"Hey, have you heard of that strange girl from class 2-C?"
"Ah, Sadako, was it? Like from 'The Ring'?"
"Yeah, her. Someone said that her classmate once teased her then he failed all his exams later."
"Yeah, some also say her gaze can bring sickness to those whose eyes meet hers."
"Ehh! That's way too scary!"
Ever since the start of my second year here in Sobu High School, I've been hearing rumors about this student at 2-C known as 'Sadako'. Most of the rumors are about her related to the supernatural and bad luck that it already reached the dumb ears of my classmates. In fact, the most popular clique of 2-F, or just the school in general, is talking about. Of course I'm talking about Hayama's clique.
Though I'm quite relieved that they're not talking about my social suicides in the past few months, I'm honestly bothered that they just replaced it with another negative gossip. You see, I still feel a slight empathy towards loners that's treated like a disgusting or evil beings. Yes, even though I haven't seen her yet, I can tell that this 'Sadako' is a female loner who kinda has a gloomy aura on her. Source: Me. In my case, because I'm a male with a gloomy aura and a creepy eyes, people always assume that I'm either a creep, stalker, sex predator and such. The female counterpart of these generalizations are being a whore, delinquent (Source: Kawa...something), and of course, witches and ghosts.
That's why I hate normies and their superficial view of people and things. Although they're constantly saying about the beauty of uniqueness and individual differences, they tend to judge based on appearance and social status on how a person is different from them. If they saw a loner, especially those with appearance that are not so appealing, they immediately judge them as someone evil, disgusting, and overall inhuman. Such hypocrites.
At last, lunchtime. Grabbing a can of MAX Coffee and a yakisoba pan, I went to my usual spot. You may already know why I like this spot but I'm gonna explain it anyway. This spot usually receives the relaxing breeze coming from Tokyo bay which I like, a clear view of the tennis court where a girl usually practices which I later identified as Totsuka and he's a boy, and just the overall silence of the spot. One of the best places for a loner indeed.
"Um, is this your pen? I think you've dropped this a while ago."
I suddenly heard a literally cold voice from my back. Too cold that it sent shivers down my spine. I turned around and saw a girl with a hair as long as that of Yukinoshita, freely flowing on her back and shoulders. Her skin is a little bit paler than most girls I know. The unique thing about her is that her skirt is of below-knee length, different from all of the Sobu High School girls where they all have a mid-thigh length skirt. She holds out a pen which was unmistakably mine.
"Uh yeah, Thank you." I received the pen and sat back to continue eating my lunch.
Being a loner myself, I can easily identify a fellow loner. There's no mistake that this girl standing on my back staring into space is a loner, though I couldn't identify if she's a loner by choice or by circumstance. As for me, you already know that I'm both of the aforementioned types of loner. All those years of being ostracized by peers and accumulated realizations made who I am today. Nah, there's no use in figuring out what type of loner this girl...who's still on my back?
"Uh, what is it? You've been standing there for a while now." You're starting to creep me out, actually.
"C-can I sit h-here with y-you?" What's with this stuttering mess? I think I know what type of loner you are now. "I don't h-have any place to eat my l-lunch today. I-I promise that you w-won't be cursed."
As much as I hate sharing my throne to someone else, it won't hurt to share it with her just this once as she probably won't be frequent here considering that it's the first time that I saw her here. And what was that about you not cursing me?
"Sure, not like there's anyone who has the ability to do so."
With that, she sat on the opposite end of the stairs, maintaining a good distance between us. If I was a normal guy, I'm pretty sure that this is definitely a romcom scenario. I mean, just look at us. Two loners sharing the same eating spot, definitely an ideal start of a romcom light novel, or a shoujo manga? Well whatever. As what I already concluded, there's no way anything related to romance will ever happen to me. That time when I was crushing on Orimoto will be the last of it, if that could be considered a romance-related event of my life.
Then I heard a faint murmurs of people at the far end of my back. They're probably talking about me being a creep again that's why I didn't bother listening to them. However, what they've said later surprised me a little.
"Hey, is that the creepy guy who insulted the festival committee chairman?"
"Look, he's with...Sadako."
"As in Sadako? That one who can summon ghosts?"
"Yeah. Birds of the same feather really do flock together, huh."
I turned my gaze on the girl on my right which they refer to as 'Sadako'. As expected, she also heard the people from the back as her sad facial expression says it all. She looks like she's already used to hearing those from people doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt her. In fact, even if she tried to prevent it from showing, I saw the most pained expression I ever saw in my whole life. Did I just stared at her for a good three minutes? Since when did I became a stalker? "Excuse me, are you the girl they always refer to as 'Sadako'?" I don't intend to rub salt on the wound but I just need to know the truth.
"Y-yes. D-don't worry, I can't r-really summon or even see ghosts!" She's was flailing her hands while saying those.
"Nah, I don't believe in ghosts anyway." Besides, humans are way more scarier! "Looks like you have a hard time dealing with those rumors."
"Um y-yes, but I'm already used to it."
"Hmm, I know what you feel. But why they call you 'Sadako'? I'm pretty sure Sadako from The Ring can't summon ghost."
"It's probably because of my name." she replied shyly.
"Eh, you're name is Sadako?" That's a rather bizarre name you got there.
"It's S-Sawako. Kuronuma Sawako."
I see. Because it kinda sounds like Sadako that she's called like so. Combined with her gloomy aura, someone may easilly turn her into a subject of bullying. You know pretty well I'm also in the same situation as her, like my fourth grade schoolmates calling me Hikigay, Hikiguana, and other depression-inducing nicknames that should be buried in the depths of my past.
"I think I get it now. They easily confuse 'Sawako' with 'Sadako' and everyone just agreed on calling you like so. I kinda feel bad for you."
The only reply from Kuronuma was a...blush? I don't think there's anything she should be blushing for right now. Unless it's about... Hah, I did just said 'Sawako' to her. And hold your horses, you depraved youth side of my brain! Not every blush means that a person is attracted to you, there's the most common reason which is being embarrassed and being so angry that it made her cheeks heat up with the accumulated blood. Of course on this situation, the only possible reason that she blushed because she's embarrassed that I mentioned her given name. Like I've said so many times in the past, there's no room for misunderstanding on situations like this.
"Ah don't be, and thank y-you for your c-concern." Unfortunately, that wasn't a display of concern. "C-Can I ask for your name?"
"Hikigaya Hachiman." I then heard the chime of the electronic bell signalling the end of lunch break and the start of fifth period. "It's time, huh? I'm leaving now, Kuronuma-san." I didn't say 'see ya' because I probably won't see her again like this.
"Ah, thank you f-for your time, Hikigaya-san. Please e-excuse me." She bowed to me then bolted to her classroom, possibly due to embarrassment.
Honestly, the idea that I've found a rekindled soul is kinda revolting like it's stripping away my loner title. However, for someone like her, moments like those are like finding an oasis in the middle of a dessert journey. What I mean is that it somehow puts her mind at ease knowing that I didn't treat her as 'Sadako' right during our lunch. As sad as it sounds, the kind of treatment that I gave to her might already be the best that she got so far from the students of Sobu even thou I'm not even trying to act nice to her.
But in all seriousness, though I hate to admit it and it might be my very first to say this but...I don't actually mind befriending her.
A/N: This is an AU where Kazehaya Shouta, the love interest of Kuronuma in the original Kimi ni Todoke manga, don't exist for plot purposes. Also, he just heavily reminds me of Hayama Hayato and it kinda irritates me.