It's really my first day already. I gulp once to push down my nerves, but that doesn't help at all. I double check and triple check my appearance in the bathroom mirror, making sure that I look good enough. First impressions are incredibly important – I know this. But then again, I've already started school once before back at home, so why am I so nervous? I should know what to expect and stop freaking out! But… Then again…!
I stop myself with a deep breath. I look fine. Everything is fine. I don't even know anyone there, so why should I try to look good for them? "Ugh..." I groan. There's something in the back of my mind telling me who exactly I should make an effort for. But that's ridiculous. I only spoke to him once – we might not even be good friends at school. I shake my head, taking one last look at myself. My hair is as normal as ever. The white bow in my hair will never change. Even my new school uniform is pretty cute. I should relax.
"Rinny! Are you almost ready?" I hear a familiar voice calling from downstairs. "Come get breakfast while it's hot!" It's my aunt. I hadn't expected her to go ahead and make my breakfast for me – since I'm a newcomer in her home, I was planning on making my own food and taking care of myself. I don't want her rushing around for me or anything, that wouldn't be fair at all.
Sighing with a shrug to myself, I exit the bathroom and head down the wooden stairs. "I'm coming," I call back, and within a few seconds, I've hopped into the kitchen and the smell of freshly cooked food hits me. "Uwaaahhh..." I whisper in awe, the delicious scent of blueberries almost making my mouth water. I didn't feel hungry at all when I first woke up, but now, I feel starved!
Yukari is grinning brightly over at me, standing by the kitchen table – and that's when I notice the holy pile of sweet treats. There's a whole tray full of blueberry muffins, piping hot straight from the oven. "Good morning, sweetie! Gosh, it's been so long since I've baked something as yummy as these. And since you're starting school this morning, why, I just couldn't help myself!" she greets me with her usual bubbly voice, and I couldn't possibly feel any more loved at this point.
"Oh, Aunty…! That's so nice of you, thank you! But… well… Why are there so many muffins?" I tilt my head to the side, laughing slightly in confusion. I could totally eat all those by myself, but I get the feeling they're not for just me.
Confirming that feeling, Yukari giggles. "You can have a couple for your breakfast, but I made these ones for your classmates. You see, since it's a village school, there isn't a huge amount of students attending. The class you're joining only has fourteen other students your age – of course, there are other classes with younger ages, but you get the point. You can bring them as a gift and become friends with everyone!"
"Oh..." I mumble, starting to feel a bit awkward. If I tried to bring a 'gift' like that to my old school, I'd be ridiculed and made fun of. Teenagers are ruthless like that. How is she so sure the students here aren't the same way? Even Dell said himself there are a few 'rude' students here and there. I don't want to upset the wrong crowd and be subjected to more bullying.
Yukari smiles sincerely, as if she can hear all the worries in my head. "It's okay, dear. Rinta told me you faced quite a lot of troubles back at home… And I can assure you, that will not happen here. This village is one big family. Mess with one of us, and you're messing with all of us. We all look out for each other."
I'm really not used to this. The closest I've come to being friends with everyone like this is in my dreams. I've always wanted to find a place to fit in. Looks like… this might be it. Smiling, I approach the table and take a seat on one of the stools. "Thank you," I say. I reach out to the tray and grab one of the muffins. They must have been taken out a while ago, as they aren't burning hot any more. Perfect.
As soon as I take a bite into the muffin, I feel as though I'm in heaven. Does stuff out in the countryside always taste so much better? Or maybe I just didn't do enough baking of my own at home? Whatever it is, I don't care. So delicious.
"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention," Yukari starts, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. Uh oh. "I may have asked Dell and a couple of his friends to come greet you and walk you to school this morning."
Huh?! I internally freak out. I have to make new friends… right now…?! I didn't expect to be pushed into the deep end so soon. I know I'd have to do it sooner or later, but those students coming to the house for me is even more embarrassing. Oh god. And Yukari might try to embarrass me in front of Dell again.
"Don't look so nervous," Yukari giggles. "This is a perfect opportunity for you. You'll see. They're all lovely kids."
I groan quietly to myself. Okay, this is fine. I can deal with it, whatever. I stuff down the rest of the muffin in a bit of a sour mood, the novelty quickly wearing off as nerves come back. By the time I've finished, the rest of the muffins have started to significantly cool down, so Yukari begins to pack them up in a small box. Once she's done that, I watch her head over to the fridge and pull out a bento box.
"Alright, here's everything you'll need for today. And don't fret, I've already packed your bag with school supplies." Wow, she's thought of everything. She's the best. She presents a brand new backpack for me – my old one is still upstairs, so I'm not sure how to feel about this. I guess it'd just be rude if I deny her offer… It's cute, anyway. A light pink, roomy bag with small pockets and probably full of anything I need.
"Ah… Thank you, Aunt Yukari. I really appreciate it," I grin. It's definitely gonna take a while to get used to all this, though. Starting a new school, all these miles away from home… I think I'm a bit homesick already. But I just always have to remember the reason why I'm here. I won't utter his name. I can't let any more confusing thoughts enter my mind.
Once I stuff both boxes of food into my bag, there's a knock at the front door. Looks like that'll be Dell and his friends. With a flash of a nervous smile to my aunt, I zip up my backpack and swing it over my shoulders. Gripping the straps, I say goodbye to Yukari and head towards the front door. With a deep breath, I open it and try to act as natural as possible.
"Good morning, Rin!" I'm instantly met with Dell's warm smile and greeting. Maybe I can melt into my confidence a bit more… My eyes quickly flick between the group of students standing opposite me. It doesn't take more than a couple seconds. Of course, there's Dell. Next to him is a red-haired boy, his skin slightly pale, and a matching red X-shaped bandage plastered over his nose. Next to that boy, there are two girls – the first has long, dark blonde hair tied into a side ponytail; the second has short curly pink hair tied into pigtails. They each look like very nice, welcoming people. It's been a while since I've looked at a group of kids and thought something positive about them.
"Uhh… H-Hey there, guys. Thanks for coming to meet me," I speak, tripping over my words at first. Laughing slightly out of nervousness, I walk down the small steps and close the door behind me. With that, this group and I start to take a leisurely walk down the front path and out into the village. Glancing around, I notice there are actually a few different paths to take. To the right, I vaguely recognise that it's the road toward the train station. Following the group, we take a left turn down a dirt path that's surrounded by bushes, tall flowering trees and a bunch of buildings in the distance. There are some houses scattered along the way, not too far apart from Yukari's place.
"It's sooo cool to have a new student here – especially another girl!" I look toward the pink-haired girl as she starts a conversation. Her excited tone reminds me a bit of Meiko, but this girl is a bit more reserved than her and has more dignity.
"Mhm," the other girl nods in agreement, and my eyes flicker between them. Dell and the other boy are walking in front of us by a few steps, as the road is too narrow to fit all of us, so I'm at the rear-end, in the middle of both the girls. This other girl has a naturally sort of deep, mature voice – but she doesn't remind me all that much of Miku; I'd guess that this girl here is a bit more of a tomboy than anything.
"You'll love it here, Rin," Dell pipes up, looking over his shoulder at me to smile sweetly. I avert my eyes after our glances momentarily meet, a quiet giggle escaping my lips. "Isn't that right, Fukase?" He directs his question to the red-head beside him.
The one named Fukase speaks up, and he sounds like the most laid-back one out of the group, perhaps a bit shy. "Y-Yeah, that's right… It's good to finally meet you."
With that remark, the two girls beside me both break out into knowing laughter. "Dell hasn't been able to stop talking about you, Rin," the pink-haired girl admits.
"H-Huh?" I squeak, not sure how else to react being told that.
"Hey, stop twisting it…!" Dell immediately spins on his heels, flawlessly walking backwards as he scolds the girls. I lift my glance to look at his face, and I can see the faintest bit of red on his cheeks. That alone causes me to divert my eyes back to the path beneath my feet in embarrassment.
"Ahaha~! We're not twisting anything, just telling it like it is." That tomboyish snorting laughter comes from my left, and I realise now the blonde is talking. A second after she finishes, I feel an elbow being dug into my side as she teases me. I direct my glance up to her, and see her grinning cheekily right at me; Dell now has his back to us.
"Come on, girls… It's only Rin's first day here, go easy on her." Fukase speaks up in a quiet tone, in my defense. This earns another giggle from the girls, and then a collective sigh. This atmosphere is so strange. I'm getting along so well with this group so easily, and it feels incredibly nice. They're seeing me as one of their own already.
"You're right, you're right..." I look to my right this time. "Oh, introductions! Ahah~ It really is nice to meet you, Rin. My name's Teto." The pink-haired girl finally introduces herself to me, and the girl to my left follows quickly.
"Neru is my name, don't wear it out!" She winks at me, her dark blonde hair swaying casually as she walks. So… Dell, Fukase… Neru and Teto. It's so refreshing to meet all these amazing people – maybe I'll be okay over here after all. I can't wait to tell Meiko all about these people when I get home tonight.
"Well, it's lovely to meet all of you, too! You've made me feel so welcome already," I answer, with a sincere smile. I think I'm going to love it here. I hope the rest of my first day goes just as well as this.
…
The walk down the path to school is longer than I first expected, but talking and messing around with the others makes it seem like it doesn't take long at all. I'm in front of the building before I know it. There's a metal fence surrounding the area, and the perimeter of the school grounds is pretty big overall for a supposedly small school. The building stretches out quite a bit, and I can see small children running around the play area at the front.
"So, what do you think? This is our humble little school. We've put our hearts and souls into improving this place and making it a wonderful place for all," Dell says, and it's clear how proud he is of the place. I'm a bit weirded out at how they're talking about a school, but I suppose I'll just have to stick around and see why they love it so much.
"It's… uh, a lot to take in, but..." I honestly reply.
"You'll see why we love it soon," Fukase adds, and he flashes me a small smile.
"C'mon Rin, let's go meet everybody!" Teto excitedly tugs on my arm, eyes bright at the prospect of showing around fresh meat. I remember being in this position a few years ago.
"Yeah, let's head into class. We can get a head start on class work and dibs on the best seats," Neru says, grinning along with the pink-haired girl. I shrug to myself – apparently I'm jumping straight into the deep end once again. I'll have to meet the rest of my classmates. This shouldn't be so bad, I hope. I've only met a few of them so far…
We enter the school building, and it's clear it's been designed for a smaller number of students compared to the city. The halls aren't anywhere near as big as the ones at home, but somehow that just makes me feel less anxious and safer. I follow the group down the hall and take in my surroundings. There are some windows to the left, and to the right, there are a few doors into different rooms. Above the rooms, there are signs indicating which students are to go there, along with a teacher's office and headmaster's office. Between the gaps in the doors, there are art boards stuck up on the walls full of younger students' art and posters advertising small school events.
The halls twist around a bit, with two different directions to go down at the end of the hall. Directly in front of us at the end must be our classroom, as everyone heads towards the door. I quickly look down each turn; there are some bathrooms to the left, and to the right is a slightly bigger door.
Dell slides the classroom door open, and we're greeted by quiet chit-chat from the other students already there. I gulp, feeling my nerves start up again as I dart my eyes between the different teens. Some of them are putting things into their lockers at the back of the classroom, some chilling together at their desks, and there's one by themselves at the front near the chalkboard.
"C'mon Rin, let's grab our seats!" Teto nudges me lightly, which pulls my curious eyes from the one at the board, over to some empty rows of tables. The first thing I notice is that there's five rows of three desks. Chewing on my lip out of a nervous habit, I follow the girls to the back row. Neru sits on the left, Teto sets herself beside Neru… So, I'm left to the last seat on the row. Dell and Fukase sit in front of us, but they both face us to continue our previous conversation.
I take in a deep breath, blocking out any talking for now. I need a moment to pull myself together and really get used to all this. They aren't talking directly to me right now; it's more of a group conversation, so I mumble 'mhm' and all that, acting like I'm still paying attention. But there's something dragging my attention to the front of the classroom, over to the one who's writing on the chalkboard.
I narrow my eyes to take in their appearance. Scanning over them, I finally realise it's a girl who's just a bit taller than the rest of us. She looks very mature for her age, just from the type of presence she's radiating. She has long silver hair that falls down to the very end of her back, and it's tied up by a purple bow. Hold on… That silver hair is familiar.
I wait for a gap in the conversation between my new friends before bringing this up. I pull my eyes off her and pay more attention to the group. Now, how do I ask if she's related to Dell in a casual way…? I don't want to sound weird. Hmm… Ah, of course! "So… How about you guys tell me who everyone is? If I know their names, it might be easier to get to know them." Smooth enough, right? I hate to admit it, but Len definitely has a more natural, casual approach when he wants to know something specific. That damn idiot.
"Oh, that's easy," Neru says, being the first to take the opportunity. She begins to point out the students who are in the classroom, starting with the ones near their lockers and the others that are close to our desks. Then, she settles on the girl at the front, who's only just packing away her chalk. "And that's Haku. Heh… Dell, why don'tcha tell Rin all about her?" With that type of teasing voice, I suddenly get the feeling not everything is as perfect as they first told me.
"Ugh, seriously Neru?" That's the first time I've heard Dell sounding genuinely annoyed.
"S-Sorry, it's not important who she is. You don't have to tell me if you don't want," I quickly interrupt, dismissively waving my hands – although the curiosity is killing me now. Are they also siblings who don't get along?
Fukase lightly coughs. "It's best if we don't go any further than that."
Even Teto is frowning a bit. "Y-Yeah… We keep ourselves to ourselves, end of story."
"...huh," I softly mumble. When I make eye contact with Dell, he looks more upset than annoyed at this point, and that kinda brings my mood down as well. I hope Haku isn't one of those 'rude' or 'mean' people that Dell briefly mentioned a couple days ago. I've had enough of those types back at home. But… Well, I don't even know her… Maybe there's been a misunderstanding between these guys? They might've all been friends at one point. I wonder if… Haku is lonely…? I know they're essentially telling me to stay away, but I know how hard it is to go through pain alone. I could try to find a way to talk to her. At the same time, I don't want to disappoint my new friends and make them mad at me. Hmm.
After a short silence hangs between us all, the conversation gradually begins to pick up again, and for the time being, I decide to forget about Haku and focus on getting through the day, one small step at a time.
We've been chatting for a few minutes now, and just as I begin to wonder when class will be starting, I hear the sound of the door being slid open. Haku has been standing to the right of the teacher's desk ever since she finished writing on the board; as soon as the door opens, though, she stands alert. "Alright everyone, stand please."
A strong, confident voice comes from Haku's mouth. At first, the level of power and self-assuredness surprises me. That's not the type of voice I imagined her to have. Despite me knowing nothing about village school life, it doesn't take a genius to figure out she must be some type of class president, and runs things while the teacher is away. So, with that, I rise from my seat and watch as the teacher enters.
The one who enters is a tall, kind of scary but also kind of friendly-looking man. He wears a dark brown striped suit, carries a suitcase in one hand, and some thin-framed glasses rest on his face. "Thank you, Miss Yowane. You may take your seat now." His voice is very soft – he might actually be the caring type, much like Miss Miki back at home. He sets down his suitcase on the desk and takes his seat.
So, her family name is Yowane. Looks like she might not be related to Dell after all. Hmm, or perhaps… Cousins? "Yes, Sir." She promptly answers, and signals the rest of us to sit down. She takes her seat at the front of the class, and with the other rows of students between us, it's hard to look at her any further. Oh, well.
"Now, to start with, I believe we have a new student joining us today." Oh, god… Why do you have to embarrass me like this? This is ridiculous! My cheeks immediately start burning. A few people turn to look at me; I try my best to avoid their curious glances. "Everyone, this is Rin Kagamine. Please, make her feel welcome! Rin, I'm your year group teacher, Mr Kiyoteru Hiyama."
I guess this must be the part where I say 'thank you!' or something…? "Uh… Um… Y-Yeah, I'm glad to be here…! Thank you, Sir." Good enough. Suddenly, I remember about the sweet treats in my bag. "Oh, um, Sir…! I-I brought along some blueberry muffins for everyone, baked fresh this morning by my aunt Yukari."
"Oooh!" Everyone turns to look at me with big bright, hungry eyes – I notice that Haku does not, however.
"Aw, thank you very much, Rin. Well, I don't normally allow food during class time, but… This is a special occasion – it's not very often we get new students. So, you may go and hand them out to everyone," Kiyoteru announces.
Ah, more interaction with everyone…! This just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it?
…
It's only lunch time and I already feel exhausted. I know I didn't travel by plane, but it feels like I have jet-lag… When the first lesson of the day is over, everyone gathers into their own small friendship groups to push their desks together for lunch; my new friends also invite me to do the same with them. We shift our chairs around and push the small desks together, before Dell moves towards the lockers, offering to retrieve everyone's lunch boxes.
"I can't get those blueberry muffins out of my mind, Rin…!" Teto is the first to speak up once we all sit down, waiting for Dell to return. She's very dramatic, and the likeness to Meiko is almost too much. "I gotta go say hi to Yukari sometime soon – maybe she'll make some cookies for me!~"
"Ahah," Neru softly laughs. "Yeah, ya know what, that does sound like a good idea. Perhaps we'll all take a trip at the weekend."
"Ehh… S-Sure! I'll tell Yukari to make some cookies for us all," I answer, frantically nodding at the chance to spend more time with them all and become closer.
"Sounds good to me, too," Fukase adds. "But if we're going to spend some time together at the weekend, we might as well make a whole day out of it."
"Hmm, make a day out of what?" Dell returns at just the right time, skilfully carrying all of our lunch boxes in his arms, each one stacked on top of the other.
"We're gonna go over to Yukari's place to see Rin and get some free cookies at the weekend!" Teto enthusiastically responds. Her eyes light up even more when Dell sets the boxes into the middle of the desks; he sits down a moment later.
"Oh, right. That does sound fun. Yukari's such a sweet lady, but I did notice how lonely she was before you came to stay, Rin." I raise a brow at this. I forgot that he helps her out quite a lot. "Of course, we all tried to look out for her, but… Well, I'm just glad you're here for her now." I smile softly at this, and for a short while, my chest feels all warm and kinda strange.
"Anyway, as I was saying..." For a split second, Fukase has a teasing grin pulling at his lips, but he regains his usual composure before I get a chance to point it out. "We should make a whole day of it. We can show Rin around the village – take her into town, show her some nature trails, and then when we're done, we can return to Yukari's house and have a sleepover. Like, a, uhm… Welcome party, maybe?"
"Ooh, yay! Sleepover!" Teto clasps her hands together.
Neru finishes organising the lunch boxes, before giving a nod of approval. "The last time we had a sleepover must've been at least a month ago. We can help Yukari make cookies, maybe some pizza, and then we can spend the whole night gossiping!"
Woah, this is all going a bit too fast. First of all, I had no idea they were all so close. Their friendship reminds me of the early days of my old friendship group at home. When we were just as close, but then it all just fell apart. I'm hoping the same doesn't happen here. Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I go ahead and agree. I really need to relax and accept their friendship. "Alright, that actually doesn't sound too bad! I'll let Yukari know tonight, okay?"
"Awesome," Dell grins brightly in response. "Now, Rin. We must make you aware of our traditions."
"Huh…?" The mood suddenly changes to a very serious one – except it feels very… over the top. I raise a brow in curiosity, and wait for them to continue.
"Once our lunch boxes touch the desk, they're no longer yours any more. Basically… Your food is free game to everyone else here!" Teto decides to take over from Dell, and that just leaves me feeling more confused.
So, let me try to understand. I can't eat my own food… but others can? That must mean I can eat anyone else's food.
"Uh oh, I can tell which lunch box is Rin's already," Neru snickers, and she points to one of the boxes on the desk with her chopsticks. I trail my eyes toward where she's pointing, and though at first I don't recognise it as my own, I soon realise how mine is different. Mine is the smallest there – it's clearly meant for one person, a small portion. The other lunch boxes are big and bright, packed full with food.
"That's okay, Rin," Fukase says, smiling at me. He can pick up on that pang of sadness I just felt deep in my heart. I've messed up already. God damn it! "You couldn't have known. We'll let you have the biggest share from us, okay?" His words feel very patronising. That's sly… so very sly…
"Hah… So, that's how it is here, huh?" I grin through gritted teeth. "Well, you guys better believe your butts that I'll bring the biggest lunch box out of all of you tomorrow!" Game face is on. I'm no stranger to competition. These mortals ought to fear me…!
"Very good. Glad you understand," Dell responds, with a slight smirk. "We haven't invited a new person into our group for a long time. You should feel honoured." It's weird to hear that teasing from Dell rather than Neru.
"Well, with that, let's dig in!" Teto starts us off.
"Thank you for the food!" Everyone else cheers together, and so I join in with them. That marks the beginning of a beautiful lunch experience.
…
I let out a long sigh at the end of the school day. It's been so full of excitement, now I truly am tired. Exhausted, actually. It's been as action-packed as a day at school back at home, with Meiko messing around, and all sorts of other things. I've kinda missed my old life today, but I think I'll be able to get used to this life slowly. I'm looking forward to the weekend already, even though it's only the start of the week right now.
Everyone begins to pack up; the bell signalled the end of the day a couple of minutes ago. It's around 5pm. Glancing out the window, it's still light outside. I've already finished putting away all my school stuff and food boxes, so now I'm just waiting for the others to get ready to leave. They're currently chatting at the back of the room near the lockers, and I'm standing near the classroom door. I sneak a look over at Haku. She's currently got her back turned to me, and she's discussing something with Kiyoteru. I still don't know how I'm going to approach her, or if I even should at all. This is something I'll have to consider after the sleepover this weekend.
"Hey, Rin! We're all ready to go!" Teto's voice snaps me out of thought. I turn around to see the group standing together next to me. I give a smile and nod.
"I'll drop you off at home, Rin," Dell offers. "I doubt you know the way back. Besides… I did kind of promise your aunt that I'd show you the way to and from school until you know where to go." He subtly winks at me.
"Ooh~" Neru mocks, in a sing-song tone of voice. I half-expect a suggestive whistle next. "Ow-!" I had no idea Fukase could move that fast. Within a flash, he's whacked Neru across the back of the head, and just as quickly, he's back to his usual position and blank expression. This earns a round of laughter from Teto and Dell.
"I believe we should get going," the red-headed boy casually says. He is the first to stroll out of the door, and we follow after, Neru pouting and rubbing the back of her head.
The walk home is just as long as it had been in the morning. I think I'll start to get used to this eventually. With such welcoming friends by my side, I have no doubt about that. Anyway, the only difference this time is that Neru, Teto and Fukase leave our side at different points, since their houses are off in different directions. That leaves Dell and I for the remaining ten minutes or so. For a while, we walk in silence, appreciating the cool afternoon breeze and the sounds of birds chirping far away. It's been a hectic day, but now that I'm close to home, I start to think about my friends at home. Well, I barely have any friends at all at home any more… But perhaps I should get in contact with Meiko to tell her about today.
Eventually, Dell and I reach the path that's close to Yukari's home. The familiar white fence greets us, and this is where we'll part ways. To say a proper goodbye, I stop outside the fence and turn to him with a warm smile. "Thanks for walking me home..."
Dell laughs, and it's only now that I'm realising it's the most refreshing, pure laugh I've heard in a long time. Unlike Luka, or Kaito, or any other idiot I've wasted my time on… I can tell that Dell really is genuine this time. I look into his eyes for quite a while without really thinking. I keep telling myself I can't rush into things this time, but… those deep, emerald eyes are almost mesmerising… Or is it just that I'm desperate to feel wanted again? I can't tell.
"Well, I'll go tell Yukari about the weekend. She'll be so happy to hear that I've made friends..." I softly chuckle. I'm so happy that I've made friends. "You guys really are the best. You're all some of the nicest people I've met in such a long time, aside from my old friends at home."
"Hmm. Yeah, maybe one day you can tell us all about what your life was like before you came here," Dell says, with a nod. "I bet you had quite the life, huh, city girl?" There's that teasing grin again…
"Oh, if only you knew," I remark playfully. "I'll see you tomorrow." I give him a wave and turn on my heels – and with that, we part ways for today. I head down the path that leads to Yukari's home, a bright smile on my face; a sharp contrast from the nervous wreck I had been this morning. I still have quite a lot ahead of me for tonight. I think I'll spend the night talking with Meiko. I bet she won't be able to believe how much fun I'm having over here. I wish she could be here with me, but…
I'll do my best to be strong.
...