Okazaki Ushio stood at the end of the cherry blossom hills. She had a white ribbon in her long brown hair pinned with red clips her mother gave, claiming that when she was young, she would always wear them on. Walking up the hill, she was reminded that she was in high school now; what would she want to join? What would she want to do? As she walked, cherry blossom petals fell, falling everywhere on the ground. She already made up her mind as she reached the school gates of Hikarizaka high school. Mama will be happy, she thought.
Suddenly, a boy with black hair and brown eyes came out of nowhere and asked her, "Is this Hikarizaka high school?"
A bit caught off guard, Ushio replied, "Yes...who are you?"
The boy laughed. "I'm Sakamoto Kairi...what about you?"
"Okazaki. Okazaki Ushio."
"Okay then, thank you Okazaki!" Kairi yelled, heading over to the school.
A bit dumbfounded, Ushio stared after the Kairi. He seemed to be new to this town. After all, Ushio had never seen him before...shrugging the thought off, Ushio walked toward the school, keeping her distance from Kairi. After all, she just met him...she didn't know him completely, and walking with him would be awkward. I hope he finds a friend to talk with though, Ushio thought to herself.
"Class 1-F..." Ushio muttered, peering over the hallways. After several minutes, Ushio found her classroom, and walked in. She was five minutes early.
She didn't know anyone in her class. Or the school, for that matter. She hoped she would make friends with someone in her class soon.
When the bell rang, a woman walked in. "I am Satou Ichika; your homeroom teacher for the rest of your year." She smiled. "Why don't we start with introductions? Name, hobbies, interests, stuff you like to do, et cetera. Suzuki-kun, start."
"I am Suzuki Airu. I like to play the violin," Airu, a boy with blonde hair and hazel eyes said. Uwah, delinquents, Ushio thought worriedly. But would delinquents really play the violin?
The introductions went on and on. Ushio was a bit worried; how would she remember all these names?
"I'm Watanabe Haru. I like the novel Crossing Over the Sun's Border," a girl with blonde hair and yellow eyes smiled. She was sitting next to Ushio. Maybe I could be friends with her...Ushio thought. She seemed scary, but somehow broken...
Ushio was next. She stood up and nervously smiled. "I'm Okazaki Ushio. I...I play baseball as a hobby. I also like Dango Daikazoku..." Ushio reddened as everyone laughed.
"Thank you Ushio. Please sit down," Satou-sensei said. The bell rang at the exact moment. "Class dismissed."
"Okazaki, can I eat my bentou with you?" Haru asked. A bit taken aback, it took a second until Ushio smiled and say, "Sure!"
As they ate, they talked about many things. They befriended each other quickly.
"By the way Okazaki, you seem to be the type to be really popular with both girls and guys, especially the guys," Haru said out of the blue. Ushio coughed.
"What!?" Ushio asked, still coughing. "What makes you say that?"
Haru grinned. "Just guessing."
Ushio, who was a bit uncomfortable talking about the subject, made an attempt to change it. "By the way, you were saying something about a book...what book was it again?"
"Crossing Over the Sun's Border...it's a really good book." Haru's eyes sparkled. Ushio quietly let out a relieved sigh. Success!
Early the next day, Ushio was quite surprised to find Sakamoto Kairi at the bottom of the sakura hills, but going the opposite way from the school. Ushio instinctively grabbed Kairi's arm. Surprised, Kairi turned around.
"H-hey Okazaki," he said, nervously laughing.
"What are you doing?" Ushio asked. "The school's the other way."
Kairi sighed. "I don't fit in here," he said, facing Ushio. "Let go."
Ushio grit her teeth but held firmly onto Kairi's sleeve. "So you're going home?"
"I just moved here...I need to adjust," Kairi said, about to leave again.
"Nothing's going to be solved if you run away," Ushio said, pulling harder.
"I'm not trying to run away, I just want to go home for today," Kairi sighed loudly. "I'm coming back tomorrow, gosh."
Ushio felt hurt. She gently let go of his sleeve. "Why do you want to run away so much?"
"I just told you, I don't belong here. I don't know anybody here."
"Well, I don't either! What gives you the right to skip class!?" Ushio cried. She felt her eyes water. I have to get out of here, Ushio thought in horror.
"Okazaki, wait-" Kairi's expression softened, but Ushio brought her sleeve up her face. She ran to the direction of the school, leaving Kairi behind.
Since Ushio was early today, nobody saw her crying in the courtyard. When she calmed down a bit and her tears have dried, she went back into the building, to the rooftop this time. As she climbed up, she bumped into a boy with wheat-blonde hair and sun coloured eyes. He was carrying a large amount of books, but they were spilled all over the floor now.
"I'm sorry!" Ushio cried, helping the boy pick up his books. The boys seemed to be a bit dazed, but nodded as Ushio helped him pick up his books. Awkward silence followed as they cleaned up the mess.
"I-I'm Okazaki Ushio from 1-F, what about you?" Ushio asked, attempting to make a conversation.
"Tanaka Ruon. I like eating and sleeping in the sun," the boy said. I guess that's why bumped into me...he was up at the rooftop, then went back down.
"Here you go," Ushio smiled as she picked up the last of the book. It was a non-fiction book, and the inside looked very hard to read, even for high-school. He looks like a delinquent too...but he reads books, right?
"Thank you," Ruon softly said, smiling. He picked up his books and left, going towards the library, Ushio guessed.
As Ushio made her way back to the classroom, Ushio realized she took too long picking up Ruon's books and spending her time up the rooftop, and the classroom was already buzzing with activity. Ushio sighed and sat down at her seat. Haru's still not here...Ushio thought, glancing briefly at the empty desk beside her. Just then, Airu approached her.
"Okazaki-san, what took you so long?" Airu asked.
"You were...Suzuki-san, if I'm correct..." Ushio looked blankly at Airu.
"You're second-last to come in this classroom...apart from Haru..." Airu said, glancing at her desk.
"Don't speak so ill of Haru. And so what if I'm second-last to come in? I'm not late, am I?" Ushio shot back, her competitive side showing. First Kairi, then Ruon, now Airu...why do boys have to choose the wrong time?
Airu stared deeply into her eyes. Ushio felt creeped out. "What? What is it?"
"It seems like tomorrow, you're going to feel better," Airu said.
"What? What?"
"See you, Okazaki-san," Airu said, leaving to sit back at his seat.
Bewildered, Ushio kept staring at Airu until Haru and Satou-sensei arrived.
"Okazaki, a guy from 1-E wants to talk to you," Haru shouted. The class filled with murmurs. Ushio rolled her eyes and got up. A guy she didn't know was standing there. He had brown hair and blue eyes.
"You're Okazaki Ushio, right?" the guy smirked.
Slightly annoyed, Ushio put her hands on her hips. What was it today, Boys-be-jerks-to-Ushio day? "Yes, I'm Okazaki Ushio. Did you need something?"
The boy stretched his hand out. "I'm Takahashi Ao. I like looking up at the sky," he said. Ushio glared at him.
"Did I ask for that?"
"No, but I don't know how to introduce myself normally."
Ushio sighed. "I'm Okazaki Ushio. What do you want?"
"You're friends with Airu, right?"
"Airu? You mean Suzuki-san?"
"Sure. You haven't said anything mean to him, have you?"
Ushio remembered what happened just before, and felt slightly guilty, but more than that, she was still annoyed. "No."
"Good. Take care of him, will you?"
"What?"
"See you!" Ao waved, and went back to his class.
Fuming, Ushio returned to her seat. What was all that about? He just called her out for nothing! She calmed down a bit after seeing that her mother packed dangos for her lunch, and talking to Haru.
5 minutes of lunch barely passed when there was a loud commotion outside. A gang stood outside, waving their baseball bats around.
"Shoot, it's the gang...Ushio, better not to go outside," Haru sighed, who was hoping to enjoy the outside weather. When she turned around, Ushio was already heading out, fuming.
"What!? Hey! Ushio!" Haru yelled, running after her. Ushio reached the gang. "What are you guys doing here, swinging your baseball bats around?"
"We're looking for second-year Yamamoto Akira," the gang leader sneered. "What a cute little girl. Why don't you go fetch him for me?"
"Cute, huh," Ushio muttered under her breath.
"Ushio, what are you doing!?" Haru asked, panting. She was accompanied by quite a short boy, Itou Kazuto.
The gang leader, growing impatient, threw a baseball bat at Ushio. Ushio caught it.
"You know, my grandfather and father were really good fighters. My dad had a lot of friends that were really strong too, you know," Ushio smirked.
Afraid and not knowing what to do, the gang leader smiled, hiding his fear inside of him.
"Pretty girl, are you picking a fight?"
Ushio laughed. "Exactly what I'm saying."
The gang leader ordered the gang to fight.
Ushio was a really good fighter, and Haru matched her skills, but two versus a whole gang was completely unfair. Kazuto ran inside the building to go get someone.
After a while, the Haru seemed really tired. Ushio noticed it, and tried to protect her. Why did I have to lose my temper at the wrong time, and get my friends involved with this? Ushio thought, almost close to tears.
Suddenly, someone with light brown hair and sky blue eyes jumped in and protected the other side of Haru. "Well, what do we have here," the person said, taking a self-defence position and striking at anyone who came near. Another figure was nearby the first figure, with dark hair and brown eyes. They were stronger than most people, Ushio realized. Especially their kicks.
"Haru-chan, run!" Ushio said. Haru shook her head and smiled. "I'm fine!" she yelled.
Ushio didn't have time to argue with her friend. Pretty soon, the gang retreated.
Ushio turned to the boy. "Who are you?"
The boy turned to them. "Is that how you greet someone?" He seemed emotionless.
Ushio made a face until she remembered it was basically her temper that almost hurt her friend. She sighed. "This is Watanabe Haru, and I'm Okazaki Ushio from class 1-F. What about you?"
The boy seemed to be surprised. "You guys are freshmen?"
"Yes, and who are you?"
"Yamamoto Akira from 2-D. Thanks for helping me out there."
An year older than them. No wonder he was so strong.
"Your welcome," Ushio said. She turned to Haru, who was still trying to catch her breath. "Haru, you okay?"
Haru grinned. "Yeah. Let's go back to our homeroom."
Suddenly, Ushio remembered. She looked back. Akira was still staring at them. She remembered there was another person fighting alongside her, other than Akira...
"Thanks again," Akira said. Ushio shrugged. It was her fault this whole thing happened, and Akira could have probably defeated them all at once anyway. He was the one who saved Haru. So why was he being grateful for them?
As the two left, Akira turned to a figure behind a tree. "You can come out now," he said with his same emotionless face. Kairi came out of the shadows.
"Why did you decide to help us?" Akira said. "I can tell you're new here, because I just moved to this school."
Kairi seemed surprised. "Wouldn't it be that you just moved here, so you don't know who's new or not?"
"You're not a freshman, and you're acting the same as me...wandering in the hallways, looking for your classes..." Akira shook his head. "Why did you fight with us? You barely know us."
Kairi looked away. "Are you saying that if I don't know you, I shouldn't fight alongside with you?" Then Kairi looked down at his cherry blossom covered shoes. "I needed to save someone, as an apology."
Akira looked at him. Then he patted Kairi by the shoulder. "I'm sorry. I meant to say thank you." Akira took a deep breath. "But that someone didn't know that you saved her as well. Are you okay with that?"
Kairi nodded. "Even if she didn't know, I'll still be happy to help her." Closing his eyes, he thought about Ushio, how strong she might seem strong and helping others, sometimes she would need the strength of others to support her. I'll do my best, Kairi thought, looking towards the sky with Akira as they headed back to the school building.