V2 - Saki's Determination: Part One

Katsumi’s final class was over and he stood in Building Two’s doorway. A cloudy sky, but not an overcast one that signaled rain. Just one covered enough to not let much sunlight through.

He walked down the steps, expecting another evening of much the same. However, after only descending a few, someone called out to him…

“Murakami.” The voice was defiant and sharp.

Hearing his name called out made him pause briefly, his muscles tensing. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to ignore it and continue walking.

“Hey! Don’t just ignore me!”

He kept walking.

“I know you can hear me!”

Nope, I can’t.

Footsteps rapidly approached from behind him.

I don’t hear those either… I’m going crazy right now. No one is approaching me.

The voice came from right behind him this time. “Murakami!”

He stood still, and slowly turned. “Oh, Akito. Can I help you?”

Saki scoffed. “Hmpf— I knew you could hear me the whole time. Don’t play that game.”

Instead of giving in and starting a back and forth, Katsumi bluntly asked. “What do you want?”

She hesitated, as she probably didn’t expect to get this far. “I— I need your help.”

“Oh? You? Akito Saki, need my help.”

She gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “Yes…” Her voice was small.

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

He turned away from her and started walking again.

“H-hey! You can’t just walk away! D-don’t ignore me!”

Katsumi didn’t look back, not one bone in his body was telling him to. So he didn’t. 

☒ ☒ ☒

“Hey Nara.”

“Huh?”

The girl in question, Nara Takagi, was lounging on Katsumi’s couch—leaving him relegated to the floor.

He set down his bottle and turned towards her. “Someone asked me to help them today. It was really weird.”

“What’d ya’ mean?”

“You know Akito, right?”

“Akito Saki? Ya I’ve heard of ‘er.”

“As I was walking home she was calling out to me, then asked me to help her.”

“Ya’ know what it was?”

“No, I just kinda… walked away.”

This caused Nara to let out a laugh, “That’s too funny! No way!”

“Yeah… But she seemed kinda… sad? About me ignoring her.”

Nara sat up on the couch. “Katsumi, Katsumi, listen. It could’ve been something really difficult that would take up all your time. You made the wise choice.”

 ☒ ☒ ☒

The minute hand on the clock was almost touching the twelve. Meaning English lecture was mere moments from ending.

While Katsumi made a bit of an effort to follow along, he still struggled. Trying to start making an effort a few weeks into a class is a monumental task, especially for a foreign language

To his right he heard some hushed whispering—the voices of two girls. This happens often and is near the very bottom of things he cares about. However, this time, the whispering was coming from someone who could cause Katsumi difficulties.

“I’m going to ask him again.” Saki whispered to Mai.

“Really? With the reaction he gave yesterday I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I’ll ask him during our next break.”

The two girls continued their hushed conversation and Katsumi tuned-out.

I gotta get outta here the second class ends…

“Alright everyone, make sure you have these to me on thursday.” Hasegawa-sensei said to the class while straightening some papers.

Operation to avoid Akito has commenced.

Katsumi glanced towards her seat—she was gone.

This is perfect— wait what? How’d she leave so quick? Did she leave before class ended? What if she’s out in the halls coming back from the bathroom… She’ll be headed right for the front door.

He turned his attention to the double-doors

I’ll have to be quick.

Katsumi poked his head out the doorway and looked left-to-right. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He stepped out and swiftly walked down the hallway.

“You know it was really hard for me to come ask you for help yesterday.”

Katsumi winced.

Saki had been leaning against a wall behind a pillar. She pushed herself off and was now standing in front of Katsumi—blocking his way forward. Other students filed around them, all headed away from their classrooms.

“It couldn’t have been that hard… Am I really that repulsive to look at?”

“Ha, you know, I’d actually say that’s part of the reason now that you mention it.”

Katsumi sighed, and bluntly asked what she wanted again.

Saki was a little more prepared for his bluntness this time, but still looked a little nervous. “U-uhm— Like I said, I need your help.”

Katsumi began walking off again.

“Hey! Murakami! Get ba—”

“Let’s talk in the library, we’re blocking everybody.”