Parfait Girls

It still bugged me. Saito-san bringing in a bottle of wine, that is. It just felt so… out of character. I don't know, though. Hell, maybe I am overthinking about it.

Yeah, I'm overthinking about it.


The next day

I woke up in the middle of the night. It wasn't from something particular, really. Lately, I haven't been dreaming. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I keep getting nightmares of my past. Of everything that has happened up until now. From my brother's death to my own suicide attempt.

But the thought of those nightmares alone is already too depressing, to say the least. I instead decided to just get up. I sat up, the covers of my bed sliding off my body. I looked around, my room still dark as the night sky above refused to give any light except the glow of the incomplete crescent moon watching over the Land of the Rising Sun.

On my desk was a poem that I was working on. I had already procrastinated on writing that poem by playing video games on my computer. God, I need to get some time management skills. Might as well finish it up.

I opened my laptop, which was also on my desk. There were a few notifications for me to check on Discord and Steam, but I'm too lazy to check them. I just intended to use the light from my computer to see my poem.

...I got nothing. I didn't know what to write about. I didn't know what to add to my poem. The words ain't flowin', you know? That's the frustrating part about writing. I don't have any inspiration. Ah, the struggles of an artist.

I looked up at the night sky above. The stars twinkled and danced in the jet black background. Ain't it amazing that we could see them, even if they are distant? They're thousands of light-years away, but we can still see them with the naked eye.

I don't know why, but the night sky reminds me of Saito-san. She's like a star in the night sky. Always shining and sparkling like the beauty that she is, but she's so quiet, so distant, you could barely make her out in the crowd of stars. The black background only makes her even more amazingly mysterious, yet also helps her stand out with her insignificant brilliance.

She's so quiet that she doesn't stand out from the crowd, even though she is a real beauty. I remember when I first met her. I thought she was royalty, as if she was the embodiment of grace and poise. Yet, I still couldn't find her in the crowd. Just like the night sky and the stars above.

I think I have my inspiration now. I'll write about the night sky!

Morning

Somehow, I woke up on time to get ready for school. Really, it was because I had put my alarm on and put my phone on the other side of my room so that when it went off, I had to get out of bed to turn off the alarm. I'm kinda tired from waking up in the middle of the night trying to finish my poem, which I did.

I have been getting better at writing poems, to be honest. I don't have to try and make the poems rhyme, but rather let it flow. I don't have to make it all symmetrical either. The only hard part was writing a poem in Japanese. That part is what gets me. That's why it takes me forever to write a poem for the club. If it was for an English club, that would've made the whole job much easier.

I quickly got ready for school. The Kobayashi couple had to run again. Apparently, they have a huge project over at work and they're trying to finish it on the due date. I wouldn't be able to do office work myself. It's boring and repetitive, and it's too annoying. I'd rather be in the field doing something. Hell, even if it's something that'll get me hurt or killed, I'll be happy doing it. I'd rather be a cop than an accountant, a soldier instead of a businessman. I'd rather get a medal than a raise. That just goes to show that I am a restless soul. Or reckless. One of the two.

Donning my uniform, the dog tags that were hanging from my Army satchel clinking every time I took a step, I stepped outside. Today, like usual, Ono-chan wasn't awake. I did the usual thing and knocked on the door hard enough it would wake her up.

"Yo, time for school!" I called out.

I heard the window on the second-floor open. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" cried out Ono-chan as she stuck her head out of the window, "Don't rush me!"

Sooner or later, she managed to get out of the house on time. The two of us then headed to school, talking about the littlest things in life.

When we got to school, Ono-chan had run off because she had to talk to her teachers about her grades. Apparently, they weren't the best, so she was worried she might have to take those retests. So I was left alone again.

As I entered the classroom, I saw CJ sitting at his desk, looking depressed for some reason. He had his head down and his knees to his elbows, looking all emo and the like. He had his Airpods in, so he wasn't responding to anyone else, just vibing sadly. The hell's got him down?

"You good?" I asked as I approached him.

"Nooooo…" he said, his voice trailing off, "She left me, man. She left me."

"Who?" I asked.

"My girl," he sobbed, "She dumped me for some dude on the soccer team". Oh my fucking God, you're depressed over that? Disgusting.

"Dude," I said, knowing it's the same girl who had put a letter in his locker last week, "You've only been with her for a week. Not even. I- y-you know what, I shouldn't even talk about something pathetic like this."

I kinda just left him there to wallow in self-pity for his one-week girlfriend. What should I do? He's in pain, but it's over something trivial. It's stupid, leave him alone. Let him learn how stupid he is.

I sat down in my usual seat. Takeuchi-san was seated in her seat, looking at CJ. "It's kind of sad, isn't it? Looking at him like that."

"Let him be," I said, "He's overreacting."

"Oh, how heartless you are," she said as she turned to face me. Her bright emerald green eyes shone in the light that streamed in through the windows of the classroom. She crossed her legs while under the table. "You don't even know what he's going through."

"Crying over his girlfriend," I said bluntly, emotionless.

"Oh," she said flatly, as if she realized how stupid the whole situation is, "That girl? She gets a new boyfriend every week. I'm surprised he wasn't smart enough to say no."

"Ah, well, if you toy with a boy's heart," I said, putting my palms up and nodding my head, "He's bound to be heartbroken."

"Just like how I toy with you," Takeuchi-san smiled, "and your adolescent heart."

"Bold of you to assume I even have a heart," I retorted bluntly, "You can't toy with my feel-"

"I love you," said Takeuchi-san, her smile turning sweeter than a lollipop. That statement had blindsided me like an isekai protagonist crossing the street.

"Wha-" I said, shocked. My jaw slackened as I tried to comprehend the situation, my face flushed red with blood as I tried to regain my wits. A suckerpunch from out of nowhere is very disorienting.

"Pfft!" Takeuchi-san laughed, "Hahaha! And you say that you don't have a heart. I can easily play with your heartstrings like a harp. You're so cute when you're flustered."

"I… uh… I-I'm not cute!" I cried out, uttering one of Nakano-san's famous tsundere lines. That was the first thing that came to my mind. Why the hell did I turn into a tsundere all of the sudden?

"Alright, alright, okay," I said, trying to calm Takeuchi-san, who was laughing uncontrollably. Her face was red as well. Maybe from her saying that she loved me or from laughing. I'm hoping it was the latter, as my heart can't take on a relationship yet.

When the teacher walked in, Takeuchi-san quickly regained her composure. She was able to sit up straight, stifling any gut laugh that she was having a minute ago. I smirked a bit when I saw her quickly get ready for class. She is cute, I gotta say. But there's no way I can go out with her.

Gym class

"Ay, what are we doin' today in class?" I asked CJ, who was rummaging around in his gym locker. He had no shirt on, only a pair of blue gym shorts, showing off his muscular pecs. Damn, I should work out with him.

"Running, I heard," he said, "Wanna race?"

"Bro, you're gonna be faster than me," I said, already resigned to the challenge.

"Ah, c'mon!" he said, slamming his locker, "I wanna see yo ass scurry around the track like a little cockroach." He looked back at me. In his hands was a white shirt.

I got in close to him and whispered "You call me little or a cockroach and you're dead. You're gonna bite the dust. I accept your little challenge."

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed CJ, who quickly put on his shirt. He put his arm around me, even though I expressed my disdain against him touching me as we walked out of the locker room.

I didn't see Takeuchi-san anywhere, so it was just CJ and I that I knew in my class. I also saw Nakano-san, and she was in a particular position. She was standing by the wall, her back to the wall. She had her arms crossed and she looked pretty pissed. Meanwhile, there was a guy with his arm against the wall behind her, as if he was doing that "kabe-don" thing, but not exactly doing it. He was just leaning on the wall with one hand. I recognized the guy. He was the one who made Nakano-san cry in Shimoda. What the hell is he doing?


I left the locker room dressed in my short gym shorts and my white and red gym shirt. I really didn't want to go to gym class, especially because we're gonna be running today. Because of my dad, I fucked up my ankle last night. I'm still limping, but I try to hide it. I can't let anyone know what happens to me at home. I can't even tell my coach I'm not feeling good because I don't wanna be made fun of. So I swallowed my pride and decided to bite through the pain.

Monika stayed behind in the locker room 'cause she had to take a piss. Which is great. Real great. All alone with no one to talk to. Do you hear the sarcasm in my voice?

There were a few of my classmates already prepared to go out onto the track to run their laps. I really don't want to because I'm hungry and tired. I could barely stay awake in class. I couldn't sleep on an empty stomach last night. I feel like I'm about to pass out any second. But I have to keep up my act. I gotta keep everyone away so that they don't see.

I noticed one of the guys approaching me. It's him. That guy.


I got a little closer to Nakano-san. I could barely hear their conversation. Maybe he was hitting on Nakano-san. Then again, he made her cry back in Shimoda. What the hell is he doing?

As I inched closer, I heard more and more of their conversation. Really, the only thing that I needed to hear was the last part. That part made my day. After that exchange, I almost felt a little sorry for the guy.

You may be wondering what happened. Hold your horses, I'm about to get to that part.

I didn't hear much of their conversation. I didn't know what they were talking about. When I got closer, a number of people were already watching the exchange.

Nakano-san looked pissed and annoyed, crossing her arms and pouting like the tsundere she was. Meanwhile, this douchebag kept harassing Nakano-san.

And that's when she bit back.

"You know," said the guy, "I really need to get a choking hazard sign."

"Isn't that what they put on small parts?" she retorted. Obviously, the guy wasn't having it. He couldn't get a win from Nakano-san. At least, not today.

The guy stomped away angrily, leaving me all alone. Maybe he deserved it. He looked like he was harassing Nakano-san anyways.

I approached Nakano-san, who had an annoyed look on her face. She watched in distaste as the guy walked away, not noticing me as I approached her away from her field of view. She watched as if she was seeing her enemy off.

"You good?" I said, "I saw what happened. At least, part of it, really."

"Wh-wha-?" stammered Nakano-san. For a second, she had a shocked look on her face, which soon melted off onto her usually annoyed face, "Th-that was nothing."

"You sure it's nothing?" I asked, still skeptical about the guy, "He's the same guy from Shimoda. You know, the one who made you-"

"Yes, he is the same guy from Shimoda and I thought we decided to stay silent about that topic," she said angrily.

"W-well, alright," I apologized, "I'm sorry. My bad. But you didn't answer my question. You good?"

"Y-yeah," she stammered, "I'm good. I'm just out of it today."

The coach got onto the middle of the gym and blew his whistle, signifying that we had to go out onto the field now.

"Well," I advised, "Take it east then. I'll meet you out on the field, okay?"

Nakano-san nodded. "I'll wait for Monika. See you out on the field, Senpai."

On that note, I turned and ran to catch up with CJ. And speaking of that race, I was the one who bit the dust. Funnily enough, the coach wanted us to pace ourselves, so after five minutes of straight sprinting, we were out of breath and had to sit out for some time. As each person passed us while we sat at the benches, they chuckled a little as if to say "Should've followed the coach's instructions, bud". Hell, even Takeuchi-san and Nakano-san laughed at us. Good going, Sawyer. You got them laughing.

Lunch

Ah finally. Lunchtime. I was hungry as hell. I could feel my stomach burning holes into itself trying to get some source of nutrients. And I'm not allowed to eat during class, even if it's just a small snack to please my stomach for just a little.

I had to get some work done and there was no way in hell I was gonna be able to finish it in the classroom because there's a lot of people there. CJ left because he wanted to play basketball in the gym and Takeuchi-san left doing whatever she usually does during lunch. I still have no idea what she does.

I decided to go to the media center down the hall. I eat there every now and then when I had to do work or read. It's a good quiet place compared to the rest of the school during lunchtime.

When I entered, there was barely anyone there. There were a couple of students that I did not recognize reading books at the tables at the far end. I didn't want to be near anyone (because I'm a lonely introvert), so I opted for a table far away from anyone.

From where I sat, I could see some bookshelves filled with fiction novels. There was a checkout desk where a lone librarian sat, typing away on her computer. Next to that desk was the restrooms. I decided to get to work, so I pulled out my stuff and got to work.


Why do I still do this? Even though it hurts, I still do it. Why? Why do I love the pain? Why can't I stop?

Why can't they stop?

I'll just do it. One last time. I just don't want Lee-san to think I am a freak. Just one more time and I'm done. I swear.


I took another bite out of my sandwich. I had the brightest idea of putting chips in the sandwich as well, so there was a satisfying crunch when I bit into it.

I studied as I ate. My chemistry textbook was open. I was on the chapter about stoichiometry, which was a pain in the ass. That's one of the reasons why I didn't do good when I took chemistry before. It's still hard. Screw all of these numbers. I keep forgetting what moles are. And how to convert amu units to grams. And everything else. God this is a pain.

My right hand glided along my paper with a pencil in hand, writing down mathematical and chemical equations. Occasionally, I would drop my pencil to punch in a few calculations into my calculator. And then pick up my pencil again to continue. My other hand had been holding my sandwich. Multitasking at its finest.

When I reached over with my left hand to grab my soda can, my hand knocked my pencil case over, its contents spilling to the floor. Fuck, I thought as I bent over to pick up my dropped items.

I picked up my pencils and case from the floor quickly. It's not like there's a lot of items in it anyway. Just like two pencils, a few different colored pens, and an eraser.

When I sat back up, someone had exited the women's room. Someone I knew.

Saito-san's eyes met mine as she exited the restroom. Like she usually does, her eyes widened for a second when our gazes met.

"Saito-san," I said, trying to greet the mysterious beauty. I was expecting her to at least wave and smile for a bit before walking away, but I didn't expect her reaction.

Instead of greeting me, she instead just grabbed her forearm, tugging on her sleeve, and briskly walked away. She left the library, leaving me to my devices instead of at least saying hi. What was that about? I wondered as I watched her leave. I shrugged my shoulders and got back to work. Maybe she just got nervous again.

Later, after school

Finally, the bell rang, signifying the end of the day. Everyone left the room to do their respective things like usual, leaving me and Takeuchi-san alone. I had my feet up on the table. Ain't no one was gonna see us anyways, so I got myself comfortable in the otherwise uncomfortable seat.

"It's rude to put your feet up on a table, you know that, right?" said Takeuchi-san, who leaned back in her seat, her arm draped from the backrest of her chair.

"Ah, but it's just us here," I said, lazily looking up at the ceiling, "Besides, no one's going to walk in on us anyway. They're all busy doing something. It's just you and me for the time being. We can do what we want."

"You and me, eh?" said Takeuchi-san, almost in a seductive tone, "What should we do? We can do what we want anyways."

I turned to face her. She had her hand on the red piece of ribbon at her chest, her index and thumb ready to pull the ribbon loose. She had a smile on her face. Not a happy one, per se, but more like a… lustful smile. Uh oh, I thought as I tensed my legs up to reroute my blood to somewhere else.

"I-I… uh…" I stuttered, chuckling nervously from the loss of words. Meanwhile, Takeuchi-san licked her lips. Please don't get one now, I prayed as I shifted uncomfortably, putting my legs back down on the ground and pushed my seat in to hide my legs.

"I have returned!" a voice cried out from the door, which slid open. There stood Ono-chan and Nakano-san. My saviors!

"Where's Yuri?" asked Takeuchi-san when she looked over, diverting her attention away from me.

"Beats me!" exclaimed Nakano-san, her arms crossed.

"I think she's in the restroom," said Ono-chan, who happily waved at me (and I waved back of course). "I think she's having some problems with her stomach."

"Sayori," chided Nakano-san, "You don't talk about a woman's privacy. That's her secret. Right, Monika?"

"Yeah," said Takeuchi-san, "Natsuki's right. Come in! We're just waiting for you guys!"

After that, everyone did their own things. Takeuchi-san worked on that thing she was gonna give MC. Ono-chan sat down at a table in the back to write the poem that she forgot to write. Nakano-san is in the back reading manga like usual. Saito-san did not enter the clubroom. It could probably just that she wasn't feeling good, but she still would've at least popped in to say she wasn't going to go to the meeting.

Takeuchi-san stood up and approached Ono-chan, probably to give her her daily tip of the day like she always did, so she left me alone. Meanwhile, Nakano-san sat down in Takeuchi-san's desk and scooted closer to me. Odd, I thought as she sat down next to me, manga in hand.

I glanced at the cover for a second. On the cover, it said "Parfait Girls". There were four anime girls wearing school uniforms, all striking a pose from something as normal as smiling and tilting their head to something bizarre like a JoJo pose. Maybe there's a character there who's a chuunibyou. Like that one anime that I forgot the name of.

"Parfait Girls?" I said as I read the title, "What, is that a cutesy manga that you're reading?"

"N-no," said Nakano-san, her eyes still glued to her book, "It's not a cutesy manga."

"Ah, it probably is," I said, ignoring her statement, "Besides, even if it is a cutesy manga, it fits you. Because you like all things cute."

"That's not it, Senpai!" cried out Nakano-san, "That's not why I like it! It's actually really interesting! How dare you insult classic literature!"

"Okay, okay," I chided, returning back to the book I was reading, "Whatever you say, my cute little princess."

"I'm not cute! Nor little! Or your princess!" cried out Nakano-san, who angrily pouted and read in silence.

"Chill out," I said, chuckling, "I'm just having a little fun." Boy, it is fun to poke a sleeping bear. I let Nakano-san read her manga in silence while I read my own book. That's really all we did after that. Just like the usual.

In the end, though, Saito-san didn't come to the club at all. I was a little sad because of that because I really wanted to show her the poem I made for her. So I decided to save that poem for when she does come and quickly write another one. I have gotten better at writing poems after all and I've been trying to formulate and build on an idea for a poem that I wanted to write all day.

I really wanted to show her my poem though. Oh well, I thought, No need to be fussing over that.


Honorifics: (Underlined honorifics are the ones used in current chapter)

-san: Most common, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Basically the titles Mr. Ms. etc.

-sama: This suffix is one level higher than "-san" and is used to confer great respect.

-kun: This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys' names to express endearment.

-chan: Feminine version of -kun.

Senpai: Superior/Upperclassmen.

Sensei: Master.


A/N: Ay yo. Wassup y'all? Esta el autor here. Just a quick word, I wanted to make this chapter a big chapter, but I changed my mind in the middle of writing this chapter. So, if it's a decrease in quality, that's because I tried to just quickly write a new one. Also, I decided to add a couple of dick jokes in this chapter. Because why the hell not? That's it, so I'll leave you be. Until next time!