[**NO SIGS!**] ISAKAYA HIGH SCHOOL – RPG ONLY, THREAD #2

NARRATOR:

DAY FIVE: MONDAY 9 APRIL 2007.

The students showered and changed and went back to homeroom for the next lesson – English - which passed unremarkably except that Tanaka returned late to the lesson and Takako was absent. After English the class went downstairs to the other wing to the science lab for a physics class, returning at the prompting of the lunch bell to find a lone figure in their homeroom: Takako had come back from the nurse’s station at some point during the physics class and was sat staring out the window.

It was lunch break…

I sat down at my desk and wondered about the morning. Then gave up, the incident outside the gym was just too strange. I’d probably wake up tomorrow morning and my sleeping subconscious would have rationalized it away into insignificance.

quote:

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“Nana korobi, ya oki.”

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Post last edited by Maho_Fushida on 09.17.2007, 06:53 PM.

I came in and sat heavily at my desk, dropping my bag to the floor. I still hadn't recovered from all the press-ups. I folded my arms on my desk and lay my head on them.

Ah, bliss: 35 or 40 minutes of doing nothing but rest.

I wasn't at all hungry. I turned my head and looked at the girl next to me. She seemed a million miles away in her thoughts. It had been a stressful morning for lots of us so I decided to leave her be and if she wanted to talk, she could do it in her own time.

I closed my eyes...

I sat by the window, looking out at the naked sakura trees, quietly humming a light melody to myself.

Do I regret coming here?

I walked in and stood awkwardly for a moment, wondering if anybody would turn up who I could speak to. After a few seconds, I remembered that I didn't actually have any friends, and so I went and sat down silently.

Looking around me, I felt the mood straight away: stressed and unnecessarily assertive. Choosing to take the middle ground, I said nothing and reached for my bag. Then I noticed that nobody else was eating, so I decided not to. I didn't want to bring attention to myself.

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I wasn't very tired, but napping after lunch was a habit for me.

Today though, I wasn't really in the mood to sleep, although if sleep decides to come, it'll be hard to ignore.

I pulled out my sandwiches and started munching. I didn't feel like moving over to Sadoru and Takako, and anyway, I thought it best to avoid them for the time being.

Tanaka though, was a different story.

I just couldn't get it out of my head, the way she talked so nicely, which means she's probably level-headed enough to actually listen properly. I hadn't meant for things to spiral so out of control, but I had to admit, I wasn't being the nicest guy on the planet.

That's just the problem, isn't it, I thought. You're just too honest, too direct to be a nice guy.

Still, I just had to settle things. It wasn't in my nature to allow businesss unfinished, and no way was I gonna make enemies when school had barely started.

I could barely notice anything around me as my brain racked for a solution...

Post last edited by Roarkiller on 09.14.2007, 12:02 PM.

The room was silent, everyone had drifted off into their personal worlds. Sadoru-san was really out of it, was he asleep? The girl with the shadow was gazing absently out of the window. She looked better now, if a little lonely over there. I watched her, and for a moment an uncharacteristic impulse to go and sit with her, and talk, came over me. It was quickly suppressed by my ingrained timidity however, and I sat down at my desk quietly. Yuichi-san still hadn't arrived. I decided I would wait for him. I was still cross with Sho-san.

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How do I know that she will be okay? She either was dissatified with my answer, didn't like me, or was testing me.

Attempting to give my most honest reply, I looked her in the eye and said,
"I say that because she is surrounded by friends - and she draws upon their strength."

Hoping that would suffice, I kept my gaze.

quote:

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"she is surrounded by friends - and she draws upon their strength."

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I was comfortable here, head on my arms, I could feel myself sliding away. I opened my eyes and looked again. I couldn’t help it. Something drew me to her. And it wasn’t anything to do with Shadows or her collapse in the gym or concerns about anything really. Not concerns about her well being in that way. Although of course I did want to know why she’d gone to the nurses’ office…

It’s to do with… what is it to do with? What is it about her? Eyes. It’s eyes isn’t it? And hair. That crazy fluffy hair. Which she said she'd brushed this morning because she was making a point, wasn't she? And not to do with hair either. And this ear. This one here: the right ear. It was about her right ear too. Look at the shape of it. And her nose, the curve of it, the small wide button end of it. And the way life goes into her lungs and out again. And her personality, the way she smiles, the way she acts and speaks and walks and laughs…

…and lives her life…

Baka.

It’s too soon. Too soon to get involved again. It’s only been a few weeks.

Baka.

Baka, baka, baka.

I reached down into my bag for my lunch. I didn’t feel much like eating it but I knew I had to eat something because if I didn’t I’d be starving this evening and overeat tonight. My hand rested on something round. I pulled it out.

A pear.

Well I guess that must be fate or something, to reach in at random and touch the one thing you said you’d give her.

I stood up, walked past her desk and lay the pear on it, then took another pace and leaned on the window bar and with my back to her looked down at the school gate. I rested my chin on my hand.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

[Note, I'm assuming that the row of desks by the window is not hard up against the wall but there is a walk-way wide space between them and the window itself - ditto for the row of desks closest to the wall that has the doors in. I can't think of any school anime show that doesn't have a desk layout like this].

I had just about enough of this girl. She obviously lacked any kind of compassion.

She asked 'What friends?'
Friends? Like you would have any...

Instead of answering her question, I snapped back,
"What is wrong with you?" My face had turned into a scowl.
"I'm just trying to make a conversation with you - and every chance you get you just take to grind me into the ground, even though I haven't even done anything wrong."

I looked in the opposite direction.
"And ask what friends? I bet she has a lot more than you, with the way you talk."
I ended at that, looking at the ground silently.

quote:

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"I'm just trying to make a conversation with you - and every chance you get you just take to grind me into the ground, even though I haven't even done anything wrong."

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Aware that she was behind me, I slowly turned around in my chair, and stood up.

"How much emotion have you shown me?" I said, calming down,
"And what's "quality over quantity" have any effect on you, when you have no friends at all?"

I could hear the lunch bell, but I was hesitating a bit, trying to finish my task discreetly. It had been so long since I had done this, and I still felt very lame doing it, but it was starting to take shape pretty well. The wings now looked very nice, and on the whole, it looked less like a bunch of folded paper, and more like what it was supposed to, and my hard work had certainly paid off. I sure I hope I won't be laughed at..., I muttered to myself in my head. Hearing the rustle of students rushing through the corridor around me, I stuffed my completed project into my backpack gingerly, and then headed towards the classroom.

Lunchtime.....the memory of my library request came rushing back to me and I remembered the curious and mysterious book in the cabinet. I also remembered asking Mai-san to come along...for a brief second I wondered if she had forgotten. "Nah,"I told myself, "She's probably waiting in homeroom now." So I headed towards our classroom and peeked in. It was hard to get a good glimpse of the entire classroom that way......so I opened the door and walked inside. On the whole, it seemed a whole lot quieter than the day before. I noticed Kazuo-san seated by himself, so I decided to head over to him.

"Hi again", I said, "Have you seen Ma-....er...Tanaka-san around?"

I noticed he wasn't eating his lunch. Did he have something to do during lunch as well?

Post last edited by Theowne on 09.14.2007, 05:57 PM.

quote:

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"And what's "quality over quantity" have any effect on you, when you have no friends at all?"

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I sat at my desk and looked around. The room was becoming quite busy. I was hungry so I got my lunch out. Then I found Tanaka-san’s lemon cake that I’d stashed away this morning.

It was wrapped in a tissue and was flat.

Oh, hm, what a shame.

I broke a piece off and tasted it. Very nice, but sadly inedible now. I broke off another small piece.

Then a wicked playful thought went through me. I glanced behind me. Hibiki-san was there. He looked up probably at my movement. I raised a finger to my lips: “Sshhh…”, then I looked back around the room and quickly flicked the piece of cake towards the front of the class. It plopped right in front of Icchan on his desk. I quickly broke off another piece and threw that at Sho.

Oh, yes! It bounced off his head and fell on the desk between him and the girl he was talking with.

I put the squashed cake down on my lap and picked up a book and buried my face in it.

[edit: I checked the class plan, arren18 is the only player beside or behind me to see who threw the cake]

Post last edited by ..Ayami.. on 09.22.2007, 05:58 PM.

I frowned at him, waiting for his reaction. I kept the same quizzical hard look on my face but my expression dropped when a piece of cake with yellow icing on it flew out of his head and fell with a tiny plip! noise on the desk in front of me.

I stared at it.

Now that's a clever trick.

The lunch bell rang and returning to homeroom, I sank down into my now familiar seat. I tried munching on the lunch I'd packed myself but I didn't have much of an appetite. Resting my chin in my hand, I turned to my left and stared absently at Yuichi-san's empty desk. I wonder where he is...

The hectic morning had made me a little listless and it seemed the rest of the class too. Everyone in the room was quite, minding their own business, which is partly why I saw Yuichi-san as soon as he popped his head through the door.

Seeing him made me feel...what's the word for it? Light! Yes, so very light and carefree. I found myself thinking, Don't look too happy...not too happy...just a little? as I made my way up the aisle. But either way, when I had reached him, I found I had gushed out, "Yuichi! I was waiting for you," before realizing that he was in the middle of a conversation with Kazuo-san. I wondered when that had happened as I turned my attention to him and said, "Ah, sorry for interrupting Kazuo-san. Oh right, I don't think I've properly introduced myself. I'm Mai Tanaka and it's nice to meet you!"

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I had no sooner asked Kazuo-san about Mai when she herself came up suddenly right beside us. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed! I gave Kazuo-san an awkward, "guess that answers my question..." sort of look. I also felt an odd wave of relief that my paranoid worry was unfounded, but I gave some effort to not letting it show. I could not keep the smile off my face, however.

quote:

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"Yuichi! I was waiting for you,"

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Nani....? I felt the back of my head, then looked back, but all I saw were students at their seats and Tanaka-san talking with a couple of boys.

Facing Maho-san again, she had a strange look on her face, as if the piece of cake was radioactive.

I said, "I'll pretend that didn't happen. Why are you interested in talking about me? And YOU keep coming up with these rude phrases. You really have social problems.
My contempt and annoyance was starting to show again.


[I'm aware you're next to me. Earlier, I turned to my left, looking at the ground, now I pivoted 180 degrees and stood up, so yes, the desk is between us.]