The smile that brightens up the room
The sunlight feels like a warm hug. Especially sitting here with her.
She’s still studying, maybe I should join her instead of basking in my glory.
Right. I didn’t bring my books with me. I got a little too excited on the prospect of this happening and didn’t think this through. But to be fair, who even goes to the library to study…
My gaze falls on Mary. She looks at me, just for a second and smiles before going back to studying. Right… now I feel bad.
The library seems to be almost full now. Everyone here is taking their studies seriously. Well, almost everyone.
Who doesn’t go to the library to study? I wish there was a mirror here for the joke to land.
Just imagine a mirror…
“You didn’t need to wait for me you know.”, Mary started to pack her things up.
I jolted up.
“No…”, I get up from my seat and push the chair in. “I wanted to.”, I couldn’t help but control my smile. Hopefully that wasn’t awkward.
I look at her again, the sunlight falling on her blonde hair makes it even more majestic.
“…Something on my hair?”, her smile’s more beautiful too.
“Akari?”
“Oh! NO! No. I mean, No. Nothing.”
She smiles and finishes her packing.
“Did you complete what you wanted to do?”, I ask.
“Nowhere even close to finishing.”, she chuckles as I gulp and follow her behind to the classroom.
Before we entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher was already standing there. He very audibly sighed. Looks like someone doesn’t want to go work today.
He looked at us and smiled a little, “Mary and Akari!”, he walked towards us, “Just the two I want to talk too!”
The teacher awkwardly chuckled, “So…”, he put his hand behind his head and looked down.
“I know it will…”, he stopped for a second and looked up, “I wanted say I’m sorry for treating you both like that during election day.”, he clenched his lips.
“I-I don’t know what came over me…”
“It’s fine Sir.”, Mary responded. Cutting him off and smiling.
“No! No… It’s not. I’m really sorry…”
We both smiled. Not much else we could do there.
“Alright. Go sit on your seats.”, we both went to our seat and sat down. The teacher entered soon afterwards.
He coughed and got the attention of the class, “You guys had a week to decide your clubs.”
Wait, we could’ve still changed out clubs? Why didn’t I… wait, why did I even think that we couldn’t?
“Mary.”, he gave her some papers as soon as she walked over, “Distribute it to the class after I leave.”
He then left without saying a word. Completely different from what he was behaving like yesterday… It’s almost as if he’s a completely different person.
Maybe he’s just like me too? No, he reverted back… maybe Akari has some hope…
“Hey…”, a soft voice. I looked up, it was Hinata. She handed me the paper, I thanked her and she smiled kind of a sorrow look.
She then gave Mary a paper, “Here…”
“Thank You.”, Mary hit her with her signature smile.
“I look forward to working with you…”, Hinata smiled, “Vice-Class representative.”
There’s a vice-class representative?
“Oh…”, Hinata looked towards me. “I guess this is a surprise to you…”
“Yes.”, Mary chimed in, “The class representative can select someone to help them. The Vice-Class representative.”
“Look at you already helping me.”, Hinata chuckled.
“No.”, Mary filled out the form, “I’ll pass. Thank you though.”, she handed it over to Hinata.
I feel like the atmosphere is very tense. Maybe it’s just me though.
“No clubs.”, Hinata mumbled loud enough for both of us hear and then went to the front of the class.
“Are you alright?”, I ask Mary.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
I feel like I shouldn’t push it further, “Nothing… just felt a little…”, I catch my breath.
“…Tense.”, I mumble.
“Remember guys!”, Hinata screamed. Maybe she was saving her energy for this.
“No clubs before the exams!”, or maybe she was practicing for this…
The bell rang.
“Psst.”
Looks like someone was calling me, I turn towards Mary.
“Let’s meet at the library.”
“A d-“, I stop myself and cough for added effect.
“Are you…”
“Yes! Let’s meet at the library!”
She smiled and nodded.
The rest of the classes go as well as you’d expect it to go. I think I’m getting the hang of it… I’m not exactly paying attention in class though. The teachers don’t seem to care, maybe because Akari is the number one ranked sports student in here.
I don’t know how long that’s going to last for though.
Daydreaming really makes the time pass away fast, or not fast enough. It’s only break time now.
Mary’s friends don’t miss a beat though, they come running towards her. I’m glad that they’re keeping her company.
I shouldn’t eavesdrop. I get up from my seat and start to walk away.
“…No one except us voted for you.”
Maybe wait for the wound to get well before adding salt?
“I’m fiiiine.”, Mary puffed her hands trying to show off her muscles. Thankfully she can’t see my right now.
“I’ll just focus on my studies…”, I got far away enough to not hear them.
“Hey.”
“AH”, I look to my side. It’s Kuroki.
“You really have a talent of scaring me you know?”, I put my hands on my chest. My heart’s beating very fast.
Kuroki put his hands on the wall, “The atmosphere in-between Hinata and Mary doesn’t look that good…”
“Yea…”, I have to agree with him. That was not comfortable.
“Wait. How did you know…”, was he just looking at us the whole time.
“That’s not important.”, he added quickly.
“Maybe there’s a way for us…”, he put his hands on his chin, almost perfectly imitating the thinker.
“You were looking at Hinata, weren’t you?”
“Obviously.”, he really answered that without missing a beat.
“No. NO!”, his face turned beet red. This is pretty amusing.
“I mean… that obvious?”, he turned his face away.
I laughed, “Yes. That obvious.”
“Are you fine with that…?”, why is he making puppy eyes at me?
“Yes! Completely fine!”
“Are you sure?”
What more do I need to do? Sign a contract?
“I-“
“Let’s wait till your memory comes back.”, he sighs.
He’s right. What was I thinking? This is Akari’s life. I have no right…
“Lets.”
“Any plans?”, he changed the subject. I’m glad he did.
“Plans?”
“To fix that atmosphere?”
“Nope.”, I start to walk away. “It’s their business.”, I wave a good bye.
I think Kuroki’s used to this by now, for better or worse. He didn’t say anything or follow me.
Maybe he didn’t want to… I’ll just go to the cafeteria and take my mind off of this. Can’t wait for school to end.
The last bell rang rather soon, not that I’m complaining.
“Ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
We make our way towards the library. Thankfully it’s not as crowded as it was towards the end of morning.
“This will get more crowded as time passes, which is why we’ll come here every day as soon as the final bell rings!”
“Alright?”, she added as she looked at me expecting eyes.
“Yes. Of course.”, we both take our seats, facing each other. I could almost feel my heart beat. Really fast. Focus. Not on her beautiful eyes! On your books, laying right in front of you. And suddenly I can no long feel my heart beat… I put my hands on my chest just to make sure… No, they’re still there.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing…”
“Alright… so, how good are you at English?”
“Pretty decent.”
“Really?”
“Yea?”
“Oh. It’s not that I don’t believe you…”
Maybe it’s finally time to impress her!
“Hello. I am…”, my mouth stopped on its own. That was English right.
“Akari!”
No… that is not what I wanted to say.
“My name is Mary.”
Alright. What’s done is done. I can still impress her…
“Hello Mary. Nice to meet you.”, why did that come out so awkwardly?
“Wow, and I mean that in the best way possible. You’re very good at English.”, she looked at me in awe.
How exactly does this translation thing work? I just spoke normally as I do but this time it didn’t translate… maybe I just have to talk awkwardly, but then it’d never translate.
“Thanks…”, just take the compliment.
“Where did you learn it?”
“Online…”, that’s a lie.
“School.”, that isn’t a lie.
“Online school?”, she asked. I really don’t want to lie to her.
“Well kind of… Where did you learn English from?”, Nice deflection, she’s obviously from somewhere not Japan.
She looked down. No, did I tough a touchy subject?
“It’s fine-“
“My father’s from the UK.”
“Ahh… I see.”, and now it’s awkward. Might as well dive in.
“Your mother’s from here?”
She nodded as she took out her other books.
“How good are you at math?”
“Decent. I mean, worse than my English skills, so maybe not that decent…”
She smiled, “Alright. Let’s study maths today.”
“Sure.”, this is the first time I’ve ever been excited to study maths.
“You know…”
I looked up at her, she paused for a moment, “We can’t study in the library during the weekends.”
“That is true.”, I agree. School would probably be closed.
“So…”, she fidgeted with her fingers and started to play with her pen.
“I was wondering if we could study at your house.”
Well, my house isn’t… wait. WAIT!
“Sure. I mean, I’d like that.”
“Really?”
“You know you should really stop doubting me by this point today?”, I smile.
“You’re right.”, she smiled as well, “Your house…10a.m?”
“My… house 10a.m.”, this is the first time I’ve ever invited my friend to my house. I guess in a way I still haven’t but I won’t let it hold me back today.
She smiled yet again, I’ve seen her smile a lot today. The recent ones feel a lot more warm than the ones during class. I hope I’m not bothering her much, I also hope that she takes her mind off of the election loss.
I’m hoping for a lot of stuff at this point but let’s take this a step at a time.
I can’t wait for the weekends.
