That someone (あの誰か)

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring. I sleepily rose from my bed as the alarm stopped blaring and started speaking.

“Good morning students!” A bright voice said, “Rise and shine! Why? BECAUSE TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!”

“Jeez, find someone less loud to announce something in the morning,” I grumbled.

I went through my morning routine and got dressed. I found the school uniform neatly hung in the closet that fitted me perfectly. I went to the kitchen to prepare my bento box. Although there were a lot of ingredients, I didn’t know how to cook them. So, I cooked the only thing I knew how, rice with eggs. I hurriedly put it inside my bento box and stuffed it inside my bag. Then, I walked out of my room to find a long stream of girls lining up to go downstairs. When the clock hit seven, all the girls started simultaneously moving, so I just went with the flow. Once I had made my way downstairs, I saw Ms. Musane waiting for us. She rallied us and started guiding us to the school.

“All right, students!” She shouted, “Remember the route very carefully, I’m doing this only once!”

*****

Once we had arrived at school, Ms. Musane said,

“Class starts at eight! You have half an hour left. Don’t be late!”

With that, all the students gathered, dispersed. I started exploring the school. I walked around school for a while until I felt tired. I heard a bell ringing, it was time for class. I was in class 1-3, with Ms. Musane. However, I had no idea where my class was. Suddenly, I noticed a girl, her face buried in her book, sitting on a nearby bench. I approached her to ask if she knew where class 1-3 was.

“Hey there! I was wondering if you knew where class 1-3 is?” I asked.

She didn’t respond.

“Uh…hello? Can you hear me?” I said as I took a step closer.

I reached out to grab the book she was buried in. Then, to my realization, she was sleeping. I opened the book and found the library card. There it was, the girl’s name, ‘Kobayashi Sayuri’.

With the book in my hand, I tapped in on her head.

“Hey! Wake up, sleepyhead. I need you to help me find class 1-3.”

Her eyes began fluttering.

“Huh? Who are you?” She said, still confused and tired.

“Hi, my name is Matsumura Momoe, I’m new here. Can you help me find class 1-3?”

“Why couldn’t you ask someone else?!” She scoffed, “Can’t you see that I was sleeping?”

“I didn’t know you were sleeping. I’m sorry, didn’t mean to annoy you,” I apologized.

“Ugh, it’s fine. I’ll show you to class 1-3,” She said as she was standing up from the bench.

“Thanks, Sayuri-chan!”

“Wait, HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!” She demanded.

“Calm down! I just saw your name on the book’s library card,” I answered.

“Oh…alright then,” Sayuri then started walking towards the main building.

“Hey, uhh, one more thing. How old are you?”

“I’m 15, why?”

“WE’RE THE SAME AGE?! EKKKKKK” I screamed.

“Jeez, calm down. You’re the one who’s overreacting now.”

“Sorry, sorry, my bad. I’m just happy to get to know someone my age, ok?” I said defensively.

"Anyway, we're almost at class 1-3. Just walk up that flight of stairs and turn left." She pointed to the stairs on our left.

“Thanks a lot! Do you mind sitting with me during break time? Because, you know, I don't have any friends yet…"

"Sure. I have nothing else to do anyway. I'll see you at the same spot I was sleeping at this morning," With that, she walked away.

I kept staring after her until she turned a corner and went out of my eyesight. I couldn't believe it. I'd found that someone already. I'd found…a friend.

*****

The classes passed by in a flash. When the bell rang, I ran down to the place where we planned to meet each other. Sayuri wasn’t there yet.

“Hey!” Sayuri whispered in my ear from behind.

“WHOA! Whew, you scared the crap outta me.”

“Fufu~ Do you want to buy some snacks? I’m hungry. My treat. Let’s go!”

We walked toward the bread shop. I was following behind Sayuri like a newborn chick. It was my first time walking with someone other than my family. I looked up to see Sayuri’s face. She’s so much taller than me, and her hair is short and smooth. I wonder why she always has her hair half up and half down. Well, I can’t hate it, it gives her the bad girl look. Fufu~ I giggled.

We arrived at the bread shop.

“What bread do you want?”

“Umm, which one do you recommend?”

“The anpan here is good!”

“Okay! I’ll get that! I’ll treat you next time, okay?” I assured her.

“Nah, it’s fine.”

She paid for the bread and handed me my anpan.

“What bread did you choose?” I asked.

“I got a melon pan. It’s so good! Super sweet.”

We walked to the nearest bench to have a seat.

“When’s your birthday, Sayuri-chan?” I asked before taking a bite out of my anpan. It was delicious.

“My birthday is on December 5th.”

“2002?”

“Yep”

“HA! I’m older than you!”

“When’s your birthday then?”

“September 30th, so, I’m older than you! Haha” I teased her.

“Doesn’t matter, we’re the same age any-”

Suddenly, the school bell rang, cutting Sayuri off. Break time was over before we knew it.

“I’ll come over to your class for lunch. Wait for me, okay?”

“Okay! From now on, you have to call me senpai now! Haha” I continued to tease her.

“Ugh, whatever,” She turned away with a put on her face.

“See you!”

“Mhm.”

We parted ways at the stairs. I broke into a huge grin. I’d just secured lunch with a…friend.

*****

I had math class after break. I didn’t pay attention though. I was smiling to myself the whole time. Then, math class ended. It was lunch time. As time passed I began to get nervous. Sayuri wasn’t here yet. Suddenly, the classroom door flew open. Sayuri stumbled inside, panting.

“H-hey, Momoe-chan,” She blurted out, “Ha-had to r-run from cl-class.”

“Okay, okay. Take a breather. Sit down!” I said cheerfully.

She pulled a nearby chair and sat opposite to me. Sayuri then pulled something out of her bag. She set it on the table. It was a box, wrapped in a colorful cloth. She unwrapped the cloth and revealed what was inside.

“TA-DAA! Look at my handmade bento!”

A yellow bento box was placed neatly on the cloth. Sayuri opened her bento box. It was a simple, yet cute and elegant lunch. It was filled with bear-shaped rice, squid sausages, veggies, meat, and boiled egg.

“Wow! You can cook?”

“Obviously! Duh,”

“Ah, haha, alright”

“Let me see yours too!”

“Don’t get excited, it’s simple.”

I opened my bento box,

“See? It’s just egg and rice.”

“Alright. But why is your bento box so old?”

“Uh, I-I just didn’t want to waste money,”

She leaned closer.

“Are you hiding something?”

“NO!” I shouted, “Sorry, I meant, no, why would I?” I added nervously.

She studied me.

“C’mon! Please tell me. Pleaseeeeeeee. What’s the worst that could happen?” She pleaded.

I stared at the ground and stayed silent, my past flashed before my eyes. After a while,

“Uh, hello? Momoe, you there?”

“A-ah, yes. Sorry. I was thinking about something”

“So? Can you tell me now?”

I heaved a huge sigh. With on other option, I told her everything.

“So, that’s it? Your family’s poor?” Sayuri asked when I finished.

“Yes…”

“Why did you have to hide it from me?”

“That’s because I was afraid you wouldn’t be my friend.”

She stayed silent for a while. Then, she started talking again.

“Well, I can promise you that you won’t be bullied when you’re with me. Here, let’s stop talking and eat. I’m not in the mood to be depressed, and neither should you. I’ll give you this sausage, eat up!”

She dropped a sausage into my bento. We continued eating silently, until the school bell rang.

“Well, that’s my queue, gotta go! See you around!”

Sayuri gathered her things and left hurriedly. I stayed silent. I was speechless. Sayuri’s reaction was nothing compared to what I imagined. And for the first time, I felt like I’d found a friend. Not a fake one, but one that I could lean on when I need help, that I could talk to. One that I could eat with, or hang out with. And one that truly accepted me for who I am…