I walked through the doors half expecting to be jumped on but nothing came. I stood there a little dumbfounded and peered around a little. I saw nothing so I shruged my shoulders and continued towards the classroom.

People were bustling around and doing what they usually did. Talking about any gossip they may had heard, what they did the night before, how they found the homework. It was all so standard, yet I really never had that. I filed it away in my ever growing cabinet of things that I needed to experience or things that intriguied me.

I found my way to the classroom and saw a few people around, not too many though, I sat down in my seat and stared out the window, withdrawing from the things around me.

I saw him come in, change shoes then go up the stairs. I hung back and waited until he had gone. Then I went to the locker he’d used. I had to think carefully which one it was but after two or three tries I found the right one. I recognized the shoes. I put the thing I was carrying in and shut the door.

He would find it lunchtime if he went outside or after school if he didn’t. Either way he’d find it, the plan couldn’t fail.

Bothered by how late it was I hung around as long as I dared so there would be a believable break in time between him entering class and me, then finally I couldn’t hang about any longer, my patience ran out and after an agonizing twenty seconds I had to go and bounced up the stairs grinning at everyone like Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat doing a toothpaste commercial.

I reached 1-A and pausing a little so the smoke from the melted corridor tiles would dissipate, slid the door open and went in.

I had in my head a half-baked fear about yesterday morning and whether someone from the party might say anything but deciding to worry about that when it became something worth worrying about I went in, smiling at a few people I knew.

“Ohayo!” … “Hi” … “Ohayo” … Nod here, nod there. Within a half-dozen paces my smile had spread from ear to ear because the thought that I did have people who were my friends and knew me was such a good one. Passing two of my friends who did needlework and who sat up the front by Sensei’s desk I turned down the last but one aisle and giving Takeo a beaming smile went past him and sat down, putting my bag down and getting out a ceramics design magazine and laying it on my desk. I didn’t look up but pretended to read it.

quote:

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"About the rain. I didn't bring it up to embarrass you. I didn't hear the full story but it didn't seem to be your fault at all. I'm thinking it wasn't anyone's fault, my guess is something impulsive happened and that's that. Hey, you covered her up. You did the right thing, so don't feel awkward about it. I was just a bit bothered about my mom seeing or you two catching a cold or something and your families having a go at me and mine. That's all. As it turned out no-one got sick and no mothers went on the rampage. Its over and that's that. Okay?"

---

Kashikoi-san talked a lot and got rather flustered it seemed to me. I’d already said it wasn’t her fault – and the person who’s fault it was I was beginning to think it wasn’t hers either – but she wouldn’t accept that and kept apologizing. When she’d finished I simply said, “I don’t mind, let’s forget it, really. Let’s just remember good stuff that happened, like the dancing, eh? And all the people we met.”

We finished our talk and since she’d sat down at her desk where I’d been sitting before, and since Fushida-san and Nagashima-san were now talking privately, I said a quick Later! to them and went to my desk.

I sat down and thought about my usual subject. My mind was there all the time these days. It was a good place to be.

BELL

DING-DONG! … DING-DONG! … DING-DONG!

The five-minute bell sounded. It was eight o'clock.

[EDIT: Click on the link! Click it!]

quote:

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“Shrine in Kyoto? What shrine?”

---

"Hmm?"

"..."

"Ohhh... that. No, I think you're referring to the shrine records. That one is in Kyoto. Find out about the shrine. Yeah."

quote:

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“Yuichi. It was nice. Quite interesting actually. I don’t usually listen to classical stuff so it was sort of an eye-opener. You like it?”

---

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"I guess. I mean, I'm sure I'll find a way to struggle through somehow. I still haven't done Friday's math homework. Needs to be in Wednesday. Did you open it?"

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"You'd better start on it as well or before you know it, I'll end up ranking higher than you."

---

We chatted for a bit. Harmless thing with no Shadows, which I found that I did very little with Icchan. Now, why would that be? I wondered, my thought mocking and wry.

Somehow we ended up talking about how well we knew people in the class like Na-chan and Sadoru-san and our sense of familiarity with them.

"You have a point..." I agreed with him, "Everyone was so...friendly, I suppose. It took me by surprise at first but given the circumstances, it makes sense, doesn't it? And then, I don't really see a problem with dropping the formality a little if the person asks. Do you mind it?"

He answered and then joked:

quote:

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"Don't suppose I can call you Mai-chan, ne?"

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"Nah, I don't mind it at all," I replied. "Actually, I only use such formalities for others' sake."

quote:

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"Only if you let me call you Elias-kun...it's so much more interesting than 'Icchan'."

---

AKURI-SENSEI



Upon the sound of the first bell, I put away the soduku page of the paper, dropping it in the rack and stood up, draining my coffee all in one movement.

“See you in fifteen minutes then,” I cheerily spoke to Benibara-Sensei as I left the room, whistling.

It had been a good weekend, I’d got a lot done. The Kyoto trip while not as fruitful as I’d hoped had delivered up a few interesting snippets. An e-mail last night from the Society had acknowledged receipt of my report from Tuesday. The appended comments were more than interesting since the number of double incidents indicated that while they were becoming more common they were not, in themselves apparently significant. A CC’d group discussion had followed and more than one voice had suggested that if three should spawn at once then we would have completely fresh data; it would be a unique situation.

As I walked the corridors to the place where it was happening again, where, regardless of the class designation, it had always happened, I found myself whistling and with a bounce in my step.

If we did get three, then I’d be in there, right in the front line, perhaps the first to witness what three might do together.

I was so happy as I made my way along the well-trodden pathways that even a few late-for-class children did not attract my wrath, which judging by their expressions was something of a shock to them.

I slid the door open with a crisp bang, and drew it closed behind me in similar fashion.

“Good morning class! I trust we all had a good weekend?” I asked having dropped my bag and books on the sensei’s desk and leaned my palms on it. Almost forty faces started back at me. Silently.

“Good, well you’re all clearly full of the joys of spring so we’ll try to rein in that exuberance of youth by getting you to all remember your names. Respond as I call you out…”

“Ameashi…”

“Hai.”

“Danji.”

“Hai.”

“Hasumi.”

. . .

“Hasumi…?”

. . .

(red ‘ex’)

“Hirata…”

“Hai!”

I worked my way down the register, skipping right past ‘Karinushi’ since I knew she wasn’t there.

AKURI SENSEI



. . .

"Shiokawa..."

"Hai."

"Takako...Not. Present..." I spoke carefully as I crossed out on the register without looking up. My eye checks the hosts now as soon as I come in, her absence had been noted within five seconds of my arrival.

"Takasumi."

"HAI!"

"Alright, keep your hair on, it's Monday morning, not Friday afternoon..."

cake girl... "Tanaka."

"Hai."

"And...Tsugara."

"Hai."

I closed the register with a snap and rested my elbows on the desk, looking around for a moment, meeting their eyes. Even though Albino Boy was always a good target and Carrot-Top seemed always willing to stick his lover-boy neck through any noose I cared to lay out, today I didn't feel like messing with them very much. The good vibe from the weekend still hung about.

I stood up.

"And speaking of Tsugara, we have our class reps to designate. I've been watching you all for a while now and I have selected two candidates that I think are sensible, intelligent and well balanced."

"Let me tell you, it was a long tough search. I thought I was going to have to do the job myself."

"So, the 1-A class reps for this semester are Tsugara Ren and Honda Kano. Congratulations," I said mirthlessly. "And your first duty, Tsugara, are these announcements."

I held out a sheet of paper.

TSUGARA REN



Steeling myself for some unwarranted sarcasm I went up to the sensei's desk and took the paper. I scanned it and cleared my throat.

"First of all, thank you for your votes." I looked round the class, winking when my head was turned away from our vicious sensei. "Your confidence in me is gratefully welcomed. I undertake to do my utmost to serve the class well and I believe Honda-san will also."

"Now. Announcements..."

I ran through a number of mundane things regarding school procedures, student council and some club activities. After a half-dozen trivial items I reached the bottom of the page... oh....

"Karinushi Fubi, due to an ongoing illness has been withdrawn from Izakaya by her family." I looked up and scanned the class, noticing the empty seat where the quiet girl I'd never even spoken with had once sat. Though not on the announcements I decided to add something of my own.

"Um, well I didn't know her very well, and she wasn't with us long... but perhaps we could have a collection for her? Send her a gift or some flowers, a get-well-soon gesture? Honda-san, would you be willing to organise that? You would? Thank you."

"Uh, and that is the last of today's announcements." Nodding to our sensei I returned to my seat, as I went by Tanaka I lifted my shoulders and eyebrows in a shrug, I've no idea why he picked me either!

AKURI SENSEI



"Good. Now, homeroom study period. Ten minutes. You may talk... quietly...!" Scowling around the room I got out some work and left them to it.

I jerked up... but only slightly. There's nothing to be gained by being jumpy around Captain Sadist.

Like the majority of the class, I turned to look at Karinushi's table. It was empty, a sight we all had gotten used to, but my glance there was only fleeting.

Through the corner of my eye, I watched Sadoru.

Icchan must have a great mind, since it was clearly thinking like mine.

After Ren-kun’s announcement I turned to find Icchan looking at me. I merely raised one eyebrow slowly. Realising that my Japanese Lit. homework could use a second opinion I got up and walked over towards him. I was lucky: Jun got up to go speak with someone else as I got near him, so I dropped down into the desk behind. I passed my homework forwards.

“Here, would you mind just running your eye over this for me? I think I covered everything in the critique but thought you might have some views on what we just heard.”

Post last edited by Saddletank on 06.24.2008, 12:11 PM.

I wanted to talk to him. I really, really did but something was gluing my mouth shut. I couldn't think of anything to say at all. I wanted to sound interesting to him, so he'd like me but I didn't know anything.

In the end in a strange reaction to being unable to talk to him, I talked to someone else. I leaned right forwards and poked a finger into the back of the boy in front of me.

"Psssst! Takeo, did you do the homework for next lesson?" It was a boring conversation but I needed to say something before I exploded.

I reached out for the paper and scanned through it. Nope, just homework. Neat handwriting, though.

"Literature's not my best subject, to be honest. But I think you should change these two points..."

I scribbled a line and showed it to him:

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We're sitting up front, lower the voice!

---

“Arigato – I never saw those, I’ll add that in. How come for a foreigner you knew that?” I corrected my homework with an additional note.

“Like that?”

I have 1 idea. Re:Sendo. I told Tanaka on Sat. nite. Grab her when Lit. ends. Will discuss on way to PE.

As I sat in my seat a few people came into class. Kazuo included.
I gave him a short glance, as he walked to his seat. In the purpose of my aim of leaving things behind for now and thinking about them another time, I subsequently looked in another direction.

The 5 minute bell rang. Time passed. Akuri sensei came in and gave us another 10 minutes of "study period."
I wasn't really sure what to do - I had already done everything - when I was approached by Natsuba.

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"Psssst! Takeo, did you do the homework for next lesson?"

---

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"Yes. Why? You need help?"

---

Erm… Errrmmm… Haha, oh… I froze and my smile went rigid and strained on my face. If I’d been a cartoon character I’d have had a big sweat drop on my temple. I suddenly found myself in the embarrassing position of having no idea at all why I’d asked that particular question. My rigid smile went more and more strained until it must have looked to him like my face would crack.



“No, no, I finished it. Finishing homework is good. I think…”

You… twit!

“I expect mine is shorter than yours though…”

As I realised how rude and stupid that last idiotic line sounded I wished for the ground to open and swallow me. Here it comes, the blushing… oh, sheesh…