Hello everyone! I'm... kind of new at this sort of thing, but I will try my best to, umm... try my best?
Anyway, let's just get into the story...
Format for the setting is (Time; Place)
Enjoy!
(Monday, one week before the Festival; Yachimata, Japan)
I inhale deeply, savoring the cool, clean air. It really was quite nice, not living in a big city for a change. What with all of the pollution, traffic, and bustle of the downtown regions, it tends to become a bit stressful. I'm quite glad that my family moved to a town farther east of Tokyo. It truly was quite wonderful here.
My feet carried me down the familiar path to Yamaku High School. Other students would typically be lethargic and reluctant to attend school on a Monday, but as for me, I simply couldn't wait to get back into the swing of things.
I round the corner and look at Yamaku. The sun shone brightly on its cream-colored exterior, accentuated with teal stripes. The Japanese flag fluttered merrily in the light breeze, welcoming the students back after a weekend of relaxation. The sight of the building filled my heart with joy and excitement, and my facial expression certainly showed it, as I smiled widely and proceeded to my first period class.
...
The final bell rings, as the pupils all over the school eagerly rise from their desks, elated that Monday was finally over. I, however, remained immersed in the novel that I was reading. It was called Asylum, by Madeleine Roux. It was a very interesting read, keeping me hooked and unable to put the book down. Suddenly, a spark of realization struck me.
"Oh, my! I-I forgot about the Literature Club!" I yelped aloud to no one in particular. My teacher, Ms. Yakamichi, peered at me over her glasses and said, "Well, then, I suggest you get going, Ms. Takaya."
"Y-yes, ma'am!" I managed to stammer out, speedily packing up my things and rushing to the door. I shout out a quick "Thank you!" to the instructor as I leave the classroom.
As I rushed down the hallways and up the stairs, let me tell you a little bit about me. Hello, my name is Yuri Takaya, and I am a reader. Well, reader is an understatement. I'm actually more of a bookworm. I take solace in the world of literature instead of people. There's a word for that, right? Bookish, I believe it was? Anyway, I digress.
I reached the door to the Literature Club, room 3-320. I burst through into the classroom… or I would have, if I hadn't forgotten that the door was a "pull" door, not a "push" door. This resulted in me slamming directly into the wooden obstacle, my face slapping against the door's glass window. Dazed, I step back to recollect my thoughts. Then I yank the door open and (finally) burst into the classroom.
"I'm… I'm so sorry, everyone… haah… that I forgot… haah…" I wheezed, clutching my side. I wasn't very active, preferring to read an entrancing novel rather than put my body through physical torment in an attempt to get more in shape. The dash to room 3-320 really took my breath away, literally.
Once I was finished gasping for oxygen, I notice silence. I raise my head and glance around the room, letting out a confused "Huh?" as I did so.
No one was in the room yet. That meant that, even though I was late, I was still technically early. Yes! I let out a sigh of relief and slump into my favorite chair: far left of the classroom, third row. It was positioned directly next to the windows, giving me a breathtaking view of the school grounds. Not that I needed that at the moment, still struggling to provide my lungs with air.
I retrieve my book from my backpack, remove the bookmark, and quietly resume reading. Nearly five minutes after I started, a rambunctious pink-haired girl carrying a silver tray opened the door and entered the classroom. "Hey, book-face! Mind giving me a hand?" she called out to me.
"Okay, Natsuki, settle down a bit. Let me mark my place first," I replied, replacing the bookmark between the paper pages of my novel. I wearily rise from my chair and proceed to assist the girl with the tray. It was laden with cupcakes expertly decorated to resemble cute cats. Definitely representative of her "tsundere" style.
Oh! I should probably introduce her, shouldn't I? Well, her name is Natsuki Yasashi. She's been my best friend since junior high, even if she can be slightly abrasive at times. Her pink hair is adorned with red ribbons that trail in the air when she moves her head. Her sparkling rose eyes are usually seen with a fierce, determined fire behind them. That fire is easily her most admirable quality, in my opinion. Her bodily structure is… less so. She is much shorter than me, with approximately a 4-inch height difference between the two of us. She is a master baker, as could be seen by her tray of astonishing cupcakes.
"What are these for, Natsuki?" I ask the petite girl curiously. She turned and glared at me, as if she expected me to know already.
"Well, duh, it's for the new member Sayori said she was bringing today! Honestly, Yuri, do you even pay attention in here?" she retorted with that fierceness I liked. Nevertheless, I shrunk back from her, harmed by her harsh tone. "S-sometimes…" I whisper, hardly audible. Natsuki scoffs and turns her head away from me, proceeding to walk over to the closet. On top of being a tsundere baker, she was also a manga reader. While I failed to see how manga could be classified as real literature, to each their own, I suppose.
Just then, another girl rushed into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late, everyone!" she uttered breathlessly, her white ribbon flowing behind her and nearly getting caught in the door as it closed. There was no mistaking that chestnut hair, or those startling emerald eyes; that was Monika, our club president. She was extremely popular here at Yamaku, with nearly two-thirds of the male population desperately wanting to date her. Not to mention she was very athletic, attractive, and intelligent. She used to be one of the foremost members of the Debate Club last year, but had left it for some reason. Perhaps she just couldn't stand all of the politics surrounding it…? Anyways, she founded this club with the help of the fourth member of our club, Sayori the vice president, who had yet to show up. I assumed it was due to her finding and bringing the supposed new member to the club.
After Monika caught her breath, she spotted me idly reading next to the cupcake tray. "Ooh, cupcakes! These must be for the new member we're supposed to get, right?" she inquired of me. I looked up from my fantasy world, startled. "U-umm, yes, they are for that…" I stumble over my words. Monika's face adopts a light smile as she looked at me fidgeting. "Oh, Yuri, you don't have to be so worried. I'm sure the newcomer will be very nice!" she reassured me. I look up at her and smile slightly as well. "Y-yes, I'm sure of that as well…"
Our conversation was cut short by the door flinging open yet again. Honestly, if this continues, it will fly clean off of its hinges! A cheerful girl bounced into the room, her red bow threatening to slip off of her peach-colored hair. "Everyone! The new member is here~!" she excitedly shouts, causing the others, including me, to look over at her dramatic entrance. And trailing in dejectedly behind her is…
Oh no… A boy!? Wh-what am I going to do…?
Author's Note:
Well, that does it for my first chapter of my first fanfiction EVER. How did I do? Excellent? Terrible? Leave me a review letting me know! I'd appreciate the feedback.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading~