July 9, Wednesday

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Hmm, special talents...

What were her special talents, Mai wondered. Perfectly knowing how much water there should be when cooking instant ramen? Completely forgetting to lock the door despite living alone? Losing track of time, like, always? Consistently remembering how to breathe for sixteen years?

Mai thought that maybe one of her special talents could be her source of income in the future. Most of those who didn't continue with education relied on their talents, right? Perhaps someone would hire her as a personal instant ramen chef. If that didn't work, she could try for show business.

Nah, she thought. That would unquestionably turn out to be an epic fail. She didn't know how to sing, she couldn't dance even if her life depended on it, and she definitely could not act. Just thinking about her play during her elementary days made her cringe and shudder.

Mai leaned her forehead on the window beside her and sighed. She wasn't kidding when she said that she might not be accepted into her dream university. Only paragons were accepted there. Was being second in class an example of a paragon? No.

She sighed again. Bus number 42 passed by the proud outer buildings of the university and Mai stared longingly. Okay, she admitted. Maybe she could get accepted, but the chances for scholarship would be from slim to below zero. If she wouldn't be able to get a scholarship, then she's doomed. Her meager fortune would never be enough to cover the tuition.

Athletes have scholarships, so maybe Mai could try out for the female basketball varsity..? Badminton? Baseball? Archery?

She closed her eyes in irritation when remembered that one of her special talents was being a klutz. For the life of her, she could not fathom how clumsy she was. She couldn't even live through a day without tripping at least once. On flat, smooth, obstacle-free surfaces. Now, imagine her walking on rocky grounds. With balls or rackets or bows and arrows. That would be suicide for Mai. She might even kill someone along with her death.

No to being an athlete then, Mai thought. How about the Chess varsity?

...She was bad at tactical planning too.

Her only real shot at a scholarship was just academics, if brutal truth were to be told. She wasn't bad at academics, really. She never received failing grades, nor did she receive bad scores at practical tests, but she constantly had a stubborn hurdle in front of her. It was a bigheaded, cocky, self-absorbed, insolent hurdle.

When Mai first entered high school, she really expected that she would be the class representative since she aimed to have the top score in the exams. People saw her as overly self-confident for this, but she totally worked her butt off for that entrance test. Having first place was a solid benchmark in her mind at that time.

Mai's eyes had automatically darted to the top of the list when the results were released. She was really really really sure that she would see her name there. Alas, her confidence was for naught. She was at second place. And she was still.

She huffed at the thought and unconsciously pulled her short hair. Just thinking about that time irritated her to no end. Also thinking about that cocky bastard's face irritated her to no end. Thinking about him in general made her gag and reel and puke.

The cocky bastard was there when Mai begged the teachers to recount the scores. She was adamant that there was a mistake, that she was truly the one who had the top score. It was the start of their ridiculous relationship.

They would mock each other all day, feed each other insults in every other exchange of words, and trade sickening smiles every time they met. Keiko and Michiru always teased Mai that she and the cocky bastard oozed of sexual tension whenever they saw them together.

Ridiculous, Mai thought as the vehicle stopped for the third time. Absolutely ridiculous.

The operator called twice as she angrily got out of her seat. She exited the bus without any legs blocking her - not that she noticed. The universe greeted her with unbearable humid air mixed with occasional raindrops, a greeting that only intensified her frustration.

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A/N: Oh my. Her head was filled with thoughts of another boy. *Gasp* She's cheating on the handsome stranger! Hahaha! Thanks for reading! :D