Shoko Komi's Ultimate Challenge

by Ulquiorra9000

Communication 27: midnight oil

Watching evening TV shows with her mother was a lot of fun for Shoko Komi, but even if it was a Saturday night, Shoko shouldn't stay up too late, right? She didn't really feel that tired, honestly, but it was already 10:13 PM, and Shoko was sure that her brother was already in bed after a long evening of playing Counter-Strike: Super Battles. So, she decided to follow her brother's lead and prepared for bed. Shoko shut her bedroom door, got changed into her sleepwear, then drew back the covers and slipped into her bed's comforting embrace. Ah, nice and dark. And cool. And quiet.

Shoko merely lay there, arms folded behind her head, trying to relax and not think too much about the exciting TV shows she and Shuko had watched downstairs. What about that program about big cats in the zoo, acting like oversized kittens with their zookeepers? It was so cute seeing tigers and jaguars act like mega-size housecats!

But what's this? Shoko rolled onto her side to get extra comfy like one of those chilled-out tigers, but she still didn't feel that tired. Not yet, anyway. She rolled over again to face the other way, and then she got her favorite plushie animal and hugged it to her chest. She nuzzled her face into the fake fur.

Hmmmmmmm. Still not tired.

Now vaguely concerned, Shoko checked her alarm clock's glowing red numbers: 11:02 PM?! It was getting late! Shoko had once stayed up this late to study for a brutal history test, and had even scored 84% on it. But no studying for tonight. What was her mind so occupied with? What was wrong?

No, no, no. Shoko shook her head. That wasn't the proper attitude. It's not that something is wrong, just that Shoko was missing something for a good night's sleep. What could it be?

She got out of bed, turned on her new bedside lamp for minimal lighting (a gift from her dad), and whimsically decided to do some stretches, such as radio stretches and a bit of yoga. Ah, that felt good! Shoko made a happy "hmph!" as she stretched every muscle from the neck down, feeling herself relax with each move. Why didn't she do this every night? Maybe she should from now on! Ahhhhh, that was perfect.

At 11:10 PM, Shoko happily slipped back under the covers and hugged the stuffed animal again. Time to drift off.

Or... not?

Shoko turned over a few times, but she still didn't feel very tired! And her mind was starting to get excited again. Seriously, was she forgetting something? She had to find it!

Shoko climbed out of bed once again and switched on the lamp, arms folded across her chest, staring at the far wall. She tapped her foot, willing herself to realize what the problem was. Did she forget to brush her hair? No, it felt fine, and she ran her fingers through her ponytail to be sure. Gasp! Did she forget to brush her teeth? No, her mouth tasted minty fresh from brushing after dinner. Had she forgotten to trim her fingernails? No, they're fine. Did she forget to floss? No, that wasn't it.

Thoroughly confused, Shoko literally called it a night and got under the covers again, willing her mind to sit still.

When Shoko checked the clock, it was 11:59 PM. What the...?!

Okay, that does it. Shoko got out of bed, switched on the lamp once again, made her bed, then put her hands on her hips, watching the clock carefully. New challenge! Make constructive, happy use of her time until it was finally time for sleep! Even if that meant staying up to the morning sun!

That would be a personal first.

Any second now... come on...

The alarm clock hit 12:00 AM, a brand-new day. Shoko pumped her fists and imagined happy animal ears on her head. Now let's do this!

First off, Shoko reached for her new smartphone, then decided against it. Wasn't that kind of cheating, texting friends or playing around on her phone? Some experts said that spending too much time on your phone was bad for you. Well, that was all right. Shoko knew how to make her own fun! So, she left her phone where it was and launched her solo adventure in the night.

Shoko hadn't tidied up her closet in a little while; why not start there? She skipped over to her closet, threw the door open, and checked out all the jeans, dresses, shirts, coats, scarves, gloves, and even hats in there, plus other stuff at the closet's bottom. She smiled slightly at a charming memory of accidentally ripping that red and yellow sundress, only to cut it into pieces and make stuff with it. Was it time to recycle another dress? Shoko hummed to herself and casually picked through her closet, and she ultimately decided to keep everything in here, though that cute navy blue and white dress should be worn again soon to justify its place in this closet. On that note, Shoko patiently tidied up her entire closet, then imagined sparkles in the air as she admired her handiwork. Perfect!

Shoko checked the alarm clock: 12:26 AM. And she didn't feel tired yet.

Next activity: tidy up her purse, too. That should be easy since, unlike her mom, Shoko really didn't have that much stuff to put in there. She opened up her purse, sorted through the items, and concluded that aside from discarding a worn-out chapstick and two gum wrappers, her purse was just fine. Well, that didn't take long. Why not try something else? Shoko needed to get even more creative!

That was her excuse to try a bit of everything.

Shoko began with some writing, just in case she was too tired for this later. She sat at her desk, got a clean sheet of paper, then carefully tore it into three equal pieces. Shoko wrote one short but heartfelt note each to her mother, her father, and her brother telling them how much she appreciated and admired them, saying things on paper that were too challenging to say in person. Now that felt good! Next, Shoko got a second piece of paper and resolve to write down 25 things she was grateful for, big and small. She was most grateful for having two loving parents, for having a brother she could get along with, grateful for a full closet of gorgeous clothes, grateful for having so many friends this year, grateful to live in a nice neighborhood, grateful for her new phone (that she didn't have to pay for), and much more.

Whew! Hitting 25 items was actually pretty easy, and Shoko felt a surge of joy as she held up the paper, amazed at how awesome her life felt with all these things together like that. It was like a highlight reel of what it felt like to be Shoko Komi!

Now it was 12:43 AM, and Shoko felt more energized than ever, so she decided to stretch her legs. She quietly got dressed (it was cold out), then gathered those three notes from earlier and carefully exited her bedroom, making her way to the stairs. Shoko paused right outside Shosuke's bedroom door, curiously listening to hear the click of Shosuke's laptop keys, but no, late-night gaming wasn't on the agenda today. Shoko didn't even hear any snoring, though Shosuke never really did that anyway. Unable to help herself, Shoko snuck up to her parents' bedroom door and actually pressed her ear to the cool wood, and sure enough, she heard the deep grunts of Masayoshi's breathing. How nice.

It was so weird, being the only one awake while the Komi household slept. But it was cool, too.

Shoko waltzed downstairs, put the personal notes in places where her parents and brother would find them, then got some warm boots on. She made sure her scarf and hat were on snugly, then took a deep breath and stepped into the nighttime world.

It was almost magical, in a quiet and understated kind of way, for the lone Shoko Komi to wander her neighborhood under the moon and stars like this. She had the whole world to herself, and a giddy Shoko couldn't help but spread her arms wide, watching her breath steam in the air, almost sprinting down the street to enjoy all this free room. Okay, enough running for now! Shoko kept grinning and humming to herself as she casually toured the familiar streets, making sure to not get lost or take any weird turns. She even passed by the park, which looked relaxed rather than creepy at this time of night.

Shoko kept wandering at leisure, soaking up the night, until she finally decided to return home and check on the time. She headed back home, quietly entered the living room, then trekked upstairs to her bedroom to get back into her sleepwear. Perhaps now it was time for slumber?

She checked her alarm clock again: 1:19 AM. But she still didn't feel tired, even when she yawned widely to get herself in a sleepy mood. Was the night not yet over? It seemed not!

Shoko also felt chilly after that walk, so she headed back downstairs to fix herself some nice hot tea. She made one mug's worth in the kitchen and slowly sipped it, surveying the silent downstairs area, feeling like the queen of her own little castle. She seriously had the whole world to herself! Why didn't she do this more often? Oh yeah, because she needed sleep. But even so...

Slowly but surely, Shoko felt her excited mind relax and unwind, allowing the ambient silence and stillness to coax her mind into a passive state. It was almost like light meditation, and it felt great. Shoko finished her tea, set the mug on the kitchen counter, then wandered over to the couch. She turned on a light and flicked through the fashion magazine that was resting on the coffee table, just for fun. Shoko cozied up on the couch, idly scanning the magazine, wondering if anything would stand out to her. She made a game of it by imagining herself, her mother, Hitomi, and several girls from her class in these outfits, and she came up with some truly remarkable mental pictures. Surely Himiko would make a great fashion model if she were more confident in herself? And Ren Yamai would look dazzling in that dress and hat! And Hitomi would look lovely in that coat and scarf...

Shoko finally yawned for real, and she gasped. Was this it? Was she ready for bed at last? She set down the magazine, got herself upstairs, then secluded herself in her bedroom once again. The clock read 1:44 AM, and just like that, upon seeing the time, Shoko felt wide awake again. What the heck? Did she always get energy from knowing how much time there was left until sunrise? Was her mind determined to fill the entire early morning with thoughts and activities?

Only one way to find out!

And it was kind of fun, anyway.

Next, Shoko tried something that had been on her mind since that sleepover a few months ago: experiment with different hairstyles. She never had girl friends to do that with, so why not practice on herself? Shoko stood before the tall mirror on her closet door, then reached up and started tinkering. Her usual looks included loose, single ponytail, or two pigtails. What else? She narrowed her eyes in concentration and did her best to make a long braid with her hair, but it was tough! The other girls in her class made it look so easy. Shoko ended up making a messy braid, then tugged slightly on it, and the whole thing came undone. Oops! Well, how about two loose hair buns? She gave it a try, and it wasn't too bad. But it also wasn't about to become her new look. Well, how about...

Fifteen minutes later, Shoko switched gears and decided to move her body some more. She stood in the middle of her bedroom, closed her eyes, then extended one leg gracefully and swept out her arms in a made-up dance that blended traditional dances with ballet and who knows what else. It felt great! Shuko had once remarked that dancing is how the body sings, and Shoko was happy to silently sing well into the night. She slowly spun around, another giddy smile crossing her face as she flowed from one pose to another, wondering if she, with more courage, could make this into a viral dance online. Well, forget that. This would be Shoko's private little dance session in the world's coziest dance studio!

By now, it was 2:25 AM, and Shoko wanted more! While she was still on her feet, Shoko improvised a very short one-act play, making up stock characters and giving them fun stuff to do. Shoko pranced around her bedroom, assuming the positions of each character as they talked. First there was the handsome boy with piercings and tattoos as a good-hearted punk, then a rambunctious girl who liked to tease her artsy classmate, then Shoko acted out a popular, athletic girl who always shielded her clumsy boyfriend from harm. Oh, and don't forget the easygoing girl who secretly loved cats and the artsy boy's older brother who ran a costume shop with his lovely assistant.

Whew! It was exhausting but so much fun to bring these characters together, and by the time Shoko finished the play with a love confession, she bowed for an imaginary audience, half-tempted to write down this play and ask the theater club to make it for real. Shoko hesitated, then decided to keep it to herself. This would be her little secret!

Now it was 3:08 AM, and Shoko was still not tired. She decided to settle down and try some origami next, digging up a handful of colorful square paper sheets from her desk and sitting down to fold. She was pretty good at this, and she could find a crane with her eyes closed. But why not try a tougher model? She decided on folding a dragon, but she botched the first attempt and even tore the paper. Oops! Undeterred, Shoko gave it another try and ended up with a half-decent tiger this time. Then she folded up a swallow, an ox, and then a rose. And just for fun, she folded a model of that scary guy in black armor from that sci-fi movie Shosuke liked, the one with the red energy sword. She couldn't remember the name to save her life. But she did fold him!

3:31 AM. Time for poetry! Shoko sat cross-legged in the middle of her room and cracked open one of those poetry books Himiko had recommended from the library, and Shoko found a short, sweet poem that spoke to her. But this time...

Shoko mouthed the poem's words to herself and tried burning them into her brain, seeking new meaning to the ambiguous passages as she went. What if she made this poem a part of her? Why not try it out! She read it over and over, then looked up and recited the first half from memory until she lost the words. She checked the poem again, then kept at it until she could quietly recite the entire thing, letting the words flow from her mind and into the open air. Perfect!

And she still wasn't done. Sleep eluded her, so Shoko kept wandering around her room, trying a little of everything. She wasn't bored, nor was she frustrated about losing so much sleep. This was a unique night/morning, and Shoko wanted to embrace it for all it was worth. Hmmmm, how about a little of this, a little of that, and maybe another round of...

Bzzzzzzzzt!

Shoko gasped.

Morning!

Shoko dropped her origami models (she was making them fight each other) and hurried to her bedroom's window to slide back the curtains. She squinted in the morning light, marveling at the gorgeous sight before her. Hello again, sun!

Shoko shut off her alarm clock, which now read 6:00 AM sharp, and stretched. She was a bit tired by now, but heck, she could take a little nap later this afternoon if she really had to. And for now, it was time for breakfast. Shoko got dressed, put away her stuff, made her bed, then headed to the door, her tummy grumbling the whole time. She could even hear her parents' distant chatter from downstairs.

Shoko swung open her bedroom door and headed out.