For some reason, class hours seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, the bell rang for lunch.
It had already become part of my daily routine.
Maybe I should go buy my lunch, but if I do, that person won't find me here and will start searching everywhere until she tracks me down and scolds me as if it were my fault.
And by that person, I mean Yumiko—my self-proclaimed friend…
Who would've thought you could be forced into being someone's friend? Life's little irony. Not that I'm complaining.
The first time it happened, I was caught off guard, but by now it was routine for Yumiko to come to my classroom at lunchtime.
It wasn't unusual either to overhear my classmates talking about the blonde girl who came to get me.
-"Tsurumi seems pretty close to that girl. Are they dating?"
-"A girl like her couldn't possibly be with a guy like him. Maybe he's blackmailing her or something?"
-"You're right. If we could help her, maybe she'd fall for one of us instead."
-"In that case, it'd be me, since I'm the best-looking."
That kind of chatter was the most common among the guys. Just boys being a little jealous of my so-called luck. Nothing new.
"Raiden!"
I quickly turned my attention to the door, where a beautiful blonde girl had just walked in and was now making her way to my desk.
"Right on time, as always," I said with a 'cheerful' smile.
"If I don't, you vanish, and it's a pain to find you!" she grumbled.
It only happened once—back when I actually needed to use the bathroom.
"Alright, alright, let's go." There was no escaping this.
As I stood up, I caught an unpleasant conversation coming from the back seats, specifically from a group of guys who could easily be labeled as delinquents.
I know Yumiko's beautiful, but the way they said it only showed why they never manage to get a girl's attention.
I noticed Yumiko raise an eyebrow, ready to confront them—like a lioness about to pounce. But in the end, I'd be the one left dealing with the fallout.
I don't think being someone's friend means also acting like their babysitter… but oh well, it is what it is.
"If we're late to the cafeteria, there'll be nothing left to buy," I sighed.
"You're right!"
Any trace of anger or annoyance vanished as she started dragging me toward the cafeteria.
Those idiots owe me one.
Luckily, we got there while the line was still manageable, and after a few minutes of waiting, we bought our lunches and headed to the rooftop using the other staircase.
Normally, more students would be there, but since it was winter and the weather colder, most preferred staying inside.
Being a prepared man, I had a hot Max Caffe to fend off the chill.
We sat on one of the benches on the rooftop and began eating.
That's when I remembered I had something to tell her.
"By the way, Yumiko, I'll be busy this week and will have to leave quickly, so I won't be able to walk you home."
I took a sip of my hot coffee, letting the warmth sink in.
Yumiko looked at me with curious eyes, as if wanting to know the reason, but quickly broke into a smile.
"That's fine, I get it. Don't worry about it. But in exchange, I want you to come with me to the mall next week—as compensation for the days we can't go together." She said it with firm determination.
I was already braced for this kind of outcome…
"Why the mall?" My voice sounded flat.
"I want to buy a few things, and I could use an extra pair of hands."
When a girl drags a guy to the mall, there's only one reason: carrying her bags. Oh, the irony of life…
"Alright, alright, I'll go with you to the mall," I said, resigning myself.
After clearing things up, we went back to eating, chatting about things of little importance.
Even so, ever since I started hanging around with Yumiko, my lunch breaks stopped being as monotonous as before.
...
With the sound of the bell signaling the end of classes, I grabbed my things, ready to leave school and begin my long, tiring trek to Kawasaki's school. Even though she told me her friends would walk with her, I knew that was a lie. I trust my ability to see through people enough to bet on it.
After several minutes of walking—questioning the existence of the universe, society's greatest problems, and which video game I should buy next—I finally arrived near Kawasaki's school.
School dismissal times are the same everywhere, so waiting at the gate didn't make sense. Instead, I wandered around the area, scanning for her. Her route home had to be the same as in the morning, so it didn't take long before I spotted her.
Turns out I was right—the words she told me earlier had been lies.
Not that I'm the world's best companion either...
I slowly approached her, intending to catch her off guard.
Once I was close enough, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"Yo, Kawasaki!" I said cheerfully.
My greeting startled her, making her flinch.
"Tsurumi!? What are you doing here?" she said, wide-eyed.
"I was on my way home, but I got lost on the road of life and somehow ended up here."
My reply didn't seem to convince her—Kawasaki eyed me with suspicion. Let's just say she wasn't buying it.
"What about you, Kawasaki? What are you doing around here? I didn't see any of those friends you mentioned today."
Nothing better than pointing out someone's lies.
"Are you some kind of stalker?" Kawasaki's tone was sharp.
"I'm just someone who takes responsibility for his actions. If that makes me a stalker, then I guess I am." With that, I flashed her a teasing grin.
Kawasaki let out a sigh, as if giving up on me.
"Fine. The truth is, my friends never walked me home. That was a lie."
She must have realized I already knew, so she decided to just confess.
"I figured as much. No need to spell it out."
She shot me a look but didn't answer my jab, which only made it more fun to tease her.
Kawasaki clicked her tongue and held her arm out toward me.
"If you're going to do it, then just do it." She said it with a straight face.
I slipped my shoulder under her arm so she could lean on me and walk more easily. If being a nuisance is the price for making things right, then I'll gladly pay it.
"Shall we?" I asked with a smile.
Kawasaki looked resigned to putting up with me. She simply nodded, and we started walking toward her house.
Since she didn't reject my company, I figured I could finally ask the question that had been on my mind from the start.
"Hey, Kawasaki, can I ask you something?"
"You're already asking," she shot back.
"Fair enough. Then I'll just ask—do you have any friends at your school?"
"You're pretty blunt, huh?"
"I couldn't think of another way to say it. Besides, it's easier that way."
"No. I don't have friends. Does that answer your question?" she said in a flat voice.
"Yeah, it does." I nodded.
Silence fell between us again, and this time, I guess it was my fault.
But before I could say anything, she spoke up.
"Not that I care about having friends. They're just a waste of time."
Her voice carried a tone of conviction, like she had reached that conclusion after a lot of thought.
"Even though you interact normally with the students at the academy, why is it different at your school?"
Her words only made me curious, since she was so friendly with the students—even answering questions or guiding anyone who didn't understand something.
It seemed I'd unknowingly stepped into dangerous territory.
"Don't you think you're asking too many questions? Also, I don't think I've given you the right to ask about my personal life, so I suggest you stop. And even if I let you help me, it's only because of my current condition, so don't get any weird ideas."
Kawasaki sounded pretty annoyed—guess that was all I could get out of her.
Still, I'm very curious.
The rest of the walk passed in silence; Kawasaki didn't feel like talking, and it would've been stupid of me to start a conversation. Still, I caught a few quick glances from her.
After several minutes we reached her house, so I left Kawasaki by her door.
I hope she's in a better mood tomorrow. Obviously, I'll come help her until she fully recovers—one thing doesn't negate the other.
"See you, Kawasaki." With my usual expression, I said goodbye.
Maybe she'll be in a better mood tomorrow, so I decided to leave without saying anything else that might upset her.
With nothing left to do, I turned and started walking.
"Tsurumi, wait a minute."
I stopped and turned back; it was odd that she called me.
Is something wrong with Kawasaki? That was the only thought I had.
"I want to apologize for what I said—I didn't mean to say it like that…" She sounded somewhat remorseful; I couldn't blame her—part of it was my fault too.
"You don't have to apologize for that. It's my fault for being too nosy."
This time the blame was mine for prying into her personal life. It's like watching something interesting—you know you shouldn't, but you still do.
"You're really annoying."
"I know."
"Even when I told you I didn't need your help, you come and do it anyway."
"That's just one of my traits—not something to brag about," I said cheerfully.
"Really…" She paused for a few seconds. "Thanks."
That surprised me—Kawasaki acting apologetic and like a normal teenager isn't something you see every day. And I can assure you, she looked pretty cute saying it.
There was only one response to her gratitude.
"Tsundere."
Someone who acts cold and distant but is kind and sweet on the inside.
Kawasaki took a few seconds to understand what I meant.
"Eh?! For some reason I want to hit you right now."
I couldn't help laughing at that.
"First get better from your injury and then we'll see what happens." I smiled after saying that.
"I hope you remember those words." Her challenging tone pleased me.
"See you tomorrow then, Kawasaki."
She sighed in response—what can I say, I can be very persistent and annoying when I put my mind to it.
"Bye, Tsurumi." Resigned, she said goodbye.
I turned while raising a hand in farewell.
As I walked home, I couldn't help thinking: I will never understand what women think. Luckily, I only have to deal with Yumiko and Kawasaki—if there were more, I'd probably lose my mind trying to figure them out.
With that in mind, I drifted off in thought on my way home.