[I am preparing a surprise for you guys, so I won't be able to hang out during lunch or after school for just a few days]

I told a blatant lie to Lena, asking her to relay the information to the other two when they come. I was actually preparing a surprise for these three starting tonight so what I told wasn't actually a lie. Lena had inquiring eyes but she didn't push me for anything and decided to simply believe in me. This kind of trust is not easily found between friends thus I needed to make sure that I actually pull off this made up surprise.

Earlier on my smartphone, I messaged Miss Mana that I would be willing to hang out with them in school but only on the rooftop. That's the place that my friends don't go to so I carefully asked for that location. It was weird for the one being blackmailed to issue a personal request but the other party was also not normal and just as I hoped she accepted my request.

I quickly made my way to the school's rooftop and noticed some students hanging around, having lunch, and making small talk. I scan the area to find my blackmailers and spot them sitting on the far left near the water tank. I make my way towards them as Rose excitedly waves her hands at me urging me to move quicker. The three were sitting on a mat embroidered with flowers and were sharing each other lunch boxes.

This so very normal scene of three high school girls was very not normal to me, it was surreal and my mind didn't know what to make of this. Though the scene is very normal, the parties involved in the scene were not. Ignoring the unease in my body, I greeted the three of them and sat down beside Miss Mana who had reserved an empty spot for me. She who was surprisingly thoughtful for a murderer made me feel even more uneasy.

I looked at their meal which was again just your normal lunch box, instead what was not normal was my keto lunchbox. Why do I have to feel like I'm the weird one here?

Seeing my box, they didn't make fun of me or snickered instead they just took some share of my food and gave some of their shares to me. I wasn't comfortable enough with them that I would tell them I don't like keto and would throw it out or give it to someone in exchange. Thus I endured and painstakingly ate the radishes and asparagus left in my box. Perhaps I didn't hide my disgust very properly as Miss Mana looked at me with concerned eyes

[Miss Mayuri, do you not like the food your house cooks?]

[N-no I like it, see I'm eating it and it's almost finished] I pick up the box to show her it's empty content.

[Well if you say so, but you shouldn't do something you don't like]

Her words hit my nerve but I didn't raise my voice and simply nodded in agreement. What gives her the right to lecture me like that? You are the one who's making me do something I don't like right this very moment! Such a hypocrite!

The lunch break continued and we talked about trivial stuff like clothes, makeup, and accessories. Rose who's surprisingly the only daughter of the Famous Fashion brand Company K had a lot of insight into anything related to fashion. Her talking so enthusiastically made it very clear what she wanted to do in the future, leading her family's fashion bread into further success. Thus it made me even more confused as to why is someone so prominent as her hanging with the like of Miss Mana. She could easily have her own followers if she wanted but instead, she chose to follow Miss Mana.

No, follow is the wrong word. From what I see, these two are not her followers or lackeys, these are her actual friends. Again I realize the thoughts going through my head, I was trying to not make wrong assumptions about a bunch of criminals. I really was the weird one here.

The bell rang, marking the end of recess and I made my way back to class. The three of them told me to go first as they were worried someone from class might see me with them. Why were they acting so considerably? Aren't they supposed to be bad? They are delinquents in school, and every student fears them but this new image of them forming in my head was nothing like what I expected.

They were criminals but also gentle, they killed someone but showed empathy like they are the final stage boss of being an empath. This was not good, my image of them changed every few seconds making me unsure of how to feel about them. This fog in my mind I am not a huge fan of this, but I push these thoughts to the back of my mind and enter my classroom.

...

The final bell rings and I make my way out of the school gate and towards the coaching center when suddenly a familiar looking shabby vehicle stops in front, the back window slides down revealing the smiling face of Miss Mana. Apparently, she was going to give me a ride to the coaching center, so she really was serious about picking up and dropping me off after school.

I make myself comfortable inside the car and notice that the other two weren't present. Perhaps sensing my puzzled expression, Miss Mana quickly replied [Those two also have coaching classes, they will be free in the evening, same as you]

Another statement that shattered my image of them. Now they also are diligent students who study properly, but what about Miss Mana? Doesn't she need to study? Curious for her response, I ask her this question as the car begins to move

Miss Mana looking out the window answers my query in a nonchalant manner.

[I don't like the oppressing air inside those institutions. I rather commit suicide than go those shitty places ever again, I can study just fine by myself]

Shock ran through my body as I realized her complaints were the same as mine about those coaching centers. I could also study perfectly fine by myself but I don't have the courage to tell my parents that I want to stop going to coaching. Their angry and disappointed faces I don't want to endure. In this matter, I was extremely weak but Miss Mana was the complete opposite of me, she actually had to courage to not do what she didn't want to. She did what she wanted.

After the initial talk, the inside of the car became silent, it seems like Miss Mana isn't one to talk or be social but I was not like that, even though she was my blackmailer.

[So Miss Mana, how are your grades?] I asked expecting her to get angry or ignore me

[Pretty average, not good but also not bad. I already know what I want to do and achieving that high score doesn't matter]

so she just studies enough to pass the tests, but she could become a topper if she wanted to, that's the kind of thing she implied. Thus the image of delinquents being dumb also shattered inside my brain.

I continue making small conversations with her but every single one breaks apart as soon as it starts. From my angel, it seemed like Miss Mana didn't want to talk to me at all, as all her replies would lead to an end. Not once did she answer in an open ended manner that allowed the conversation to move along.

Perhaps I was mistaken but I still blurt out my thoughts regretfully. 

[Is Miss Mana bad at talking?]

A dumb question, seriously silly question, what was I thinking calling my blackmailer dumb? Had I actually gone insane? Ready for my head to blow up into million pieces by the gun she keeps I close my eyes to accept the inevitable. Why did I think I was smart?

As I give my final prayers to Lena, Loreal and Mehak the car suddenly stops and Miss Mina instructs me to get out. Wait, she wasn't going to kill me but instead, leave me out in the middle of nowhere?

[What are doing with your eyes closed? Your coaching center is here, right?]

oh...I was just being dumb again.

Quickly I nod and leave the vehicle, making sure to give her my thanks.

[Meet me back here after it's over, then we go to pick up the other and finally some snacks]

Without waiting for my reply, the door is slammed close and the car begins to fade from my vision. So she has already laid out the entire plan for today, leaving me with no choice but to follow along.

...

The evening arrived and just as she had planned, we picked up the other two and soon sat around the table in a small restaurant. Considering Rose to be from a wealthy family and Miss Mana's family having enough influence that they could easily get these three out of jail, it was not wrong to assume that Miss Mina is also very rich, but what about Jasmine? do they eat here in consideration for her?

[Miss Jasmine, is your family also rich?] I asked in a very straightforward manner, cryptic words were my strong suite after all

[You could say that. I and Mana are cousins, she's the daughter of my father's sister, so we have been together since young, isn't that right?]

Miss Jasmine concluded my poking at Miss Mina's cheeks, who seems annoyed by her actions but doesn't do anything to stop them. So then why did they choose this small restaurant? was it for my sake? but I didn't want them to consider my feeling while doing their daily tasks. 

[Y'all didn't have to pick this restaurant for me...] I speak with a voice barely audible, but it was caught my Rose sitting beside me.

[You big silly!] with excessive force she slaps my back, causing me to throw a fit of cough as I drink water to ease the sudden burst of pain. This girl is surprisingly strong even though she looks like would break apart at the touch of a finger.

The other two don't say anything as if what just happened was a normal occurrence to them.

[We didn't pick this restaurant because of you silly, it's just that cheap restaurants are not stingy with their serving, and the food here also tastes great. It's our regular spot, so don't think of such self loathing stuff, k?]

I nod in agreement as the other two still didn't care about what was going on at the other side of the table.

The food came, which was just some simple chicken stuffed dumplings. As Rose told me, the food was surprisingly tasty for such a cheap price, it was almost a steal. I made a mental note to come to this place back with my friends. 

After the food finished, the three of them took out notebooks from their backpack and started doing their homework, I also quickly followed suit and started doing my work alongside them.

and just like that, a completely normal day passed. Even though today was normal my mind was still in a state of disarray. It would have been better if they bullied me, wreaked havoc around school, were a nuisance to everyone around, and just played around all day without a care in the world. Because if they did that I wouldn't have to decipher these complicated feelings.

Even though they were the so called delinquents, they behaved just like any other normal high school girl group. They ate food together at recess, talked to each other about meaningless stuff, did homework together, and laughed together. I might go so far as to say that I also had fun hanging out with them.

Maybe it was all an act in order to deceive me into thinking that they were normal, but if today was all acting then those three deserved an award even higher than Oscars for such an outstanding acting performance, also somewhere inside my heart I knew they were being actually genuine. 

Despite all that, one single fact still remains clear.

Miss Mana murdered someone, Rose and Jasmine assisted her.

If we just ignore that fact, those three were just like everyone else except for the weird rumors spread out about them in the school.

But the single fact was something too large to ignore.

Maybe they had their reasons for killing him? But is there even any reason for which murder is justified?

If I think about the kind of person that deserves vigilant justice then only a few types of people come to my mind. Then was that guy one of these types that I think deserves to die? I didn't know but I also didn't have the guts to just straight ask them about it.

At this time, the nonchalant face of Miss Mana formed in my mind as I closed my eyes to fall asleep.

I think I am envious of her strong will and guts. Besides being a murderer she's exactly the type of person I want to become, someone who's fearless and does what they want, never cries and doesn't think of what others might think of them. Maybe this image of Miss Mana will also shatter like the one that did before. After all, I have only known her for about a day.

In their normal world, I was the actual abnormal one. Suddenly a fire burns within me, a motivation I never knew existed made it's origins known to me. For once in my life, I was the abnormal anomaly in someone's normal world.  I wanted to see their normal world, what they considered to be normal. 

When was the last time I was this excited? Probably when I learned that Lena was in the same class as me.

Completely aware of my abnormality, I turn the lamp off and fall back into a deep slumber.