4a) Hi! I'm new here. Hisao Nakai. We're in the same class.
Hisao:
"Hi! I'm new here. Hisao Nakai. We're in the same class."
"Umm... I just transferred here the other day. Maybe you don't remember?"
"I did a self-introduction too."
Narrator:
The girl still doesn't say a word, but simply stares at me, wide-eyed.
Hisao:
"I'm still getting used to the place so I'm trying to meet as many people as I can."
"So, er... what's your name?"
Purple-haired girl:
"H... Hanako..."
Narrator:
Her speech is stuttering and so quiet that it is barely audible even in the still library.
Somehow I think that my "delinquent" impression of her was wrong.
Hisao:
"Hanako, eh? So what are you reading?"
Narrator:
She gently tips the book backwards so that I can read the title, at the same time hiding her face behind it.
She must have noticed me staring before.
Hisao:
"'Life of Pi'? I've never heard of it before. What's it about?"
Hanako:
"A boy... and a tiger..."
"...on a boat..."
Narrator:
I can see this taking some time.
Hisao:
"Sounds interesting. Is it any good?"
Narrator:
She nods from behind her book, but stays silent.
She looks kinda tense. A bit like Yuuko earlier, but in a different way. More like... petrified with terror, I'd say.
So the mystery delinquent girl turned out to be anything but, and she is quivering in a way that makes it look like she is mortally afraid of me.
The only way out of this, as far as I can tell, is to try to get a normal conversation going.
Hisao:
"Is it a library book? I'm looking for new ones to read, but there's just so many..."
Hanako:
"N-no. It's mine."
Hisao:
"Oh. So... do you come here often?"
Narrator:
A huge, huge blush spreads on Hanako's face and her eyes widen far larger than I thought it was possible for eyes to do.
Uh-oh. Did she interpret my lame attempt at small talk as a feeble attempt to pick her up?
Hisao:
"I mean... ehh... I didn't mean it like that..."
Hanako:
"I..."
"I... I..."
"I...?"
Hanako:
"Ivvegottogodosomething!"
Narrator:
Without warning, Hanako takes off and runs towards the counter.
Here hare-like takeoff catches me so off guard that I don't manage to go after her until she has a good head start.
By the time I reach the counter she is nowhere to be seen.
Lilly and Yuuko are happily chatting away.
Knowing that I won't be able to cach Hanako myself, I approach the girls.
Hisao:
"Hey, did you see... er... notice a girl run past here?"
Yuuko:
"Um, maybe... what did she look like?"
Hisao:
"Long, dark hair. Kinda shy. She had... well... some scars... on her... face."
Lilly:
"You wouldn't be talking about Hanako, would you?"
Hisao:
"Yeah, that's her. I saw her reading and tried to talk to her, but I think I scared her off or something."
Lilly:
"Oh dear. Yuuko, would you excuse me, I had better try and find her."
Yuuko:
"S-sure. I'll just hold onto these until you come back."
Hisao:
"Um, what's going on?"
Lilly:
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time."
Hisao:
"Right. I'll see you later then..."
Narrator:
Lilly hastily grabs her cane and hurries out of the library, leaving me alone with Yuuko.
Hisao:
"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this place."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"What did you do?"
Hisao:
"Nothing! I just... talked to her. Tried to get to know her. Didn't even manage to get started."
Narrator:
Yuuko sighs and looks awfully bothered, even more so than she did before.
Yuuko:
"I guess you weren't 'wrong' so much as 'tactless.'"
Hisao:
"Tactless?"
Yuuko:
"That girl is a bit of a special case. It's like she never really talks to anyone."
Hisao:
"Isn't that a bit... strange?"
Yuuko:
"I wonder... It's just how she is, I think."
Narrator:
Yuuko doesn't sound all that convincing. Then again, maybe this is just the norm around here.
Everyone has their own problems, or else they wouldn't be here.
Perhaps I was being a little tactless after all.
Hisao:
"But how should I deal with these people? Forcing myself to act overly casually only makes me feel phony."
"Like I was supposed to be ignoring the elephant in the room."
Narrator:
Yuuko fidgets, looking like she wants to say something to that, but resists it.
Yuuko:
"I think it's an elephant only if you feel that way."
Narrator:
I guess she doesn't have a good sense of self-restraint. It makes me smile, and she blushes heavily.
Yuuko:
"W... what? Did that sound stupid?"
Hisao:
"No no, it sounded really wise. I guess you're right. It's more about me than anyone else."
Narrator:
Neither of us has anything to add so Yuuko fills the silence by shuffling some papers around.
People who have papers on their desks really like doing that.
Yuuko:
"Did you find any books? I should be closing soon. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you."
Hisao:
"Oh. Yeah, I want some books, but I left them over there because..."
"...I'll just go get them."
Narrator:
I fetch my stack of books from beside the beanbags where Hanako and I were sitting and return to the counter.
Yuuko:
"Wow. You read a lot, don't you?"
Hisao:
"I surprise myself with that too, honestly. At least, when I really think about it."
"I had a lot of free time earlier this year, so I just kind of... started reading books to fill that time. I couldn't do much else."
Yuuko:
"I see."
Narrator:
But she doesn't say anything else, and just checks out my books for me.
I guess this is what they call "tact."
Holding the library books with one arm, I trawl my pocket for the key to the door.
A sudden sound from behind startles me, making me nearly drop the books I'm carrying or the key that I almost managed to get into the lock.
Kenji:
"Who is it?"
Narrator:
I turn around to see who is talking to me. It's Kenji. He seems to be in a friendly mood, although the light glinting off his glasses in the dark gives him a sinister look.
Hisao:
"It's just me."
Narrator:
This makes him pause and lick his lips nervously.
Kenji:
"Who is me? I don't know anyone called me. Are you some new guy again?"
Narrator:
His voice is suddenly strained and quick.
Hisao:
"Yes... but we've met before. Yesterday."
Kenji:
"I don't think so, I would remember someone who I met only yesterday. ...When was that? What day is today?"
Narrator:
I try to ignore him. Is he joking or what?
Kenji:
"Prove that we've met before!"
Hisao:
"You live across the hall. You're Kenji."
Narrator:
Kenji jumps back, his eyes filled with an uncomprehending fear.
Kenji:
"How do you know my name? Damn, this can only mean one of two things: Either we have met, and you are telling the truth, and I just can't remember it, or you are a spy."
Narrator:
He pauses.
Kenji:
"A psychic spy."
Narrator:
His eyes dart around me, trying to peek into my room, although it's hard to believe he can see anything through those thick glasses.
His mood swung from friendly to manic in less than a minute.
Hisao:
"I'm not psychic."
Kenji:
"How do I know that? I'm not a mind reader."
Narrator:
Kenji points a finger in my face damningly.
Kenji:
"...Unlike you!"
Hisao:
"Stop that, man. We met yesterday. What's wrong with you? I live in this room."
Kenji:
"Lies. If you think you can pass as Hisao because I'm legally blind you are sorely mistaken."
"You don't even look like him. I mean, the resemblance is real, real slim. Maybe at a distance, but who do you think you're kidding?"
Narrator:
I want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. Exasperated, I rub my eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
Kenji:
"Stay there."
Narrator:
Kenji comes closer, one careful step at a time. I stay still, lest he assault me physically, although I doubt he could do much damage even if he did.
Kenji:
"Oh, wait, I see it now. Damn, it really is you."
Narrator:
Sighing again, and then once again for good measure, I step backwards, just in case.
Kenji:
"What's up, man? You don't look too good. I think. Something wrong?"
Hisao:
"I don't know. Just had something stupid happen to me. A few stupid things, actually. Even if you discount this one."
"I can't get a proper touch on other people here, and I have no idea if it's because of me or because of them."
Narrator:
I don't know why I'm telling this to Kenji. It's not like we've had any contact either.
Kenji:
"That's rough, dude. Yeah, I'm sorry about calling you a psychic spy and all, but you can never be too careful."
"It's the hard reality we live in."
Narrator:
I'm slowly starting to think that Kenji isn't necessarily living in the same reality as the rest of us.
Kenji:
"You see? This is how it is, this world. There is no justice. You see? Even when I lose, I win, because I don't lose the lesson."
Hisao:
"...What does that even mean?"
Kenji:
"It doesn't matter."
Narrator:
He dismisses it flatly with a wave of his hand.
Kenji:
"So what happened? Why the long face? Do you have a long face?"
Hisao:
"Eh, it's nothing. I just scared some girl off accidentally. Literally too, she actually ran away from me."
"Was my fault, really, I think. I'm not really... use to all this yet."
Kenji:
"A girl? A cute one?"
Narrator:
Cute? That's a hard question. She had a nice body and really beautiful hair... but the face...
I guess it could go either way.
[Decision Point]
5a) She was cute. [Go to Chapter 7]
5b) She wasn't cute. [Go to Chapter ?]