Senji entered the classroom once again being greeted by Miss Koyami's bright and beautiful smile. He shyly waved at her on his way to the back of the room where Kaito and Daiki were hanging out. He dropped his backpack next to his desk. Kaito shook his head while Daiki snickered. He motioned for Senji to come over to them.

"Hey Senji. Want your honest opinion on something." Daiki said.

"You are ridiculous." Kaito muttered. "It's stupid so don't answer if you want."

Senji just shrugged his shoulders, finding a spot on the back counter to lean up against.

"So... What do you think of Koyami? Ain't she a total fox? She's the hottest teacher here and literally every guy wants her so bad. I guarantee most of the ones dating someone would dump their girlfriend if they had a shot with her." Daiki snickered. Kaito sighed audibly. Senji glanced over to Koyami for but a moment. She was busy prepping papers, bending just slightly over her desk.

"I-I mean... Yeah she is hot. Without a doubt." Senji replied. Daiki lightly punched him in the arm.

"I told you he would admit it Kaito."

Kaito leaned forward off of the wall. He crossed his arms and looked sharply at Daiki, eyebrow raised.

"Lusting over a teacher is pathetic. Just because there isn't a ring on that finger doesn't mean any of you would have even the slightest chance in Hell of landing her." Kaito stated. "Stick to drooling over babes stretched out over sports cars in skimpy outfits."

Kaito left to walk over to his desk. Daiki shook his head in ignorance before leaning over to Senji.

"I don't get him sometimes. Several girls think he's so handsome yet he refuses to date anybody." Daiki said. Senji looked over to Kaito sat at his desk twiddling his thumbs.

"Maybe he's just, I don't know, sealed off his heart? I remember one time my dad said he got so heartbroken back in middle school that he stayed away from relationships for several years. Somehow during his senior year, my mom managed to break through that wall he built around his heart." Senji said.

"Woah. Shit maybe you're right. Well, who am I to judge what he wants to do."

Senji was about to speak when his eyes were immediately drawn to the girl who had just entered the classroom. Those violet eyes. It was Ayame. Class was about to start so he would wait until the end to approach her as he planned to do last night.

"Don't forget your homework assignments for the night everybody! I expect those all to be completed and turned in by tomorrow! The weekend is almost here but no slacking! Class is dismissed!" Koyami said with the bell ringing off after her last words were spoken.

Senji grabbed his backpack and stood up. He turned around only to be face-to-face with Ayame. Her eyes met his. He narrowly glanced down at the purple and black checkered bag she carried, plastered with pins of skulls and cats. His focus shifted right to her chest. He could feel his heart starting to pound. Ayame tilted her head slightly to the right. A confused look on her face.

"Um... Senji?" She spoke. Senji shook his head and looked back up at her.

"O-oh uh hey! Ayame, right?" Senji asked. She nodded quietly. "Right. Just uh, making sure I pronounced it right. Um..."

"Did you want to ask me something?"

"H..How did you know??"

"Lucky guess?"

"Heh. Right. Uh... Well, I was um, actually wanting to get to know you more. Since we're classmates and all. So..."

Senji trailed off, biting his tongue. He couldn't figure out how to ask her to hang out without sounding weird or creepy.

"So?" Ayame scratched her chin.

"Would you maybe... Want to perhaps um... H-hang out after school sometime. If not it's okay um..."

Ayame silently nodded her head. Senji's eyes widened.

"Sure." She said.

"Yeah? That's great. When um-"

"Outside the rear school doors near the gym. Tomorrow. After school."

With a little smile, Ayame walked past him without another word. Senji turned to watch her leave the classroom. He could already feel the butterflies inside his stomach. The first time he's felt any real sense of joy in a while. He achieved the goal he set for himself. Now he had something to look forward to for the remainder of the school week. With his backpack slung over his shoulders Senji headed out of the classroom to go find Kaito. Standing in the hallways opposite of the classroom door were four girls eyeballing Senji as he strolled on by them. The tallest one had golden bronze hair and light freckles on her face. The shortest one had cocoa brown hair and wore pink glasses. The other two were roughly the same height; One with natural black hair, light purple eyeliner and a beauty mark under her left eye. The other had bleach blonde hair, black eyeliner, bright pink lipstick and foundation makeup on her cheeks giving them a light blush.

"That was the new guy right? He was totally chatting it up with the weird girl." The tall girl said.

"Why is he even talking to her? She's so quiet and awkward." The short girl stated.

"She's a loner. Not a single friend. It's sad." The black-haired girl murmured. The blonde girl shrugged her shoulders and turned to face the rest of the group.

"To be honest he is kind of cute. He should be talking to me instead of that freak though." She hissed, crossing her arms. "He's in my history class. I'm totally gonna' talk to him. He can do better then that girl."

The other three girls all nodded in agreement before taking off together towards the lunch room.

Senji kept his meeting with Ayame a secret from his friends for the time being. During lunch hour the next day as Senji was idly chatting with this odd trio he now calls his friends, a familiar voice called out from a few rows over that he recognized.

"Senji! Hey!"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Approaching the table was Kanako from science class. She popped a squat next to Senji with a full tray.

"Who might this be?" Aoi asked.

"Oh. This is Kanako. She's in my science class. Since none of you have it with me, she was selected by our teacher to assist me." Senji explained. Kanako nodded in response.

Daiki and Aoi were oblivious to who she was but Kaito recognized her. Kaito only knew who she was because she occasionally helps him with science assignments outside of class. He knew that she was despised by several girls because of her perfect grades and impenetrable superiority complex. Harsh words never seem to hurt her pride as a good student every teacher loved.

"I hope you don't mind if I start sitting with you. The girls at the table I normally sit at are just so dull. It's always boys this, gossip that. I really could care less about that nonsense." Kanako said adjusting her glasses.

"Kanako... I highly doubt anything we talk about will be of interest to you either. Aoi here is the only one who is a total nerd when it comes to schoolwork and books. But personally I don't blame you for straying away from the pack of cats you associate with." Kaito murmured.

"It's fine. Really. Plus Senji here seems like a nice guy. For the new kid it is quite wonderful to see you have already made some friends."

Senji just rubbed his shoulder and grinned.

"Well it's nice to meet ya' then Kanako." Aoi said. Daiki just nodded quietly with that same wide smile he always wore.

Senji seemed happy he had another friend. Even if her inclusion into his lunch group seemed sudden. Sometimes she did chime in during their discussion for the day over what would make a perfect movie. Daiki suggested lots of action while Aoi would prefer a very narrative-driven story. Kanako backed Aoi's thoughts by suggesting the main characters get fleshed out as the story progressed. Senji and Kaito both agreed on minimizing mindless action but keeping it balanced for a proper viewing experience. It was a very lively conversation that made the time fly.

After the last class of the day had ended, that being history, Aoi and Daiki met up with Kaito and Senji out in the hallways. Daiki seemed to be carrying a Walkman in his hand with one earbud in his right ear, the other dangled down.

"We should stroll down by the park today. The weather is perfect for a walk." Aoi suggested.

"Sure why not? Senji you in?" Kaito asked. Senji looked to him and shook his head.

"Sorry I uh... I'm going to check out some of the clubs. Thinking of joining one actually." He lied through his teeth.

Senji wasn't ready to join a club just yet but needed an excuse to go meet up with Ayame. Kaito shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright. By the way, we're meeting at Daiki's place tomorrow. Want you to be there. Haven't had a chance to hang outside of school yet so we're inviting you. Aoi's parents are as dull as paint drying and well... I'd rather not talk about my situation at home." Kaito looked down at the floor for but a brief moment. Senji wondered what he meant by that but wasn't going to ask right now.

"Yeah sure. I'd be happy to come over Daiki." Senji replied.

"Awesome. Well see ya' tomorrow then!" Daiki said cheerfully.

Senji watched the three of them leave towards the direction of the front doors. With them gone he turned around to head for the rear doors near the gymnasium. The layout of this section of the school was different then his school back in Tokyo. The gym had an alternate entrance to another side away from the main entrance through the courtyard. Across the hallway there was a set of doors leading outside. Senji pushed the doors open and was greeted by a long narrow pathway towards streets in the distance with a couple benches on either side and tall trees shrouding both sides providing shade from the sunlight.

He noticed sitting on one of the benches reading a book was Ayame. He could feel his heartbeat increasing while he walked in her direction. She lifted her head to glance at Senji approaching. Putting the book away in her bag she stood up to face him. The two meet once again.

"H-hey there." Senji spoke sheepishly.

"Hello, Senji." Ayame responded in her usual hushed tone.

"Um... Wanna' walk together? It is nice out after all."

"That would be lovely."

Senji and Ayame started walking down the shaded pathway. A cool, gentle breeze blew in the air. Senji was almost mesmerized by the way her hair flowed in the wind while they walked. He was feeling strange deep down. He was asking himself inside his mind if he was starting to develop a crush on her.

"You know Senji..." Ayame broke the silence.

"H-huh? What?"

"When I first saw you. Leaving the office the day before you showed up. I wondered... What kind of person you were. The last transfer student we had was... Well, she was a bit unruly."

"Unruly?"

"Egotistical, sassy, rude. The only friends she made were some girls just like her. She took her antics too far one day and was... Expelled."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. She thought it was amusing to pull pranks. It got to the point where even her few friends were getting fed up with her. Juvenile... Is a perfect word to describe her."

"Sounds like a-"

"A bitch? Correct... And it became her downfall. Nobody knows what happened to her. Not even those 'friends' of hers. It was as if after her expulsion she dropped off the face of the Earth. Tragic, really."

"Yikes. Well, my old school had it's fair share of girls like that. Granted none went so far as to get expelled. But they were also mean and stuck up. Seems no matter where you go there's people like that."

Ayame was quiet for a minute. She let out a sigh as they reached the end of the path where it met the street. Senji looked around for any traffic, only seeing a few cars and a school bus drive by. Ayame lightly tugged on his sleeve. He turned to look at her.

"You can walk me home. We'll talk along the way. It's a few block away from here. I'll lead." She said. Senji nodded, following her.

The neighborhood nearby happened to be his own. They walked in silence until turning the first corner down the street. Senji wanted to start more small talk, scrambling to think of what to say. Then something came to mind.

"About what you mentioned earlier. Wondering what kind of person I was. I-I know we've barely talked much but um can I ask? What do you think of me so far?" He asked shyly.

"You... Seem nice. Composed. Quiet. Kind of like myself." Ayame replied.

"Yeah? That's a good thing right?"

"Yes. Guys are... Scared of me. You could've ran away when I approached you. You didn't. That never happens."

"R-really?? Why would they be scared? You seem nice too if I'm to be honest."

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm so quiet. I... Don't really socialize with anybody. I haven't even ever had a boy walk me home before."

"So I'm the first? Huh..."

After walking for about fifteen minutes Ayame stopped in front of a house. The walls on the exterior were cracking and the car port was dilapidated. She turned to face him with a frail smile on her face. Senji's heart fluttered.

"This is my house. Thank you... For walking me here." Ayame said.

"Of course. I-I enjoyed talking with you along the way Ayame." Senji stammered. "We... We should do this again soon. I-if that's okay."

"I do enjoy your company. So I'd like that. I'll be going inside then... Talk to you later, Senji."

"Y-yeah me too. Goodbye."

Catching one final glimpse of her smile, Ayame left heading inside the house. Senji breathed a sigh of relief as he calmed himself down mentally. He was beginning to think he really is attracted to her. Once he was calm he headed down the street. Looking across the road he spotted his house and came to a realization. Judging by the distance and locations of the homes, he pieced together that the two girls he saw leaving a house the other day, had to have come from Ayame's house. She stated that she didn't really socialize with anybody yet now realizing she was walking with another girl from school that day.

'Maybe she has a sister or it was a friend of hers?' Senji thought.

He would have to ask her the next time they meet. For now he would head home and call it a day.