Chapter 6 – Rooftop Chat

It's been a little over a week since I started attending Kohatsu. And I've slowly gotten used to the idea of coming to school again. The other students are rather nice. Albeit, a bit weird.

I'm still traumatized by those three girls having sex in the shower…

And I've been getting a lot of secret help from others. Rukia, Tsu, Azuma-sensei…

And most accessible…

"Toshinio!"

"Y-Yes?!" I panicked once I heard my name being called.

"You seem so relaxed back there. Are my lectures too boring for you?" The History teacher asked me.

"N-N-No, I…I-I was…p-p-paying attention."

"Oh, really? Then I suppose you can answer this next question perfectly. In what year was the first-ever ascent up Mt. Fuji officially recorded?"

"U-Uh…Uh…"

"You've got 10 seconds to give the correct answer or else you automatically fail the next test."

"Wh-What?!"

"Better make it quick, child. Your chances of passing my class are diminishing quickly."

"I…I-I…"

I really didn't know the answer. History isn't my best subject, to begin with. And with that plus the fact that I really wasn't paying attention, I may be totally screwed here.

"Psst."

"H-Huh?" I looked next to me to see Yoshikawa-san secretly using her pencil to point to a scribble she had drawn on her desk. The way it was written, the scribble was most likely…

"Uh…I-It was…th-the year 663."

…

…

…

"Hmph. That's correct." The teacher said with an unsatisfied look on his face. The other girls cheered and clapped for me as I was able to calm down from the ordeal.

"You got lucky, Toshinio. Don't let me see you spaced-out again."

"Y-Yes…S-Sensei." I said as I sat back down in my chair. I then noticed Yoshikawa-san giving me a thumbs up. Which made me feel a little better after being confronted by such an intimidating teacher.

*sigh* Thank you, Yoshikawa-san…

Later, at lunchtime, we were eating lunch together outside in…well…a very seclusive spot. AKA, the rooftop. We would've eaten in the classroom or the cafeteria…but…due to Yoshikawa-san's bad reputation, that's not something that can be easily done.

I still want to ask her for more details about it. Mainly…what made her hate everyone but me. But…with us only being friends for a week, I'm still taking Azuma-sensei's advice and wait until she fully trusts me.

Whenever that may be.

"S-So, um…th-thanks for…um…h-helping me out earlier." I said.

"No problem. That teacher's known to be a huge dick, anyway." Yoshikawa-san went silent for a bit. "Well…at least to me."

"I-Is it because…o-of your reputation?"

"*sigh* Yeah. He and I never got along. Even back when he was my middle school teacher."

"Th-That long?"

"Yep. I thought I would never have to see that old-ass geezer again once I came to high school. But load and behold, here he is. I bet he transferred over her because he told the school about me. Freaking asshole."

"I-I see…"

Even the teachers don't like her. Yoshikawa-san must have it rough here…

"And now that it's been made clear that you and I are friends, I bet he's gonna start coming after you. Sorry for dragging you into yet another one of my rivalries."

"O-Oh, um…I-It's okay. H-History's not my best subject, to begin with."

"Yeah, I saw that first hand. You were really panicking back there."

"I-It's well…a-a habit." I said while lowing my head down in shame.

*sigh* It's already been a week and I'm still nervous around everyone. Are these anxiety pills even working? I take three of these every day and I don't feel any different from before.

…

M-Maybe it's because...I'm destined to live a life of fear and sadness. Something that no medicine can fix.

I knew I was freaking hopeless.

"Toshinio-san…"

"Y-Yes?!" I yelled in a panic as I heard my name being called.

"You were spacing out again. Is something wrong?"

"Ah…n-no. I-I'm fine. I-I was just…th-thinking to myself."

"I see." The two of us went dead silent again. "Hey, Toshinio-san. I've been wondering…why do you stutter your sentences a lot?"

"O-Oh, um…w-well…I-It's just something I do a lot. L-Like a…b-bad habit."

"A bad habit, huh? I thought it was just straight-up fear."

"F-Fear?"

"You know. Of me."

"Wh-Why would I fear you, Yoshikawa-san? I-I'm your friend, right?"

"I know, it's just…" Yoshikawa-san went silent again. This time taking a deep breath. "I'm sure someone already told you. Of how I made another girl cry on the first day."

"Y-Yeah, I heard. A-Azuma-sensei told me."

"*sigh* Figured it was her. The only teacher who still gives a damn about me."

"Wh-What?"

"N-Nothing. Anyway, since that day the other girls had feared me a little. And then after a few more incidents, that fear soon turned into a huge disdain for me. And thus, I gained the reputation of being a ginormous bully. Sucks, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I-It kinda does."

"And you wanna know something funny? The same day in which I made that girl cry, I got appointed the Class Rep title. So, everyone has expectations of me being the Class Rep and because of my reputation, I just don't deliver. So, there's that mess always labeled with me."

"I-I see. Y-You sure have it rough, Yoshikawa-san."

"*sigh* Yeah, no kidding. But I don't let any of that crap bother me. At least, I try to."

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing. Just talking to myself."

"O-Oh." Was all I said.

…

…

…

"Hey…Toshinio-san. One more thing…why do you put up with me?"

"H-Huh? P-Put up with you?"

"I mean, we've only known each other for a week. But you're still hanging around with me. Even after the teachers, your cousin…hell, even I told you that I'm not the most liked person in this school. And yet, you call me your friend. Ain't that the tiniest bit weird to you?"

It's true. Someone like me…especially with what I'm currently going through…shouldn't really be hanging around with someone who's known to be rude to everybody. I mean, she did make another girl cry.

But…

"Y-Yoshikawa-san…you may not be a well-liked person, but…I-I like you. A-At least."

"H-Huh?" Yoshikawa-san looked at me with a shocked look on her face.

"W-Well…e-even with your personality, you still helped me out these past few days. T-To be quite honest…I-I was scared that I would be avoided because I transferred this late into the year…e-even later than I was supposed to…pl-plus my hair and eyes being oddly colored. B-But you came and talked to me without any hesitation. A-And that…r-really made me happy."

"H-Happy?" Yoshikawa-san then began to blush a little.

"Y-Yeah. I-I guess. I-I feel…h-happy…wh-when I'm around you."

"H-Holy shit…"

"I-Is that bad?"

"What? No! Nononononononono! It isn't bad at all! It's just…that took me by surprise, that's all."

"I-I see."

"But…well…if you truly see me as a friend, Toshinio-san…then I guess that makes me happy, too." Yoshikawa-san said with a small smile.

Whoa. This has to be the first time I've seen her smile…

"S-Same here…Y-Yoshikawa-san." I said. Returning the smile.

*INSERT CLASSIC JAPANESE SCHOOL BELL CHIME HERE*

"Ugh. Lunch is over already." Yoshikawa-san said as she got up from the floor. "Now I gotta go back and be judged and disliked by everyone."

"W-Well, it could be worse."

"Yeah, that's true. Can't believe you're the one telling me this."

"*giggle* Y-Yeah."

Yoshikawa-san really is a nice person once you get to know her more. I wish other people would see it that way instead of her being labeled based on a few bad run-ins.

Which makes me wonder…

"H-Hey. Th-This Thursday. A-Are you…g-going to be there?"

"This Thursday? Oh, you mean the volleyball game. Why should I?"

"W-Well…I-I was going to go. A-And I wanted to go with…m-my friend."

"I'm sure you do. But I'm pretty sure I'll just get a bunch of "What the hell are you doing here?" from everybody. Especially your cousin and her fanbase."

Fanbase…yeah, that seems about right.

"These people already piss me off during school. I don't want that same feeling after school, you know?"

"Y-Yeah. I-I see." I sounded sad about it. But in the end, she did have a point.

"Come on. Let's get back to class before a teacher gets all up on our asses about it."

"C-Coming." I said as I followed Yoshikawa-san off the rooftop and to our next class.

…

"Y-Yoshikawa-san."

"Yeah, what?"

"Y-You look…r-really cute when you smile."

"Tch! F-F-Forget you saw that! I freaking mean it!"

"*giggle* O-Okay, okay." I said with a smile of my own.

Author's Note: Kyouko and Chinatsu bond a little more as the friendships was questioned a little bit. A simple lunchtime chat on the roof can really make you have deep conversations, huh?

Thanks for reading. Later.