Comments, suggestions, critique are all open.
-Rei:)
Prologue: A Tale's Beginning
Kawasaki Shizuka"Kawasaki! How many times have I told you not to drift off in that little world of yours?!?!?!?" Minekura-sensei roared at the top of his voice during our History class. "Do you even have any idea what we are currently discussing now?" He continued to rant, the words echoing across the room. Some people had already brought out umbrellas that hopefully resisted spit and drool, since all the saliva was flying as he raved.
It would actually have been funny had the object of his attention was me. He didn't exactly even remotely look like a teacher anymore. Since this was Spirit Week we were talking about, and the first day, Monday, was Costume Day, the guy had dressed as a clown.
So now, he looked like an extremely angry clown wearing way too much make-up with spittle escaping his mouth.
I lifted my head and stared at him blandly from the back row where I was seated. He glowered at me, his face gradually turning an ugly crimson, making him look like a clown with an oversized tomato for a head.
"Hai, sensei. You were saying that during the early part of the Tokugawa Era, which was 1603-1867, the samurai were accounted for less than 10 percent of the population. You also stated that they were made a closed caste as part of a larger effort to freeze the social order and stabilize society. Need I say more?"
Minekura-sensei gritted his teeth in helpless frustration, and I smiled with satisfaction.
I might have looked like I was off in space wandering, but I knew exactly what sensei had been talking about.
Then I looked at his face again, saw the clown that resembled him, and howled in laughter.
The whole class gazed at me in horror. Nobody ever dared to ridicule Minekura-sensei; especially after ten people had been kicked out of the school because of him.
Minekura Hideo
That silly slip of a girl! How dare she laugh at me! I'll make sure that sometime this school year she is expelled!
Yet, I must say, despite her vulgarity, she is astounding! Only five minutes ago she was sitting there, eyes glazed, and now, she answers my question perfectly!
What kind of student is she?
Always aloof and indifferent, never participating in school activities, and yet the teachers say she's a genius.
I shook my head and buried those unbidden thoughts. I have no time for a silly student.
And so my lecture of the samurai and the Tokugawa era resumed, as if nothing had happened.
Yet I could not get rid of the chill in my spine that began ever since she had spoken.
Sendoh Akira
I had been quietly watching the verbal battle between student and teacher. As far as I could tell, the student had won.
I had to admit that she was incredibly brave. Although I had very much wanted to repeat her sentiments, I only allowed myself a half-smile. It was better to get rid of the tittering that wanted to get out later, when I was alone.
Minekura-sensei had not bothered to interrupt her from what he referred to as that 'little world of hers' anymore. In fact, no student had even bothered to disrupt the lesson, as if they feared that something would trigger a scene similar to the one that had just occurred before their eyes.
I, on the other hand, appreciated the girl's outburst. I was nearly asleep when I heard her voice calmly recite the lines about the Tokugawa Era and the samurai being less than 10 percent, or something like that anyway.
Besides, I knew that sensei would kill me if he caught me dozing off in class.
***
Kawasaki Shizuka
It was lunchtime and I was reaching for what little lunch money I had when I heard two girls whispering behind me.
"She's a freak, isn't she? Managing to answer back to the teacher like that! And especially to Minekura-sensei, of all people! Then laughing at him! She's probably going to get expelled for that!"
"She probably looked at the board for the answers. She's the girl who never joined any sport at all, or at least signed up for Sendoh-san's fan club! Would you know, when we were like asking her to be a part of the club, she just looked blankly at us like we weren't there! She's so creepy! And so disrespectful to Sendoh-san too!"
"Yeah, we were all, like, cheering for him in the practice game against Shohoku, and like, she was just reading some stupid book of hers!"
I froze involuntarily. Who was this Sendoh-san they were talking about? Then it dawned on me. It was this great basketball 'ace' who happened to be a sophomore.
But I didn't care anyway. Everybody was an idiot. That's why I never bothered making friends in this school.
Because they were total morons.
Sendoh Akira
I was headed for the door when I noticed the girl, Kawasaki, I think, was what sensei had called her, stop what she was doing.
That was when I heard two girls talking in what was meant to be in hushed tones, but turned out to be loud utterances.
I could easily catch some of their words.
"...Freak...she? Managing...answer...that! Especially...Minekura-sensei...people! Laughing...him! She's...expelled!"
"...looked...board...answers... never...sport...signed up...Sendoh-san's fan club... part...blankly...there! creepy... disrespectful...Sendoh-san too!"
"...Like...cheering...practice...Shohoku...reading...book...hers!"
I bit back a frown that was escaping me. Who were these girls and whom were they badmouthing? Then I noticed her.
She had this crestfallen expression, and her eyes were so glassy I wondered if she was going to cry. Then she straightened up and it was like I had only imagined it, for her face now looked like it was made of granite.
They had been talking about her.
I rushed to intercept her at the door, and I thought my plan had worked, because she bumped into me.
"Sorry." She mumbled then brushed past me again.
Now I had a sudden impulse to follow her. Perhaps it was to congratulate her for her Academy Award-winning performance. Maybe it was to say sorry on our schoolmates' behalf. Conceivably, it could be because I admired her for having the guts to laugh at our clown of a teacher. But whatever the reason was, my conscience wouldn't leave me alone.
So I rushed after her to the cafeteria.
Kawasaki Shizuka
I walked out of the classroom and headed to the cafeteria. As expected, all of the people were gabbing about foolish, unimportant things that they thought revolved around their lives.
Once I had bought a cheese sandwich and a Coke, I settled down on an empty spot. The one in the corner.
I nibbled away at my sandwich while reading the newest novel by Anne Rice yet, "Blood and Gold". In fact, I was so engrossed that I never noticed that another person had craned over my seat for a look at the book.
"Mind if I sit with you?" The unknown person questioned brightly. When I didn't reply, he took it as a yes and plopped down on the chair next to me.
"Who are you?" I tore my eyes away from the book and faced him.
Gravity-defying jet black hair. An innocent face. But what captured my attention most of all, was a pair of purple orbs that shone radiantly, as if the light was imprisoned inside them.
"Sou da na, I forgot to introduce myself. How stupid of me." He let out an impish grin. "I'm Sendoh Akira. I know your name already from History class. Kawasaki, right?"
I could feel myself turning slowly scarlet. This guy... was Sendoh Akira? The so-called basketball genius? Then I remembered. I didn't give a damn for anyone.
"How do you know?" I rudely questioned, then immediately regretted it because the smile had dissolved and a slightly sad look crossed his face.
"There's no need to be angry, Kawasaki-san. I'm just your classmate from History, that's why I know."
Now I was astonished. How come I had never recognized him before?
That's because you never bothered to watch those practice games. If you had, then you would immediately have known it was the great Sendoh Akira you were with in History class.
Before I could apologize for my misbehavior, he started again.
"Ummm, I know you're a transfer student, so I'm really sorry about how my schoolmates acted towards you."
Schoolmates? Oh, he's talking about those... bitches.
I gave myself permission to beam a little at him. "It's okay... I don't really mind."
His eyes seemed to speak for him as they complimented the wide smile on his face by sparkling.
They seemed to say, "Thanks for understanding."
"By the way, I congratulate you on getting back at Minekura-sensei. Not everybody can do that. And, it was a change from the usual boring lecture that we have. I am eternally grateful for your saving me from boredom. And I envy you. Having the nerve to snicker at Minekura-sensei! I know he really is a convincing clown and that he's really, terribly monotonous, but try to be careful next time, okay?" He winked at me, and yawned widely in exaggeration. Then he glanced at the wall clock of the cafeteria.
"Ah, I have to go! We're having a game today against Shohoku, so I need to practice for a while... wanna come?" Then he bolted before I could think of a response, leaving me to ponder whether I had been right in saying that everybody was a stereotype.
For he certainly wasn't.
***
Sendoh Akira
Class today was interesting. I met a girl who isn't as basketball-crazed as the others are. She's different.
And she reads Anne Rice while eating. Not to mention that she managed to one-up Minekura-sensei today.
Not many girls would be caught eating while reading, or ever wanting to displease the teacher.
Especially our History teacher.
She's a fascinating girl.
I really should get to know her.