Chapter Five
May, 2018
Michi tiptoes out of her apartment.
The hallway is empty. She breathes a sigh of relief and hitches up her backpack.
She'd stayed up late last night after finishing her homework, thinking. She still didn't understand what was going on, but she knew one thing: if this was a shoujo, then bad things always happened to the side character. She has no desire to be caught up in any of it. She's going to step back, observe, and figure out a plan. One that doesn't involve her getting bullied, mysteriously kidnapped, or shoved around by the various love interests.
The door across from her swings open. She freezes. Her jaw drops.
The class president looks almost as surprised to see her. "You're up early," he says, closing the door gently behind him. Michi closes her mouth. "I, uh, wanted to go early to study," she stammers. Why is the class president leaving Sayuri's apartment? Is this that kind of shoujo?
"Ah. Good for you. Does Sayuri know?"
"I forgot to tell her," Michi lies.
"I see." Kaname's expression is strange. "Well, she's still asleep. How about you text her and let her know so she doesn't wait up for you?"
"Okay," she mumbles, fumbling in her jacket pocket. Kaname waits for her to finish typing, his face unreadable.
"Come on," he says when she's done. "I'll walk you to school today."
"...Okay."
They walk in silence for a ways. The sun is just starting to rise over the rooftops, warming the chilly air. The sky is a clear, pale blue. It's going to be another perfect spring day.
Michi steals another glance at the class president. In the haze of yesterday, she hadn't paid him much attention. She had been almost certain that Ice Boy, with his perfect grades, wealthy background, and new rivalry with Sayuri was the main love interest. She guesses not.
Ichijo Kaname doesn't look like a main character from that kind of shoujo. He's tall, even for his age, and she knows from the other girls' whispering that he's almost fourteen. His reddish-blond hair and dark green eyes are somehow familiar. His skin, unlike the other love interests, has a warm olive tone to it. He's not as obviously good-looking as Prince Charming or Ice Boy, but his smile is friendly, and his slightly arched features are distinctive, not idiosyncratic.
Right now, his smile is not so friendly. "Is middle school that hard already?" he asks. Michi blinks, refocusing on the conversation. "What?"
"I've never seen you study early before. Are the classes too hard?"
"Oh, um, not really. Just trying to get some good habits, I guess."
"Ah. Have you tried studying with Sayuri?" He smiles blandly. "She's better at math than I am."
"Not yet." Michi fiddles with the buttons on her jacket. Something about this person is making her skin prickle. "Are you studying early, too?"
He shakes his head. "There's a student council meeting before class."
"Oh." She falls silent again.
"If you tell Sayuri, I'm sure she wouldn't mind waking up early with you to study." Again with the bland smile. "I know she likes to walk down with you."
"Mm," Michi says noncommittally. Kaname's casual tone doesn't change. "You two still haven't recovered from your fight, have you?"
Michi shrugs, avoiding his eyes. The tall, glassy white shape of Rose Academy is appearing at the top of the hill. She resists the urge to walk faster. "I'm just...processing," she mumbles, which technically isn't a lie.
"I see." They've reached the hill. Other students in the striking white-and-black uniform are falling in around them, laughing and talking. Kaname abruptly rests a hand on her shoulder. The gesture is reassuring, but she feels goosebumps ripple across her skin. "I don't know exactly what happened between you two, but I know you like to bottle things up, Michi," he says, his green eyes suddenly grave. "Sayuri cares about you. Don't distance yourself too much, okay?" He squeezes her shoulder and releases. "See you later."
"Yeah," Michi says, slightly dazed from what just happened. She watches him vanish into the crowd of students streaming through the front gates, and swallows hard.
Stepping back might not be as easy as I thought.
To her relief, Sayuri comes in as class is just about to start. Michi bends over her backpack, pretending not to hear the other girl's soft hello over the clatter of desks as the teacher walks in and students scramble for their seats.
She pretends, too, not to notice Sayuri trying to catch her eye during class, or hear her say her name as she bolts out of class the minute the bell rings. She eats her lunch outside, alone.
Nagisa is sitting on her desk, chatting with Sayuri, when she cautiously pokes her head back inside the classroom. Sayuri spots her instantly and waves. "Hey! Michi!"
Michi winces inwardly. "Hey," she says guiltily, hovering on the other side of her desk. Sayuri's clouded green eyes are anxious. "Where were you? Lunch is almost over."
"It was such a nice day, I wanted to eat outside," Michi lies. Her skin prickles. She can sense Kaname's gaze on her from across the classroom.
"We should all eat outside together next time," Nagisa volunteers. "What do you think, Michi-chan?"
"Sure," she says helplessly. She backs away, still avoiding Sayuri's eyes. "Bathroom. Be right back."
The restroom is crowded as usual. Groups of girls hang out by the sinks, checking their reflections in the mirrors and chattering about which one of the Flower Princes looked at them today. Michi, who has never fussed much about her appearance, is a little annoyed at having to inch her way through to wash her hands. Yesterday, when she was in here with Sayuri, everyone gave them plenty of space.
At least no one's glaring, she thinks with a sigh, rolling her jacket sleeves back. Bullying the main character and her friends is one of the most common shoujo cliches, she knows. She's already gotten some dirty looks from the girls in her class whenever Nagisa comes up to talk to her and Sayuri. Aoi, the half-Korean girl who sits in the front row ahead of her, looks downright murderous at times. She's the current head of the Prince Nagisa-kun Protection Squad, according to the latest whispers. What that means, Michi has no idea. No one's tried to invite her into their squad yet.
She finishes washing her hands and reaches for the paper towels. One of the girls in the center of the cluster recognizes her. "Hey! Tachibana, right?"
Aiko, her dark hair twisted up into a braided crown today, waves at her to come over. "This is Tachibana," she explains, looping her arm casually through Michi's. "She's in my class."
"You're with the Flower Princes too? Lucky!" a girl Michi doesn't know says. Aiko squeezes her arm. "Tachibana is actually friends with Nagisa-kun, right, Tachibana?"
Michi's skin prickles. "Not really. He's actually friends with my seatmate," she says.
"Who's your seatmate?"
"Ichijo Sayuri," Aiko says quickly. "You know, the valedictorian who gave the opening speech at the entrance ceremony."
Michi blinks. She has no memory of this, but then, it was the day before her uniform changed.
"You like Nagisa-kun, though, don't you?" Aiko prompts.
"I mean, who doesn't?" Michi says, a little awkwardly. Aoi is looking at her intently from Aiko's other side. "Nagisa-kun is really friendly. I'm sure if you guys introduced yourselves, he'd love to hang out with you."
"Really?" one of the girls brightens. Aoi speaks up. "Will you introduce me to him?"
Her black gaze is sharp. Michi manages a smile. "Yeah, of course," she says, and feels Aiko relax beside her. "Like I said, though, I'm not really friends with him."
"That's alright," Aoi says, sounding for the first time as if she means it. "If you want, you can join the Protection Squad." She smiles. "Nagisa-kun is so friendly, he doesn't understand that not everyone means well, you know?"
"Yeah," Michi says, not knowing. "Um, thanks."
"Do you know the Ice Prince?" another girl pipes up. Michi turns to her. "Um, no. He doesn't really talk to anyone in our class."
"I know, it's such a shame," a different girl sighs. "At least we can see him every day."
The conversation circles back to the Flower Princes. Michi edges out.
Aiko follows her. "Oops, I forgot it's almost class time," she says, falling in step beside her. She squints down the hall. "What's going on?"
Michi shrugs, less confused by the crowd blocking the doorway to class 1-A. She's pretty sure she knows what the cause is.
Sure enough, when they push through the tangle of people, she sees Sayuri at the center of the crowd. Prince Charming is sitting on her desk, their heads bent together over his phone. "You were the valedictorian, right?" he's saying. "Can you help solve it?"
Sayuri leans forward, her forehead almost brushing his. "Hmm, Kaname's usually better at crosswords," she says, scrolling through his phone. "Try 'avarice'."
Prince Charming types. "Hey, it fits."
"Really?" Sayuri plucks the phone out of his hands. "Do you know this next one?"
"No, I got stuck on that one too."
"Hm...what about 'denouement'?"
"It fits." Prince Charming tilts his head. "You're pretty good at this."
Sayuri shrugs. "Kaname likes crosswords."
"I go to her, too, when I get stuck." The class president appears behind her, resting a hand on Sayuri's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure she has the entire Japanese vocabulary memorized."
"Crosswords aren't that hard," Sayuri protests, twisting to look up at him. Kaname just smiles. "Did you manage to finish it, Tatsuya?"
Prince Charming types something into his phone. A rare smile lights his face. Several of the girls nearby swoon. "Done."
Kaname peers over his shoulder. "Not bad. Did I send you the site I use?"
"Yeah. They were really hard, though." Prince Charming's perfect nose wrinkles. "You make it look too easy."
Aiko leans closer to Michi. "Good luck getting to your desk," she murmurs. Michi makes a face. "Yeah, no kidding."
"You can sit with me. Aoi's not back yet, anyway."
"Thanks," Michi says gratefully, following her over. Sayuri spots them through the crowd. She is uncannily good at that. "Michi!"
Prince Charming and Kaname turn. The crowd follows their gaze. Michi wants to curl up and die on the spot. "Hey," she says weakly.
"Tachibana, have you heard Taeyung's new album?" Aiko says suddenly, tugging her sleeve. Mihi sinks gratefully into the seat beside her, trying to ignore the stares. Most of the class has already gone back to whispering about Prince Charming's never-before-seen smile, but she can feel Kaname's cool green eyes on her back.
"I haven't listened to much K-pop," she admits. Aiko grins. "We're about to change that. Here." She pulls out her iPod and offers Michi an earbud. Michi takes it and stiffens as Aiko scoots her chair closer, her knees bumping Michi's. "This one's my favorite," she says. Michi has to strain to hear the music above the chatter. "I like it," she says, trying to make out the sound of the male lead singing soulfully in her left ear. Aiko cups a hand over her free ear. "I'll show you the rest of the album later when it's quieter."
"Okay." Michi tries not to look behind her. Sayuri has gone quiet. Prince Charming has returned to his seat, but Kaname has taken his place at her desk. She can hear him talking softly to Sayuri, the words inaudible.
Aiko glances behind her. "Lucky," she murmurs. "Kaname-senpai seems really protective."
"Do you know why?" Michi whispers back, curious. Aiko shrugs. "Maybe it's a brother thing. Although my brother doesn't act like that."
Michi stares at her. "They're siblings?"
Aiko laughs. "You didn't know? He's her older brother."
Michi makes a face. "I'm an idiot."
"You couldn't tell?" Aiko laughs again. "He's basically the more attractive version of her."
"Shh!" Michi glances guiltily over her shoulder. "Not so loud."
"Alright," Aiko says amiably. "You really are dense, Tachibana."
"Oh, shut up." The tips of Michi's ears turn pink.
Not that kind of shoujo.
The rest of the day is easy. Aiko passes her notes during English, volunteers to pair up with her during math, and pulls her away during break before Sayuri can say anything. She doesn't talk much about the Flower Princes except on bathroom runs, and Michi finds herself suddenly at the center of the different squads. Some of the girls who were rude to her before even come by to invite her to join their fan clubs. It's...nice.
The restroom gatherings are getting more and more crowded. It's almost exclusively class 1-A girls now, each squad clustered in their own corner. Aiko moves through them all. She has a joke or teasing comment for every girl in their class, even the ones who don't seem to care about the Flower Princes. Michi trails in her wake, nodding shyly. She's 'Tachibana' now, not just 'that Ichijo girl's seatmate'. Even Aoi is friendlier.
Sayuri doesn't ask to walk home together that day. Michi goes home alone. She's used to walking alone. She likes being alone, she reminds herself. And she has a group now. Sure, the group only talks about the Flower Princes, but Aiko is fun. She likes eating lunch outside the classroom with Aiko and her friends. She likes being part of the group. She likes feeling normal. She likes being able to forget about the weird uniform, and the weird private academy, and the weird Flower Princes with their weird hair colors and almost accusing stares as they surround Sayuri in an increasingly protective circle.
She wanted this.
It's raining today, an abrupt drizzle that sends them scattering back inside with their lunch boxes. Michi shakes her head, sending water droplets spraying everywhere. She'd caught the worst of the sudden rain, helping Aiko gather up the blanket they were picnicking on.
"I'm going to go grab my towel from the lockers," she says, holding her dripping braid away from her damp blouse. "Be right back."
"Okay," says Aiko, glancing up. "Meet you by the window niche?"
"Yeah."
The school is chilly. One of the perks of private schools, she's discovered, is that they turn on the air conditioning once the early June heat hits. Today, though, she misses the warmth. She rubs her arms, wishing fourth period was over already and she could change into her dry P.E. clothes for the walk home. At least she'd left her jacket in the classroom.
The entrance hall is empty. Most of the kids are probably holed up in the classrooms playing cards. She wanders through the rows of grey lockers and pauses when she hears a familiar voice say her name.
"You've been watching Michi-chan, too." Nagisa's high clear voice is amused. "I've seen you."
"So what? It's obvious Tachibana's the reason Ichijo's been moping around the past month." Kirishima Jirou sounds annoyed at being called out. Michi goes still.
"Yeah, but you don't just look at Sayuri-chan," Nagisa teases. Jirou snorts. "It's not my fault those two are being annoyingly obvious about the whole thing. If they had a fight, they should just move on. Especially Tachibana. It was probably her fault to begin with."
Michi bristles silently.
"Really? Why would you think that?" Nagisa asks curiously.
"I've seen how Ichijo acts," Jirou says. "She's obviously still trying to be friends. Tachibana's the one who's pushing her away."
"So you think it's all Michi-chan's fault." Nagisa's cheerful tone doesn't change.
"Ichijo doesn't seem like the kind of person who would start a fight," Jirou says bluntly. Nagisa laughs. "And Michi-chan is?"
"Not like that," Jirou grumbles. "But I've seen how they act together. Tachibana clearly doesn't want to be friends. I don't know what happened between them and I don't care, but Ichijo should stop trying to push it. It's only making her miserable." He hesitates. "And Tachibana should stop being an idiot and realize Ichijo cares about her."
"Aw, Jirou, you've really been looking out for Sayuri-chan, haven't you?"
"Shut up."
Footsteps recede. Michi shrinks back into the shadow of the lockers. She stays there even when the entrance hall is silent again, leaning against her locker, forgetting about the small puddle forming beneath her.
It's been almost three weeks. She still talks to Sayuri sometimes, but it's always small talk, just snippets of conversation before one of the other girls pulls Michi away. She knows that the other girls sometimes make disparaging remarks about Sayuri, but never to her. Aoi is the most outspoken about it, but even she keeps quiet when Aiko's around.
She had thought Sayuri would get frustrated or upset at her and ignore her. Michi wouldn't have blamed her. And one of the Flower Princes was always with her now, so it's not like she had just abandoned her. Besides, the boys in their class were always happy to include her in their card games. And it wasn't like all of the girls disliked her.
You're making excuses again…
She shivers and turns hastily to her locker. It's easier this way, she thinks firmly. This way I don't have to worry about it all. This way I won't just be the girl next door.
This way I'll just be normal…
I've never wanted to be normal before.
A/N
PLOT TWIST! It's not that kind of shoujo d: