Modem girl
Chapter 3
i am sorry for the delay, on holiday with awful wifi.
It was about a week after the interview, and the results hadn't been determined yet, so Ayumi had nothing to do but mooch around at home since school had given her a week off. Most students would of loved the break but Ayumi was if anything, slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to use the resources in school to study. All of her friends had insisted she was mad thinking that, the day that their teacher told her that she would be getting time off, and tried to tell her she deserved the break after working really hard for the set piece and the actual interview. She was the type of person who pushed herself past the limits, and got bored when she had nothing to work for or achieve. Sometimes that backfired, but Ayumi was very good at blocking out pain and stress, and she'd just drift away into her own little world to forget herself, just like that.
"You deserve it for working so hard Shinozaki!" laughed Mayu, as she and her five friends walked home.
"Yeah, I'm well jelly! No school for a whole week!" Seiko added, linking arms with Naomi.
"Jelly?" commented Ayumi. "Is that some more Seiko-S-Language?"
"Yup. Morishige, how long do we have till we leave?""
"Why do you ask me?"
"Your the organised one..." said Satoshi, making Morishige slightly uncomfortable.
"I suppose. One more term, since were going to be seniors soon."
Seiko and Satoshi groaned in unison, neither of them loved school and had thought time would of gone quicker then it initially had.
"Cheer up guys! We can call each other Senpai, right Shig-nii?"
"Right."
"Nakashima-Senpai," sniggered Seiko bumping into her best friend. "Sounds dead posh!"
"Not really Seiko..."
"Oh yes, it definingly fits!"
"Seiko..."
"Guys, does it matter what Senpai sounds like added to your name?"
"Of course, it effects all our futures!"
"How?"
"What!?"
"Nakashima-Senpai..."
"Ugh."
Ping!
"Who's phone was that?" asked Satoshi, checking that it wasn't his own.
"Not mine."
"My phone makes a louder noise then that."
"Nope."
"Shinozaki?"
"Yup, it seems that I've got a text guys!" Ayumi said excitedly, since she rarely texted anyone, unlike Seiko who spent a lot of time stalking Naomi online, whenever she felt like it.
"Is it your results?" inquired Naomi leaning over her shoulder, only to be brushed away quite rudely by her.
"They obviously wouldn't send it by text Nakashima," snapped Ayumi, drawing her phone closer to her, imedietly recognising the number with a blush.
"Geez, sorry..."
An awkward silence fell between the friends as Ayumi read her text, who was from, you guessed it, the blonde boy who she had met in the train station. Once she looked up, she realised she had been a bit hard on Naomi, and told herself sternly to apoligise.
"Sorry," she said, making everyone feel relived. "I shouldn't of been like that..."
"It's okay!" Naomi quickly replied, happy to have sorted the matter with out a fuss. "I know your stressed still from the interview, I know I was when I applied for the nursing collage."
"I guess..." Ayumi agreed, as Mayu and Morishige turned a corner to get to their various homes with a quick goodbye wave. "Maybe your right, I should take this trip!"
"There we go Shinozaki!" smiled Satoshi whilst patting her on the back, making her blush the deepest shade of pink. Naomi noticed and was jealous but decided to not say anything to prevent more conflict. There was no need to start a cat fight, especially at that time of day.
"Er, I have to turn this way guys." announced Seiko, pointing to another crossroad further on. She looked quite uncomfortable by Seiko standards.
"Me to actually!"
"Alright, see you girls tomorrow!" Satoshi waved them off with a grin, leaving himself with the small class rep. He liked her, but didn't consider her as good as a friend then Naomi, where as Ayumi had always had a large crush on the bubbly boy ever since high school. She desperately wanted to say something to look cool, but before she knew it, Satoshi had to go an opposite direction to her, and she was alone. It was so hard to get his attention, he was always talking to Naomi with his big smile, or to Seiko, and was always texting his mates from outside of school. Apart from the odd line or to, him addressing Ayumi was almost minimal, Sighing, she scanned through the text again, making her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She didn't know exactly why though.
/
To: Ayumi From: Yoshiki
Hey how are you doing? Sorry I didn't reply to your text I ran out of credit. Typical. -.-
I've been busking in the park not too far from your school, and I'm done now, and I'd actually like to talk to you about something. :3
Yosh :)
/
To: Yoshiki From: Ayumi
Ok I'll be there soon, wait for me xx
/
Ayumi hadn't had a chance to reply yet, so she quickly wrote a short reply with two kisses at the end, you know, casual. As she strolled along the pavement towards the park, she wondered what Yoshiki wanted to talk to her about, and what was so important that he'd say it in person. A thousand possibilities flashed by like cogs in her brain, some making her blush, some not so much. He was definitely a mysterious character, and had hold her little about himself apart from he was a delinquent, he liked music and he was living alone. He must be lonely all by himself, she thought to herself, it will be good to give him some company. Sure enough after crossing roads several times, Ayumi had arrived at the grassy park, spotting Yoshiki straight away in the crowd of wondering people. He was easy to see with his bleach blonde hair and trademark guitar over his shoulder. As she approached him with a wave, she noticed he was wearing similar clothes to the ones on the train, a loose shirt unbuttoned at the top, jeans, and a ripped demin jacket. He was completely different to Satoshi, who was a good boy, popular with everyone and always getting good report cads without being a suck up. You'd think that that was Ayumi's type anyway.
"Hey Shinozaki!" he greeted her with a grin. "I wasn't sure whether you were coming!"
"Haha...' she said, smiling back at him. "Of course I've come. What else did I have to do?" She swallowed, thinking that maybe he'd be hurt her comment, but he didn't look that bothered.
"Uh, I'm sorry..."
"S'ok. I'm used to people acting that way around me, you know."
"Sorry."
"Forget it. Im just the type of person people drop then pick up when they need me, you know."
"Sorry!"
"Stop apologising!"
"Sorry..."
He tutted, walking over to a vending machine and slotting some money into it.
2 Cokes selected
Pay 200¥
It was true, he was used to being abandoned, used, neglected, all that rubbish. He had developed thick skin from his days on the streets, which was probably what gave him his slightly rough nature towards potential enemies, who was everyone he didn't know well, of course.
"Wanna coke?" he offered, getting himself one with a clunk at the bottom of the machine
"Sure."
"Okay, it's on me, don't mention it."
Yoshiki bought the two cool coke cans and passed one to Ayumi, which she accepted gratefully, even though she rarely drank caffeinated drinks. It made her feel too conscious, especially when she was doing spirit work in particular, so she usually stuck to fruit juice, though that sounds quite boring.
"So," she began starting a conversation. "What did you need to talk to me about?"
Yoshiki looked like he was about to blush, but he smoothly covered it up with a lazy grin. "Well?"
He looked straight at her eyes, making her feel all weird like she was the only person standing in the park, even though there were loads of people around. She reckoned his steely eyes had that effect on a lot of teenage girls though. He hesitated, as if mulling over his choice, of words, but seems to give up and turn away. After a few silent moments, he turned to her, a determined look on his usually calm and emotionless face.
"Y'know, the things you said to me on the train... It really made me think?"
"About what?" she encouraged him softly. She had a feeling she knew what was about to come next, and felt her heard beating unnaturally fast, even quicker then when Satoshi patted her on the back or sent a warm smile just in her direction. She blushed, telling herself not to be stupid, but it just felt like any teenaged rom com, where the boy was about to confess to the pretty girl he'd just met. Except she didn't consider herself pretty, and he wasn't about to confess. What he really said was completely unexpected.
"...About my life choices and really serious stuff. And with your help, maybe I can pass the entrance exam and get into Kisiragi High?"
She was completely taken aback by this, and couldn't help but let out a small laugh even though she tried not to. Yoshiki turned away, obviously upset, with a hurt look in his steely grey-blue eyes.
"Huh, I thought you'd laugh...no one takes me seriously, even you Shinozaki, who I thought was different..."
Ayumi grabbed the cuff of the sleeve of his shirt, and pulled him back, surprising both him and herself.
"I wasn't laughing at you!"
"Oh yeah?"
"I'm really pleased that I actually convinced you to get an education, even if it's only for half a year, it will still be worth it!"
"Huh?"
"What I'm trying to say is that I'm happy because I've influenced someone to get an education! That's what I've always wanted to do!"
"So you'll help me?"
"Of course!"
He chuckled, turning to her with that same, lazy grin on his face, making her melt slightly inside. She still wasn't sure why. Well, he was insanely attractive for one point, but her sights were set on Satoshi right? And she barely even knew Yoshiki that well. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but dismissed it by sipping his coke silently. Ping! Ayumi picked up her phone, and realised that she hadn't told Hinoe that she was meeting Yoshiki, and she'd probably want her home pretty soon.
/
To: Ayumi From: Hinoe
Shift it Ayumi, dads got a client coming for a business dinner. At Five! Hurry up!
/
To: Hinoe From: Ayumi
Soz coming now
/
"Time to go?" he asked, glancing at her smart phone strangely understandably.
"Yeah sorry, I would of loved to have spent a bit more time with you!" She blurted out, blushing slightly.
"Ha, maybe we can go out sometime, or hang out at mine if you want..." He suggested casually, not fully looking at her in the eyes.
"I'd like that a lot Kishi...Yoshiki."
"Good. See ya around!"
Yoshiki looked like he was about to leave, but something made him turn back and walk very close to her. She was breathless, wondering what on earth was doing. Again he seemed to hesitate, but he smiled, tossling her blue black hair before strolling away silently with his hands in his pockets...and the same lazy grin.
What was up with that boy? Ugh, boys, they were so confusing! They made you figure out what they meant by their vague actions, and never explained it, expecting you to do all the thinking. Who was she to say anyway...