Cold. A loitering, thorough chill. That was the first sensation I could register when I regained consciousness, the second being a concerning realization that I couldn't move my legs. Oh, no wait... there they go. I'm just taped down by a very tight but thin sheet. I squinted against the brightness of the room, a glowing blur of white. Instinctively, I reached out for my glasses on a nightstand I hoped existed. Bingo.
The blur faded away but the white didn't. My head spun like a top and it took everything I had not to topple over. I twisted my neck around at the sterile lack of hue surrounding my bed, plaster walls illuminated by the graying afternoon beams burning through the large window. Swelling bulbs of puffy ashes gathered in the sky, preparing to unleash their watery stash. Empty beds lined on each side of my own, curtains all drawn back. The front of the school was visible through the large window. I guess I haven't been moved very far, I must be in the nurse's office. Why am I here?
Quick pitter-pattering steps beat somewhere, dulled by the insulating walls. Someone must be running pretty hard for the sound to reach in here. I twitched when a door across from the windows clicked open, and I instinctively plowed my head back into a fluffy pillow and shut my eyes. My senses were still a little scattered, so I would prefer to avoid any unnecessary conversation.
"You're still asleep?" a feminine voice called quietly. Footsteps, then a stretch of silence.
It was familiar, but obscure. That's not Kotonoha's voice, is it? I lay still as a possum before a grumbling bear, concentrating on deep, sleepy breaths and canceling any facial twitches. This was probably a bit too childish. What if it's the school nurse?
"Wake up already. I left practice early just to check on you," the voice panted. "Why is it so cold in here?"
Oh, that's why she sounded so familiar. At least I made the right call in feigning sleep; the last thing I need right now is for someone to run me though a probing interrogation. She cut short practice?
"Hmm, your glasses are still on."
From beneath my vacant face, a tangled mess of curses and insults aimed at my forgetful self erupted. I clenched the sheets when the familiar brush of fingers graced my cheeks and my glasses were once again removed by an outside force. A second later they clacked back down where they previously sat.
"You're gonna to love how famous you've become," the girls snorted. "Seems like passing out on the roof with a girl turned out to be the perfect gossip."
I passed out? With a girl? That doesn't sound like me... Oh no...
My eyes flapped open and I sprung upright before immediately falling back after a slap of disorientation racked my head into submission. I blindly clutched at my right temple. Beside the bed, Otome yelped loudly and backed into the nearby wall. She placed her hand upon her chest and giggled lightheartedly as she watched my floundering form.
"Geez, don't get up so suddenly like that," she smiled as she stepped from the wall. "But at least you're alright."
I attempted to prop myself on my elbows for the slightest support, but that proved too difficult as well. In the end, I gave up and remained on my back, my head turned to face the girl. With a lazy hand, I pointed in the general direction of my glasses. With an understanding nod she rewarded me with their plastic touch upon my hand. An image of Otome in her basketball uniform focused before me, her skin shimmering with a thin film of sweat.
"Thanks," I croaked, cringing at the rasp of my own voice. I held a hand to my mouth as I gave a gruff cough to clear my throat. "Where is she?"
"Who are you talking about?" she frowned. "And would you like some water? You sound almost as bad as you look."
I replied with a quick shake of my head.
"Thank you, but I'm fine for now. The girl, though, the one I was with on the roof, do you know where she is?"
Otome's shoulders wilted a degree.
"O-oh, you mean Sekai," she said with a more mellowed tone. "She's probably gone home for the day. You've been in here for a few hours now. I think the nurse may have forgotten about you."
I rubbed a crater into my forehead, hoping that a brief massage would refresh my mind. Alright, let's review the last few things I remember. Walked to school with Kotonoha. Had lunch on the roof with Sekai. She didn't go shopping with Makoto. Frustrating internal struggle. I inquired as to why. She kissed me in reply. End film.
Mental relief evaded my grasp and I was instead greeted again by the unforgiving landslide of a headache. This is all a joke, right? They're all just pushing my buttons and in the end we'll all have a good laugh while everyone goes back to being good friends with no potential for bloody conflict.
But Sekai kissed me! I think I'm going to vomit. Not from the kiss itself, no. Regrettably, I enjoyed that more than I should have. I just can't imagine how much more muddled things could get. I've just lost a very prominent ally. Then again, maybe... maybe I've unlocked a workable answer to all this...
If Sekai's feelings truly have changed, which honestly is a big 'if', then I don't have to continue to push her on to Makoto. He and Kotonoha can continue their relationship unhindered, no violence or bad blood. I just have to keep Sekai locked onto myself but... I don't know... Sure she's nice, easy on the eyes, to put it lightly. She's gorgeous, but it feels so wrong for reasons I can't explain. Or maybe I can, but I don't want to think about it. I've never even taken the route of a romantic partner. The sheer fact that I've received so much attention from Sekai alone has everything I believed in a meat grinder.
And beyond that, I can't stay here forever. I need to go home someday, the home with real people. If this had been any other jolly world of color and animation I'd reconsider… But this…
I need to confront Makoto. Soon.
"Hey, about Sekai..."
Otome's voice ripped my thoughts away and brought me back to her large eyes. They looked sad. When she noticed my return of focus she dropped her gaze from mine.
"Yes?" I asked with interest. "What about her?"
"Er... You and her," she mumbled softly. "Are you two going out together?"
I hesitated before chuckling nervously, my cheeks heating faster than black tar in the middle of summer. Had word gotten out about what happened on the roof between us? Had someone seen? Calm down, it's just general suspicion.
I made an effort to force a toothy grin. "What on earth would make you think that?"
"Nothing," she sighed as she smiled back. "I just heard you two had become close friends recently, so I was just curious."
"Uh, yeah, just friends," I stumbled. I threw a habitual finger down to my collar bone to loosen my tie only to tug at nothing. With a quick glance I finally realized the only clothes I had on were my pants and collared shirt. My coat and tie had been dumped by my feet.
"Oh, would you like me to help you with those?" Otome asked kindly, having caught my gaze.
I clenched my brow at her and wore an amused smirk. "It's not like I've lost any of my motor skills, Katou. I think I can manage it on my own."
"You need to take it easy and get home as soon as possible," she replied brusquely, blind siding me with her sudden sternness.
With a grunt, I sat up into a sitting position, pushing against the unforgiving might of gravity. The strain shot stars across my vision, which I quickly fluttered away with my eyelids. I wavered slightly before I noticed Otome's quizzical look.
"Maybe you should stay here a little longer..."
"No," I uttered, gingerly plucking my legs from beneath the sheets. "I'm ready to get up. I really need to see someone."
"Like I said," she sighed as she reached over and held up my coat. "School's been out for an hour or so now. Most people have gone home. It's the weekend, after all."
She gestured for me to hold out my arms. I begrudgingly complied and stuck my hands out like a scarecrow while she slipped the blazer over my features. She stood close enough for the warmth of her body to slough off onto mine. My nose wrestled with an entangled fume of sweat and flowery deodorant, the aftermath of her shortened practice session. With a quick tug, she knotted my tie on and took a step back to admire her handiwork.
"Can't you sit up a little straighter?" she complained.
I responded with a subdued glower. My shoes had been placed conveniently down on this side of the bed. I slipped my socked soles in and tested the waters. Leg joints feel sturdy enough...
I pushed from the bedside onto my knees, my tired joints jittering with the movement, but holding well enough. Otome seemed ready to jump at me the entire time, anticipating my downfall. I nodded to her.
"Thanks," I said. "It looks like I can walk, but I feel only a little sturdier than a toothpick."
"You look it," she giggled with an uncertain look. "So, are you heading home?"
"In a bit. Is the library still open?"
"The library? What for?" she asked with a hint of suspicion.
I squinted at her inquiringly. "Does it matter?"
"It's to see that girl again, isn't it?
It took a few seconds for my social skills to process just how blunt that question had been. Otome's eyes had darkened and she glared with a hidden intensity that I didn't know she contained. It unnerved me.
"Kotonoha is a friend of mine," I replied matter-of-factly. "Is that a problem?"
"You should stay away from girls like her."
The atmosphere had grown cold and tense with Otome's monotone warning. Pin pricks of unease crept into my skin. Had she always been this hostile toward Kotonoha? The scenario sounded familiar, but I couldn't seem to remember, a problem that's been sticking to my skull like a nasty, pulsating parasite. For now I'll have to just tread lightly...
With a gunshot-like clang, the office door burst open, revealing a short, lavender haired girl with twin-tails that drooped from the back of her head. She wore the same sporting uniform as Otome, and she looked just as shocked as we did.
"S-sorry!" she yelped as she withdrew her hand from the door. "I didn't mean to slam it like that."
"Roka?" Otome frowned, perplexed. "What are you doing here? You should be back at practice."
"I could say the same for you," she countered. "Ashikaga decided to cut practice short since we were already absent a few players then you bolted off after I mentioned the foreign kid's incident."
A strangled, almost gag-like noise came from Otome while her face took on the color of tomato juice. Her eyes glinted like daggers at Roka before she turned to me.
"I-I was just surprised by the news, that's all," she burned with a guilty smile. "I just couldn't believe I'd gone so long without hearing about it, it's not like I was worried or anything."
She seemed so flustered and heated that I swore I could see steam vent from her face. One word floated about the back of my skull: adorable. I fought to tear my leery gaze from the fidgety Otome as I focused back on the newcomer.
"This is Kitsuregawa Roka," stated Otome's mumbled introduction. "She's on my basketball team."
"Did you say Ashikaga?" I inquired to the new girl. "As in Ashikaga Yuuki?"
"Y-Yuuki?" she stammered with wide gems of cobalt that glittered with a hidden resentment. "No, our team captain is his older sister, Ashikaga Chie. It's a girls' basketball team, no boys."
"That wouldn't be enough to stop him," I muttered darkly under my breath.
"What was that?"
"Heh, nothing," I dismissed. I need to control myself. "But I had no idea he had an older sister."
"Oh yeah, and you would never guess they were related just by looking," she smirked. "I'd say she's probably manlier than he is."
That nipped at a couple of my protective switches. "He's a good kid," I defended lightly. "I'm sure he gets enough of that kind of stuff from the other guys in school. Living in his shoes, I would've snapped from the teasing long ago."
"O-of course, sorry," Roka muttered, fixed on the ground. "I'm guessing you're a friend of his?"
"Something of the sort," I shrugged. "We became acquainted on my first day here. I could've sworn I'd heard your name before... Aren't you his friend as well?"
"No, not really," she sighed as she turned away sheepishly. "We kind of had a bad run-in once... Then his sister tried to introduce us to each other and it didn't go so well..."
"Mmm, I'm sorry your history isn't the best," I smiled understandingly. "If you're ever feeling up to it, you should try to make up with him. I don't mean to push you or tell you what to do, but he's an interesting kid. Plus he's in desperate need of a good friend, someone from around here anyway."
The bashful Roka only blushed and nodded in return. Awesome, I've personally meddled in more lives than any person my age ought to. Remember, they're fictional. It's not that big of a deal. Still…
The chemistry between her and Yuuki was not unfamiliar to me. I remember reading of the rather embarrassing events that had transpired and placed an undeniable blemish on their relationship. It would inevitably fix itself, but I needed to speed it up. At the moment, Yuuki is still distantly fixated on Kotonoha, but I'm going to need her to stay with Makoto if I plan on personally taking Sekai out of the equation. It's not that Yuuki had a chance with her to begin with though, and I don't mean that to be harsh, but Kotonoha does eventually turn the kid down. Sort of. Too many things I prefer not to recount.
Besides, I liked the kid. He kind of reminds me of myself, a bolder and more height deficient version of myself. If I can help him achieve some kind of happiness from this mess, then that's a bonus I'm willing to take credit for. But not outside my inner monologue. Besides, he's helping me, it's the least I can do.
"I have to hurry off to go eat out with some friends," Otome announced as the three of us exited out into the empty hall. "I'll see you guys later. Don't go passing out on any roofs without me knowing, Rupert."
She skipped backwards a few steps, giggling with a taunting grin before turning to jog hastily down the hall. The girl had vanished before I could retort with anything foul, leaving me alone with my newly found character. Looks like I'm heading home alone today. No club activities for me. Then again... I turned to Roka to make my brief farewell.
"Hey, about Yuuki," Roka said quietly before I could utter a word.
My spine curved in slight disappointment. "Yes?" I replied, hiding my longing to head home.
"One of the reasons we don't really get along is because we sort of had a fight after I made fun of the way he looked..."
"So that's how it is," I nodded with understanding.
"B-but, I really do want to be friends with him," she stuttered desperately.
"I'm glad you want to make amends," I nodded again. "But why are you telling me?"
"Since you're a friend of his, I... I was wondering if you could maybe speak to him for me... Tell him I'm s-..." her mouth scrambled up in slight frustration, as though the word had lodged in her throat. "S-sorry. I'm sorry for the cruel things I said to him. I've been hoping to talk him myself, but I think he's avoiding me."
I pretended to look the shorter girl over and put on a face of serious contemplation. She stared back with worried, anticipating eyes. I almost felt sorry for the torture. Of course I was going to help her, I owed it to Yuuki, but that didn't mean I couldn't have my fun. When did I become so teasing?
"Alright, as long as you're genuinely sorry, I'll talk to him for you," I smiled cheaply. One good deed after another. Yay me.
Roka's eyes lit up and her mouth curved in elated relief. "Thank you so much! Let him know I want to talk to him myself as well. I could never say these things to his face."
"But I'm going to need one thing from you in return," I added mysteriously.
Her grin faded a shade but the joy continued to float around in her eyes. "Of course, anything."
"Can you tell me where they hold the student council meetings?"
I don't really know why I wanted to meet up with Kotonoha. It's not like I had anything to meddle with on her end, what with Sekai having forced me to leave her with Makoto. Maybe I just longed for the company. Regardless, I soon found myself standing in a deserted hall outside of a nameless room. I had begun to doubt Roka's directions until an explosion of angry-sounding discussions within gripped my attention. I had no idea student council could sound so harsh, though I failed to discern a single word.
Apparently, classes had ended a little less than two hours ago, so I prayed that the meeting would soon find closure. Given that I blacked out around lunch time, I have been out of commission for nearly five hours. Despite all this sleep, my fatigued body refused to feel any more refreshed. I'm surprised they didn't send me to the hospital. In fact, wouldn't that be the go-to solution for an event such as this? Hmph, anime logic.
I slouched against the wall, settling a few feet down from the door in hopes of not drawing too much attention when the room dispersed. Shouldn't Makoto be here? Given how desperate he was to elope with Kotonoha, he could spare an hour or two at school to wait for her. At least I would. As a gentleman, that is. Then again, Kotonoha likely would have insisted on not waiting up for her.
A few minutes of dead silence passed by, eventually giving way to the click of a doorknob and the cry of a few noisy hinges.
A handful of kids streamed out from the room, with only one or two sparing me even the most fleeting of glances. They all appeared so intense and marched with such straight stances. Back home, student council was nothing more than a joke that made kids feel like they had power in their school. Over here, it looked like actual work. Who would do that to themselves? I kept my eyes downturned, hoping nobody would recognize me as the new kid.
"Hudson?"
So much for that. I shot my eyes back up to find an unexpected sight.
"Kiyoura?" I blurted before realizing that many of the kids could still hear me. I ignored their suspecting eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Her crimson eyes replied with a sardonic look. "I'm on the student council of course. I should be asking you why you're standing out here eavesdropping."
"Ha ha," I smirked. "I'm just waiting on someone, that's all. In fact..."
I peered around the girl to scout out the meeting room. "Is Kotonoha still in there? I didn't notice her leave."
"You should stay away from her."
Kiyoura's face had shifted the slightest shadow darker. I looked at her in disbelief and backed up a step. How many people were planning on telling me to stay away from Kotonoha? I'm the one that should be telling them that, I'm the one who knows what she's capable of. They haven't the slightest clue what tragedies I've seen spawn from their world.
"Are you trying to intimidate me?" I asked irritably, my voice coming out shaken. "I'm getting a little tired of people around here telling me who to talk to and who to avoid,"
"I'm looking out for Sekai." Kiyoura's blank face remained unchanged. "Why are you here for that girl? She already has a boyfriend. Is it because you like her?"
"W-what kind of a question is that?" I grumbled, my mood steadily dropping. "Not that it's any of your business, but no, we're just friends."
"Mmm," she droned unconvinced.
The small girl took a last peek into the room behind her before releasing her hold on the door. It shut with a cold clink. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said quietly. The growl of thunder boomed in the distance.
"I hope so too," I replied in a raspy whisper.
"For Sekai's sake."
She eyed me with a final robotic analysis before turning and marching down the hall. I watched her back with a disquieted stare, wishing for her to not turn around. Her smart footsteps clacked off the walls long after she had turned out of sight. I dwelled on her words, sharing in her concern for Sekai.
Then I remembered Kotonoha. I poked into the room, spotting only a lonely girl shuffling a stack of papers. Despite her miserable-looking position, her face reflected a strangely cheerful color.
"Hey, Kotonoha," I called across the room before letting the door fall in behind me.
A bundle of loose papers fluttered away from Kotonoha's grasp when her eyes climbed to meet me. Only a synthetic glow from the few working light bars illuminated the classroom. I saw it as more of a glorified closet rather than an actual classroom. It clearly wasn't used for much other than storage and meetings. The few wall spaces that weren't obscured by stacked chairs were coated in note-ridden bulletin boards. The desks in the room had been sifted into a rough semi-circle, surrounding an old podium.
"H-Hu-Rupert?" she squeaked with a start, like a cute mouse startled by the sudden appearance a cheese wheel. Just friends. "You're awake. Thank goodness."
"I guess everyone really has heard," I laughed as I rubbed the back of my neck. I strode across the room and bent down to help pick up the rebellious papers. They carpeted the entire area around her feet like a crinkly blanket of snow, and I couldn't read a single thing. Why did she have so many?
"Thank you," she smiled as we finished cleaning up. "But really, I'm so glad you're okay. What did you come here for?"
I had difficulty keeping my gratitude for her concern from burning my face. "I remember you said something about having a meeting today," I shrugged. "Just so happens I woke up around the time it ended. I could hear some pretty fiery voices in there; I never knew school meetings could get people so worked up."
"They're rarely like that," Kotonoha sighed as she shuffled the papers into a large binder. "Today's meeting actually shifted focus to your, um, incident."
"Ahh," I groaned with twitching eyebrows. "I'm not expelled am I?"
She snickered with a hand to her mouth at my worried expression.
"No no, we don't have the power to do something like that," she assured. "But, they were discussing the permanent restriction of the roof's access by taking away certain club privileges."
"That's not too bad," I whooshed my relieved reply. "I can always eat somewhere else."
"Well you won't have to worry about that," she smiled subtly before looking away. "The reason they became so loud was because I defended you and Sekai. They're, uh, not used to me speaking up."
"Really?" I voiced with bewildered concern. Did she partake in that yelling? "You didn't have to go through that kind of trouble for us. They didn't-"
"You and Sekai are my friends," wisped her withered response. "And Makoto... I want us to have lunch together up there more often."
When she mentioned Sekai, my neck prickled. I still had no idea how I planned to confront her later about becoming a couple. Do I just ask her out? What a baffling conversation that would be. Hey, Sekai, I know you may have forced your tongue into my mouth earlier, but may I have the pleasure of asking you to be my girlfriend? Dammit, if she liked me so much why didn't she just tell me sooner? I worked hard on these plans and she dashed them to the wind. Maybe she really is toying with me? I could just be a big joke to her, some kind of life-sized toy. Maybe every one of them is a sick, sadistic-
"Rupert?" Kotonoha peeped with interest.
"So you actually argued for us?" I asked after tearing from my thoughts. "I can't even begin to imagine what you look like when you're mad." I don't need to.
"It was no big deal. I just stated that the entire scene had been an accident that could not have been prevented," she stated with a satisfied glint. "It was within Sekai's right to use her club key to access the roof. Unless any nefarious acts could be proven to have taken place at the time, then nothing needs to be done."
"Heh, nefarious," I muttered with a slacked grin and downturned eyes.
Kotonoha nodded, failing to detect my guilty conscience. "Thankfully, Kiyoura backed up my opinion, so it ended rather swiftly after that. If not for her, I don't know how it would have gone."
"Kiyoura?" I piped with astonishment.
Kotonoha nodded. She held the binder of papers under her arm and signaled her will to leave. "Yes, she's one of the class representatives. She has an exceptional volume of influence over the rest of the council. She's also a close friend of Sekai's. You may have seen her leave the room, the girl with the large red bow."
I scuffed along to the door and pried it open for her. More thunder roared, followed by the subtle encore of rain. "Now that you mention it, I think I did see someone like that…"
Before school, the sun had shone so bright and the sky had seemed so blue. Now it was as though I had forgotten my glasses. We couldn't see more than two feet in front of ourselves through the heavy wall of slapping rain. At least it fell straight, allowing Kotonoha's umbrella to provide some coverage. She always kept one in her locker in case of emergency. I could actually feel the rain push down, straining my weak arm.
"I hope you don't mind me asking," I spoke loudly as the two of us splashed cautiously down the final street home; we were forced to nearly yell over the hammering downpour. It took until now for an opportunity to speak to present itself. Between the racks of thunder, Kotonoha could go on forever about student council. And apparently she was prolific in martial arts. "How's it been going between you and Makoto?"
For a moment I thought she was about to slip on the puddles in the sidewalk. "Oh, um, we've been… good. He's been a bit busy lately with homework, but he's always thinking about me."
Her faltering voice lacked any real conviction. My stomach churned. My knuckled grew white on the umbrella handle. "I see. I'm sorry I asked you something so personal, but I've just been kinda curious. Relationships are an interesting field that I've been looking into. Such territory remains undiscovered to me."
"I-It's fine," she waved with cheery eyes. Too cheery. Spattered raindrops looked like tears on her cheeks. "Hey, have you heard about what my class is doing for the festival?"
Kotonoha's uppity inflection carried off into the storm, mentally leaving me behind. Makoto has been neglecting her, that much was clear. Didn't they just start dating? The blame may not belong entirely to him though. The unmistakable wrenching of my gut reminded me that I was at fault.
I had put it in his head to chase after Sekai right from the get go. Whatever doubts he had about my words, with Kotonoha being so difficult for him, it would all be sinking in now. My whole plan to make Makoto jealous may be working too well, beyond remaining useful. I've been developing a knack for getting in my own way.
With a deep breath, I glanced out from beneath the plastic shield that warded off the wrath of the clouds. I loved this type of weather; it usually cheered me up more than any warmth of sunlight ever could. But today…
"What do you think about your class's activity?"
Kotonoha's voice ricocheted off my ear canal. I flinched sideways and managed to soak my right sleeve. She had leaned in to shout directly into my ear. Actually, she hadn't leaned at all, we were just squeezed that tightly under the umbrella.
"S-sorry," she gasped. "I didn't mean to surprise you."
"It's all fine," I laughed while I shook my right arm of excess moisture. "Uh, my class? I don't really know what we're doing."
"Like I said," she giggled. "Your class is doing a little maid café. You'll be cooking and serving guests with some simple fried food and drink. Think you can manage that?"
"I've never been one for cooking," I snickered with a shrug. "Maybe it will be a good learning experience. But do we get to enjoy the festival?"
"Your class will assign shifts," she reassured. "When you're done you should be free to do as you please. Most activities close by some point for the final event."
"Ah, good. Maybe we can hang out together and see the rest of the acts. The four of us I mean." I could just barely make out the door of my home through the rainy sheet.
"That sounds like a great idea," she spoke in a voice I could just make out.
"I hate to leave you to walk alone in the rain," I frowned as she loomed on the sidewalk. "Are you positive you don't want me to walk with you?"
"I'm fine," she laughed once more as she shook the black parasol. "I don't want you to have to walk all the way back without cover. Don't worry about it."
I nodded and waved a soggy hand. "Have a good weekend, Kotonoha. If you need anything, I'm just a text away."
"You too, Rupert," she beamed. "And I'll keep that in mind."
I watched her back fade out into the blur before softly closing the front door. The house was dark and silent, aside from the muffled drum of the storm outside. With the dulling of the rain, I could finally make out the pounding in my own head. I grimaced as a sharp pain stabbed at my forehead. I massaged the tender spot that I believed took the brunt of my fall. As I shook the wetness from my coat, the blare of my cell phone shrieked from my pocket. A text message?
I reached a hand down to retrieve the damp piece of plastic and flipped the little clam shell open. My eyes widened at the name of the sender. The message read:
- Itou Makoto
- Hey, we need to talk.
It was going to be a unique weekend.