Rui spent his Sunday on researching about Konan's disorder. He came to know about it and his determination to help her rose even higher that he can't wait to see her seatmate when Monday came. He sat on his seat, tapping his foot on the floor while looking at the door. His chin propped on his palm and paying no attention to a girl talking to him. When Konan finally showed up at the door, his face beamed in excitement as he watched walked over to the seat beside him. The girl who was talking to him was sitting at Konan's desk left after seeing her. Meanwhile Konan casually entered the classroom, her classmates paid no attention at her as if she was a mere breeze that passed by. She doesn't mind though, what could be special? It's just another Monday morning of her school life. That's what she thought. Apparently, she was mistaken for when her eyes landed on her seat, she saw her seatmate looking at her with a big smile that his gums showed.
"Good morning Fujioka-san! Lovely morning isn't it? The wisterias so fragrant today." Rui exclaimed happily to her seatmate, smiling with his eyes closed and when he opened them he saw his classmates astonished looks. He looked at Konan and saw her ever expected reaction- a blank face.
Konan stared at her seatmate, her eyebrows slowly knitted when confusion slowly registered in her mind. There's something off with her seatmate today. She sat in her desk and place her bag on the floor beside her desk.
"The wisterias had always been fragrant. More importantly Nakajima,...." she faced her seatmate who's still wearing a big smile. ...."what's with that big idiotic smile?"
Her question made everyone in the room gasped, as if how Rui greeted her when she entered the room is not enough shock they received this morning.
"That's so rude of her."
"I know right. But what else could we expect from her? She's absolutely a dry ice."
"Yes. But the real question here is why did Rui-kun..... are they friends?"
The murmurs instantly filled the room and Konan knew right away she should have kept those words to herself. She isn't dumb enough not to know that her classmates, especially those who adored Rui is in rage. If their sharp looks could kill, Konan would fall dead right away. So to avoid everyone's gaze, she hung her head low and stared at her desk.
"Hey Rui-kun. Are you friends with Fujioka?"
One girl approached Rui. He glanced at Konan who's head was hung low. Acting too friendly so suddenly might be a bad idea after all.
Are they friends? That's a good question. Konan listened to what Rui would answer.
"That's right." Rui answered. Another series of gasp resonated in the room. Konan stiffened in her chair.
"That's right. We're friends. Everyone's reaction make it seemed like it is a bad thing but I do hope you'll respect my friendship with Fujioka-san." He said. Everyone in the room froze in their place.
Konan's eyes widen when she felt her heart skipped a beat. It's just a fleeting moment but she felt suffocated and her head tingled that she had to shut her eyes tight.
Before anyone in the room could recover from their "shock", the teacher entered the room. Everyone settled to their seats. Konan took a few deep breaths to ease the tingling in her head. She focused her mind on the lessons and ultimately failed since Rui's words keep on echoing in her head. Realizing she had no way to get the words out of her mind, she slipped a note on Rui's shoe locker when the class ended.
"I'll be waiting for you at the turning corner of our neighborhood."
-Konan.
Rui read what is written on a piece of paper placed in between his shoe. He thought it was just another admiration letter so he was reluctant to open it but glad he did.
"Nakajima! Let's hit the arcade today?" Rui looked at Jinro and three other boys who are coming towards him. Jinro is waving and smiling.
"I'm sorry but I think I'll pass. I've got a text for my grandma, something came up. Maybe next time." Rui said as he slip on his shoes.
"Aww really? I guess it can't be helped. Next time it is." Jinro muttered loud enough for Rui to hear. Rui nodded apologetically and smiled.
"I'm sorry. I've got to go." He then jogged backwards waving at them before turning around and jogging out of the school.
Konan stood at the side walk. She just arrived at the rendezvous point she set for Rui. She leaned her back to the brick wall behind her and craned her neck upwards. She stared at the blue sky, the words stills plaguing her head. She inhaled deeply, whiffing the familiar warm scent of the neighborhood she grew up in. Not so long after, someone stopped beside her.
"What's wrong Fujioka-san?" Rui asked. Konan's face was stoic as usual. What could be the reason she called out to him?
"Maybe she was bothered by those rude comments of our classmates earlier?" He asked himself. Konan started walking so he followed behind her slowly. Silence wrapped them up so Rui decided to break it by saying:
"Fujioka-san. I'm sorry for suddenly acting too friendly this morning. I'm sorry that our classmates made rude comments about you."
Konan halted. She slowly turned to Rui and looked at him. Rui stared straight at her eyes, trying to find out what her thoughts what although it was impossible. She after all, only had this distant look in her eyes.
"Let's get straight to the point Nakajima." Konan said. She continued walking. "When you said earlier that we're friends, what do you mean by that? Did you really mean it?" Konan had no other way to find out herself so she asked him.
Rui's heart suddenly got faster at the question. "Is she mad about calling her my friend? Maybe she doesn't want to be friends with me.?" The thoughts raced in his head.
He took a deep breath before speaking. "Look Fujioka-san, i probably went to far and my actions may have caused trouble for you but If you're asking me if i truly meant what I said then yes," He said.
Konan's shoulder tensed up and her body felt hot and the beating in her heart got even faster. Why? Why is this happening to her? It's the first time she had this seizures. It's like she is feeling something but can't name it up. Of course this didn't go unnoticed to Rui. He rushed to Konan and asked, "Fujioka-san? Are you not feeling well?"
She's truly not feeling well. Since she is derived in emotions, physical pain had been a torture to her. An endurance test she don't want to take. It's like the Gods said, in lieu of her having no emotions, she must have this very low physical pain tolerance.
"Nakajima, can you take me home? I really am not feeling well." She said, hoping that in her calm demeanor, her seatmate would believe what she said.
"Sure. Can you walk? I can give you a piggy back ride." Rui asked. Konan shook her head.
" I can manage somehow, just walk me home and,..." She doesn't want this. "...please catch me if I pass out."
She certainly don't want this. She never asked to be emotionless. Once, someone told her that she is lucky. She will not experience mental pain. That emotional wounds are more intolerable and takes a long time to heal that physical wounds.
Rui walked with her until they reached home. She watched as Konan weakly knocked on the door, how her mother opened the door with a wide smile that instantly disappeared the moment she saw Konan.
"Oh my. Konan, dear. What happened to you?" Konan heard her mother's voice but it's fading. Her vision is flickering on and off as well. The last thing she felt was a pair of arms catching her before she fell to oblivion.
Rui watched with his eyes widen as she fell unconscious.
When Konan got her consciousness back and she is lying in their sofa. She slowly roamed her eyes around and saw the person she didn't expected to see.
"You're still here Nakajima?" She asked. Rui stopped reading when he heard Konan talked.
"You're awake?" He asked, feeling relieved.
"Yes. How long have I been out? Where's my mother?" She answered and asked questions in exchange.
Closing the book and returning it the shelf beside him, Rui faced Konan.
" She went shopping. She asked me to watched over you. You've been out for no longer than half an hour."
"I see." Konan leaned her head back to the pillow and stared at the ceiling. What she was feeling earlier was gone and she was back to being blank.
"Nakajima," She muttered. In her peripheral vision, she saw the boy glance at her.
"Hmmm?" she heard the boy humm in response.
"I owe you. Thank you. Let me repay your kindness. I'll do anything you want." She said.
Rui's ears perked up at what she said. He slightly glanced at her, his side profile displayed. His eyes slanted a bit and a grin was etched on his lips.
"Let's be friends. You are already my friend and as your friend I will always help you. But we cannot be friends if its not mutual right? So let's be friends, both of us."
Konan heard what he said but she didn't respond and chose to stare at the blank ceiling. Friends huh?
Looks like she found her first friend.