Yuki Leigh
(We are back to the present tense)
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"So that's what he looked like when he was younger," Roxanne creeps her head close to mine as she continues to munch her Japanese rice ball with a twist of Dakgogi mandu (chicken dumplings). It is a mixture of Korean and Japanese food, together with her drinks inside her bag.
"I found this picture on the ground near his desk," I mark the spot with my fingers to show Roxanne the frame on the floor.
The two of us exchange glances and sprints back to work with the rest of the documents piled on my table. Roxanne has the same amount of papers on her envelopes that need signing pronto this afternoon. She may be in a pickle trying to find the professor around the schools, signing the clubs, sports events, and other stuff concerning the school.
"By the way, have you found Nickson?" I look around far and wide to find the boy with his glasses and black suit. After a few seconds, Roxanne shakes her head and tells me that Nickson was on a phone call and sprinted outside a while ago, leaving her alone right now.
"The call seemed important to him, so I didn't mind." Roxanne shrugs her shoulder and resumes her work.
Fortunately, he is the vice-president and not the leader of the council. His absence would not affect us that much since this is the first day of our job. All we have to do is collect the documents for the upcoming events. We also want our professor's signature for their approval in the matter.
The next day comes by our tracks, and yet we could not find the whereabouts of Nickson. He does not want to send us any updates on his situation.
We pay it no mind and make excuses for the former student council members of his truancy. To our astonishment, Byakko and Washi give us the "okay" sign before leaving us with our tasks. It almost feels like they know what is happening about the narcissistic boy, despite not being here with us in the room.
The same happens for two days consecutively. Nickson is the only one missing in the student council, saying not a single explanation for the eight members of the council. That is when the event gets spicier and reaches the ears of the two late presidents, Byakko and Washi.
"He is not coming, isn't he?" Washi scans the room and finds nothing that resembles a Nickson.
Byakko, who appears to feel distressed, slams the sliding door open before leaving the room. The adorable looking girl changes into something different as soon as they find out that Nickson has yet to stop by in the office.
"Your name is Leigh, right?" Washi looks at me with tiger eyes, watching every minuscule movement of my body. Nervousness hits my arms as I jerk backwards and point my face with a dumbfounding expression.
"I am Yuki." I give him my answer-my first name since it feels more natural because I am an American and stand up from my seat. That is when I forgot we live inside Japan that calls people with their surnames for formalities.
"Tell Nickson that he needs to come here ASAP within the next week before I can change my mind and his ass from that chair." The burning eyes of Washi tell me he is not joking around. My skin feels the warmth from his rage, making me step back once more, this time hitting the wall.
"Is that what a Japanese would say?" I ponder to myself, hoping that I am mistaken all along.
"Yes, sir!" I lift my hands for a salute and bravely say the line. Roxanne gives me a laugh as she watches us from afar. She thinks we are in a skit, saying dialogues that we never mean to say.
However, this Washi looks damn serious to me. He resembles a wild cat in my eyes, ready to pounce once I have the opportunity.
After saying what they want, the two leave the school grounds without uttering another word. Thankfully, the six members who are still present inside the council mind their own and do not want to dwell on the matter.
I could only wish for the time that we can get close and talk to each other. The latest conversation that we have is asking what papers we need to sign and give to the dean, which is also our job as officers.
Time passes by fast, and it is already close to our dismissal. We are all waiting for the alarm to sound our exit and go home.
"I can't force the guy if he is not here, dammit!" Roxanne is the type of person who rarely curses, and this is one of the few exceptions. She shuffles her hair into the appearance of a crazed scientist before combing it back to normal.
"Maybe he feels sick?" I suggest and glance at the clock, telling us it is already afternoon. Time moves slower when you look at it from far away, especially when you are not doing something at the moment.
"He is sick of you, alright," Roxanne blurts and covers her mouth from her chuckle. I return her gaze with a smug look carved on my face.
The bell rings afterwards, with the left hand ticking at the number four. Every student in the class bursts outside of their rooms, bringing with them their bags and notepads. Among those pupils, we have not seen Nickson walking around.
I invite my best friend inside my house and keep me company with my chapters once more. She needs to be here with me since I plot to make her a reference for my upcoming novel.
However, things are not going well when the thought hits me in the head. The topic is about Nickson, and his stupid face, grinning back at me.
"Why am I seeing his face right now?" It becomes arduous for me to concentrate and write my stories on the keyboard. All my neurons dance along with the beat and flash the man with the name Nickson. I can see his bottom wiggling at my face, almost shoving it on my body.
I jolt from my chair, afraid of what I have become, and xertz down a glass of water. After letting my exhale escape my mouth, I head over to my bed and beg for a five minutes break for my novel.
"You seem stressed and somehow annoyed about something." Roxanne hits the nail as she asks me the question.
I find it difficult to express what is running inside my mind, considering the risk of Roxanne bullying me about it. If I could only find any reason Nickson is inside my mind, I would keep this thought to myself and hurl it towards the garbage bin.
"I can imagine Nickson dancing Despacito inside my head."
The two of us exchange looks while raising an eyebrow, uncertain of what to react to my sentence.
After a while, Roxanne packs her things up and dials something on her phone.
"Hello! I would like to call an ambulance to my friend. She is not feeling well." My best friend continues to converse with the person on the other side of the cellular phone with a blank expression on her face.
"Hey, I was just kidding around!" I dash towards Roxanne and grab her phone, only to find out she is pranking me with an application and tricking me.
"You son of a nacho." I curse my way out of the situation, knowing how embarrassing I look just now.
As soon as the laughter dies, Roxanne faces me with a sincere look and provides me with her reply.
"I don't know, but you're worried about the guy," Roxanne fiddles with the gaming console while giving me her answer.
For the first time in my life, Roxanne's answer makes sense to me. I already consider that option. But no matter how I squeeze my brain juice out, I find no reason to worry about him.
Nickson is a jerk whenever he speaks to me. He thinks he owns the place, both literally and metaphorically, and orders the two of us to do things he wants. That guy also has a thick, narcissistic skull and exalts himself in every annoying way possible.
Who, in the right mind, would want to be with that kid, anyway? Not me, that's for sure.
"Maybe because he was the first person we interacted with at school?" Roxanne's voice trails over in the distance and reminds me about the event. Come to think of it, Nickson is the first male that we met until now. If it is not for him, then our first week of school would become dull and problematic; now it is twice as chaotic as before!
The two of us spend the rest of the night wallowing in our thoughts, solving riddles and whatnot about the cruel man with the name Nickson. But the next day is not that fun to begin with, particularly after receiving an unknown text about the Korean guy with the glasses and a suit.