Chapter 11.)

Although Tomoko wished that that Summer could have gone on forever and ever, just playing games and hanging out with her new boyfriend, it was not long before school began to start up once again. Though she dreaded the thought, for once she actually felt like taking on the challenge of the new year.

However, as Tomoko should have learned to guess by now, her plans don't always go accordingly.

"Time to wake up, wake up!" Tomoko's alarm rang. Tomoko glanced over her shoulder from her computer desk.

"I don't remember setting an alarm to go to bed," she whispered to herself. "I had better get cleaned up and hit the hay. Tomorrow's a big day,"

Tomoko shimmied out of her clothing and into a semi-fresh pair of shorts and a raggedy old t-shirt.

"Time to wake up, wake up!" her alarm sounded again.

"Alright, alright," she said, turning off the alarm.

Suddenly, her heart dropped.

"It's 7:15?!" she shrieked. "I was up all night?!"

Tomoko ran over to the window. Sure enough, the sun was out, grimly acknowledging her fears.

"SHIT!"

"Tomoko! It's time to get up! Breakfast is ready in 10." her mother called up the stairs.

"Alright!" she said, her voice cracking. Taking her school uniform off of the hanger, she rushed into the shower, and tried to wake herself up with the hot water.

As the effects of her computer screen began to diminish, she began to feel the exhaustion accumulating. She had no sleep, no caffeine, no time, and to add to it all, the heat of the water made her feel so good. She rested her cheek against the glass of the shower, and felt shivers run up her spine.

Maybe if I just lie down for a minute…

Tomoko curled into a pale, naked ball, and, on the brink of sleep, shot up in a hurry.

"No," she said to herself. "No moe-blob shenanigans this year! I'm a real adult now—and adults can stay awake,"

Tomoko turned on the cold water, and shuddered.

"Invigorating!" she said, obviously hating the feeling.

As Tomoko began to put her uniform on, she could tell something was wrong. The skirt, for one, was far shorter than her old one, which went down below her knees. This skirt came well above her knees, making her look like one of the common sluts at her school. When Tomoko checked the dry-cleaning tag, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Yui Ito," she said aloud. Yui was one of the popular students at her school—a girl just a little bit taller than Tomoko (and a little bit bustier). The dry cleaner had made a mistake in their uniforms.

Tomoko couldn't even look in the mirror. The shock of seeing her own body in the uniform of a slut was enough to both frighten her and turn her on—and she had no time for a panic attack/masturbation.

"MOM!" she called out from behind the bathroom door.

"What is it?"

"Do we have my extra uniform?" Tomoko asked, not really desiring an answer.

"Not yet sweetie," she responded. "It's still at the dry-cleaners."

Shit.

Embracing her doomed fate, Tomoko looked in the mirror.

"It looks like today is going to be terrible," she said, tears in her exhausted eyes. "I had such high hopes too,"

By the time she had made it downstairs, she could barely eat. She was hungry, but nearly every time she picked up some food, she lost focus—either from exhaustion or embarrassment—and set it back down.

"Are you alright, Tomoko?" her mother asked.

"Mhmm…" Tomoko said, her eyes half-mast.

"Eat up, then. You have a big day today,"

Tomoko nodded, using all of her energy to take a sad, pitiful bite of rice.

Humans should not live like this. She thought to herself.

"You don't really have a lot of time now, Tomoko," her mother said.

Sure enough, it was already nearly 8. Tomoko put a piece of toast in her mouth, and ran out the door with her things.

Okay, I know I said no more moe-blob shenanigans. But this toast-in-mouth trope is the last one. After this I'm a real adult.

To avoid getting her hair all over her face, she tied it back into a ponytail, and, acknowledging that fate had it in for her, ran as fast as she could.

When she finally arrived at school, she was a tiny bit late. Everyone was just taking their seats, when suddenly, Tomoko burst through the door, blushing from the run and the embarrassment. Her hair pulled back, her face red, and her skirt slightly higher than usual, a few of the boys in her class suddenly took notice of her.

"Is that Kuroki?" one whispered.

"Who's Kuroki?"

"You know, that weirdo who never talks,"
"Wait, that's her!? She looks so different with her hair pulled back,"

Suddenly, the teacher spoke up.

"You're late, Miss…."

"Kuroki, sir."

Tomoko, who had now reached the front of the class, bowed deeply, apologizing—unaware of a simple equation: short skirt + bowing = panty shot. Several of the boys giggled as they saw her cheap, pink, 99c store value panties—but a few, though they wouldn't admit it, were somewhat intrigued.

"Just don't be late again, Kuroki,"

"Yes sir," she said, blushing.

"You can sit in the front, far right, Kuroki," the teacher pointed a seat to her.

Tomoko looked around for Aizaku. He was nowhere in sight. Come to think of it, she didn't even know if they were in the same class.

As the teacher took attendance, Tomoko waited for Aizaku's name.

"Ito, Yui?"

No response.

"No? Ito?"

"H….here…" a weak voice called out.

Sitting in the back, wearing a skirt down to her ankles, was poor Yui Ito.

She's wearing my skirt! So she didn't have a backup either?

"You're here, Ito?"

The whole room looked towards her, and she about melted in fear.

"Yes!" she said, as bravely as she could. Her face was red.

"Alright, Ito is present."

Tomoko didn't remember anything that happened after that—she had fallen asleep. But as soon as break began, Yui came over to her and nudged her gently.

"Kuroki?" she said softly. "Please wake up,"

"Whu?" Tomoko said, drool dripping from her mouth.

"I…I think our uniforms were switched…"

Tomoko nodded, barely understanding.

"When do you want to switch back?" Tomoko asked.

"Maybe after school today?"

"Yeah sure," Tomoko said, putting her head back down. She wasn't trying to be rude—she was actually exhausted beyond belief.

Yui went back to her group, still embarrassed.

"So what'd she say?" one of her boy friends asked.

"She said she's not interested in going out with any of you guys,"

"She said that?!" the whole group seemed to ask simultaneously.

"Yep. Plain and simple."

"Just 'No'?"

"Yep. She said she can do better," Yui continued to lie.

"Really!?" All of them glared at the sleeping Tomoko—some with indignation, some with jealous resentment.

"Maybe I couild go talk to her—"

"No," Yui demanded. "She's toxic,"

"Sheesh really?"

"Total bitch," Yui said. "I'm regretting that I have to even talk to her later."

Tomoko stirred a bit, and rolled over so that her head faced the ceiling. They could see her face, and a thin line of drool across her cheek. She snored somewhat loudly from the strange position she was in.

"She's still pretty cute though," one said.

"Yeah. When she pulls her hair back she's actually not half bad."

Yui, still desperately desiring positive attention, attempted to pull them back in.
"I'm free this Saturday if you guys want—"

But it was too late. She watched in horror as one of the boys—a tall, thin one named Yamato—walked over to her, and tapped her shoulder. Tomoko didn't move, so he nudged her. Again, no movement. He took her by the shoulder and shook her a bit—to which Tomoko responded violently, waking up in a flurry, yelling "NOT MY EYES! GET THEM AWAY FROM MY EYES!". The boy shot back in fear. The whole class suddenly began to laugh.

Tomoko put her head down in shame. She had been having that dream again—about the beetles and the bugs in the grass eating her face.

"Um…." Yamoto said, fearing her 'toxicity'. "Are you alright?"

"Y…yes…" she said, rubbing her eyes.

"I was just wondering... if maybe you'd like to come hang out some time,"

"Yeah, sure," Tomoko said, lying her head down again. She was not fully aware of what she was agreeing to. In her half-dream state, she imagined that she was merely playing an eroge or dating sim.

"How about Karaoke, just the two of us? Tomorrow evening?"

"Mhmm…."

"I mean, I really think you're a cool girl," he said.

"Cool giirrirl," Tomoko repeated.

"Exactly…" he said. "So you're down to come on a date with me?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, putting her head back down.

"Alright!" Yamato said.

When he triumphantly returned, his friends hi-fived him, and patted him.

"Man Kuroki's really mysterious," he said. "…she's super intriguing."

"What'd she say?"

"She said she'd go…" Yamato said. "Alone with me in a Karaoke room."

"You're lucky man—but don't count me out as competition!" one of Yamato's friends joked.

"She seemed like she was interested," Yamato said.

"She'd be lucky to have you,"

As the conversation continued, Aizaku, who was seated right behind the conversation, heavesdropped, a book covering his face. He hadn't seen how Tomoko had responded—otherwise he would have seen that everything she had said was not in her right mind. He had only heard that Tomoko had agreed to go on a date with one of the most popular guys at school—and that she had flashed the whole class her panties.

He honestly wanted to be angry at Tomoko. He wanted to make her feel bad. But he knew he loved her too much to do that.

Rather, he was filled with a deep, stinging sadness that penetrated his whole being.

"My….my Tomo?"

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