My World

The blaring of her alarm clock caused Tan-Tan to jolt herself awake. With a squeal of displeasure, the small girl slammed her pillow over her head in an attempt to mute the ringing sounds. The clattering noise of footsteps accompanied by the opening of her bedroom door signified trouble once again. Her father, Shinichi, wrapped his large hands around her ankles, yanking her onto the floor below, her butt hitting the cold wood beneath her bed.

"Shina, if we have to have this talk again I'm going to shave your head bald!"
He slapped the button atop her alarm clock, his fatigued face covered in untrimmed stubble.

Tan-Tan blinked a few times, yawned, and stood up. She looked up at her father's face, her eyes softening with guilt.
"You would really shave my head just for waking you up with my alarm clock, Daddy?"

"Of course not, you little brat. But if I have to drag you out of bed one more time, I'm going to send your mother in to do it instead. You and I both know you'll be in far more trouble if she gets involved."
His gentle fingers straightened her messy hair as he leaned in to give her forehead a loving kiss, to which she melted into.

"Sorry, Daddy. I've been busy with a project that my senpai assigned to me."
Tan-Tan began brushing her hair as she stood in front of her little vanity.

"Your senpai, huh?"
Shinichi couldn't wait to tease her. He had been praying for the day that Tan-Tan would have a confident male figure in her life; besides himself, of course.
"Is this senpai of yours a boy, by chance?"

"What?! Um, well... I... y-yes."
Tan-Tan briefly stopped the brush strokes against her hair, her red ears were visible from behind as Shinichi smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

"You're a blushing mess, kid. He must be special. I'm sure he's going to be the one you've been seeking."
He turned his body to face the doorway, his excitement now pumping through his veins like a fire hose.

"Daddy, what if he-"
Her doubt was cut short, her father spoke softly, reassuring her and alleviating her worries.

"Take things slow, Shina. If he's the one, you'll know."
He exited the room, leaving Tan-Tan to reflect in her own little bubble.

After tying her bright red bow tie cutely, she applied a thin layer of moisturizing lip balm to her plump lips. She headed downstairs and greeted her mother, already munching away at her bowl of rice.

"Good morning, Mommy."
She sat across from her mother, Aya, whispering a silent prayer before graciously accepting her breakfast with hungry bites.

"Good morning, sweetie. You look extra cute this morning~"
Her mother's soft, almost singing voice, washed over Tan-Tan like a comforting blanket.

"Do I? It's probably just the summer uniform effect."
Tan-Tan spoke between bites of rice and pickled daikon radish, her chopsticks constantly in motion from the dishes to her mouth.

Aya giggled, her eyes now fully focused on her small daughter.
"Nonsense! Your skin is glowing. Did something good happen at school?"

Tan-Tan's eyes lit up. She gulped down a mouthful of miso soup and smiled, exhaling an excited breath.
"Nishi-senpai is having me help to write his manga! He's going to enter it in a real contest. Just imagine, my pen name printed on the cover of a shoujo manga magazine!"

"That's wonderful news, Shina! Is Nishi-senpai the boy who you went to summer camp with?"

"Mhm! He's the one who helped introduce me to all of my new friends! I owe him a lot, so writing him a story is the least I can do."
Tan-Tan's eyes concealed a secret admiration that went beyond a mere school friendship. Of course, Aya noticed. She finished her breakfast and walked over to Tan-Tan, wrapping her arms around her in a loving embrace.

"I'm so glad you made such wonderful friends, sweetie. Make sure to treasure them, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy."
Tan-Tan closed her eyes, setting her sights on the world awaiting her in the near future.

On her way to school, Tan-Tan noticed a familiar spectacle wearing boy, sitting sound asleep in the morning train car. She took a seat right beside him, his eyes closed in a deep slumber. She gently pulled his head onto her petite shoulder, letting him use her as a pillow.

"Now, we're even."
She giggled softly to herself, recalling the moment she had drooled on his lap a few weeks ago in the lobby of a beach resort hotel. Settling further into her seat, Tan-Tan pulled out her smartphone, her fingers tapping away at the screen as she pondered a rough draft for the upcoming manga contest. The humming of the train car accompanied by the soft clicking of the rails on the tracks caused Nishi to stir in his sleep; a faint whisper could be heard from his slightly parted lips.

"Tan-Tan, come closer."

Tan-Tan froze. She wasn't quite sure if she had heard him correctly. To her, it definitely sounded like Nishi was having a dream about her, asking her to get closer to him. Her thoughts ran rampant. Was he awake? Was he having a forbidden dream? Regardless, she couldn't turn this opportunity down.

"I'm here, Nishi-senpai."
She whispered, her breath hot against his earlobe.

"You're the only one who can do it with me, Tan-Tan."

Her heart was beating out of her chest. She couldn't believe Nishi was having such a lewd dream about her, right here on the morning train. She was beginning to panic.

"N-N-Nishi-senpai! We can't!"
Her voice became a high pitched whisper, her vocal cords straining to stay quiet.

"Only you... can write my story."

"Huh?"
Her eyes drooped with disappointment. She gently smacked the sleeping boy on the head.

"Ah! What?! Tan-Tan?!"
Nishi's eyes jolted awake, his body straightening out from the unexpected blow.

"Nishi-senpai, you shouldn't sleep on public transportation. What if I wasn't here to wake you up?"
She uncomfortably shifted her body away from his, coming up with the best excuse as to why she really hit him.

The two awkwardly entered the gates of Shishigami High School, Tan-Tan making a conscious effort to walk a few steps ahead of him. Waiting for them at the shoe lockers were Yamaguchi Minami and Sakai Akinari, both holding a manila envelope, sealed with a thin string.

"I got the screen tone applied last night, Nishi. Minami added the finishing touches."
Akinari slipped the paper container into Nishi's hands, his eyes drooping slightly.

"I'm totally invested in this story, Tan-Tan-chan! You two make a really good team! Aki kept having to yell at me to finish my work instead of reading."
She stuck out her tongue, comedically bringing her knuckles down on her head.

Shaking her head, Tan-Tan inspected the envelope's contents while slipping into her school issued loafers.

"I love the floral screen tone you applied, Sakai-senpai! It's starting to look like a real manga!"

Nishi gently bopped her head with an open hand.
"That's because it is a real manga."

"R-right! I guess it just doesn't feel real, the four of us creating a real manga in high school."
She scratched her cheek with her finger, trying her best to wrap her head around the idea.

Waving goodbye to her senpai, Tan-Tan strode into her classroom, her footsteps light and carefree. She plopped down into her chair, swaying side to side with giddiness. A few whispers could be heard.

"What's up with Tanaka-san this morning?"

"Let me guess, she finally got a boyfriend?"

"No way! Tan-Tan's heart will be mine!"

"You're still calling her Tan-Tan? She doesn't even know you exist, man."

She ignored the gossip, rather, she couldn't be bothered to focus on it. She had a big day ahead of her, already committed to spending her class period focusing on writing her story. Pulling out her phone, she studied the notes that Nishi had sent her a week ago regarding Akinari and Minami's relationship. Her hand flew across her notebook, writing an exaggerated variation of the story behind the couple's life before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Her heart was beating faster with each new word she wrote, her imagination pumping out romantic dopamine as the clock ticked the school day into the past.