Leaning on my desk, as I started contemplating while staring at the white beard of our history teacher.

First, I need to figure out what’s happening to me why I have been acting weird these days, or specifically yesterday. It felt like someone possessed my body and took over.

What’s the cause?

Is there some sort of trigger?

I remember my actions yesterday, clear as daylight.

Remembering Naoki’s odd behaviors yesterday, but when Naoki smiled at me that time, all the things that I have spoken nor heard vanished in my head completely. Yet, I restored one thing which this one phrase from Nao-san.

‘Naoki is the same as you.’

I then took a quick glance at Naoki. Upon noticing my glance at her, she glances back and smiled at me.

The smile that she was giving me today differed from what I remember yesterday, even with that she’s still giving me a gentle smile. However, the one she gave me yesterday was a thousand times gentler. That thought of mine was the only thing in my mind all this time.

I felt like the way she was smiling at me that there’s this slimmer of fear or anxiety behind her smiles.

A fear of me disappearing?

That’s the feeling that I’m getting from Naoki every time she would smile at me.

Unanswered questions started pouring out of my feeble mind, such as my past with Yuki and Naoki, and our actual relationship. Whenever I’m with them, there were some actions that just came out of me unconsciously, like my brain knew what to do.

Maybe because we are childhood friends? Even the childhood friend part, I haven’t confirmed that part to them yet. However, that’s the only plausible conclusion that makes sense to me.

Now to the next part, the unusual turn of events with my sister and parents. I know that they’re a worrywart; however, it’s too odd that my father will go into another country after I’ve entered high school. In such a way, that made it look like they deliberately agreed for me to into high school and planned all this stuff since the beginning.

The thing about my father’s job remains unknown. I’ve got a feeling that this so-called trip to another country was for his work. Even my mother’s job is unknown to me, I don’t even know what kind of job she had before retirement.

I’ve had these thoughts since last year, I even tried asking them about it and the only reply they gave me was ‘That’s not an important matter, what’s important was your recovery.’.

Am I overthinking things?

Or they’re all correlated to each other?

I just hope I’m overthinking things. I don’t want to escalate some stuff unintentionally.

“—kita-san!”, Yamada-sensei yelled.

Yamada-sensei was the name of the old man standing in front of our class teaching history.

My body jolted from Yamada-sensei’s calling, “Yes!”, I said.

“Are you even listening? I know you are smart but please listen to our lessons.”

“Yes.”, I answered.

Then I heard some giggles from my classmates.

“Okita-san, I know that learning history is boring, but that doesn’t exclude smart people like you from learning it. It may be not that helpful in your future jobs. However, learning the history of our country’s foundation is still beneficial to our economy as it constantly reminds us what happened on our ups and downs throughout all those years. Basically, learning from our mistakes and think of a way how to improve it or avoid the mistakes from happening again.”

“Yes.”, I answered.

“Good.”, Yamada-sensei said.

He then continued with his lesson.

I sat straight and listened to the lesson even though I’m bored...

Then the first period ended. “All right, that’s all for today. Goodbye then.”

After bidding farewell to us, someone tapped on my shoulder once again.

Turning my head toward Arima, “What?”

“You’re in a daze earlier, don’t tell me you started fantasizing about Arita-sensei?”, Arima said with a stupid smirk on his face.

“Huh. Oh, it’s nothing.”, I replied with an indifferent face.

“Whoa, what the... You okay...? Are you that worried about getting called out?”, Arima said in bewilderment.

“Eh...? That’s not it. I’m just thinking of other things.”

“If you say so...”, Arima said while looking doubtful.

After our small conversation, our next teacher for the 2nd period came.

✯ ✯ ✯

Our 4th period ended, and it’s now lunch period.

“Oh, thank god, it’s now lunchtime. After this, we’ll be our PE, Okita. Aren’t you excited?”, Arima said at my back.

“Yeah, yeah.”, I answered.

“What’s with the lackluster response?”, Arima asked.

“I just feel sleepy, to be honest.”, I said.

“Do you want to go to the infirmary?”, Naoki asked.

“Nah, I’m good. Let’s go.”, I stood up from my chair. Naoki and Arima did the same, however, Yokota didn’t.

When I noticed that, I called out to her, “Yokota, are you not going to join with us?”

She gradually looks at me, then she said, “Oh yeah, sorry about that.”

Yokota finally stood and went with us.

Upon reaching the classroom door, we saw a silvery blonde hair female waving at us with a smile—It’s Yuki. Seeing her, I can’t comprehend how she got here so quickly.

“Yuki.”, Naoki called out to her while waving back.

“Hey~ Nao~”, Yuki responded.

With Naoki and Yuki’s interaction with each other, we’re once again the center of attention once again. Naoki and Yuki’s appearances are so top notch that I’m not the only one getting envy and jealousy. Even the two of them were getting one from other girls.

I would be also jealous of them because of how natural their appearance or beauty. At the start of high school, high school girls started using makeup for them to have this boost of self-confidence. It states in an article about the psychological minds of a high schooler. I don’t know how accurate that is, but maybe that’s one factor of it.

Even the nurse’s back at the hospital use them. I don’t really get the concept of makeup since my mom and sister don’t even have that much makeup, only lip tint.

I think... I’m not sure... I have no clue, neither do I care about it anyway.

Just looking at the two, I feel proud for some reason.

Then Yuki approached me. She stares into my eyes. I was looking at her dumbfounding, trying to figure why she’s looking at me like that. So, I asked her, “What is it, Yuki?”

“Hm...”, Yuki’s face frowned, she asked, “You’ll be going to your gym class later, right?”

“Yeah.”, I answered.

“Let me try something.”, Yuki said.

“Huh? What are you trying to do?”, I asked.

“Just stare into my eyes, all right?”, Yuki said with an assuring smile.

After she said that, she immediately put her right hand swept half of the hair that was blocking my eyes. With her sudden action, my eyes widen, it left me stunned by that. Others could see half of my face, however, I don’t know their reactions, as I was only staring into Yuki’s immensely beautiful amethyst eyes.

Every second pass by...

But, I didn’t feel a thing, such as anxiety or nervousness. Despite knowing that I’m being seen by many students as we’re outside of the classroom standing in the hallway where many students could be seen passing by to buy their own food in the cafeteria, or just finding a spot to eat their lunch peacefully. I felt calm.

Meanwhile, Yuki was staring into mine while analyzing something.

She finally let go of my face and let my hair naturally come back to its original position. It left me speechless.

“Hm... Let’s go?”, Yuki said, which interrupted my dazing state.

“What’s that for?”, I frowned.

“Just testing things.”, Yuki smiled.

“Haa...”, I let out an exhausted sigh.

I then lift my arms and flicked Yuki’s forehead, to which she cries out, “Awww!”

“Don’t do that again.”, I sternly said.

“Yeah, yeah.”, Yuki replied with teary eyes.

I then glanced around me and saw Naoki and Arima looking at us speechless, while Yokota was only looking with an indifferent face. After that, I took a quick glance on my left side where most of the people who were likely to have seen my face.

With a thought of mind at how people reacted to my face whenever they see it, I’m sure they’re looking at me with stunned expressions all over their faces. I finally glanced at them, color me surprised. They’re all looking at me with the same expression that I expected them to have.

Stunned face all over them with wide eyes while looking at me neither the gender. Although, some girls have this exaggerated stunned expression where their mouths are wide open. I cringed upon seeing them acting like that.

I sighed inwardly, and said, “Let’s just go.”

I called the three.

Arima and Naoki finally snapped out of their daze. Arima responded, “Ah, yeah.”

However, Naoki frowned and went to Yuki, “What did you do that?!”, Naoki frowned upon.

“Hey shhh...”, Yuki said then she whispered something to Naoki.

After Yuki’s whispering, Naoki finally calmed down and looked at me with worry in her eyes.

“O-Okay...”, Naoki said to Yuki.

I tilted my head in confusion while looking at them.

“Let’s go.”, Yuki said and started walking with Naoki.

Yokota followed and walked beside Naoki.

With that, Arima and I followed suit, though Arima was looking at me, confused.

Leaving the stunned crowds behind, we started walking in the opposite direction. After a few seconds, we could hear some shrieks from the area where we left. When I heard that, a chill slithered down my spine, which made me shiver.

Arima finally spoke, “Rest in peace, Okita.”

“Oi, where did that come from.”, I said, frightened.

“I didn’t expect that your girl would invite more girls to be in your harem. How lucky are ya, bastard?”, Arima said.

“Shut up.”, I said.

“I would love to know why she did that too, but I’m sure that she wouldn’t just give me the answer.”, I added.

“Huh? What are you saying?”, Arima asked.

Yuki hasn’t been telling me everything. Even with our little talk earlier, she hasn’t been honest with me. I know that she’s a calculative and cunning person.

First, she lied to me about where she blackmailed the principal because of the corruption that is going on here. That’s totally not true. Yuki probably doesn’t give a single shit about the corruption, anyway. I’m sure about that. She just probably made that excuse to confuse me.

Second, about the guy’s arm. I’ve got a feeling that she deliberately did that to assert dominance and to establish an image of her she has the power to fight back even though she’s the princess of a well-known family. If that’s what she’s thinking then I agree with that method, as we normal commoners have this clear image of a princess where they’re just powerless with no knight beside her.

Third, her actions earlier. I can’t fathom why she did that. Like, she’s trying to get or figure out something. I really can’t get a read from her.

With our little talk earlier, I know that behavior of her at the backseat car was genuine and part of her true self. However, there’s this thick facade that it’s hard to get rid of. Plus, thinking about what Yuki did yesterday. I don’t even know if she really did a slip-up because of selfishness, or is it deliberate?

I still find her actions earlier from the backseat of the car adorable.

What a mysterious girl I have gotten.

“Nothing.”, I replied to Arima with a wry smile on my face.

“All right then, pretty boy.”, Arima shrugged.

“Oi, don’t call me that.”, I frowned.

“Just get used to it, pretty boy”, Arima smirked.

“I don't like it.”, I sternly said.

Arima laughed his ass off, “Hahahahaha.”