4/7/09 Tue - Iwatodai dormitory - morning
A series of loud knocks hitting something forces me to wake up. My vision is blurry but comes into focus as I shake off my drowsiness. Sitting up on my bed, I let out a yawn to help further shake off my fatigue. The knocking continues, the sound traveling from across the room. Someone must be at the door.
"Hello, Kazuki-kun, are you awake?" The voice on the other end belongs to Yuka-chan, that much I can. The image of her wielding a gun comes to mind. She doesn't seem naturally hostile, but I can't help being hesitant before answering her. "I'm supposed to show you and Yuki-kun how to get to school."
Crap, what time is it? I check the time on my phone. 6:24 A.M! Damn, I have to get dressed!
"I'll be out in a minute," I answer.
"Okay, just don't take too long."
"Got it!"
I go through the bag holding my extra clothes, as well as my uniform. Not to mention my treasured jacket.
I throw on my dress shirt and pants first, then my jacket, a black hoodie that has red patterns here and there, especially on the zipper. Finally, I put on my uniform jacket. Outfit complete! I brush my teeth and wash my face in the sink in my room. All set.
"I guess it's time to head on out… I'm leaving Naoya."
Ah, that's right, I don't live with Naoya anymore. He isn't here to see me off with a soft smile that would brighten my day before leaving. Old habits die hard, as they say. Well, I guess I'll do it for old times' sake.
Opening the door, I turn to my room, housing no one inside. "I'm leaving, Naoya. See you later."
I shut the door to my room, leaving behind my nervousness and my feeling of homesickness. Today is a new start, so I won't be taking those feelings with me.
Gekkoukan High - morning
We rode a monorail to school. We saw the beautiful scenery of the sea, taken aback by how it sparkled under the sun and how it felt gliding over it. Now, here I am, standing in front of the Gekkoukan High building. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom as students walk through the falling petals, talking to each other, riding on bicycles, or just running to the building. But above all, you can see the moon hovering behind the school. It was oddly pleasant.
"Well, welcome to Gekkoukan High," Yuka-chan radiates cheerful energy into her words. "...Do you guys have any questions?"
"No," Yuki says, keeping his composure.
"Yeah: what class am I in, Yuka-chan?"
"I don't know. you should check the announcement board over there." She points to a board near a set of stairs leading up. "I'm gonna go see some people before checking in. See you guys later."
She walks off into the east wing of the building.
"Let's go check the board," Yuki suggests.
"Yeah."
Reaching the board, all the student placements are posted on papers pinned to it. All I gotta do is find my name…
"Found me."
Kazuki Kei…2-E. Great, now I just need to find the faculty office. Taking the time to ask around, I found the faculty office. Excusing myself inside, I met my homeroom teacher, Sensei Ekoda. He's quite stern, not the type of teacher you'd try to bond with. He even went off on a tangent about kids in my generation, as if I did something to set him off.
After meeting with him, I went to gain my bearings around the school. My first stop was the library. It's well kept, a lot bigger than the one we had back at St. Hermelin. After that, I head to the first floor of the East Wing. It looks like most of the clubs are here. Should I join one? Nah, I don't wanna be a bother to anyone.
Next was the second floor. It isn't outstanding up here, just some classes and a bathroom. Not much traffic here, though, which is a good thing. I found a nameplate with "2-E" on it. Sweet, now to take a quick peek.
A brief musical tune plays over the intercom. "All students who have not reported to the gymnasium, please make your way there now. I repeat: All students who have reported to the gymnasium, please make your way there now."
Looks like I'll have to explore later. Since I don't know where the gymnasium is, I'll just… Where are the students? Come to think, didn't the announcer say "who have not"? That means… Oh shit, I was supposed to go with my homeroom teacher, but he was droning on and on about kids nowadays, so I just snuck out and went exploring. Now, I have no one to tell me where to go! This is bad, like real bad! This could get me in trouble, for sure. If my homeroom teacher doesn't see me there, he'll think I'm just some delinquent!
"I'll just go back to the faculty office. Someone's still gotta be there!"
I run across the hall, turning the corner for the stairs. Right as I make the turn, I bump into someone. A shade of teal rushes past my eyes. My brain barely registers the event, as well as them almost getting ready to hit the floor. Instinct takes hold, and my hand darts for theirs, grabbing the person's wrist before they can crack their head on the steps.
"Gotcha!" Their wrist is slim, it's softer than a normal man's. I pull them away from the stairs. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Seeing how this was my fault, that's all I can ask them.
"Umm...ah...tha-thank you. I should have been more thoughtful of where I was walking! I'm very sorry!"
she bows while begging for my forgiveness.
"No, it's not yours, it was mine. I shouldn't have been running around in a panic like an idiot." In a panic... The gymnasium!
"Umm, excuse me, I think it's almost time for the assembly to start," she quietly informs me, sounding somewhat melancholy.
Her voice is soft, but the way she speaks makes her presence small compared to someone like Kirijo, whose presence dominates the atmosphere. A somber feeling hangs over her.
"Are you okay?" I ask without any thought behind it. The dreary expression she wore faded, replaced by a blank stare that could run for miles. "Are you…okay?"
"What!?" Whoa! Thought she was going to make my heart explode. "...Y-y-yes! No! I am!"
"If you're not okay, maybe you should go to the nurse's office. I'll take you there, even if I don't know where it is."
"N-no, no! That's fine. I'm sorry for acting strange."
She gives another bow, only this time, she almost tripped. Talk about a tonal change, she's practically stumbling over herself. The depressing air around her disappeared without a trace, now she just looks nervous.
"It's fine, I'm not exactly all there either."
"Not all there either?"
Wait, what?
"No, I didn't mean it like that! What I meant was that it's cool, and, um, I…" Time to change subjects. "The assembly! We have to, uh, go to the, uhh, assembly."
Her expression shifts to shock, settling on dire. "Y-yeah! We should get going before someone thinks we're cutting."
"Yeah... But, I don't know where it's at."
She raises an eyebrow, clearly confused by me. "You don't?"
"I know, it's…kinda embarrassing. Can you help me, please?"
"Are you a transfer student?"
"Yep, so I have no idea where I'm going." She fiddles with her thumbs, averting her gaze. She's probably uncomfortable around me. I was the one who almost busted open her head, so I can't blame her. "You don't need to if you don't want to. I'm sure I can find it on my own."
"No!" She juts her hands, gesturing for me to stop. "...I can take you there." Her delicate voice utters this confident answer.
"Really? That's awesome."
Lucky! Now I can avoid being called a delinquent. Oh, I almost forgot.
"So, hey, if it isn't too much to ask, can I know your name?"
The girl rounds her attention back to me, her face red as a beet.
"Oh...y-yes. I guess we should introduce ourselves." Her teal-colored hair flutters from the simplest movement. Those eyes of hers take on a neutral look. "...I'm Yamagishi Fuuka, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Yamagishi Fuuka. Hm...
"I'm Kazuki Kei, but you can just call Kei, or Kazuki, whatever you prefer."
I outstretch my hand. Naoya always said giving a handshake is the best way to start a friendship. Fuuka takes hold of my hand. Hers are warm, small, delicate to the touch, yet a bit coarse.
"I think we should be on our way to the auditorium now," she advises, still somewhat sheepish.
"Oh, then let's get a move on, Yamagishi."
We reached the gym. Yamagishi was quiet on our walk there, and she made little eye to no contact. I thought I offended her, but it seems like she's just shy. After entering the gym we separated to go find our homeroom teachers. Of course, I did my best to avoid him seeing me; not trying to get on his radar. The principal went on about what's expected out of us during this school year, and anything else he said didn't register. I was looking around for Yamagishi, but couldn't find her… I hope I can see her again, so I can thank her properly.
Gekkoukan high - 2-E - morning
Ekoda-sensei and I arrived at room 2-E together after the assembly. I get the feeling he really doesn't want to do this but has no choice but to. We stand outside of the room.
"Just introduce yourself and don't try to act funny."
He gives a harsh warning, looking at me as if I was a no-good punk. Guess he noticed I left during his monologue.
"Y-yes, sir!"
Man, he makes it too easy to be nervous. Just keep it brief and take your seat, that's all I need to do.
He slides open the classroom door, heading in ahead of me. I follow behind him. He stands in front of a podium and I get up next to him. My body is tensing up standing around like this; it's like my heart is gonna explode from all the attention.
"Alright, settle down, settle down!"
The students - reluctantly - settled down as Ekoda-sensei instructed. I straighten my posture as I look around the classroom. All eyes are on me, placing an even heavier pressure on my chest and my insides feel tangled up… Is that…!? That's Yamagishi, from this morning! What a coincidence. I want to wave at her, but I don't think I should do that for more reasons than one.
"Hey, are you paying attention!?" I snap out of my thoughts. Ekoda-sensei is staring me down, even more pissed than before. "...I said introduce yourself."
"O-oh, right! I'm Kazuki Kei! It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can all have a wonderful time being classmates!"
Been practicing that one on my trip to the city. Though, I think the impact isn't as strong as I wanted it to be.
"Honestly, the lack of attention you kids give." Ekoda-sensei scratches his head, glaring at me with nothing short of contempt. "You can sit behind… Yamagishi. She sits over there."
"Yes, sensei! I'm also sorry for not paying attention, sensei!"
"Don't let it happen again."
It'll be best not to piss him off any more than I have today. I head to my new seat, sitting down right when I let out a sigh of relief. I'm glad I did nothing anything to stick out.
"Okay, I'll be taking attendance. Say present when I call your name."
Gekkoukan high - class: 2-E - Lunch
Morning classes came and passed like nothing even happened. At the beginning of lunch break, Yamagishi turns to face me. She doesn't look all that depressed anymore, just surprised.
"I didn't know we'd be in the same class," she says behind a faint smile.
"Yeah, it sure is a coincidence. Though, I wish I wasn't daydreaming during my introduction. I probably came off as standoffish."
"I-I don't think you were," she stutters, doing her level best to tell me otherwise. "...but you should be careful about daydreaming around Ekoda-sensei." Hopefully, I can stick to that. "...B-b-but it is nice to meet you again, Kazuki-kun. I hope we'll both have a wonderful year together."
"Me, too. But..."
"What is it, Kazuki-kun?"
There it is again.
"You know…you don't need to use the -kun suffix. Just call me Kazuki. That's fine."
"But i-it would be disrespectful."
So she's old-fashioned, huh? I've never been named with a suffix, except by teachers… Well, why not start now?
"Alright then, from now on, I'm Kazuki-kun. However, you need to let me give you a nickname. Sounds fair, right?"
"A nickname?"
"If we're going to be acquainted, then you need a Kei-certified nickname."
"I see… A nickname… A...nickname!" Wow, she's…excited. "O-okay! I'd like one…! Please."
I clap my hands. "Great, let me think… Hmm… Got it. Fuu-chan! How's that?" She's shocked, dazed even. Fuu-chan stares at me with a mile-away gaze. Was it too basic? Making complicated nicknames is hard, so I wanna keep it simple. "You don't like it?"
She throws up her hands in front of her. "N-no, no! I, um...don't…mind at all,"
Score! I knew I was the master of nicknames!
"Nice! Guess that makes us friends now, Fuu-chan. You and I are gonna be classmates from here on out, so let's–"
The howls of an empty stomach cut me off, telling me to go get some food. I didn't get to eat dinner or lunch yesterday. All I ate that day was instant Yakisoba, and that was in the morning when I left home. Guess last night and this morning helped me forget, but my stomach knows all too well that it's empty.
"Hey, you know where I can get something to eat? I'm starving."
"There's a school store downstairs, but they only sell bread."
"Is it good?"
"It has different flavors from normal bread, but I only eat plain. I'm sorry for not–"
"Good enough for me!"
I jump from my seat and head for the door out of the classroom.
"You wanna tag along?" I ask Fuu-chan.
Her eyes went round, her mouth slightly gapping open for a second."Are… you want me to…accompany you?"
"Course, why wouldn't I? Friends eat lunch together, they also buy the other food, but since this is the start of our friendship, I'm buying."
She immediately jumps out of her chair, rushing towards me. "Wa-wait! I wouldn't want you to spend too much money."
"Relax, it's just bread. It's not like it's gonna cost much. So. come on! Hungry stomachs wait for no one, especially mine."
Fuu-chan stares at her feet. But tilting her head up and clasping her hands behind herself, she shares a bright smile. "Okay."
The depressing air that hung around her vanished. All I sense is an atmosphere brimming with joy. It even got me smiling. Wish she would smile more often.
…
After getting some bread and milk for lunch, I felt like a man who had just eaten for the first time in centuries. Eating with a friend feels pretty great compared to eating by myself.
"Kazuki-kun…" Fuu-chan, her voice barely reaching my ears, calls my name. "...May I…ask you something?"
"What's up?"
"Um, I was wondering, do you, um, have time after…school…to hang out!? I only want to get to know you better. That's it, I swear it!"
"You didn't really need to clarify. Hanging out is hanging out."
"Oh, right! Y-you're right."
It's kind of reassuring to see how earnest she is about all this. It brings a sense of relief into the mix, easing any lingering tension I may have.
"And sure, I wanna hang with you."
I can't fight this urge to smile. I'm going to hang out with someone after school for the first time. This is awesome!
The bell rings, lunch is over now. Fuu-chan turns her desk back around, having it face forward like usual. Afternoon classes started, but all I could think about was how great my first day of school is so far. I'm itching for classes to be over with already. Me…hanging out with a friend… Sounds like a dream, but if it is, then I don't want to wake up.