The bell rings as we run down the hall, the sounds of our feet against tile echoing through it. We reach Classroom 2a at record speed and I duck down to prepare to sneak into class.
Unaware of my plan, Oumi simply slides the door open and walks to a desk, leaving me crouched on the floor as everyone stares at me.
An embarrassed yelp escapes my mouth as I rush to a desk by the window to take a seat.
As I dashed around the classroom looking for an empty desk, I saw the class whisper and point.
"Oumi Nakanishi. Keisuke Matsumoto," boomed a voice from the front of the room,
"You're late."
"Sorry, Sugawara-sensei, I was waiting for Kei-chan… I mean Keisuke… to get ready for school," Oumi said, her cheeks burning bright pink.
Oumi and I had made a promise before starting school that we'd try not to let anyone know that we know each other personally, a measure drawn to ensure any and all attention would be averted from our direction.
Though we are radically different, Oumi and I share unrelenting social anxiety.
We both agreed that the attention would make life hard for us so we both decided to blend into the atmosphere the way ghosts would.
Unsurprisingly, Oumi had already failed.
"Are you two..?" Sugawara said, raising an eyebrow.
"Absolutely not!" Oumi and I said simultaneously.
Laughter erupts in the classroom.
"Well, you both seem pretty close for being just friends," Sugawara questioned.
"He's an old friend of mine," Oumi said, "Our parents used to know each other."
"I see."
For a second, the room goes quiet.
"Well, Keisuke, try not to sleep in," Sagawara said, breaking the silence, "It's a bad way to start the day."
"Yes sir," I said, sitting down at a desk.
The day goes by slowly and I eventually space out and fall asleep. It was probably the best nap of my life. I had been holding in a lot of pent up anxiety and weariness as the day continued to get worse.
While I dreamed about being the hero in a new world, I feel a light touch that starts to pull me from my bliss. As I'm dragged out of the dream I feel the touch become more familiar as a voice starts to usher me awake.
"Keisuke-kun," the muffled voice said, as if I was underwater.
My eyes slowly open as the voice shakes me awake.
"Oumi-" I start, but realize the person that's shaking me isn't Oumi.
I fling my head back and stand up straight preparing for a flurry of insults or taunting, but I'm met with a voice as soft as the beautiful sounds a violin makes.
A light blush surfaces on her face as I look at her with surprise. If I could see myself, I would be embarrassed by how I looked.
Oumi would later explain that I resembled a fish the way my eyes popped and my jaw dropped.
"Sorry to wake you," says the girl.
With dark red hair that runs down her back she and a pair of circular glasses that made her look like a nerd.
Her hair was unnaturally long and it looked like it weighed more than a standard backpack. The only perfect way to describe how extremely long her hair was is 'Modern Day Rapunzel'.
"It's fine," I said, holding back a deadly yawn as it attempted to escape my mouth.
"You're Keisuke, right?" She asks.
"Yea, that's me," I said coolly, "Who's asking?"
"My name is Kagami," she said, "Nice to meet you."
Kagami extends her arm suggesting a handshake. My hand meets hers and I almost jump when I feel it. Her hands were incredibly soft.
"Nice to meet you," I said.
For a moment, we stare at each other silently. It was at this moment that I truly fell for Kagami. She was one of the cuter girls in the class with her long dark red hair, bright blue eyes, and long legs that almost kept me from meeting her gaze.
Her skirt was about medium length compared to the other girls that high-waisted them to show off themselves. She looked to be the bookworm that everyone envies because of their good grades.
I was enchanted by her overwhelming beauty as she brushed her hair out of her face and giggled at how awkward I was being.
Kagami lets go of my hand and hides hers behind her back, locking it with her other hand. She giggles again and steps back a pace.
"Anyways," Kagami said, "I was wondering if you wanted to join my club."
"Club?" I say, still rubbing my eyes.
"Yup!" She beams, "My friend is the president."
"Sounds cool."
I quickly realize Kagami might as well just call me door mat instead of Keisuke, because she might as well just be talking to one.
"What's it about?" I asked.
"It's an art club," she explains, "We get together every day afterschool to draw and talk over tea and treats."
I don't say it, but it sounded like the most boring club in the world. It makes me remember Oumi back when she went through her whole cat girl phase.
She had joined a club for people that either acted like animals, similar to Oumi, or had a sexual relationship with their body pillow. Oumi had become the vice-president a month after she joined and eventually attempted to get me to join.
I, of course, refused without hesitation, which led to Oumi's invention of a method that will almost certainly work in getting me to do the things she wants.
If used in private, Oumi's technique will simply dissolve, leaving her crying on the floor and me laughing like an anime antagonist. If used in public, it proves extremely effective in making me change my mind.
I have beaten up Oumi many times after she started to use it more and more but she just wouldn't give it up. As much as I hated to say it, it was a very well crafted and clever technique.
Especially for a girl with the brain capacity of a small mouse. However, I've noticed Oumi has realized the childishness of this procedure, though she tries to hide it.
Kagami continues to rant about the club for an astonishing amount of time before another girl taps her on the shoulder.
"Kagami-chan!" She yelled, pulling her back as if saving her from me.
The girl's face turns to disgust when she sees me.
"Who's this guy?" She asked.
"Ah, Shiori-chan!" Kagami said, surprised, "This is Keisuke-kun."
Shiori gives me the same disgusted look from before and Kagami covers her small mouth while giggling.
"Sorry, Keisuke-kun, I didn't mean to keep you," she said.
"It's fine," I said, scratching my head.
Shiori pulls Kagami away and I'm left alone once again. For a moment, I sit and stare idly out the window.
That was the first time in years that I had spoken to a girl.
Keep in mind, I do not consider Oumi a girl due to the femininity she lacks and the hobbies that she practices.
Now that I was in the clear, I let out the awful yawn I was holding back while I was talking to Kagami. Footsteps approach behind me and I immediately recognize the subtle drag of feet in the steps.
"An art club, huh?" a voice said from behind me.
I turn around to see Oumi's bright green eyes.
"Oh, hey Oumi," I say, "You make any new friends?"
"Nope!"
I'm surprised to find that Oumi showed no signs of remorse.
"I don't need friends," she says, "They disappoint me."
"Then what about me?" I ask, "Do I disappoint you?"
Oumi looks at the ceiling and puts her finger on her chin. The fact that she has to stop and think about it makes me want to thump her on the head.
But, I can't physically abuse Oumi here, we are in a classroom full of other students. I'd hate to wait, but I decided to leave myself a note to flick her sensitive nose afterschool.
"Sometimes," she finally said, "Like this morning. When you literally put your foot on my face."
I notice a couple disgusted stares from around the classroom.
A cold shiver runs down my back.
"Oumi," I said, "Could you not be so loud. You're making me look like a misogynist."
"You decided to be my friend, Kei-chan, not me," Oumi huffed.
"And I still regret it to this day."
Oumi's eyes widened. I should've just kept my mouth shut.
"Hey!" She exclaimed, "Do you really hate me that much?"
Oumi's eyes start watering.
That damned technique, I think to myself, Here comes the regret.
"Oumi!" I plead, "Oumi, please, I'm sorry. Don't cry. I swear I didn't mean it."
Oumi continues to cry and I feel even more judgmental eyes burn holes into my body. This is how I die.
With holes all over my dismantled body burning with disgust, I writhe in my anxiousness.
"Oumi!" I said, but she just kept crying.
There is only one way to stop this. Only one way to save myself from my inevitable social embarrassment.
I grit my teeth and lay my head back, speaking in the tone a person giving their life away would use.
"Oumi, if you stop crying, I'll take you out for ice cream," I say.
Almost immediately, a smile appears on her face as she stops crying. The students in the class raise their eyebrows and shake their heads.
"Aw, you're so generous, Kei-chan!" She says with an evil grin.
"Yeah yeah," I grunt, "Just make sure to lock all of your doors and windows when you get home tonight."
I spend the rest of lunch time regretting my friendship with Oumi and giving away my money to keep her from making me look worse in front of my classmates.
I kinda hate her for it, but deep down I'm somehow enjoying myself. Perhaps I really am a masochist as Oumi says.
After lunch, I nap for the rest of the day until the end of school bell rings. Oumi shakes me awake and flashes me a bright smile.
"How'd you sleep?" She asked.
I shake my head.
"Pretty good," I said, "I had a strange dream and you were in it."
Oumi's eyes squint and she tilts her head.
"Not like that Oumi," I said, "Get your mind out of the gutter."
"You can only expect that much from a Loli-con NEET such as yourself," she says.
Put simply, a Loli-con is a strange obsession with younger girls while NEET is an acronym for Not in Education, Employment or Training.
"How am I NEET?" I ask, "I have a job and I go to school."
"You just have that vibe, Kei-chan," she said.
"And where did you get Loli-con from?" I ask.
"Remember that manga you had under your bed?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay, seriously?" I said, "That was one time. Don't label me with such demeaning names."
"Yeah, yeah."
We leave the school together but we have to return when clumsy Oumi forgot her bag. As I waited for her to get it, I heard music coming from the art room down the hall from the lockers.
I followed the tunes until I came face to face with the art room door. I slightly crack it open, revealing four incredibly cute girls.
Why is everyone at this school hot but extremely weird?
For a minute or two, I spy on them, taking in the beautiful scenery and art work as they get to drawing and creating. The four girls sat quietly toiling away on canvases and journals making art with elegant ease.
The first girl had long blonde hair held back with a headband. She tosses her head back and pops a piece of popcorn in her mouth while her other hand turns her paper ninety degrees.
The second girl had short black hair that was just about as long as mine. She wore a pair of purple glasses that lit up as she looked out the window for inspiration.
The third girl looked exactly like my little sister Mori with her black hair tied up into twin pigtails. Just above her top lip was a small mole. She was the shortest of the four girls as she stood on her tiptoes to reach her paintbrush to the top of a canvas.
The fourth girl was staring right back at me with a single gray eye that caused me to get lost in her gaze. She had parted hair that covered her other eye and her scarred face covered in probably the worst acne I have ever seen.
A tap on my shoulder causes me to stop watching them.
"Kei-chan?" Oumi says, crossing her arms, "What are you doing?"
"Ah, Oumi, I was just looking at all of the cool art!" I said, lying through my teeth. I wasn't completely aware, but I looked as guilty as a criminal on trial before a judge.
"Sure you were," she said, peeking through the cracked door,
"Hurry up! We gotta go get ice cream!"
"Alright alright," I sigh as Oumi grabs my hand and drags me out of the school.
When we finally reached the ice cream store, we had to wait in line behind a couple people.
"This is why we should've left as soon as school ended!" Oumi complained, puffing her cheeks out like a squirrel.
"Says the one that left her bag at school," I said.
Oumi crosses her arms and kicks a pebble on the sidewalk.
"Next!" The ice cream guy said, waving at Oumi and I.
Oumi's eyes light up like a kid in a toy store.
I ended up spending 1000 yen on ice cream so Oumi could "try all of the flavors", even though we ended up giving away all of it to some little kids by the shop.
As we sat at the tables outside licking our ice cream cones, Oumi complained about school and told me about some gossip she heard from school.
"Did you know there's a rumor going around that we're dating?" Oumi said, with a face of disgust.
As much as I wanted to act like I was surprised, I simply couldn't.
"To be expected," I said, "You did tell the whole class we walk to school together and live near each other. You even told them we go to dinner together sometimes."
"I'm just telling the truth," Oumi said, lapping up her ice cream like a dog drinking water.
"Well try not to do that anymore," I plead,
"You make me look like an abusive pervert in front of everyone."
"But you are an abusive pervert," Oumi said, grinning.
I shake my head.
"Ok, Tsundere," I say.
Oumi stops lapping up her ice cream.
If you didn't know, Tsundere is a Japanese term for a person with a personality that is initially cold, harsh, temperamental, and hot headed but turns to a warmer and friendlier personality.
I don't know why but Oumi absolutely hates it when I call her that.
A sharp pain erupts from my shin.
"Hey!" I exclaim, "Why'd you kick me?"
I kick her back but immediately regret it when she starts crying again. In order to make her stop I leave the ice cream shop promising her that we'd come back.
The sun had completely disappeared over the horizon and the sky shined bright with stars that seemed to lead us home.
I peek at my wallet as we walk back home.
"I don't know how much more of this my wallet can handle," I grunt.
"You should get a better job then," Oumi says, licking her chops.
"What I should do is get a better friend," I say, frowning.
The street lights flicker on and for some reason I barely notice how long we've been out.
The night is chilly but sort of peaceful at the same time. If it wasn't for the PTSD I got from being a vampire, I could comfortably say night was my favorite time of day.
"What time is it?" I say, stretching, "I'm already tired."
Oumi lifts her arm up to check her watch.
"Almost 8," she said, "I didn't think we'd be out for that long."
"We'd be back sooner if someone would get over their addiction to ice cream and sweets," I complained.
"If I said the real reason I dragged you with me to hangout after school you'd make fun of me," she said, her cheeks red as a tomato.
"And what's that."
For a moment, Oumi struggles to speak. Eventually, she crosses her arms and stomps her feet.
"I just wanted to hang out with you."
I stopped walking and turned to face Oumi.
"But it's not like I like you or anything!" She quickly blurts.
I grin.
"Of course not."
Oumi fiddles with her skirt.
"Do you really hate me, Kei?" She asked, "I know you joke around a lot and say stuff you don't mean, but sometimes I start to believe it."
I shake my head and walk over to her.
"Oumi," I said, patting her head, "I could never hate you."
Oumi's smile returns and for a moment we stare into each other's glossy eyes.
"Kei," she finally said.
"Yes, that's my name," I say.
"Can I ask you something?"
My heart skips a beat. The way Oumi looked was like someone pulled straight from a romance manga. Little imaginary stars and flower petals fell around her as she spoke.
Her hair lifted as the cold wind of the night blew through it.
"Yes?" I said.
"Will you-"
Suddenly a dark figure leaps from the roof and stabs a knife right through my stomach.
It takes me a second to register what had just happened.
"Keisuke!" Oumi shouted, bending over me as the dark figure retreated back to the roof where it first stood.
"It's ok, Oumi," I grunted, holding the knife as it poked out of my abdomen, "Run as far as you can. Save yourself."
"No!" She pleaded, "I won't leave you."
Oumi places her hands around the knife and plants herself on her knees.
"I'll be fine!" I said, pulling out the knife.
Oumi's eyes widen as she watches the wound heal itself.
"Go get help!" I shriek.
Oumi steps back from me and looks down at her bloody hands.
"Got it-"
The dark figure swoops in before I can warn her.
"Oumi!" I cry as the figure swiftly slices Oumi's back, ripping her shirt with one clean swipe of their sharp nails.
A sudden rage erupts in my body and I pull the knife from my stomach. My canine teeth extend and an evil hiss escapes my mouth.
I rush to my feet and dash at the figure, diving into it and pinning it on the floor. The figure struggles, causing the hood to fall, revealing its face.
A gasp escapes my mouth.
"Tae?"