Chapter 2: First Day of My New Life

4/7/16

The gentle morning sunlight was trickling in as Maiko observed her face in the mirror. Despite not having slept at all, she could barely notice the bags under her eyes. Maybe her body had adapted to it by now, she thought.

Knock knock. A light tapping at the door tore her attention away from her reflection.

"It's Ken. Are you awake?" inquired a voice from outside. Maiko hurried to open the door for him but paused when she realized how she looked. Her hair was a mess of knots and tangles, a product of trying to sleep with braided buns. And she was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. They were terribly crumpled and wrinkled.

"I'll be out in a second," she responded. Maiko didn't want Ken, who seemed to be very neat and organized, to see her in her current state.

"Alright," he said. "It's the first day of school, so I thought I'd take you there today." Maiko sighed: she had forgotten about that. "There should be uniforms in the closet. Oh, and it's getting late, so you'd better hurry," Ken advised, a hint of urgency in his tone. She heard his footsteps recede and fade until they were inaudible over the chirping of baby birds. Maiko rushed to her closet. As much as she detested school, being late was no good. She had learned that in cram school.

Opening the sliding door, she saw a line of a dozen or so black uniforms lined up neatly, and chuckled. Ken. But as she grabbed one at random, she noticed that one outfit seemed out of place. Upon closer observation, she discovered that it was a boy's uniform. Ken must have missed it. Maiko set it aside for now and got dressed. As she twirled around in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but smile. Despite her overly-petite size, the black shirt-and-skirt one-piece fit comfortably. It ran right down to knee level, not too high or too low.

Maiko turned her attention to her hair. It was so messy that one of the birds outside of her window could have nested in it. She reached for her duffel bag to grab a brush for her hair. As she dug through the chaotic assortment of clothes and belongings, one of her flashbacks began to take over her vision. Maiko grabbed her head and groaned. Hadn't she been through enough of these last night? But her pleads were futile, and the past began to make itself the present.

"I'd better start packing soon..." said the little girl. "So...What do you think I need to pack if I'm running away from home?"

The blue-haired boy shrugged.

Maiko continued. "I'll need lots of snacks, right? What about my health insurance card?"

Her companion paused for a moment. "It'll take a lot more than that," he replied after a bit. He didn't speak much, but when he did, he put a lot of thought into it.

"But... I don't know what else I should bring!" she cried. Maiko scrunched her brow. "Okay, what else...Maybe my PJ's, and my tooth brush. Um... What else...?"

Back in the present, Maiko tossed aside her tooth brush, still searching for her pink hairbrush. Eventually, she found it in a side pocket and rushed to the mirror to straighten out the nest on her head. After much effort, the tangled jumble gave way to smooth and flowing chestnut hair. Maiko put the plastic brush down and went to work putting her hair up into the usual braided buns. It was effortless: she had done it herself every day since elementary school. After, she took a brief glance in the mirror and, content with her appearance, went to get her backpack. Her heart sank, however, when she picked up the bulging red schoolbag. It was very childish and small, and she was sure her classmates were going to make fun of it. Maiko dismissed her fears and defiantly emptied the bag onto the bed. They could think whatever they wanted. She wasn't going to care.

The short teen ran out the door with her uniform, hair, and childhood book bag all in order, and hurried down the stairs to meet Ken.

"That's Gekkoukan High School," Ken stated as he pointed out the train window and across the water to a large and modern-looking glass structure. Maiko stared in awe: it was huger than any school she had ever seen. Her old elementary school had only been one story, and her middle school had been a small suburban two-story. This one looked to be at least four, if not more.

Ken noticed her amazement and grinned. "I hope you like it." Dressed in the same outfit she had seen yesterday, black uniform over an orange shirt, he looked quite handsome. The messiness of his golden-brown hair hardly removed from the neat and stern aura of the lanky boy. On his arm, he wore a yellow band that Maiko hadn't seen before. Curious, she asked him about it.

"Oh, this?" he replied as he shifted his arm and looked down at the yellow strip. "I'm on student council. We do a bunch of administrative stuff for the school. Student government, regulations, event planning, etc."

"That's cool," Maiko responded.

He nodded. "If you want to join, we could always use some help, especially this year." Maiko put her hands up in protest.

"Err, I'm not exactly a by-the-book kind of girl."

Ken laughed. "I could tell by your backpack. A little outdated, but I like it." He gestured towards her modestly sized book bag. Her cheeks flared.

"I-it was a gift from my parents, a long time ago."

"Happy birthday, sweetie!"

"Surprise!"

A man and a woman were standing in front of the little girl. In their hands, they were holding a bright red backpack, spotless and brand new. The little girl grabbed the backpack cheerfully, clearly excited. As the three joined in a hug and celebrated, a phone rang in the other room. The man pulled away and began to walk to answer it.

"Dear, you can answer it later. This is your daughter's birthday party, after all," the woman chided. The man kept walking.

"It's important, darling. I have a big contractor coming in for a meeting tomorrow, and I need to make sure everything goes smoothly," he protested.

Stepping away from the child, the mother raised her voice. "You always do this! You always take work more seriously than your own family!"

The father scoffed as he entered the other room, but said nothing.

Virtually screaming now, the mother got up and followed him. "You good-for-nothing slacker of a father! Never enough time for family! Just work, work, work!"

Now alone in the living room, little Maiko huddled on the couch, hugging her gift to her chest. Tears were gathering in her eyes.

"Maiko? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Maiko snapped back to the train and back to the first day of school. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." As she stammered, she felt her face getting wet. She moved to wipe it on her sleeve, but Ken gently grabbed her arm to stop her. He pulled a handkerchief out of his coat pocket. Still lightly restraining her arm, he brought the cloth to her face and gingerly wiped it off.

"T-thanks." Maiko's face was as red as her backpack. She patiently waited for Ken to finish and put the handkerchief away, heart beating rapidly.

"Sorry if I hit a nerve," he apologized. "I'm pretty close to my parents too, so I get how you feel." Maiko opened her mouth to explain, but refrained. She didn't need to vent her problems to everyone she knew.

The monorail came to a stop, and Ken and Maiko stepped out. The school was a bit of a trek from the station, but Maiko didn't mind. The spring weather was warm and pleasant, and it made her happy to see the hustle and bustle of the town in the day. Shops and cafes were opening their doors, cars were rolling by on clean streets, and groups of students could be seen happily chatting and walking.

Something that put Maiko off, however, was a noticeable number of people slumped over on the streets and sidewalks. They looked like zombies, blankly staring into space. Drool ran down their mouths as they laid limp. Maiko shivered. Somewhere deep in her memory, she remembered seeing something like them before. But no flashback came, and she was falling behind Ken, so she disregarded the feeling and ran to catch up.

"The faculty office is on the left," Ken said. "You should go there to find out your homeroom." The two were now in the main lobby of the school, amidst many other students. Maiko liked the way the scene looked and felt: light poured in through the wide glass windows and circles of students idly conversed and joked. The lobby was quite spacious, and a massive staircase curled around the edges of the room, leading up to more floors of glass and classrooms. The small school shop had already attracted a line of students. In the corners, nervous first-years pored over their maps and schedules.

"What about your homeroom?"

Ken pondered the question. "Well, I'm a senior, so I'll probably go look around the 4th floor until I find mine." Maiko gasped. She hadn't known that the boy living in the same dorm as her was two years older.

"A-a senior? Should I be calling you Ken-senpai?" Ken just stared at her for a second, then snickered.

"Please don't call me that." A boy from the other side of the room called out to Ken, and he turned and began walking. "Good luck today!" he shouted over his shoulder as he took off, leaving Maiko alone and confused in her new school. Ken had said to go to the faculty office, so she decided to start there and headed down the hallway on her left. She found the door labeled "Faculty Office" and entered it.

Neat stacks of papers and cups of coffee filled the room, and various teachers and administrators were chattering and working in the well-lit space. As she walked in, a young-looking man noticed her and stood to greet her.

"You must be the new student!" Maiko nodded. The man gave her a goofy grin. He looked quite strange for a teacher. Very young and relaxed, but with an air of confidence around him. "Hmm...let's see..." He flipped through some papers on his desk. "...Ah! Maiko Oohashi!"

Maiko shook her head. "I prefer to go by just Maiko." Her response was met with a smile and a laugh.

"Wouldn't we all like to forget about our family sometimes?" he proposed, apparently not noticing Maiko's frown. "Let's see. What else...oh my." His bright expression turned sour. The man bowed his head down to Maiko. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't know about your parents. My apologies." He sighed solemnly. "That was what, seven years ago? A car crash..." He drifted off. "Oh, my bad. Here you are," he apologized sheepishly as he handed her a small stack of papers. "You're in my homeroom. I'm Mr. Tomochika." Her new teacher extended a hand, and they shook.

"Today, however, we have an assembly in the auditorium before class. Let's get going."

"Ahem." The woman in front of the microphone cleared her throat.

"Welcome all students and faculty to the beginning of a new semester here at Gekkoukan High School. I am your principal, Madam Kirijo, and I would like to greet you all with warmth and respect. As you begin the new school year..." Her words faded from Maiko's ears. Instead, Maiko was paying attention to the fluctuations and strong, confident tone of her voice. The woman was quite gifted in speech, able to speak commandingly but still with love and passion. Almost all of the thousands of students in the crowd were drawn in. Not all, however, as Maiko realized when she heard hushed talking in the seats ahead of her.

"Whoa, dude, she's so hot!" whispered a boy to his friend.

"Yeah, I know, right?! She's only 25, according to the rumors," the other boy responded softly. Maiko took a closer look at her. The boys weren't wrong: she was very beautiful, in an elegant and sophisticated manner. Her dark red hair was vibrant yet subtle, and brought out the spotlessness of her face and skin. Maiko would not have thought her older than 22 if she had met her on the street. The teen was distracted from her analysis by an annoying poke on the shoulder. She turned.

A girl addressed her quietly. "Hey. I heard you came to school today with Ken-senpai." Maiko nodded, unsure of what to expect. "Does he have a girlfriend?"

"How would I know?" Maiko buzzed, irritated. The girl put her hands up blamelessly.

"No need to be touchy. He's really popular guy, so he probably has one. Don't be jealous."

"Whaddya mean, jealous!?"

"Quiet down," Mr. Tomochika angrily whispered from a couple rows ahead. "You're going to get me in trouble." The auditorium was getting louder now, with students beginning to laugh and chatter. Maiko sank into her seat in shame, face reddening.

Class was unexciting, with the only activities really consisting of introductions and paperwork. Still, Maiko was relieved when the bell rang at the end of the day. Sitting in a desk for long periods of time was not her cup of tea. As she got up and gathered her materials, a girl with long black hair walked up next to her and began speaking.

"What's your sign?" she inquired, staring expectantly at Maiko.

"What?"

The girl repeated, "Your sign. Like, your astrological sign." Maiko only returned a confused look. The other girl sighed. "When's your birthday?"

"October 4th."

The strange girl beamed. "So you're a Libra!" Libras are very social and adventurous, but sometimes lazy and indecisive." she stated matter-of-fact-ly. Maiko opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she realized the girl had just accurately summarized her in one sentence.

"You fight for what you believe in, are very intelligent but too lazy to apply it, and constantly seek love and approval from those around you."

"Hey! I-"

"You can put yourself in other's shoes and see things through another person's point of view. You're the one that always wants to make things right and have balance and harmony in your life, your surroundings, and the lives of the people close to you."

...

"Done yet?"

The girl nodded. "Yep." Maiko let out a loud sigh.

"Who are you anyways?"

The girl smiled and offered a hand. "I'm Naomi Wakahisa. Pleased to meet you." Maiko shook her hand, very confused at the events of the last minute. She asked, "Why do you know so much about astrology and stuff?"

Naomi shrugged. "It's been my hobby since I was a kid. I always liked fortunes and superstitions. Anyways," she started as she put a hand on Maiko's shoulder and pressed down. "I heard that you came to school with Ken-senpai today." Maiko rolled her eyes: not this again.

"So?"

"So? He's like, the most popular guy in the school. Are you interested in him?"

Maiko's face heated. "No! I just met him! There's nothing between us!"

"Tsk, tsk." Naomi disapprovingly waggled a finger in front of Maiko's face. "Just because he's a senior doesn't mean he's off limits. And he's a Cancer too. A relationship between a Cancer and a Libra is supposed to be-"

"Now now, Naomi, you aren't bothering poor little Maiko here too much, are you?" Ken emerged from behind Naomi, apparently having heard much of their conversation. Maiko blushed and objected.

"Hey, I'm not that little!" she shouted. Naomi giggled and put her arm on Maiko's head like it was an armrest. "I dunno, you're pretty small." Unfortunately, Naomi was also rather tall and lean, making Maiko feel all the shorter.

"What are you doing here, Ken-sen?"Naomi asked excitedly, an elated smile on her face. Ken-sen?

The senior chuckled. "That's not how you should be referring to your student council president, is it Naomi? And I'm just here to talk to Maiko."

Maiko froze and gasp. "W-wait, you're the student council president?" She quickly bowed her head in respect. All this time, she had been speaking to him so casually.

Ken grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stand normally. "No no, you don't need to do that. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that you all should get home as early as possible." A grimace replaced his usual smile. "It's getting more and more dangerous to be out after dark." Naomi solemnly nodded, her expression equally dark. Maiko simply had a curious look on her face. Innocently, she asked, "What's wrong after dark?"

The student council president shook his head. "Gang violence, abductions, etc. The school is very concerned for student safety." He turned and began walking out of the class. "You girls go on ahead. I have to stay to finish up some things." Ken exited.

Naomi shrugged. "Let's go. I don't want to get caught in the street after sunset."

The two walked out of their second floor classroom and headed through Port Island Station, taking the monorail back to Iwatodai. They chatted they got off the train and moved along sidewalks and alleyways. Naomi seemed like a very normal girl, disregarding her occasional comment about superstition and magic. She was very social. even more than Maiko, and didn't seem forced about it. Maiko would have gone so far as to say she was charming; certainly, her talkative nature was complimented by her innocent and pure appearance.

"Hey. Watch out," warned Naomi. Maiko looked up. In the alleyway in front of them, a small group of students were laying down and leaning against the brick walls. Blank expressions on their face, they could have been mistaken for mannequins if they hadn't been groaning and moaning loudly. She felt the same chill from the morning run down her spine. "What's wrong with them?" she asked.

Naomi signaled for them to continue walking on the street, than began explaining. "They're people who have something called Apathy Syndrome. Breaks the brain down. Inhibits mobility and thought. Etc. It's similar to something Voodoo priests in Africa would do. They would..." Maiko zoned out. Apathy Syndrome, huh? It really creeped her out. These once normal people became zombies, just like that?

The black-haired girl next to her seemed to notice her distress, and patted her on the head. "Hey!" Maiko shouted. She hated being patted like she was a kid or something. Naomi laughed happily. "Sorry, you looked down. I- Hey!" she interjected, seemingly losing her train of thought. Naomi ran over to a bench outside of a restaurant. "This is my favorite bench!"

Maiko laughed. "Why is it your favorite?"

Naomi lovingly hugged the old wooden seat. "I used to come here all the time after school and eat food, and I would always sit on this bench." Maiko looked around. The area was very pleasant, filled with people and the fragrance of food. It was familiar. Then it hit her: this was Iwatodai Station, where she had often come to eat. Her vision clouded.

"This is yummy! I love going out to eat!" the little girl shouted. She was sitting inside a fast food shop with the blue-haired boy, virtually inhaling a large burger. The boy, who was sitting across from her in his black school uniform, grinned and chuckled.

Maiko suddenly froze, and put the burger down. Her expression turned sad. "Mom and Dad never argue when we go out to eat. They never used to argue! You have to believe me..."

"Don't you believe me? I swear, it's so comfortable!"

"Huh?" Maiko blinked seven years into the future, but she was only a couple of feet away from the restaurant in her flashback. She grabbed her head and groaned.

"What's wrong?" inquired Naomi, a hint of worry in her tone. "Headache? Brain damage? Early-stage Apathy Syndrome?" Maiko waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm okay. Just remembered something." Her words came out more depressed than she meant them to. Naomi frowned, and comfortingly put a hand on her head.

"Don't go and become a zombie on me, okay?...You still need to help me get with Ken-sen."

"Hey!"

The two parted at the front of the dormitory, saying their goodbyes and exchanging phone numbers. Maiko was happy to have made a friend on the first day, but was still easily exhausted by school and socializing. She closed the door behind her and headed straight for her room. As she walked, she found it curious that she had not seen Koromaru-chan, the dog, at all since last night. Maiko pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she reached her room. Tossing her backpack haphazardly onto the ground, she plopped straight onto her bed in the same manner and attempted to fall asleep. Her eyes were closed, but she could still see clearly...

"I'm leaving today..." The little girl sniffed, emotional. "...and Dad said, even though we're far away, we're still family. I think that should go for friends like you and me, too." The blue-haired boy gave her a warm smile.

"So," she began. "I don't have to be sad." The two fell silent for a bit, listening to the chirping of birds in the fall air. They were in a playground, sitting on top of a green jungle gym, side by side. Maiko swung her legs back and forth idly. The boy, many years older than her, simply sat with his hands in his pockets, taking in the pleasant atmosphere of the fading day.

The little girl decided to go on. "...I think family is important," she said solemnly. "Do you think I'll have a family of my own one day?"

The boy nodded and reassured her. "I bet you will." Maiko beamed.

"So, um...when I'm grown up...?" Maiko was stumbling over her words. Her palms were getting sweaty. She swallowed and continued nervously.

"Can we be a mom and dad together?"