Fragments of a Dream – April, 1st year
Chapter 1 (Hirate Yurina, Ishimori Nijika)
So much is hidden, you’ll never know
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
The clock couldn't tick any slower as it marched steadily towards lunch hour. I couldn't wait to get out of this history class. Chalk dust whirled in the air as Sawabe-sensei erased his notes. I felt a little out of place being the youngest in the class, but it wasn't as much of an issue as I thought it would be. My eyes wandered around the room. I had a great view of everyone being in the back corner by the window. It had only been a couple weeks since class started but I was already getting to know most of my classmates.
Suzumuto Miyu and Ozeki Rika sat at the opposite corner from my seat. Both of them were fun to be around, especially Ozeki. Her randomness, what a lot of people termed 'Ozeki Style,' always brought a smile to my face no matter how gloomy the situation. Miyu made the best faces I'd ever seen. I wish I could take photos and use them every time I wanted to express how I was feeling! The two were goofing off as usual, somehow managing to only do it when Sawabe-sensei wasn't looking.
Between them and me sat the two Watanabes, Risa and Rika. They were dissimilar in every way you could imagine. Risa was outspoken and definitely tsundere. Her sharp bob haircut gave her an edgy, cool look. Rika on the other hand was quiet and shy, a girl of few words. Perhaps the only thing they had in common was their friend Shida Manaka, or Mona as she liked to be called. She too, had a cool image like Risa, but seemed much softer and more easily embarrassed. She also was kind of childish, and it seemed like the other two spoiled her at times. Maybe that's why they were such good friends.
In front of them were Uemura Rina, Imaizumi Yui and Kobayashi Yui. They all seemed to get along really well and affectionately called each other Uemu, Zuumin and Yuipon respectively. I didn't know much about them yet except that Uemu and Zuumin were both really energetic despite being tiny and Zuumin and Yuipon both played guitar.
Two seats in front of me sat Ishimori Nijika. Her long black hair held large curls at the ends today, giving it a playful, bouncy look. She was one of the first people to welcome me this year and was actually a lot of fun despite her often overly serious demeanor. Just get her talking about dogs and suddenly she's the happiest girl in the world!
Right in front of me was Nagahama Neru, snoozing away true to her name. The teachers had stopped trying to keep her awake, and somehow she managed to do amazingly well despite seemingly never paying attention in class. She was a mystery to me, but in an intriguing way. Calm and collected, she had this bright yet somehow sad smile. We had talked a few times, but it was nothing ever of any substance. The sunlight gleamed off her dark hair draped over her shoulders, captivating my gaze as I pondered what she might be hiding away.
The bell blared, shaking me out of my daze. I hadn't had a chance to get to know anyone in the front row yet, and they were gone before I could even put my books away.
"Hey Techi, do you want to have lunch together?" Nijika asked as she walked towards me.
"Ahh I left my lunch at home! I'll join you after I buy something," I replied as I rummaged through my bag for some money.
"Alright, I'll be up on the roof, usual place. It looks beautiful out so don't be too late!" she turned and headed out of the room.
I turned my bag over and sifted through the pens, gum and other miscellaneous goods that fell on my desk. "...that's it huh," I sighed, staring at the pitifully sparse number of coins. "230 yen... maybe I can get some bread." I stuffed the coins into my pocket, picked up my notes, and got up to leave, tapping Neru's shoulder on the way. "Hey, it's lunch time sleepyhead~" She stirred then rubbed her eyes.
"Ohhh, good morning Techi," she murmured then paused when she realized where she was. "Awawawahhhhhh!!! Shoot can I borrow your notes again? I'm so sorry!!!"
"What am I going to do with you?" I chuckled, "Here, you owe me though. Give me your brain, or at least help me study tomorrow!" Notes at the ready, I handed them to her without a second though.
"Fine, fine~ I don't know if studying with me will help you much, but I guess it's the least I can do."
"Pfft, you're so smart, I don't even know why you need my notes," I laughed at her and she smiled back. Normally I'd feel hesitant always lending someone my work, but she had really helped me learn a lot studying the last week so I felt completely okay with helping her. "Anyways, I gotta go buy some food so I'll see you later."
"Hey Techi, here!" as I was about to walk out the door, I turned just in time to see an onigiri flying towards me. Just barely managing to catch it in surprise, I looked back at the girl sitting in the sunlight. "I brought an extra, so you can have it!" she beamed at me. I held it up in thanks and headed towards the cafeteria. Maybe I wouldn't be going hungry today after all.
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"Ah, I hope she has enough for lunch, maybe I should have offered to share mine..." I thought to myself heading down the hall. I stopped by a window and looked out into the distance, setting my bento box down on the sill. The other school buildings nearby were all that spoiled the view. Beyond the gigantic school field, a grove of trees separated the schoolyard from the glistening ocean. The sound of waves breaking could be heard from the roof of the school, one of my favourite spots. “Maybe I’ll head down to the waterfront park after class…” I sighed and turned to continue down the hall, twisting a lock of hair around my fingers as I pondered the thought. Father had been in a stubborn mood lately, and the less time I had to spend at home the better.
"Oi, Ishimori," Tsuchida-sensei stopped me as I headed towards the stairwell. "I could use some help setting up for phys-ed class. I'll give you a break from the running warm up so you can eat lunch then, can you give me a hand?"
A break from running? I couldn't pass that up! "Sure thing!" I chimed back, absentmindedly lost in my thoughts.
We headed down to the courtyard at the back of the school building. It was bigger than the one I was used to. A 400m track circled one side of the yard, housing a soccer field in the centre. On the other side was a pair of baseball diamonds, the fields enclosed by the school building on two sides. A grey stone walkway lined by sakura trees and benches separated the two sides and led towards a grove of trees that opened up to the ocean on the other side. The trees had begun to flower, their blossoms ready to burst forth in the brilliant pink that signalled new beginnings.
“Hurdles and soccer today,” he said matter-of-factly, snapping me out of my dreamy mood. “I’ll bring the hurdles out here, so you just set them up on the track about 5 metres apart, ok?”
Twenty minutes and thirty hurdles later, I collapsed on one of the benches near the track. “Phew, that was harder than I thought it would be.”
“You’re tougher than you look haha,” Tsuchida-sensei laughed and tossed me a Calpis. “For your troubles, oh and of course, you can sit out for the hurdles today. You’ve already done your share.”
I smiled in relief and popped the cap, savouring the cool fizz as I sipped.
“Oh, one more thing, can you grab the cart of soccer balls from the shed? We’ll need those later. I’ve gotta run back inside to get a few things. Thanks again!” He waved and hurried back towards the school.
I took a few moments to cool off. The faint smell of the ocean mixed with the sweet scent of first-bloom sakura on the light breeze. Not terribly inclined to move from my comfortable spot on the bench, I sighed and rolled to my feet, heading over to the shed. Inside were tons of supplies, from balls for every sport I could think of to gymnastics equipment. I headed over to the cart of soccer balls but froze when I heard voices. The shed wasn’t attached to the school building, so a small alleyway lay behind it.
“I LIKE YOU, PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!” A loud male voice came from through the metal siding. I blushed, embarrassed by what I was hearing.
“I’m flattered… but I’m sorry, I can’t return your feelings…” came a soft girl’s voice. It was familiar somehow… Kobayashi?
“Ehhh, is there someone else you like? If not, can we just try? Just one date!” he pleaded desperately.
“It’s not like there’s someone else… I just can’t, I’m sorry.” I heard her clothes ruffle, a bow maybe, then a turn and footsteps fading quickly into the distance. All of that followed by a thump. My heart sank, but probably not as much as that poor boy’s.
I tugged on the cart and headed back to the field to escape the gloomy atmosphere. “Asking someone out huh…” I murmured to myself. As I neared my destination with the cart, the thought of having lunch with Techi came flying back into my mind.
“Ahh! I totally forgot! I’m such an idiot!” I bopped myself on the head with my fist, then “Oww…” I sighed and resigned myself to the lost opportunity, gazing up at the rooftop. I wonder if she’s still there… but it didn’t really matter. Lunch was almost over anyway.
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Huffing, I finally made it to the top of the stairs. I paused to catch my breath in the dark stairwell, and then flung open the door to reveal the vast blue skies above the concrete rooftop. A gust from the sea caught my hair as I stepped out in to the sunlight, whipping the short black strands around my face and leaving it looking like a messy bird’s nest. “Oh the joys of short hair,” I thought to myself as I quickly fixed it, hoping another gust wasn’t soon to ruin my efforts.
Warmth radiated from the dark concrete floor as the midday sun beat down on it. Chain-link fences guarded the edges, the tops curling inwards to keep people from scaling them too easily. A few empty benches feigned popularity, as if to say there were regularly many people up here. After a week of coming up for lunch, I knew otherwise. Pillars jutted from the otherwise flat surface, marking other stairwells, machinery or vents and creating plenty of blind spots no matter where you decided to stand.
The sea filled the view on one side, naturally framed by trees and a jutting cliff many claimed was both a lovers’ blessing and curse. On the other side was the city, although it felt more like a town in most places. A few larger buildings marked the city hall and administrative areas, as well as the shopping arcade and popular tourist district. Beyond that central hub, one found a sprawling variety of houses, though nowhere as vast as its ocean counterpart. Both the city and the rooftop felt like isolated paradises, where one could feel free yet trapped at the same time.
I walked around, expecting to find Nijika in our usual spot, but she wasn’t there. Maybe she had gotten tied up or something and would come later. My growling stomach prompted me to take a seat, and I devoured the coconut cream bun I’d bought earlier. I sat back and took out my phone, expecting to see a message or two… nothing.
“I guess she’s not coming,” I sighed and got up, deciding to wander around the rooftop. Apparently the one bun wasn’t nearly enough, and my stomach was quick to remind me. “Thank goodness Neru gave me something too,” I thought. I rounded a corner as I bit in to the onigiri and stopped when I saw a figure.
“Neru?” I thought silently. I recognized her figure even though she was facing away from me. In her hands was something flat, small and rectangular. A postcard or a photo maybe? It was hard to tell. Her body language looked forlorn, defeated almost. I thought about approaching when I saw glittering crystals fall to the ground. She brought her right arm up and wiped her face with the sleeve. “She’s…crying?”
She started to turn around and I instinctively darted back around the corner out of sight, quickly heading back towards the stairwell from whence I came. Something churned inside me; an unsettled, worried feeling. As I headed back down the stairs towards the classroom, I realized something: the mild saltiness of the onigiri tasted like tears.
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And here we go out of the starting gate! It's been a real challenge to bring together all these characters in some kind of cohesive way. I've got a lot to learn yet, but I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Look forward to more to come! Next will probably be Chapter 1 for 恋する方法 - How to Fall in Love.