CHAPTER 37
Blue-Stripes
I’m still frozen, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. Akane Yuki, the new transfer student, just basically gave a public declaration of war against me. She didn’t care at all about what everyone else was thinking about her, only focusing her attention at me. She finally lets me go, and sits down at the empty seat in front of me, almost like that seat was prepared well in advance for her.
Why does she hate me? I’ve never met her before.
Even though our class was going on, Yuki-san scowls at me, ignoring the teacher’s lesson. She’s observing my every move, making sure I was aware of it.
Should I say something…?
I turn my head towards her.
“Hello. I-I hope we get along…” I quietly whisper.
She stays silent, her expression unchanged.
“That’s all?” she says, loud enough for a few students around us to turn their heads.
“W-What do you…?”
“Is that all you have to say to me?” she says, annoyed at my completely reasonable response.
What is it with this girl? What else was I supposed to say? I’ve only known you for like 20 minutes.
Maybe she was a bit odd, but could open up if I got to know her. I guess she was still stuck at that emo phase or something. In a strange way, Yuki-san reminded me a bit of how Mary was when I first met her. But dealing with Yuki-san was probably going to be much more difficult. I feel forced to continue our quiet conversation.
“Uh…that red ribbon you’re wearing, how’d you get it?”
Yuki-san had a red string shaped like a ribbon tied to her long black hair. It looked a bit worn and old, a stark contrast to her brand new Kasumigaseki High uniform. She quickly glances away from me, only to return back to her original position.
“Is that it?” she says, lingering on a quaint smile. “10,501 days and that’s all you ask?”
Seeing my discomfort, Yuki-san laughs loudly in class.
“Hey, transfer student! Keep quiet and pay attention!” shouted our teacher.
Yuki-san sighs, and stands up from her desk. She turns towards the exit.
“E-Eh? W-Where are you going?” asked our stunned teacher.
“I’m hungry. Besides, I’ve already heard this lecture 10,501 times.”
Before she leaves, she turns her attention back to me. She walks closer, until her face is directly in front of me. She was so close to me that I could feel her breathe.
“I almost forgot. I wanted to tell you something interesting Kazuki.” Yuki-san leans close to my ear.
Why does she keep calling me that?!?
I try to correct her, but she says something to me that makes me blank out for a whole minute.
“Mary is wearing blue-striped panties today.”
Yuki-san exits our classroom abruptly, slamming the sliding door shut. Our whole classroom is speechless.
Who is this girl?
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“Alright you kids! Start running laps or something.” shouted Dr. Mori apathetically.
Our usual P.E. teacher was out today, and so Dr. Mori was reluctantly put in charge. Dr. Mori didn’t want to get sunburn, so we were inside the large gym, where our volleyball matches were held. Though, it was getting a bit cramped in here, as it could barely contain all the second years. I’m sitting up here in the stands, watching the other students exercise.
“Are you feeling better?”
I open my eyes to see Mary looking down on me. Now I remember how I managed to get into this peculiar situation. I couldn’t stop thinking about the new transfer student, and so I didn’t notice my shoelaces were untied. As Dr. Mori forced us to run laps, I tripped, falling flat onto my face, and got a nosebleed as a result. Mary rushed back to my side, and so decided to let me rest my head on her lap. Daisuke tried to weasel his way out of P.E. at my expense as well, but Dr. Mori was having none of it today.
She’s probably hung-over again…
Mary always wore her red track suit over her school uniform. To save time and energy from changing, she just simply zipped up her track suit. I don’t think I have ever seen Mary without her red track suit actually. Even during the summer, I’ve always seen her wearing it in some shape or form.
If I pulled that off, would she die? Nah, it’ll probably be extremely painful though.
Usually during P.E. she would run with the other track team members, since she was the Roadrunner of Kasumigaseki High. I wasn’t sure if she actually enjoyed running, but it was basically associated with her a lot. I think my blunder was just an excuse for Mary to ditch them.
As I’m lying on Mary’s lap, I start to notice it isn’t as comfortable as I imagined it to be. Sure her legs were soft, but it wasn’t soft like a pillow. Mary’s slim and slightly tone legs were starting to hurt my head a bit actually. Of course, there was no way I was going to complain about this. But for the most part, I’m really happy right now. I wonder if she really did feel the same way as I did with her. Only one thing was in my mind though – panties.
She must be joking r-right?
Was the transfer student just teasing me? She kept saying about how she wants me to remember something, but what? I only had a weird nightmare where I saw Mary dying in my arms. But she was right in front of me, alive and well! Could it be possible she knows that I like Mary? I’m not sure if I told Daisuke yet either, so there’s no way anyone would know about my intentions.
“What’s wrong Kaz?”
Eep!
I stare into Mary’s blue eyes. They were a light blue, kinda like the ocean. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, since her expressionless face tells me nothing right now. It makes me feel somewhat at ease.
It was just a nightmare Kazuhira. She’s fine.
But I had to confirm whether or not Yuki-san was scheming something.
“Hey Mary…”
“Hmm?”
“Did you happen to talk to the new transfer student, Akane Yuki?”
Mary shakes her head.
“You haven’t met her before right?”
“Don’t think so. Why? Did she do something weird to you?”
Where would I even begin…?
Mary raises an eyebrow.
“Why are you asking me about her all of a sudden?”
“N-Nothing! Never mind. Just thought I saw you two together somewhere before.”
Mary sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
“Typical Kaz.” she smiles.
Speaking of the new transfer student, she definitely had an impact on me, based on the stark contrast between her appearance and attitude. Yuki-san looked elegant from first impressions, but you can’t always judge a book by its cover. Her single statement completely captivated me. I look off into the center of the gym, to see Yuki-san standing alone. It seems she had zero interest in interacting with anyone, and her vibe was definitely intimidating anyone who even dared come close to her, except one brave boy from Class 2-A.
“Hey, is that Daisuke with the transfer student?” Mary speaks up.
I stand up quickly, trying to get a better view of what was going on.
“I wonder what they’re talking about?” Mary ponders.
“Knowing Daisuke, he was probably trying to hit on her or something.” I sigh.
My knucklehead friend had a tendency to hit on girls whenever he could. Unfortunately, it was never successful. I remember one time he stayed up all night to compose poetry. Needless to say, his crush wasn’t a big fan.
“And…strike out.” Mary shakes her head.
Judging by Daisuke’s slouched posture, he was probably rejected immediately. Suddenly I notice Yuki-san’s piercing eyes staring straight at me. I immediately lie back down, trying my best to hide from her. It sends a chill down my spine, since she spotted me from quite a distance.
“Uh…is she saying something to you?” Mary points out to me.
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I reluctantly peek out, as I see Yuki-san making several motions with her hands. It seemed like she was trying to say something directed to me. She silently forms her words with her mouth. Somehow, I understood what she was saying.
“Did you see them?”
Maybe she did scream it across the gym. I wasn’t sure since her voice was low. She was probably just messing with me again. Her dominating personality was futile. I look back at Mary. It’d be impossible for me to see them. It’s impossible since Mary wasn’t wearing a skirt right now. Sure, maybe a gust of the wind could’ve blown it upwards, but she was wearing tight spats. Her tomboy personality personified that. No way was a tomboy like her going to wear a skirt.
She’s messing with you Kazuhira. Don’t let it get to you.
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I think I’ve lost her.
I breathe a sigh of relief once I realize I’m in the clear. Like earlier this morning, Akane Yuki was staring at me the entire duration of class. She didn’t even bother trying to pretend she was paying attention by pulling out her notebook or something. I’m sure my teacher wanted to reprimand her, but she technically wasn’t distracting the rest of the class. Just why was she so fixated on me? I can’t believe I’m getting intimidated by a complete stranger.
I’m not that big of a loser am I?
As soon as I heard the bell ring, I immediately dashed out, managing to slip by her through the crowd. I’m heading towards the old building, where Mary and I held our study sessions. That place was so old that barely anyone even knew it existed. I doubt the new transfer student had any idea where I am right now; I made sure no one saw me come here.
It’s too quiet today…
Since I dashed over here, I’m a bit earlier than normal. Usually Mary would be the first one to arrive, obviously because she was the Roadrunner.
I slide the door open, only to find out I was not alone.
“Eep! K-Kaz?!?”
“M-Mary?!”
I could see various pieces of clothing scattered all over the floor, all except her trademark red track suit, which was placed neatly on the table. Mary was in her only in her undergarments, exposing her subtle tan lines and toned body to my eyes. She stands frozen, as she was in the middle of taking off her spats. I immediately close the door, but it was too late.
“I-I didn’t s-see anything!” I shout through the door.
D-Did I…? Oh crap!
I can feel my face getting hotter, from a mix of excitement and embarrassment. I had accidentally just walked into Mary changing! She was changing out of her spats from earlier, and I stumbled in at the “right” time. She stood there frozen, her face slowly turning red like a strawberry. I only saw her for a split-second, but there was no mistaking it – Mary was wearing blue-striped panties.
W-Why is M-Mary?!
Finally it dawned on me – this was the first time I’ve ever showed up early to our study session. I was never the most athletic person, so it did take me a while to get here, since my class was all the way on the other side of school. Mary probably changed out of her sweaty clothes every time before our study sessions. She was probably going to kill me. I should say goodbye to even getting a chance to confess to her now.
“Are you going to take responsibility?”
I was so caught up with seeing Mary half-naked that I just realize Yuki-san was standing right next to me.
“H-How did you...?”
“Y’know, I never noticed how perky Mary was…” she grins while clutching her own bosom for some reason.
I’m trembling in fear; my legs were shaking quite a bit. I understood exactly what Yuki-san’s expression was conveying. I’ve never experienced a feeling like this, especially since it was solely directed at me – Hostility.
While I’m paralyzed, she places one hand on the wall behind me, and the other on my shoulder. She moves her lips close to my ear.
“They were blue-stripes right?” Yuki-san whispers.
I don’t know how she got this information, but she was correct. I’m actually starting to believe that she knew everything about me. My feelings towards Mary, how she knew where our study room was, she knew everything. I thought it was a cruel joke, but now I understood what it was. It was to imply that she knows me perfectly, how I was completely under her control. She really was out to destroy me.
“What do you want with me?”
Yuki-san backs off, a bit surprised at how I reacted.
“I told you. I want you to remember.”
“Remember what? How am I supposed to remember something if you won’t even tell me what it is?”
She frowns at me, not trying to hide how annoyed she was.
“Is that all you have to say to me?”
She shrugs her shoulders, and turns her back to me.
“Forget it. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Wait!”
I try to stop her from leaving.
She reluctantly turns around, still appearing irritated.
For some reason, I couldn’t shake this feeling I had. From that nightmare, I do recall seeing Yuki-san. But that was a dream wasn’t it?
“Could it be…Have I met you somewhere else?”
Yuki-san bites her lip. Hearing these words, she drops her frown.
“Yes, we were lovers in a previous life. One day out of the blue we were suddenly boyfriend and girlfriend! Oh what a day it was! I even dressed up in a maid outfit for you, my hero of justice!”
“What…?”
I’m in shock. I am completely at a loss of words from her response. Yuki-san relishes at my reasonably confused state. I honestly can’t tell if she’s being ironic or not given her sarcastic and dry tone. For the first time, I see what I believe to be a genuine smile from her.
“I’m joking.”
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Say something Kaz…
The new transfer student left me alone after our conversation. I’m guessing she got bored and went on home. After that whole incident, I went back inside the study room, making sure to knock before I entered this time. Now our awkward tension was multiplied ten-fold. Mary was sitting across from me, her face still a bit pink from what happened.
I should apologize.
“Mary, I’m sorry for walking in while you were changing. I should’ve knocked first before entering.”
Her head was kept low, as she rubs her Masked Avenger pin. Finally, she looks into my eyes.
“I-I’m sorry!”
Her words take me by surprise.
“W-What?”
Her face was turning bright red. I could almost seem steam exhumed from her body.
“I-I’m only going to say this one more time. I-I’m sorry about the whole thing!”
“But, it was my fault – wasn’t it?”
“Well…yeah.” she admits. “But it’s my fault too. You showing up early for the first time really caught me by surprise. I should probably be more careful next time.”
We both laugh for the first time together in a while.
“So wait, do you always change right before our study sessions?”
She nods.
“Why did you show up early today? It usually takes you forever to get here.” she pouts.
Do I tell her the truth? The last thing I wanted was Mary to get involved with Yuki-san; she just screamed “dangerous.” If Yuki-san knew so much about me, there’s a high chance she probably knew a lot about Mary as well. I still couldn’t figure out how she had that information, especially since Mary has never interacted with Yuki-san before.
“I just wanted to come a bit early, that’s all.”
I’m sorry for lying, but the last thing I want is Mary to get involved with some weirdo like that transfer student.
“I see…” Mary seemingly accepts my answer.
Now that the incident was over, we return back to our usual study session. I can’t really think to be honest, even though a test was coming up pretty soon.
It’s too quiet…
“Um…what did you get for this problem?” I broke the silence.
Mary stays silent.
“Mary…?” I ask once more.
“W-What? Uh…” she snaps out of her daze.
Mary gets off her seat and moves over to my shoulder.
“I-I got this, b-but I’m not sure if I’m right…” she shows me her work.
W-Whoa!
Mary was dangerously close to me right now. I can almost smell her body odor, as although sweat was usually pretty gross, it gave off a distinctly feminine scent. It was probably unintentional, but I didn’t expect her to act so bold considering what just happened.
“Kaz? You there?”
“U-Uh yeah. Thanks.” I try to play it off casually.
Mary moves back to her seat across from me. Now it’s silent again.
“Who were you talking to outside?” Mary speaks up. “You were pretty loud.”
“W-Who? Little ‘ol me?” I laugh anxiously. “I was just uh, talking to Daisuke, yeah.”
This is going bad!
I can’t tell what Mary was thinking. Why did she suddenly bring up the transfer student? Mary’s stern and determined expression only made me think she was suspicious of my ulterior motives – which I had none of course!
“What did you two talk about?” she asks.
Suddenly it felt as if I was getting interrogated for a crime I didn’t commit. I’m innocent, I swear!
“Oh y’know, he was asking about homework and such…”
“He asked you, even though he’s not in your class?” Mary wasn’t buying it.
“Y-Yes, y’know, I’m his partner in crime! Haha…”
“And yet he somehow managed to find you even though I know he leaves campus immediately afterschool to visit his sister?” she reveals.
Suddenly a chill runs down my spine. I’m so stupid! They’re in the same class, of course she’d see him go home.
Oh crap!
She stands up from her seat and heads over to me. Mary lightly punches my left shoulder.
“Ow!” I lightly rub it to ease the pain.
“I know your tell Kaz! C’mon, tell me what really happened.”
I sigh. Mary did know me best. I couldn’t help but feel a little weird that two women knew too much about me.
“It’s the new transfer student. She’s just really weird.”
Mary tries to remember who I’m talking about.
“You mean that girl we saw during P.E.? That pretty long black-haired girl with the icy glare?”
“Yep. That’s the one.”
“Is she messing with you Kaz? I’ll beat her up for ya!” Mary throws some light punches through the air. “You’re such a loser…”
The last thing I wanted was a fight between the Roadrunner and the transfer student.
“N-No no it’s not like that Mary.” I sigh. “It’s just that…she says I need to remember something. But I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Like she keeps calling me ‘Kazuki’ for some reason. I know Kazuhira and Kazuki sound kinda similar, but still! The least you can do is learn my actual name rather than something you think is convenient.” I pout.
“Is that so…?” Mary ponders in thought. “But you’ve never met her before right?” she asks.
It’s true I’ve never met her before. But, my nightmare was still fresh in my memory. I vividly remembered mostly every detail – and I definitely saw Akane Yuki in my dream.
“Don’t laugh, but I remember seeing her in my dream.”
Mary tries her best to suppress her laughter, but she lets out a single giggle.
“Hey!”
“I’m sorry. Go on.”
I explain to Mary my dream. I start with Mary showing her new Masked Avenger pin, our study session together, and then seeing Yuki-san on the train ride home.
“Wow. Sounds like a major case of déjà vu Kaz. Is that all?”
Do I tell her the last part?
I curl my fists. She would think I’m crazy if I told her what happened at the end of my dream. But, if it meant I could prevent it, I would do anything to save Mary.
I take a deep breath. “You die at the end of my dream. You get hit by a truck.”
Mary pauses for a second. Her blank expression leaves me concerned. She can tell I wasn’t joking around.
“I see.”
That’s weird…
I expected Mary to be animated, or at least react to hearing that. Instead, she stays silent, and turns her back to me. She looks out through the window, as the sun was beginning to set.
“I-It’s just a nightmare Mary, I’m sorry I said that.”
She tilts her head slightly towards me, as I can only see half her face. Her unfaltering expression is a stark contrast to her usual energetic personality.
“No, you’re right. You really do have a vivid imagination Kaz.” she softly smiles.
“Can I tell you something?”
“What is it?” I ask.
Mary turns around towards me. She starts to rub the Masked Avenger pin on her track suit.
“I get this warm feeling when I’m around you. You’re the only person I get this feeling from Kazuki. I can’t explain it really.” as she steps closer towards me.
My heart flutters. Hearing that immediately made me feel at ease. She was brash, annoying, and stubborn, yet deep down; she had a softer side that not many people knew about. She wasn’t just the Roadrunner of Kasumigaseki High, she was Mary Kaneko.
“Me too.” I smile.
Mary looks down at her feet, and swings her legs back and forth.
“I have something to tell you, but on one condition.”
“Hmm?”
“Please wait until tomorrow.” she smiles.
“Why?” I asked.
What prevented her from telling me this now? If it was so important, why didn’t she just tell me?
“Because, I’ll prove that you just had a bad nightmare Kaz. I promise you I’ll tell it tomorrow when I see you in class.”
“But tomorrow we have the day off?”
Mary quickly corrects herself. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I guess I’ll tell you next time I see you.”
“Wait!”
Just do it Kazuki.
I couldn’t wait til the next school day! I wanted to confess to her right now, maybe then she would tell me her secret immediately. But I suddenly felt this anxiety.
“W-Wanna go out? I know the new remake of the Masked Avenger is out in theaters. Would you like to see it with me?
I can feel my palms sweating, my heart racing.
“Sure!” Mary smiles. “Just promise me to forget about this? It’s not healthy to keep stressing out about this.”
I exhale deeply.
“I promise.”
I’ll see her tomorrow. I’ll confess to her tomorrow too.
“It’s a date then!” she smiles back.
It was probably just a really bad nightmare like she said. I did have a really vivid imagination as a kid. It was getting late, and so we leave the study room. I drop off Mary at her stop, and head towards the train station. As a precaution, I told her to go in the other direction, which she reluctantly followed. It didn’t matter though.
Mary was struck and killed by a truck.