My alarm clock was screaming at me to wake up, before I groggily hit the snooze button, I needed 5 more minutes.
It was a Tuesday, Yesterday was all the same, I woke up and ate breakfast, went to school, and Yamada tutored me, after which we said our goodbyes and I left for home at night we texted each other until it was about 11:30 pm, which we didn't realize until it was too late, as a natural consequence of our stupidity, we only got 6 and a half hours of sleep
My alarm clock went off again, this time was even more urgent and annoying than the last. I picked up my alarm clock and aggressively turned it off.
"Fine I'm up, good mother of god."
"Talking to inanimate objects are we, Masaichi?"
My mother was resting her body up against the door frame of my bedroom, smirking. But that wasn't right? My mother went to work before I would wake up, this was strange.
"Aren't you supposed to be at work?
"No actually, I'm taking a sick day to take care of the house."
"But I take care of the house?"
"Well you don't have to today, also I just wanted to spend some time with my son."
"Oh, I see."
Silence enveloped my room, my moms face quickly changed from a sly smile to a serious, stone cold stare.
"W-why are you looking at me like I did something wrong?"
"The neighbors told me Yamada came into this house 2 weeks ago, before you asked me if she could visit on Saturday."
Of course, I had completely forgotten about that Friday, she had barged into my home uninvited and now I'm about to suffer immensely due to the consequences of her actions.
"Let me explai-"
"Oh I will, In fact I hope you give me a grade A excuse as to why you allowed a girl into our house without my approval."
I reluctantly had to explain to my mother what happened during that day and the day before that, how I met Yamada at her workplace, that she forgot her hat and that I allowed her to come to my house to pick up her hat but not come inside, and how she barged into my house despite my pleas to not come inside.
My mothers jaw dropped in disbelief, this girl was something that she would have never guessed she was, she had fully anticipated I had taken advantage of her.
My mother sitting beside me on my bed proceeded to wrap her arms around my torso and squeezed me tight.
"I'm sorry for assuming things, I shouldn't have been so aggressive in my questioning, she seems like a really unique girl huh?"
"If you consider breaking and entering 'Unique'"
My mom pulled away from her hug, and I relaxed my shoulders, I wasn't going to be brutally tortured with chores over this scandal.
"Did she apologize yet, for barging in?"
"Yes, she did, she apologized profusely."
"Good, then she is forgiven, however if she barges into my home again you have every right to chase her away with the broom."
"She's not a stray cat mom, she's my friend, yeesh."
My mom stood up and started towards the doorway.
"Get dressed and go to school, I'll be sure to get you something nice when you get back."
"Oh, really, are you sure you want to?"
"I want to, you're my son, and I feel like I should treat you like that."
*****
I was snoozing off in my homeroom, the passing period was almost over and I had decided I needed sleep, god only knows how tired I am.
…
"Sato?"
I heard someone call my name, but I chose to ignore it, I needed to sleep. I heard the person or whoever said my name walk up next to me, whatever, they were probably just concerned about me.
"Dummy."
Just then I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head as I felt my scalp being squeezed under immense pressure, I quickly raised my head and looked behind me to be met with a Yamada, dark circles were under her eyes and she looked like she was running off fumes and yet somehow she had the energy to giggle uncontrollably.
In my tired haze I barely managed to stammer out words that were coherent enough to understand.
"What did you just do?"
"I pinched the back of your head because you kept me up till it was late, and also I need to tutor you before I pass out."
"No thanks, not today."
"You really think you have a choice in this, Sato?"
"Have mercy…."
After those words were said Yamada moved her desk right next to mine as she always did, she looked horribly tired on closer inspection, he hair was unbrushed and everywhere, her glasses were barely on her face, and she looked as if a gust of wind would of been able to knock her over.
I worked in silence as she silently watched over me, she repeatedly closed her eyes before forcing them open again, I myself was also struggling to stay awake, it felt like my eyelids were attached to lead weights, the experience was not all that fun to say the least.
*****
"Can you walk me home, Sato? I don't think ill be able to head to work today."
Yamada was gripping her satchel, which contained her work uniform, and other essentials. The request from her was strange because she usually insisted she was fine walking alone, but I thought nothing of it.
"Oh yeah sure, I can."
We both walked by each other's side through the front gate of our school, and I followed close behind Yamada, who looked much worse than she had during homeroom. Each step she took looked labored and cumbersome as if she was holding the weight of the world on her back.
"S-sato there's been something on my mind."
I myself was also extremely tired, but I wasn't having as much difficulty walking as Yamada was, I rubbed my eyes and groggily replied to her.
"Yes Yamada, what is it?"
"Can I call you by your first name?"
I stumbled over a crack on the sidewalk and nearly tripped, unsure if I had heard her right. We had known each other for about 3 weeks and she already wanted to call me by my first name? How bold of her.
"And why would that be, isn't being formal work just fine?"
"Well yeah but, it makes me feel more like we are co-workers, or people that aren't really that close."
"Ugh, fine yes you can."
I paused, my silence being replaced by the warm winds of summer's end and the birds around us chirping.
"Hana."
Yamada's face twitched, she looked taken aback, soon her whole face turned red as a massive grin creeped across her face.
"You suck, Masaichi."