Cherry blossoms fluttered briskly in the wind, a symbol of the beginnings of a new year. A few of them fell unnoticed atop the masses of heads facing the school podium. The fresh-looking faces occasionally whispered amongst one another, an eager enthusiasm clouding the air around them. On the side, standing in a line facing the students were the strict brooding faces of teachers that scoured the crowd with eagle eyes, already trying to pick out the bad apples to watch out for in this year's crop of new students.

Amidst the lines of new students stood a black-haired girl with peculiar lapis eyes, staring intently at the podium as though fascinated by the droning speech that the principal was giving. It was an act that seldom the other new students were doing as most had already zoned out by the fifteen minute mark of the principal's generic speech that he recycled year on year.

To onlookers, the girl simply appeared to be type to be a teacher's pet, even only looking at the neat and tidy manner in which the girl dressed and presented herself, and this was in fact true, however, Akari at the moment had not a single clue what the principal was saying from the first minute mark.

There was another reason why Akari was staring so fixedly at the principal up on the podium.

'Why does everyone have friends already...?!' Akari's thoughts sounded red alarms inside her head, an amiable smile glued to her face. 'I thought everyone was new like me...!'

"Hey, doesn't that look like Akio-kun from middle school?"

"Oh my god, it is! Let's say hi to him afterwards!"

Hearing the whispers going between two girls standing in front of Akari, her worst case scenario was confirmed.

'Everyone here knows each other from middle school so that's why they all have friends already…' Akari thought, watching but not really watching as the principal flipped the page of his speech that looked more like an encyclopedia on the history of the universe. 'I knew I shouldn't have transferred here... Although, I didn't have any friends back at my middle school either so that probably wouldn't had made a difference... No! I can't allow myself to be friendless for 3 years again like back at middle school!'

Mustering all her willpower, Akari's lapis eyes slowly inched downwards away from the podium and she glanced across timidly at the two girls that had been talking to one another in front of her. Her heart froze as their eyes caught and the two girls glanced back at Akari for a second with a look of non-recognition before quickly averting their eyes away.

"Did you know that girl?"

"No, I don't know her, I thought you did. Anyways..."

'Nooo!' Akari's cheeks turned rosy as she resumed staring back up at the podium. 'At this rate, this really is just going to be a repeat of middle school all over again where the only friend I will have is the homeroom teacher!'

"Ah-hem," Someone coughed besides Akari, signalling for Akari's attention.

"Yes?" Akari quickly turned to the student with a smile as bright as the morning sun shining down on them.

It was a girl with dyed ruby hair and sable eyes that seemed to be glazed over with a permanent look of indifference. Everything about the girl said 'get me out of here'; from her eyeliner, untucked shirt, manicured nails to the sneakers she wore in place of proper school shoes. In spite of the rebellious spirit exuding from the girl, she carried a naturally pretty face with pristine fair skin like one that didn't go outdoors much or neglected a healthy diet.

'Pretty.’ Akari thought, looking at the girl’s face. ‘Uhm, but she looks like someone that hangs with a very different crowd to me… Oh well, they must like me if they spoke to me first, and it's not polite to judge on appearances anyways. Maybe they are a super nice person inside.'

"Could I borrow a tissue?"

"Huh?"

“A tissue.” The girl with dyed ruby hair falling past her shoulders repeated.

As though in a trance, Akari reached into the bag that she was holding by her side, pulled out a packet of tissues and handed it to the girl.

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“Thanks.” The girl muttered as she pulled out a tissue from the packet and handed the packet back to Akari.

Akari took the packet dumbfoundedly then watched as the girl used the tissue to blow her nose for a moment before standing quietly again.

Akari turned her eyes forward at the podium in a stupor and silence etched on for several minutes as she listened to the principal’s speech in the background of her mind.

‘H-hang on! That was it?!’ Akari’s mind finally started working again. ‘She just talked to me to borrow a tissue from me to blow her nose?!’

Akari breathed out a quiet sigh to herself, staring wearily at the podium. ‘And here I was thinking that I was finally going to make a friend. I guess I really am going to be a loner again…’

“…Is it really that interesting?”

Akari blinked, glancing to her side back at the ruby-haired girl that had whispered to her.

“Sorry?” Akari mouthed back.

“The principal’s speech.” The girl said, staring ahead at the podium nonchalantly. “You’ve been standing there, listening to his speech this entire time like it’s the gospel. It's actually starting to get me concerned.”

“Oh no,” Akari laughed quietly. “I’m just really nervous about our first day of senior high since everyone seems to know each other already, that’s all.”

“Hmm.” The girl hummed. “So, you’re not from the Fuchu area then?”

Akari glanced around to make sure they wouldn’t get in trouble for talking but it seemed everyone was doing their own thing, even the teachers were just on their phones, having given up on pretending they were listening to the principal’s speech.

“No, my family just moved here to Inagi.” Akari replied, feeling excited to finally have someone to talk to. “So not Fuchu, but we’re practically next to it. What about you? Are you from around here?”

“Yeah, I’ve always lived here in Fuchu.” The girl replied, surprising Akari. She thought that the girl would be new to the area like her since it didn’t seem like she knew anyone else around. “Damn these cherry blossom trees though. They're literally everywhere here in Fuchu…”

The girl raised the tissue in her hand to her slightly pink nose, sniffing again with a weary shudder.

“Ah, no wonder you asked me for a tissue…” Akari laughed politely. “You’re allergic to cherry blossoms?”

“Pollen allergy. It’s the worst, especially this time of the year.” She replied. “Can’t even walk down the streets for a minute without bumping into one of those damn trees.”

“Hahaha…”

“Hey Yuka!”

A group of girls at their side called out to them and Akari and the girl turned to look. The group of girls were staring at the ruby-haired girl excitedly.

“Oh, it really is Yuka!”

“What are you doing over there? Come over here, Yuka!”

Hearing their words, Akari felt her stomach dropping inside. ‘Ah, I guess that’s it then. Now she’s just going to go back to her own friends…’

The ruby-haired girl flicked a disinterested glance at the group of girls. “No, it’s okay. I’m good over here, thanks.”

The girls frowned, disappointed looks crossing their faces.

“Oh, is that so…”

“That’s too bad…”

They turned away, and then it was just Akari and the ruby-haired girl again. Akari was taken aback, having not expected that to happen.

“Weren’t they your friends?” Akari said. “You don’t have to worry about me if you want to hang out with your friends. I don’t mind.”

Yuka shook her head. “Nope, they’re not my friends. Just some girls that used to be in the same middle school as me really.”

“Really?” Akari laughed airily, feeling her spirits lift up at the prospect of making her first friend on the first day of senior high. “Uhm, also, we've been talking all this time but I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet. I’m Akari Kono, but you can just call me Akari. I heard that they were calling you Yuka, is that right?”

“Yep.” Yuka said. “Yuka Kimura. You can just call me Yuka too.”

"Y-Yuka." Akari said, accidentally stuttering due to her nervous excitement.

'I haven't introduced myself to someone my age in so long.' Akari thought. 'I'm so happy to finally make a friend! And to top it off, it's with someone as pretty and cool as Yuka!'

Yuka gazed at Akari's reaction quietly for a moment, then Yuka's sable eyes narrowed and she reached a slender hand forward towards Akari.

"Y-Yuka, what are you..." Akari froze, her body tensing for a second.

Yuka grabbed something on the top of Akari's head, pulling her hand back to reveal a cherry blossom petal in the grasp of her fingers.

"Damn cherry blossoms." Yuka said, tossing the petal aside on the ground with furrowed brows. "Like I said, they really are everywhere honestly."

"Right, haha..." Akari laughed, exhaling in relief.

For some reason, Akari had thought that Yuka was about to do something else for a brief moment there. Though as to what, she didn't really have any idea.