It was way too early when his alarm went off. Haruka groaned as he pressed his head deeper into his pillow. He contemplated staying in bed all day, but eventually got up anyway.
The floor was cold against his bare feet when he made his way to the bathroom. He undressed, save for one of his many swimsuits, as he waited until his bathtub was about half full with lukewarm water. When he stepped inside, the water immediately embraced him as if it was greeting an old friend. Haruka closed his eyes, sighing in contentment as the water soothed his being.
This was one of the few moments of the day he felt completely at peace. Being in the water made him forget. The water didn't judge him. The water wouldn't leave him. The water couldn't betray him. The water accepted him for who he was. He needed this time in the water every morning to mentally prepare himself for the day.
There was this constant feeling of uneasiness that he felt. He constantly had this tight feeling in his chest, a hollow sensation in his stomach, that didn't go away when he ate. The only parts of his day he looked forward to were times he could bathe and sleep at night. There wasn't much more to him than those moments he sort of enjoyed.
He dreaded going to school. He called in sick a lot, which led to him falling behind and missing a lot of tests. It wasn't as if it was too difficult for him, quite the opposite, he just really hated going there. Spending eight hours of his day in a muffy building, surrounded by a bunch of ignorant teenagers and grumpy teachers who wouldn't stop telling him to pay more attention, even though he had decent grades. And when he finally got home he still had loads of homework. Assignments that didn't make any sense, that weren't usefull in any way and were just a plain waste of time. Time he could be spending submerged in his precious water.
It wasn't as if he had any friends he looked forward to seeing. He never had any. People were too bothersome to get involved with. He preferred being alone. He had been living alone since his grandmother had passed. His parents were never around. They were so-called free spirits. His grandmother had taken care of him since he was little. She was the only one he had ever shared a close bond with. He was a very introverted child, but when she died, it became worse. It was as if she was his lifeline, his connection to the real world. After she left this world, Haruka became a shut-in. He would only leave his house if necessary, for example getting groceries or going to school.
He lived in his own world. He often escaped to the deepest corners of his mind, trying to forget the life he led. His exsistence was meaningless, or so he believed. It's not as if the earth would stop turning if he ceased to breathe. It's not as if he was suicidal or anything, he was simply stating a fact. There just wasn't any point. Today's society did nothing but put pressure on him. Forcing him to attend school, pushing him into getting a job, telling him he should marry a woman and have children. A life of mediocrity. Haruka didn't want any of that. He just wanted to feel the water and forget.
But then again, he was still a minor, his parents still supported him financially and it wasn't as if he could suddenly drop out of school. A time was going to come were he had to fully support himself and you couldn't get a proper job without an education.
Because he barely showed up last year, the school was telling him that maybe he should repeat the year, but he didn't want to and his grades were good enough to advance. He knew that if he stayed at home as much as last year, his teachers would find an excuse to make him repeat this year either way. Haruka just wanted to get out of that place as quickly as possible and not stay a minute longer than necessary.
With that in mind, he lifted himself out of the bathtub and towelled his body dry.
The raven made his way to the kitchen, tying a blue apron with a dolphin on it around his waist. He started preparing two portions of mackerel and rice, one for breakfast and the other for lunch. Maybe this was a part he enjoyed as well, though eating his favourite dish didn't fill the emptiness.
After he ate he made his way upstairs to put on his uniform. He quickly brushed his teeth while draining the tub from the water that was still left from his morning soak.
Haruka grabbed his bag and put on his shoes before leaving his house and started his walk to school.
He walked along the shore, scent of the ocean filling his nostrils. It was only the beginning of May, so he couldn't swim in the ocean yet without risking hypothermia. Nursing himself back to health would be too much of a bother, so for now he accepted his bathtub as substitute. Maybe by the end of June the sea would be warm enough. At least he had something to look forward to.
It was too noisy when he arrived at school. He went to his locker to switch his shoes before leisurely making his way to his classroom.
His seat was all the way in the back, next to the window. The chair next to his was empty. He sat down and immediately faced the window to his left. He hadn't even been here for more than five minutes yet and he already longed for this day to be over. Class hadn't even started yet and and everything was going too slow. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.
The chattering of his classmates filled his ears. Meaningless conversations held by insignificant people. The other stundents accepted his presence, but in their eyes he was just kind of there. Not that Haruka minded. He actually preferred it this way. He felt as if getting associated with these people wouldn't gain him anything. It would just be troublesome to get involved with them.
He started doodling in his notebook when Amakata-sensei, his homeroom teacher, entered the classroom. The young woman huffed as she put down her bag, turning to her class with a small smile on her face.
''I'm sorry I'm late, class. I had to sort some things out with the administration. Now, before we begin, I have an announcement to make. From this day onwards you'll be joined by a new student!''
