(Tomoko POV)
Thursday. My alarm goes off, and the day begins. At this point, I'm used to the morning routine of my new life. It's not all that different from my old lifestyle, if I think about it. There are only a few, key differences. For one, there's nobody else to make this place a home. I've been trying not to think about it lately, because I don't want to depress myself, but I really wish I could have a home-cooked meal. Another difference is that I don't stay up until the early hours playing around on the internet. At least, not since I've started at Sobu high. Which brings me to the final difference.
I actually look forward to going to school.
I grin to myself, and I start my morning rituals.
On the way to school, I find myself thinking back to yesterday, and the two people I met.
Isshiki Iroha. A trendy first year girl who happens to be the manager of the soccer club, and somehow, the president of the student council. She irrirated the hell out of me with her obnoxious personality, so I was hoping to not have anything more to do with her. In the end, I never told Hikigaya that the girl I met in PE yesterday was one in the same. I don't know why, but something in my head warned me to drop the topic.
As for Yukinoshita Haruno...I hope I never have to see her again. I couldn't stand to be in her presence. She barely acknowledged me yesterday, and when she did, it felt like she was looking at some gross animal or insect. Why does she have such an interest in Hikigaya? I have no idea, but what I do know is that next time she pins Hikigaya down, I'm just going to leave.
Come to think of it, why does Hikigaya know these attractive girls? He told me he gave up on socialization when he failed to make friends in the world. If that's true, then why would such beautiful girls consentingly spend so much time with him?
Riajuu bastard. Introduce me to some hot guys, you selfish prick.
It's another day at school, and even though I'm still in my first week, I already feel settled in. I've been interacting with my classmates, just a little. I don't get as nervous around them, and I can almost talk to them normally. If this keeps up, I might even have a fulfilling normal highschool life with tons of friends and a perfect boyfriend.
The day goes by, and lunchtime arrives. It's another day where I didn't prepare any lunch, so it's off to the cafeteria we go.
I get something boring to eat, as usual, and when I'm walking off, I spot Hikigaya. He's walking the other way and doesn't notice me. I speed up until I'm walking next to him, and when he finally notices me, he throws out the same lame greeting he always does.
"Yo."
"You always greet me like that. It's super lame." Instead of greeting him in return, I decide to start by insulting him.
"Don't care. It's the shortest greeting the Japanese language will allow." He defends lamely.
"You lazy piece of shit." I remark snidely. "Keep that up and eventually you'll just be grunting in response to everything."
He grins. "Good. Then I'll have to use even less effort in my everyday life."
"Your laziness is repulsive. I bet you're a slob at home." I feign disgust. I'm trying not to smile, this friendly banter is heartwarming to me.
"Only when my sister's not around to see it. I have to look good for my imouto, so she will continue to dote on me as she grows up. That way, she will happily support me when she becomes an adult, and I can stay at home and play homemaker." He says without a hint of shame.
I shake my head in mock disappointment. "Wow, Hikigaya. Just wow. I can't believe you just said that with a straight face." I was trying not to giggle, but it slipped out towards the end.
When he hears me laugh, he laughs a little too.
"Hikitani-kun?" A voice comes from the side. We both turn towards the source.
Hayama, or at least who I think is Hayama, is standing there looking at us. Oh my goodness you are so fine. Come here and let mama play with you.
"You need something, Hayama?" Hikigaya says. Well, that's what he said but with the tone he used, it sounded more like 'why the fuck are you bothering me?'
"Do I have to need something to talk to you?" Hayama asks politely. No, sweetheart. You can come talk to us whenever you feel like it. In fact, I insist you do.
Hikigaya is not in sync with me, apparently. "You know I'm not one for idle chatter."
Hayama's reply is snappy, and a little too quick. "Yet here you are, laughing away with this girl like you're old friends." He looks at me, and I swear I see sparkles around his face.
Before I can say anything, he approaches me and begins his introduction. "Hi there. My name is Hayama Hayato." He smiles and extends a hand. Shit he's so fine.
On the other hand, I am a total mess. "U-uhm, hello. I'm uh...Ku-...Kuroki." I sputter out lamely. Then I realize I only gave him half of my name. "T-Tomoko! Kuroki...Tomoko." I'm sighing at myself on the inside. You're such an idiot sometimes girl.
He does a little laugh, it's a beautiful sound. "Well, Kuroki-san. I hope we can get along." He beams at me. It's then that I realize he's still holding his hand out. Almost as if panicking, I hurriedly take his hand and shake it too aggressively. I am so blowing it right now.
I look to Hikigaya, and he's trying not to laugh. Bastard. Punk bastard. Shitty punk bastard.
I thought after a first impression like that, Hayama would take off like a bird. But instead, he insisted on continuing to grace us with his company.
"Are you guys going to lunch?" He asks politely. He's so dreamy.
But I actually don't want to be around him anymore. I'm embarrassing myself in front of a local celebrity. This could be bad, my highschool life was just beginning, dammit!
Hikigaya, being the scumbag he is, throws me to the wolves. "Yeah, but if you wanted to borrow Kuroki, she's all yours." He is making a straight face, but I can tell he's laughing his ass off on the inside.
Hayama, if at all possible, seems to become even brighter. "Ah, thanks. I wanted to get to know the person who could get that Hikitani-kun to laugh out loud."
...So, wait. He's only interested in me because Hikigaya is?
I feel denigrated. I suddenly feel a lot less nervous around Hayama. I'm not sure exactly how much, but as I try to say something to find out, Hikigaya beats me to it.
"Actually, I changed my mind. We're busy. Get lost." Hikigaya says bluntly. His mood completely changed in a moment's notice.
Hayama, on the other hand, seems to ignore this. "My business is with Kuroki-chan. I wasn't asking you." He smiles the same smile as he says this, and somehow his smile suddenly becomes meaningless to me.
"She doesn't want to talk with you." Hikigaya seems to be defending me. It feels a lot like when we met Haruno. I felt like he was protecting me then, too.
Hayama persists. "Why are you speaking for her?" Still, that same fake smile rests on his face.
"Because you're not even asking her." He finishes aggressively.
At this, Hayama turns to me. "Oh, he's right. How rude of me. Kuroki-chan, could you please come with me for a minute?"
I don't feel half as charmed as I did just a minute ago. Sure, he's still the finest piece of man-pie I've ever seen up close, but his words just now were beyond offputting.
"Um, sorry. I have to go to lunch." I clip my words, and turn to leave. Hikigaya starts walking as I do.
"Ah, that's a shame. Maybe next time." Hayama offers politely.
"Take a hint, dude." Hikigaya remarks as we walk away.
Afterwards, we're eating lunch, in comfortable silence.
"Hey, thanks." I say out of the blue.
"No problem."
I didn't specify what I was referring to, but I didn't need to. He already knew.
"He's exactly how you said he'd be." I remark.
"Mm, I told you."
"Yeah, you did. I thought you were just being jealous." I add.
"Well, what did we learn today?" He says in a condescending tone. "That's right. Never doubt Hikigaya-sama."
He doesn't quite grin, but I can tell when he's amused. He gets this glint in his eye and his tone becomes sarcastic. I wonder how many other people can recognize these tells in his behavior.
"Piss off. The day you become Hikigaya-sama is the day I get a boyfriend." I retort rudely.
As soon as I say that, I know he's going to have some smartass rebuttal. Before he gets to say it though, someone shouts over our conversation.
"Senpai!" a familiar airy voice echoes across the abandoned courtyard.
We turn towards the commotion, and sure enough, it's Isshiki. Or should I call her Isshiki-san? Maybe I'll find out soon enough. She jogs over to us. Or rather, to Hikigaya. I was thinking about it before, but this bastard knows too many fucking popular people. Give me a break, dude.
"Senpai, there you are!" She announces.
"Oi, this place is classified. How'd you find me?"
"Yui-senpai said you'd be here. If nothing else, I can at least depend on you to be doing the same things everyday. It makes you easy to find, you knoooow?"
When she says that, Hikigaya exchanges a glance with me. Yeah, I heard it too, buddy. It's an effort to keep a straight face between the two of us.
Of course, this brings Isshiki's attention to me. I look back at her, and she's staring at me in surprise. What the fuck are you looking at?
"...Senpai. Yui-senpai said you always eat alone." She says monotonously.
Hold on, I'm confused. Which Senpai is Senpai? Why do only some of your Senpais have names?
"This is Kuroki Tomoko." He introduces me. "She's new. We had a legendary battle over who gets to have this lunch spot. In the end, I won but I allowed her to stay, out of respect for her strength."
...Wait, what kind of introduction is that?
"Huh? Senpai, that kind of humor really isn't your style, you knooow?"
Don't. Fucking. Laugh.
Isshiki finally turns to me. "Ah, anyway Tomoko-senpai. It's nice to meet you!" She beams with a brilliant smile.
We already met, chickenhead. Is your memory really that bad? How did you ever make it onto the student council?
"Yeah. Nice to meet you too, Isshiki-san." I decide to play dumb, since that seems to be her favorite game.
...Strange. I don't feel quite as nervous when I talk to her this time. Maybe it's because Hikigaya set the pace already.
"You're lucky, Kuroki. She remembered your name." Hikigaya remarks.
"Yeah I noticed yours is already just 'Senpai'" I say amusedly.
Isshiki pipes up. "Hey! I remember your name, Senpai. You know you're the only one I call 'Senpai'"
...What?
"Yeah right. What's the name of the Student Council Treasurer?" Hikigaya continues the conversation.
No, wait. What did she say before?
"Michiru-senpai! Geez, Senpai!" Isshiki says.
I think she noticed me staring dumbly at her. She returns the look. "...what?" She blurts.
After a somewhat awkward moment, the light goes off in her head. I think she recognized me. Probably, she's recalling what we talked about yesterday.
She sighs. "I wonder what class senpai has right now."
"Senpai?"
She closes her eyes, and sighs again. "Yeah. I'm the student council president, you see. I have this Senpai who dotes on me and does whatever I want. He looks gross but he's definitely useful when he wants to be." She answers, seemingly amused with her own answer.
"Um, could it be that you like this Senpai of yours?" I ask politely.
She gasps, as if she wasn't expecting the question. "Wh-why would you think that!?" She spouts far too defensively.
...
"Uwah!" She gasps, and her face flushes red within seconds.
Yep. Thought so. I know your secret, Isshiki-san.
I can't help but grin. Not in a condescending way, but in a way you would when you recall something hilarious.
"T-Tomoko-senpai! Ah, um..." She sees me grinning, and appears to panic. She has no idea what she wants to say to me. This is beyond funny. "Er, nevermind ahahaha!" She laughs in a nervous and fake way.
I say nothing, but am unable to find the courtesy to wipe the shit-eating grin off my face. Sorry, Kouhai-chan. It's just too funny.
Hikigaya is a little weirded out by our suspicious exchange. I'm not gonna be the one to tell him. He's throwing curious glances at the both of us. I'm still grinning.
"...Anyway, Isshiki. What did you want with me?" He breaks the silence with a question.
"Huh? Ah, right! Um...I wanted to tell you not to make plans after school today. I'm gonna make a request." She answers.
"Is that something you need to find me at lunchtime for? You were the one who said I'm doing the same thing every day."
"Well, I did say that. But today's request is important, Senpai. And you had plans for the weekend, didn't you?" She says in a somewhat accusing tone.
"Fine. Still, it was unnecessary to go out of your way just for that."
Isshiki falters a little. "Well, there was something else..." She spares the briefest of glances at me. "But it's not important, I guess."
Oh, sorry Kouhai-chan. Am I in your way? Do you want me to step out so you can have a moment with 'Senpai'?
"Alright then." Hikigaya replies in a bored tone.
"So you're not busy today?" She asks hopefully. She's actually kind of cute when she's being girly for a guy.
"I never am, like you said." He drawls begrudgingly. I'm guessing he's against the notion of not being able to go home and do nothing.
"Geez, Senpai! You don't have to sound so annoyed, you knoooow?"
I can't help it. I tried not to laugh, but I ended up choking out a little snort. I get both of their attention. Whoops.
"Sorry, I choked on my food." I say dismissively.
Isshiki doesn't seem to care, but when she's looking at me, I see Hikigaya flash a big, rotten grin at me. Not helping, dickhead. Isshiki turns back towards him and in an instant, his face is neutral again.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later then, Senpai."
"Sure."
And she takes off.
When we're alone, he begins his interrogation. "So what was that about before?"
Shit. I might find Isshiki's problems funny, but I don't want to give up the big secret. I'm not that bad of a person.
"It doesn't matter."
"You keeping secrets, Kuroki?" He prods.
I decide that I should nip this conversation in the bud. "Look, it's not my secret I'm keeping, okay? You'll find out eventually."
And just like that, he drops the topic. Huh. I thought a smartass like him would investigate a little more. That's fine, I guess.
We eat in silence for a while.
"...You knooooooow." I say with increasing volume.
We're finally free to laugh at our stupid joke. No hard feelings, Isshiki, but it's really funny.
Guest: pls update
Me: k
*doesn't update*
...
I was drunk all weekend okay? My family came back from Australia for the week.
On that note, I might be spending the week travelling with them, depending on what I end up doing tomorrow. If I get hit with more inspiration tonight, hopefully I can pump out another chapter. I already have some of it planned. If I don't get it out tonight, then I'll see if I can't stay home. Because if I go, you won't hear from my ass for the next week or so.