First Step

‘What..’

…

‘This feeling of someone touching me…’

I woke up and found my cousin Azumi on top of me.

Ahh, that’s right… After what happened in the director’s office I started living with my Aunty and cousin. But why is this girl sleeping on the same bed as me…

“Azumi… Azumi… GET OFF OF ME!” I screamed while shaking her to wake up.

She woke up half asleep with one eye open, “ahh, Gazo…— Good morning!” She got off me and stood up from the bed, “What’s the time?” She said while yawning.

I looked at the time on my watch that was on my nightstand, “It’s almost 7 AM.” I said.

“Alright, you can go shower first I will begin prepping breakfast!” She said while storming out of the room.

I entered the bathroom and started to fill up the bathtub with water, after it finished filling up I undressed and got into the bath. I started thinking for a moment, “I have to join the school’s first-year team” I muttered. Today is the written exam so I have to top the class to join the team.

I noticed the bathroom door being pushed open a little, enough to see inside. “Azumi, why are you watching me?” I asked the girl that was secretly watching me.

“You forgot your towels, here… I will place them inside.” She rushed inside and placed them by the sink, “Do I need to wash your back?” She asked.

Was she always this comfortable around me?…—“You don’t feel ashamed asking me this?” I said.

“Ashamed?— Why?” She replied.

“Well, you do know that I’m naked right now?” I explained.

She started to become red by blushing, “WHAAAT?…— YOU AREN’T WEARING ANY SHORTS?”

Did this girl not know that people aren’t wearing any clothes while taking a bath…“Why should I wear shorts when I’m taking a bath?” I asked.

She looked at me for a moment and said, “I DIDN’T KNOW BOYS ALSO WERE NAKED WHILE TAKING A BATH!”

“You’re kidding me right?” I said astonished.

“No, I’m not! My friend told me that boys never take a bath fully naked!”

I don’t know who’s that stupid to tell her something like that but she should start making new friends…

“Get out,” I said calmly.

She left the bathroom in a hurry while closing the door behind her.

I put on my uniform and made my way to the kitchen, I saw that breakfast was ready and took a seat at the table.

“Did Aunty leave for work already?” I asked Azumi.

“She left just a short while ago.”

This nice scent from the miso soup was starting to fill up the room.

“You made this all yourself Azumi?” I said while I watched her put rice in a bowl.

“Yes, mom doesn’t have time to prepare breakfast so I have been doing it every morning.”

“Thanks for the food.”

I took a sip of the miso soup I felt her eyes watching me while doing this… And needless to say, it was delicious, “Your miso soup is very good, did you put seaweed into it?”

“Dried seaweed, it makes it taste better, doesn’t it.” She said happily.

We both finished our food and it was time to head to school, “Okay, see you after school Gazo!” She said while walking in the opposite direction of mine.

PART ONE

I entered the empty classroom and took my seat, “Oh… Goodmorning Nage-kun! You’re early.” Nura-san said with a bright morning smile.

“Goodmorning to you too Nura-san,” I replied.

She took her seat next to mine, “Are you ready for today’s upcoming exam?” She said.

“Yes.”

My response didn’t feel right to her as she started to look at me from the side.

“Are you though? I don’t feel this driven feeling from you…”

I ignored her.

“Do you intend to join the first year’s team?” She asked.

I rested my head on my arms that laid on the table, not answering her question. She made a puffed facial expression when she saw that I again didn’t answer her. That expression faded when she noticed a girl entering the classroom.

“Him joining our school’s team?… He doesn’t stand a chance!” This girl, Sakai Rumi who is the most popular girl in school said that while laughing as soon she entered the room.

She stopped in front of our tables, “This year’s competition will be hard, as almost all the first years want to join the school’s team.” She said.

I didn’t bother to look up to her from my position and just ignored her.

“Tskk, ignoring me I see. Well, just so you know I will be joining the team.” She said while looking away from me and acting like she didn’t care.

“Again, flowers and chocolate! From who is it this time!” Sakai-san said while looking at the note next to the gift on her table.

I lifted my head back up to see about the commotion.

“Kazuya-kun… this loser doesn’t know how to leave me alone!” She said irritated while throwing the flowers and chocolates in the bin.

I noticed someone secretly watching in our classroom from behind the windows.

A guy gave her a gift of flowers and chocolates to express his feelings for her, and she simply trowed it in the bin with a cold emotion. I didn’t expect girls to act this way after receiving such gifts.

“You should at least thank him, don’t you think Rumi?” Nura-san said to her.

I could see the chocolates sticking out of the bin, and could tell they were expensive. Certainly, if a guy expresses his feelings by giving you a gift you could at least say thank you. But if you accept the gift. the sender usually wants to see something more in return than just a ’Thank you.’ So by rejecting the gift she did a good thing if she doesn’t want any more time to spend on it.

It’s better to be clear to the other person if you like them or not, otherwise, you leave them hanging on the possibility of actually having a chance to date you.

A couple of minutes passed and the room started to fill with our classmates.

“Everybody sit down in your seat,” Misaki-sensei said as soon as she entered the classroom.

“Today we’re going to do the written exam, the top five students that top this exam will advance to another test that will be held later this week. The same applies to the other two first-year classes, after having five students per class means that 15 students are advancing to the second part of the election.”

There will be another test, that test will determine who’s going to join the school’s first-year team. 5 students from Class A, 5 students from Class B, and 5 students from Class C, will go through to the second part and from there only seven students will be the ‘First Year’s School Team.’

All the front seated students including myself took one exam paper and gave the rest to the person behind us.

While we took the exams I could hear some classmates doing some loud breathing and sighing almost like they knew they were going to fail. I again finished much faster than the rest of the class.

Everyone was finished within the time limit and handed the exam paper to our teacher, “That’s all for today you all can go home, see you tomorrow!” Misaki-sensei said.

PART TWO

Today was only to have the written exam so everyone could leave the school and go home, I noticed almost all the same friendly groups leaving. Some boys left together, Sakai-san and Nura-san left together, and Noah left with Matsuda-kun. When Yoshi-kun and Nakata-kun heard that school finished for today they hurried out of the classroom that instant. I believe Yoshi-kun has gone to the library as I began seeing him there from time to time. And Nakata-kun for sure has gone to his girlfriend.

I stored my stuff in my locker and left the school alone. I now had some time and thought it’s better to make a stop at the center for a coffee.

I stopped at the convenience store and took a can of coffee and paid for it, then took a seat outside at a table and popped it open.

*Gluck, Gluck, Gluck.*

It was refreshing.

I started going back to my Aunty’s house, I walked past the ‘Fun Center’ that Matsuda-kun talked about to Noah. Then I saw in the alleyway next to the building that some people started making some kind of commotion…

“LET ME GO NOAH, I WILL BEAT THESE BASTARDS UP!” I heard Matsuda-kun screaming.

“Just let them, I don’t care about what they told about me let’s go now,” Noah replied in the heat of the moment.

From what I could grasp in these couple of seconds was that these 3 people were harassing Noah with some abusive words and Matsuda-kun stood up for him. These 3 people were not just ordinary people they were in their 30’s, they had clothes on from a biker’s club, and 2 of them had scars all around their faces. The person behind these two individuals had a beard and long dark brown hair. He seemed like their leader.

“If you turn around now this will end without any problems, but if you keep provoking me you will get hurt little boy.” Their leader said.

If you look at it that’s the best way to deal with this, I don’t know my classmates fighting abilities but this seems like they haven’t got any chance of beating this group. I wanted to leave as I thought they were going to leave as well, but Matsuda-kun didn’t back down unable to grasp the situation.

“I warned you,” Their leader said.

Then these two individuals started sprinting towards Noah and Matsuda-kun while readying their fists, These punches almost made contact but I intercepted.