"It's nice to meet everyone," Kentaro Nomura spoke to the entire class after his small introduction and offered a small bow in greeting. "I leave myself in your care."
Mondays were days designed for everyone's suffering as the first day of a long week, but Class 1-3 became surprisingly lively that morning due to the addition of a handsome new student to their lot. The guy stood out very much because of his exceptionally bright ginger locks among the much darker shades which surrounded him.
Their homeroom teacher - as well as the entire grade's Social Studies lecturer - Mr. Hagiwara, indicated for the ginger-haired teenager to occupy the only empty seat available - which happened to be in the last row on the left side of the class. With everyone settled, Mr. Hagiwara went on with his morning routine of checking everyone's attendance before giving his students a few important announcements concerning o-soji later that day.
"Hello," Kentaro received the friendly greeting from the chubby girl who'd become his new desk buddy.
She donned a pair of spectacles similar to Ken's old ones, though her frames where thicker, rounder and a transparent blue. She seemed like a delightful pretty girl, with curly long dark hair bound into a simple ponytail at the base of her head, a few loose strands framing her face in soft waves. Behind a pair of spectacles, her dark eyes sparkled with intelligence and curiosity, while rosy cheeks, gently rounded and full of life, gave her a youthful and vibrant aura.
The girl wore a generous smile as Kentaro sat down next to her, offering a greeting as she introduced herself in a lowered tone. "Ayuka Hagiwara."
Ginger returned the greeting before subconsciously pointing at the homeroom teacher in evident inquisition.
"No, no, same last name, that's all," she explained.
"Oh, I see," the ginger-haired teen nodded in understanding, before continuing to take out his books in preparation for self-study. Haruki had already helped him with introductions and glossing over their core-subject materials during the weekend, so Ken could take this time to try and catch up with the rest of his peers. Just his first day and he was already worried about the mid-terms.
Already distracted with his own things, Kentaro hadn't expected the girl to continue conversing with him. "Your hair color's really pretty by the way. It's natural, isn't it?"
Though evidently baffled by her directness, Kentaro had yet to respond when muttered whispers came from ahead, belonging to the two girls who sat in the row in front of them.
"Look, the little fatty's at it again," one of them said.
The second girl snickered, "So desperate for attention. Seriously, did she just call him pretty?"
"Haha, how sad."
Kentaro had no idea why these girls were suddenly saying such things, thus he glanced at Ayuka in question. However, the chubby girl no longer dared to look his way, also having heard those spiteful remarks, and buried her face deep within the text book she held.
What's with that? he wondered, evidently displeased. Perhaps Ayuka's choice of words hadn't been the best for describing a guy's appearance, but was there any need for the personal attacks?
Normally, Ginger would just mutter his thanks to his desk-mate's comment and leave the matter alone, but this situation seemed rather...
"Thank you," his response baffled both the girls in front and Ayuka - her especially - whose widened gaze shifted back to him. His gaze softened as he offered the girl a smile. "It is natural. Most people always seem to get it wrong, though. How could you tell?"
He'd had loads of people make fun of his hair color during the early days of his first year at Ichihara Middle; people who often assumed he'd dyed it to look more rebellious and tough. Ayuka's tone lacked any sarcasm, allowing him to easily sense how she meant no ill-intent. She'd impulsively voiced her genuine thoughts, which wasn't bad at all. In fact, Kentaro even commended her confidence a little.
"T-To be honest, I wasn't sure at all," Ayuka stammered, surprised that her new classmate was still interested in the conversation after what'd just happened. Lowering her voice even more, she told Kentaro, "Uhm... natural red hair has a noticeable texture and shine that's a little hard to copy, which makes its sheen normally vibrant and glossy. But dyed hair looks smoother and shinier, since the color treatment can give it a more uniform and polished look. Your hair... kinda falls in between both categories, so I took a wild guess."
Well, Kentaro certainly didn't know that. But well, it was good to learn new things occasionally. "You guessed right. I worried people would make fun of me here as well, so your words put my mind at ease. Thanks."
"N-No problem."
With a nod, Kentaro shifted his attention to the two girls in front, who had been discreetly peeking and eavesdropping on their conversation. He offered them a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, causing them to quickly look away in shame and embarrassment.
Bullies were everywhere, it seemed.
His focus returned to Ayuka when she handed him a neatly detailed sheet of paper. "The timetable. Later, or whenever you're free, you should probably go to Hagiwara sensei's office to pick up the study guide. It'll help you catch up faster."
Ah, Mr. Hagiwara had mentioned that earlier. Kentaro nodded gratefully. "Sure."
As he glanced at the timetable he had just received, he noticed that it was clearly handmade. It reminded him of the one he used to create for himself back in middle school for more convenience. Believe it or not, he tended to be quite forgetful about certain days' activities at times.
He'd have to create a new timetable this time as well, considering how packed his days at this school were going to be.
~
Ayuka refrained from disturbing Ginger after their brief exchange, considering that he would likely be preoccupied with taking more notes and focusing on his studies. However, she didn't hesitate to point out his errors and offer assistance whenever he sought it. She paid no mind to the envious glares shot her way by some female students who lacked the privilege of sitting next to the attractive new guy.
Naturally, Kentaro noticed these stares throughout the day. He found it amusing yet slightly bothersome, reflecting on how he didn't receive as much attention when he was a new student in middle school... except maybe from Haruki. So, what had changed this time around?
"Hey, new guy," Ginger looked up just as he was packing his last book into his bag, patiently waiting as two guys approached him.
Although the lunch bell had rung five minutes ago, his desk partner showed no signs of preparing to leave anytime soon. Ayuka even appeared to be retrieving another notebook from her bag, along with a box of apple juice.
It looked like she intended on spending her lunch indoors, but Kentaro had no business concerning himself with that.
He had been about to leave to join Haruki and finally meet his 'friends', not expecting to be stopped by two classmates so suddenly. Flashing his friendliest smile, he returned the greeting.
"Oh, hello."
The first guy, who had spoken initially, casually slung his blazer over his shoulder, a similarly friendly smile forming on his lips as he gestured towards the door. "Planning to head out? Why not join us? We can give you a tour of the school."
That was genuinely... kind of them.
"Thanks, but I'm actually meeting someone else. Maybe next time," Kentaro politely declined.
The second guy then chimed in with a rather peculiar question, raising an eyebrow. "Out of curiosity, were you some sort of gangster back in middle school?"
Kentaro had a faint premonition he knew exactly why the guy had asked. "No, not at all... Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I don't know," the second guy shrugged, a small snort escaping him. "Usually, when people dye their hair in wild colors at school—"
Of course.
The first guy smacked his friend on the arm. "Dude, be nice."
"Sure, sure... Just saying, I'm not the only one who thought this too. Especially with him waving around that arm," the second guy gestured to the cast peaking out of the sleeve of Ken's blazer.
Right... At least that'd explain some of the strange stares he'd received. Ginger had already forgotten about the attention his injured arm would bring him, especially considering how the person he sat next to neither once brought it up nor questioned him about it.
Even so, he couldn't sense any genuine hostility from the pair who'd approached him. Rather than correcting their assumptions about his "dyed hair" or broken arm, he responded with a small confused scratch of his temple. "Oh, really? I didn't know I gave off 'delinquent vibes'. That's actually a first for me. "
"I was just messing with you, my bad," the second guy chuckled before extending his hand for a handshake. "The name's Hayatou Fujioka. Nice to meet you, new guy."
"I'm Kenji Eguchi," the first guy introduced himself as well, much to Kentaro's relief. At least he wouldn't have to settle for nicknames...
"Kentaro Nomura," he reiterated, despite them already knowing his name. After a brief pause, he added somewhat sheepishly, "Uh... Sorry again."
Kenji waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, it's totally fine. We didn't realize you already had friends here and didn't want you to feel out of place."
Well, technically just one friend since I haven't met the rest of Haru's friends. Two, if I count my desk buddy, Kentaro thought.
Speaking of his desk mate, it appeared Ayuka had been attempting to conceal her presence. However, her efforts had clearly failed, as Hayatou suddenly took an interest in her activities, pulling up a chair in front of her to observe.
"We wouldn't want you to be as antisocial as this one, always lost in her own little world," Hayatou remarked, leaning forward with a grin while the plump girl leaned back to avoid him. "It's lunchtime, and you're still in class, ma'am."
"I'm preparing for midterms, as everyone should be," Ayuka replied, her words slightly muffled. "And it's not like I have much of a choice."
"I assume the feud between you and your companions is still ongoing," Hayatou chuckled, earning a glare from Ayuka that prompted him to finally leave her be. "Alright, alright, I'll back off. For what it's worth, I think you'd be better off with new friends."
Ayuka offered no response, simply burying her nose in a book with a disapproving "tut."
"We'll be on our way then," Kenji announced as he and his friend turned to leave, the blazer still draped over his shoulder. "See you guys after lunch. And welcome to the school again, Nomura."
Kentaro gave his thanks once more, and as soon as he was certain it was only him and his desk-buddy left in the classroom, he spoke again.
"So... you get along with those two?" Hayatou in particular, since he seemed pretty casual with her.
Ayuka responded without looking up from her book. "To be honest, I think that's the second time we've ever spoken."
Huh, I never would've guessed.
As if having read the red head's mind, the girl added, "Fujioka is that friendly with everyone. Eguchi too, though he mostly keeps to himself. I was kind of surprised when he approached you first, but that was probably Fujioka's idea. As for what he said about you being a gangster... don't take it to heart. He's just a playful guy."
Kentaro hummed, taking Hayatou's last words to the girl into consideration. It probably wasn't his business to pry, but Ayuka's situation reminded him too much of his early middle school days; times he'd made himself so closed off and lonely that he'd rather forget.
"What about the two girls who sit in front of us? Are they your friends?"
Ayuka Hagiwara fell silent for a moment, and Kentaro began to think she might not respond. Then, finally, she quietly said, "They were."
Those few words were enough for Ginger to know that he shared the same sentiments as Hayatou. The girl really didn't need friends like those.
It was also then that he received message from Haruki, who wondered if his class had broken for lunch yet. Sending a quick response, Kentaro finally put his bag away in preparation to leave. He didn't need it since he hadn't prepared a bento today, thanks to Haruki's insistence on trying cafeteria food first.
Also, because Haruki believed it was the perfect place to 'break the ice' with the rest of his friends. The thought of the upcoming meeting only made Ken unnecessarily nervous.
However, he couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving Ayuka all alone. It seemed Haruki's savior complex had rubbed off on him. And so, Kentaro decided to do something he never would have dared in the past...
He extended an invitation to Ayuka Hagiwara to join their group for lunch, if she wanted.
"I'm sure they won't mind," he added, trying to reassure her. He decided it was best not to mention that he hadn't met any of them himself yet.
*
Haruki was already on his way to Kentaro's classroom when he decided to shoot him a message. He couldn't help but worry that his buddy would get hopelessly lost if he didn't go fetch him personally.
'On your way', my foot. You're nowhere to be seen; he thought with a little snort, slipping his cellphone back into his pocket since it was of no use anymore. Kentaro's classroom was only a few feet in front of him now.
As he passed by two familiar faces he vaguely recognized from Mizuki Genki's circle, Haru casually exchanged greetings with them. If memory served him right, the guys were part of the soccer team. He really couldn't remember their names, though...
From a distance, it seemed like Kentaro's classroom had cleared out, but Haru had a strong suspicion that the goofball was still inside, diligently scribbling notes or something. Kentaro's dedication to his studies was sometimes so intense that it was hard for Haru to even get mad at him.
Sigh~ the things I do for...
Finally reaching his destination, Haruki curiously peered inside, just to make sure there weren't any more people present apart from his best friend. However, he quickly backtracked when he spotted an additional individual within.
"You can join us if you want. I'm sure they won't mind," he overheard Kentaro inviting the girl so effortlessly.
Kentaro, the same guy who seemed either completely unwilling or had to struggle whenever he interacted with the opposite gender, was actually asking a girl out to lunch. And it didn't sound forced in the slightest.
Well, this was certainly... unexpected.
~~~~~~
[O-soji: A practice were students clean the school after their daily classes. Since most Japanese schools don't have cleaning staff, students get rags, brooms, and mops to clean their classrooms, hallways, and other public areas. They are are often organized into groups and rotated so that everyone can do different tasks.]