The wind blew upon her as she stood on the edge of the bridge, looking down at the river. Not a day passed by that she didn't look down on that same spot, memories flooding in too fast that made it harder for her to recall. She couldn't remember the last time she felt strong.
Shy, hard-working, and happy-go-lucky – that was how they described the Media Club's Ishikawa Hirari. She was nice and sweet, her personality matching her simple appearance. Mahogany hair tied up into an everyday ponytail, showing ginger streaks when hit by direct sunlight and a usual gentle look on her face was enough to convince everyone that she does not only look 'nice', but is actually nice. Until you anger her, of course. "Ishikawa, have you prepared a new comic strip for this month's newspaper? We don't want to go chasing deadlines." The club president asked. Hirari looked up from her digital video camera, pausing the replay she was just watching. With a smile, she answered. "Yes, maam!"
'Lives in outer space', playful, and smart – that was how they described the Media Club's Kaji Mashumaro. The 'outer space' part was just an expression to tease her about her rare 'both introverted and playful' personality, although she had no idea why they were using that term to indirectly insult people when it is not even an insulting word in the first place. "Kaji, stop spacing out and do your job. We have deadlines and you're one of the people who make it hard to reach deadlines." The club president scolded, passing by her spot and catching her doing nothing but stare off into space. They said her physical appearance was hardly flawed – slightly curly dark auburn brown hair, a little braid tucked behind her ear accessorized by a tiny feather and a nice petite body frame – so the world made her personality incredibly flawed instead. "I'm already done." She answered the club president.
Weird – that was how everyone described them both.
The club president raised an eyebrow at Mashumaro, who was just reading things on her laptop screen. "If that article turns out to be exaggerated again, I have no other person to blame but you. You are a good writer, but you are eccentric and emotion-based," The president paused. "Put what you have into good use." She picked up the draft from Mashumaro's table and went to her desk to start reading it after doing the same to the other members. Hirari looked at Mashumaro and worriedly sighed. "So… you work fast, as usual. While I'm here… struggling to finish a comic strip I feel unmotivated in doing." She put her hand to her cheek and sighed once again, her left hand holding a pencil over an unfinished drawing. Mashumaro laughed in return. "You should be thankful that you're super talented in drawing that she accepts everything you pass. I don't know if she has issues with me or something since she accepts only about a third of my finished work." The brunette subtly pointed at the president's desk.
Hirari grimaced upon hearing her friend's words. "I don't get what's wrong with what you're doing, though. You were assigned to feature the sports clubs, so you wrote about it. You just did your job, right? Am I the only one who thinks it's alright?" She leaned over to take a peek in the club's laptop, used currently by Mashumaro.
"That's because she writes about the unnecessary players more than she writes about the regulars. Just because you're her friend, doesn't mean you should always stand up with her." A girl with long, straight hair scowled as she passed by the conversing duo. Hirari's open mouth was closed immediately, her eyes narrowing at the disappearing figure of the rude girl. Mashumaro, on the other hand, was just laughing even though she was a bit offended. "Who does she think she is… calling the other players 'unnecessary' just because she always focuses on the ace when she writes? For all I care she's probably just jealous of you, Maro." Hirari whispered. The both of them didn't really want to make a scene and Mashumaro would rather die than be the center of attention, so Hirari chose to keep quiet. "I think she's right, though." Mashumaro said with her usual playful laugh.
This time, Hirari snappishly looked at her companion with wide eyes. Slamming her hands gently on the table, she huffed. "Why do you always laugh at everything even when people talk about you like that?" She asked, a bit furious over the other girl's reaction. "…But… I think she's right." Mashumaro blinked innocently. "If I can't solve my writing problem, then this will be all I'll ever be capable of." She laughed again, annoying Hirari at the moment. "Besides, you overthink a lot. Oooohhh, I guess my friend's worried about me. You're so cute, Jiru." Calling Hirari by her personal nickname while teasing her has always been a significant part of Mashumaro's playfulness. However, the remark didn't make Hirari any less annoyed. She leaned back on her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "N-No, I'm not! Besides, that's not even true! You're a talented writer! There's nothing you're not capable of!" She slightly cringed after realizing her sentence had a double negative.
Mashumaro looked up and smiled. "I can write the future, you know." She exclaimed.
As soon as she said that, the other club members who could hear their conversation to some extent, glanced at them secretly and shook their heads. "There she goes again. Claiming she can 'write the future' and stuff like that." One member, a boy with bangs long enough to cover his eyes whispered to another. "Dude, she lives in outer space, what do you expect?" The other boy snickered. "Pfft. And by the way, did you see Ishikawa's video camera? I happened to check what's inside when she left it on the table one time. It's filled with videos of random students! Who knew that rumors of her being a stalker were true?" A girl joined in the conversation. She was the same girl from earlier who insulted Mashumaro. "They're both really weird." The first boy commented again.
The conversation may seem harmless to those speaking, thinking they aren't hurting anyone because they chose to say the words behind the girls' backs. What they didn't know was that even if the girls couldn't hear what they were saying, they still knew what they were talking about. Hirari did like social interaction. She liked talking and she liked people. The problem was, the people around here hardly liked her. As for Mashumaro, the girl was struggling to fit in with her eccentricities, but she knew deep inside her that she never belonged there, anyway. Unlike Hirari, Mashumaro doesn't bother to talk to anyone unless necessary or get attached to people.
It has always been that way.
Of course, there were also good people who treat them like a person. "Ishikawa! Kaji!" A male student standing about 178cm tall ran towards them cheerily, his bright eyes beaming with excitement. "I got great news for both of you!" He told them, putting his hands on his waist proudly. Both girls looked at each other in confusion before looking back at their pleased vice president. "You girls are going to transfer to the college prep classes! Your good grades caught the attention of the principal!"
"Soooo… where is the teacher who requested us to transfer to her homeroom class?" Hirari walked along the hallways, her video camera recording their path as they go alone. Mashumaro shrugged her shoulders while not saying a word. She hasn't said a word to Hirari since they left to find the teacher who somehow grew fond of them when she saw their student record and ended up making a request to transfer them to a college prep class. "Don't be nervous." Hirari said again, finally pulling a reply from the other girl's mouth. "How did you know I was nervous?" Mashumaro asked. Hirari made a face that seemed to have 'sarcasm' all over it. "Uhh… because you are a nervous wreck and dislike talking to new people?" She was aware of Mashumaro's social anxiety, leading to her somewhat introverted personality. In return, Mashumaro ended up laughing after almost an hour of remaining silent.
They were personally called into the office for the notice and now they're stuck wandering around hallways during class hours. Mashumaro didn't like the fact that they had to be excused in their own class just for the reason that they had to talk to the teacher about it. Hirari was focused more on what the camera was recording rather than actually looking at the corridor itself. "Oh, here we are." Hirari said, pointing the camera at the sign on top of the classroom door. "Year 1. Class 4."
Mashumaro hid behind Hirari, shaking all over. "I don't know anyone. I'm scared, bruh." She gulped, her soul seeping out of her body slowly. Hirari belted out a fake laugh, but she was just as nervous as Mashumaro, being a naturally shy person. "Don't be unfair! Pick one. 1 or 2?" She grabbed both Mashumaro's shoulders in panic, shaking her forcibly and looked straight into her eyes. "H-Huh? W-Wait, stop shaking me! Gaaaaah! Um… 2?"
Hirari's whole face paled. "I told you to pick 1!" She made a pun excuse out of her question, trying to avoid the consequences. "What does 1 and 2 even correspond to?" Mashumaro asked, still feeling dizzy from being shaken. There was a short pause before Hirari could finally answer. "1 means, I'm going in. That way, I'll have an excuse to socialize with people! And 2 means, well… you go in and talk to her."
Mashumaro swore her life ended right there and right then. Oh, how she disliked talking to those she respects for the mere reason that she is afraid to get scolded.
And how she hated being watched by a crowd.
"That's it. I'm dead." She exhaled loudly, bracing herself for the humiliating outcomes of this one conversation. "You owe me one."
She opened the door slowly. Unfortunately, the door made a brushing sound as it slid off its place and everyone inside turned their heads to look at the visitor. Mashumaro gulped and look down, avoiding their gazes. "Oh! I suppose you are Kaji?" The teacher's eyes brightened when she saw the student.
I can hear it.
She went near the teacher. Her feet were wobbly and she couldn't look up. She could feel the students' gazes on her.
I can hear their words.
"Why are you alone? Where's Ishikawa?" The teacher asked. Mashumaro took a while before she could piece together what words she was going to say. Explaining was a hard task for her. She could write well, she could express herself in pen and paper, but never in oral communication.
I can hear the river.
The teacher stood up and was saying something to the students. Mashumaro could not hear her words. Her mind was wandering off elsewhere, a memory that only she knew.
I can hear the sound of breaking bones.
The teacher then turned to Mashumaro with an excited smile on her face. Then she put both her hands on Mashumaro's shoulders. She was telling her something, but the only words Mashumaro had paid attention to were "tomorrow" and "first". When Mashumaro finally looked up, revealing the face beneath the auburn brown hair, she finally heard what the teacher was telling her. "I'll be right back. You can stay here for a while and get to know your classmates so you won't feel unwelcome tomorrow."
The teacher let go and for once, Mashumaro actually wanted to pull her back.
"Oh, look. The girl who is obsessed with 'writing the future'. Fat chance that you go in this class, eh?" A voice suddenly spoke up. Mashumaro looked to the direction of the voice and found her old middle school classmate. She didn't say anything to the girl. All students started whispering to one another regarding the girl's comment. "So… what happened to your past writings? Did they actually come true? Eh, Maro-chan?" The girl kept razzing her, with the ill intent of ruining Mashumaro's image to the class.
Mashumaro had great patience. She didn't mind the insults if it's just her. Worse, Hirari was not with her. "Aren't you going to tell us the story of your powers? What was that name you were always screaming? Tsu- Tsu—Oh, right! That guy's name is also Tsukishima!" The girl turned her attention to a blonde guy wearing glasses, minding his own business on his seat. Upon hearing his name, the boy looked at his classmate with one eyebrow raised.
"Um, what's Tsuki got to do with this?" A freckled boy tried defending the blonde boy, a bit uncomfortable with the atmosphere. He obviously did not want his friend to get involved in whatever personal dispute the two girls were making a scene out of. The girl smirked before pointing at Mashumaro. "This girl claims to have the magical power of—"
"TSUKISHIMA AKITERU-SAN SAID SO!" Before they knew it, Mashumaro snapped. She slammed her hands on the table, her head still looking down. "I-I CAN WRITE THE FUTURE! I CAN! I CAN MAKE EVERYONE'S DREAMS COME TRUE!" She was yelling her lungs out, silencing everyone in the room. Upon seeing her reaction, the other girl laughed mockingly. "See? See what I told you? Ladies and gentlemen, our new classmate." The girl was triumphantly announcing.
Mashumaro gritted her teeth out of frustration. Her fists were trembling on the table. Without saying another word, she stormed out of the room. She looked around to find Hirari, but the girl was nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, back inside the classroom, a heavy silence enveloped everyone. A freckled boy called Yamaguchi went towards the blonde boy sitting by the window. "Tsuki… am I the only one who heard the name right? She mentioned Akiteru-san…" He asked the blonde, Tsukishima Kei, about the name a certain girl yelled earlier. Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi, then to his classmate who was still smiling as if she had won the lottery. "Hey." He called her.
The girl looked at him, expecting him to praise her. "Oh, Tsukishima! So how does it feel getting your last name involved with a crazy girl like that? You know she—"
"If it's such an achievement to you," Tsukishima cut her off and paused to look at the table Mashumaro slammed her hands on. "Then feel free to brag about your trophy. I'm sure your future bosses would be incredibly satisfied with reading 'I mortified a classmate' on your job application form." He then put his headphones on, covering his ears and went back to his own business, taking down notes from the previous lesson.
Everyone else remained silent.