Give love to Mayuzumi Chihiro, please. He deserved so much for all of his painful basketball journey.
I felt like he's very underrated. Most, if not all of this will be on Mayuzumi's perspective.
I do not own Kuroko no Basket!
Plain.
[ "Birds of a feather flock together." ]
I didn't think that today, my monotone everyday life will change. I mean, everything seems perfectly normal.
You see, in light novels, there are usually hints, right? You know, that kind of thing you call 'flags'. They always show up when things are going to happen. Stuff like 'looming dark clouds', 'bone-chilling breeze', 'dark auras', things like that?
Ah, but then again,
...I guess I only failed to notice that 'everything seems perfectly normal' is the biggest, clearest flag of all.
The bell rang, and I immediately head out to the rooftop, with a book in tow. I've always liked that place - the breeze felt good, and it's very quiet there. People hardly ever bothered me when I'm there - there are a few students who come and go, of course, but I guess I am pretty hard to notice. In any case, the rooftop is a very strange place, isn't it? In light novels, important things happen here. Revelations, confessions, promises... most of the time, it happens here, right in the rooftop. I guess that's partly why I felt some kind of a special connection with it.
Today as usual, I started reading my unfinished light novel alone. The sun shone just right, and it was neither hot nor cold. As I turned the pages, however, the sound of the door opening made me look up.
"E-excuse me..."
It was a short girl with a petite stature - her black, bob-styled hair shone a bit under the sunlight. At the first sight, she looked quite plain; probably because of her glasses and long bangs. I could hardly see her eyes.
In any case, she just said "excuse me", right?
I looked around to see if she's actually talking to somebody else. Just as I said before, I'm quite hard to notice, after all.
But then, I realized that the place is deserted - ah, so she is talking to me.
I looked back at her with a questioning stare. Come to think of it, I've never seen this girl anywhere, have I? I'm pretty sure she's younger than me, though - maybe a transfer student?
"I... Is it okay if I sit here?" She stammered.
I don't understand the need for such a question, though. After all, this is a public place. It's the school's, and not mine to begin with.
But in any case, I nodded: she looked like the type to wait for a respond before she does anything, after all. Having her stand up in front of me until the bell rings is distracting.
Seeing my gesture, she immediately smiled - a pure and childish smile. She sat down, perhaps five meters away from me, and only then I realized she also brought a book with her. Having my interests piqued, I can't help but to ask,
"You like to read, too?"
Of course, in a monotonous, uninterested voice.
She looked up, seemingly happy that I asked. Maybe she had wanted to talk to me as well?
"Yes! I love reading," she replied, and added nervously, "...Umm, senpai, do you like to read, too? I'm currently reading Cross Country by James Patterson."
She wasn't too sure when she said 'senpai'. She just guessed based on my outer appearance, I think.
"...Mayuzumi Chihiro, third year," I introduced myself, "...Is that an english novel?"
"Ah, I'm Tsuyuri Narumi, I'm a first year and I just transferred today," she replied, as she nodded politely, "Yes, it's all written in english... but I like languages, so that's okay."
An embarrassed smile.
This child truly smiles a lot - ah, and she's also a transfer student. I guess my guessing ability is not one to take light of.
I looked at her open book, and I noticed that it's full of stick markers and highlights. She's truly learning, isn't she? I've never seen someone as diligent as her in terms of reading.
"Mayuzumi-senpai too, what are you reading?" She asked. It looks like she's quite relaxed now.
"A light novel," I replied simply.
An interested look on her face, "Light novels? I've never read anything like it."
Now that surprised me. For someone who looked like she's read a whole bunch of books, to never read light novels even once is quite strange. Though she's probably the type to read classics, from what I observed.
"I'd like to read it one day," She added, "I guess I'll try looking for it at the bookstore after school."
"I see," I replied, shortly, as I went back to read my book. Considering she doesn't continue the talk anymore, it seems that she followed suit.
Now that I think about it, she's a really honest person, isn't she? Everything she felt clearly shows on her face - the polar opposite of me. Her words are always laced with warmth - another difference - and she looked like the type to get used by other people.
...It's not like I'm any different, though. At least, on the 'used by other people' part.
"I guess birds of a feather flock together," I whispered, and I looked back down at my book. I realized that Tsuyuri's looking at me, but I pretended not to see.
I don't know why, but today, I can't concentrate on my novel at all.
