"I think I'm in love with you." - Ted Mosby, How I Met Your Mother
In life finding true love is more complex than fairytales.
If my life could be put into any genre then mine would be in your typical slice of life. Nothing too out of the ordinary happens despite it being "set" in my last year of middle school. No if anything then this fleeting moment of life would end up acting as some sort of prelude to future events, creating flashback sequences to hand out some exposition on why I act the way I do.
Even then with the springtime of youth on the edge of blossoming and friends trying to get together with their so-called "true loves" before the year is out and most likely never seeing many of them again. Whether because a parent got a better job opportunity and as a child they have no other choice or they themselves had enough talent to be recognized and put into a specialized program.
Either way it's not important to me since by the time the new school year starts most of my previous peers will be nothing but a fading memory. Mostly since I'm trying to get into the prestigious Sobu High, not to get further away from any past mistakes I had made but to try and start fresh. This is one of my three times that I can start from zero and not have it be seen as abnormal, lots of people would be using this as a way to start anew and become "normal" and try to fit into what they think whatever group they join needs.
So I'm standing here outside of the testing hall after just finishing the entrance exam, a few days after Valentine's Day. In ankle high snow. If my life were a romantic comedy this is when the two main leads would meet, under the setting sun as the street lights turn on. The ocean breeze kissing the exposed skin of their faces makes them look as if they're blushing. That's what would happen if I were living in a romcom.
Then again I'm standing in the snow, one earbud in with the other resting on my shoulder. Waiting. I bet that people would ask what for but I'm waiting for the only friend that I've made in these last few years of middle school. With the sound of footsteps compacting the snow on the ground I turn around to see her with a contemplative look on her face.
"You look like someone just pushed you into a puddle." I say to her bluntly which makes her look at me then smile in response.
"Is the great Hikigaya-sensei worried about his only student? You said your skills in teaching are second to none." She responds with a chuckle.
"That's only if the student can retain information and understand it but from these last few months Orimoto you can't even remember what our teachers taught us yesterday." I teasingly tell her.
"It's not my fault that spending time with you is more interesting than the lessons they teach us! I swear I see you sleeping throughout most of the class. How are you still in the top ten in overall scores!?" She shouts out with frustration oozing all over her.
"Hey!" I yell at her, making her snap out of whatever trail of thought was making her more frustrated. "I'm not always sleeping in class. I just make it seem like it so they don't call on me."
Orimoto stares at me for a while before sighing in resignation and nodding at my words. "Of course you'd do something like that, you're not convincing me that you aren't just some big cat."
"I'm not a big cat Orimoto. We went over this last time you searched my entire head for cat ears." I say back, swatting away the hand that was going toward my hair again.
"Whatever!" She yells out with a pout on her face. "I'm cold since you've made us stand here. So because of that you owe me a hot drink at a cafe of my choosing!" Orimoto declares while pointing one of her fingers at me.
The shock obviously made it to my face as her pout turned into a slight grin. "I never agreed to this!"
"You never agree to anything, but since you agreed to be my friend you also know this is how things go!" She says, taking my hand in hers. "Now let's get moving. I don't want to get sick before school starts again." Orimoto explains while taking the lead to where she wants to go.
"Sure." I respond curtly, walking to match her pace.
If my life were a different genre I would proclaim my love here and now. Yet right now I feel comfortable walking hand in hand with the person I'm in love with. One day I will tell her how I feel, today isn't the day but maybe when I repay her for the handmade chocolates she made me this year. I wonder what type of chocolate Kaori would like.
Inspiration - I like romance and well romantic comedy leads into romance.
Why Orimoto? - Kinda felt like it on a whim. She'd be a fun character to write despite how little is shown of her. Also a Hachiman that wasn't quick to profess love!? Kinda pulling that out of my ass yes I will agree but sometimes a slow burn just works.
Where is my main series!? - I kinda started to edit the older chapters. Not out of boredom but just because the latest chapter has thoughts and plots from the older chapters that just weren't there and needed to be added into (also I have a better understanding of the characters to make the older chapters feel a bit more fleshed out.) After I'm done with the rewrites and the newest chapter they'll all be dropped on the same day. 100% before the end of this year.