New Friends and Family Matters

Keith and Sophia got ready for school hastily as they left the house. With luck on their side, they made it just seconds before the bell rang. The both of them entered their class and went to their seats. 

Keith noticed that Shintaro was nowhere to be found as he turned his head to look around. Shintaro’s seat was vacant, which was quite unusual. Shintaro had never missed a school day, not once, which is why Keith seemed concerned as he stared at his desk.

Ms. Ogawa entered the class and announced, “Good morning, class. Before we begin homeroom I’d like to make an announcement. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Nagai is absent.” 

Everyone in the class stayed quiet, listening carefully and attentively; some of their faces were laced with concern, while others couldn’t care less. 

“As it turns out, there’s a family matter he’s attending to, so you might not see him for a while. Now then, let’s begin homeroom, shall we?”

“I hope he's okay.” A male student murmured.

“Yeah, I hope so too.” A female student added.

“Whatever, who cares if the class clown is going through some sh*t, if you ask me, it serves him right.” Fukushima muttered.

Hearing this, Keith’s veins popped in his neck, and his eyes narrowed toward Fukushima. 

“No one asked for your opinion Fukushima.” Shimizu retorted, her eyebrows drawn down, her stare fixed on him. He looked away from her as she turned around. Ms. Ogawa began homeroom.

After the first few periods, the bell rang, signaling recess. Keith stood up from his seat, walked toward the door, opened it, and left the classroom while Sophia stayed, watching him go. 

At that moment two girls walked up to Sophia, and one of them—short gray hair and brown eyes—queried with a kind smile, 

“Hello, Marlowe‑chan, would you like to eat lunch with us?”

“Oh, uh… y‑yeah… I stuttered, didn’t I?” 

The other girl, with violet hair and red eyes, answered with a polite giggle, “Kinda, but it’s fine.”

“I’m sorry if I was rude; I got lost in thought.” 

The short‑gray‑haired girl waved her hand nonchalantly, murmuring, “Don’t worry about it; I tend to space out too sometimes.” 

“Sorry… I’d love to eat lunch with you guys, but unfortunately I didn’t make anything for myself.” 

The girl with red eyes interjected, “Well then, how about we go to the cafeteria? I’m sure we’ll find something good there, but only if you’re up for it; we don’t want to force you.” 

“It’s okay, I’m totally up for it; in fact, let’s go.” 

Sophia said as she stood up and walked out of the class alongside the two girls.

The short‑gray‑haired girl introduced herself. “Oh, I’m Miyu Kobayashi, by the way.” 

“And I’m Aiko Tanaka, but you can call me Aiko.” 

“It’s nice to meet you both; I hope we can be good friends.” 

“I’m hoping for that too.” Kobayashi raved happily.

Aiko chimed in, adjusting her imaginary glasses. “Than this is it, this is the start of our highschool adventure.” 

The three girls talked and got to know each other as they walked across the second‑year hall, heading toward the cafeteria.

While Keith went up the stairs slowly, taking each step with a slowed pace, as if every step carried a thought. He shuffled as he passed the third year's floor and continued up the stairs.

He reached the roof, opened the door and saw Akira leaning on the rails, her back facing the door. She was staring into the distance, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. It was as if she could see her thoughts replaying an event from earlier that morning.

*****

Akira had gotten dressed and already left her house when she realized she had forgotten her bento. 

She sprinted back into the house and ran into her mother in the doorway, who was holding her bento. 

Akira’s posture shifted as she leaned away slightly, trying to create space. She looked away, her eyes avoiding her mother’s. 

“You forgot your lunch, dear, so I thought—” 

“I… don’t need it anymore…” Akira whispered, her voice sounding pained as her head lowered, her shoulders slumping as if her body had become smaller. 

She bolted out of the house, leaving her mother speechless on the doorway, her eyes welling up with tears.

*****

Akira’s grip tightened on the rail as it groaned slightly, her eyes sharp. Keith approached her, his steps quiet. 

“Hey, how are you—” He paused as he saw Akira’s sad expression, his heart throbbed in concern. “Are you okay?” 

Akira faked a smile as she looked at Keith for a moment, then tried to hide her expression as she ambled past him, her face growing sadder as she approached the door. 

Keith turned to look at her, then something clicked in his mind; he remembered Akira’s words the night they met, when she was sleeping in her bed. The words were: “I’m… sorry, Mom.” 

He took a deep breath, then questioned, “It’s about your mother, isn’t it?” 

Akira froze mid‑step and turned around slowly as her eyes widened. “How did you—” 

“I remember you saying ‘I’m sorry, Mom’, the other day, so I just figured that’s why you’re looking so sad. I'm right, aren't I?” 

“.....” 

“Akira‑san, we’re friends, aren’t we? And as friends, it’s our job to help each other when we’re going through difficult times. If you keep the pain bottled up, it will slowly eat away at you until there’s nothing left. So I’m begging you, Akira, please tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I just can’t, okay! I… I can’t tell you, I’m sorry…”

Keith stared at Akira with pitiful eyes, then walked to the rails and climbed on top of them. 

“Akira‑san,” 

Akira looked back, and immediately she was horror struck, her mouth agape, her hands shaking. 

“You’re the reason why I’ve come to enjoy being at school, even though it’s only been a few days. I’ve acknowledged that ever since I met you, I’ve gone through a significant change; I don’t find going to school pointless anymore. I keep looking forward to each day because…” 

Keith turned around carefully on top of the rails as he looked at her with a pained smile.

“... Because I know that you’ll be right next to me, smiling with your bright grin that always brings me joy. So if you won’t tell me what’s wrong than I’ll jump and end my pointless existence right here, because I don’t like seeing you this way. I’d rather die than see you looking so sad for another moment.”

Akira ran toward Keith, her breath caught in her throat, her breaths chaotic. Keith jumped down, landing in front of her as she hugged him. 

“Please… don’t ever do something like that again… I thought you were really going to jump.” 

“I’m sorry I worried you.” 

They continued hugging; this time Akira didn’t let go, she wasn’t embarrassed about hugging him anymore because she had finally acknowledged her feelings. 

Akira’s grip tightened on Keith’s back as she said, “You were right… It is about my mother.” 

“What happened? Did you have a fight or something?” Keith asked as he embraced her. 

“It’s a long story.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m not in a rush; you can tell me, I’ll listen.” 

Akira took shallow breaths and continued hugging him tightly a little while longer. She let go of him and leaned on the rails. “Thanks, I needed that.” 

“You’re welcome.” Keith spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, his cheeks turning red.

Akira breathed in the fresh air as she looked at the sky, which was cloudy and looked like it might start raining later. 

He leaned against the cold steel rail, his knuckles turning white as he watched Akira's silhouette melt into the gray sky, the wind tugging at his sleeves like an impatient child.

“I don’t have a good relationship with my mom, or rather, I don’t feel comfortable around her even though she doesn’t have any problem with me.” 

Akira continued in a velvety tone, her eyes drowning in the abyss. “A few years ago, I think I was six. I was playing in the kitchen while my mom was cooking. I accidentally collided with the stove and a pot of extremely hot water fell toward my face. Mom ran toward me and shielded me with her back, but she got burned by the water in the process.” 

Akira’s hands tightened on the rails, her face falling into a cold crevice as Keith glanced at her, his hand placed on top of her's. 

“I felt so scared in that moment, seeing her face as her back got burned; I just… I couldn’t forgive myself. I felt so guilty. She was hospitalized for a while after that day. And when she finally got discharged, that’s when things changed between us.” 

Akira muttered, her voice hollow. “I couldn’t look her in the eye anymore; I couldn’t even be in one room with her, because every time I saw her and heard her voice, I would get flashbacks of that day… It's been ten years, and yet… I still can’t face her.”

“I can sort of relate; I don’t have a good relationship with the person who gave birth to me either, and I’m perfectly fine with it. She and I will never be a family again, so I’ve chosen to forget her. But you and your mom still have a chance to patch things up. In order for you to finally regain your relationship with your mom, you’ll have to talk to her, so that she’ll know what’s wrong, because she probably spent the past ten years thinking she was the problem.” 

“I know, but—” 

“Listen, if you don't fix things with your mom while you still have the chance, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. There’s no time like the present, right?” 

“Yeah, thanks, Keith. I’ll try to talk to her after school.” 

“I’ll accompany you, if you don’t mind though.” 

“I don’t mind at all; I’d be happy if you came.” Akira purred, looking at him with smiling eyes as her lips curled up, her cheeks a healthy shade of pink. 

Keith smiled back, his usual embarrassment completely overshadowed by his determination to help her. A small breeze passed them, their uniforms and hair swaying as dark clouds moved toward the school. 

The bell rang, and they both went back to their classes, their hearts filled with a warmth they could never explain.

As they separated, Keith heading toward his class and Akira walking into hers, Shiori saw them as she sauntered toward class 2‑A and stood from afar, looking at Keith as he entered class 2‑C, her cheeks as red as a tomato. 

Afternoon classes began and ended as fast as they had started. Small drops of rain began falling outside, sharing similarities with snow as they fell. 

Keith turned to Sophia and asked, “Hey, Sophia, are you going back to your house today?” 

“Yeah; my parents are probably back by now.” 

“Alright, see you soon then.” 

Keith took his bag and walked toward the door while Sophia waved at him. Aiko and Kobayashi looked at Keith and then at Sophia, their eyes shining with mischief. 

“Sophy, you didn’t tell us that you’re friends with class C’s hottie. Spill—are you two close or something?” Aiko probed with glittery eyes. 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Yamasaki‑kun never talks to anyone ‘but’ Nagai. So if he’s talking to you, it must mean the two of you are close, or maybe you're acquainted in some way.” Kobayashi added as she stood next to Aiko. 

Sophia blushed, “It’s nothing profound like that; he and I are just childhood friends, that’s all.” 

“YOU’RE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS?!” Aiko and Kobayashi blurted in unison, their curiosity peaked.

“Uh, yeah, is that weird?” 

“Of course not, it’s just surprising, that's all.” Kobayashi answered politely. 

“Oh, okay.” 

“You’ve got to tell us more; I’m curious to know what Yamasaki‑kun is really like.” Aiko chattered as they marched out of the class and descended the stairs, their conversation still ongoing.

“You’d be surprised by how insufferable he can be, and his sarcasm is pretty annoying. Plus, he can be so insensitive; I swear he’s a hopeless cause.”

Kobayashi and Aiko giggled as they listened to Sophia complain, but they could see through her mean words, and what they saw was a girl talking about someone she liked. 

“I never guessed he was like that; I always assumed he was the quiet type.” Aiko chattered yet again. 

“Nope, he’s a rude idiot who thinks he knows everything, but he can be nice when he wants to, I guess.” 

“Why does it seem like you have a thing for him?” Kobayashi inquired. 

“W‑what, no, I don’t.” 

“You don’t have to hide it; we’ve been through the Yamasaki curse too.” Kobayashi answered as they strolled out of the school gate, the rain slowly descending from the heavens. 

“The… what?” 

“The Yamasaki curse. It’s a stupid name we gave to the feelings we had for Yamasaki‑kun. Last year a lot of girls fell for him at first sight and all of them were rejected, including the majority of the girls in our class. Aiko and I also fell victim to the curse, but we didn’t confess to him; after a while everyone started referring to the feelings they had for him as the Yamasaki curse.” 

“Really, that sounds…” 

“Stupid, yeah we’re aware. That’s why we never confessed our feelings for him; getting rejected is not a great experience.” Aiko chirped with a grin. 

“Yeah, and don’t I know it.” Sophia mumbled as she sighed. 

“No way, you confessed to him.” Aiko solicited as she turned to look at Sophia.

Me and my big mouth, Sophia thought as she looked away comically. 

“Yeah, I confessed to him yesterday and I got rejected.” 

“Don’t worry, girl, you’ll find someone someday.” Aiko quipped as she walked in front of the two of them. “But for now you’re part of the Broken‑Hearts Brigade.” 

“That’s a stupid name. What she’s trying to say is that you shouldn’t let it get you down, even though we never confessed to him, we still fell for him, so we can kinda relate, you know.”

Kobayashi spoke softly as they stepped over the wet road, then she placed her hand on Sophia’s shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, I’m completely over him; now he and I are just friends, and I’m perfectly fine with that.” 

“That’s the spirit, girl.” 

Aiko chirped, turned around, and walked backward, her grin widening. The three of them ventured to the train station, their friendship already established as they laughed together in comfortable companionship.