No comment this time I guess

Enjoy

Happens during the start of 2nd grade. March.

Midori Hoshiwa was standing in front of the class list and could not move. Not because of the crowd, which didn't allow her to move physically, but rather because of the fact that neither Tama, nor Haru were in her class. Actually she only recognized names, which she was afraid of. The double 'S' 'es. Fuji Syusuke and Inui Sadaharu.

''S' is the letter of evil'', she quietly mumbled and started to fight free from the crowd.

March brought warm weather and school. Midori couldn't quite decide which one was worse in this situation and place. In Tokyo, where the summers were ridiculously hot. But she'll worry about summer later, now she had to worry about the problems in front of her.

She was in class 2-A this year. Slowly dragging her feet Midori finally arrived at it. Then, staring at the door, slowly opened it. Having entered, the girl was unbelievably relieved that none of the tennis regulars were there. She nodded a greeting to the few people who looked her way and took her place by the window. Most people started coming in around ten, or so, minutes later. That was around the time when someone sat down in the desk besides Midori. She glanced to her left, and immediately back to her right, unwilling to make eye-contact. How can you make eye contact with a person whose eyes are always closed anyway?

''Good morning Hoshiwa-san.'' a polite voice from her left greeted her.

Unwillingly she turned her head a bit to greet back, then stared down at her desk, wondering when it was last re-coloured.

''Did you have a fun summer?'' the voice asked again. Midori, still indulged with the desk, nodded slightly.

The owner of the voice didn't manage to pester her about any other things, because the teacher entered, and they were all forced to quiet down and stand up.

After a short introductory talk, about how they already are second years, and how they should all decide soon about their future, the teacher moved along with the seat-arrangements. Midori got 7, the boy besides her got 13. And that's the story how Midori got to sit next to the tensai of the Seigaku-high tennis team- Fuji Syusuke, for the rest of the 2nd year. They simply didn't have another seat-arrangement.

After a week.

A week during which you get to sit next to Fuji Syusuke. A dream, a wish, a purpose in life for some. For her it was a nightmare. Who was more insane? Her or the rest of society? Probably the rest, she decided after getting her literature book out. Would you want to be glared at by almost every girl in school each time you walked in the halls? Would you want to haver rumours spread about you, that weren't even true? I don't think so. Midori wasn't a celebrity, so she didn't really have much to lose. She was afraid of losing her only two friends. But that was it. Bullying wasn't a problem. No one would dare to hide her shoes or write words on her desk. Why? Maybe because people still remembered what had happened just a month ago. She had tied with Tezuka Kunimitsu for first place in the final exams. Everyone thought she was a genius in disguise, that's why they feared her a bit, well, a lot actually. She wasn't really a part of class, as no one really talked to her. She didn't really need anyone to talk to. She could meet up with Haru or Tama whenever she wanted to. It was very annoying, thou, that the main culprit didn't even seem to notice all the damage she was getting from him talking to her.

As literature started, she once again wished for a quiet day. Unfortunately it wasn't any better than the rest. Actually it was even worse for her than usually.

''All right class, we'll be doing a literature project, which will involve you showing me how much you remember from the 1st year about world literature. This work will be done in pairs, and I personally will assign them. I will give you each a number, and you are forbidden to show it to anyone else, then I will give you a piece of paper on which several book titles are written. You can write the number you receive below the title of the book. Remember only two people for each book.

''You will be given a sheet of paper, which will show you what exactly you must talk about, when talking about your book. A presentation must be made on either A2 or A1 format paper. You will have to hand it in after 2 weeks, later on you shall present it to the rest of class.''

''There are 32 people in this class so that's 16 pairs, and 16 books.'' Midori did the math quietly as the list came to her. There were some Japanese books, which were read and talked about during Japanese literature, but it was the world literature books, which interested Midori: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. And some others of course, but her eyes sopped on Victor Hugo ''Les Misérable''. She had read the book and loved it. As no one else had written their number on it, she wrote hers, happy to have gotten a book she would enjoy talking about.

After everyone in class had put their names down the teacher called out the numbers, so that the pairs would become known. You can guess who Midori became pairs with. Fuji Syusuke.

''You're like a bug.''

''Huh?'' surprised at the sudden insult he looked at her as they took their seats.

''I just can't shake you off.'' she mumbled and cut off from the outside world by sinking deep in thought.

After school

They had to decide where and when they would do the project, as both had read the book several months ago they had to re-freshen their memory a bit.

''Do you have the book at home?'' Fuji asked Midori, as he packed up.

''Of course I do! I'll just re-read it today.''

''You can't possibly re-read it in a day. In which language?''

''I can't read French you know. Japanese of course.''

''No I thought maybe in English...We could go to my place to get ready for the presentation then, it's closer than where you live''

Before she managed to ask how he knew where she lived she remembered what happened during their first year, and got madder because of it. ''Don't you have practice? I can't wait that long.''

''Well I guess I could go to your place after practice then, if you don' want to wait.''

''Why can't we just do it during breaks at school?''

He looked her with his usual smile ''I like to eat during lunch break.''

''Multi-task.'' Midori mumbled as they exited the classroom.

Silence came and they walked to the school exit without saying a word. ''Arghh! Fine, fine, you win, my place, whenever.''

''Oh? Is that an invitation, that I can come by whenever I please?''

''No!'' she declined, wondering whether she should buy a guard-dog with sharp teeth.''Let's just start doing it tomorrow and then let's see what happens.'' she put on her shoes and left Fuji standing there, with one indoor shoe still on. He had to go to practice anyway. Hoping that he would get lost Midori made her way back home, still the thought of a vicious guard-dog wouldn't be all that bad.

As she entered the beauty shop Naoko greeted her, and after a quick glance at her face pulled her into the employees room. ''What's wrong?''Naoko asked

Having snapped out from her dreams of 'owning-a-evil-head-biting-off-dog-which-would-only-listen-to-her', she looked at the older girl with confusion. ''Huh?''

''You're wearing a frown, frowns make the 11 wrinkles happen here,'' she pressed her fingers onto the area between Midoris eyebrows. ''The only wrinkles you are allowed to have are from this,'' and she stretched the girls mouth in a funny smile. ''So what's wrong?''

Forming words while your mouth is stretched out was hard. ''We aee goin to have a visivor tomorrow.''

''Oh,'' Naoko let go of the brunettes mouth and patted her cheeks, ''How's that bad? OH! Is it a boy?'' She zoomed in on Midoris face not allowing her to lie.

''Is he handsome, wait how does he know the way here?''

''He stalked me once here.''

''OH? He's a stalker? Why do you talk to him then?

Midori didn't really want to admit it, but it had to be said, ''Well...he isn't really a stalker, he just thought I would faint on my way back home. He's a classmate, and we're doing a literature project together.''

''Romance novel?''

''Les Misérable''

''Ohh...something French! Perfect. All right, I'll tell Kida not to be an annoyance like last time. He threw hot coffee on the poor boy!''

''Actually, I don't mind...''

''Well I do! If your brother keeps having a 'sister complex' that's destroying you're love-life, that what will become of you?''

'I don't have a love life,' the girl commented, but answered with a ''I don't really think he'll mind'' type of answer.

After Naoko had finally left her in peace, and went back to the salon, Midori kicked the table, then again, and then another time. ''Damn it! I can already hear the 'Oooh. I bet she begged him to do it with her',or 'She definitely somehow brainwashed him to do it, I mean MY Fuji would never pick the same story she would' Christ!'' and she kicked the poor table again ''I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! Why the hell do I need to go through all this trouble?'' she let out a frustrated yell after which she managed to calm down a bit. She hoped that Kida would behave childishly enough to scare Fuji off, although that idea didn't really sound possible.

Sighing she glanced at the clock. Still enough time to do homework, then she'll read the damned book, which she likes so much.

Bah. Blame December. Anyway sorry for the short one this time, but you know the cycle. After a short one comes a long one. After every down there is an up.

Hope you liked it!

Be a nice person and leave a review telling me what you like about it, or not.

Reviews make people happy. They make me happy :D. Even if they're mean ones, because then I know people actually read it and what they think of it.

Well see you next week then.

flies of butter