Lights, camera, action. Houjou imagined the movie clapboard snap together the moment she walked away from Hamaguchi. It was time to start life anew.
She arrived at the school entrance, surrounded by students gazing at her beauty. An air of confidence now descended upon her shoulders. "Time to show everyone how it's done," Houjou stated with an air of determination. She stroked the strands of her wavy brown hair, beckoning the winds for aid. The gusty winds obeyed her call. Seeing her cue, Houjou lifted her head, letting her hair blow with the wind. She turned her head towards the other female students with a smirk. Calling the other students starstruck was an understatement. Picture after picture, Houjou heard the gushes and cries of adoration from all those who watched. Strike a confident pose for the students. Check, she nodded.
Houjou then snapped her fingers. Right on cue, the gusty winds calmed. Her hair now returned to rest. She entered the school building, filled with animated students. Her adoring schoolgirls now stared at their phones to the chagrin of the boys walking beside them. Their cheers echoed through Houjou's ears. She chuckled with delight.
My adoring students are such simpletons. They too can be as mature as me if they actually tried, Houjou chuckled, her thoughts as bold as her stride. All they have to do is follow my checklist, and they'll be just as mature as me, she paused. …when they become adults, she judged with a haughty snicker. Now that she was by her cubby, she rolled up her left sleeve. Her quartz watch gave off a bling which reflected the white lights from above. She tilted her watch wrapped with a white strap and checked the time.
"8:17 am. Good," she said with a piercing smirk. "Be early for homeroom. Check," giggled the young girl. She then swung open her cubby's latch, slipped off her outdoor shoes, and put on her uwagutsu. "Ugh, I hate uwagutsu. They are so tacky," she huffed, shaking her head. "They really need to redesign these shoes," she pouted and placed her left hand on her hip. But no matter; she had to get to homeroom.
Mano was one of the first students to enter the classroom, taking her seat beside her beloved Nakai. She wore her usual short pigtails in her black hair and adorned her cheeks with blush. Alongside her blush, her face formed a light frown. Being apart from Nakai was the last thing she wanted. Just recalling last year's seat-switching fiasco now tore her heart in two. The vision of Nakai and herself sitting at opposite ends of the room caused her to imagine Nakai being sucked through a black hole, never to be seen again.
Mano whimpered at the thought. Her racing heart pleaded her to protect Nakai from such devastation. She extended her hand towards Nakai's, waving her hand back and forth. With all her meager might, perhaps she could save Nakai from that black hole again and again. She felt herself grabbing Nakai for dear life when he turned and obliged. The gesture reignited her heart's consistent rhythm, causing her to cast a wide smile.
Her smile soon turned into a frown when Houjou entered the room. She saw Houjou step up to Nakai and give him a disapproving glare. Her vision of Nakai and the black hole now added a cackling Houjou wearing a violet witch hat and a velvet purple robe atop her school uniform. Her imagination proceeded with Houjou casting a spell that broke their handhold. As Houjou walked past the couple with a disapproving glance, Mano imagined Houjou cackling in victory as Nakai disappeared into the nether. Outside her imagination, she turned her head towards Nakai with dropped shoulders and tears forming on her face. Mmmm he doesn't think anything of Houjou-san's gesture. I can't tell him that she's a meanie now, especially with her there too! Mano grimaced. Seeing that Nakai retained his smile and waved back, she scrunched her face and sniffled with a peep.
8:30 am came like a blur. The Westminster Bells chimed through the PA system as the students took their seats in the classroom. Mano shuffled herself on her seat as Tanabe-Sensei walked into the classroom. His piercing gaze made her heart quiver and his narrowed eyes made her straighten her back to keep herself sitting upright. She let out a gentle groan, her arms tensed in her lap as Tanabe-Sensei's eyes scanned the classroom for empty seats like an infrared sensor. Her teacher honed in on an empty seat at the back of the class. In step with her teacher, she turned her head to the back of the class. To her horror, the empty seat was located to the left of Takagi's seat. It was Nishikata's seat.
"Has anyone in this class seen Nishikata?" Tanabe-Sensei said with a resigned growl. Mano kept her mouth sealed shut. So did everyone else in the class. She saw her teacher shake his head and let out an exasperated sigh. Thank goodness Tanabe-Sensei didn't get any angrier than that! Mano frowned. Her relief wouldn't last long, however.
"Well in any case, Tsukimoto-sensei called in sick today. She'll need two people in our class to fill in for today's lunch hour," Tanabe-Sensei proceeded, recomposing himself with his deep, monotonous tone. She let out a whimper when her teacher pointed his hand at her and Houjou, as if he were flailing a whip. "Houjou, Mano, I'd like you both to help out with library duty, just for today," the teacher commanded with his baritone voice. She opened her mouth and felt her hands tremble as he retracted his fingers from her. She knew that he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Mano then felt two sets of shivers crawl down her spine. With the first, she moved her hands close to her mouth. Tanabe's deathly glare coursed through her skin like a worm crawling inside her. She let out a stuttering, hesitant nod to at least give Tanabe-Sensei some indication of agreement to do the task on her part. All she wanted was for her teacher to stop staring at her and to begin the class.
The second shiver triggered another on switch in her imagination. There, she stood before a golden hourglass with sand gathered at the bottom. Tanabe-Sensei's voice boomed with his announcement, causing the hourglass to turn on its head and slam onto the ground. In turn, she imagined herself shaking from the impact like a clanging cymbal and fell to the ground on her bottom. She shook her head, shutting her eyes. At the next moment, her eyes opened to sands flowing through the hourglass in a dark purple background. The sounds of falling sand now hissed through her ears like a hungry viper.
Mano pushed herself up from the cracked, stony ground and ran with all her might. However, she couldn't move a single inch. The ground underneath pushed her closer and closer to the hourglass. At the top of the hourglass, the menacing witch-like figure of Houjou reappeared. The witch cackled, bemused by Mano's futile attempts to flee. There was nowhere to run. Mano had to deal with Houjou.
While Mano wallowed in her fears, Houjou closed her eyes and took a soft breath through her mouth from her seat towards the back of the room. It's not ideal being partnered with Mano, but at least I can try to have some peace and quiet in the library, she mulled to herself. She opened her eyes, tilted her head forward, and let out a light "yes, Tanabe-Sensei" in response. Well done, Houjou, show stoic respect to the teacher. Check, nodded Houjou checking off another box on her maturity guide. I do hope Mano doesn't talk too much, she remembered with a disgruntled sigh. She remained on her seat, imagining Mano's voice shrill as a goose and speech indiscernible as a crying baby. She can be quite the blabbermouth, after all, she concluded, placing her index finger on her chin.
No sooner did she move her hand did she hear the wooden classroom door slide open. She raised her eyebrows and shoulders, focusing her view on the sliding door. Her ears picked up the sounds of shoes shuffling through the wooden floor. Seeing that a hunched Nishikata emerged from the door, she loosened her gaze and turned her head back towards the green chalkboard. Oh, it's just Nishikata-kun, she thought, flicking her hair with her fingers. Meanwhile, Tanabe-Sensei looked at Nishikata with eyes piercing like a cobra ready to pounce on his prey.
"Nishikata-kun! Why were you late for class again?!" Tanabe-Sensei roared. His roars did little to deter Houjou, who now picked off lint from each sleeve. Being late is most unbecoming for any mature person, she contemplated with straightened lips.
"Sorry, Tanabe-Sensei! I have a late slip for you from the nurse's office!" Nishikata apologized with a shout, bowing his head towards his teacher. Houjou's head perked back up to the front of the classroom. Her ears honed in on the sound of a piece of paper flapping against the air. She narrowed her eyes towards the orange late slip. Looks like a late slip from the nurse's office, but he seems to be healthy, she observed. Why would he need a nurse's office slip then? she then asked herself. However, in the next instance, she received her answer.
"I had to bring Hamaguchi-kun to the nurse's office!" Nishikata explained, raising himself back to an upright position and puffing his chest. At that moment, her heart burst from the icy palace from where it froze. She let out a gasp that echoed throughout the classroom. With half the class's eyes focused on her outburst, she covered her gaping mouth with her left hand and clenched her heart with her right hand. Her cheeks and ears turned a bright red and her body froze in place. Her thoughts spun like a spindle. From there, a crowd of mocking wisps burst forth.
"Houjou and Hamaguchi are neighbours, right?" One wisp questioned with a devilish giggle.
"Oh, why would anyone want to fall in love with her, let alone Hamaguchi?" Another wisp chortled.
"Well, if Hamaguchi likes her, he may as well join the loser's club," The wisps tormented her mind like crows dive-bombing at her head. With the last mocking voice, Houjou shook her head and narrowed her eyes, forming a deep frown on her face. She gave a glare as sharp as a samurai's blade to everyone staring at her, including Mano who was well within her line of fire. Her swift gesture muted her inner voices, restoring a stoic calm in Houjou's spirit. She observed Mano swivel back to the front of the board, tensing up her body in fear.
"Serves her right for staring at me too,"Houjou muttered to herself, letting off a soft huff as class began. She focused her gaze on the chalkboard, but also noticed Nakai patting Mano's back and giving her a few words. She's such a weak-minded fool, Houjou concluded with a scoff.
Mano strolled with Nakai towards the library when lunch hour arrived. Houjou's piercing glare pinned deep into her thoughts. She grumbled with crossed arms at least once in each morning class about fate's cruelty. Her grumbling continued even into the start of lunch hour.
"Oh, why do I have to do library duty today?!" Mano protested, keeping her arms crossed as she walked, "If the librarian can't do it, just give the task to Takagi-chan and Nishikata-kun then!" she exclaimed, shaking her head and letting out a frustrated sigh. "They know how to do it better than anyone!" said Mano, finishing her complaints to Nakai.
"Aw, it's not that bad." Nakai chuckled, waving his hand towards her, "The instructions are pasted on the wall behind the main counter where you'll work!" he added, pointing his finger to the air.
Mano let out a resigned huff. She unfolded her arms and shifted her feet, darting her eyes towards the floor. She turned her head towards Nakai once more with a squirmy smile. However, Nakai had diverged from her walk, stopping by a large window surrounded by a cream-coloured wall. She pressed her lips, crossed her eyebrows, narrowed her eyes, and stomped back to Nakai. Once she caught up with him, she complained again, her squeals growing louder with each objection,
"Nakai-kun, why are you walking back to the wall?! We're supposed to be heading to the library so you can say goodbye to me, dummy!" Mano tugged on Nakai's shirt sleeve with all her strength. Try as she might, Nakai refused to budge.
Not feeling any force on his shirt sleeve, he tapped his chin and mused again, "Ah wait a moment! Before we keep walking to the library, I wanted to ask you something." The students continued to walk from each end, causing Mano's legs to shake.
She glued her legs together and clung to Nakai's shoulder for dear life, out of view from the other students walking through the halls. She sunk her face into Nakai's left arm as if she was sinking in quicksand. She turned her head towards Nakai and protested once again, "What question do you wanna ask?! We've got to walk together, not stand around!" She continued to cling to Nakai, who stood in place. She continued to whine about and used all her might to drag Nakai onward, but to no avail. Seeing that he responded only with a stroke of his chin, she let out a huff and stomped her feet in place. Seeing Mano grumble, Nakai turned his head towards her shorter stature, leaned towards her ear, and hid his lips with his hands on his cheeks.
He then whispered to her a question, "Um… Mano-chan, is there a bigger reason why you don't want to do library duty today?" Mano's face turned a deep red. She let out a sheepish chuckle and turned her eyes back and forth, avoiding Nakai's gaze as much as she could and leaning to and fro. "Mano-chan, are you actually scared of Houjou-chan?" Nakai whispered into her ear trying to put the pieces together. She puffed her cheeks and hid her face behind her arms. Nakai's eyes continued to center on her hidden face.
Seeing that she couldn't avoid Nakai's question, she loosened her grip on Mano's arm and skidded in front of him. With a sob to her boyfriend, she cried, "Oh Nakai-kun, please don't leave me in the same room as Houjou-chan!" Mano's hands formed fists that she used to drum on Nakai's chest. "She scares me! She frowns whenever she stares at us! She calls me immature just because I want you to spend more time with me!" Mano let out a large wail, her face turning red and her eyes growing wet, "Please tell me you noticed her glaring at me when I noticed her gasping! You're not that much of an idiot, are you?!" She kept her eyes shut and continued to cry, her shrill voice piercing the background chatter of the walking students.
"Mano-chan, it'll be okay!" Nakai replied, forming a sheepish grin on his face and scratching his head. He then patted her head and continued, "I know Houjou-chan can be difficult to get along with but she's not a bully." Nakai then stooped down to her height and bopped her nose with his index finger, "We don't know what exactly she's thinking in her mind, but I'll continue to hold you until library duty." he concluded, stroking her shoulder.
"Why are you taking her side in this?" Mano whined, "I thought you were supposed to defend me!" she cried with a sniffle. She tugged on Nakai's left sleeve again, letting out a grunt and making him march to the library with her.
Houjou also exited the class, but with a slow stride, unlike the other students. She kept her eyes half-closed and maintained a supercilious gaze at the rest of the students running about. Her facial expressions and stride did well to veil the thoughts brewing inside her mind.
Why did I gasp like that at homeroom today? One thought uttered, springing forth like a volcanic hiss.
I don't care about Hamaguchi, nor am I planning to change that, another thought appraised her.
I'm sure that last outburst was only another blip, Houjou decided with a firm nod and closed eyes. She made her way to the library traversing through the crowds of students. She scanned the hallways for any signs of Hamaguchi. So far so good, she mused with a relieved sigh, there's no way that such an immature boy would even bother coming to the library for lunch, she assured herself with a pat on her back. A minute later, she arrived at the library's entrance. She turned her head towards the ceiling and noted the time on the white clock hanging above the doorway.
12:30 pm. Yes, I'm on time. Houjou thought with a smile. She walked through the doorway and into the library. She spotted the wooden counter and took her place at one of the two seats behind the counter. She scanned through the library for any visitors but found none. She let out a sigh and pondered, well it looks like today will be another empty day at the library.
But just as she completed her thought, she heard two voices coming from the library's entrance. She turned her head to see Mano and Nakai saying their goodbyes to each other.
"Alright, I'll see you after lunch!" Nakai waved with a grin on his face.
"Aw Nakai-kun, are you sure you can't stay for lunch hour?" Mano asked, clasping her hands together and leaning towards him with a hunched posture.
"Hey remember, I'm hanging out with Nishikata-kun and the others for lunch! You got this!" He responded, patting her shoulder with his right hand. To this, Mano narrowed her eyes and held her breath.
"Blockhead, Blockhead, Blockhead!" She barked in reply, stomping into the library. From the library counter, Houjou pressed her lips together and crossed her arms. So not only is she late for library duty, she's also as annoying as always, Houjou hissed in her mind, her teeth clenching as her library duty shift began.
Mano staggered into the library and took her seat beside Houjou with a whimper. Her body trembled as Houjou turned towards her with a frown. Each of Houjou's huffs vibrated her spine one by one. She felt her body grow faint with each vibration, forcing her to grit her teeth and clasp her hands together on her lap. Houjou narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger at Mano's chest.
"Listen Mano-chan, all you have to do is be quiet and let me handle all the work," Houjou sneered. Mano felt her shoulders tighten and her heart palpitate. Houjou's sneers reminded her of the time she came across a growling Shiba Inu revealing its fang-like teeth when she tried to pet it. As she recalled her memory, she leaned her body away from Houjou. She kept her mouth closed long enough to give a rigid nod. "Good, now go grab something to read and stay out of my way," Houjou commanded, waving her hand in dismissal.
Almost an hour had passed since their last interaction. Despite Mano's whimpering for much of the time, she received little backlash from Houjou. Near the end of library duty, Mano turned her head to see Houjou writing on a small yellow paper. The paper was filled with bold lines and sharp kanji strokes. She couldn't make out the paper's contents, for Houjou caught her trying to look over her shoulder. Mano let out a gasp as Houjou covered the piece of paper with her right arm and gave her a piercing glare.
"Hasn't anyone ever taught you not to look over other people's shoulders?" Houjou snarled. Mano twiddled her thumbs and pretended to whistle. Seeing that Houjou returned to her yellow piece of paper, she averted Houjou's view and gave out another whimper.
Oh, I wish the lunch period would end already! I already finished my homework! Mano thought with a sniffle. But then, Mano felt her heart jump. Oh wait, I do have something! Mano realized, rejoicing with a warm smile. Her hands jumped into her black school bag. She retrieved her copy of the latest volume of 100% Unrequited Love. That's right! I can read the latest edition of 100% Unrequited Love! thought Mano, letting out a childlike giggle. Now I can see how they followed up the Christmas special! she revelled in her thoughts, letting out a squeal of delight.
Mano opened her manga book and turned to the page where her red bookmark lay. She read through the page with starry eyes and a breathless gasp. The page was filled with shades of blue, yellow, white, and ginger red as if they participated in a courtship dance. She imagined herself as the bashful Kyunko and Nakai as the suave, confident Ikeo. I wish Nakai-kun was more confident, Mano sighed to herself.
She turned to the next page. There, a post-Christmas scene blossomed in the manga's pages in hues of light blue at the top and patches of white at the bottom of each drawing block. On the page, Ikeo kept his unkempt white dress shirt and black pants, while Kyunko retained her navy-blue school uniform attire. At the end of the page, Mano gushed in the same way as Kyunko when she saw Ikeo kneeling to Kyunko and extending his right arm with a single rose in hand.
"Aww Ikeo-chan! You really do know how to lift a girl's heart!" Mano gushed, putting her manga down. She clasped her hands together and held them on her chest. She let out an audible sigh but failed to notice Houjou's sharp gaze at her.
"Is it really that hard for you to keep quiet in the library?" Houjou barked, her words growing sharp like knives. "Just because we're the only ones in the library doesn't mean you can break library rules," she continued, letting out a disapproving grunt and shaking her head.
Mano's reading of 100% Unrequited Love, however, emptied her mind of Houjou's fire. Instead, her temperature rose to a feverish pitch, her mind forming a pink background filled with hearts, flowers, and chocolates. She sighed, picturing her boyfriend with black sunglasses, a black leather jacket above his white shirt, and strumming on an electric guitar. The song of burning love resonated from his playing to her heart, causing her to sigh with contentment. She fanned herself with her hands to cool herself down, but she could only feel her heartbeat racing faster and her face flushing in red.
"Aww come on Houjou-chan, you really need to lighten up once in a while!" Mano chuckled with a wide grin, still immersed in the idea of Nakai being a musical star. She turned her head towards Houjou, forming an open smile. "You really should read 100% Unrequited Love." She continued with a gleaming recommendation.
"And why would I want to read such childish drivel?" Houjou replied, shaking her head and huffing with a grunt.
Mano's eyes popped open and her mouth gaped. She took a moment to shake her head and compose herself. "Aww Houjou-chan!" she cooed, "don't you have someone you like?" Mano swooned with another smile.
"For your information, I-" Houjou tried to retort, but Mano took no heed.
"I mean, I still love Nakai-kun a lot, even when he acts like a blockhead!" Mano interrupted with a giggle, raising her chest. It mattered little to her that Houjou was massaging her temples and putting out a loud groan. Mano simply closed her eyes with glee and continued to gush, "Just the other day, Nakai-kun called me 'Cutie Pie' when he gave me his chocolate bar yesterday! I wish he were more confident sometimes, but he's still so adorable!"
Mano continued her raving review of her relationship with Nakai-kun. However, she failed to observe Houjou grumbling like a volcano about to erupt with each utterance. "Grrrr..." Houjou growled, resting her head on the wooden counter and scratching the counter with her fingernails. Moments later, Mano shuffled her body in Houjou's direction. For the first time since she started rambling, her eyes took note of Houjou's posture.
Noticing her narrowed eyes and scratching nails, Mano placed her index finger on her chin and pondered, I wonder what's gotten into Houjou-chan as of late. I know she's always grumpy, but today seems different. Then, in an instant, Mano's mind shifted away from Nakai's musical stardom to another male figure. She recoiled when she recalled Houjou's gasp at homeroom. Her chair leaned sideways and she gasped, her efforts to keep her balance in vain as she fell to the ground.
"Oww!" Mano shouted. She blinked a few times expecting Houjou to scold her again. However, she heard no word pass from Houjou's lips. She pushed herself up to her feet with her shoulders and hands. She then hoisted her chair upright and placed it behind the library counter. Finally, she took her seat behind the library counter once more.
But once she sat on her chair, her mind now formed a large bonsho bell that struck its midnight chime. The pink wallpaper she glued onto her mind was now torn in two. Now, she plastered a new wallpaper: a sky painted stormy blue overlooking two cliffs separated by a bridge torn asunder. On one of the cliffs, Hamaguchi stood looking away from Houjou with crossed arms and letting out a humph. On the other side, Houjou looked toward Hamaguchi with tears streaming down her face, struggling to keep her face dry with her shirt sleeve. Oh no, was that what really happened yesterday?! Mano cried out in her thoughts, letting out a gasp.
She let out a weary grunt, shuffling her chair beside Houjou and wrapping her arm around Houjou's shoulder. "Houjou-chan, I'm so sorry! I know you gasped when you heard the news about Hamaguchi-kun earlier today! If I had known that you were yearning for him after breaking up, I'd have left you alone today! Mano filled the library room with her wails. "I'm here for you if you need anything, okay?!" she continued, tightening her grip on Houjou's shoulders.
"Will you just shut up already?!" Houjou screeched back, grabbing Mano's shoulder away as if it were a snake ready to bite.
Mano's body remained glued to her seat, her body trembling at Houjou's monstrous gaze. "But, but, but your gasp!" Mano stammered, her cries seconding as pleas for sanctuary,
"No! I do not love him, nor do I have any feelings for that brute!" Houjou screamed in reply. "Just leave me alone!" Houjou shrieked at the top of her lungs. She stuffed her school materials with abandon, slammed her chair against the library counter, and stormed out of the library.
Mano arose from her seat and ran to the library entrance. She saw Houjou's shrinking silhouette, hearing her stomp away like a giant with fearful resolve. "Please listen, Houjou-chan! I'm sorry for looking at you earlier today, but I was worried about you! Please understand!" Mano cried out from the library entrance. Her eyes grew wet with tears, her shouts turning into sniffles and whimpers.
Still standing at the library entrance, she cried to herself, "What have I done?"