I analyse my figure in the mirror then sigh.
—My body really looks like a twig, it's going to be an ordeal this sports festival…
I stretch in front of my window and notice that Anzu was waiting.
Why does she come so early?
After preparing myself, I join Anzu.
—What are you doing here?
—I was passing by here by chance.
By chance, eh… You've been waiting for about twenty minutes…
During our journey, Anzu and I are constantly teasing each other.
She pushes me towards the bushes then asks me.
—You seem to be in the moon, are you ready for the sports festival, Kinari?
Why is she pushing me around like this, I'm so slammed…
I can cut her into four pieces if you want.
I'd rather just return the favour.
I imitate her and answer her.
—What about you?
—Yes! I'm going to go for it and finish first!
You're my opposite even in sports?
After all our teasing, we arrive at our destination.
Hesitantly, Anzu proposes me.
—Do you want to come with me to see the teams' notice board?
—Teams?
—For the sports festival, what world do you live in?
Oh, yeah… Good question.
I nodded in agreement.
—Do you remember this place, Kinari?
—This is the hallway we walk down every day, of course, I remember.
—I wasn't talking about that, silly…
—What?
—Never mind.
Overwhelming mood, this heroine of the normies.
I didn't try to understand more.
I want to go home so bad, I couldn't even finish my shōjo. No spoilers, please, no spoilers…
You must be the only otaku in this school…
Anzu scans me, points to the billboard, and expresses his joy.
—We're on the same team, Kinari!
Great,' says Kinari jokingly.
I look around.
That's what's eating away at me, the fake smile of my classmates. Why do they wear this mask every day? They force themselves to keep up a fictitious appearance and do everything to embellish an identity that is not their own. The fact that they fake emotions when they are in a community and that it all falls apart when they are alone, it fucking disgusts me. Why do they hide their feelings like that?
Stop these dark thoughts.
Leave it, I feel like I'm going back a few months…
My thoughts are quickly cut off when Anzu and I noticed Maeda and Yamaguchi in the distance.
Think, think… I have very little desire to chat today, what do you suggest?
Can you fake shame and blend in?
I didn't have time to approach the cluster of high school students that Anzu had already called the two boys with sweeping gestures.
She clearly didn't read the same script as me…
It was too late for me, I couldn't back out anymore.
Soon after, Masuko and Aneko also joined us. After being regrouped, they had a discussion in which I excluded myself of my own will.
This is one of my most successful techniques, the glance dodge I named it. The principle is simple, in this society, people always tend to check that you are receptive before starting a conversation. And they don't talk to you if you deflect their attention. So, as soon as someone observes me, I look away, easy, and very effective. Try it at home.
During this conversation, I understood that Yamaguchi and Maeda were in the same team, the blue one. Masuko and Aneko were also together, representing the yellow team. As for us, we were in the white one.
Our PE teacher coughed, grabbed the microphone and said.
—The sports festival is about to start, please line up by the battalion, in the gym.
Line up by battalions? Did he look at Hajime Isayama's work?
I go alone in the crowd to join the ranks of my team. Anzu finds me soon after. She approaches me and whispers with a soft voice.
—Are you okay, Kinari?
I remain silent.
I didn't hear anything, I really didn't hear anything.
After counting us all, the PE teacher asked us to prepare for the race.
Put us in groups of three? What a deplorable day…
I fall in with Anzu and this girl…
Hair in blue squares… Yoshida Junko? She's the one who was attacked by a pervert yesterday, right?
Anzu brings her face close to mine and whispers.
—Do you know her, Kinari?
To lie or not to lie? Another complex choice.
—What about you?
—I just know her name is Yoshida Junko. She's quite aloof and haughty, so be careful with her.
Haughty and aloof? Nonsense.
—We're doing the cheering posters Yoshida-chan, can you help us?
She dodged Anzu and waved at me.
—Hello, sensei.
Her problem with sensei again…
—Hi, Yoshida-chan.
—Thanks for yesterday, sensei. Is she your friend?
A friend…
I get up from my chair, put my hands on the table abruptly and articulate my syllables to the maximum.
— Ca-ma-rades!
We get our tools, and start our drawings.
I don't want to work…
Anzu finishes his poster first and then questions us.
—What do you think of it?
—It's nice, Anzu.
Yoshida quickly analyses Anzu's efforts and sighs.
—I could have done better.
—You could? Then do one instead of nothing!
—If you want.
Anzu approaches me and whispers.
—You see, this girl is giving me a hard time.
The atmosphere is electric.
Anzu has a weird temper, hasn't she?
Can I get in on it?
You stay in your place.
—You'll be our judge, Kinari,' exclaimed Anzu.
Great.
A boy enters our room and asks if we've made any progress. Yoshida stares him up and down, letting his cheeks flush and his body squirm.
What the hell is this crazy girl doing?
—We're almost done, Hasegawa-kun.
What's with the honeyed voice?
The haughty look she's wearing towards Anzu … her tender behaviour towards me and Hasegawa … think, think.
But of course! The contempt with some people and the sweetness with others, Yoshida is not a proud or distant girl, that's the cliché of the tsundere! So it does exist, even in this 3D universe? I thought it was just a legend from some manga.
—Soon? Hurry up, we will start soon!
So you shouldn't have talked to Yoshida like that…
Taiga Aisaka* will take over his body.
Yoshida jumps on him and screams.
—Go away!
My dreams of seeing a real tsundere in this world are shattered.
I misjudged you after all. You're not a tsundere, you're just unpleasant.
Once the 'who had made the best poster' contest had a result, we turned in our work to our PE teacher who warned us that the women's race was about to begin.
The girls joined the starting line.
Perfect, I'm alone, better I finish my manga quickly before I face a wave of spoilers.
Here I come to my priceless shōjo!
According to my sister, you should cherish every moment with your friends. Me, I think that the times when one can be isolated are much more precious. If one should conclude lessons when a fellow student accompanies one, then one should also learn lessons if one is left behind. It was like two sides of the same coin and, in my opinion, they should be judged equally.
I finish my manga before I despair.
—Seriously? She doesn't declare her feelings to him? You're kidding yourself, Yui.
2D girls are much better than 3D ones. That's just the thought of a common otaku, but is it an absolute truth? Good question.
My phone is vibrating.
Anzu? Is she done already? That's pretty fast.
—Hello, hello Kinari?
She seems to be out of breath, she must be just finishing.
—Yeah?
—Did you watch me sprint?
—Nah, I got out of the way to read. Why did you do that?
—I'm ranked in the top ten!
Seriously? That's my opposite at this point?
I look down and analyse my body.
I must have made a mistake after all, I must be closer to a toothpick than a twig…
— Congratulations, Anzu.
—I'm coming, Kinari.
She's hanging up.
Coming? How can she come to me? She can't know where I am. That's one of my other techniques, I call it sniffing. The principle is simple, I follow my intuition to find a calm and relaxed place.
I should stop the Nekketsu instead of throwing such nonsense, I scare myself…
A few minutes later, Anzu comes to me, smiling. She jumps into my arms, hugs me and cries out.
—Thank you, Kinari!
Thank you? What are you doing, Anzu?
—It's thanks to you that I had the strength to overcome this ordeal! So I'm counting on you to do the same this afternoon!
This afternoon… Damn, I'm lazy…
Maybe I was wrong about the mask thing. Not everyone wears one. This girl, in front of me, does. She expresses every emotion without hiding anything, goes beyond for everything and is kind to every person she meets.
She is the day, and I am the night.
Hajime Isayama: Author of the work Shingeki No Kyojin.
Taiga Aisaka: Impulsive main character. (Toradora)
Yui: Character in the centre of a love triangle. (Oregairu)