he wanted to give them a visit. But I think he just didn't want to bother taking out food for me. (I can cook for myself but I'm too depressed to do it.)
#14
FOUND A STRAY PUPPY! VERY CUTE!
He was black and white in color— small in size, probably around months old. And he had the cutest eyes! They were so big and round and blue like the sky. He was very friendly, too! He even started licking my hand when I gave him a pet! 143/10 would give him all the love and treats in the world.
I couldn't adopt him, though. Pets are not allowed in our apartment, and even if it were, I wouldn't be able to keep him due to my brother's allergy to fur.
But fear not! A Good Samaritan approached me, and he was kind enough to adopt the puppy instead!
At first, I was surprised; I didn't notice he was already standing next to me. I gave him an awkward "good evening" as an icebreaker, but the guy seemed like a good person when he greeted me back politely.
Weird— Now that I think about it, I don't remember how he looked like that much, but I remember him having this gentle aura to me for some reason. And we did have this small conversation:
Guy: "Is he abandoned?"
Me: "Yeah… I found him sleeping in this box. It's too bad I can't adopt him. Pets are not exactly allowed in our place."
Guy: "… If you don't mind, I'll take him in for you."
Me: "Really? You'll do that?!"
Guy: "Well, we can't just leave him here by himself."
Me: "Yeah, that's true. But, you'll really do that?! Thank you so much!"
After that, I had to part ways with him since my brother called for me. The guy promised he'd take good care of the pup, and I promised I'd give him a treat the next time we meet. We said goodbye and went off in opposite directions.
I really do hope we'll see each other again. For now, I'll treasure this picture I took before we parted ways.
#15
Should I go to the gym today? Since I missed the opportunity to see Fifth Guy, maybe I should.
But then again, I heard they won their match against Shutoku at the Inter High, so maybe they're busy training for the final league. I wouldn't want to disturb them now that they need to focus more on their practice.
Ah, I'm so torn! What should I do? I really want to know who the Fifth Guy is! It's been weeks already and I still don't know who he is!
#16
Should I give up on him, then? What would I even gain when I finally get to see him?
It's not like something special's going to happen once it really does. This isn't even love to begin with— I'm not going to confess my nonexistent feelings and he's not going to be my boyfriend or anything.
(And if it was, I would've given up a long time ago. I don't know even know the guy; I've only had ideas and assumptions, but that doesn't mean I know the real him.
I wouldn't want to keep that kind of love if it wasn't going to bloom into anything. Relationships aren't as easy as taking care of sunflowers at your backyard. The love that you give might be too much or not enough, and either way, it can only lead to decay.
So best not keep it, and move along with your life.)
#17
Or maybe I shouldn't. If this isn't love at all, this is simply respect and admiration for him.
Yes, from the very start, it's respect and admiration only. Why did I even think of it being love just because he was a guy? Can't he just be someone I can look up to? Or even a friend perhaps? (This could only mean one thing— my natural instinct to reproduce as species must be at work.)
Maybe I should meet him one time, tell him that I'm a fan and he has my support. I'll cheer him on from the side lines, and that's it.
That's it.
I'll go to the gym one last time and once I see him, that'll be the end of it.
For now, I need to study for our proficiency test which is in a couple of days. I need to focus on them or else my brother will kill me if I fail.
#18
I got the results from our tests, and I placed number 14/300— my lucky number! I think today will be a good day to do it, but…
My palms are sweating. My heart feels like it can jump into my throat and all the way out from my mouth. (Okay, that's kind of gross, but that's how I really do feel like.) My stomach feels queasy like something's trying to punch its way out, too.
Why am I so nervous anyway?
I wasn't as anxious as before. It's not like something's going to happen. I'm just going to see him, and that'll be the end of my 'Fifth Guy' shenanigans. After that, I'll be a full time researcher focused on the propagation of the flora in our school's ecosystem.
(A.k.a.: a student gardener with my salary being the beauty of seeing my babies grow.)
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"ALL THIS TIME?!"
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#19
Some amazingly yet weirdly flavorful development just happened, and I still can't believe they really did. Where do I even start?
I was on my way to the gym to go see Fifth Guy when I heard a familiar bark from a distance. I wasn't sure if I heard it right, but when a puppy came out from the gym, I was beyond ecstatic. It was the same puppy from the other night!
Of course, I ran towards him, and I was so happy he still recognized me! I picked him up right away and I couldn't keep myself from cuddling him. He was still just as fluffy and he smelled so good!
In the middle of my happy reunion with him, a sudden "Excuse me" came out of nowhere that I almost dropped the puppy. He seemed to recognize the voice when he jumped out from my arms and ran towards the owner. As I followed him, a blue-haired guy in a white shirt and grey shorts picked him up, and the puppy started licking his face.
At first, I thought he seemed familiar like I've seen him somewhere before until I had a flashback from the night I found the puppy. It was then when I realized it was the Good Samaritan who adopted the puppy!
I greeted him with a "good afternoon" this time, and he greeted me back with the same polite tone. I told him it was nice to see him again; that I didn't expect to meet him so soon so I didn't get to bring a snack for the puppy. It was okay; he said and asked me what brought me to the gym.
And the following sequence of events was the greatest plot twist in my life.
Me: "Well, I'm looking for the Fif-… I mean, do you remember that giant message on the field? I'm looking for the guy who wrote it… and I heard he was from the basketball team so I came here. Do you happen to know him?"
Him: "Oh, that's me."
I was so surprised that I became speechless. I didn't know what to say, so I started stuttering incomprehensible words out of shock. And the one thing I had in mind was:
I've already met him before!?
(And he was so different from what I imagined! I mean, as I wrote here before, I was expecting someone who looked reliable and— maybe it was just too soon to assume that from this guy, was what I thought.)
But that wasn't the end of it— something even spicier blew my brains away.
Him: "I've seen you come here a few times before, too, Shinomiya-san."
Me: "W-Wait, how come you know my name?"
Him: "… We're in the same class."
At that moment, I was just too astonished to even move. I couldn't remember what happened afterwards— I must've gone into Auto Pilot Mode, and when I came to, I found myself sitting in front of the flowerbeds. It was only then when it all registered into my head.
One, I finally found out who the Fifth guy was.
Two, he was the same guy who adopted the puppy from the other night. And;
Three, we've been in the same class all this time, and his name was Kuroko Tetsuya.
For the first time in my life, I screamed.
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#20
A sprout had finally appeared from the soil at the flowerbeds.
I cried tears of joy.
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11/05/2017 - By majority of votes at the poll, I have decided to write this story!
(I deleted the first one since I wasn't satisfied with the format so I rewrote the whole thing. Tehe.)
*Shinomiya Koujiro – he is a character from the anime/manga called Shokugeki no Souma, in case you are wondering. (I recommend it for anyone who's into food and cooking.) He's not exactly a major character here, but I thought him being Mitsuko's older brother could be a good addition and would make more sense later in the story. :')
So yeah, this is something different from my other works— they're mostly in 3rd POV but I hope you still liked it. I haven't really written anything for almost a year now so I'm a bit rusty. I apologize for that. Hopefully, I'll get back on track through this story and continue the others as well!
Thank you for reading! Reviews, favorites, and alerts are very much loved and appreciated! 3