A Quiet Start

18 November, 2024 - 6:30 AM

It's early in the morning, the weather is starting to get colder as it's getting deeper into November.  The sun is filtering through the curtains in patches on to the desk. Where we have Izumi sitting, revising his lessons from the previous day. He in particular enjoys this time of the day when everything is so quiet and peaceful, while having his morning coffee. 

His room is neat and clean, while it's not very big or stylish. It's plain and simple just to his liking. HIs guitar and piano at the corner of the room while his books are neatly set on the shelf as well as his bag hanging from the side of the shelf. 

if life could only be like this forever, it'd be like a dream come true, he thought while taking a sip of his coffee

He glances over the small calendar on his table and his calm morning is disturbed by the fact that the cultural festival is coming up.

Izumi leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Festivals meant crowds, noise, and people. He had always avoided them, telling himself he simply wasn’t interested. Deep down, though, he knew the truth: being around so many people made him feel sick to his stomach. It’s not my fault, he told himself. I just don’t see the point of all that chaos.

"Ah, man, I totally forgot about it," he muttered, his voice low as he glanced at the calendar again. "And we’re supposed to start preparing today, too."

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out another sigh, before turning back to his books.

As he was immersed in his books, he glances at the clock, 7:20 already? I should get ready .

Standing before the mirror as he fixed his uniform, Izumi’s eyes drifted to the faint scar beneath his right eye. "Oh, that’s been healing nicely," he murmured, brushing his fingertips lightly over it.

"He heads to the kitchen, quickly making himself a sandwich. As he takes the last bite, he grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. 'I better get going,' he mutters, 'don't want to lose my perfect attendance now,' before heading out the door to school."

The walk to school was uneventful. It was just him walking past familiar sights: the old bakery on the corner and the convenience store where he sometimes grabbed a snack.

By the time he reached school, the hallways were busy but not overly crowded. Students were hurrying to their classes, and the chatter created a gentle buzz in the background. Izumi let out a quiet sigh of relief, grateful for the relatively empty hallways as he made his way to class.

As Izumi stepped into the classroom, the familiar sight greeted him: classmates chatting energetically while waiting for the homeroom teacher to arrive. How do they have so much energy this early in the morning?  he wondered, suppressing a sigh. If I say hi once, my social battery will be dead for the day.

He made his way to the back of the classroom and slid into his usual seat by the window. As he placed his bag on the side of the desk, he gazed outside and murmured to himself, "The cold sunlight’s pretty nice today, huh?"

The seat in front of him was always crowded, much to Izumi’s annoyance. It wasn’t just because it was noisy—it was because that seat belonged to the class rep and, arguably, the most popular girl in the class: Natsumi Hoshino. It sounded odd, but her personality seemed to naturally draw people in.

I see her every day, but I’ll never understand how she keeps up that energy and talks to everyone like it’s effortless. Kind of cool, I guess, Izumi thought to himself.

His brow furrowed as a realization hit him. “Wait, that almost sounded like I admire her—” he muttered, cutting himself off as the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

The homeroom teacher, Ms. Ayane, walked into the classroom, and the noise of chatter gradually faded as everyone returned to their seats. The class proceeded as expected, nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual routine.

As the bell rang for the end of the period, Ms. Ayane cleared her throat, standing in front of the class. "Alright, everyone," she began, her voice ringing around the classroom, "the cultural festival is coming up, and everyone must be involved. Make sure you’re contributing to the preparations."

Izumi slumped in his chair, inwardly groaning. So I can’t even skip it. Nice.

Natsumi notices Izumi slumping in his seat but doesn’t say anything. She assumes he prefers to keep to himself and doesn't want to risk bothering him by speaking up.

At the end of the day, everyone stayed behind for a couple of hours, preparing for the upcoming festival. Despite it being far from his favorite thing, Izumi did his part, quietly helping wherever he could. He moved through the tasks with minimal fuss, keeping to himself and avoiding too much interaction. It wasn’t that he minded helping, it was just the constant presence of so many people that drained him.

Back home, Izumi flopped down onto his bed with a dramatic sigh. "Yep, I'm dead," he muttered, burying his face in the pillow.

He let out another groan as the weight of the upcoming week sank in. "A whole week of this... This is gonna be one long, miserable stretch." He buried himself further into the bed, his mind already dreading the festival prep he’d have to endure.