A week had passed.

Classes have been just as dull as usual, and my days havent been filled by anything else.

 

-Kata-chan, can we go home together?

The person that called out to me was the girl that sat behind me in class.

 

-Ah, Koharu. Im sorry, im kinda busy today...

I could pretty much see how Koharu started getting suspicious about what i had to do to the point where i felt slightly threatened.

 

-There's nothing i can do if you say that... Well, see you tomorrow, Kata-chan.

She waved me goodbye with a calm smile, and she walked out of our classroom.

Koharu is one of the girls that asked me if something was wrong the 1st day of class. She was pretty alert about me, and checked up on me multiple times through out this week. She's been pestering me about answers in class and other random things, but most importantly we've started to go home together most days, since she lives near me. 

She's one of the only people i can call my friend in the class right now, and im happy we ended up like this. Since, i was pretty scared about ending up as a depressed lonely girl in class, because i definetly look the part.

 

As i left my classroom, i checked my phone to make sure the adress i got sent was right.

I took a deep breath to get myself ready for what was going to happen, and i started walking to the opposite side of where my apartment was located.

Today, i was meeting someone who i probably think im never going to see again more than i should.

So as i left home today, i managed to style my hair as best as i could, and i even went as far as to apply some light makeup, to make sure i could look my best for her.

We were going to meet in a cafe that was pretty fancy, and it was far enough from school for me to take a bus.

As i was quietly waiting on the station, i started to get concerned about something completely different.

The image of Mina... no, Niekawa-san popped up in my head.

She has been in class like usual, but i really have never seen her in any other place other than the classroom.

I haven't paid any attention to her at all, but today we walked past each other in the hallway, and she looked way less upbeat than she did the first day we got here.

 

-I could be worried about her still...

No, i shouldn't.

I slaped both my cheeks with my hands, and shaked my head from left to right to forget about it, or at least put it on hold.

As i got inside the bus, the ride was pretty  much uneventful there. It was pretty crowded so i felt incredibly uncomfortable, but other than that nothing happened.

The only notable thing, is that im getting more nervous the more time that passes. 

Today is a pretty important day, after all.

After 20 minutes or so passed, i got off and noticed the flashy old-themed cafe we agreed to meet up at, and took another deep breath for like the 12th time today, and went inside. 

 

-Akane, over here.

A woman in her thirties called out to me.  Her distinct chocolate-dyed hair, and her amber eyes were incredibly resemblant to mine. 

I hurried over to the table, and sat down in front of her.

 

-Mom, it's been a while. So can you at least explain yourself better next time?

I instinctively threw a stingy comment at her due to how this ended up happening.

Yesterday, i got a single call from a unknown number late at night, and as i answered, the person on the other side of the phone told me a single sentence. 

 

-We're meeting up tomorrow. I'll send you the adress. See you!

Of course, i knew she was my mother cause i remembered her voice, but i was incredibly annoyed at her. It wouldn't have hurt for her to at least talk to me a few more seconds, or be in contact with me more, right?! I don't even have a stable phone number to talk to her...

 

-You've grown a lot from last time i saw you, but you're still the same stingy girl, aren't you?

She avoided the question... Well, whatever. Im happy to see her either way.

 

-And i wonder who's fault that is. I've missed you, so just quit already. How is father doing back home?

-I mean, we're not together anymore, so i have no clue. No idea how "home" is either, but im fine. 

-Im glad to hear that to some degree. Wait, where are you even living?

 

She sat in silence without answering to me.

 

-Akane, Why are you so happy about your mom being divorced?...

And there she goes avoiding the question again...

 

-It's nothing, dont worry. Anyways, what happened with father?

-Well, he was a little bit of a piece of shit. There's a lot of things you are better off not knowing, but after i sent you to live here on your own, your dad found out i was paying your apartment's rent and he got incredibly upset at me. I took that as a excuse to file our divorce. I think you probably realized, but for a long time i haven't really been happy with him. 

Mom's expression turned grim, and she took a sip of tea before continuing. I waited patiently for her to finish.

 

-And above all... i couldn't really handle how much he hated you. It wasn't fine. I couldn't believe he could bring himself to hate his very own daughter that much... 

Although i shold feel slightly.. no, actually pretty hurt at this "new information".. im secretly happy. It feels like a weight has been lifted from both of our shoulders. 

 

-Well, i pretty much knew he wasn't very happy about me for a while.  All he cared about was having someone so his business could have a hand-me-down. And i wasn't going to do it, and he was painfully aware of it.

-There goes my little girl being a bit too observant... Im sorry i couldn't do anything about it.

She started ruffling my hair with a slightly pained expression as she told me that.

 

-Its fine. Not like we have to worry about it from now on anyways, right?

 

-Yeah. Is everything alright at Akina? I hope that you arent in Haruno's class, cause she's a bit of a handful...

-Too bad, i am in Haruno-sensei's class... But, she seemed pretty nice to me, in fact almost too nice of a teacher. Is something the problem, mom?

As i said this, mom shook her head from side to side, and scowled for a second.

 

-Well, it isn't something bad, but she's a bit too laid-back and friendly with her class, to the point where mostly everyone worries if she can actually get through the year without making any trouble... Has she talked to you directly about anything?

In my mind i instantly recalled how i felt when i realized Niekawa-san was in the same class, and i instantly hesitated on answering, my expression turning sour.

 

-Not really, but she did worry about me in the first day...

-Is there something going on, Akane?

Im not happy to recall this, but its not like i have any other person to talk to this about to. Besides, mom will probably understand to some degree. If there's one person that i truly want to talk this out with, its her.

 

-Well, Niekawa Minami-san is in my same class.

As i dropped Niekawa-san's name, my mom's expression changed to a more concerned one.

 

-And? Niekawa-chan never did anything to you directly, right?

I nodded to her, and i started recalling my story... No. Our story from back then.

 

 

 

-Minami, im in love with you. Its not a joke. I really like you, in that way.

 

My heartbeat was incredibly fast. I was as nervous as i could be, but i couldn't keep this feeling to myself anymore.

Our moments together were always incredibly precious to me, and Minami was the one thing that kept me waking up excited to come to school every day.

We weren't on the same class,so it wasnt until the middle of our first year that we met.

I was a anxious mess, as usual so i couldn't really bring myself to talk to a lot of people, and spent my days often reading books and falling asleep at the library.

Not a lot of people go there, so i was fine with my little space. "I will get more chances to talk to my classmates next year" or so i thought. 

I also helped as an assistant when it was needed, since i used to help by putting the books in order and cleaning up the library when i could.

I felt happy being able to cherish this little space that felt like my own world, every time i was here.

Although, from time to time i did felt slightly bothered by what my father would often tell me.

 

-Akane, you must be a model student. You are incredibly smart, and i expect great things for you. 

 

My father spoke to me, as if he was looking at me from above. He sounded firm and harsh, and was dead set on me being a model student, getting the highest grades possible and losing half of my school life to studying to take over a business i wasn't interested in the slightest.

Even today, im not even aware of what is my father's business. That's how bad it is.

I didn't like the idea of my future being decided before-hand, so i didn't care about anything father told me.

I've never felt like he loved me at all, not a single time in my life. All he can look at, is at results and numbers.

I don't care about that. My mom used to fight all the time with him about that same thing. My mom also was aware that i wasn't going to do as he wanted, and managed to make my father give up on me fairly easily. 

Thanks to that he stopped pestering me about my grades and other things, little by little.

And i could quietly go on with my not so interesting life in school, without worrying about studying every day for my tests, and without feeling the pressure to be something i don't want to be.

And everything was mostly uninteresting, until the day where i met the most important person, for good or bad in these next two years of junior high.

 

-Excuse me, are you Katagiri-san from class 1-C?

-Um, yes. Do you need help with some...

As i slowly turned around to face the girl that just entered the library searching for me, i was rendered speechless the second my eyes met hers.

She was truly beautiful. I might have just been smitten by her at that exact moment, but first i had to be of use to her on what she needed...

 

-I need to borrow some of the chairs from the library, we need more chairs on the gym for the student council speeches. One of our teachers told me i could find you here taking care of the library and that you could help us.

She was incredibly soft-spoken and respectful. Her voice had a really sweet airy quality to it, which made me feel even more nervous than i already was, since not only am i not good at interacting with strangers, im also not good at interacting with beautiful people.

 

-Um.. Yes, there's no problem. How many chairs do you need?

As this girl's expression lit up and she gave me a dazzling smile, she answered my question with excitement.

 

-With just six chairs we'll be fine. Thank you, Katagiri-san.

I couldn't meet her eyes again because i felt way too nervous to do so.

 

-No, its nothing. Let me help you carry them to the gym, uh...

I forgot, i didn't even ask for this girl's name.. 

 

-Niekawa Minami. Im sorry, i forgot to give you my name.

I felt incredibly embarassed at this, so i just picked a chair up and started walking towards the gym without trying to face Niekawa-san, cause i felt like my heart was going to burst if i did.

We both walked slowly in the hallways. I made sure to slow down so she could walk next to me, only after my embarassment meter went down.

I didn't feel confident enough to talk to her about anything, so i just stared at the ground in silence.

 

-Do you spend your time at the library often, Katagiri-san?

-Um.. i mostly do. I  don't have much to do when we have breaks so i just go to the library and read books that i like... oh, and i also sleep there pretty often.

-Im pretty sure you're not supposed to do the latter... but still, don't you feel a bit lonely in there, from time to time?

Her words struck a bit of a nerve inside me, cause i did in fact feel lonely some times. I'd look down from the window, and i'd see girls from my class in a huge group just walking together, laughing together and i felt slightly jealous of them.

 

-Honestly, yes. A lot of the time i wish i had something better to do, but in the end im the one running away from everyone else...

My expression turned pretty grim as soon as i said this, cause this was deep down something i desperately wanted to change, but felt unable to.

 

-I see. Did something go wrong for you in the first weeks of class?

I was confused at this question, because i didn't really have a answer.

 

-I wouldn't really know how to tell you... I was too anxious to even think about anything, so i think nothing exactly went wrong? I just faded into the background...

-Was something in your mind at that time? You are talking just fine to me, right? I don't see you fading into the background at all.

We both stopped and she flashed me that same dazzling smile again, but this time it felt different. I felt like i was being hypnotized by this girl. 

 

-Maybe.. I felt pressured by something at home, so i was really stressed at the time...

I told a blatant lie. I wasn't really stressed by it. I just didn't want to tell her i was that much of a anxious mess...

 

-Well, i think it would be a waste for such a cute girl like you to be in the background. 

-Eh?! I.. Is that so?...

 

I instantly looked away in embarassment and i felt my face start to boil. 

 

-Well its not like i chose this out of my own will, Niekawa-san...

-Then i'll come visit you some times.

-Wait.

I stopped, once again. And i felt incredibly troubled and, scared.

 

-Niekawa-san, those words are a lot more meaningful to me, more than you think they are.

She stopped slightly in front of me, and she turned back at me, wearing her usual smile.

 

-Even if they are, i do mean it. If i have to drag you out of the library, i'll do it. I don't mind.

 

I felt like this was the exact moment where i might have fallen in love with her.

She didn't do anything special for me. She just stepped inside my tiny little world, and she took my hand and showed me a sight that i wanted to see for a long time.

That's the special part about her. She didn't mind my visible nervousness. She didn't mind my borderline whispering. She didn't mind my hesitation behind every word that i told her. 

She accepted each one of these little things about me as they are, and that's why i was so hypnotized by her. 

By the time we got to the gym, i was talking with her about my days at school with a smile i never thought i'd have in my face.

This is how my brief days overflowing with hapiness started, with Minami close by.