Friends and Enemies
The next day
Today, there were no clouds in the blue sky, leaving the sun within view. It was nice, in my opinion. It wasn't too hot, nor too cold. A crisp breeze blew past Sayori and me, rustling the leaves on trees that were starting to turn orange and yellow. But even so, I felt some feeling of uneasiness, like something's gonna happen today.
It was probably because of what happened yesterday. You know, when Tashiro-san made Yuri break down in tears right in front of the entire school. Not gonna lie, I feel like today's not gonna be normal. How can you even show up to school after an incident like that and not have some odd looks from other people?
"Are you okay?" asked Sayori, breaking the silence between us. "You look worried. Is everything alright?"
I looked at Sayori, who looked up at me with a look of apprehension. Her eyebrows were furled as her worried blue eyes stared deep into mine. I haven't told Sayori nor Monika about what happened with Yuri the other day. It's just that Sayori knew that something happened. She noticed that I was acting a little different on our walk back home the other day. I just still haven't told her.
"Yeah," I lied, "Yeah, I'm okay. Everything's alright. Why'd you ask?"
"I don't know," she said, a tinge of worriedness in her voice, "I feel like something's wrong. Like there's something you're not telling me. Are you sure everything is alright?"
"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed, trying to get her off this topic, "Everything is fine. Nothing's wrong. Besides, if there was something wrong, I would tell you, wouldn't I?"
Sayori seemed to ponder on that question as if she was doubting me. And then she smiled, blushing. "Really?" she asked, her face brightening up like the sun, "You would?"
"Of course!" I said, still half-lying, "I would tell you anything. You're my friend and all."
She grinned a toothy grin and kept smiling for the rest of our walk to school. I kinda felt guilty to keep her out of the loop. She's Yuri's friend, after all. I feel bad about not telling Natsuki. Clearly, despite their differences, she really cares about Yuri. So much so that she starts yelling at me. I don't know if I should tell them though.
I don't know what to do. I've never been in this situation before. It's a scary situation too. I don't know what could happen. When I found out my sister self-harms, I told my mother right away because she's family. But now, I'm just a foreigner in a foreign country. I don't know what to do. I just don't. I'm walking on eggshells. I gotta watch where I step. I just don't want anyone to get hurt.
We got to school early. When we arrived, Sayori left to do some extra things as usual. Meanwhile, I just kind of roamed around the campus aimlessly, with nothing to do. Because we were at school early, there was no one I knew who was there. From the members of the Literature Club, I would assume at least Monika to be here. But she wasn't. Not to my knowledge. So I was just by myself roaming around the almost empty courtyard, kicking pebbles with my feet while listening to music on my phone.
I decided to just take in the sights and smells of autumn in Japan. Sitting on a wooden bench like yesterday, I felt the cool breeze blowing on my hair and my bare neck. I watched as the crisp orange leaves fall to the ground gently, twirling in the light wind.
I started thinking about home. Not the bad things about home, which really outweighs the good. I tried to focus on the Pacific breeze and the shining Hawaiian sun as I take strolls with my brother and sister on the beach and the nearby pier. I remember a few times when my brother's squadron mates would meet up with us and we would play games by the boardwalk.
That picture that I put up on the door of my room that I shared with my brother. The one with my brother, sister, and I posing by the beach. I remember when we took that photo. My sister and I had to drag my brother to the beach since he didn't want to get out of his room. We even brought Ensign Johnson, his best friend since before I was born, to drive us around. He was the one who took that photo.
I shouldn't think about this right now, I told myself. It'll only make me depressed just thinking about it.
I checked my phone for the time. 8:10 AM. The bell rings in 20 minutes. I shrugged and then had an idea. Maybe the triplets are here. I think I could use their help with Yuri's problem.
You see, I was thinking about this last night. Something about Yuri bugged me. She didn't exactly tell me why she harmed herself. She was rather vague about it. That's understandable though. I knew Yuri. I knew why she did it or at least made an accurate assumption. I, uh, well… I'll just tell you later, alright?
I made my way to classroom 3-C, where Yuri and the triplets' class was. On my way there, I noticed some more students arriving to school, either talking in the courtyard or the hallways. None of them, though, looked familiar. Still, I felt some of them shift their gaze towards me. Some of them must've seen the exchange from yesterday. But, you know what, I walked with confidence. Fake it 'till you make it, right?
The door to 3-C was open, so I peeked my head in. There were a few students inside already. Some of them were catching up on homework that I would assume is due today. Others were just merely chatting with their friends. But I didn't see the triplets at their usual seats. The only familiar face I knew there was the girl in the far corner of the classroom, hidden from plain sight.
There was Yuri at her desk, her nose buried in another book from yesterday. The little book worm doesn't even realize that I was at the door. Well, the triplets aren't here like I hoped so, I thought to myself, Whatever, I'll just talk to Yur-
"What'cha looking at?" a voice whispered from behind my ear. I felt her soft breath of whoever was behind me gently blow on my ear when she said that, making a chill run down my spine.
"Oh, Jesus Christ!" I jumped, careful to keep my voice down so that no one else heard me. I pressed my back to the wall that was adjacent to the room and looked behind to see the Literature Club president named Monika standing right behind me. She was leaning in, her smile radiating throughout the hallway it seemed.
"Pfft!" Monika snorted, "Jump any higher and you'll hit your head on the ceiling!"
My hand went to my chest as I tried to catch my breath. I felt like I could actually have a heart attack. "Hell," I said, "You scared the crap outta me!"
Monika smirked mischievously, her eyes expressing a devilish glare. "Well, you weren't paying attention," she said, "I just took that opportunity."
"That is just mean," I said, crossing my arms while pouting like what Sayori would do. Monika simply laughed a gentle laugh. I smirked as I saw her cover her mouth and giggle in such a lady-like manner. It kinda made her cute in a way. And then that thought vanished from my head when the devilish glare returned in her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" asked Monika, "Spying on your girlfriend?"
I felt blood rushing to my cheeks, coloring my face red from embarrassment. "What?" I said with a nervous chuckle, "No, I'm not spying on my girlfriend, I'm spying on Yuri… Wait a minute."
Monika broke out in another fit of laughter, this time not lady-like as she bent over laughing uncontrollably. This time I felt more blood rush to my cheeks out of embarrassment since more students were turning their heads towards us. Thank God Yuri didn't hear us in the hallway, though. She would've been out wondering why we were here by now.
"You really are a weird boy," she said as she tried to catch her breath again, clutching her hips and ribs that were probably aching from all of the laughter. She then tried her best to regain some composure, something more fitting for the valedictorian of class 3-E. Still, she couldn't suppress a smile. I merely just rolled my eyes one more time. "Well whatever it is you're doing, just don't be late for class, 'kay? You don't wanna stick around this classroom too long."
"Alright, prez," I said, "I'm a responsible student. I'll get to class on time, don't you worry."
Monika merely giggled before walking off in the direction of our classroom. Meanwhile, I peeked the corner again to see Yuri. Now that I think about it, I probably look like a frickin' creep doing this. Why am I doing this in the first place?
I entered the room and quietly made my way to the back. Yuri didn't notice me grab a chair from the desk in front of her and plop down in it, the back of the chair to my chest. "Hey, Yuri," I whispered.
Yuri jumped and looked up to meet my gaze, her eyes wide as she twitched like a startled gazelle. "L-L-Lee-san!" she stuttered, "Wh-what? What are you doing here?"
"What, I can't see the girl who always has a book in her hands?" I asked with a smug smile and outstretched arms. Yuri blushed and looked down in embarrassment, a little smile on her face. I smiled for real and chuckled to myself.
"So, how is your morning, Sawyer?" she asked, her voice a little quiet, but loud enough for me to hear.
"Eh, it's like any other day," I said, "How about you? How are you this morning?"
"Well, I am rather splendid, thank you for asking," said Yuri, "I was finally able to finish reading that novel from yesterday. Now I got another one." Yuri held up the book that she was reading. It was different this time. It wasn't a fairy tale, but rather, another thriller.
"That's pretty cool, Yuri," I said, smiling. I looked at Yuri and she had a genuine smile on her face. But it soon disappeared into shame when she noticed something behind me.
She hid behind her book, trying to hide her face. Me, curious as ever, looked back to see two people walk in. Sakuma-san and Imai-san.
Sakuma-san met my eyes and he sneered at me and Yuri. All I did was look back. I kept my emotions in check. After what happened yesterday, there is a chance of me getting into a fight. And I don't want that. Imai-san met my gaze as well and then looked down, avoiding my eyes, as if he didn't wish to be a part of anything.
I looked back at Yuri, who was still cowering behind her book. Honestly, it broke my heart to see her like that. To be fearing her classmates. From a guy who knows what it feels like, it does not feel good. The best I can do for her is to be there for her.
"Hey," I whispered in a quiet, soothing manner, leaning forward so that only she could hear, "I'm here. You don't have to worry. If those assholes do so much as touch a little hair on your head, you bet your bottom dollar I'll have you covered."
"R-really?" she stammered, peeking from behind her book like a scared puppy in a cave.
"Am I the kind of guy who skips on his promise?" I asked with a friendly smile.
"N-no," she said, smiling.
We chatted for a few minutes, just talking about the weather and comparing it to how it is back home. Quite frankly, she made the cold sound all warm and fuzzy. How it's nice around this time of year.
"You know," Yuri stated, "The great thing about fall and winter is the cold."
"The cold?" I asked, "How come?"
"Well," she explained, "You know how it is so cold outside that you refuse to get outside? You would rather sit by a fireplace with a quilted blanket, reading a book while drinking tea or hot chocolate, no?"
"Plus, I would assume that watching the snowfall by the window would look awesome, right?" I asked.
"Exactly!" she said, "It would be nice if we were together. Us and the club watching the snowfall by a fireplace."
"Well, hey, maybe we could have a little Christmas get together, you know what I'm saying?" I suggested, "Maybe we could have a little Secret Santa thing if we wanted."
"That sounds wonderful," Yuri said, smiling as she closed her eyes as if she was imagining what it would be like. I smirked at the thought as well. Secret Santa? That's kinda cheesy, ain't it? What were you thinking, Sawyer?
I heard the chattering of girls by the door. I turned my head to look and lo and behold, there were the exchange triplets walking through the door, talking about something I don't know about. Kaylee was the first one to notice me in the back with Yuri and approached us, Zara and Rose tailing her.
"Hey, Sawyer!" Kaylee exclaimed in her usual cheery fashion, "What brings ya here?"
"Mornin' guys," I said and nodded my head, "I'm just talking with Yuri here." I gestured to Yuri. To be honest, I've never seen Yuri talk to the triplets. Or anyone other than the club members as a matter of fact. I glanced back at Yuri and saw that she was tugging on her sleeve while trying to maintain eye contact as much as she could. I probably should've seen this coming.
"Speaking of which, this is Saito Yuri-san," I introduced Yuri to the triplets, "Yuri, this is Adams Kaylee-san, McCormick Rose-san, and Knight Zara-san."
"Nice to meet you, Saito-san," said Zara with a friendly smile, holding up a peace sign with her hands.
"Yeah, what she said," Rose tagged on. Zara jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow, probably to tell Rose that was rude.
"Hey, Saito-san," Kaylee said, smiling and nodding. "How are you doing?"
"H-hello," stammered Yuri, who forced a smile. I could tell this is the first time she's talking with these girls. And that she is talking to someone else apart from the club in general. I guess I understand why she seems shy.
Kaylee stepped closer and leaned in a little.
"Oh my gosh, your hair is so pretty! Where did you get it done?" She reached out and touched Yuri's hair to Yuri's surprise. Yuri retreated back, holding the hair that Kaylee touched. Then I remembered that Americans are pretty lenient when it comes to body space, meaning that they seem to do more physical contact than someone elsewhere. I dunno, it's just an American thing we have. And I guess that Kaylee forgot about personal boundaries for a second.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you or anything," Kaylee apologized, remembering to bow respectfully. Yuri eased up a little, understanding that Kaylee didn't mean any harm.
"I-It's okay," stammered Yuri, "I got it done at a salon nearby my apartment. It is a really good establishment too."
"Well, looks like I know where to go on the weekends, then!"
"You're not gonna make us go with you, are you?" complained Zara.
"Are you kidding?" she said, "You two need the treatment!" Zara and Rose looked at her, insulted that she said that they need a little bit of a touch-up. For a second, there was a moment of silence before I broke it by chuckling.
Now, I guess I should explain my plan that is working out so far. Like I said before, I noticed that Yuri seemed to be alone for the most part. You agree with me on that, right? Anyways, I figured that I could get her to meet more people, maybe break her shyness. I thought the reason (at least one of the reasons) why she self-harmed was because she didn't have many friends, always being the odd one out, sometimes being bullied because of that. Well, I figured that the triplets were the best option for Yuri.
The triplets, much like Yuri, is new here. They don't have many connections. They're, like I said, new. So, I thought that they could relate to Yuri, since she arrived in the middle of the year last year, too late to make any personal connections with people who already established their own connections. Besides, the triplets are the kindest people I've ever met. When I first met them about a year and a half ago, they treated me as one of their own. Me, an antisocial kid who was shunned by his own peers, was kicking it with those three relatively popular girls. I guess I kinda owe them for helping me become more interested in meeting other people.
The bell rang a second after. Kaylee and I looked up at the speaker where the sound was coming from. Her eyes then widened and she looked back at Yuri. "Ooh, tell me all about that salon during lunch, 'kay?" she asked, leaning in.
"D-during lunch?" asked Yuri, "A-are you sure?"
"Totally!" Kaylee smiled, "Meet us on the roof when the lunch bell rings, okay?"
"O-okay!" exclaimed Yuri, who had a slight smile on her face. I smiled to myself, glad that she made some friends.
I said farewell to my friends and turned to the door. I was about to walk out of the door when suddenly, I bumped into another person, a guy not wearing the school uniform, but rather a white shirt and tie. I would assume he was the teacher.
"And just who might you be, young man?" asked the teacher, who towered over me even though he was Japanese.
"O-oh, sorry sir," I apologized and explained, "I'm just talking to a few friends of mine. I'm headed to class right now."
"Oh, you goddamn kids being late to class," groaned the teacher. All I did was nervously smile and looked at Kaylee, who was trying to suppress a laugh. My feet was glued to the floor and I couldn't even budge an inch.
"What are you still doing here?" asked the teacher, "Get outta my sight."
"Sir, yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" I exclaimed, rushing out of the room with my imaginary tail between my legs. I quickly made to my class, half walking, half jogging to my classroom.
Finally, I made it to my classroom, out of breath. I grabbed the handle to the sliding door that led to my class and slid the door open.
"Lee-san!" exclaimed my English teacher, who was writing on the chalkboard, a piece of chalk in her hands, "There you are! Where were you?"
"S-sorry ma'am," I said, "I lost track of time."
"Whatever, just sit down," she said, pointing at my empty seat, "Class is about to start."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," I said, imagining myself to be saluting to a superior officer before making my way to my seat.
I saw Monika smirking at me. I looked at her with annoyed eyes and she simply said "I told you so." I just rolled my eyes in exasperation. Today's gonna be a long day.
Lunch
"Can I sit with you?" asked Natsuki as I was just about to take a bite into a meatball sub. She was standing in front of the empty part of the bench that I was sitting at.
We were in the courtyard under this one tree whose leaves were turning orange and yellow. I was sitting by myself (like the loner I was), just eating my lunch in the peace and quiet of this secluded spot. But hey, might as well have the company, right?
"Yeah, sure," I said as I scooted to the left to leave more space for Natsuki to sit down and put her stuff next to her, which she did. It might look weird, just the two us having lunch together as if we were on a date or something, but it doesn't matter. No one really cares.
Students milled around the courtyard like every day here at school, eating or chatting with their friends, being all social and stuff. I know that Yuri is with the triplets on the roof, probably talking with them since they invited her up there for lunch. To be honest, I'm kinda happy that the triplets took her in just like that.
"So," I said, trying to break the silence between us, "How're you doing?"
"I'm… alright, I guess," grumbled Natsuki, "I'm still worried, you know? About Yuri and what happened yesterday." Oh yeah. That. The incident.
"I know you are," I said, "You're her best friend. I understand."
"If you understand, then why aren't you telling me anything? About Yuri?" she asked as if she came here just to find more information on what's going on with Yuri. Honestly, I don't even know what to do. Should I tell her? And risk changing her relationship with Yuri? Or keep it a secret? And risk harming my relationship with Natsuki later down the road? I wish it was as easy as a flip of a coin, but it's not. It's not that fucking easy.
"What do you want to know?" I asked.
"Everything," she said, no, demanded. She leaned in a little closer and tried to look more serious but just ended up making herself look like a fool. But I guess she's not gonna give up on this. To be honest, though, I feel like an asshole doing this. Keeping a secret from Yuri's best friend. It's cruel to do it, but I don't know what to do.
"Okay, well," I decided to kind of dodge the question by joking, "My full name is Sawyer Thomas Lee, I was born and raised in Hawaii-"
"No, not everything about you, you idiot!" Natsuki exclaimed, emphasis on the word "idiot". "I meant everything about Yuri! You know, what she's not telling me." Ah well, yeah, seems like I'm not gonna weasel my way out of this.
I merely sighed and just tried to comfort her. "Look, Natsuki, I'm really sorry," I tried to say, "But it's a secret Yuri wants to keep. She'll tell you when the time comes, okay?"
"You know what, I don't even know why I bothered asking in the first place," muttered Natsuki, who quickly picked up her stuff in a hurry and stood up.
"Wait! Natsuki!" I called out to the pink-haired tsundere, though I don't know what to say in my defense.
"No, fuck you," said Natsuki, who held out her free hand and put her thumbnail between her index finger and middle finger, obviously giving me some sort of obscene gesture that I knew never to make here in Japan. Natsuki then walked away, leaving me sitting alone under this tree in the middle of the courtyard.
"Ah, fuck," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in disappointment in myself. Well, that could've gone better.
After school
When school ended for the day, things turned out as usual. Monika and I lounged in the classroom, waiting for the rest of the club members to arrive. Monika was writing in that journal of hers while I ended up just listening to music with my earbuds in.
I kept thinking about the conversation with Natsuki at lunch. Honestly, I feel like I gotta apologize. I do feel like an asshole doing this. I should tell Natsuki about Yuri, her best friend. Oh God, this is gonna be harder than I thought, ain't it?
Eventually, I ended up closing my eyes and took a nap while waiting for the girls to arrive. I propped my feet up on my desk, leaned back in my chair, and had some shut-eye. Or at least tried to. The moment I started to feel myself falling asleep, I heard the sliding door open loudly, snapping me out of my mini-slumber.
"Damnit," I muttered under my breath as I sat up in my chair, rubbing my eyes hard enough to see fireworks bursting in air as I turned my head to look who's coming in.
"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," said Monika, smirking as I came out of my daze. I just rolled my eyes and stood up, trying to wake myself up a little more.
Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri entered the classroom and the two of us said hi. Yuri and Sayori went to the front of the classroom together, probably to talk about writing poems or something. Monika went and joined them, leaving me with Natsuki, who stayed in the back of the room.
I looked back at the pink-haired devil and she gave a face that basically said "Come over here for a minute, will ya?". With nothing better to do, I made my way to the back of the classroom.
"What's up?" I asked as I leaned in closer to Natsuki, almost towering over her, my hands on my hips. Natsuki, on the other hand, was standing closer to me, her hand clutching the back of a seat tightly. She had a sort of embarrassed look on her face, as if she wanted to say something but can't.
This happens a lot with Natsuki. She would get mad and lose her temper easily with me (partly because I'm being an asshole), like she has a fuse shorter than her. And later, she would try to apologize to me as if she was a puppy who broke a vase. I find it amusing, but obviously not Natsuki. Yeah, I know, that's a dickish thing to do, but it's fun. I see why Monika enjoys teasing me. But, I really should stop doing that. I really should.
"I, uh," stuttered Natsuki, struggling to find her words like the shy girl with violet hair reading a book at the front of the classroom. You know, even though they are the complete opposite to each other, they are quite similar in other ways, like how they have trouble talking to me, though they express their thoughts differently. It's like two poles of a magnet. Opposites attract.
"Go on," I urged Natsuki to spit it out, nodding.
Natsuki huffed as if she just got the courage to say what she had to say. Looking down in shame, she said "I'm sorry. For, uh, getting angry earlier."
I simply smiled like the smug asshole I was. Then I wiped that smile off my face, and looked down as well, shifting my stance. "Well," I said, "I guess I should be the one apologizing."
"S-senpai?" asked Natsuki, looking up to meet my gaze.
"I'm, uh, sorry for avoiding the topic. I guess I should've told you everything, just come clean," I said, "But I… I don't know how to say it. It's hard to explain. But I was the asshole for not telling you about Yuri. I'm sorry."
"Well, you're right about one thing," said Natsuki, crossing her arms. "You are an asshole."
"Don't make me regret apologizing," I said jokingly.
"You're still gonna have to explain everything," said Natsuki, her eyes glaring at me to show that she really was serious. Then again, she's Yuri's best friend. She has to know. She has to know.
"I'll tell you what," I offered, "I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just not right now, okay?"
"Why not?" she asked. I merely just pointed at the general direction of Monika and Sayori talking with Yuri. Then she looked back at me. "Well then, when?" she asked.
"Um," I said, trying to think about a way to tell her privately. I don't have her number since Natsuki is not allowed to have a boy in her contacts, so I can't call her. I can't tell her at school because I don't wanna risk it. Maybe… "How about I go over to your place?" I asked, "Maybe on Saturday?"
"My dad's working on Saturday, so sure," said Natsuki, "I could make that work." And that plan is good 'cause I could swing by Yuri's apartment next door to see how she's doing.
"You're still an asshole for not telling me earlier," she added. And there we go.
After that, Natsuki decided to rummage around in the back, looking for her precious manga. Meanwhile, I go to the front of the room where the other club members were.
Sayori was now doing her own thing, probably doodling on the piece of paper that she wrote her poem on. Monika was sitting by Yuri's desk, chatting with her about something I wouldn't have a clue about. Monika had her head resting on her hands that were propped up on the desk, while Yuri had her hands clasped and on the desk. I grabbed a chair nearby and put it down right next to Yuri's desk and sat down.
"Hey Sawyer," said Monika, "How are you doing?"
"Not too bad," I said, smirking a friendly smile, "What's up with you guys?"
"Monika is just telling me all of the things that she has seen around the world," said Yuri, her voice in a sort of dreamy trance. "Oh my, how I wish I was still with my mother, traveling around Asia."
"I take it you don't get out of town too often, right?" I asked.
Yuri shook her head. "No, I do not, I'm afraid," she said. "I don't even own a car and, quite frankly, I don't really like going out from the safety of my home." Ah, so she's more of a homebody. I guess I should've seen that coming, seeing the way she is and all.
"I see," I said, "Not really the type to go out that much, eh?"
"Uuuu," groaned Yuri, sort of embarrassed from that assessment. "When you say it like that…"
"Aw, Yuri," Monika assured the girl in purple, "If you want, we can always hang out. Just shoot me a text and I'll be on my way."
"Uuuu," Yuri groaned some more. Boy, I really put her on the spot, huh?
The sound of a piano melody broke the short silence that descended down upon us. Monika picked up her head and looked down, reaching into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. "Uh oh," she said. "Is it fine if I take this?"
"Sure!" I said, "Go ahead! We'll just be right here."
Monika shot a quick smile before standing up and walking out of the classroom, answering her phone. I then turned my attention to Yuri. "So," I asked, "How are the girls?"
"Th-the girls?" asked Yuri, not knowing what I meant.
"The exchange girls!" I repeated, "The ones I introduced you to this morning."
"O-oh, them," said Yuri, looking away, obviously embarrassed. "Th-they're… different, that is for sure."
"Different?"
"D-different as in…" Yuri paused to think about what to say. She put her hand to her chin and contemplated how to describe the triplets. "Friendly. Very friendly. Even towards someone like me."
"Ah well," I said, "That's how they are. They've been like that since when I first met them."
"What do you mean 'like that'?"
"Oh, they were very friendly when I first met them a year and a half ago," I explained. "When I first signed up to be an exchange student, I didn't really have any friends. But when I showed up for the first meeting, they immediately dragged me into some game they were playing. And then just like that, we were friends."
"Just like that?" she asked.
"Yep!" I said, "What about you? Did they drag you into anything?"
"W-well," said Yuri, still somewhat embarrassed, yet I noticed a slight smile grow on her face, "They asked me to show them the salon that I was talking about this morning. We are going to get our hair done on Saturday."
"That was quick," I said, smiling to myself. I'm glad that the girls immediately accepted Yuri. That, I think, will probably help Yuri a ton. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Thank God. "Are you up to it?" I asked.
"Y-yes," said Yuri, "I think I am able to do it."
"Atta girl," I said, grinning, "They're good people. Maybe a little too excited at times, but they're good people."
"Okay, great!" said Monika as she entered the classroom again, "Just send them to me, alright? Love you! Bye!" She hung up her phone and shoved it into her pocket before sitting back down.
"Who was that?" I asked.
"Oh, that was just my father," explained Monika, "He scored two tickets to this ballgame on Saturday. Since my parents were out of town, he decided to give them to me."
"Ballgame?" I asked, "As in baseball?"
"Yep! It's the semifinals for the Japan Series," she said, "The Yakult Swallows and the Yomiuri Giants are going against each other on Saturday at the Meiji Jingu Stadium. I have two VIP tickets. Who wants to come with?" Baseball? I think that sounds cool. Though I don't know if I should. I did promise Natsuki I was gonna swing by her house on Saturday.
"That sounds like fun, Monika!" exclaimed Sayori, "But I'm busy on Saturday. Sorry."
"No, it's okay," said Monika. "Yuri? Natsuki? Any of you want to go?"
"T-to the game?" stammered Yuri, tugging at her sleeve. "S-sorry. I-I don't do well with large crowds and loud sporting events."
"I don't think my father would want me going 'cause he's working on Saturday," said Natsuki, "Sorry Monika."
"That's alright," said Monika with a disappointed grin on her face, her eyes looking down at the floor. "I really didn't want these tickets to go to waste. Oh well." Hey, she didn't ask me? C'mon, I don't care if it's just the two of us, I just wanna see a ballgame.
"I could go," I said. Monika's face brightened up when I said that. The funny thing was that I feel like she was hoping that I was going to say something, as if she wanted me to go. "I'm free that day."
"Really?" exclaimed Monika, who ran to where I was sitting and took me into a hug, her arms pressing my face into some undesirable location, jumping up and down in excitement, threatening to pop my head off my neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I exclaimed, feeling my head popping off my neck, "Don't kill me before I'm able to see the game!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" apologized Monika, who let go of my head, a cute embarrassed smile on her face. I smiled because, honestly, I've never seen her this excited before. "I'll pick you up at four? The game starts at seven, but these tickets give us a tour of the stadium and the chance to meet the teams." Sounds like a plan. I guess I'll just visit Natsuki before the game.
"Sure," I said, "That sounds good. Just the two of us?"
"Yep!" exclaimed Monika, "It's a date!" She then cracked the biggest cheeky grin that I've seen from her in a while. To be honest, it would sound nice, just the two of us at a ballgame. Hell, she said she got VIP tickets. I guess I should've expected that since it was Monika "Rich Girl" Takeuchi who got those tickets. I guess it would be a pretty cool experience.
...Wait, what did she call it?
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.
Translation notes:
1. The middle finger has no cultural meaning in Japan. Most people would not know what that gesture means. The closest equivalent is placing your thumbnail between your index finger and middle finger, this is said to resemble a clitoris, a very rude gesture in Japan. It looks like if you pulled that "got your nose" trick on a kid.
A/N: I usually write chapters that are around 4-5k words, but these last two have been longer than 6k. I don't know if you guys want longer chapters or not. If y'all don't like it longer, just tell me. In other words, I have nothing else to say other than that I ended up writing this in three days. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm rather proud of myself that I wrote all of that in a short amount of time. Other than that, I'll leave y'all to it. Peace!
