The fact that I haven't updated this story in over a month is very depressing.
Edit: Silly me, I completely forgot to add lines in-between each scene XD
If it weren't for Xx-Darkcrimson-xX's review, I wouldn't have noticed. Sorry about that, Darkcrimson, and anyone else who had read the chapter.
Yesterday
"Goodbye, Miku."
"See you."
Not long after Yukiko's departure, Miku found herself tempted to turn to the side, just a simple glance.
She knew she shouldn't have, yet she still gave into the temptation and was met with Ami chatting with the notorious Nagasawa Juria.
Anger and hurt bubbled inside her chest, summoning that unwanted familiar pain that had long since integrated itself into Miku's life—it was that aching caused when the drift was so strong.
It was a simple glance, but Ami noticed and met her eyes. Tensing, Miku tore her gaze away and began her miserable journey home. Ami didn't call her, not that Miku expected her to, though she couldn't deny that part of her would've wanted that. 'Is it…?' She clutched her bag. 'Is because I keep lying Ami? Is that why you really stopped hanging out with me and Yukiko?'
"Stylist?" Ami raised a curious eyebrow. "I didn't know you cared about fashion and make-up, Miku."
'I don't.' The girl looked down as the memory replayed itself in her mind.
"Yeah." Miku said. "I like it."
"Since when?" Ami asked, clearly unconvinced, "You were always more interested in the interior of the human body than the exterior."
Miku laughed, mostly to mask her nervousness. "Yeah, well now I care about both." She flipped back her hair, hoping it will help sell her act.
Ami hadn't inquired further after that, but the skepticism plainly shone in her eyes. Not surprising, Ami had always possessed this gift of seeing past others' lies and charades. Of course that poorly, thought-out lie wouldn't fly by her.
She also didn't expect it to open a drift between them. Given the insane amount of pressure A Class were burdened with, it was understandable why Ami frequently sat among her classmates than with Miku and Yukiko as she had done at the start of their first year.
But as time went on and Ami's presence faded from them, uncertainty began haunting Miku in the form of a simple, but terrifying question. 'Is she purposely avoiding me?'
Miku kept telling herself that it was just her anxiety taunting her. After all, Ami was her childhood friend—her first friend! And they had maintained that friendship during the four years they had spent at different schools. 'I only came to Kunugiaoka to see you again, Ami.' She thought bitterly.
She eventually reached her house, but as always, it would take her ages to get inside. In fact, she would purposely walk up to the front door with the slowest pace known to man, just to avoid the inevitable for a bit longer.
Alas, you can never avoid the inevitable.
With a sigh, Miku finally opened the door and was greeted by the usual resident: Silence.
Silence followed her all the way to her room, where Miku carelessly tossed her school bag to the ground and let herself fall on the bed.
There was a plethora of things she could be doing at the moment: get changed, have lunch, heck, maybe watch a movie!
But Miku was too drained for any sort of productivity, drained and depressed. She knew it was stupid, but she didn't care. Her mind was still fixated on Ami, on the drift between them, and on the fact that she had replaced Miku with Nagasawa Juria of all people! Miku had contemplated tell Ami the reasoning behind her fake persona as the stylist of B Class, but every time, she ended up with the same question: Would she understand? 'I know it's stupid, but…' Miku bit her bottom lip from wobbling. 'You just wouldn't understand, Ami.'
No one would understand why Ozawa Miku constantly lied in others' faces, why she presented them with the illusion that happy-go-lucky fashionista was a mere illusion—a mask Miku desperately donned for the sake of popularity.
Because popularity brought her attention; and attention shielded her from the monster who had accompanied her throughout life: Loneliness.
It always greeted her the moment her parents left for work, but even when they were around, loneliness persisted in the form of an invisible barrier between them. To this day, Miku felt this rift separating her from her parents even in the rare moments where all three sat together at the table, or were physically present in the same room, it was like she couldn't reach them.
But the silence of her lonliness grew louder the day she woke up to find her beloved sister had run away after a rather intense debate with their parents. Devastation had mercilessly hit the then eight-year-old with excessive force that she spent the majority of that tragic day crying her eyes out on the bed.
Miku quickly shut her eyes when her vision began to blur. 'Nee-chan.'
Even after all those years, Miku still could recall a memory of her sister without getting teary-eyed. 'You don't deserve a tear, Nee-chan.'
But the loneliness grew more sadistic, laughing at her when she learned that Ami was going to another school, and although they had kept in touch with calls, text, and social media, Miku could feel another rift opening, separating her from her last source of companionship.
And now, the rift only widened thanks to the lies Miku webbed around herself, all to keep the loneliness - not Ami - away from her. 'Is that the real reason we barely hang around now?
It wasn't as though Miku lied all the time. She was genuinely good at biology, and she did value every single friendship she had forged in B Class.
But the tragedy in friendships was that they all came to an eventual end. Time and time again Miku had to say goodbye to many people she called friends. She still remembered crying the night before her graduation from elementary because she wouldn't see her friends again. Even if they kept in touch via text and social media, the drift would still occur.
Her friendship with Ami was pretty much over at this point, and the bonds she shared with her classmates would break someday. Even the kind-hearted Yukiko would leave her someday, forget about her even.
That's why Miku donned her mask. It didn't matter how painful the impending goodbye would be, Miku just wanted to be surrounded by as many people as possible, even if that meant being Kunugigaoka's biggest fraud. 'You just wouldn't understand, Ami.'
"Can you explain this, Yuriko?"
The girl in question flinched at the hard tone with which her mother carried her name. It felt so wrong to be scolded; normally, she was a good girl who proudly had their trust.
Until now, that is.
"Well?" Her mother tapped her foot impatiently, her glare growing colder when she received no response.
Yuriko's head sunk even lower when she heard her father sigh.
"We're very disappointed in you, Yuriko." The man shook his head. "We know you're a smart girl, so how you can you just let your grades slip like that?"
"Isn't it obvious?!" His wife snapped before Yuriko even had a chance to respond. "Because she's an idiot!"
Yuriko flinched again.
The man turned to his daughter. "Have you been having trouble at school? Do you need a tutor?"
"No, she doesn't!" The woman yelled again. "What she really needs is to get her head straight and stop wasting time!"
"I wasn't talking to you." He retorted with his own cold glare.
"Well, I'm not hiring a tutor!" The red-faced woman turned back to her daughter. "I am not wasting any more money on this failure!"
"Honey!"
"You want to go to the gym, you want to buy a new make-up kit, you want a new dress, you want this, you want that! You just want, want, want!"
The girl kept her head lowered. 'All I want is to look pretty.'
And it was for that reason she had fallen so low. All those minutes and hours she'd spent trying to lose weight, brighten her complexion, doing her all to look beautiful—more beautiful than her. Had she invested all that time on studying, she wouldn't have been having this lecture in the first place.
"Well, we want you to get good grades so you can have a good job and buy all those things instead of wasting our money and for what?!"
'I just wanted to be beautiful.'
Of course she'd never say that; she knew it wasn't an excuse to neglect her studies. It just couldn't be helped, though! It was so unbelievably infuriating to be in the same class as the so-called Beauty of B Class; just thinking about that stupid title made Yuriko's blood boil.
"I am not buying you anything anymore!" Her mother angrily threw the report card on the ground.
"Calm down!" Her father yelled.
"No, I won't!" She snapped, storming out of the living room. "From now on, tell your father to get you whatever useless thing you want, see if it'll get your grades up!"
Mr. Miyazawa sighed and glanced at his daughter, her head was still cast down.
"Yuriko," He spoke calmly, but firmly. "Why did this happen?"
The girl did not respond, not that he expected her to.
"We've seen you study," He continued, walking forward. "You would always get up early in the morning to study, right?"
"…Yes."
"Or was all that time spent on make-up like your mother kept telling me?"
Finally, finally, Yuriko looked up at him in shock. That's it, that as well as the brief moment of hesitation that came before her response was all he needed as confirmation. Why was Yuriko surprised anyway? Nothing in this house eluded Mrs. Miyazawa.
Mr. Miyazawa sighed again. "Look, we have no problem with your new hobbies, but that doesn't mean you neglect your studies like that; learn to prioritize."
Prioritize…if only, the girl thought bitterly.
"I'll study more." She promised in a quiet, slightly desperate voice; there were traces of shame as well. "Some of my classmates are going to hold study sessions at school; I want to attend them."
The man regarded her sternly, and it pained Yuriko to see so much mistrust swimming in his eyes. He doubted her words, but could she really blame him? After all, she'd let her parents down—way, way down. It might be a while before they can put their faith in her again.
"Go to your room."
This was how Yuriko found herself curled beneath the covers of her bed. She'd probably been lying there for more than half hour. 'Just keep wasting time, Yuri.' She clutched the blanket tighter. 'That's all you're good at.'
Standing a few meters away from the bed was her dresser, where all her cosmetics—her downfall, lay scattered on top.
The face cream container was nearly empty thanks to daily usage; the same could be said for her moisturizer and foundation, she would take 10 minutes to apply them.
That was nothing. Many times it took her up to half an hour just to apply eyeliner…countless times; she was still far too inexperienced to get it right on her first try.
The blush took her forever because her perfectionist side wasn't easily satisfied. Applying the eye shadows was such a chore, and the eyelashes…Yuriko would rather accidentally get one stuck in her eye than ask that bitch, Ozawa, for tips!
"Dropping down from 65th to 77th place?" Ozawa's irritating words rang through her ears mercilessly. "That's a big problem, Miyazawa-san."
"Shut it, bitch." Yuriko mumbled darkly, curling herself even more.
"I can't believe that girl!"
Yuriko winced and instinctively clutched on to the blanket even more, as if somehow, it's going to block out her mother's outraged tone. What silly delusions; not even the walls weren't strong enough to shield her from the yelling.
"I'm telling you, we should—"
"She doesn't need a tutor!" The woman cut him off. "My daughter is not an idiot! She just needs to stop wasting time!"
Her father was still considering a tutor? Well, of course he was, he didn't trust her after all. She already knew that, but…truthfully, she had hoped bringing up the study session would put an immediate end that idea. 'I don't need a tutor!' She gritted her teeth. 'I don't!'
Tossing her blanket away, the redhead swiftly got out of bed and made her way to her messy desk.
Her mother was right; Yuriko wasn't an idiot, she just needed to stop wasting time. She'll do better next semester, earn her parents' trust back, and never lose it again. Forget make-up and weight loss, Yuriko had a future to worry about; she had—
My Goals
The girl's eyes widened at the slightly wrinkled paper resting atop her history book. With a shaky hand, Yuriko slowly picked it up, her mind telling her to throw it in the trash bin that directly next to her. She had to; those stupid goals brought her nothing but misery.
And yet….Yuriko didn't do that. No, she made the ridiculous mistake of reading the contents of this cursed sheet, even though she'd memorized them by heart at this point.
Lose at least 5 pounds
Yuriko only managed to lose one pound; the reminder made her feel like such a failure.
Apply make-up like a pro
Again, she'll be damned if she ever turned to Ozawa for help.
Be elegant and graceful
Get the highest grade in Japanese
Brighten your face
Soften your hair
The girl let out a bitter chuckle; that was the only goal she managed to reach, and she was proud of herself honestly.
But, those soft, silky locks came at a price, and that was time. Time was also what took to perfect her posture, trying to carry herself with grace so that she'd be the one to effortlessly catch the boys' eyes when stepping into the classroom, and not her.
Time, a great deal of it, was what all those daily, tiring exercises took as well, all to attain the perfect body, just so she could look better than her.
The poor, helpless paper was mercilessly crushed in her palm before it was finally dropped into the trash bin—its inevitable place.
Now, it was time to study. She'll get her grades back up and earn her parents' trust again.
"Gotta prioritize." She told herself as she wrote down a new study schedule. "Studies first, make-up later."
Present
It wasn't unusual for them to eat in silence, especially during breakfast, when they are preoccupied with getting to work or school on time.
But this time, the silence they normally enjoyed was thick to swallow due to the lingering events of yesterday. It pained Ayako to see her daughter and husband avoid eye contact—Yukiko out of fear, and Kazuto out of remorse. This won't do, she decided. It was time to play mediator.
So with her usual, kind smile, Ayako turned to her daughter. "Yukiko?"
"Yes?" Yukiko looked up to meet the woman's gaze.
"Do you have a specific phone in mind for your father to get?" She asked, noticing Kazuto tense from the corner of her eye. "In case he doesn't find the same brand as your old phone?"
Kazuto glanced to the side, feeling uncomfortable at the indirect reminder of his shameful action.
"No." Yukiko said quietly, looking back down at her meal. "Any brand will do."
Ayako frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
As though telling her to let her grandmother starve wasn't enough, Yukiko had been horrified to learn that he had also broken her phone.
It didn't matter if he was only angry and that he will buy her a new one, the phone was of no great significance, but the fact that he had actually destroyed something?! Really, why was her mother still siding with him?
The woman quickly racked her brains for another way to open a conversation between the two and amend their relationship. Luckily, she didn't have to think too much, because a brilliant idea quickly popped into her head.
"How about you buy a new phone together?"
Father and daughter froze at the suggestion.
"Sunday?" Ayako turned to her husband. "You won't have any work; it'd be a nice outing, no?"
Kazuto's eyes widened and showcased a level of uncertainty. However, it seemed like he was actually considering the idea, much to the woman's joy.
Ayako turned to Yukiko. "You can check out all sorts of brands and designs. Accessories, too! You can pick out—"
"No!" The girl quickly said, returning to her plate.
The excitement instantly faded from Ayako's visage. Kazuto also seemed mildly disappointed; part of him had been looking forward to it, but then again, maybe it was best they didn't. In fact, it was best if they didn't interact for the time being.
"Good morning!"
The three Kanzakis blanched when they saw their oldest member happily grace the dining room and take a seat next to Yukiko. Megumi ignored their surprised look, though her amusement was pretty much written all over her face.
"Why are you out of bed?" Ayako asked, her bemused tone carrying the question with an obvious hint of disapproval.
"Because I feel better!" The elder said cheerfully.
Ayako didn't look convinced, neither did Yukiko. Kazuto avoided eye contact, still remorseful of yesterday.
"I am." Megumi assured them and patted Yukiko's head affectionately. "And it's all thanks to my granddaughter's splendid care!"
Yukiko smiled genuinely for the first time since waking up, feeling her grandmother's words engulfing her with warmth.
Ayako wasn't convinced. Megumi did look healthier than before, but that did little to disperse her worry, especially when she the elder had gone to bed without dinner last night.
"Go back to bed, Megumi-san." Ayako said as she got up. "I'll bring up breakfast for you."
"There's no need, Ayako." Megumi said. "Like I said, I'm feeling better and I've already had breakfast."
Ayako raised a surprised eyebrow. "You did?"
"Why, yes!" Megumi turned to Kazuto. "Who knew you could cook? Well," She shrugged. "I wouldn't consider omelets and orange juice as all that cooking, but good try, good try."
The man finally met her gaze just to give her an annoyed look, but didn't say anything.
Ayako stared at her husband in surprise, wondering when he had made breakfast for his mother. Her mind then wandered back to when she found him in the kitchen. 'He must've made her breakfast while I was asleep.' She couldn't help but smile slightly at that.
But perhaps no one was as surprised as Yukiko. In fact, it was hard for her to conceive given how it contradicted her father's actions from yesterday. "Let her starve!" His harsh words still rang through her skull, and Yukiko certainly hadn't forgotten the rage burning in his eyes.
He was just angry; people said things they didn't mean when they were angry. So, he hadn't really meant to starve his own mother after all.
Yukiko grimaced; try as she might, she just couldn't be content with this excuse.
"I mean, it wasn't bad," The elder continued. "I'd say edible would best describe it, so I'll give it...five, maybe six out of ten."
Yukiko barely managed to suppress her giggles while Kazuto regarded his mother with bemusement.
"Kazuto helped me with breakfast." Ayako shot her husband a grateful smile, hoping her words would maintain this harmonious atmosphere, mainly for Yukiko's sake.
Megumi laughed. "Did he?" She met her son's gaze. "Looks like you're not hopeless after all."
Kazuto rolled his eyes and kept eating.
"He also helped Yukiko with lunch yesterday." Ayako added.
"Huh?" The elder turned to her granddaughter for confirmation. "Is that true, Yuki-chan?"
Yukiko gave her a silent nod.
Megumi laughed. "That's reassuring! And here I thought you'd die of starvation should you be left home alone for an entire day, you silly boy!"
"I can assure you, I'll survive." The man said, shooting her a glare.
"On what? Omelets and orange juice?" Megumi challenged, "Slightly burned omelets to be more specific?"
"It was a simple mistake!" The man yelled defensively, a vein pulsing on his head. So what if he had left the omelet in the pan for a bit longer than needed? He just wanted to make sure they were cooked properly!
"Mm hm," The elder held up two figures. "This is how long you'd survive on your own cooking—two hours!"
The man huffed. "Well, you obviously survived."
"That's because I've mostly been enjoying five star meals courtesy of my little Yuki-chan here."
Meanwhile, Ayako was having a hard time maintaining her smile…and also resisting the urge to smack her head on the table.
They just couldn't have a normal conversation, could they? Megumi just had to get under Kazuto's skin, and Kazuto just had to get all defensive. It was in these times, Ayako wished she could just outright yell at them, maybe then they'll both remember to behave like actual adults in front of Yukiko!
"I mean, look at you!" The elder gestured to him. "Sticks and stones! It's a miracle you're not dead yet."
"More like a curse seeing as I have to deal with you on a daily basis."
Mm hm, that is something perfectly acceptable to say to your mother; right, Kazuto?
"Oh, you'd miss me once I die."
"I will only miss the times you weren't irritating!"
Yes, that's also perfectly acceptable to say to your mother, Yukiko; take notes from this so-called gentleman.
In his defense, Megumi was pushing too many of his buttons, but that didn't mean the man had to let her get on his nerves. Really, just because Megumi was being immature doesn't mean Kazuto had to follow suit!
"Hurry up, Kazuto." Ayako turned to her husband. "You don't want to be late."
"Right." He nodded and continued eating.
"Hm? Aren't you going to work, Ayako?" Megumi asked.
"No, I'll be taking a day off since I'm a bit exhausted."
"Ah, your boss's been working you to the bone, eh?" Megumi gave her a sly smile. "Keep in mind I'm talking about your boss in the bedroom here."
Kazuto choked while Ayako blushed madly and looked ready to die on the spot.
"Mother!"
"Megumi-san!"
Yukiko just frowned, not at all understanding the innuendo. "What?"
"N-Nothing, nothing!" Ayako quickly said, smiling widely in desperate (and failed) attempt to hide her flustered state. "It's nothing at a—"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Mother and daughter jumped at the loud, livid tone of one Kanzaki Kazuto, who at this moment, looked ready to murder his laughing mother before him.
"Why would you…? What possessed you to….?" He gritted his teeth at his inability to form a proper sentence. "Of all the atrocious, idiotic, unbelievable, unacceptable things to say, mother, you're lucky I'm letting y—"
The man paused when he took notice of his daughter's lowered head and quivering form, similar to yesterday, when he had been yelling at his mother as he was doing now. Then, there was the sight of her tear-cheeks when he'd finally built up the courage to finally check up on her last night.
Ayako watched in fascination as the man calmed himself down and left the dining room without another word. Megumi was just as surprised, intrigued even.
So caught up in the man's unexpected actions, they failed to notice Yukiko tightly clutch her knees, not at all bothered by the pain she brought to herself.
'Nii-san,' her knuckles were chalk white now. 'You were right to run away, Nii-san.'
Her father was soon off to work, much to Yukiko's relief.
Now, the girl sat in her room, her only company being the old black phone that once belonged to her mother.
Right now, Yukiko was just one button away from calling her brother; one button, that's all. She desperately wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice at least, but one question kept standing in her away: 'Will he pick up?'
It wouldn't be a surprise if he didn't, not after receiving a call from their father via her old cell. What's stopping Ryuuto from thinking it was him again? The thought filled her up with frustration and resentment towards her father.
What if she texted him instead? That could disperse all doubts and assure her brother that was indeed her.
Yukiko: Hi, Onii-san, it's me, Yukiko.
The girl pressed her lips together as scrutinized every letter. 'What if he thinks it's actually dad?'
The idea of her father texting Ryuuto pretending wasn't improbable. It would understandable if Ryuuto were reluctant to reply, assuming he replies at all, that is. Maybe a follow-up text would help?
That's when she remembered something: Her father was all about impeccable writing, a necessary skill for any lawyer to possess, but Yukiko would wager he was the only person on the face of the planet to apply these skills to texting. The rare messages she'd receive from him could be classified as academic papers.
Yukiko: Hi Nii-san
Never ever would her father deliberately forego punctuation, and normally, Yukiko wouldn't either—she was raised by him after all. However, this was the only way she could verify her identity to her brother.
Yukiko: Please call me okay
The lack of punctuation did irritate her, but again, it was all for the sake of verifying herself.
Yukiko: Plz
Never ever would the great Kanzaki Kazuto use abbreviations. Her brother should have no reason to be skeptical anymore; she really hoped not.
"Hm?" The girl's eyes widened slightly when she received a text from Miku.
Miku: Hi, Yukiko! Wanna hang out?
Miku: Maybe not today if you're busy.
Miku: Just, y'know, sometime.
A small smile adorned the girl's features. Three simple messages from her best friend were all she needed for her spirits to lift. Sadly, that happiness did not last for Yukiko doubted her parents would let her out of the house after what happened last night. What if they thought she was also running away? The thought irritated her; she may be young, but she could tell right from wrong.
Yet, at the same time, she didn't really want to be in this house. In fact, she felt uncomfortable here. Yukiko sighed and typed her reply.
Yukiko: Sorry, Miku. I can't today.
She also had to eventually study in preparation for the second semester because she cannot, under any circumstances, anger her father. The furious gaze from the previous night still haunted her.
Yukiko's thumb hovered over the send button for quite some time, hesitance dominating every inch of her mind. Finally, she closed her eyes and reluctantly pressed sent, heart clenching when she pictured her friend's disappointed face.
'I should study.' She told herself.
However, it seemed impossible to tear her gaze away from the screen and from Miku's text messages in particular. Seconds morphed into minutes, and Yukiko was still wasting time by staring at the screen.
"Oh, Yukiko?"
The girl tensed at the feminine voice and quickly looked up to meet her mother's curious gaze, her hand moving to cover the screen. 'When did she come in?'
Ayako frowned at that action. "Is something wrong?"
"No." The girl shook her head.
"Is the phone working well?"
"Yes."
The woman walked closer and sat down on the bed next to her daughter.
"Are you alright?" She asked carefully.
"Yes."
Ayako would have believed her had she not detected some dejection in her tone. It was faint, but still failed to elude her. The slight tense she received for simply addressing her daughter was not lost on her either, and it was very concerning. 'Is she hiding something from me?'
That was the last thing she wanted. It was bad enough her son ran away, now her daughter was keeping things? 'It's like I don't know them anymore.'
"Why are you covering the screen like that?" She asked calmly.
Yukiko looked down. "It's nothing."
"Then why are you covering it?"
No answer.
"Honey," Ayako said, placing a gentle hand on top of her daughter's. "Please don't keep secrets from me, okay?" She gave the girl a smile. "You can trust me."
Can she? Yukiko wasn't entirely sure how to feel about her father, but she was certain she couldn't trust him now, and with her mother standing behind him, that mistrust naturally extended to her as well.
But, why was she hiding the chat in the first place? It was a simple conversation, nothing sketchy or inappropriate, and Yukiko had declined to hang out, so...?
"It's just my friend." Yukiko shoed her mother the phone. "I already said no."
Ayako held the phone and read the messages. "Ozawa Miku; the girl you hang out with often?"
"Yes."
The woman nodded and handed back the device. "Alright," she regarded her daughter intently. "Why do you seem upset?"
"I'm not."
"Yukiko," there was some sternness in the woman's tone. "Don't lie to me."
Yukiko pressed her lips together and broke eye contact. "Well..." she couldn't lie to her mother. "I did want to hang out, but..." she shrugged.
The woman nodded, silently urging her to continue.
'I know you wouldn't let me.'
"I have to study." She said instead.
The woman hummed and smiled once an idea popped into her head.
"Why don't you invite her over?" She suggested.
Yukiko looked back at her mother, genuine surprise shining in her own light brown orbs. 'Is she serious?'
She had expected the woman to agree and give the same old speech about excelling at school and working hard and all that talk, just as her father most definitely would have done. Wasn't she the one who told her to study during the summer after seeing her report card?
Ayako's smile widened slightly; this was just what her daughter needed after last night's ordeal. Plus, it was at home; Ayako trusted her daughter, but after Ryuuto, whom she had also trusted, ran away...it was absurd really, but she felt slightly paranoid.
"I'd like to meet this friend of yours." She said, standing up. "You always say some very good things about her. Also,"
Walking over to Yukiko's closet, she pulled out a simple, but lovely white floral dress. They had bought it about three weeks ago, but Yukiko hadn't had the chance to wear it so far, so this was the perfect occasion for it. Also, Ayako knew her daughter would take long to decide on an outfit to wear, with her second guessing habit and all.
"How about you wear this, today?"
Yukiko smiled and nodded; her overall mood improving.
Yukiko: Sorry, Miku. I can't today.
Miku sighed. 'It's cool, I can ask others if they wanna hang out.' She regarded the message again. 'She said she can't today, that means she can hang out some other time, right?'
Of course, her anxiety just had to pop up and overload the girl's mind with doubt.
Miku clutched the phone tightly until her knuckles grew white. 'Idiot!' She chided. 'Three texts at the same time? Yukiko probably thinks I'm annoying!'
She was vaguely aware that she was overreacting, but the cloth of insecurity had already been sowed and draped over her mind, blocking any rationality.
It was only after sending the first message that Miku remembered friend's submissive nature; it was hard for Yukiko to say no to others' demands. Miku didn't want to force her friend to do anything she didn't really want to, that's why she typed in the second message. However, it'd be nice if they hung out this summer even once; anything than being alone.
She should've just stuck with the first messaged. Maybe if it had been worded differently—
"Huh?" The girl glanced back down at her phone when she felt it vibrating in her grasp. She had two new messages from Yukiko.
Yukiko: Hi, Miku! My mom says you can come over
Yukiko: If you'd like to, of course.
A wide, toothy grin plastered itself onto the brunette's face, wiping away the melancholy that had reigned only moments prior.
Of course she'd like that! Anywhere was better than this suffocating house!
She quickly typed her reply, her grin widening to an inhuman length when Yukiko texted her the address. Miku laughed excitedly and dashed to her closet to get ready.
"Are you getting it, Miyazawa-san?"
"Yeah." Yuriko smiled gratefully at her classmates. "Thanks a lot, Kataoka-san."
It was a miracle her parents had allowed her to attend the class study session. Yuriko was sure she was going to get grounded.
The taller girl returned the smile and nodded. "If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask me for help, okay?"
"Okay."
With that, Katoaka was off to see help out another student. Yuriko watched as their class representative was quickly swarmed by her fans, each one begging for help even over the most trivial questions.
"Kataoka-san, what's the Pi equation again?"
"I keep forgetting it! Can you help me, Kataoka-san?"
"Can you please help me with my English spelling, Kataoka-san?"
"Kataoka-san, when was World War two again?"
That last one…were these girls really students at the nation's top academy?
Of course, Yuriko knew all these stupid questions were just desperate means to get Kataoka's attention. Yuriko sometimes wondered how it would be like in her shoes—to be someone so depended on, admired, respected, and above all, noticed, by the boys, that is.
As amazing as it would be however, Yuriko could imagine it might be taxing, not to mention, irritating, to be depended on so much, and to be asked such stupid questions.
"Who was Napoleon again?"
Desperate and dumb; Yuriko was really starting to pity Kataoka. Maybe she could lend a hand? Decrease Kataoka's workload and also those stupid questions.
Yeah, she can do that. After all, she tutors her stupid, little sister who also asks an insane amount of stupid questions. Sure, she dropped down very, very low during finals, but she wasn't an idiot!
Yuriko glanced around, trying to find someone she can help. The guys were a big no-no since she was too shy to approach the opposite sex. The girls didn't seem like an option since they all wanted Kataoka and only Kataoka to be their tutor.
Most of them. Hazama Kirara was reading another horror novel in her little corner. Yuriko wasn't sure if it was actually another horror novel, but given Hazama's taste, she didn't doubt it was disturbing.
Really, why does Hazama bother attending these study sessions when she doesn't even study? Can't she just read her creepy books at some library?
Luckily for Yuriko, Hazama wasn't the only girl abstaining from the Kataoka swarming. A few seats away was Saitou Ayaka, tapping her pencil on the exercise book in front of her—a clear sign she was having trouble.
Okay, Yuriko will see if she can help her. Sure, she wasn't taking off anything off Kataoka's plate, but who knows? She might be keeping another potential task off said plate, right?
"Hey, Saitou-san."
"Huh?" Ayaka looked up and smiled politely. "Oh, hi, Miyazawa-san!"
"Do you need any help?" Yuriko asked, making sure she didn't sound too hopeful.
"Er, well…" The brunette toyed with her pencil shyly. "It's physics."
"Oh, I can help, then!" The redhead eagerly brought a seat and sat down before Ayaka could accept her offer.
"Okay." Ayaka slide the book for Yuriko to see. "I'm having trouble memorizing this equation."
Yuriko took a look. "The speed equation? It's easy."
The other girl glanced away in shame. "Yeah...physics isn't my strong suit. Doesn't matter how easy an equation is, I always forget it." She sighed sadly and rested her head on her elbow.
Yuriko hummed. "Okay, We're gonna look at it from another angle."
Ayaka nodded and gave the girl her full attention.
"First, you need to understand that physics is all about logic." Yuriko said. "Speed = distance ÷ time. That's the equation, right? Why do you think that?"
"Huh?"
"You can find real life examples." Yuriko stated. "Think of athletes."
"Athletes?"
"Yeah, like runners or swimmers like Kataoka-san." The redhead said. "You've seen Kataoka-san practice?"
"Yeah, a couple of times."
"Haven't you noticed how she always times her swimming?"
Ayaka's eyes widened slightly, indicating that she hadn't given that much thought.
"That's because you need time to determine your speed." Yuriko said, "The pool's already been measured; all that's left is to know how much time it takes you to swim that distance. You get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Regardless, Yuriko elaborated her point more. "Because otherwise, there's no point; you're just swimming. You need to know how much time it took you to see if your speed needs improvement."
"Okay, okay!" Ayaka said, "So, to determine your speed, you need time and distance."
"Exactly!" Yuriko nodded, "So, now whenever you're having trouble recalling the equation, just remember Kataoka-san swimming."
"Okay, so speed = time—"
"Distance divided by time."
Ayaka blinked. "Isn't that the same thing?"
Yuriko really hated stupid questions.
"No, you'll get the wrong answer."
"Oh."
"Physics is all about logic." Yuriko repeated, "The distance is divided by time; look."
Ayaka observed the other girl draw a long, horizontal line on a blank piece of paper. She then chopped it with a series of vertical lines with an unequal distance in between before finally adding some letters above each line.
"Say it took Kataoka-san five minutes to get from point A to B," Yuriko pointed at the aforementioned distance. "And it took her 8 minutes to get to point C. The distance is literally divided by the time."
The brunette gave a long, slightly exaggerated gasp before her head dropped on the table.
"I'm such an idiot." She mumbled. "I knew I was an idiot, but not that big of an idiot."
"Yeah, yeah, so sad." Yuriko said dismissively. "Now—"
She was cut off when Ayaka suddenly lifted her head back up and started singing all of a sudden.
"I'm such an idiot, a big idiot.
Yeah, I'm stupid and I knew it
But I can't believe it, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"
Each "oh" was accompanied by a light tap on the desk. Ayaka ran out of lyrics after that, so instead, she settled on simply humming and snapping her fingers, completely engrossed into her new song which she only came up with just now.
Yuriko shot her an irritated glare and tapped her pencil on the book. "Focus, Miss Idiot!" She said sternly, "Save the musical numbers until after you pass your next physics exam!"
Ayaka snapped back to reality and gave her classmate a sheepish laugh.
"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help myself." She rubbed her neck shyly. "The song just popped into my head, you know?"
"No, I don't." The other girl said flatly.
Ayaka ducked her head in embarrassment. "Sorry, bad habit."
"Whatever; just tell me what the speed equation is."
"Speed = distance ÷ time." Ayaka answered cheerfully and confidently.
"Why is that? How can these two help us determine the speed?"
"Because it's logic!" Ayaka said happily, feeling proud of herself for finally getting it. "For example, athletes need to know how long it took them to cross a certain distance!"
"Right! But do we divide the time by distance?"
"No, it's the distance divided by time!"
Yuriko nodded, "Good girl."
Ayaka smiled brightly. "Thank you, Miyazawa-sensei!"
A genuine smile graced Yuriko's features as a sense of accomplishment swelled up in her heart. It felt nice to be depended on, to be helpful and useful. Amazing how just a few, simple words wiped away that bitter feeling of worthlessness she had been saddled by since yesterday.
Miyazawa-sensei, huh? It has a nice ring to it. Yuriko hadn't given much thought about her future, but since her childhood dream of being a Disney princess wasn't an option, why not consider becoming a teacher? She mentally grimaced when she remembered the disgraceful 77th place.
No, those grades did not determine her intelligence, it was just a fluke. Come second semester, Yuriko will be back at the top, higher than Ozawa, and of course, higher than her.
"Anytime."
Yukiko may be best girl, but Miku is my baby.
Yuriko...she's nice...when you're not Kanzaki Yukiko...
Just a few notes:
Saitou Ayaka is not an OC. She's actually a character from the live action adaptation. She doesn't really do much in the movie, but I still liked her enough to include her in my fic. Had she been my OC, I certainly would've given her another name that wasn't so close to Ayako's.
Speaking of Ayako, I've randomly made today (May 28) her birthday, so I just had to update this fic! Happy birthday, Ayako!
(Oh, yeah, it's her birthday and she's internally raging in this chapter...I'm so evil.)
Now, when's the next update? No idea, honestly. I'll try my best to update as soon as possible, but no promises.