Is This Bad Luck or A Bad Omen?

My dream girl? Ha! Must you even ask, oh great Universe-sama?

A tender heart, like the shimmering surface of a lake winding through the last days of the rainy season. That's a must. 

Soft fingertips, soft skin, like young leaves brushing against warm, flushed cheeks. Definitely. 

A voice like the yellow light of spring, the silky rustling of grass swaying in a pocket of shade, the heartbeat of a sleeping animal. Any of the three will do. Mhm. 

Ah.. let's see.. what else? 

The type of soul that spreads out eternally before you with wide open arms- smiling... smiling... 

Yes. Yes! I'm almost there! I can see her! The token of my youth, the soft petal of my future! A girl like...like...

"Class dismissed!" 

Ah...close.. but not quite, Universe-sama. You see, that's the voice of a man. Not just any man, mind you, but Iyori-Sensei, my homeroom teacher. Have I fallen out of your good graces?! Are you mad at me?

...

Hmmm. I hear you... maybe I was asking a bit much, after all. But still, I'm counting on you alright? The fate of this high school romantic comedy is in your han-ah-ahhh- achhooo!

"Bless you, you stupid bastard."

My eyes snap open like a pair of shutters, and the sight of a bustling classroom plays out before me with startling clarity. Students. Girls! Teacher. Girls! The scrape of desk legs against the linoleum floor. Girls! Mobs and mobs of them dispersing, combining, passing in and out of the classroom doors with their cute bags slung over their cute little shoulders!

Is this my life flashing before my eyes?? 

Nope. Just tunnel vision, truly. 

Phew... okay, I can think again. Or can I? Wasn't I just insulted? So why am I so giddy? Is this the consequence of excessive delusion? Tell me, Universe-sama!?

...

No answer..huh? Well, I guess we're done with that then. Kaput. Lights out. 

"Hey... Arimura." Someone speaks up from beside me, and I flinch as my neck forcibly cramps to stall my breath in my throat. 

There's no mistaking a voice like that...frozen cold with malice...so....so...totally not my type! Dammit! 

A gut deep sensation of disappointment sends my head whizzing to the side before I can restrain myself, and its done. I'm caught in her trap. No, seriously. Lights. Out. I hardly have time to wipe the tears of despair from my eyes before I'm frozen stock still. 

Miki Ogasawara removes both hands from the pockets of her skirt- or rather, miniskirt... and holds them out in front of her, the pure black polish painted up to the sharp tips of her nails standing out against the milky paleness of her skin. 

She almost looks like she's posing for some punk rock magazine, with her boots kicked up on the desk like that. Not that someone like her could ever land that type of gig, I mean, she can hardly even show up to class. With all that being said though, she's here. And she's... talking to me? She said Arimura right? Right? Ritsu Arimura? No. No! Things like that don't just happen!! 

But...but everyone else is gone, huh? Even Iyori-sensei. I take a quick glance around the classroom to confirm my suspicion and find a few lingering students- Izumi and Sukuna included- near the exit to the room. So it gets worse? Not only have I been dragged into conversation with the schools most wanted, but she's a girl! Wait, no... that's not supposed to be the problem here. My friends are right there! I can't talk to a girl if my friends are watching!

Yeah, they're watching alright. I swear I just saw Sukuna push up his glasses. Damn them. 

"Y-Yo!" I make an attempt, raising my hand stiffly beside my head. 

Without so much as a glance at me, Ogasawara raises her eyebrows, effectively shoving the fact of my lameness directly down my throat. For someone so easy to read, she really knows how to catch a guy off guard. 

"You caught me in a good mood today,' she says, her voice perfectly flat. 'So I'll keep it brief,' taking a moment to look up at me, she grimaces. 'Even with that pathetic face your pulling.' 

ah. what is pride, anyway? what is dignity? 

With a single swift movement, Ogasawara swipes her feet off of her desk and slams one of them into the side of my chair. My fingers, which had been gripping onto the edges for dear life, just hardly escape into my lap as she lifts her chin to stare me down. 

My eyes drift hazily around her face, more out of an attempt to hold back tears than anything else- but still, I get the gist of it. Choppy purple bangs, dark eyes lined with even darker eyeshadow, chewing gum with a wide open mouth. Seriously, is she posing? 

"It's common knowledge to return a courtesy, so what's the deal, you gonna thank me?"

Huh? What's that? Since when was making a guy tremble a show of chivalry?!

Ogasawara's upper lip curls in disgust as she pushes herself off of the chair and straightens herself out in the middle of our aisle, affording me full view of her figure. Not that I'm looking, of course.

I don't mean to brag, but my punk rock comparison was straight on. Her entire get-up is pretty impressive honestly, considering how our school is with these new clothing restrictions. A hoodie over the uniform is allowed, I guess... but the skulls were a risky addition. And what are those? Socks? Up to her knees? 

"I don't say bless you for fun, you know." 

Oh! So that's what this is all about! Wait... huh? Did she forget the insult she chucked on the second half of it though? What was it again? Stupid bastard?! What was it so straight-to-the-point for?!

"And here I was about to turn over a new leaf," she crosses her arms and sighs. Actually sighs! Like any of this is my fault! 'Now I've got to reset my streak, damn it." 

Sliding her backpack off her desk, Ogasawara turns away from me. With quick, rough movements, she loops the strap of her bag around her wrist and drags it beside her, letting it hit the floor every couple of steps. She looks back to me just as she's about to leave the row of seats and splays out her hand. 

Piled up on her palm are a few coins, approximately 600 yen. 

"I helped myself to some of your spare change." She says, without even the hint of a smile, sardonic or other. "Next time I'll make you talk." Then, as though this had all been some symbiotic course of nature- a perfectly equivalent exchange- she leaves the room. 

It must have all seemed quite poetic, really. 

Lunch is only 300 yen, though.  

Stifling the urge to regurgitate my breakfast, I drop my head into my hands and release the type of sigh that you feel from your fingers to your toes. My fatigue is so overwhelming I don't even notice Izumi and Sukuna approach my desk sporting matching smiles. Well, Izumi's is a great deal more skeevy, but who's keeping track of details like that?

"Y-yoooo!" 

I hate to admit it, but his impression is spot on- even that screwed up face he's making. 

"What's up? You get shy? You hardly got a word in dude!" 

"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists." Sukuna cuts in as earnestly as he can, but he can't hide his glasses still glinting with amusement.

A real pair of geniuses- these two. And was that an actual proverb? 

"Seriously though, you got screwed over- being seated next to a chick like that." Izumi drops himself down on a nearby chair, balancing his chin on a closed fist.  "Iyori-sensei can't sniff out an easy target for his life.. poor guy." 

Easy target? That's me, right? 

"It's not his fault." Sukuna scratches at his cropped brown hair, apparently feeling a bit guiltier now.  "Most of the staff can't stand up to her. I mean, they can, in a literal sense. But they don't get much of a response." 

"Someone's just got to put their foot down." Izumi says, shaking his head. "If it was a group of kids fine, but she's the only one acting out of line here!" 

Says the one digging through a strangers desk for treasure. 

"What about you then?" I say, finally collected enough to defend myself. 

"What? Are you an idiot? I can't fight a girl, it's totally against my morals."

But theft isn't?!!!

"Anyway," Izumi continues, "I heard she framed the last kid who stood up to her for drug possession. There's no way I'm getting caught again."

This is just gonna keep getting worse, huh?

"I doubt it," Sukuna adds, "I mean did you see the way she moves, she's a total tomboy, all brute force. She probably just gave the guy a good beating." 

"If it's brute force we're talking about, I heard she got up into the Dan grades in Judo when she was just 13." 

"For real?!! But what about that rumor about her being the reincarnation of Oda Nobunaga?"

"Hmm... that warlord from history class, Huh?  If anything supernatural is going on I'm willing to bet on that story about her setting a small mob of gangsters on fire with just a whispered incantation."

"Oh! Oh! What about that buzz a couple weeks ago about her being a wandering ghost child on an eternal search for the rift between worlds?"

"That might explain her shoddy attendance..." 

"I-I heard her dad is a high-ranking yakuza official involved in-" 

"Enough, Sukuna-kun. Leave this to us." Izumi offers his hand to me ceremoniously, and I take it in stride. 

A bit harsh, comrade, but I see where you're coming from. We will unearth the ancient tome of Ogasawara's existence and descend down into the labyrinth as sworn allies.

Sukuna grabs his lunch box and turns to leave. 

"W-Wait, Sukuna!" I call after him, remembering the payment Ogasawara forcibly took from me. "I- I forgot my lunch, please." 

"Ask Izumi, it looks like he finally struck gold." 

Turning to Izumi expectantly, I catch him shove a wad of coins into his blazer pocket. So much for our alliance. Not to mention that what he did just now is like, totally illegal!? Maybe I should give him and Ogasawara a proper introduction. 

Giving up on that prospect, I fumble to follow Sukuna out of the door, desperately stuffing my hand into the side pocket of my bag to find... Wait. Huh? 

The full 1000 yen I brought with me for the week?!

"Ritsu! What's the hold up? I'll cover you this time but you owe me!" Izumi yells over over his shoulder, hitting his fist against his chest to show off his haul. 

Hm. I might as well.

Leaving the money in my bag, I head over to where Izumi and Sukuna stand waiting near the door, trying my best to look forlorn while my head whirls without end. 

Miki Ogasawara, huh? I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this...