"WAIT!"
He's heard this single word a few times, but it was only at this moment when it seemed to reach Shujinkou. He curiously turned back towards direction the voice and watched Sayori vigorously run towards him. The moment she caught up to him, the young girl tripped over her own feet and was forced to let gravity brutally guide her to the ground
"Are you okay?!" Shujinkou immediately fell down on his knees and checked on his friend.
"Yeah. I'm…" a pained expression instinctively formed on Sayori's face as she clutched her left leg. Shujinkou glanced at the leg she held and noticed a large purple knob protruding from her ankle near. "I think I hurt myself again…"
"It looks like you sprained your ankle," Shujinkou said.
"You think I would be immune to sprains considering how much I fall over myself," Sayori chuckled.
"I don't think that's possible," Shujinkou said as he scratched his right cheek.
Without saying another word, Shujinkou turned around and crouched down as far as he could.
"What are you doing?" Sayori asked.
"Letting you get on my back," Shujinkou replied.
"Eh?!" Sayori's cheeks burned red as he motioned her to get on his back. "You don't need to do that."
"What are you talking about? This is the only way you'll get to school and have the nurse check your sprain," Shujinkou pointed out.
"Yeah, but that's…" he watched Sayori nervously laugh as she averted her gaze. "That's just…"
Confusion and concern was all Shujinkou could feel. Sayori's hesitation to do something that she done before time and time again in the past was too strange for him to comprehend. But before he could say anything, Sayori reached for his shoulders and slowly lifted herself up on his back.
He was glad that she finally accepted his offer, but he couldn't help but blush as he felt her breasts press up against his back. Soldiering through the initial shock, Shujinkou gently lifted Sayori's legs up and continued to travel down the daily path to school.
"Hey, Shujinkou…" Sayori said.
"Yeah?" Shujinkou replied.
"How come you didn't wait for me?" she asked.
"Oh… Sorry. I was kinda out of it up till now," he apologized as he scratched his right cheek.
"Oh. Well there something I really need to talk to you about," she chortled.
"Talk about what?" Shujinkou asked.
"I think I got an idea that can help the club get more notice," Sayori happily announced. "You can draw a poster so we can advertise ourselves."
"A poster that will draw people to the Literature Club?" Shujinkou wondered if he could actually do that.
"Yeah. It's like what Granny Hisa did. If people highschool posters can be used to attract new customers to her spa resort, then why can't we do the same?" Sayori explained.
"To be fair, Granny Hisa's place was already really popular, Sayori," Shujinkou pointed out. "I don't think it would be that easy for us."
"Well, we won't know unless we try, right?" Sayori articulated.
He could not argue with that, nor could he deny that he would happy to contribute something to the club. Once they arrived at the school, Shujinkou brought Sayori to the nurse's office and promised to check on her after school was over.
The moment he stepped out of the room, the daydreaming student was immediately approached by the Student President.
"Shujinkou, I was wondering where you were at," Fuyu waved.
"Really? Did you need me for something?" Shujinkou asked.
"Actually…" adjusting her glasses, Fuyu's expression changed from that of a fellow student to that of a no-nonsense official. "There is something I like for you to do."
"Uh…" a chill crawled down Shujinkou's spine as he tried his hardest to not to look away from her icy stare. Despite knowing she has a friendly side, he still had a hard time facing her presidential side.
No more words were exchanged as Fuyu led Shujinkou to her office. Upon entering the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the couch. There was another student in the room with them and he couldn't help but notice how she didn't respond to them entering the area. He didn't want to stare, but he did look long enough to note her medium length raven hair; part of it covering one of her matching eyes. He also noticed that the sleeves of her uniform were long enough to hide her hands and the dark gray beanie on her head almost caused him to speak up and question the dress code violation.
"Shujinkou, I would like to introduce you to Reizo. Though I have been told that you may call her Rei," the moment Fuyu said her name, the girl silently looked up at them. The vacant look on her face was more than enough to unnerve Shujinkou. "Rei here will be joining the rest of us as a new student."
"I see…" Shujinkou scratched his right cheek, trying his very best to think of an action that wouldn't make a bad first impression on the new student. "It's nice to meet you, Rei."
Silence was the only response he was given.
"She doesn't really talk," Fuyu said.
"Oh…" he only said six words to Rei and yet Shujinkou couldn't help but feel that he already made a bad first impression. "Wait… Is Rei the reason you brought me to your office?"
"That's correct. I would like for you to be her liaison," Fuyu answered as she calmly adjusted her glasses.
"Liaison?" the confused dreamer pointed to himself and received a single nod as confirmation to his question. "But why me?"
"Well…" At that moment, Fuyu's professional demeanor disappeared as she motioned him to her desk. "To be honest, I need someone I can trust to entrust her to."
A melting pot of emotions assaulted Shujinkou. He didn't know whether to feel honored Fuyu would trust him or confused as to why she would trust him.
"But why me?" he asked again.
"Because I believe you're the only one for the job," Fuyu assured him with a smile.
"Oh… Okay then, I'll give this task my best then," Shujinkou replied.
Fuyu nodded her head and handed him a sheet of paper to look over.
"Here's a copy of her schedule. I've already informed the faculty that you'll be liaisoning her," Fuyu then grabbed a small metallic object attached to a chain and presented it to him.
"What's that?" he asked.
"A necklace that is your proof of being a student liaison," Fuyu answered. "It will probably be best if you wear it at all time."
"Okay," Shujinkou replied with a single nod.
"Now then…" pausing mid-sentence, the young president brushed her hair back and adjusted her glasses, transforming in front of her fellow student's eyes once more. "We're all done here. I believe it's time for you two to head to class."
"Yes ma'am!" he shuddered.
Not wanting to take the risk of annoying her presidential side, Shujinkou immediately approached the new student.
"Ready to go," he offered his hand as he asked this.
Once again all he received was silence.
"I'm really not making a good impression…" that thought was the only thing that circulated through his mind as he watched the silent student stand on her feet.
He led her to her homeroom class and watched from the door as the teacher introduced her. As with him, she gave no response to her own introduction.
"So, it isn't just me…" he thought as he walked to his first class.
After his first class ended, Shujinkou walked back to Rei's class and escorted her to her next class before heading to his next one. He would then continue this pattern until it was time for the most beloved part of the day: Lunch Break.
"A home-cooked meal… Thank you, Mom," Shujinkou grinned.
Shujinkou proceeded to open the box containing his lunch and feast on the contents inside. But the joy he felt would soon vanish as the awkward atmosphere created by Rei's continued silence begun to penetrate his soul.
"So… Did your parents make your lunch?" Shujinkou asked.
Without so much as a glance, Rei continued to silently eat her meal.
"Um…" Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as he tried to think of something else he could say. "How were your morning classes?"
Once again his questions were met with silence. It was at that very moment Shujinkou truly began to wonder why Rei didn't respond to anything around her.
"The strange thing about is, I don't think she's doing it to be rude or anything," he mused to himself.
His brain started to furiously come up with potential reasons to why she was so silent, each thought ranging from realistic to fantastical. He continued to indulge his imaginative mind, until a large growl interrupted the storm of ideas.
Following the sound, Shujinkou would soon find out that the source of the growl was Rei's stomach. This revelation caused his curious eyes to quickly trail up to her face. To his surprise, and slight disappointment, she still didn't visibly respond to the situation that affected her.
"This girl is a rock…" he thought.
Upon hearing her stomach roar a 2nd time, Shujinkou looked down at what remained of his meal. He heard the cries of stomach again and offered his food to the silent student.
"You can have the rest of my food if you want," he said.
For the first time since they sat down, Rei directed her gaze at Shujinkou. She looked down at the meal that was presented to her then back to its owner as if asking if she could really take it.
He nodded his head and watched with eager anticipation as she reached out for the meal box. The silent student slowly gripped the box and looked up at Shujinkou as she accepted the meal.
A sense of accomplishment welled up inside him as he was finally able to get a positive response from Rei.
After lunch, Shujinkou continued his newly established pattern until the final class of the day. Once the students were dismissed, Shujinkou braved past the excited students and eventually found Rei sitting in her desk.
"So, I thought that now would be a good time to learn the lay of the land," he said.
With no signs of her disagreeing, Shujinkou started to show Rei around the school. He introduced her to a few more classrooms, the outside track, the gymnasium…
"LOOK OUT!"
Shujinkou quickly turned his left and was greeted with a force strong enough to knock him off his feet. He saw nothing but darkness as he tried to collect his thoughts.
"Shujinkou… Shujinkou…"
Light penetrated the darkness as he slowly opened his eyes to find Kiyoko and Rei looking down at him.
"I promise you it wasn't my fault this time," Kiyoko chuckled, her voice slightly cracking.
"Maybe I should just stay away from the gym after school…" Shujinkou rubbed his throbbing cranium, blissfully unaware that the pain was the only reason he wasn't nervous over the fact that he was in a girl's arms.
Kiyoko helped the injured student onto his feet, allowing him to lean on her until he could fully collect himself.
"So, who's your friend?" she asked.
"Her name is Reizo, but I've been told she can be called Rei," Shujinkou answered.
"You heard?" a look of confusion firmly planted itself on Kiyoko's face.
"She doesn't really talk…" Shujinkou explained.
"Huh. So what are you two doing together?" Kiyoko asked.
"Well, Fuyu has given the job of Student Liaison; meaning it's my job to help her adjust here," he answered.
"Really?" Kiyoko silently stared at him. "Seems like she made a good choice."
"You think?" Shujinkou said, his voice giving away how much her words have surprised him.
"Well, I don't know you that well, but judging from the few interactions we've had so far, I would say you're good for the job." She grinned.
"But don't you think it's a job for someone a lot higher on the social food chain?" he asked.
"Nah, that's not the qualification needed for the job. It's all about this," Kiyoko gently pressed her finger against the center of his chest, before moving it left and right. "Or wherever your heart is. Besides, if the Student President gave you the job, then that just means that you're more than qualified."
"Huh… Thanks, Kiyoko," a small smile formed on Shujinkou's face as he scratched his right cheek.
"No problem. That's what classmates are for," she smiled back.
Suddenly, Shujinkou realized how close their bodies were and awkwardly backed away from her.
"Like I said… Thanks," he awkwardly chuckled.
"Mm-hmm. See ya, Shujinkou," the cheerful basketball player turned her attention to Rei and waved. "Welcome to our school, Rei."
She then grabbed the rogue basketball and charged back into the gymnasium to continue her scheduled practice.
"So, um…" Shujinkou glanced down at his phone. "There's somewhere I got to be so we're going to have to cut the tour short today. But maybe tomorrow I'll get to show you the clubs the school has."
Rei simply stared at Shujinkou as he scratched his right cheek.
"I guess I'll let you RTC no- I mean! I mean let you go home now. That's what I meant," Shujinkou corrected himself.
Unlike any other student, her silence made it impossible to tell if she understood the accidental reference; a thought that would linger in the back of his mind as she turned to leave.
"See you tomorrow," he waved goodbye until she was no longer in sight. With the coast now clear, Shujinkou let out a tired sigh.
"I wonder if this is how Roxas felt after his first mission with Xion," he thought aloud. "…I need some Sea-Salt Ice Cream."