"I'm sorry, Y/n, but the book you're looking for has already been checked out by someone." Mrs Akira, the school librarian said, looking up from her PC. "In fact, it's four months overdue."
You sighed in annoyance. Whoever had checked out that book better have not lost it.
You've been desperately searching for the latest volume of 'Cloud 9' after seeing the series rank first in your shoujo magazine and decided to give it a go. It was the best decision you ever made. You binge-read the series at record speed. You were obsessed. However, luck was not on your side. You tried shop after shop, but they were all sold out. You tried library after library, but they either didn't have them or they were already lost on loan.
"Thanks anyway." You replied in dejection, turning to leave when an idea suddenly popped into your mind. "Actually, do you know who has it right now?"
"Let's see…" Mrs Akira said, wetting her lips. "Ah, yes it says Matsuno Chifuyu."
You held back a surprised 'what'. Matsuno Chifuyu, really? That delinquent who beats up his upperclassmen and gets a thrill out of violence and danger? He reads girly romance mangas? Surely not?
"Did you want to check out another book instead?"
"No, it's okay, Mrs Akira. I'll come back another time. Thank you." You bowed and walked out of the library, intent on finding Matsuno Chifuyu.
It was lunchtime right now, so most people will be hanging out in their classrooms. Now, what class was Matsuno Chifuyu in? Wait, what did he even look like? Aside from knowing that he's in the same year as you and part of a gang, you didn't really know much about him. The lack of information you had of him didn't bother you though, he's a troublemaker, so the less you knew, the better.
A group of girls in your year walked past. You intercepted them. "Hey, do any of you know what class Matsuno Chifuyu is in?"
The girl at the front instantly perked up at his name. "Yes! Matsuno-kun in my class, I'll show you there!"
Thanking the girl, you followed her down the hallway until she stopped outside of a classroom and opened the door.
Her eyes scanned the room. Turning to you, she pouted in disappointment. "Hmm, Matsuno-kun was here earlier but he's gone,"
Why were people always missing when you desperately needed them?
"Hey, you looking for Chifuyu, Misa-chan?" A boy with slicked-back hair called from his seat.
Misa nodded. "Do you know where he is?"
The way the boy was swinging dangerously far back on his chair, made you remember the horrific and bloody stories your teachers would tell, of having previous students swinging on their chairs and cracking their skulls open. You grimaced.
"I heard he had to sort some people out, some upperclassmen most likely."
Ah, of course. Why weren't you surprised? This was Matsuno Chifuyu after all. Getting into fights was his specialty. Which was why it confused you even more so at why he had checked out a freaking shoujo manga, and most annoyingly the one that you really, really wanted to get your hands on.
You walked back to your classroom and dropped down onto your seat, popping a strawberry pocky into your mouth. You munched on it carefully. Hmm, maybe Matsuno Chifuyu wasn't all that he seemed? Maybe he was secretly romantic and girly at heart and was trying to hide this secret through his bad boy image due to embarrassment? Yes, this was likely possible.
It reminded you of that manga you read a few weeks ago, what was it called...Otomen? Where the coolest, manliest guy in the school harbours a secret: he's actually a guy who loves things that are usually associated with girls: cooking, sewing and especially reading shoujo mangas.
Could Matsuno Chifuyu be an otomen?
Nah, the idea seemed too farfetched. Like he's actually part of a gang and from the rumours you've heard about him, he was a really scary guy that sent about fifty students to hospital in one hour and ruled his middle school with an iron fist.
Your eyes widened in sudden realisation, if the rumours were true, then what the hell were you thinking? Trying to track him down and demand he return his library book? You were out of your mind.
You couldn't exactly just walk up to a gangster all buddy-buddy and be like: "Hey, dude! Don't wanna stir up shit, but please could you return your library book that I not only desperately really want to read but is four fucking months overdue!?"
That's basically asking for a death wish! You might as well just give up. Sob sob.
The scenario was too scary, so you reached for another strawberry pocky, letting the sweet taste comfort you. You sighed, flopping onto your desk, thinking of ways to tackle Matsuno Chifuyu.
Damn him, you hope he steps on a piece of lego. Those tiny, innocent-looking pieces of blocks may seem harmless, but they are pure evil. You learned that from experience. Never underestimate a lego.
The sound of scraping chairs and giggling made you look up. Ugh, you were drowning in stress right now and someone had the audacity to come over and giggle?
"Wassup Y/n!" Yumi smiled, sitting on the desk in front of you. Suzy and Maki were also here with big smiles adorning their face, straddling the chairs that they pinched from someone else's desk.
You groaned at your friends, "Where have you guys been this morning? You abandoned me!"
"Sorry, girl. Suzy here had some important business to take care of." Maki rolled her eyes, pointing a finger gun at Suzy.
"Why are you all grinning at me like you just committed arson?"
"That's exactly what we've done!" Suzy grinned wider, "wait how did you know?"
Your eyes nearly popped out of your socket. "Holy shit- what!?" You half screamed. Your friends were bat-shit crazy. Actually, that wasn't even news to you. You knew they were bat-shit crazy and somehow you still ended up being best friends with them, but what the hell had happened during their absence from school this morning?
"Remember my ex?"
You nodded, your nose wrinkling as you remembered the wannabe delinquent with dyed blonde hair and glasses. He was creepy as fuck and a total arsehole. When Suzy found out that he was only using her to make the girl he actually liked jealous - which was a total fail, she was furious. As bad as it sounds, you were secretly glad that Suzy broke it off since there was just something off about him.
"Well, I torched his precious bike." Suzy laughed like the maniac she is. You stared at her in disbelief. What. The. Fuck.
As unbelievable as it sounded, you knew she wasn't bluffing. It was an understatement to say that your friend, Suzy, was unhinged and insane; there was nothing that she wouldn't not dare do. Hell, it was surprising that she hadn't just straight out plunged a knife into her ex.
"No wonder you guys' reek of gasoline." You sniffed.
"Aww shucks, we sprayed ourselves all over with perfume to try to get rid of the smell." Yumi pouted.
"You might as well get new uniforms."
"Yeah, coz we're made of money," Maki replied with sarcasm.
"Who said we had to buy them?" Suzy half-joked, shooting us an exaggerated wink.
"Oh, you're right." Maki and Yumi nodded in agreement.
Being the only sane one and a brain in the group, you shook your head. "Don't even think about it."
"Ah come on, Y/n, come to the dark side, you gotta live a little!" Suzy whined, tugging on your blazer.
"I am living! And I don't wanna risk that by participating in your wild shenanigans." You said, shoving a pocky stick past her lips.
"But YOLO!" She huffed. "Mhm this shit is good, gimme another."
"No way!" You shouted, grabbing the box of pocky sticks before Suzy could have her grubby little hands on them.
"Come on, Y/n, don't be a pig!"
"Says the one who ate every single box of my pocky sticks that I bought the other day!"
"Hey, that wasn't me! It was yourself, remember?" Suzy said, a serious expression resting on her face.
You stopped, wait what? D-Did you? Then you saw the corner of her lips quiver, threatening into a smile. Asshole. "I know I'm dumb but not that dumb!"
"Ya sure about that?" Suzy cackled, "Pretty sure this is the nth time you fell for it."
Yumi and Maki laughed as you and Suzy continued tugging and bickering back and forth. Traitors!
As much as your friends did stupid, countless shit and pissed you off, you loved them, really. Of course, you did.