We're Friends, Technically

Katsuo spent the following Sunday reading and lounging around his room. He found reading novels that he thought sounded familiar, to be rather interesting. For some it felt like blatant plagiarism, as if someone had just copied and pasted the novel, and then gone through and changed character and place names. He couldn’t help but to find the irony in that a bit laughable.

For others, they read like a retelling of a story he was familiar with. The protagonist would find themselves dealing with moral quandaries or internal conflict, but the exact trouble they faced sometimes ended up being quite different. Katsuo found he actually enjoyed these; it was almost like reading the story again for the first time. There’s nothing quite like a good read to pass away the time, and he did exactly that.

It wasn’t until the lack of light creeping in through his window had begun to make reading difficult, that Katsuo realized almost the entire day had slipped by him. He went downstairs and enjoyed dinner with his family, then headed back to his room. As he sat down on his bed, he heard his phone ping. He picked it up to see a message from Hayami.

‘Greetings, any trouble today?’

‘Nope.’

‘Pretty boring.’

‘I consider this to be a positive report.’

‘Yeah, guess so.’

‘Did you finish your schoolwork?’

Oh crap. He moved over to his desk and took a seat, pulled over the binder Kame had left, and flipped it open. He glanced over the work and took out his pencil case, then texted Hayami back.

‘Working on it now.’

‘Thanks for the reminder, almost forgot.’

‘You’re most welcome, of course. But you did forget.’

‘Right, thanks again’

‘See you tomorrow.’

‘Yeah, see you tomorrow.’

The next morning, Katsuo awoke to his alarm. He headed to the bathroom and followed through his usual morning routine. Once he was dressed, he stood in front of the mirror. Studying his face and features, looking for any discrepancies. Having no luck, as he never spent this kind of time studying his face before, he turned, having given up; only to find his sister standing in the bathroom doorway. She was looking at him strangely.

“Onii-chan, what are you doing? Were you looking for pimples? Because if you were, you don’t have any.”

“I wasn’t looking for pimples. I was- well, never mind.”

He walked out of the bathroom, heading for the stairs.

“Don’t take too long getting ready, I want to leave early if possible.”

She sounded shocked at this.

“Why are you just now telling me? You know girls can’t get ready that fast! Onii-chan!”

Downstairs, he discovered his father was already seated at the table, newspaper in hand. His mother was cutting something on the counter.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, son.”

“Good morning sweety. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did actually.”

It was true, he felt well rested. Especially compared to the past few days. This might have been the first full night's sleep he actually had since being here. Between the rest and his mother’s delicious breakfast, he felt truly ready to take on the day.

A short while later, Kanna came tumbling down the stairs. She gave him a sour look but looked as ready for school as she could be to him. He checked the clock, earlier than last week, but still not early enough for the park. He sighed. Oh well, early enough to grab a coffee along the way at least.

After finishing their breakfast, they said their goodbyes, and headed out the door. They walked in relative silence until they neared the convenience store, as Katsuo began to veer in that direction, Kanna gave him a questioning glance. He gestured towards the store.

“Coffee.”

She nodded, stifling a yawn as she followed him inside.

“Would you like one?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

She said this through another yawn. He looked at the selection of coffee options, not seeing his usual choice available. That was until he saw a can that read, ‘GamerPRO.’ There was another can beside it with slightly different labeling, but the same brand name, just with an added ‘MAXX’ in a large enough font to match the rest of the name in size. He grabbed this one for himself and showed it to Kanna. She shook her head.

“Too much caffeine.”

He nodded and grabbed a can of the other as well. He almost grabbed a couple of rice balls as well but having already had breakfast he decided against it. His mom making breakfast in this world was certainly a nice change, not to mention also apparently buying junk food snacks.

Katsuo realized he was having a hard time with seeing the downside of being here instead. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but to feel a sort of longing for the way things used to be. Perhaps not so much the way of things, as it was his family. He supposed he was technically still with them, at least in a sense, but they also weren’t exactly the same. It was a hard emotion versus logic debate to have with oneself.

“What are you doing?”

“What?”

“With your coffee. You did a-“

She made a motion of tipping her hand back and forth.

“Oh, I think it tastes better that way.”

“Uh huh, and how did you figure that out?”

He thought about this for a moment, taking a gulp from his coffee.

“Well, I think I was distracted one day, and I was just sort of tipping it and not shaking it. Then I opened it and didn’t drink it right away. I remember being surprised by the taste, so I just kept doing it that way.”

He shrugged.

“Still the best way in my opinion.”

His sister looked to consider this.

“I think that actually makes sense.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep! But it’s still weird.”

He rolled his eyes at her, enjoying his coffee as they continued towards school. He parted ways with his sister at the entrance to the middle school, waving goodbye as she headed for the front entrance. As he began the last turn before reaching his school, he noticed someone not far behind him, wearing the same uniform. It was definitely a girl, with long black hair. There was no mistaking it, Hayami Kimiko. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought about it before, but the intersection they had made a habit of parting at, was one he passed on his own way to school. So of course, she took the same path to school as he did. He waved to her as she approached.

“Not going to be the last to class today I see?”

“What? Oh, yeah. I think this school starts earlier than mine, I’m used to arriving early. But I also walk Kanna to school now.”

Hayami nodded as she continued on towards the high school, Katsuo followed after her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, clearing her line of sight to him.

“Do you feel prepared for school?”

“You mean for the people?”

“Yes. Names and faces, who you know and who you don’t.”

“I mean sort of. I can only be so prepared.”

“Perhaps, but you need to try and gather as much information as you can. You’ll have to ask questions and hang out with people to try and figure out what everyone thinks of you, or how they think they remember you. For starters, who do you hang out with at lunch?”

“I was actually hoping to have lunch with you, if you wanted to, that is?”

She pulled her hair back once more and clutched her bag more firmly against her chest, with a slight color creeping onto her cheeks.

“I-I don’t see a problem with that, it’s not unheard of for someone to have lunch with different people from time to time.”

He wasn’t sure what else to say at that point, so he just remained quiet as they walked the rest of the way to school. He noticed his three memory friends giggling and pointing at him and Hayami. Katsuo stuck his hands in his pockets and pretended not to notice and kept his pace beside Hayami. He did see her lower her head a little, as if trying not to be noticed. She must have seen them too.

When they reached the classroom, Tasou and Harui were already there. Tasou smiled and waved as they entered, Katsuo returned the greeting, noticing that Harui pretended not to notice them. There was another girl in the room as well. She must have felt his gaze on her because she looked up at him. It was the shy girl with glasses that had informed him of his correct seat. She remained tucked in on herself, and avoided direct eye contact, but still greeted him.

“Good morning, Nakajima.”

“Oh, good morning.”

He sat down at his proper desk, in front of Hayami, next to the window. He turned to her and whispered.

“Who’s the girl with the glasses?”

Without even looking up from her open book Hayami responded.

“Rikuyo Yamazaki, quiet, shy, smart, and likes to read.”

He nodded, slouched against the wall, and pretended to be asleep.

“What about Tosou?”

“Popular, smart, and nice.”

“And Harui?”

“Popular, smart, and not so nice.”

“And apparently doesn’t like me.”

Hayami let her book rest on her desk and looked at Katsuo. He turned his head to look back at her, revealing that his eyes hadn’t been completely shut. She squinted at him.

“It’s probably best to avoid her.”

“Maybe, but I would like to know what her problem is.”

“Does it matter?”

“Maybe, maybe not. But whatever she thinks I did, I didn’t.”

“And you’re going to prove that to her how exactly?”

Katsuo looked up at the ceiling and shrugged. Hayami picked her book back up and continued to read. As they were talking, about half of the class had made their way in. The rest of the students were steadily coming in now, Toshihiro announcing his arrival as he did so.

“Hey Katsuo-san, Hayami-san. How are you guys, how was your trip to the mall?”

Katsuo looked up to see the athletic guy walking over. What was his name again? Har-

“Good morning, Haruto-san. We had a pleasant time, thank you. We were mostly there to visit Kame-san at her new job. She’s from class 2 – 3, do you know her?”

Haruto sat down at his desk, next to Katsuo’s. He started making a scrunched-up look, as if in thought. It was so exaggerated that Katsuo almost thought he was pretending.

“Hmm, Kame-san. Oh I remember, Kame Ito, right? Short hair, really friendly?”

Hayami nodded.

“Yes, that’s her.”

“Okay cool, yeah, I’ve met her. Working a job while in high school, that’s a lot. Sounds like a challenge for me!”

He had a huge grin on his face as he pumped his fist and flexed an arm, as if his strength was a testament to his ability to work at a job. And honestly, it might be.

“Okay everyone, take your seats.”

“But Miss Nakajima, the bell hasn’t even rung.”

Not a second passed before the chime could be heard. The teacher gave her students a knowing glance, and everyone took their seats without further comment. Class went by rather uneventfully, as class tends to do. When it finally came time for lunch, Katsuo and Hayami left the classroom together with Hayami taking the lead. In the hall, Kame approached them cautiously.

“Hey, Katsuo-san, Hayami-san, are you two headed for lunch?”

Hayami was quick to respond, a little too quick in Katsuo’s estimation. She seemed a little embarrassed.

“Hello, Kame-san. Yes, we are in fact. Would you care to join us?”

“Oh yes! That sounds great!”

“Excellent.”

Katsuo couldn’t help but notice the sound of relief in Hayami’s single word response. Was she embarrassed to be eating with him, or was it because it would have been just the two of them? Katsuo sighed and mentally shrugged it off. He continued following the girls to wherever it was they were going.

They passed multiple students in the hallways and on their way outside. Katsuo had been too busy studying faces and looking for reactions of people seeing him to notice that the girls had been chatting, and apparently decided where they would be eating.

He followed them to a picnic table, just outside one end of the school. It was one of those metal tables, with a rubber coating, and an attached bench for two on each side. Each of them took their own bench, sat their lunches down, and began opening them. No one spoke for a couple of minutes, focusing on their own lunches. Katsuo felt that it was more of one of those awkward silences, and not a natural one. When he felt that the awkwardness was beginning to turn into tension, he spoke, but so did Kame.

“So, Kame-san, I wa-“

“Are you two dating?”

Katsuo looked at her, mouth still open. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Hayami was trying not to choke on her food, she was washing it down with some bottled tea. Kame quickly filled the new silence, stammering as she tried to get her words out.

“Not that it would be a problem or anything. No not at all, I was just wondering if you guys were. And I wasn’t sure how else to bring it up-“

Hayami put a fist over her mouth and cleared her throat. Katsuo continued to stare, feeling plowed over by the flood of words Kame was still sputtering out.

“After I saw you two in Katsuo-san’s room, well you know… I just didn’t know what t-“

Hayami cleared her throat again, louder this time. Kame appeared to have heard her this time, closing the dam to her words. She looked more than a little embarrassed and was clearly avoiding eye contact with either of them.

“Katsuo-san and I are most certainly not dating. We’re just friends, nothing more.”

Katsuo was a little surprised to feel slightly hurt by the first of Hayami’s declarations, but felt that he almost recovered when she called them, “friends.” He had to admit, it felt really good to hear someone call him a friend and mean it.

Kame looked up at Hayami with obvious relief, and signs of embarrassment, written on her face. She wiped at her eyes. Had she been crying? Kame let out a small sigh.

“I see, well good. I-I mean, not good, but well…”

She trailed off, looking back down to her lap. Thankfully, Hayami stepped in once again. Katsuo stuffed another bite into his mouth to further avoid having to respond himself.

“It’s alright, we understood what you meant. Right, Nakajima?”

She put a fair amount of emphasis on that last part, including his name. The use of his family name also wasn’t lost on him. Clearly, she had picked up on his, eating to avoid talking, tactic. He choked down the food that was in his mouth and didn’t even take a drink before answering.

“Right, of course. Totally.”

He took a drink from his can of coffee, as it was quite the struggle to get what few words out he had. Kame looked up with a big smile on her face. Clearly relieved by their words.

“Thanks, you guys, I appreciate it.”

She gave them a big smile, and took a drink before turning to Katsuo.

“So, what were you going to ask?”

“Oh, right. I was wanting to ask your opinion on, err, my friends.”

Kame gave him a funny look, conveying a little confusion and something else.

“Uh, you know, from class 2 – 2.”

Hayamai jumped in.

“I believe he’s referring to Rokuro and the others.”

Katsuo gave her a glance that he hoped looked thankful, she didn’t appear to acknowledge him and took a sip of tea. Realization appeared on Kame’s face as she understood who they were talking about.

“Oh! You mean Rokuro, Jurou, and Kichurou! Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. Why do you want my opinion on them?”

She put a finger to her cheek in question and looked to Katsuo for an answer.

“Ah well, Hayami had made a comment about them. And it just made me think about it is all. Some outside perspective would be appreciated.”

She nodded at this and looked up as she voiced her thoughts. Slowly at first, but quickly picked up pace the more she mentioned.

“Well, let’s see. They’re not bad guys, just not very attentive or do very well in school. They don’t really do much, no sports or anything. Kichurou and Jurou aren’t very different to me. But Rokuro is probably considered the leader, he’s the only one anyone would call a deviant. But he’s never actually committed a crime that I know of.”

She suddenly looked excited and worried.

“Wait, why? Are you in trouble or something? Did you guys do something you weren’t supposed to?”

He shook his head at her and set his coffee down on the table.

“No, no, nothing like that. Hayami-san was just surprised to learn that I read some and wasn’t messy, because of who my friends were.”

Kame nodded at this, as if she completely agreed. Then looked at him seriously, and a bit nervously.

“Can I be honest with you, Katsuo-san?”

There was a slight pause between his anime and the honorific, almost like she had to remember to add it.

“Uhh, sure? I mean please, please do.”

“You really started to slack off at the end of last school year. This year too, though not as badly. Maybe because you didn’t end up in the same class as them, or with me either.”

She sounded kind of dreary about it, but then suddenly perked up.

“I’m so glad you finally started talking to Hayami-san though! Especially if that means you’ll be more studious from now on.”

Hayami gestured to the time on her phone. They all gathered their things and started heading back towards the school.

“Maybe now the three of us can hang out together from now on?”

Hayami paused at this, but Katsuo noticed a slight smile pass over her lips.

“That would be nice, Kame-san.”

“Great! Katsuo-san?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

And he meant it. He had no claim to friends in his world, and he decided he wasn’t going to say no to any in this one. Kame gave a cheer, rushed up and threw an arm around each of their shoulders, as she was the shortest of the three of them, she pulled them down into her.

“We’re going to have so much fun together! I can’t wait!”

Despite the physical discomfort, Katsuo couldn’t help but have his feelings on friendship only further cemented by the moment. He glanced over to see that Kame had her eyes closed and was grinning from ear to ear. Hayami was looking at Katsuo, and their eyes met. She had a gentle brush of pink to each cheek, and she smiled at him. A real, genuine smile. It warmed his heart all the more.

The rest of the school day went by without nearly as much excitement. After class ended and Katsuo had swapped his shoes, he waited outside the door for Hayami. He was surprised to see her and Kame exit together. He waved to them. Kame waved back excitedly, then they walked over to him. They said their goodbyes at the front gate, with Kame going one direction and Katsuo and Hayami going the other.

Neither of them spoke at first, Katsuo walked nonchalantly with his bag over one shoulder, and Hayami walked holding her bag in front of her with both hands. Eventually, Katsuo spoke.

“Hey, Hayami-san.”

“Yes?”

“Earlier, when you said that we were friends. Did you mean that?”

He continued looking straight ahead as they walked, embarrassed by his own question. But he did notice out of the corner of his eye, Hayami giving it some real thought. After a moment of contemplation, she finally replied.

“I think so. That’s not to say we’re not. It’s just, well we’ve only known each other for a few days.”

She sounded like she had more to say, so Katsuo waited. Eventually she took a breath and continued.

“But, I would like to be friends. If you want to, that is?”

He looked at her, trying to read her turned away expression. He couldn’t pick much up from her body language either.

“I would, I would like that very much.”

She cleared her throat into her fist. Seeming to be unaware of her, near-constantly, flushed cheeks.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that.”

Before either of them could say more, they had reached the front of the junior high school building. Kanna was waiting patiently out front, and she rushed over when she saw them.

“Onii-chan! Oh! And Hayami-senpai! Are you coming over again?”

“Hello Kanna-san. No, I’m not, I just live in the same direction. I think you were asleep when we parted ways after our trip to the mall.”

Kanna seemed slightly embarrassed by the sleep comment, although Katsuo couldn’t see why.

“Oh, I see. We should do that again sometime!”

“Oh, uh, sure. That would be nice.”

Kanna grinned and turned in the direction of home. They waved goodbye at the intersection and headed their own ways. After a few steps, Katsuo turned and looked back at the swaying black hair and smiled. Kanna had stopped too, following his gaze and gave him a questioning look.

“What are you smiling about?”

He turned, ruffling her hair as he passed her.

“Nothing, it just feels good to have friends.”