On the Outskirts of Minazuki

Part 2

"Uguuuu...."

In the end, I mostly spent the first period behind the toilet stall. The rebound from overeating earlier had taken its toll on me. I really didn't understand why we'd end up late; time sure flew fast while we're doing stuff together.

Still, her appetite today was incredible, even in comparison to her usual gluttonous behavior. She's like a human gorilla which was even more of a headache since her physique was still athletic regardless. I even started to think her chest might be a mass-compressed array of fat; when you land a fatal punch, it'd be like a nuclear explosion of grease.

"Don't be held back by common sense too much, Ko-chan," she replied such when asked about her bottomless pit of a stomach. Plus, how she didn't seem to get any backlash like my toilet imprisonment.

It kinda bothered me a lot during my time in the toilet, I couldn't hold back my impulse to ask away right after I got back. Still, what's with that answer? Even though we're best buddies how the heck am I supposed to get it? I hadn't been able to understand some of her quirks even from way back too.

Glancing at the clock, I missed the entire first period. While I waited for the next lesson to begin and clutching against my desk to alleviate the pain, I remembered something about this school. While it took around one hour to go back and forth, could be longer depending on the situation—you might wonder if being a student of this school was a bother, especially if Minazuki had its own middle school, but well, listen to me for a bit.

Xxx

I studied at Minazuki from kindergarten. It was quite a pleasant time, even if sometimes the classroom weren't all that tidy, along with several bad kids around—the troublesome ones tend to be the kids of the train station's staff. I was often a target of their pranks since I was a small, frail-looking girl way back. Just my appearance though, I was a healthy young girl who loves running around nature. My athletic abilities were just average though.

At times, their pranks got to the point I was so irritated I end up chasing them all the way and they always seem able to run off. To be said, it wasn't that bad. There's a lot of laughs to be said, along with silly memories; some of them made me cringe.

The majority of them treated me well: my classmates, my teachers, and even my classmates' parents sometimes talk to me while I passed them, which I return with a bit of a small talk and a show of courtesy. It's quite a normal school life, yet those days gave my heart a hollow feeling and after a while, it started to hurt.

I didn't realize all that well back then; I just tried my best to just brush off all the pain and telling them I'm okay by forcing out a smile.

During that time, in all honesty, I didn't really have someone I could call a friend in the truest sense. The kids were nice to me but I knew, they only act all friendly to me since they were told to be nice to everyone. Even so, I didn't feel any warmth from that 'friendship', from way back, it seems rather superficial to me. It's like they were forcing the idea that you have to get along with everyone to be a part of the 'family'.

I didn't really understand their train of thought, maybe they think I was also an oddball. Well, it's true we're still kids but it's like the family I was born and raised in were different than the majority. Both my parents were eccentric artists; their sense of values taught to me was a lot different than the majority. I love my parents since they were unique individuals and I felt the warmth which I couldn't get anywhere else.

In the end, it took its toll on me by the time I entered the grade school.

There was a faint breeze whizzing by; my body slumped down at the park. I hung my head down while repeatedly sighing. It's like these days would be even more meaningless.

The days filled with drudgery continued on until I was a Fourth-grader. At the beginning of the term, there's a transfer student with a tall stature with hair cut short like a boy. In my heart 'he'looks just like a scared boy. It's the first time I witnessed someone in this school acting cold to everyone. 'He' introduced 'himself' in front of the class with no regards to whoever present.

"I'm Kitahara."

It was a short introduction; the class went all silent instead of the usual 'pretend' claps from the previous introductions. 'He' sat on the empty seat on the back row, right beside the window. My seat was coincidentally located to 'his' right. 'His' scary glare seems to pierce my soul, causing shivers to run all over me, cold sweat seems to pour out along the way.

"Don't mess with me, weirdo, or I'll kill you."

That was the first words Shii-chan told me when we first met. When I jokingly told her again, she pretended like she forgot 'bout it.

"Wasn't it, if you mess with me, I will kiss you?"

It's kind of hard to believe, in just a few months after that meeting, me and her were often teased like we're a pair of husband-and-wife. At least that's how it was before she started to grow her hair while we're entering middle school. It's also quite strange how different she was, compared to the time we first met.

She's looked exactly like a boy back then and a good looking one on top of that, many girls seem to swoon over her when she first appeared.

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It's also a while later before I knew she's actually a girl.

I probably had two reasons why I wanted to study at Hirameki. First of all, it's because Shii-chan wanted to continue her studies at an All-girls school. There's none of those in Minazuki. Second, I wish to stay away from the bad kids—I had enough of their childish antics. After I became friends with Shii-chan, I couldn't bear to be alone without her. If she goes, I'd do my best to follow.

My early encounters with Shii-chan made me realize, both of us were basically loners and Shii-chan often caused trouble in her previous school and her parents moved around a lot due to work. Her Dad already retired from his military work and wish to spend his retirement days in this town, with a good view of nature and its living cost were quite economic.

I heard from her later on, her Dad was really angry since she starts causing troubles in this school. Though, it didn't go on for long: her ice-cold demeanor and tendency to cause troubles melted away rather fast.

It was all due to this unexpected encounter, on the outskirts of Minazuki.

Xxx

The sunlight was at its peak during the afternoon lessons. The seemingly spotless floors and neatly organized seats, along with the students generally behaving themselves. From the window, as my seat's also near it, the beautiful view of the school gardens came to sight. It gave me a tranquil sensation like it's detached from the rapid currents of the metropolitan city. Out of the corner of my sight, I thought I saw a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Looking at it warmed my heart somehow.

From far away, it seems I heard the sound of trains passing by. While it's true my school were near it, the distance was so far—it must be my imagination. In-between the mostly silent-class, aside from the teacher speaking, the students intently listened on the lessons, although there are some bits and pieces of small talks here and there, it didn't really disturb the lecture.

At this point, I couldn't seem to focus on the class. My sight seems to wander around everywhere. One time I glanced at Shii-chan beside me, who in turn gave me an awkward stare and spun her pen in a subtle manner before she deeply breathed in—soon after she just ignored me and continued listening to the lesson.

Not long after, the after-school bell rang. The students didn't just stand up while yelling out and stretching their hands before exhaling in relief like the grade schoolers in Minazuki. They kept their calm before going outta the class one-by-one after the teacher adjourned the class. Still, there's no one forbidding us to stay in class for a while. Sometime after, I saw few of my classmates surrounding Shii-chan's seat, they seem to be inviting her to visit a newly opened cake shop. It's also near the station where me and Shii-chan always use to commute.

None of the girls paid any attention to me. Well, it didn't matter much. From the very start, I was a loner. It's much better if they just ignore me and leave me to my devices, rather than showing fake kindness—I had enough of it.

To me, Shii-chan was more than just 'best friends' but I didn't know how to put it...

Maybe, the turbulent emotions enveloping me started from the previous moments when she distanced herself from me a bit and mingled around with her new friends. About herself who became popular and liked by a lot of people, it made me miss the days where there's only me and her, in the world of our own.

Previously, we've always been together. We used to spend so much time on our own, it's like being with her were as casual as inhaling the chill air in the morning. That's how I realize I had been taking our friendship for granted, I never really knew how important Shii-chan was before she started moving away from me, bit by bit.

What kind of feeling is this? I want her, more than just friends. I wish for her to be mine alone, I--

"Ko-chan."

The gentle smile I had grown too accustomed of; her hands reaching out to me; the swaying of her waist-length hair against the breeze; the enticing silhouette of her figure against the afternoon sunlight. The warmth of her tone seemed to touch the deepest parts of me and at that moment—when was the last time my heart beat so fast?

"Uhh..I'm okay, I didn't mean anything when I saw you with your friends around. It's not like I'm jealous and we're already together every day...no...umm...well.."

What's this feeling? My heart's beating fast out of blue. For one time, she looked like a stranger, but the next moment, she became the person I've known so well. It's such a mystery—she kept surprising me with her antics.

"Let's go home." that's her answer to my awkward speech earlier. She tenderly pulled my hands, as if giving me a set of white wings. We strolled outside the class, moving down the corridors—all the way until we've back waited on the trains.

I still remember back then, when we're about to exit the classroom, there's some 'kyaaa' scream from our classmates. I didn't understand what does that mean, but I slowed down my pace to bit to eavesdrop a bit:

"They're just like a married couple."

The stream of nostalgic feelings rushed out from me when I've heard that phrase again.

It's sure has been a while.