What are you planning to do after you graduate? Attend university or join the workforce?

Out of everything you've learned in your three years of high school, what is the most important lesson you've learned?

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Those were the three questions on the career survey that the class president handed out earlier today. Even though the questions are straightforward and easy to understand, and your answer could be as nebulous as possible, I still found myself unable to come up with anything that sat well with me.

"She did say college..." I mumbled as I tapped the tip of my pen on the "answer" section of the first question.

Is college really okay? My grades all throughout high school have been below average to mediocre at best, so would any university even want to accept me? Tuition would probably cost a lot as well...

Suddenly, while twirling my pen, a thought hit me.

"What if I don't even pass the finals exams and don't even graduate?"

Though the thought seemed unlikely and somewhat humorous, I couldn't help but think that it would be some form of a solution. I fail the exams, repeat the grade; now more serious than before, do the exams again, and pass this time with hopefully a better, more well thought-out plan. The rest of my classmates would graduate, and as long as I don't tell anyone, no one would know that I repeated a grade.

Without even giving it much more consideration, I shot the thought down. I personally thought that I, myself, wouldn't be able to handle the shame of having to repeat a grade, purposefully or not. Thus, my only choice is to figure out what I want to do with myself in the future. If I somehow study up and really flex my brain, I might be able to attend a good university on a scholarship, although that's a little unlikely. If I were to work straight after graduating, what would I do? I've never had any stand out talents, I don't have anything I'm particularly passionate about, I'm not physically strong, I'm... gonna die in some gutter somewhere...

I still have a week, right? I'll give the questions some more thought before answering them, but for now, it's getting a little late. I still have school tomorrow, so I'm going to go to bed for the night.

The next morning, I woke up in a daze, my eyelids feeling like they would close shut like a Venus Flytrap at any moment. The alarm clock on the nightstand beside my bed didn't ring. More specifically, it rang, but I didn't hear it. I had woken up thirty minutes later than usual, leaving me with fifteen minutes to get ready.

Despite my heart pumping like a piston, I couldn't help but feel lethargic. Even so, I pushed my body to move as fast as possible. After showering, getting dressed, saying goodbye to my mother, and heading to school at record speeds, I managed to make it to my seat just in time for homeroom.

The slick-haired, bespectacled, and usually cool-headed homeroom teacher walked into the classroom with a somewhat confused expression on his face. I could not blame him, as what was behind him, what followed him into the class, was a strange site to behold. Despite this, he tried his best to keep his cool and cleared his throat.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today." the teacher looks over to the source of the confusion, the girl who was standing next to him.

Though the girl smiled when she was addressed, everything about her was strange. The fact that she transferred to this school three months before the final exams, her seeming lack of nervousness, her cold yet unfocused eyes, her complete dismissal of the confusion waft about the classroom, and her uncanny, head-turning, almost mystical beauty.

She seemed ethereal, something not of this world, like an artist's painting being brought to life. Yet there she was, standing in front of the class and giving a standard introduction.

"It's nice to meet you all."

As she bowed down in front of the class, the sunlight glistened on her luscious maroon hair, brightening it into something akin to a flame.

The entire class, including the teacher, was left speechless at the sight of this strange yet incredibly majestic girl. Not a single whisper or breath was heard until the teacher clears his throat once more.

"A-ah, you can take a seat over there." the teacher points to the second row seat, third from the left, the seat right behind the class president.

Everyone present, including the class president, turned their heads to gaze at her graceful figure as she walked towards her designated seat. Even with so many eyes on her, even with the near-total silence, the transfer student seemed oblivious, or perhaps just indifferent to the awkwardness surrounding her. She still remained poised. She still remained quite the oddity.

Even though the teacher tried to continue the homeroom, the confusion and awe towards the strange transfer student did not dissipate. The teacher, though himself still slightly in awe as well, couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the lack of attention the students of class Three-C were giving him.

Suddenly, the source of the confusion and awe stood up, the eyes of everyone present following her.

"Teacher, may I go to the bathroom?" she asked in a soft voice, her composure still not wavering in the slightest.

"... A-ah, yes, you may." the teacher pauses before answering her, seemingly forgetting the words that he, as a teacher, must have said many times in the past.

Thus, the transfer student left the classroom with a slight bow, the curious, confused, and awestruck gazes following her with each step she took.

As soon as she left, it seems that the entire classroom came back to life as the students whisper among themselves about the strange, yet undeniable beauty which had just transferred into their class no less than twenty minutes ago. Although this only made homeroom even harder for the teacher, who now has to deal with a loud classroom as opposed to one that completely ignored him.

After the futile homeroom ran for another five minutes, the bell signalling the next period rang. The teacher huffed out a sigh of relief, louder than anyone else in the classroom, and left while dragging his feet.

The next period was math, and the teacher's a real killer. If he were to walk into a classroom bustling like a New York metro, it'd be genocide. Realizing this, the class president, who, like the rest of the students, was captivated by the transfer student, snapped back to her senses and walked over to the teacher's podium.

"Everyone." No one was listening.

Understandably frustrated, the class president banged her hand on the podium and raised her voice.

"Can everyone be quiet?! I know the transfer student's sudden appearance is a hot topic, but we are in the middle of class right now! If the teacher were to come in and the class was like this, we would be in big trouble!" she yelled, and the entire class went dead silent, seemingly getting the message.

As the class president walked back to her seat, our stern-eyed math teacher walked in.

"You guys better thank me... Damn that transfer student..." the class president mumbled in a barely audible voice that sounded like some sort of voodoo curse.

Class carried on as usual, without the new addition to our class coming back to the classroom. I tried as hard as I could to understand the formulas on the blackboard and the teacher's rapid-fire explanations in between his tangential rants and violent mood swings, but alas, I understood no more than the basics. It is only now that I realize just how empty my notebook was. The notes didn't even reach the halfway point of the book, despite the information overload present in every single lesson. Was I really this carefree...

After three periods, which felt like eight hours under the reign of the fabled "minefield teacher", the lunch bell rang as a collective sigh of relief could be heard resonating throughout the classroom. My classmates started going about their lunch time routine; going to the cafeteria, settling for homemade lunch in the classroom, and some started gossiping about the transfer student. Everything was back to normal thanks to our reliable class president and a math lesson more intense than any war movie.

As per usual, I left the classroom with a boxed lunch in hand to my usual spot, a bench under the shade of a tree which was right across from the school track. Walking through the school's countless corridors, I started to notice just how big this school was and how little of it I've actually been to.

The school was four three-story buildings which formed an "O" with a walkway connecting each building in the middle of said "O". Right in the middle of the walkway was a giant oak tree surrounded by benches.

The tree supposedly symbolizes a strong and solid core, i.e. the education and character-building that the school offers, and the benches underneath it symbolizes the school itself; a place where students can seek comfort under a strong educational core. This, of course, was written on a plaque set right in front of the tree. This, of course, was something that I noticed just right now as I walked by the tree itself.

The space between the four walkways were planted with bushes, which on closer inspection, grew berries on them. I'm not sure about the symbolic relevance of the berries, if they had any, but if I had to guess, it would probably have something to do with self-sustenance or independence.

This is bad. My amusement at such minor things wasted ten minutes of lunch time, I had only another fifteen minutes left. Thus, I hurried over to my spot, hoping that no one takes it, though highly unlikely because it's not the most popular spot for lunch. The bench was mostly for members of the track club to rest on.

After reaching the end of the south walkway, I arrived at my destination. A bench fit for four, but was seemingly reserved just for me under the shade of a tree that also felt just for me. There were other benches that I could use, but this was the only one that was under the shade of a fairly large tree.

Popping open my lunch box, I look at the contents. Just the usual standard lunch.

While taking in the scent of my completely ordinary lunch, I catch something moving at a high speed out of the corner of my eye. I look up to see a girl with short, black hair running at blistering speeds on the running track, which has seemingly gone molten from the sun's heat.

Although, unlike many things that I've seen lately, this girl was not a new sight. When I first found this perfect lunch spot, she was already running on that track. To this day, she has almost never missed a single day of running. I couldn't help but stare in awe at her dedication to running. It must feel good to have something you feel passionate about...

I also couldn't help but feel guilty that I was eating lunch while she was running like the wind. Come to think of it, I wonder when she eats.

Realizing that I only had roughly twelve minutes left in the lunch break, I quickly scarfed down my standard rice, fish, and sausage lunch while drinking vending machine apple juice. Though not very extravagant, the feeling of exclusiveness that comes with having your own bench under your own tree is luxurious in its own right.

Just as I was halfway done with my lunch, a figure casts a shadow over me and my lunch box. I thought it was the girl running on the track, but-

"Hey, mind if I sit here?"

"S-sure."

-It was the transfer student, the ethereal beauty, the oddity.

What's she doing here? How did she find this place on her first day here? W-wait, isn't this situation somewhat romantic? My once exclusive lunch spot being trespassed upon by the mysterious yet extraordinarily beautiful transfer student? D-does she even know I'm in her class?

To think that this seemingly other-worldly girl could be so close to me right now... N-now that I take a look at her, she's... more beautiful than I once thought. Her red hair reflects the sunlight in such an awe-inspiring way, her small pink lips which barely seem to contort into any obvious emotion, her eyes which were a darker shade of red than her hair but nonetheless hold a similar beauty and allure... Her voluptuous...

"I-is something wrong?" she asked.

"Huh? N-nothing! Nothing's wrong at all..."

Did she catch me staring? Crap, a girl like her is the last person I want thinking of me as a pervert.

"Is that so? I was afraid there was something wrong with my uniform. I actually just transferred here earlier today... Class Three-C, I think? Yeah, that was my class. Which class are you from?"

"Eh? We're in the same class..." I answered while looking down at my feet.

"Really? I'm so sorry... I haven't memorized the faces of my classmates yet..." she says with a dejected look on her face.

Her apology is making me feel guilty...

"It's alright. You just transferred here a few hours ago after all, there's no way you'd remember your classmates faces so fast. Besides, I sit faaaaar away from you." I spread my arms to emphasize the word "faaaaar".

"I guess you're right."

"Also, you left class during homeroom and didn't come back, right? It's natural you wouldn't get to know them if they didn't talk to you during lunch time."

"... I'm sorry for leaving class early. I just thought I was interrupting the lesson because everyone was staring at me and not the teacher..." I never thought her dark, almost obsidian-like eyes would be capable of a puppy dog-like look.

"It wasn't your fault! T-they were just confused at your sudden transfer and taken-aback by your beauty. Really, it's their fault for getting too carried away!" I crossed my arms while puffing out my chest.

"Pffft... haha... hahaha!"

Huh, did I say something funny?

"You're a pretty funny guy. Weren't you also staring though?" her comment makes my chest deflate.

"R-really?" I scratch my cheek in embarrassment as I look away from her.

A funny guy, huh? The last thing that I thought I'd be complimented for was my sense of humor, but nonetheless getting any form of compliment from a girl like her was enough to make my heart flutter like a prude maiden experiencing love for the first time.

"B-by the way, what brings you here? This place isn't the most popular lunch spot."

"Here? You mean here on this bench with you? Well, I just kinda got lost..." her thin pink lips curved into a bashful smile.

"Well, lunch is almost over, so how about we go back to the class together?"

"Actually... I think I'd rather stay here for a while. I'm afraid the class would get rowdy again if I came back..." she said while leaning back into the bench.

"... Are you thinking of skipping class?" I stared at her in slight confusion.

"Hmm... I guess you could say that, yeah. Ah, don't worry, I'll make sure no one sees me. You should go back to class on your own." she said as she stood up, brushing the bottom of her skirt with her hands as she did so.

"You said you got lost, right? So how about I show you around the school?"

"You're saying you wanna play hooky with me?" she grinned while placing her hands on her hips.

"If it's okay with you..."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you."

We walked side by side outside the "O" of the school buildings as to not get caught by any teachers or security. Though this was the first time I've ever skipped class and I'd probably get hell for this from my homeroom teacher, I couldn't resist the call to adventure. My days here are running low, right? Might as well create some new memories while I'm at it.

Since the amenities within the school buildings are a big no-no, I could only show her around the school track, the gym, and the school pool. Because it seemed to most interesting, we decided to take a stop at the pool.

Due to it being recently used by the swim club, the pool was still filled to the brim with water. We both sat at a bench by the poolside.

"Summer sure is hot this year..." I said while shielding my eyes from the sun's violently bright rays.

"I know, right? It's times like this when you really just want to go for a swim." she said while swinging her legs back and forth.

"Our uniform doesn't make good swimwear though..."

"Haha, I guess you're right... but this heat is just a little too much." she said as she undid her shoelaces before taking off her shoes and walking over to the edge of the pool barefoot.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a dip. My feet, at least." she sat at the side of the pool and dipped her feet into the water.

"Huh, quite free-spirited, aren't you?" the words slipped my mouth before I had time to hold them back.

"Whatever you say. But are you sure you don't wanna join in? The water's cold." she said as she kicked her legs back and forth in the water.

"I think I'd rather not..."

"Come on, you've already decided to skip class, why not enjoy yourself while you're at it?" she walked back over to the bench and pulled me to my feet.

"I'm starting to regret this just a little bit..." I said as she dragged me to the edge of the pool.

"You had your chance to back away, silly." she plopped back down and dipped her feet into the water.

"I guess you're right... Well, I don't like the feeling of dry socks on wet feet, but I guess my hands could use a little moisturizing." I said as I rolled up my right sleeve, crouched down, and dipped my right hand into the water.

"Refreshing, isn't it?" she said with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." I said as I dipped my left hand as well and swayed both of my hands back and forth.

As I was occupied with making ripples in the water with my hands, I felt a light touch on my back.

"Whoopsies." the girl who sat beside me pushed me into pool.

With both of my hands occupied, I had no way to stop myself from falling and ended up face-planting into the pool.

"*gasp* W-what's the big ide-"

"Cannonball!" she jumped straight into the pool without a running start, creating a loud splash as she dove into the water.

Though I was ready to yell at her, my anger was interrupted by her resurfacing with a loud chuckle. She was completely soaked through her clothes. Her soaked maroon hair looked like sticks of licorice, her uniform now contorted to the shape of her body, only accentuating her voluptuous figure. Her bra was visible through her soaked shirt... It was black, lacy, and racy...

Even with such a feast for the eyes before me, my eyes were drawn to her face, more specifically, the wide, innocent, childlike smile on her lily-white face. As her dark red eyes matched my gaze, I found myself unable to come up with anything to say. It was as if I was staring into the abyss, I just felt her pulling me closer.

"Hmm? What's wrong? Are you... mad?" she said while looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes.
I should be mad, but for some reason... with this girl, I just...

Before I could come up with anything to say, I heard footsteps approaching. Someone must've heard us. She seems to have noticed it as well as she quickly got out of the pool, took my hand, and pulled me over to the storage room across from the pool.

We quickly stepped inside of the room and shut the door. I grabbed a nearby pool brush and placed it in front of the door, effectively locking it. We both stood out of breath in the corner of the room.
The storage room was full of equipment and boxes, so we had nowhere to move and our bodies were very nearly pressing together.

"Is anybody here?" the voice of an older man crept through the gaps in the door. He was still quite far away from this room.

My gaze wanders from the locked door to the girl in front of me. Despite breathing heavily, she still smiled as she met my gaze.

"Quite the predicament we're in, huh?" she whispered.

"Y-yeah..." I answered nervously.

She was only a few inches shorter than me and a few inches away from me, so I could feel her heavy breath tickling my lips. I was also doing the same, but I felt a lot more uncomfortable about it than she seemingly did. Thus, I took a step back, only for me to bump into a stack of boxes behind me, causing the box on the very top to fall over onto my back, moving me closer towards her instead.

At this point, our bodies were already touching. Her chest was against mine, though she did not seem to mind in the slightest, instead reaching behind me and pushing the box on my back back into its place, which also pushes her voluptuous bosom further against my chest.

"T-thanks..."

"Can't have that box falling down, now can we?" she snickered.

Even with the box back in its place, she doesn't move back, our bodies were still touching. In fact, it feels like she's moved even closer. She's so close to me that I feel like it'd be a waste not to do anything. Her licorice-like hair which now smells of Chlorine, her shoulders which were still trembling from the cold, her small dark red lips, her seductive body only emphasized by her tight and see-through uniform which gave a full view of her black lingerie... They're all beckoning me.

"You like what you see?"

Her sudden and risque comment made my shoulders jolt up. This girl... just what is she?

"You were staring for quite a while..." she grinned mischievously.

"W-was not..." I quickly averted my gaze.

"Come on, don't lie." she pouted. "It's okay... I don't mind."

Is this girl serious? She doesn't mind? How much does she not mind? What is she implying I can do?

Moreover, how could she so nonchalantly say she's okay with this? I mean, even I'm feeling uncomfortable in this position.

"What the? Whose shoes are these?" the sudden voice of the older man on the other side of the door startles both of us, as we both flinched at the same time.

"C-crap... He's talking about my shoes. W-what should I do?" her gazes quickly shifts over to the door.

"W-well, we can't just walk outside of the storage room, drenched through our clothes like this..."

"What's gonna happen to my shoes...?" she solemnly looks down at her bare feet.

"I'm sure he'll turn it in to the lost and found, don't worry."

"Y-you think so?" she looks up at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I give her a nod.

After a while, it seems that the security guard had left. Without any worry of making a sound, we rearranged all the boxes and equipment to make more room. We ended up with a decently sized empty spot in the center of the room. We both sat on that spot, side by side. We managed to find a clean towel and used that to dry our bodies.

Even though the security guard had already left, I still found myself unable to say anything. I can't get over her provocative words.

"Today was pretty hectic for my first day." she chuckled.

"Same here... Ah, not the first day part. You know, this was probably the most fun I've had in a while..." I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

"Yeah, all of this made me forgot that I'm actually a student here who has to go to classes."

"This is the last time you and I are cutting classes. We're already seniors, you know?" I playfully scolded her.

"Aww, no fun..."

"By the way, what was it like in your old school?"

"Hmm? Well, it was... pretty normal, I guess. Nothing special."

"Huh... You know, I was actually a transfer student as well. I transferred here in my sophomore year." I straightened my legs and rested my back on a stack of boxes which were against a wall.

"Is that so? Could that be why you're doing all this for me?"

She's right... why am I doing all this? Is it really something as simple as her being a transfer student like I once was? No matter how hard I think about it, I can't come to any conclusions that seem right, yet none of them seem to be wrong either. I just... like being with her.

"I think I'm just in the middle of an early life crisis..."

"Early life crisis?" she giggled. "First time I've heard anyone say that."

"I-it's true... Lately I've been feeling like my entire three years in high school have been a complete waste... I guess I'm just looking for a bit of fulfillment..."

"So I'm just an object to fulfill your desires?" she pouted.

"That's such a suggestive way to put it... But no, you're just such an uninhibited person that I can't help but feel attracted to your... freedom, I guess. Your antics constantly keep me on my toes... It's just really fun. Maybe it isn't about a sense of fulfillment or anything, you're just a really fun person to be with." Despite my face feeling really hot, I still tried as hard as I could to look at her straight in her eyes.

Though she was always the one in control between us during the short time we've known each other, this is the first time she had ever seemed flustered. I'm starting to feel self-conscious about the words that just came out of my mouth.

"J-jeez, you're making me blush here... That's the first time anyone's ever said something like that to me... Well, since you seem so sincere, how about we hang out from time to time? Without skipping class, of course."

"R-really?" a giant smile began to form on my face.

She nods while flashing a gigawatt smile.

As she smiled, the bell signalling the end of school for the day had rung. We really spent four hours skipping class... Well, I guess with someone like her, time really does fly. Seriously, that girl, the transfer student, the other-worldly beauty... She's such an oddity.