Have you ever been alone? Have you ever questioned yourself? I know it sounds depressing, but this is the question that is usually on my mind. I won’t take any more of your precious time with my story. Let’s just leave this for now.
….
A fresh new day. You know what they say. New day, new me. I mean, how can it be any better? The sun shines on the window of my dorm, giving me the light I need to start my day; the bird chirps a beautiful melody, giving me my first taste of music for the day; the breeze from the AC gives me a homey feeling; and the loud alarm clock shows 8.15 a.m., reminding me of how cruel life is.
"Ahh"
I think it has already become a tradition for me to fall from my bed due to sudden sounds from my alarm clock. At the very least, the blanket I drew softened my blow. What will I do without my overpriced blanket? No kidding, this cost around a million yen. Of course, this is a gift. From an acquaintance of mine.
"Stupid alarm clock."
After some reflection about buying a new alarm clock, I rise from the floor and turn off the damn thing. I wonder if I should buy one that I can set the sound of my alarm to. I heard that it was not expensive. I guess I’ll think about it more on the
I clean up my bed to a perfect condition, which means tidying up the bedsheet, folding the blanket, and correctly placing my pillow and bolster.
After that, I grab my towels and school uniforms and head toward the bathroom to take a nice morning shower. It took about 20 minutes for me to shower and change into my cute school uniform. You asked: What's my school's uniform? Well, it’s a pure white buttoned-down T-Shirt and a sharp-looking black blazer with a beautiful pink short skirt and a cute pink bowtie. At least, this is way cuter than my work uniform.
Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yuriko Hanako, but my friend calls me Hanako for short. I am a student at Ei-Hosiki High School. It’s one of the best high schools. A lot of famous people study here, including the current city mayor.
"Hanako-chan, are you up yet?"
That’s one of my close friends, Kimoto Fumiko. I consider her my second alarm clock. I guess I am lucky that my alarm clock woke me up. Fumiko has many brutal ways to wake me up. One of them is the cold-water splash technique.
"Coming, Fumiko-chan"
I put on my shoes, grab my bag, and open the door to see my two best friends. Well, you already know Fumiko. Beside her is Katayama Yuichi or Yuichi Senpai.
Why senpai?
That’s because he is one grade above me and Fumiko, and he is also my mentor. He is the coolest person I have ever met. He’s smart, sharp, calm, and calculative. He is the perfect mentor for me. But he does have one weakness. But I won’t tell you now.
As soon as mine and Fumiko’s eyes meet, she wraps me in a huge hug. It was almost like a bear hug since Fumiko is slightly taller than me. Just slightly. Perhaps 0.1 inches taller than me. Please don’t call me short. I am not short.
"Come on, Hanako-chan. Let’s get breakfast."
She started to drag me away from my dorm and into what we like to call the "Center Pearl" or the Food Hall for short. Based on the data gathered by Yuichi Senpai. It is the fourth most visited spot in the school. Number one is the bathroom, of course. I believe it’s for an essay or something.
Do you remember the feeling of being dragged across the schoolyard by your best friend? No, just me. It’s fun the first three times, but you have to stay on balance. You know, so you don’t fall and embarrass yourself. Balance is important, especially when you are dragged by a hyperexcited friend, like Fumiko here.
While being dragged, some of the students give a normal face, while others give either a shocked or disgusted face. To be honest, I still have no idea why. But you will get used to it. Though I am still a bit tired, I better give a warning to Fumiko.
"Calm down, Fumiko-chan."
"No can’t do, I heard there is a limited-time Tonkotsu Ramen. Delicious Tonkotsu Ramen, here I come."
"Of course, you and your ramen obsession."
"I can’t help it, Hanako-chan."
It took about 5 minutes of Fumiko dragging me to get to the "Center Pearl." The "Center Pearl" is a circle-shaped room with another little circle in the middle of it. The little circle is the serving counter and the bar. Students here always get free breakfast and lunch every day. Usually, the "Center Pearl" is open 24/7, and you can buy almost every food and drink here, including some rare and fancy foods. Outside of the little circle are a lot of tables, chairs, sofas, garbage bins, and flowers. Lastly, and this is the best part, the outer circle is surrounded by aquariums with lots of beautiful and exotic sea creatures. It’s so calming. Oh, I forgot to mention that the "Center Pearl" has two entrances, one from the east and one from the west.
There is one more thing I want to tell you about the center pearl. There are two modes for the "Center Pearl", which are day and night modes. Day mode is where you can get your free breakfast and lunch, while night mode is where the “Center Pearl” truly shines. There are seasonal special dishes and drinks, as well as light alcohol. But you have to pay for it. I have tried it once with Fumiko and Yuichi Senpai. It was expensive, but it was worth it.
"Hey, where is Yuichi Senpai?"
"I’m right here."
He said that while waving his hand and walking toward us.
"Senpai, how do you always get here so fast?"
Fumiko asks that question almost every time, and usually, Yuichi Senpai just says that it is a secret or something like that. But, this time, I am curious.
"Yeah, I am also curious. Because I always see you walk here," she explained.
"Alright. Since you ask this a lot, I might as well give you two the answer."
We were a bit shocked, but this is an important thing. We stop and listen to what Yuichi Senpai has to say.
"The secret is."
Like waiting for a winning lottery number, the excitement is overflowing. I can hear the drum roll in my head, and I'm sure Fumiko can as well.
"There is actually a secret passage I used."
Wait, that’s all. I thought he was going to say something along the lines of teleportation. I'm not going to lie; I was a little bit disappointed, but his answer does make sense. I can also smell utter disappointment from Fumiko.
After some time of just letting our brain process everything, we walk toward the serving counter and order our food. If you are curious about the food, Fumiko gets the Tonkotsu Ramen, I get the Beef Omurice, and Yuichi Senpai gets the Shrimp Tempura Ramen.
We take our order and walk around to look for any vacant tables. Let the journey begin.
…
It took us a while, but we managed to find a vacant table near the aquarium. For all I care, this is one of the best spots in the "Center Pearl". After saying our prayers, we all started to eat our breakfast. I know that this is already my tenth time eating this, but I can’t get enough of these flavors. The beef is so tender and moist. Perfectly cooked vegetables make even the hardest-core meat lover want to eat vegetables. The rice is being cooked to perfection; either the chefs are gods or they have a rice cooker somewhere in the kitchen. Last but not least, the curry aspect of the dish really brings everything together. A symphony of flavors is dancing in my mouth. Someone, please hire me as a food critic.
I look to my left and right. As usual, Fumiko devours her food, and she seems to really enjoy the food. I can tell that by the fact that I can faintly see stars in her eyes. On the other hand, Yuichi Senpai eats in a more mannerly way. You can see that by the fact that he is eating while reading a novel. Let me tell you a little secret. I heard that a lot of the girls called Yuichi Senpai the Prince of Chess.
Okay, most of that reputation comes from the fact that he is the current chess champion in our school and has the official Grandmaster title. What can I say? Senpai is a really talented person.
I was still enjoying my meal before I heard something from Fumiko.
"I heard that we will be getting a new classmate, Hanako-chan."
"How do you know that?"
"I don’t know much, but I heard some rumors."
"Just remember what I told you two."
Both of us replied with a bored tone, "Don’t trust school rumors too much. We know that, Senpai."
He just smiles at us and continues eating his breakfast. The nerve of this guy. As much as we want to stay angry. Whenever he gives that signature smile, we just forget everything that happened before.
As I chow down on my breakfast, I just can't help but be curious about my new classmate. It has been a while since we have had a new classmate. I believe it was three months ago. However, if I'm not mistaken, two students transferred to a different school during that period. I believe it’s because their parents got a new job somewhere, so they have to relocate. I wonder if we will be getting two instead of one. Only time will tell.
"Yuichi Senpai, will there be any training today?" I say that out of the blue.
"I will talk to HQ about that. But, I feel that there is no training for today. Unless you want to."
"Thank you for the offer, but I will pass on that today, Yuichi Senpai."
"That’s a shame; I already have a special training plan for the two of you."
The way he speaks is like hearing a door open in a haunted house. It just somehow gives you goosebumps, even though you have seen it coming. I guess Fumiko senses something and decides to break up the situation a bit.
"That’s great, Hanako-chan. How about after school we go do some shopping?"
"Sure thing, Fumiko-chan."
"Yay." She smiled while doing a fist pump.
"Now calm down, Fumiko. You don’t want to cause a commotion."
"Sorry, Yuichi Senpai." She gives a little blushing action, probably due to embarrassment.
I just smiled at Fumiko’s action. It’s not like every day you see your best friend blush due to embarrassment. I just find Fumiko's action to be cute. That’s all.
Okay, I lied. I may have given a small giggle. What's wrong with that? I am still human after all. Well, I liked to believe I am still human.
Why does that sound depressing all of the sudden? Let’s just forget about that.
After 15 minutes of eating and talking, we put our plates and utensils away and headed toward our classroom. Although, we have to separate from Yuichi Senpai because our classroom and his classroom are in separate buildings. It’s a shame really since Yuichi Senpai always has a lot of interesting stories whenever we walk together.
We finally made it to our classroom with around 7 minutes to spare. I just take my regular seat, which is more or less in the middle of the classroom. Meanwhile, Fumiko sits next to me. She immediately starts to prepare all of the items needed for the class and she sometimes reads yesterday’s lectures to pass the time. Don’t let her appearance fool you, she is one of the most diligent people I knew other than Yuichi Senpai in this school.
While waiting for the bell to ring, I usually read the daily news on my smartphone. Yes, I am that kind of person. I just like searching for interesting stuff and staying updated on the world. There is this one time when I saw on the news about a blue moon appearing for like a minute. Nobody knew how and why. There is this sense of mystery around this phenomenon, and I even heard that a lot of research groups devoted their life to try solve it.
I was very fascinated by that news. The next day after I saw the news, I stayed up all night researching the event. Worst mistake ever.
I didn’t get anything out of it, and the next day I was tired as hell. Fumiko even commented that I looked like a zombie schoolgirl. I don’t know how to visualize it, so I just search for it on the internet. The second-worst mistake ever. I can't get over seeing a picture of a zombie doing a peace pose while wearing a torn-up schoolgirl uniform. It's hideous, disgusting, and cringe-worthy all at the same time. Really cringe.
But I don’t know why I always feel that the blue moon has a meaning. If it didn’t have a meaning, at least it looked magnificent. It feels like there is a puzzle piece missing somewhere. I feel like solving this is a precise and delicate moment, or maybe we’ll get lucky and just solve the puzzle by mistake. The world can be a cruel place at times. Sometimes you’re lucky, and sometimes you’re not. I really want to solve the Blue Moon Mystery someday.
My mind starts to wonder about different ways to solve the mystery, including looking at the forbidden book. The forbidden book is a book that cannot be read by any human since reading it will blow your mind. I read that on the news.
I guess my mind has wandered too much since I didn’t hear the bell ringing. It’s a good thing that Fumiko helped me get out of that situation by poking me five times in the cheeks. Classic Fumiko. Maybe I should try to get some sweet onion sauce revenge.
As usual, the homeroom teacher starts the day by calling our names and explaining yesterday's review. It usually takes about 10 minutes since there are only 16 students in any given classroom. It really is a small classroom. To be honest, I like this kind of classroom because the teacher can be more focused with fewer students in the room, which translates to all the students getting the attention needed from the teacher. Not to mention the fact that the school has over 1,000 teachers. It’s a really great system since there are about 8000 students. I look at the front and see that the homeroom teacher has finished his daily morning routine. I guess I have to start activating my study mode.
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"Before we start today’s lecture, I want to announce to you all that we will have two new students joining us. Please be extra nice to them and show them around the school." The homeroom teacher gave us a warm smile.
I guess my hunch is correct; we will be getting two new classmates. I hope they are female since the last two students I mentioned are female. Every classroom usually has a one-to-one gender ratio, which means for every classroom, there are eight males and eight females. Balance, as all things should be.
There is just one thing that bothers me. It’s really rare to see our homeroom teacher give that kind of smile. When I say "rare," I mean never. On our first day, the homeroom teacher just introduced to us with a normal expression. That’s why I have personally never seen him smile like that. Either he changed, which is the unlikeliest choice, or the new students are important to the school in some way. They are most likely wealthy or of high social standing. I mean, you can do anything if you have the money and status.
"Please come in." The homeroom teacher took a step back, still with that warm smile across his face.
Two beauties. Yes, I said it. Two beauties are coming out of that door. Are they goddesses, models, or both? I swear I am not a SIMP.
From what I can see. One of them has vibrant blue-colored hair with an elegant hairstyle, while the other one has this silky grape-colored hair and wears this cute puffy black ribbon. Also, don’t forget the tightly fitted school uniform that just screams beauty.
"Please introduce yourself to the other students." He's still smiling, and he sounds a little more humble than usual. Just a tiny bit.
"My name is Kinoshita Hiromi, but you can call me Hiromi for short. Nice to meet you."
The girl with the bow bowed her head like a maid in front of her master. I wonder if she had worked as a maid in the past. I know that I sound offensive, but she really does have the bowing posture of a maid.
"My name is Ichickawa Sayuri. Nice to meet you."
The blue-haired girl said that in a rather shy tone. A bit too shy since I was only faintly able to hear it. I don’t even think the students in the back can hear her. I'm hoping she's just getting cold feet at the moment.
After another warm welcome from our homeroom teacher, Sayuri and Hiromi walk toward an empty table, which is somehow behind me and Fumiko.
What a coincidence! I know.
In the first lecture, the homeroom teacher is explaining microeconomics. I don’t find this topic interesting. But, I always thrive to get a good grade, so I just force myself to like every subject here. Also, I always have a competition with Fumiko over who gets the better grade. Usually, the loser or the one who gets the lower grade in an exam has to pay for dinner.
I look behind me and see Sayuri taking notes while still listening to the lectures. It seems that she looks like your cliché cute, shy, smart schoolgirl.
I can’t say the same for Hiromi. I look to my left and see Hiromi sleeping. I was a little shocked that somebody could just fall asleep in the middle of a lecture. I mean, I don’t blame her. His lectures tend to be on the boring side. But I am impressed that somebody dares to do that. Moreover, I am also shocked that the homeroom teacher isn’t doing anything. Probably because it’s their first time, he lets them go for now.
…
Each day, we have three two-hour lectures with two breaks that take thirty minutes each. So, we spent seven hours a day and five days per week just on school stuff. What a fun way to spend your life! Usually, classes start at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.
After the lecture, it is break time. Before I leave the classroom, I clean my table and put all of my school equipment into my bag. You know what they say. A clean table clears the mind for the next lecture. I look around and see that Fumiko has left the classroom. It’s more likely that Fumiko heads toward the restroom. She doesn’t like to miss lectures, so she usually holds it in. You have to admire her for listening to lectures while holding a number one or, at worst, a number two.
I look behind me and see the other four girls surrounding Sayuri and Hiromi. I guess somebody is popular. But, the more I look at it, it seems that Sayuri is a little bit intimidated by the attention. I better do something before something bad happens. But before I can do that,
"Everyone, get out! Don’t you see that you are making Sayuri-chan nervous?" Hiromi said that with a dark expression.
All the girls start to apologize to Sayuri and leave the room as quickly as they can. Note to self: don’t crowd around Sayuri with Hiromi beside her. Even though Hiromi’s order is for the girl, the other boys that are still in the classroom just left. This leaves me, Sayuri, and Hiromi still in the classroom.
You may think that this is normal, but due to the tension, the classroom got awkward real quick. I was thinking of leaving the place to avoid this awkwardness, but I need to wait for Fumiko. I can’t just leave her stuck in this place. Please be quick, Fumiko.
"Hanako-chan, I’m back."
Let me tell you. That heartwarming smile just turned into pure confusion in less than a minute. I feel she already senses the awkwardness in the classroom. I really wish I had my phone with me.
"Where is everyone?"
I stand from my seat and walk toward Fumiko just so that I don’t make the situation more awkward than it already is. Also, I think it’s best to give them time to adapt to the classroom environment.
"Fumiko-chan, do you want to go to the library?"
"Sure, I don’t mind. But, can you explain this while walking there? Please."
"That’s not a problem for me. Let’s just go now."
We start to walk toward the library, which is usually a five-minute walk. That should be enough time to explain the classroom fiasco to Fumiko.
…
"So, you’re saying that the girls in our classroom surround Sayuri-San, and that makes her panic."
While sipping a cup of hot tea, I nodded to Fumuki's sentence. Yes, you can drink tea in the library. Though, tea is the only beverage allowed here. I believe it has to do with the history of this school. I heard that a lot of research groups gather around this library and talk about scientific theories and experiments. Since a lot of them were from the West, they brought tea to pass the time. That is the history of why drinking tea is allowed in the school’s library. It's an odd rule, but it’s better than nothing.
"Hanako-chan, what do you think of Sayuri-san and Hiromi-san?"
"Interesting. Really interesting. I just found Hiromi-san's action a bit bolder for my taste."
"What did she do?" Her face just screamed, 'I am confused.'
"Didn’t Hiromi sit behind you?"
"Yes, she did. Did she do anything?"
I guess she may have tuned into the lecture so much that she was oblivious to everything around her. Can you blame her? That’s so Fumiko.
"She fell asleep during the first lecture."
The utter shock on her face is hilarious in and of itself. It took a lot of my power to hold back my laughter at the moment. I mean, it will be rude if I say that. Also, this is the library.
"Why didn’t the teacher say something? Why didn’t someone wake her up? Why didn’t I realize that? I was right in front of them."
"Calm down, Fumiko-chan."
Fumiko realizes that we are still in the library and starts to lower her voice while blushing a bit.
"Sorry."
I missed another opportunity for a screensaver. I should try to build a robot that does that reliably.
"Fumiko-chan. Do you know what time it is?"
Fumiko looks at her expensive watch. No kidding, she said that her parents gave it to her for her 10th birthday. It was about 20,000 yen. Which is just bonkers. To give you a comparison. The semester's tuition was around 5000 yen, and our school is on the high end.
"It’s 11.20. Do you want to head back?"
"Yeah, it’s a bit boring here anyway."
"I thought you were reading a book."
"It’s a good book, but I see that there is some misinformation in the content of the book."
"I am sure you are the only one who knows full well about her history."
I return the cup to the tea bar and the book to the reception table. If you are curious about the book, it’s an encyclopedia about Athena. It was published by the Stone Research Group, which is one of the best history research groups that also covers a lot of mythologies.
…
We manage to reach the classroom with 3 minutes to spare. It seems the situation has gotten better. When I mean better, I mean normal.
"Thank God, it's not awkward again."
We walk back to our table and continue the day.
Other than economics, today we have math and physics. Also, we did have lunch with Yuichi Senpai. For lunch, I had some classic Fish & Chips, Fumiko had the Seafood Paella, and Yuichi Senpai had the Seafood Sushi Platter. Since we have only 30 minutes, Fumiko and I didn’t get the chance to tell Yuichi Senpai about our new classmates.
There is still tomorrow’s breakfast. So the news is really not a priority.
…
It is currently 4.30 p.m. After changing out of our school uniforms, we walk out of the school and into the city. It took us 10 more minutes before we reached the school gates.
"Time to go shopping!" Fumiko does a fist pump in the air.
"Slow down, Fumiko-chan. The mall isn’t going anywhere."
"Come on, Hanako-chan."
I always like when Fumiko gets excited since her smile always brightens up the day. Not wasting any more time, we started walking toward Hoyama Mall. It is a busy day today, so we did meet a few students shopping around the city.
It is a good day for a walk. Beautiful sky, cool breeze of the winter season, Sayuri and Hiromi buying some fruits.
Eh, what?
I looked again, and my eyes didn’t deceive me. Sayuri and Hiromi are buying some fruits that look like apples from a fruit cart. From what I can see, Hiromi is the one who handles buying the fruit. I want to go and talk to them, but I think it’s better to wait for now. I mean, we don’t want to repeat today’s classroom fiasco, do we? Also, I don’t think Fumiko sees Sayuri and Hiromi. Fumiko is the type of person who focuses on one thing at a time. Once she has a target, she ignores everything around her.
…
Sayuri POV
I was waiting for Hiromi to buy some fruits when I saw two students who seemed to be in the same class as me walking somewhere.
"Is there something wrong, Sayuri-sama?"
I point to the two girls. I was glad that they stopped in a store since that allowed Hiromi to get a look at them. She looked at where I pointed for a while before looking at me again. She waited for a while. She's probably waiting for me to say something.
"Do you want to follow them?"
I nodded shyly. I wanted to explore this city more, and I think that they have a lot of experience regarding it. I hope following them is a good decision. While I wait some more, Hiromi continues looking at a few apples before deciding to buy them.
"Shall we go, Sayuri-sama?" She offers one of her hands to me.
I hold Hiromi’s hand, and off we go. We looked like a mother and daughter walking in the countryside. I guess Hiromi really looks like a young mother, especially with her figure and caring aura. There’s also the fact that Hiromi is taller than me, and I am a bit shorter than your average schoolgirl. I don’t mind it. It just makes me cuter. But I hope I won’t get crowded like that again. That’s why I always have Hiromi with me.
"Is there any reason why you want to follow them, Sayuri-sama?"
I shake my head. I have a few reasons, but it’s more fun to let Hiromi think about it for herself.
"It seems they are heading to a mall. If I am not mistaken, it’s called Hoyama Mall. Are you alright with that, Sayuri-sama?"
I nod my head. A mall, she said. I’ve never been in one. I guess this will be my first time going to a mall.
"As you wish. Do you want an apple, Sayuri-sama?"
I nod my head again. Apple is one of my favorite fruits. I especially like the sweet taste of the apple. Hiromi has bought a lot of apples for me in the past. She can differentiate between sweet and sour apples just by looking at and smelling them. This is another reason why I always have Hiromi with me.
Hiromi grabs an apple from the bag and gives it to me. I grab the apple and start biting into it.
"Is it delicious, Sayuri-sama?"
"Yes, Hiromi-chan." Still with my shy tone.
Delicious is an overstatement since I have tried a bunch of apples already. It’s not the best, but the sweetness did hit the spot. I don’t want to be rude in front of Hiromi, especially because she hand-picked the apples for me.
"I’m glad that I picked the right one."
We did stop by a few shops, mostly fruit stalls. Hiromi usually stocks a lot of fruits. Other than apples, she buys some grapes, a melon, and some mandarins. Hiromi always said that fruit is important in our daily lives. Not going to lie, I think she buys some fruit for her midnight snack. Since it’s healthy, I’ll allow it. Sometimes, when I want to feel a little naughty, I hide the fruits.
…
I must admit, the mall is so big. It is almost as big as the school, and the school is gigantic. I can see that there are 5 floors. But, Hiromi said that this is your typical mall. The fact that it is so crowded surprised me. Because of that, I started to panic a little bit, and Hiromi saw it. That doesn’t sound right, it’s more like Hiromi predicted this.
"Calm down, Sayuri-sama. Breathe in and breathe out. You can squeeze my hand if you want to."
I start to breathe in and out to calm my nerves. I did also squeeze Hiromi’s hand lightly, and it did help a bit.
"Better."
I nod shyly. It took a while, but I managed to calm down. It’s still crowded, but as long as I have Hiromi with me, I can overcome everything.
"It seems that we lost them. Do you want to eat some dumplings for dinner?"
"That would be nice."
"It’s still too early for dinner. Do you want to go somewhere, Sayuri-sama?"
"Flower."
"Do you want to buy a flower bouquet?"
I nod my head. Flowers are my favorite thing in the world. I haven’t found the school’s garden, so having a flower bouquet in the room will do for now.
"Let’s go then, Sayuri-sama."
We started walking toward the nearest information desk. While we were walking, I managed to spot those two students again. I don’t know why, but I feel they are important to meet. I can sense a particular aura from them. I should try and talk to them some other day.
…
It took about 10 minutes, but we managed to locate a flower shop on the second floor. Currently, Hiromi is talking with the seller about any recommendations. I love the smell of flowers; it always makes me feel cozy. The vibrant color is also another thing I like about flowers.
"Is there any flower you want to buy, Sayuri-sama?"
I shook my head since I couldn’t find the flower I wanted.
"That’s a shame."
She looked around the store for the best flower. I can see that there are still a lot of my top 5 favorite flowers, like violets and roses. But, I would rather let Hiromi pick since she has a good sense of smell.
"I spotted some beautiful violets. Do you want to buy some, Sayuri-sama?
I took a look at the violets that Hiromi mentioned and nodded. It does look beautiful, and I believe she picked the one that smelled the best.
"Do you want to stay with me or wait outside, Sayuri-sama?"
I point toward the outside of the shop. Even though I like the smell of flowers, this is a bit too much for a small store. I have no idea how Hiromi managed to stay this long. The first time is fine, but as time goes on, the smell intensifies. I don’t think I can stay much longer.
"This will not take too long."
While Hiromi picks the violets, I walk out of the shop and rest my shoulder on the glass railing. This is usually when I allow my thoughts to wander to my siblings. I hope they are doing alright. It has only been a month since I left my siblings to carry out my duty here. But I already miss them. I sometimes wish that we didn’t have this kind of duty so that we could hang out together again like a family.
It seems like five minutes have passed. Hiromi taps my shoulder lightly to bring me out of my daydreaming.
"Do you want dinner now, Sayuri-sama?"
I am a bit hungry now, so I nod my head. We start to head toward the food court, which is on the fifth floor. So, it will take a while. But, while we were walking, I managed to spot those two girls again. Coincidences are sometimes scary.
…
Hanako POV
I am currently in a clothes shop called Mystic Season, which is a unique clothes shop. Fumiko told me that it sells a lot of high-end-looking clothes, but the price is not as bad as other high-end shops. She specifically said that it is still expensive, but it is more manageable than others. Fumiko said that her parents used to buy her favorite dresses here. Like its name, the shop focused on making clothes based on the four main seasons, which are spring, summer, fall, and winter. Fumiko is in the middle of trying out some of the summer collections.
"Fumiko-chan, how long are you going to be in there?"
"Just a few more minutes, Hanako-chan."
She is really taking her time trying on clothes. I don’t like to try on and buy new clothes. I buy most of my clothes from a simple department store, and sometimes my co-workers and friends buy me some for my birthday, like skirts, jeans, dresses, and much more. But seeing Fumiko happy is enough for me.
If you are wondering why I always like seeing Fumiko smile, it’s mostly because Fumiko is my first best friend. She has never grown tired of me and has never left me. We even work in the same place.
My parents were killed when I was just 5 years old, and I was put into an orphanage as a result. It was your run-of-the-mill orphanage, but I had some trouble with my social skills. Mostly because I don’t feel like socializing, and there is some fear of losing them. That’s why I didn’t have any friends back then.
It was like that until the start of high school, when I met Fumiko for the first time. She was the only one who gave me a chance. More like we bumped into each other, and as a result, many of her books and papers were scattered on the ground. I apologized to her and tried to help her out. She also apologized and made a few jokes about having this many books and papers. It was my first time talking to someone my age. After that, the rest is history.
I must admit that it took me a year to develop even the most fundamental social skills. I’ll tell you what, the first year of high school was a trying time for me.
"What do you think, Hanako-chan?"
Her question did bring me out of my history trip before I went any further. I open my eyes again and see Fumiko smiling while trying on what seems to be a beach-themed outfit. It’s a light pink summer dress with an exotic light blue floral pattern that's completed with an elegant white beach hat.
"So?"
"It suits you pretty well, Fumiko-chan."
"Thank you, Hanako-chan."
I take another look at the summer dress that Fumiko tried on and see the heavy price tag. 7000 Cress Yean, really? I have been lied to. Fumiko, why are you so rich?
"Isn’t it a bit pricey?"
"It appears so. I guess I have to save some money before I can buy this."
Or ask your father for more pocket money. Hey, if I have a rich family, I will try to do anything I can to get some money. I heard that her parents once give her 1000 Cress Yen for just cleaning up the kitchen. That sounds ridiculous, I know.
“Cheer up, Fumiko-chan. I know that you will have the money to buy it.”
“Thank you, Hanako-chan.”
“How about we now head to”
“Stay still, Hanako-chan. There are still more I want to try.”
“Wait, what?”
As quickly as my reaction, Fumiko goes back into the changing booth. Great more waiting. I sighed and continue to wait.