Summer rain hit the windows of the warm school as the announcements came through the intercom. All morning it had been raining, leaving the streets and the people that walked by drenched in water. Dully, Seaman turned his head to look up and hear what the school staff had to say to the students and faculty.
"The annual end of the year semi-formal dance is being held at the end of the week, this Friday. Also, Morigata-sensei will be retiring this year after 46 years of teaching. We all wish him well."
Mitarai looked down, avoiding the eyes of all other students. The thought of going to a school dance was not the most cheerful thought for him in the least. Grabbing his books to head for the next class he would have forgotten about the whole thing if the rest of the school had not been talking about it in every conversation he overheard as he walked by. This continued for the rest of the day until the school hours had passed and Mitarai left to walk home.
As he walked home, he kept his eyes away from the other people and on the ground. He made a turn for the corner when he walked straight into a tall, muscular boy, causing him to knock himself over and into a wet puddle on the edge of the sidewalk and the street. Petrified, he scrambled to grab his dropped things as the figure turned to him.
"Hey, watch where you're…" the voice started, but then trailed off slowly as the boy bent down to look at Seaman who had not looked up at him. He turned to look up as he eased himself out of the puddle and slowly back onto the sidewalk.
"I'm sorry, sir I didn't mean to-" but he stopped before he finished as his eyes locked with the boy in the blue school uniform. He was completely silent as a boy with slicked back hair wearing a green uniform appeared behind the taller boy and gave him a grin.
"Well, if it isn't Mitarai," the boy said, the grin still plastered on his face.
Mitarai smiled and nodded to both of them as he stood up, brushing some dirt and grime off of his own school uniform as he looked up at the older boys. "Nice to see you too, Kuwabara, Yusuke," he replied.
Kuwabara examined him as he peered into Seaman's face. "Hey… why the long face? No one's been picking on you recently, have they?" he asked, flexing an arm muscle as if he were preparing for a fight while his grin grew dark and into a frown.
Mitarai shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all," he answered. "It's nothing, really." Yusuke gave Mitarai a look and then let a smile come by.
"It's not… some kind of girl, is it? They tend to do that to you," Yusuke replied.
Kuwabara grinned as he looked at Yusuke. "Hey, you better be glad Keiko isn't here to hear that." Yusuke shrugged his shoulders and then looked back at Mitarai.
Mitarai laughed at the two of them and shook his head again. "No, no, it's not that. Just some school dance on Friday for the end of the year. I don't really think I will go," he said. Yusuke nodded as Kuwabara frowned.
"Hey, that's no fun. You should go," Kuwabara replied. Yusuke laughed.
"Are you kidding me? School dances are the worst. You dress up, go over and ask some girl to dance with you, and then they turn you down anyway and it was all a waste," Yusuke said. Mitarai laughed as Kuwabara frowned again.
"No, he should go. You know, it isn't good to just avoid being social. How do you expect him to make any friends?" Kuwabara asked.
Yusuke paused for a moment, and then nodded dully. "Yeah.. I guess it would be good for him to go."
Mitarai gave them a weak smile. "What would I do though? Just go?" he asked.
Yusuke nodded. "Yeah… and then you've gotta ask some girl to dance with you," he added.
Mitarai shook his head as his face went a little pink. "No.. I don't think I…" he began, but then he trailed off as Kuwabara interrupted him.
"Hey, you can do it. Just ask some nice girl." Kuwabara and Yusuke peered at Mitarai as they waited for him to reply.
Mitarai stood there for a few moments before he shook his head. "No.. I don't think I could. Besides, I cannot dance. I never tried it before."
Yusuke snickered. "Neither can I, but that doesn't mean Keiko would be afraid to dance with me. They really don't care… at least I don't think they do."
Mitarai shook his head quickly after. "I don't think so. I'm a bit more clumsy, and Keiko likes you."
Kuwabara glanced down at Mitarai after a while of silence on his part. "What if we teach you how to dance?"
"I suppose," Mitarai replied.
Kuwabara grinned. "Okay then.. We teach you how to dance, and then you can go and have fun. Deal?"
Mitarai sighed, seeing no way of getting out of this. "It's a deal."