Chereads / The Forgotten Beach / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: New Neighbour

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: New Neighbour

After I gave that girl the sandwich I continued to run to school or else I was going to be late, which I still almost was. I got to class and sat down barely a minute before it started. I went through the daily morning classes and made it to lunch. My friends and I always sit together during it. They're names are Miu and Hiro. As always, they were bickering about something.

Hiro became my friend when I first moved here, he sat next to me in one of my classes and he was also new to town. He is a really nice guy once you get to know him but acts a bit loud and obnoxious. As for Miu, I became friends with her half way through the first year when she fell down a flight of stairs so I took her to the nurses office. She can come off as quiet to a lot of people but she really isn't all that much. One thing is that she spaces out a lot which was how she fell down the stairs in the first place.

"Yo, Satou, help me decide this argument with Miu." Hiro yelled to me as I walked over.

I sat down and said "Ok, what is it?"

Hiro replied "Well we were debating whether or not manga can be considered as reading a book."

Then Miu chimed in "Manga is not a book, I would say that a light novel could be one but not manga"

Lastly I said "Sorry Miu, but for once I actually agree with Hiro here, I think I get just as much out of manga as any other book."

"Let me ask you a question, when was the last time either of you read a real novel?" Miu replied. 

Me and Hiro both looked at each other and in unison we said "No clue."

"You guys really are idiots, you know that." Miu said, looking smugly at us. Then we all started laughing.

"Oh hey, by the way guys, do you want to meet up to study together for the upcoming midterms sometime." Hiro blurted out.

"I guess it would be a good idea, it wouldn't be very good if I failed." I replied

"Well I have fine grades myself, but it is always good to study so sure." Miu said.

"Are you guys free tonight?" Hiro said.

"I should be." I said.

"Me too." Miu added.

"Ok, then how about the local diner at 5?" I suggested, to which they both agreed, then the bell rang and we walked back to our seats. The later half of the school day went by normally as it always did. After school I walked back home to change out of my school uniform. As I got off the elevator I noticed that there were moving boxes at the apartment next to mine's door. Somebody had seemed to finally moved in since no one had lived there in all the time I have been here.

I decided to ring their doorbell to see if they were home, to which I got no response. I was going to walk away but then I suddenly heard a noise that sounded like a rumbling. Then I noticed that the door was opened so, for some reason, I had the urge to open it. I did and right at the foot of the door laid the girl from earlier today who I met in the convenient store. She appeared to be conscious and was mumbling something. 

"Are you okay!" I said worried

"F...Fo...Food...Do you have any food?" She replied.

***

"Did you really have to act so overly dramatic?" I said sounding annoyed

"Sorry, I was just so hungry that I tripped over my own shoes." She replied ditzily

"It's fine, hey by the way what is your name? My name is Satou Ichiro."

"Oh right I forgot, my name is Yui Asano, you can just call me Yui though."

"Well in that case call me Satou."

"Hey, is that the diner we are going to?" Yui said pointing to it

"Yeah it is, by the way, I was supposed to meet up with some friends here tonight. Do you mind if they sit with us?"

"No, not at all."

We continued walking until we got to the diner. Once we did I got us a booth and we sat down and ordered drinks. About ten minutes later Hiro and Miu arrived. "Hey Satou!" Hiro yelled from across the diner, then he proceeded to get punched by Miu. They walked over and noticed Yui sitting next to me.

"Hey Satou, you invited a friend?" Miu said

"It's a long story so in short, yes." I replied

"Hello my name is Miu Izumi, nice to meet you."

"Mine is Hiro Kai, same here."

"It's nice to meet you two too, my name is Yui Asano, I'm Satou's next door neighbor."

"She just moved in, actually. She goes to our school too."

"Oh, that's cool." Hiro said

"What year are you?" Miu asked

"I'm a second year student so that makes all of you my seniors."

"Don't pay attention to that, some of us here act like they're still in grade school." Miu said glaring at Hiro.

"Hey! what did I do?"

"You're you." Miu replied, fakely smiling, making me and Yui laugh. After that the waiter came over to take our orders and we all ate, while continuing to talk. In the end we never actually got any studying in but I was fine with that. For the first time in a while I actually had some fun. After we had finished eating we all went our separate ways, except me and Yui, since we lived next to each other. 

Once we arrived at our apartments Yui said "Umm, thank you for buying me food at the diner and earlier today Satou, I promise I'll pay you back."

"It's fine, you don't have to, just think of it as a type of housewarming gift for moving in."

"Are you sure, I really can pay you back soon."

"Really, it's fine."

"Thanks," Yui said with a smile. I motioned to smile back at her when suddenly, it felt as if time itself froze. It didn't but it felt like it had. I was frozen too, however, in the frozen silence I heard something. It was a familiar voice and it simply said "It's time to wake up." Then, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.