To Walk By Your Side

Kyosuke watched as the clouds drifted lazily across the sky. The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees and landed on him where he leaned against the wall of the gym. He glanced at his watch until the sound of quiet conversation floated over to him.

“You seemed chipper today,” the brunette— Takahashi, Kyosuke thought her name was —said, and Hagiwara laughed lightly, schoolbag bouncing with every step.

“Can't be in a good mood anymore? I'm just glad the day’s finally over.”

“Suzume and I were gonna go to get some ice cream if you wanna join.” She shook her head.

“Maybe next time. My afternoon’s full.” The girls waved, departing, and Hagiwara walked over to him.

Her rippling hair reflected the afternoon light and Kyosuke felt his breath catch in his chest. The long, wavy strands that normally looked black seemed to be tinged a deep, radiant purple in the bright sunlight, and her grey eyes almost sparkled from behind thick, black eyelashes.

“Earth to Mirahara-san.” She was waving a hand in front of his face and he blinked back, floundering for a moment.

“S-sorry. This way.” They stepped through the school's front gates together, joining the crowd of students leaving for the day.

“Takahashi-chan and Hano-san. They’re your friends, right?” He asked as they started walking away from the school. She hummed noncommittally.

“Kinda. We were friends back in middle school, but I don’t have that many classes with them this year, and they were always closer to each other anyway. So acquaintances, I guess.” She perked up, leaning closer to him. “But enough about me. I’ve been thinking about you all day.” Kyosuke felt warmth rise to his cheeks against his will and she smirked. “You made quite the impression, y’know. I’ve been plagued by the thought of it since,” she sighed melodramatically.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like torturing me,” Kyosuke groaned, wishing he could sink into the ground. “Rin is going to pay for that someday.”

“You better start explaining before I recite my secret admirer's love confession. Passionately.” He sighed.

“It’s… kind of awkward. I don’t really know where to start…”

“Why do you hang out with the rowdy, popular bunch if you’re secretly an awkward loser?” He blinked at her, stunned.

“Did you have to phrase it like that?”

“Yup," she said, popping the 'p'. He sighed again. She was certainly… straight to the point.

“Well, they kinda just… brought me into the friend group. I mean, I like those guys, and they’re my friends, but they saw me one day sitting by myself and just roped me in.”

“So they adopted you like a lost dog.” Kyosuke almost tripped.

“You’ve gotta learn how to cushion those blows.” They paused at a crosswalk, and Hagiwara took a look at him.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” Hagiwara said. “Your appearance isn’t exactly helping.”

“What’s wrong with the way I look?”

“Nothing’s wrong with it, per se, but the long hair and earring certainly radiate popular kid energy.”

“That’s why I was sitting by myself. It was specifically so that this wouldn’t happen. And look where that got me. Bringing home a random girl I only met a day ago.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be embarrassed and self-conscious? And technically you didn't meet me a day ago; we’ve been in the same class for months.”

“You didn’t even know my name until yesterday.”

“Don’t flatter yourself; I don’t know the names of half of the people in that class. Well. I know the names, just not the faces.” They lulled into a silence as they crossed the street.

“…That didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would,” Hagiwara admitted eventually. “I thought you said it was a long story.”

- ~ - ~

Kyosuke kept his eyes trained on the wood grain of his desk, worrying a strand of his hair between his fingers and taking in deep breaths.

“Well, I think he’s mute,” a girl whispered loudly to her friend.

“Maybe he’s just stupid.”

“I don’t know what he is, but he’s scary.” Another girl spoke up from a few desks away.

“I wish he never moved here in the first place.”

- ~ - ~

“Yeah,” Kyosuke replied. “I guess it was longer in my head, sorry.”

“Well, I guess I could just stop by your house quickly since we’re already heading that way.”

“Oh, this isn’t the way to my house. My house is in the other direction.”

…

“Then would you please enlighten me, dearest Mirahara-san, on why we spend the last seven minutes walking in this direction?” Hagiwara grit out through clenched teeth stretched into a forced smile.

“I have to pick up my little sister. Her aftercare is this way.”

…

“You could stand to be a little more straight-foward, you know.”

“Sorry," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "And sorry for wasting your time.”

“It was my idea,” Hagiwara sighed. “It's fine. I needed to go to the general store before heading home, anyway, so it works out.” She hiked her bag a bit further up her shoulder, and Kyosuke looked at her, thinking.

“Well, what about you?”

“Hm?”

“You’re always so quiet at school, nose pressed into a book or staring absent-mindedly out the window, but I think it’s pretty safe to say you are awfully… opinionated.”

“Watch it.”

“Why don’t you speak up more often?”

“Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to do the adopting as it is to get adopted. I don’t wanna come off as pushy or get turned down, and it’s weird to just interrupt a somewhat private conversation with my own input.”

“I don’t think you’re pushy, and you literally pushed me into bringing you to my home.”

“That’s… different.”

“How is it different?”

“Because you felt like you owed me, and you’re nice, and… and a lot of things, okay? I’ve tried before, but I think it’s just safer and easier to stay on the outside looking in.”

“You know you’re fairly popular among the boys. Even though you don't say much, it’s pretty unanimous that you look good, and I can’t disagree.” His mouth was moving faster than his mind and the sentence made its way out before he realized what he was saying. She froze and blinked at him, finally speechless. Kyosuke stopped in his tracks, pushing his hair back frantically.

“WOAH, OKAY, woah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My foot was in my mouth, I’m sorry. I just meant that I don’t think anyone would be opposed if you were to speak up more because they already think well of you, even if you don’t think it, and… and… and…”

She raised both hands quickly, shaking them to stop his rant.

“It’s okay. Really. I don’t mind.”

“I wasn’t thinking, I swear. I wasn’t— I wouldn’t—”

“It’s okay, Mirahara.” Her eyes were glittering again, and she smiled at him. “Thank you.”

She started walking again and he followed, at a loss for words. This girl was completely different than the one who had sat listlessly in his class for all these months. She was radiant and outspoken and brass. How could he have missed her?

“You aren’t too bad yourself, y’know,” she said. “If the awkward delinquent poser type is what you’re into.”

“Okay.”

”That Yumehara-san is much more attractive. Everyone says so.”

“I said okay, Hagiwara.”

“Y’know, I bet I could name 20 girls who like Yumehara but none who like you. Maybe one, if I tried.”

“That's enough outta you; I’d like to rescind my previous statement.”

“Too late~”