My First Friend

***

"Hey, where is the nurse?" I tried to ignore her but she started talking to me.

"I don't know. She went out for some work."

"Are you Okawa-kun?"

"Yeah, I am. What do you need from me?"

"Come on, don't be so grumpy. Why are you in the infirmary anyway? It doesn't seem to me like you are sick anyways."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"It certainly does, I am your seat neighbor after all."

"You are what?"

"Seat neighbor. Don't tell me you don't know what that is."

"I know what that is, idiot. I have never seen you in class. I doubt I will not even remember the face of my seat neighbor."

"Well, how will you know me if you won't ever come to the class? It has been six days since I transferred here and you haven't visited the class even once."

 "Uhh... anyways why do you care if I don't come to the class."

"Well, I get bored since there is no one sitting next to me. And since you are studying sitting here anyways why not just come to the class."

"I am not your entertainer and... it's better if I don't come. No one wants me there anyways."

"No one? I just said I want you there," she said, totally clueless about what I was trying to say.

"Stop saying such misleading things. And I am not coming to class."

"I better see you there tomorrow," she said, again ignoring me and walked out.

"It's not like I don't want to," I said in a frustrated and loud whisper while punching the bed with the frustration channeled to it.

The next day, once again, I see myself standing in front of the classroom door. Not surprisingly, once again, I felt nervous and I tried to go back to the infirmary. What did I even expect? Just because some cute girl asked me to go to come to the class doesn't mean that I would be able to go. If it was this easy, I would have done it ages ago. Just as I was about to walk away, I heard a loud voice.

"Heeeyyy!! Why are you running away?" It was the same girl who came to the infirmary yesterday. Now that I think about it, she didn't even tell me her name.

"You are coming into the class now. No running away," she said while opening the door of the classroom. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to my seat.

"H-heyy Listen!" I tried to say something to stop her as she pulled me to my seat.

"No ifs and buts, you are coming to the class today."

I forgot all about the nervousness or gossip because at that moment I was just incredibly embarrassed. So I just simply sat in my seat, but soon the reality sunk in.

*Hey isn't that Okawa?*

*Yeah, the one whose sister died in that incident*

*His parents have no shame. Even after such a big incident, they are still making videos*

*They just love money too much*

*This scum has the nerve to show his face here when his parents are out there making a joke of themselves*

So many voices like this started going into my ear. Insulting my parents and me. Yeah, this is the reason why I started hating WeTube. It took my sister away and now causing this insult to my parents too. But I can't ask them to stop, because they are doing it for me. I have seen them in that dark phase. It's commendable that they pulled themselves up from that situation for me. You guys just sit here and say such disgusting things without batting an eye. I started to feel like vomiting again and was just about to dash out of the classroom.

"How does that make them scum?" I suddenly heard a voice from the seat beside me. It was that girl.

"Isn't that actually really commendable? They lost their daughter and are still trying their best. He lost his sister and is still trying to come to school. Meanwhile, you guys are sitting here and saying these horrible things about them. You guys who haven't probably worked hard even for your studies. Aren't you guys the actual scum for doing this?"

She just said everything that I should have said without batting an eye and without thinking about any of the consequences. Why was she doing this? Did she not care about what others will say about her?

"H-hey you, do—" Just as a guy was about to say something the classroom door opened and the teacher entered the class.

"All right, take your seats. Homeroom is about to start. Oh, even Kazuki-kun is here today." she smiled. Was she waiting outside and deliberately came in at that moment?

Thus, for the first time in months, I took the class. No one said anything after that. Even during lunchtime. I guess she hurt their ego a lot. It felt kinda funny. During lunch, she talked to me again.

"So your first name is Kazuki? Can I call you Kazuki-kun?" That got me flustered for a second.

"S-sure. You didn't tell me your name." I figured I should ask her.

"Oh, I forgot about that. My name is Sando Kayo."

"So, Sayo-san..."

"No. Call me Kayo." She cut me off and started making unusual demands.

"H-Huuhhh! Why the first name?" I again got flustered.

"We are friends so I will call you Kazuki and you will call me Kayo."

Hearing her say that we were friends made me a little happy. She was the first one to ever call me a friend.

"K-kayo-san?" I forced the words out with my flustered face.

"Yup?" she smiled as brightly as ever.

"Why did you say all that before?"

"Oh, that? Well, they were kinda pissing me off."

"Even you get pissed off?"

"How rude!" She pouted.

"But what if they start saying weird things about you too now?"

"Huh, they will?" She said with a clueless expression.

"Don't tell me you didn't even think about that."

"Well, they aren't saying anything right now. So it will be fine."

"What if no one becomes friends with you now?"

"What are you worrying about? You are my friend, aren't you?" She once again caught me defenseless with her words.

"W-well... I guess so-"

"Then it's fine. Nice to meet you, Kazuki-kun."

"Yeah, Nice to meet you Kayo-san." I don't know what kind of face I was making at that time but I am sure after a long time, I was smiling.

"Hey, you should smile more. You look cute while smiling." Again.

"H-uhuh! Idiot!"

"Why are you calling me Idiot?" Then we both laughed.

This way I made my first friend.