Yeah. Konan made her very first friend. She did because she said she'll do anything and she doesn't break her words.
But no one told her that a friend follows you everywhere. If she were a dog, then Rui would be her tail.. Always behind her.
"Good morning Fujioka-san." He greeted her when he arrived in the classroom.
"Fujioka-san, did you finished your essay yet? Do you want me to help? I can show you mine.x She looked at the paper Rui is showing to her. 'No thanks.' Is what she wants to say. He definitely needs more help than her. She realized this guy is terrible at English.
"Thank you Nakajima but I already finished mine." She said. It wasn't anything offending right? She thought.
"Is that so?" She watch as Rui put his paper back in his desk. Should she tell him?
"And also, Nakajima. You've got a handful of wrong grammars there." Yes, she did. She watched as her seatmate's eyes widen in horror. She also noticed the slight pink tint in his cheeks.
"Really? " Rui asked when he recovered from embarrassment he just had. She didn't expect her to be good at English, the subject he's worst at!
"Yes," She nodded and leaned closer to him. "Since you put "yesterday" which already happened, you should have written "made" and not "make". She explained.
"You're right." Ethan said, scratching his nape.
'Hehehe'. He laughed nervously. What a good way to embarrass himself in front of a girl.
When the lunch break came, Konan thought she'd have her usual peaceful lunch. Not being paid attention to while eating her food. Yeah, she just thought. And she was wrong because Rui carried the desk of the person sitting in front of her who is currently out for lunch next to hers!
"What are you doing?" She asked him as he took a bite of his omelet.
Rui turn his head and smiled at her with a stuffed cheeks. "Eating lunch."
"Yes, I can see that." She said back to him while opening the lid of her bento box. The delicious aroma of the steak whiffed in her nose so she decided to take a bite before continuing what she said. "But why here? I mean you never eat lunch here." She looked at him while chewing her food. And raise her eyebrows when Rui didn't reply and instead stared at her.
Rui seeing this cleared his throat loudly. "I've decided to eat lunch with you."
"Yeah. But what about your friends you eat lunch with? Wouldn't they be be wondering why you didn't eat with them today?" Konan asked. It's been so long since talk while having lunch at school. No, it's her first time.
Now, its Rui's turn to raise his brows. "I don't eat with anyone. I just walk out with them or buy food with them. Then I'd say farewell and eat in the rooftop. It's peaceful there. And you can see the sky." He said and saw her glancing while she gobble down her food.
"I have an idea," he put the sausage in his mouth, chewed and swallowed it before continuing. "Why don't I take you there? Let's eat together."
Konan upon hearing this' stopped chewing. Eat together? Her? and Him? Isn't that a couple thing to do?
'Is that okay?" She asked. He nodded.
Well, thinking hard about it, It might be a good idea. She could escape from the stares of her classmates. "Okay. I'll look forward to it."
Rui smiled at her and finished eating. She closed his lunch box and stood up. "Fujioka-san, I'll just buy a drink. You want something?"
"Apple juice."
"Got it." With a wave, she watched Rui disappear outside the door.
Rui came back just before the subject teacher entered the room. The subject is history, which bores Konan so instead of listening to the lesson, she entertained herself by roaming her eyes outside the window. The soft wind which rustled the leaves as it passed seemed to have carried her attention with it too.
"Fujioka?" Her teacher's voice reached her attention and snapped her back to the present.
"Pardon?" She asked. Her teacher and some of her classmates are looking at her.
"Someone's asking for you." Her teacher said in an unusual tone and pointed towards the door. Konan looked to where her hands pointed and saw Ami waving at her. She excused herself and went out.
"You were quite spaced out earlier Konan-chan. The teacher called your name thrice." Ami told her as soon as she stepped out the door.
"Yeah, I guess." She nonchalantly said.
"Uh-huh. And looks like you need to deal with your teachers wrath." Ami said, cringing. Konan glanced at her teacher and true enough, she is giving her the glare. Konan faced Ami back and asked, " So, what's your business with me?"
"Oh. We have club meeting. 4:30" Ami said and with a wave she ran away and disappeared into the bend in the hallway.
Konan entered the classroom and made way back to her seat. Just as she is about to sit down, her teacher cleared her throat.
" Seems like you were paying a lot of attention to our lesson this afternoon Ms. Fujioka. Now, I want you to answer these questions."
Some of the girls snickered.
"As you wish, Ms. Ume." She answered and remained standing. It's not like she has no grasp of their topic today.
When the club meeting ended, Konan went straight to the shoe locker and halted when she saw Rui leaning in there. The sunset seems to highlight his side profile as the guy hung his head a little low and stared at the floor.
"Nakajima?" You're still here?" She asked which caught the attention of guy. He straightened up and walked towards her.
" You sure took your time there. What was your meeting all about?" He asked.
"Stuffs about the upcoming Annual Celebration Event." Konan answered while putting on her shoes.
Konan walked past him and he followed. "What about you? Why did you stay past class hours?" She asked as she halted and faced him, nearly bumping her face to his chest since Rui is much taller than her.
"I was waiting for you."
"Me? Why?" Konan pointed to herself.
"Yes. I want to ask for your number." Konan watched him as he gently scratched his ear.
"You could have waited for tomorrow. Here, give me your phone." She held her hand as Rui fished his phone out of his pocket.
"Thanks a lot!" He exclaimed when she handed her phone back to him.
"Sure. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, tomorrow." Rui smiled and with a wave he ran off to the opposite direction she is headed to.
"Geez. That guy is a handful today." Konan muttered as she watch his back. It's the first time she has ever talked and interacted to someone so much. She felt drained of energy but at the same time something unexplainable is starting to swell inside her.
"No matter. At least he can't bother me at home." She mumbled and walked home.
That night, Konan realized she could never be wrong when she thought that he can't bother her at home. When her phone beeped, Konan ignored it thinking it would be another notification but when it beeped countless times, she opened it and the barrage of messages came flooding in. Coming from one person.
Rui.
She literally forgot she gave the guy her number earlier. Oh boy. The guy's too energetic and persistent for her.
'Good evening.'
'Fujioka-san. This is Nakajima.'
'Did you do your homework?'
'Have you eaten? You might faint again.'
'Wait, is this Fujioka-san??? Don't tell me she gave me a wrong number.'
'Please reply.'
Konan read all the messages. Why would she give him a wrong number. Gosh, even the message sounds oozing of energy. Does this guy ever ran out of it? How colorful could his life be? Questions ran through her mind as she hit the reply button and typed a message.
'I'm fine Nakajima. Thanks for worrying.'
Minute after she hit send, her phone beeped.
'I see. I'm glad to know that.'
Her hands swiftly hit the screen of her phone as the keyboard sound effect made a loud 'tap tap' noises. 'Yes. Good night Nakajima. Have a good sleep.' She replied back and turned her phone off. She lay on the soft mattress as her eyes fixated on the ceiling above her.
"Why?"
Huh? "Where is this?" Konan roamed her eyes around. She's in a dimly lit familiar street which she's sure of not being into once in her life.
"Why?"
"A child?. Where is it?" She aggressively looked around until her eyes darted on a dark alley where the sound seemed to come from.
She fished her phone of her pocket and turned her flashlight on. Konan caught a glimpse of the hem of her shirt and realized she's still in her bed wear.
Where could she be? How did she end up here? The questions kept coming in her mind one after another. But she shoved it off when her flashlight landed on a child in the corner. Her dress is dirty and crumpled.
"Are you okay? Why are you here?" Konan asked as she run towards the child. She could not see the girl's face for she is hugging her knees and her face was buried in her knees.
"Why?" Konan halted when the child spoke again. But this time it slowly raised her head and looked at Konan. Konan froze in her spot when she saw the tears streaming down the child's dirty face. But that's not what froze her, the fact that the child look exactly like her did.
"Why did you abandon me? Why did you run away?" The girl stood up and slowly walked towards Konan. She stepped back as the child take a step forward. But the more Konan staggered backwards, the nearer the child is to her.
Konan felt nothing but the suffocation is unbearable. She couldn't breathe. The child slowly raises her hands, looking ready to choke her. Just as when the child's hands are inches away on grabbing her neck, Konan jolted awake. Beads of sweat running down her forehead. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep. She even forgot to turn the lights off.
She reached water bottle on her bedside table and gulped it down to calm her nerves. When she calmed down she went back to bed but failed to fall asleep until sunrise trying to think of a good explanation for her unusual dream.
Many possibilities came up but none of it fits right to Konan.
That's why she went to school the next morning with a heavy bags under her eyes.