Love at first 0
"Wakaritai... jibun no omoi kimi no omoi"
The sound of an alarm echoes through the bedroom incessantly, awakening the grumbles of a certain blue haired girl, before a hand finally turns it off.
- Shuddap.
A groggy and deep voice says as its blue haired owner turns around to bury herself in the blankets wrapped around her tightly and that prevents her to get cold at night. A goof smile plays on her lips as she hugs her pillow tightly to go back to the land of dreams and keep dreaming about being the hero of it, invoking a large wooden staff, before an energy of magenta color begins to emanate from one of her hands ready to destroy the powerful enemy in front of her with all her might.
Just as her great power is about to flow and hit the enemy, a yell wakes her up once again.
- Yoshiko Tsukishima, if you don't wake up right now-
- Woah!
- -you will be late to classes!
Yoshiko sits up on her bed quickly as soon as her mother begins to yell her full name, rubbing the sleep off her eyes and the embarrassing drool from the corner of her lips, before her brain processes her mother's words turning to look at the watch on her nightstand just to let out a panicked shriek.
- Shit, shit, I'm going to be late!
Yoshiko curses desperate as she struggles to untangle herself from the blankets, falling face down on the carpet of her bedroom grateful that it cushioned the hit, before she rushes to get ready for classes, dressing up in her uniform to then go downstairs and get her lunch bento to leave in a hurry.
But of course, her bad luck doesn't stop there and as Yoshiko is running downstairs, one of her feet slips sending her down the stairs, hitting her rear through each one of the steps.
- Fuck! It hurts!
She cries out loudly, rubbing her ass with tears in her eyes, before she finds herself staring at the amused expression on her mother's face.
- Language – her mother reprimands her as she helps her to stand up, making sure her clumsy daughter is okay, before handing her the lunch bento she made for her so she didn't forget about it – Here, your lunch. And please, be careful.
Her mother basically pleads her, leaving a kiss on her daughter's forehead seeing Yoshiko grinning as she leaves a kiss on her mother's cheek in return, before running to the front door.
- I will! Love ya!
Yoshiko says goodbye to her mother stepping outside, missing her mother's eye roll as she begins to run to the bus stop, almost getting in there when she suddenly sees a white with orange lines bus passing past her slowly to then speed up.
- Are you kidding me!?
Yoshiko yells outraged as she does her best to catch up with the bus. But once again, her bad luck makes her miss it by a few meters.
- Fuck it!
The blue haired girl curses loudly, kicking a stone on her way while stopping to catch her breath, before she continues running in her desperate attempt to not be late to classes and miss the first period's exam.
Just as she discerns the school's building in the distance and before she can sigh out of relief for making it in time, a stray cat crosses paths with her, making her trip over her own feet to avoid stepping on it and fall forward.
- Ouch!
She lets out as she rubs her nose glad she didn't break it nor any bone of her body for the matter, noticing then how the stray blonde cat stares at her.
- Are you okay?
She asks the animal genuinely worried for it, seeing it tilting its head yet letting her pet its soft fur, before its meow gets mixed with the school's bell.
- Damn it. I'm going to be late.
Yoshiko mumbles as she gets back on her feet, leaving a last pat on the cat's head to then run towards the school.
- Be careful!
She yells at the blonde cat, missing its curious but amused bright green-yellowish eyes following her while licking its own paw, before walking to hide back in between some nearby bushes.
Needless to say that her bad luck strikes again and Yoshiko gets late to classes, having to stay outside her classroom grounded for being late and without the possibility to take the exam.
A dejected and heavy sigh escapes her lips as she rests on her desk, feeling Ruby's hand patting her head in a comforting way all while the red haired girl and Hanamaru look with pity at the splendid and rounded 0 on her exam.
- Cheer up, Yoshiko-chan, you still can retake it!
Ruby tries to cheer up their blue haired friend, but Hanamaru can't help but shake her head.
- And she'll still mess it up.
- Hanamaru-chan!
- Zuramaru! Don't jinx me!
Ruby and Yoshiko exclaim in unison while the blue haired girl puffs out her cheeks, hearing then Ruby and Hanamaru giggle at her, before they poke her cheeks and she releases the air filling them in a funny way.
- I don't need to. Your luck sucks.
- Geez, thank you, Zuramaru.
Ruby can only giggle at the childhood friends' playful banter, before she pokes Yoshiko's cheek twice trying to get back her attention.
- You know, there's a girl that has the best grades of all the school, like even better than neechan's and Hanamaru's ones. Maybe she could help you.
- Really!?
Yoshiko looks at Ruby with full attention and hopeful, hearing her chuckling, before she nods. But one look at Hanamaru and her discouragement comes back
- What is it now, Zuramaru?
- Uh, nothing! – Hanamaru says while putting her hands up in surrender upon Yoshiko's accusatory eyes – It's just… that girl is a second year, and um, very quiet and lonely.
- So she's like you?
Yoshiko replies in a beat trying to mess up with her childhood friend, giggling at her faked indignant pout.
- She's a bit like Hanamaru-chan, yep – Ruby chimes in, giggling as she sees the brunette being the one pouting now, before she continues – But I'm sure she'll help you!
Ruby encourages Yoshiko, seeing her feeling more confident now, before the three of them go in search of the second year genius.
- She's there.
- Where?
- There!
Hanamaru whispers loudly as she and Ruby move Yoshiko's head towards the bench where a long burgundy haired girl is sat reading a book.
- She's pretty.
Yoshiko lets out accidentally, blushing as soon as she hears Hanamaru snorting and Ruby giggling, before they push their friend towards the second year direction, making the blue haired girl stumble and almost fall over her knocking the both of them down and pinning the other girl against the bench.
- S-sorry! I didn't- *slap*
- Kya!
The burgundy haired girl yells, slapping the younger girl as a reflex, before her eyes widen upon what she just did.
- I-I'm deeply sorry! Y-you surprised me and-
- It's okay, don't worry! I-it was my fault!
Yoshiko tries to calm down the older girl, offering her a hand as well as another apology while helping her to sit up, shaking the dust off their uniforms, before Yoshiko gives her a smile that makes Riko blush.
- I… you see… my friends literally pushed me to ask you if you could help me with my studies…
Yoshiko trails off while scratching the back of her head awkwardly, seeing the other girl blushing lightly as she notices two first years in the background giving their friend a thumbs up, before nodding, giving her a small smile.
- Of course. What do you need help with?
- Huh, math? – Yoshiko asks out unsure of how many subjects she needs help with, hearing the burgundy haired genius giggling, before giving her a soft smile.
- I'm good at that.
- I hope so, I need to get a good grade to balance out the last 0.
Yoshiko mumbles under her breath and Riko can't help but gasp.
- You've... got… a 0?
Riko asks shocked and wide eyed, seeing Yoshiko look at her wide eyed too, before a hard blush begins to tint her cheeks.
- No! I mean yes! But in my defense it was because I've got late to class and the teacher didn't let me take it!
Yoshiko defends herself while Ruby and Hanamaru facepalm themselves in the background and Riko sighs heavily, taking a look at the disastrous girl in front of her, before her puppy eyes expression melts her heart.
- Okay.
- I-it's okay if you don't want- wait, what!? Really!? – Yoshiko exclaims surprised, seeing Riko blushing while nodding, before the burgundy haired girl finds herself being pulled into a tight hug – You're the best! I promise you that with your help I'll be at the top!
The first year exclaims happily, overconfident about her new friend's and "teacher's" help, while the second year blushes harder than her hair color, and the other two first years giggle in the background.
- Ah, there's still hope!
Ruby says hopeful for their best friend, placing her hands together with sparkling eyes while Hanamaru snorts beside her.
- Wait until they start with the lessons and Yoshiko-chan gets bored and distracted with Riko's beauty.
Ruby can't help but giggle at Hanamaru's comment, shoving her playfully.
- Don't be bad jinxing it.
The red haired girl tells the brunette as they walk away leaving the other two girls to get to know one another a bit better, before they plan out their study sessions.