we have something in common

It was the end of the day and students were cleaning up the school. Each grade and classroom would pick two people to deliver their trash to the back of the school every day–and this week, Ai Nakano and Hikari Keita were paired up for trash duty. Hikari always fell asleep during cleaning time, so it wasn’t a surprise that she was asleep again today.

Nakano always got trash duty so she was used to it. Before coming to get Hikari, Nakano collected the trash bags from her classroom and from the second-floor teacher’s office. She stepped into her classroom only to be hit with eraser dust. “Sorry, Nakano-san!” One of her classmates said. She nodded her head in response to the apology, letting him go free.

Nakano looked around the classroom for Hikari, only to see her slumped over her desk. Although they were in the same class, she never noticed that she didn’t do anything during cleaning time (she didn’t notice her at all, really). Even though Hikari was loud and obnoxious, Nakano had never, not once noticed her. She didn’t even realize she was the girl she insulted for her origami rose. She’d forgotten about the encounter entirely.

Nakano approached her sleeping classmate and poked her. “Keita-san.” She said quietly. Hikari didn’t move. It was probably hard for Hikari to even hear Nakano with all of her classmates talking loudly around them. Nakano sighed and poked again but harder. “Keita-san.” She still didn’t react. Before she could nudge the girl again, a crumpled-up piece of paper fell out of Hikari’s bag. Curious, Nakano bent down to pick up the paper. To get a better look at it, she put down one of the trash bags and brought it closer to her. Nakano then noticed the neat folds of the paper, the twists, and the stem on the back. She looked back at Hikari and noticed the multiple pins on her bag, along with her lack of school blazer.

Nakano remembered who she was.

Still believing that Hikari was just trying to vandalize the shrine with rude notes, Nakano took the flower and placed it into one of the trash bags.

The next day, Hikari was (surprisingly) awake during cleaning time. She checked the chalkboard to see what her job was that week to see that she was stuck with garbage cleanup. Underneath her name was her partner's name– Ai Nakano. Just like Nakano, Hikari also never noticed her. She’d only known her for being their class president and for knowing some of the people Hikari knew, but that was about it. Even though the two didn’t know each other, the way their heads filtered out certain people was similar.

Hikari collected the trash from her classroom and headed towards the teacher’s working area to get their trash as well. But when she got there, Nakano had already gotten the trash.

“While you’re taking out the trash, could you deliver these materials to the science club’s room?” Sato-sensei asked. Nakano nodded. “Thank you, Nakano-san,” Sato-sensei said, getting back to work at his computer. Nakano bowed and turned to leave the teacher’s area when she then saw Hikari. “Oh, you’re awake.” Ai said blankly.

Hikari chuckled. “Yeah, heh. Tokki woke me up before she left for her club. She left early yesterday so she couldn’t wake me up.”

Nakano tilted her head, confused. “Tokki?” Nakano asked. Hikari was confused as well, until she realized that no one really knew Tokanatsu but her first name. “Tokanatsu, I mean.”

It took Nakano a second, but she then remembered who she was. “Ah, you mean Shogo-san. Sorry, I don’t bother with first names.”

Nakano walked past Hikari, leaving the teacher’s area. “Come on, Keita-san”

The two walked through the halls together and down a flight of stairs. While they walked, Hikari greeted teachers and upper/underclassmen alike. “Why are there so many 3rd years on the 1st year’s floor?” Nakano asked, struggling with the trash bag. “A lot of them are in clubs together. Did you not know that? I thought you were the student council president.” Hikari said.

The other sighed. “I’m your class president. And 2nd years aren’t eligible to be student council president.”

Once they were outside, they dumped the trash bags in the giant bin and began to walk back to their classroom to get their stuff.

Hikari tried to start a conversation.

“Would you ever want to be student council president?”

“...Absolutely not. From what I’ve heard, it seems like a lot of work.”

“Yeah, Asuka-chan says it’s a whole bunch of papers and organizing.”

Nakano slowed down, a bit shocked. “You know Koyama?” She asked.

“Of course I do! We’ve been friends for almost ever!” Hikari said, giggling.

Nakano’s face lit up with slight joy. “Did she tell you about how she was freaking out about the summer festival? They just threw a bunch of work at her and told her to sort it out which class was doing which with the 1st years.”

Hikari laughed in response. “Yeah! And all of the 1st year classes wanted to do a maid cafe, except make the boys wear the costumes!”

The two giggled at the memory of Asuka telling the story of how the 1st year boys and girls were fighting over who should wear what.

They finally reached their classroom to see that everyone, except for Tokki, had already gone. Tokki clung onto Hikari, tired from the day. “Where were you?~ I waited here after practice was over just so we could walk home together…” Tokki whined.

Hikari lost her balance for a bit, trying to hold herself up with another person in her arms. “Sorry, sorry… I was busy with Nakano-san.” Hikari looked over to see Nakano… no where. Her chair had been flipped onto the desk and the sound of her school shoes clicking down the flight of stairs echoed into nothingness.

“Where is she?” Tokki asked, looking around the classroom. “...I guess she went home.”

Without replying, Tokki grabbed her bag of sports clothes along with her school bag and rushed Hikari out the door.

Hikari liked the conversation she had with Nakano.