Rooftop Encounter

Miyuki sat at her school desk with her chin resting on her palm. A dreamy smile was plastered on her, caused by her wandering thoughts of the time she had spent with Jin the previous day.

A bang on her desk forced her back into reality with a jump. Nanami stood across from her with her fist on the wood of her desk. “What’s wrong with you today?”

“N-Nanami? What do you mean?” Miyuki was startled by Nanami’s abrasiveness.

“Yesterday you were gone, and today you’ve been spaced out all day. It’s a miracle the teacher didn’t call on you,” Nanami huffed. “I thought you were gone because you were sick. If you weren’t here today, I was going to check on you after school. Turns out you’re here, but you left your head in the clouds. What, did you meet Jin or something?”

“Is it that obvious...?” Miyuki’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“Wait, you did? Actually?”

“Yes, I was in Tokyo yesterday to meet him. I forgot the weekend ended, sorry,” she hung her head in apology.

An outburst of laughter was not the response Miyuki was expecting. “That’s so like you,” Nanami wiped away the tears that began to form. “Seems I was worried over nothing.”

“Sorry for worrying you,” Miyuki said.

“Well, the lunch bell rang a few minutes ago. Should we head up to the roof?” Nanami suggested, to which Miyuki gave a firm nod.

After Miyuki dug her boxed lunch out of her backpack, the two headed out of the room and navigated through the school’s hallways to reach the nearest staircase. Nanami led the way, taking the first step up the stairs.

“I still can’t believe they gave us a key to the roof,” she said. “They’re awfully trusting, giving out keys like that.”

“Everyone always watched me while I ate,” Miyuki shivered, recalling the stares she received during lunch every day. They would all stop looking for a few moments after Nanami glared at them, but it was never enough to give Miyuki the privacy she wanted. Eventually, Nanami took her to explain the situation to the principal, who resolved the concern by allowing them to spend lunch on the rooftop. “The principal was nice enough to give us the key. As long as we remember to lock the door when we leave, that is.”

“Which is why I have the key,” Nanami glanced behind her with a smirk. She paused at the top of the staircase. “Huh, that’s odd…”

“What is it?” Miyuki stepped up behind her and peered over her shoulder. The door to the roof was cracked open, struggling to hold back the light that was trying desperately to escape. “Did you forget to close it yesterday?”

“I didn’t come up here yesterday,” Nanami answered. “And I know we locked it on Friday. Maybe the janitor is cleaning out there right now?” She continued toward the door and opened it wider.

Outside was a flat, empty area, enclosed by a chain link fence that stood taller than Nanami and Miyuki combined.

There was no janitor cleaning the floors of the rooftop. Instead, an unfamiliar girl stood with her back to them, staring at the horizon through the fence. Her long pink pigtails swayed gently in the quiet breeze. Though she wore the uniform of Miyuki’s school, she had never seen her before.

The girl spun around in slow motion and stared at Miyuki with innocent sakura-colored eyes.

“Who are you?” Nanami asked, earning her the girl’s gaze. “And more importantly, how did you get up here?”

“A teacher unlocked it for me,” she said. Her stare returned to Miyuki. “You must be Miyuki Haruno?”

“That’s me,” Miyuki confirmed. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you new here?”

She stepped forward. “Yes. I had to change schools due to some new developments. I didn’t know this was your school.”

“Are you a fan of hers?” Nanami questioned after exchanging a glance with Miyuki.

“Not exactly,” the girl replied. “I just know a lot about idols.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Miyuki said. “What’s your name?”

“Komi Koizumi,” she curtsied. “Who’s your friend?”

“Nanami Machii,” Nanami introduced herself. “If a teacher let you up here, you must’ve had a good reason to ask.”

“Nothing special,” Komi turned back to admire the view beyond the fence. “I just needed a place to think.”

“That doesn’t sound like a reason that would give you access to the rooftop,” Nanami commented.

“She was a nice teacher,” Komi shrugged. “Why are you two up here?”

“Being an idol in a public school has its downsides,” Miyuki said with an awkward smile. “It gets uncomfortable sometimes. I don’t mind the fans, but I’m not the biggest fan of being stared at while I eat.”

“I’m glad no one looks at me like that in school,” she shivered.

“Do you mind if we sit down to eat?” Miyuki asked.

“Not at all. I would enjoy a chat with you.” Komi sat down against the fence and threw her arms around her legs.

Miyuki and Nanami lowered themselves to the floor and opened their lunches. Inside Miyuki’s was a large sum of rice she had prepared before school, topped with chicken, a mix of vegetables, and teriyaki sauce. Next to the mountainous pile of food was an apple and a cup of vanilla yogurt. She stole a glance at Nanami’s meal, which consisted of chopped grilled fish on one side of her lunchbox, decorated with melted butter and a mix of green seasonings, separated from the stir fry on the other side by a divider.

It was apparent that Komi did not have any food on her. “Do you want some of my food, Koizumi?”

Komi waved to reject her offer. “I’m not hungry.” She watched the two girls eat for a minute before speaking up again. “Are you preparing for the Idol Awards yet?”

“The Idol Awards?” Miyuki repeated after swallowing a bite of savory food. “Not yet. It’s still a few months away.”

“I’ve heard a few idols already have a song in mind to perform and are starting on their dance routines to make sure it’s flawless when they perform,” she said.

“Really? I’m just starting to look for inspiration for a new song…”

“Who are the idols you are referring to?” Nanami questioned.

“The only one I know for certain is Erii Mitsui. There are a couple more that I have reason to believe are already preparing, but I won’t name them until I find out for sure.”

“Erii Mitsui?” Miyuki blinked. “I feel like I’ve heard that name before…”

“You should look her up,” Komi suggested. “It’s important to know your competition. She might be your greatest opponent.” The fence rattled as she jumped to her feet. “It’s about time for me to leave,” she said before moving toward the door. “One last thing before I leave,” she stopped a step behind Miyuki. “There’s something you need to know about this year’s Idol Awards.”