She was EXHAUSTED.
After being up late last night, first with Daisuke and Riku, since none of them had understood that one concept in math, creating a study group of blind men that just led themselves in circles infinitely, hopelessly...
And then Satoshi being there in the rain after they got done studying. Being dragon-ized somehow. He hadn't looked like a happy camper, so she'd walked the steaming tea kettle home and then collapsed into her own bed, for five blissful minutes.
--Only to be kept awake by the sound of rain rattling a loose shingle on the roof. All night long.
She could just start crying of exhaustion right here in class, if it didn't mean all the things that crying normally entailed. She just lowered her head instead, trying to look like she was concentrating on the worksheet the teacher had handed out.
The words were blurry. They all looked like z's, prancing across the page. Her head drooped forward, thumping lightly against the back of the person in front of her.
"Mnn..." She groaned quietly, getting ready to apologize when she heard the almost-inaudible laugh, the surface against which her head was resting, moving slightly.
"Harada-san, is the work that boring?"
Oh yeah. They'd had seat changes today. She was behind... Hiwatari!
She straightened immediately, looking prim and casual when the blue-haired boy turned to face her, a smirk already dancing on his face, his eyes calculating behind his glasses.
"I'm simply tired. You keep rather irregular hours Hiwatari-kun."
"Maybe I do. But you didn't need to get involved in them."
Risa was flabbergasted.
"Well, THAT'S a fine thank you! No wonder you have scores of friends!"
Immediately she knew she'd said the wrong thing as his expression iced over, a dark flame smoldering in them.
"I didn't ask you to get involved with my business and I'm not going to thank you when you do. Your umbrella is in the coatroom, should you wish for it back." He stood tersely as the bell rang for the next class. "Goodbye Harada-san."
The girl watched him go in shock, both as herself and his rudeness. Maybe she'd said something out of turn, but he didn't have to be so-so-so--
So HIM!
She stood huffily, pulling her books into a pile and dumping them into her backpack with energy only fueled by anger. As soon as she pulled the pack on, she could feel the books weighing her own, added on to her already-tired state. She clunkily moved through the halls, heading back towards the coat room. As she shoved open the heavy door, she spotted her umbrella immediately, leaning against one of the closets. Sighing in relief, she walked over to it, seeing a flash of white.
A card dangled, tied around the handle of the umbrella, and she knelt to get a better look at it, sliding to the ground to read it and give her back a break from the books.
'Harada-san,
Thank you for the use of your umbrella. I apologize for the inconvenience.
-Satoshi Hiwatari'
And so... he DID thank her. Just not verbally, and now she'd gone and said something stupid and--
The tears were coming. Of exhaustion, frustration and general annoyance at everything. She could only hope they'd be quiet, lady-like sobs that no one would hear.
They were.
By the time the late bell had shrilled, Risa Harada had quietly cried herself to sleep in the coat room.
(divider)
Fourth chapter is already being typed. These will come when I have time.