Classmates (again)

Satoko crossed the gate of Murata High School. It was the first day of her third year of high school.

A soft breeze swayed her long black hair, further disheveling the messy bangs that covered most of her face. Under the locks of hair, two eyes, blue like the ocean, were barely visible.

Head down, she started walking discreetly towards the entrance.

“Oh, look how tall that girl is!”

“Yeah, right! So cool!”

Satoko tucked her nose under the scarf.

Please, let me disappear.

She had always been a shy and reserved girl, but always attracted attention for her height and she hated it.

“Good morning, Satoko.”

Finally a familiar voice. Satoko turned to the girl who had reached her.

“Mei, you’re here! Good morning.”

The girl replied with a nod of her head. Kobayashi Mei was Satoko’s childhood friend: they knew each other since elementary school and got along because they were both very introverted.

There was also another reason for their friendship: they were both tall girls. They both knew the uneasy feeling of being noticed in crowds because of the height difference or being addressed as ‘the tall one’ by everyone.

It was hilarious that, at first, they became friends just because they were both tall. Nevertheless, their unbreakable bond derived from that simple thing that connected them.

Mei’s brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, except for a side lock that framed the left side of her face. She was listening to music from her airpods, as always.

“The boygroup I listen to just dropped a new song, do you want to listen?”

Satoko nodded excitedly. She wasn’t a big fan of music, but always listened to Mei’s suggestions.

She took the airpod Mei was handing her. She was about to put it on when her foot slipped on something.

Her body lost balance and leaned backwards.

Oh no, no, no! Not in front of everyone!

She started waving her arms to regain balance and, by mistake, let go of Mei’s airpod.

NO!!! Mei will kill me if it breaks!

She lunged forward and threw herself towards the airpod. Unfortunately, she had never been an athletic person. Her foot slipped again and she fell on the ground.

The airpod!

She glanced up, looking for her friend’s earphone. The little white thing was flying right towards the ground. Satoko held out a hand, but she was too far to reach it.

A few moments before the fatal fall, two tiny hands slipped under the airpod and grabbed it.

“Phew~” a cute voice heaved a sigh.

Satoko raised her head and met the chestnut coloured eyes of a short girl with wavy dark brown hair. She was the cutest girl she had ever seen.

Oh no, I’m still lying on the ground!

“Why are you lying on the ground?” the cute girl asked.

Satoko petrified.

Please, let me vaporise into morning fog and never put foot in this place again.

Mei heaved a sigh and handed out a hand to Satoko to help her.

“There was no need to turn into a volleyball player to catch my airpod.”

Satoko accepted her help and tried to laugh it off, but her ha-ha gradually slowed down, transforming into tears of self-pity. She gazed to the ground and saw the culprit: a little pebble was resting there nonchalantly, ready to set up an ambush to the first student who walked there, and who could that be? Satoko, of course.

She kicked away the pebble and rejoiced internally.

Die, ruiner of reputations!

“Hey, this song is by N-Team, I listen to them too!” The short girl exclaimed.

Mei rolled her eyes. “What a drag” she murmured, then turned to the girl. “Really? That’s cool! Thank you for saving my airpod.”

Satoko would never get used to her skill to switch attitude with a bat of the eye.

“Mei-chan, I never thought you would listen to boygroups!”

“Why not? They’re good singers.”

Mei took back her airpod and decided to put them both away.

“By the way, I’m Watanabe Yukina, but everyone calls me Yuki-chan. I think we never ran into each other before” the short girl introduced herself to Satoko.

“Oh, you’re right.”

And maybe it was better if we never ran into each other if it had to go this way!

“I’m Itou Satoko, nice to meet you.” She tried to smile, but Mei tapped on her shoulder and shook her head no.

“It looks like you’re going to the gallows” she whispered.

Satoko imagined herself in a cotton kimono walking towards his executor with a disturbing smile depicted in her face and got goosebumps. It was a terrible vision.

At that moment, someone walked next to them.

“Good morning! I saw a bit of commotion, is everyone alright?”

Satoko’s eyes widened. She could recognize that voice anywhere: it was Minami Hiroshi, her crush since first year.

Watanabe’s eyes sparkled. “Good morning, Minami-kun!”

The blonde guy smiled in reply.

“Yes, we’re fine” Mei replied.

Minami’s eyes switched to Satoko, unsure. “If you say so… Well, see you in class, then!”

“What?!” Satoko exclaimed, but immediately put her hands before her mouth.

Why did she have to shout that way?

Minami chuckled. “We’re in the same class again, Itou-san. Let’s do our best together!”

Satoko’s heart skipped a beat. Minami really remembered her? It was too dangerous information.

“Y-Yes!”

The blonde guy smiled and continued towards the entrance with his friends.

Suddenly, Watanabe started coughing. “Where does this smoke come from?”

She looked up to Satoko, whose face was so red that was roasting.

“Are you okay?” she asked, worried.

But Satoko’s mind was no longer connected to her body: it was roaming in a field of flowers with honey rivers and butterflies that flew around.

OMG, Minami-kun is so cute I could explode!! And not only he remembered me, he was even worried! He’s so effortlessly caring and sweet!

Mei brought a hand to her forehead, exasperated. “You’ll get used to it.”

Watanabe tilted her head to one side, confused. “...Okay, I guess?”

***

After school, Satoko decided to stop by a convenience store and buy some snacks before coming home. She had to let off steam for her gaffe in front of everyone at the entrance in some way, after all.

She still wanted to change identity and travel to another country just thinking back at it.

Mei couldn’t come with her because she said she already had other things to do, so she was alone.

While choosing what to buy, she felt observed and glanced around suspiciously.

A man with black hair was peeking from another shelf, obviously trying to spy on her.

A shiver ran through her back. What did that creep want from her?

She grabbed the first thing she saw and hurried towards the counter. With the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the man was still staring at her.

Her hands started trembling.

Please, move faster, please! She thought as she was watching the cashier doing her job with nerve wrecking slowliness.

After the woman was done, Satoko put a random amount of money on the counter and ran towards the door, frightened.

“Miss, you gave me 1000 yen for a candy” the cashier tried to stop her, a little confused.

“Keep the change.”

Her brain wasn’t able to formulate any other solution than running away, she didn’t have time for her money.

The automatic doors didn’t close behind her after she got out of the store: thinking that creep was following her outside made her panic.

She glanced back to make sure and found the man right there.

“Wait, please, I don’t have bad intentions!” He exclaimed, raising both his hands.

Yeah, as if I believe you, creep!

Satoko didn’t listen to him and started running. She got in the first shop she could see and hid behind some hanged clothes, trying to calm down.

That fall in front of everyone wasn’t enough, now this too! This day keeps on getting worse and worse!

After some time, when she was able to breathe properly again, she peaked out to check if it was safe to leave. Luckily, the man seemed to not be around.

She sighed, relieved, and got out of her hideout. But, right when she relaxed, the man got up from a stool that Satoko couldn’t have seen from behind the clothes.

Anxiety got on her and she started breathing irregularly.

“W-What do you want?!” She took the courage to shout.

“I really don’t have bad intentions, I’m sorry if I scared you, it wasn’t my purpose.”

Satoko scanned him, distrustful. Effectively, he didn’t look like an ill-intentioned person: he was well behaved and had a composed bearing.

Maybe I’m overreacting…

The man took out a business card from the pocket of his jacket and showed it to her.

“My name is Ikeda Fuma, I’m the owner of The Nightingale, a Butler Cafe in Ikebukuro. I would like to hire you to work part-time in my cafe.”

Satoko stared blankly at him, dumbfounded.

“Uh????!!”