The Transfer Student

The first bell rang, signalling the start of another school day. I made my way to my class, and plopped down into my usual seat, situated one row from the back. Shinohara Ryuji was already sitting at the neighbouring desk. Normally, he greeted me in the mornings, but today he seemed much more interested in whatever was playing through his headphones. Hirasaka-sensei noticed this and sent a particularly stern look his way. I wouldn't have handled such a confrontation well at all if it were directed at me, but Shinohara showed no signs of embarrassment or discomfort as she lectured him and asked him to turn off the music. He was always just so effortlessly cool like that. There were probably no two people in the world who were more different than me and Shinohara. 

It was then that I noticed that there was a girl standing at the front of the class beside Hirasaka-sensei. She was wearing our school uniform, but I didn't recognise her. It suddenly clicked why the teacher was acting stricter than normal. It looked like we had a new transfer student, and she wanted us all to set a good example for the newbie.

"Please introduce yourself to the class."

"I'm Nakamura Ayane," the girl spoke with a very calm, polite voice, "thank you for having me as your classmate."

"Wonderful," Hirasaka-sensei smiled, "you can take that empty desk there."

She pointed out a vacant spot close to the front row. Nakamura nodded, and took her seat. It wasn't long before the other girls in the class began to flock around her, bombarding her with questions. Shinohara leaned over and nudged me rather forcefully, "she's a real cutie, huh?"

"Uh, sure … I guess." I gave an awkward smile. 

At lunch, I usually avoided crowded areas like the canteen, and instead I'd find a nice quiet spot in one of the corridors. That day, I was typing one of my latest ideas for a story into my phone. It was about someone who had a near- death experience, and woke up with supernatural powers. It wasn't exactly very original. I had the general premise and characters in mind, but I was struggling to know the direction to take the plot in. As I was mulling it over, I noticed Iwasaki Chizuru, the school idol, walking by with her usual group of friends. They stopped just short of the stairs, engrossed in whatever discussion they were having. Beautiful and kind-hearted, Iwasaki was popular with everyone. She had even gone out of her way to help me out in the past, though I doubt she still remembers. That was just who she was, always ready to jump up and help someone in need, regardless of who they were, even someone like me.

Just then, one of the girls locked eyes with mine. I recognised her immediately. It was the new transfer student from this morning, Nakamura Ayane! It was only for the briefest of moments, but it made my chest clench up in panic.

What if I was just caught staring?

Flustered, I quickly went back to my phone, hoping it'd serve as a good excuse when they…

Oh, they had already left.

What the hell was wrong with me?! What did I actually expect to happen? It wasn't like I was even worth their time in the first place.

"You're in my class, right?"

I looked up to see the face of Nakamura staring back at me.

"I, uh, whuh?"

Damn you, social anxiety!"

You were staring at us just now, weren't you?"

Her voice didn't sound angry, though there was an unmistakable sting to her words.

"No, I was just…" I trailed off mid sentence.

"You like one of them, don't you?"

I froze, as a knowing grin crossed the girl's lips. 

"Your reaction says it all, it's so obvious," she sighed, "look, I'll keep it secret if you tell me. If you don't, well, I may accidentally let it slip that you've been watching them."

"Urk…"

This girl was pure evil!

Even so, I couldn't bring myself to say it. I had never once admitted it out loud before. When I tried opening my mouth, all I could let out was a small croak.

"Let me guess, it's Iwasaki Chizuru?"

I felt my face go beet red. Somehow, Nakamura had guessed correctly. Was I really that easy to read?

I swiftly averted my gaze down to my feet, "...Yeah."

That was when she spotted the phone I had been clutching tightly. She glared at me.

"Please tell me you weren't taking photos of her?"

I shook my head vigorously. She raised her eyebrow, unconvinced, as she made a swipe for my phone.

"H-hey, give it back!"

"Hold on, I need to make sure my cousin isn't being targeted by some creep. Ah…"

Her eyes darted back and forth over the document that was still open on my phone. Her posture seemed to soften as she handed my phone back to me, which I swiftly returned to my pocket, embarrassed.

"Sorry, it seems like I was mistaken."

"Your cousin?"

"Hmm? Yes, that's right. We may not share a name, but we are related. It's why my parents chose this school for me after we moved into the area."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"How about you, why so interested in Chizuru?"

"I … um … find it hard to open up to people, I barely have any friends. But even still, she … has always been kind to me. She's kind to everyone. I've always admired her for that."

Nakamura stood quiet for some time, pondering my words. The silence made me uncomfortable, dreading what she would say next.

"Tell me," she said finally, "if she knew how you felt, and returned your feelings, what would you do then, would you want to date her?"

Why was she asking me all of this? I had thought about it, of course, but I knew it would never happen. She would never be interested in someone like me.

"I could help you with her," she added.

"What are you…?"

"I'll be your support. We can work together to help you build up the courage to tell her everything you've just confided in me. Think of it as a deal of sorts."

"Why would you do something like that for me?"

"Hmm. That's a good point, if it's a deal, I should be getting something in return, no?"

That's really not what I meant…

"Then how's this," she decided, "in exchange for my help with Iwasaki Chizuru, how about you let me read that novel of yours sometime?"

She couldn't be serious, could she? Why would she ask for something like that?

"Just think about it, okay? How about we meet up after school outside the sports shed. You can give me your answer then."

Before I could get another word out, Nakamura had trotted off, heading down the stairs at the end of the corridor and out of sight. I stood there, scratching my head. Did that all really just happen? And just how exactly was I supposed to respond to her 'deal'?