| Fan Fiction |
by biniBningPunkista
Yes, it was a very big space for a school, complete with everything, but it wasn’t something I would be enjoying unless it would be involving practicing guns and katana. The teenagers came in from different directions, chattering about all kind of things. About their being excited on the first day of school, their date last night, their vacation, the new shows on TV… it was endless. It gave me a head ache trying to listen to all their voices.
Why was I ever gifted with a very good hearing?
This was one of those days that I hated having a good ear, it meant I could hear anything within my 10 feet of radius. Not just buzzing sounds but very distinct clear words and sounds. I never considered it special when I was younger, but when my father found out I had the gift of hearing he started training me to add to my special skills. I was always trained blind folded. Not that my eyes where bad, it was perfect. My vision was 20-20, and I have a knack for spotting things out which are usually unnoticed, but father always said if you have a gift you have to work harder to make it greater.
I gazed once more to observe the school grounds trying to distract myself from the noise.
All of the students were milling into the school building. A few older looking students looked at the younger ones, which included me and Mao. I noticed a few boys glancing at Mao every now and then. Shinji also has suddenly disappeared which I was grateful for.
Amid all this observation, I was too preoccupied to notice a tall guy pass by, but then he stopped in front of us and gave a small smile. The guy didn’t look like a high school student at all, but he was wearing the uniform. I didn’t even return the smile or acknowledge his presence, I just stared at him.
“Both of you are first years right? You should come to the auditorium for the orientation of the new students. Here’s a map.” The tall guy reached out a paper to me and Mao; I took the piece of paper while I continued to look blankly at him.
“Arigatou. Thanks for the map.” Mao said as she bowed, obviously in awe.
“No problem, I’ll see you around then.” He smiled at Mao then nodded at me.
As soon as the boy was out of ear shot Mao started gushing at me. This was also one of those moments I detested so much. Why does she have to go on every little detail with me?
“Did you see that?!? Did you see that?!? He approached us! Us!!!! He’s hot. I swear he’s hot. He took notice of us Shinku! Maybe he thought we were kawaii!!! Us being considered as cute girls would be awesome, don’t you think so?” Mao squealed at me while clutching my arms.
“Do you mean he approached us and thought we were cute? Like what he’s doing right now?” I asked her with my arm stretched out pointing at the guy who just previously talked to us.
“Eh?” Mao’s head turned slowly to look towards the direction I was pointing at.
The tall guy stopped in front of a group of first year boys and smiled at them. Then talked for a while and gave them the same kind of paper he gave us. Mao’s face suddenly went down.
“I’m such a wuss Shinku. Here I thought he actually liked us… I guess he’s just some kind of a school representative or something.” She shrugged then grabbed my arm to go towards the auditorium.
“Wuss?” I asked loudly. Mao just shrugged her shoulders once more.
I had no idea what wuss meant.
I probably had this confused look on my face when a group of girls pushed us to the side, in a forceful way. My hand automatically formed ready to slap one of those girls who shoved me, when all of a sudden Shinji appeared before my sight. He stood straight in front of me, not minding that other students were looking curiously at him.
He shook his head, crossed his hands signaling for me to control my temper. This reminded me that I shouldn’t be engaging myself in violence especially to weaklings like them. So I let them push me aside, swallowing my urge to punch someone. Mao looked at me worriedly, probably thinking I would be kicking that girl’s ass some other time.
I rarely let anyone touch me, much more shove me around.
The group of girls was talking in a very annoying tone as they walked past me and Mao, there were five of them. The girl whose hair was dyed deep brown was the one who shoved me to the side. It infuriated me more when she looked back at my direction and smirked at me. As if she had just smelled something foul, and then I heard her mutter to her friends.
“Freshmen, they’re so clumsy they don’t know they’re in our way.” She said in that irritating tone.
Every one of them turned to look back at me and Mao except for the girl in the middle who had a long shiny black hair, she had a small frame but she stood straight, confidence airing out of her. Her complexion was pale and fairer than the girls beside her. There was something about her that made her seem the leader of the group of yapping girls. They only turned back to walk to their original direction when they noticed that the four of them was being left behind by the girl with the long shiny black hair. All of them hurried to follow her and started talking more about nonsense things.
Mao breathed a sigh of relief when the girls were finally gone.
“I swear I thought you were going to hit that girl.” Mao sighed once more.
“Shinji reminded me not to.” I said casually.
That’s when I noticed that there were fewer students by the school entrance.
“We’re being left behind. We should proceed to the auditorium for the orientation.” Mao said then pulled my arm as she ran towards the school building.
I had no choice but to run along with her, as much as I detest the school… I was curious enough to know what they do with orientations.
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Gurkhruck… Hurk… Curck…
The snoring of a big bald guy who was sitting at my side jolted me awake. The hideous sound made me sit upright on my chair in a jerky movement. I looked from left to right slightly disoriented and alarmed when I realized I wasn’t at home but in the auditorium.
I should have known that this was what orientation meant in high school. Blinking my eyes didn’t help the heavy feeling of my eyelids. My eyes were drooping voluntarily because the monotone voice from the principal’s speech was dulling my thoughts.
This was the very first time in my life that I had to listen to such a tedious speech. It was too long, pointless and very very conducive for sleeping. I started to rub my eyes to force myself to wake up when Mao gave me a bottle of water.
“Helps to keep you hydrated while listening, keeps you awake too.” She smiled at me then drank at her own bottle.
I wondered where she got the water while I was sleeping but I was too grateful to ask, so instead I downed the water in three large gulps.
“Are you really a girl?” Someone asked behind my back. I looked at whoever asked the stupid question.
It was one of those idiotic girls earlier. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her, trying to think if she was stupid enough to ask the question again. Then one of the girls chided in.
“How can a girl down that bottle of water in, like three gulps? She’s probably like in hana kimi… only it’s like, the other way around. A boy in a girl’s uniform.” She said loudly enough for her friends to hear, which made them snicker. Again, only one of them didn’t join in. The same girl earlier, she sat there in her place unperturbedly looking absolutely bored.
I slowly turned around trying to keep myself calm for the sake of these girls. My patience was slowly dwindling; there was this sudden need to punch something… anything to relieve my utmost irritation.
But as if the snickering wasn’t enough one of the girls started to call on me again, when I didn’t look they patted my shoulder which made me instinctively turn around and glare at them.
The girl with the brown hair raised her eyebrow and sneered at me before she spoke.
“So… what’s your name freshmen? You are a boy right? Tell us the truth. I swear we wouldn’t report you.” The girl said sweetly.
Mao squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, not knowing what to do. I inched to jump out of my seat to shove that girl’s face to the ground when the pale skinned girl suddenly stood up and caught me off guard. I thought she was going to say something to me but instead she walked away from her seat between me and the brown haired girl towards the aisle.
That’s when I noticed that the monotonous voice has suddenly stopped and everyone was looking at the pale skinned girl’s direction. From our direction, she continued to walk towards the stage up to the microphone.
Then she held the mike gently with her hand and smiled.
“Welcome to all the new students of Shuriken Academy. I am Kurori Aiko, the current president of the student’s council. The student council has a lot of plans for the new and old students for this year. May we enjoy our high school days and learn about life, friendship and love. Let us all support each other. Yoroshiku minna san. Please take care of us and we will take care of you.” Aiko said then bowed her head before all the students. It was a short speech, but everyone seemed to be listening to it.
Clap. Clap. Clap….
I don’t understand but everyone clapped after her speech which made me join them involuntarily. But I do have to hand it to Kurori Aiko, the girl sounded so well on stage. Both Mao and I looked at her in awe and even followed her with our gaze as she went back to her seat silently.
There were several more announcements after the Student Council President’s speech then we were all dismissed to go to our respective classrooms.
One thing I would probably never appreciate in high school is the class room.
My designated class was A-1, which was located in the 3rd floor of the building. Coincidentally Mao and I were in the same section. When I think of it, at least I don’t have to endure this class alone. When I looked at Mao’s direction she was happily seated in her assigned chair while talking with new found classmates.
I guess I have spoken too soon; I would be enduring this class alone.
Heaving a deep sigh, I walked towards my assigned seat. It was far away from Mao but was right beside the window, which I had no complains, at least it gave me a reason to look outside in favor for not feeling cramped in this small space.
The classroom was quickly filling with boys and girls my age, each finding their own seats, the only seat not being taken yet was the seat on my left, right beside me. This made things a lot easier, it gave me a good reason not to engage into conversations with people I am not even interested to know.
I looked outside the open window, letting the breeze cascade softly through my face when I heard something from below. Although I was located 3 floors above, I could hear the conversation distinctly.
“Aiko, why?” A tall guy asked.
The guy’s profile looked vaguely familiar.
“Just because… I’m tired of this Shun, of all this pretending. Let’s stop this act right here and right now, it’s already been a year and it’s not working. Let’s just stop.” Kurori Aiko said, with that same unmoving face she has. The girl doesn’t seem to have any emotion register on her face, it reminds me of me, when I look at my own reflection in the mirror.
“Is this what you want?” Shun asked her after a few moments of silence.
“This is what we both need.” Aiko responded.
So this is what they call high school drama… it was quite interesting as I looked at it in a distance. I watched them more carefully humoring myself with the scene before me, when suddenly the door opened and everyone stood up, making me the last one to move. I accidentally screeched my chair noisily and became the center of everyone’s attention.
All eyes were before me, when the teacher cleared her throat.
“Eherm!” The teacher coughed, clearly getting everybody’s attention.
All eyes turned back towards her.
“Ohayou gozaimas minna san, good morning and welcome to Class A-1. I am Akami Keiko your class adviser, I hope to learn and remember all of your names as quickly as possible. You may all take your seat.” Akami sensei said then motioned for us to take our seats before she wrote her name on the black board.
Sensei looked exquisitely beautiful in her own way. I rarely appreciate older women since I have been around men most of the time. This made me wonder if I could grow up as lovely as her since her movements seemed so refined for a woman.
Everyone took out their Math books and sensei began teaching the basics of algebra. Math was my least favorite subject of all, it never seized to make me frustrated when I start solving problems. When I checked out the lesson though, I have already learned all of this in my homeschooling.
Is this what I was supposed to learn in High school? Things that I already knew?
Immediately I felt smug and… bored. My question earlier about school came back to me. What’s the point of attending school when I already knew the things I should know; it was all a waste of effort in the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What’s this?” I asked Mao who was seating between two girls, one in pigtails and the other in glasses.
Their names still has not registered into my head when Mao introduced them to me earlier. They both stared at me with twin shocked expression on their faces, their mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“Ano… that’s a mashed potato and salad, Shinku.” Mao said carefully.
“They serve this kind of food here?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah.” All three of them answered.
“Is it edible?” I asked once more poking the food.
“Are you serious?” Girl glasses asked, her face holding that same expression.
“It’s color green.” I muttered in a disgusted tone.
“Then don’t eat it.” Mao said with laughter in her voice.
“She hasn’t seen a green mashed potato before?” Girl pigtail asked girl glasses in a whisper which I could clearly hear.
“You should just try the salad.” Girl glasses suggested.
I poked the greenish white salad and sampled a little. Vegetables was not one of my favorite things, my stomach was already grumbling that I had no choice but to eat it. My face contorted in disgust as I shoved the salad into my mouth. It tasted smooth and bland… there was too much cream in it. Sugary taste also remained in my tongue as an after taste.
I hate sweet stuff.
The three girls in front of me watched my reaction carefully.
“You don’t eat those kinds of stuff don’t you?” Girl pigtails asked the obvious.
“She really doesn’t.” Mao answered for me.
I pushed my tray towards them and shook my head.
“I can’t take this kind of food. You girls can have it.” I said then stood up from my seat, my stomach still grumbling.
“Where are you going?” Mao asked looking alarmed.
I gazed at her knowingly and shook my head. I wasn’t going to do anything stupid that lunch… I was just going to find real food.
“Don’t worry. I’ll just scout for food. See you girls later.” I said then stomped off from the cafeteria. It was the place I would never be stepping in again.
The school was pretty huge, but I noticed a couple of stalls right outside its gates earlier. Hopefully those stalls would be open by now. As soon as I got out of the gate I heard sizzling sounds from where I was standing, I immediately followed the sound and found a Takoyaki stand around the corner outside the school.
Kamisama still gave me food! God is really good.
I couldn’t wipe off the smile that has formed on my face as soon as I saw the stand, and then I sensed some presence by my side. It wasn’t Shinji, my hand instinctively formed defensively.
“You should smile like that more often. People would think you’re detached from yourself when you don’t smile.” A guy’s voice said.
It was Shun. The guy Mao and I met earlier at the school gates, and the same guy I was watching by the classroom. There was no one else in that area except for me, him, the vendor and Shinji who was now lurking behind the trees.
I just continued to look at Shun as he walked towards the vendor.
“Otori-Kun, the usual please.” Shun said brightly at the vendor whom he just called Otori.
“That your new friend?” He gestured to me.
“Yep, give her the same thing it’s in my tab.” He said.
“Go introduce yourself, I see a regular Takoyaki eater in you.” Shun said as both him and the vendor chuckled.
Was my face that obvious?
“Hajimemashite… I’m Minami Shinku, freshman student.” I bowed at Otori-san. Then my eyes lingered at the Takoyaki he was cooking.
“Nice meeting you Shi-chan. I could see you’re hungry. Not liking the cafeteria food then?” Otori-san chuckle once again.
Shi-chan? I was never given a nick name in my life because I hated it when my people call me anything other than Shinku. This was a first, it would have annoyed me greatly only if I wasn’t that hungry. Since my stomach was grumbling like thunder, I let Otori-san get away with the nickname for now.
“I detest it. Cafeteria experience was definitely awful.” I said, not taking my eyes off the Takoyaki.
Otori-san grinned widely as he fished the Takoyaki balls from his pan. My mouth watered immediately as he put it in a small paper plate and poured the sauce in it then reached it out to me. I grabbed it eagerly and took a bite.
“Itai!!!” I squealed like a girl. Both guys laughed at my clumsiness. I was too eager to take a bite that I have completely forgotten it was still hot.
“Your friend seems too excited for a Takoyaki.” Otori-san said as he grinned at Shun.
“I guess Shi-chan do like Takoyaki that much.” Shun nodded at my plate while waiting for his own.
I let the balls cool a bit before shoving it into my mouth. My eyes went round in amazement; I have never tasted such good Takoyaki in my district! Even Junichi can’t make something like this.
“Otori-san… I will let you call me Shi-chan for the rest of my life as long as you continue making me Takoyaki balls as good as this!” I shouted at Otori-san as I bowed several times.
“Shi-chan, call me Otori-kun. And I will let you have the best Takoyaki every day.” Otori-kun said with his thumbs up at me.
This made me grin involuntarily and eat more eagerly.
“Shun, I think I’m going to like your new friend.” Otori-kun nodded at Shun.
“I think I would too.” Shun smiled at Otori-kun then looked at me.
I was too engrossed with the food at my hand that I didn’t bother to look back at both of them.
School was starting to get exciting. Thank you for the Takoyaki Kamisama!!!
------------------To be continued------------------
Notes from the Author:
I could never eat a Takoyaki ball… because it’s made of squid. I don’t eat squid or any shell-fish foods for that matter. I only eat sea foods with scales and fins. So I could only imagine how it tastes like. We have something like a Takoyaki, but its main ingredient is flour and we call it Fish balls, Chicken balls or Squid balls depending on what it’s made of. I usually like sweet and sour sauce with my fish balls or chicken balls. (Now I’m suddenly craving for one) Btw… have you seen a green mashed potato before??? I haven’t! lolz..
Oh… and Shinku Love’s Spicy stuff (so unlike me who loves sweet food).
Hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you think about it…
I’ll also be posting a seating arrangement in the classroom and who occupies the seats one of these days.
^_^v till the next chapter then!