Chapter edited by: itsmedavid

 

After that rather… embarrassing outburst, we walked together to school, soon to be reaching our classes.

 

But, it was strange. I expected to be bullied like usual, I passed by the same people that usually harassed me, but they simply ignored me, as if I didn't exist in the first place. 

 

'Is it because I'm with Aki?' I questioned myself.

 

However, as I was lost in the sea which were my thoughts, I bumped into a girl in the hallway, causing me and her to crash onto the floor, books and papers flying about. I sprawled back up in a frenzy, grabbing the books and papers that scattered about. 

 

"I'm-I'm-I'm sorry, I… I was zoned out. Sorry…" I quickly said, she rubbed her head and looked up, looking straight at me.

 

"Sigh… just… watch where you're go-" she paused in the middle of her sentence, then she turned to look at Aki who was standing somewhere behind me, her hand gripping the top of my head, pressuring me to look straight down.

 

"H-hey… Aki can y-" I said, interrupted by Aki in the middle of my sentence. 

 

"Hayato." She said in a chilling tone.

 

"Y-yes…?" I replied, not daring to look up.

 

"..." Nothing was said.

 

…

 

"Nothing…" she said, allowing me to put my head back up after a good minute of silence.

 

I slowly pulled my head back, watching Aki go to her class, elegantly walking down to her class. 

 

The girl stared at me, ever so slightly slack-jawed, still sitting on the floor. 

 

I could recognize who she was, after all, I used to see her almost daily, and we used to be friends as well. 

 

Calm and soothing blue eyes, as if they were made of the ocean itself; she had dark brown hair tied up in 2 braids falling down her shoulders, only accentuating her eyes further, milky white glowing skin, dark rimmed glasses, a long skirt and a prim and proper uniform.

 

Overall, she definitely looks like a bookworm but that certainly didn't mean she was a quiet person either.

 

"Oh, Hayato! It's you! I haven't seen you in months!" She sprung up, bombarding me with a flurry of words and enveloping me in a tight hug.

 

Her flowery scent attacked me, I could smell her shampoo infiltrating my nostrils. It had a very refreshing vanilla-like scent.

 

As she separated from me she spoke."Where have you been!?!? I've tried looking for you multiple times at lunch and messaging you on LINE but you never even checked!" She pouted, I didn't know that she really cared for me, but the fact that she did felt… nice. I felt a bit wanted, it made my day a bit better to be completely honest.

 

"I don't really check LINE…" I replied, not knowing what to add on next.

 

"Umu… Don't change the subject! It was only until a few months ago that you started completely ghosting me! And you never visited me either!" She roared. Glaring at me with an annoyed expression.

 

"Sorry…" Was all I could say. 

 

"Do you even remember me?" She asked.

 

"O-of course I do!" I really did remember, she was one of the people I used to talk to the most to be completely honest.

 

"Oh really? Then… What's my name?" She asked. 

 

'That was easy...'

 

"Fumiko… and Yoshi is your last name." (Hayato)

 

"Hmm, so you do remember my name! Alright, but, what's my… favorite animal?" (Fumiko)

 

"Cats… You love cats." My voice was steadily becoming more and more monotone without me realizing it. Her enthusiasm and aura was bright, almost too bright for me.

 

She wasn't "pretty" or anything but she was a great person, kind, energetic, and welcoming. I wasn't sure why she even talked to someone like me… 

 

Before she could reply, I was quickly reminded that I had class, and I needed to get there quickly.

 

"Uhh sorry, gotta go to class." I said, swiftly walking past her. She said something with a dejected face, but I was already too far away to listen. 

 

"Uwah… What happened to you… You used to be so… precious…" (Fumiko)

 

Walking into class, it was like the world flipped upside down today. 

 

Usually, I would be the center of attention, not the good kind either, if there even is a "good" kind of attention that is. 

 

Kicked in my seat during class, different objects secretly thrown at me, people purposely throwing my notebook onto the floor as they walked by.

 

Everything just felt… Foreign to me today. Everyone's acting like nothing ever happened, as if what they did to me, it just… didn't exist, it never happened. 

 

"Do you have something to share with the class Mr. Toriyaki?" Said my English teacher.

 

I stood there in a daze, still processing the situation. Even ignoring my teacher. 

 

She was baffled, as she never expected to be ignored, even though it was completely unintentional.

 

Snapping back to reality, I responded, stumbling over my words. "Oh, uh, I… No… Sorry." 

 

Walking back to my seat, nothing came out. No laugh from my classmates, no whispers. Nothing. 

 

My desk, clean. Devoid of any fresh traces of vandalism, only leaving the past scars intact. 

 

***

 

As class ended, everyone had already started talking, while I was still baffled. The entire class, I was too focused on processing the situation, rendering me unable to concentrate. 

 

The next teacher walked in, I decided to keep it in the back of my mind as much as possible, and concentrate.

 

***

 

End of another class, and it's lunch break. I walked out of class undisturbed. Heading to my usual spot. A spot just behind a few trees and plants near the soccer field. It was in quite an discreet area and it was usually overlooked, making it completely hidden. 

 

Sitting down on the lush, soft grass, I let my back rest on the tree trunk, not minding the little critters that may climb onto me. I closed my eyes, trying to rest as much as I could the entire break. 

 

A few minutes later, I could feel something lay on my lap. I was afraid to open my eyes, thinking it was an animal or something. Slowly opening my eyes, I found Aki resting her head on my lap, her eyes open with a smile on her face. 

 

"Hey…" she said, placing her soft hand on my cheek. 

 

I became more and more confused, as well as stiff as time passed, not knowing what to do in this situation. But eventually, I replied. 

 

"Yes…?" I awkwardly asked. 

 

"Fufu~ hehehe~ Why are you so flustered? Loosen up, I'm here for you." She said in an attempt to comfort me. 

 

I felt like a baby again, my self-confidence hitting a new low. 

 

"Get off me." I blurted out, understanding what I just said, I panicked, I didn't mean to make that sound so… Blunt. But, it seemed like Aki understood what I said in a much different way. 

 

Her eyes hollowed, merging into a single texture, just like last time. Her lifeless eyes and deadpan expression stared into my very soul. 

 

She got up, off of my lap and pinned my hands to the sides of the tree trunk, my hands scraping and cutting against the bark.

 

"I knew it. It was her wasn't it? Don't worry, you don't know yet, she's just fooling you, I'll cure you. I'll cure you for sure… I'll cure you… I'll definitely cure you. Then… Only then will you understand… Why our love is so special, so, so special. But first… Her scent." She said, setting herself on top of me, her legs on either side of mine and her body rubbing against mine.