Winter weather in this city presents a curious paradox. It gets colder of course, but nowhere near the bone-chilling temperatures that you'd associate with the wintertime. The air gains a frigid chill, but the sun never ceases its relentless onslaught of heat in a subtropical climate such as this. This combination creates an odd dissonance, still, it makes the weather far more bearable compared to the usual mind-melting heat.
Ah, one last thing should be noted. While the people on the street wrapped up in jackets, sweaters, and the like may point otherwise, it's never that cold here. I'm sure if a northerner were to come down and experience this weather, they'd think it was a nice spring or autumn day. The people here only dress the way they do because they've never experienced a truly cold winter or even something as vital to the winter experience as snow.
Proof of this idea was me. Walking along the early morning sidewalk, I wore a dark blue school jacket, with my hands snuggled deep into my pockets. Currently, I'm around ten minutes into my walk to school, a journey that'll take me at least forty.
This morning I'd woken up fairly normally. Despite my expectations and slight hopes, Cacophony wasn't in my bed this morning. Instead, she had bunkered down in the bathroom. From what I could tell when I walked in, she had been doing something in there overnight. From the faint scent of smoke, I guessed that it involved that flame spell of hers.
When I asked her about it, she said she was just testing out her current capabilities and whatnot. She could've at least asked me before starting a fire in my house, but it's whatever.
Cacophony seemed quite keen on the idea of taking the day to explore the city, but today just isn't the day for something like that. I'd already skipped school once, I couldn't do it again. Skipping school twice in a row is a bit too much. Upon hearing this, Cacophony didn't look pleased. If she'd pressed the issue, I'm almost certain that I would've folded and ended up staying home.
Yet, instead of words of protest, she left me with an enigmatic decree.
"Fine, fine! Go to school and learn or whatever. You've gotta promise me one thing though. Today, you'd better experience a whirlwind of emotion! I'm thirsting for a supercharged flavor."
I haven't got a single clue what she meant or what she expects from me. I'm gonna go to school and have an average day. In fact, the highlight of my weekdays isn't even at school. It's right around now.
To get to school, I walk or take the bus. Either way, I always make sure to pass by this particular bench.
The bench was built on the side of a larger somber beige building. From what I could tell, it was rarely used throughout the majority of the day. Getting here is a bit of a detour, but even when it causes me to be late to school, it's undoubtedly worth it.
As I walked forward, I took a deep breath and prepared myself. As I approached, just a few feet away from me and seated on that bench was a young woman. In the golden years of her twenties, she dressed modestly and traditionally, sporting a long-sleeved teal blouse tucked into a long blue skirt. Further driving home my point about overreacting to winter, she covered her head and hands in a small cap and mittens.
The woman seemed to be completely lost in the recesses of her mind, a perfect opportunity that I wouldn't let slip. Sneakily, I maneuvered myself behind the bench before reaching over and covering the woman's eyes with my hands.
It's time!
Gathering energy from every cell in my body, I rounded up every ounce of extravertedness that I had to offer.
"Ha! What a foolish maiden! Leaving yourself out in the open like this only leads to ruin."
Without looking at her face, I knew the expression that she was making. That light, pain-melting smile that I'd grown used to.
"Ah, how could I have been so careless! But, if you're around, I won't have to worry about any bad guys hurting me.", teased the woman.
Removing my hands from her eyes, I used them to exaggerate every word that I spoke.
"Of course, I'll protect you, but the Union of Light is not a force to be taken lightly!"
"Union of Light? I thought your enemy was The Union of Holy Justice? Actually, before that it may have been the Grand Order? Or was it-"
Jeez! Does she really pay attention to details like that?!
Hurrily I stumbled out a response, "As the Dark King you make a myriad of powerful and scary enemies! It's to be expected that common folk such as yourself wouldn't be able to keep them all straight in your feeble, weak minds. Still, I believe that you've done well to remember even just a single one of them."
"If that's the case, I would be honored to get a reward from the great Dark King Veri! How about you take me with you on one of your adventures!"
"That's what you always ask for, don't you want anything else?"
"Hmmm, well, not really. Defeating dragons, witches, and the Union of Holy Justice sounds too cool to pass up."
When it comes to me, there are a few golden rules that you can usually expect me to abide by.
1. In any given anime-related argument, I'll mention the masterpiece that is One Piece.
2. I can't talk to women/I'll run away from women.
3. Given the opportunity not to talk to someone, I'll choose that option.
You may have already noticed, but I've broken two of my oh-so-sacred rules with a single interaction. The only two exceptions to those rules are this woman and Cacophony. These exceptions were both fairly recent. I'd only met this woman around six months ago. Almost instantly, we entered into this kind of relationship.
Nearly every day, she waits for me on this bench and nearly every day, I come swooping in, filling the air with stories of false valor. She's one of the few people that play into my over-the-top persona. In return, I do my best to relieve her of any feelings of melancholy. This time, messing around and getting lost in the energetic air, fills my heart with a serenity and happiness that's been devoid of the rest of my life.
That's why I hate it when this time comes around. When we have to part and say goodbye. She hasn't said it yet, but I can tell from her posture. She always puts her hand around her left wrist right before she says she has to go. That left wrist had a small silver watch on it. At a glance, it looks to be in mint condition, but if you took the time out of your day to look, it was broken. The hands had stopped exactly at midnight, and both hands were forever stuck upright.
"Marking both the end and beginning."
That's how she described it. That's also likely the reason that she decided to keep that broken watch.
Getting up from the bench, she turned to face me. Despite being taller than me, it felt as though we were the same height. When she looked me in the eyes, her soft gaze once again left us filled to the brim with emotion. Though this time, there was a ting of anxiousness.
"It's about time for me to head inside. Thank you for today."
"Quite polite. You seem to know your place when compared to a superior being such as myself."
With a light chuckle, she then turned and walked off toward the building's main entrance. Once again, that anxiety crept up at the back of my mind like an itch you just can't reach. No matter how hard I willed myself, I couldn't bring myself to yell out what I wanted to say.
"Jean, don't send me off like it's going to be the last time. We've still got plenty more time."
With my eyes downcast, I moved forward, leaving Jean behind. The reason my head was down and the reason for my anxiety was the same. For just a moment, my eyes looked up at the building's name.
'Edson Medical Center & Hospice Care'
...
Following the best part of my day is always one of the worst. When I'm left to be lost in my thoughts for thirty minutes, it gives me time to think of a bunch of things; embarrassing memories, series that I enjoy, upcoming shows, etc. As of around six months ago, a new topic has been gnawing at me, a hidden fourth rule that you can expect me to abide by.
4. No matter what, I'll never have a single friend.
Have I broken that rule? Both Jean and now Cacophony, could they be considered friends?
When do people become friends and what's it like to be friends? Most people seem to just have an intuitive idea of this vague concept. While they couldn't tell you the moment that they've become friends, they can certainly tell you when they've got one. Acquaintances, friends, work relations, and even enemies, people take such vague ideas and so easily draw well-defined, rigid borders.
Maybe over time, the idea of a 'friend' has become bloated and complex in my mind. That in itself might be a bad thing, but using the word too lightly might also be just as bad.
"How annoying."
Interrupting my train of thought was my arrival at the school gates. The first thing that I noticed was the lack of cars in the car loop, instinctively, I reached for my phone to check the time. Then I was hit with a grim reminder, I'd lost it two days earlier.
I let out an audible groan, I already knew today was going to be a rough day.
Alright! I'm not sure how many people need this, but it's time for a quick rundown of how the class schedule at my school works. It's pretty easy, you get your class lineup at the start of the year, seven classes, a mix of electives and core classes. Every day, which classes you attend alternates. One day it'll be even classes and the next it'll be odd classes. This is except first period, which you attend every day. It should also be noted that there are three lunch breaks, the one that you go to depends on your fourth or fifth period. However, since I'm a junior, it'd be somewhat unusual for me to have anything other than third lunch.
Basically:
Even Day: Homeroom-First Period-Second Period-(1st Lunch)-Fourth Period-(2nd Lunch/You leave in the middle of fourth period and come back to class after lunch)-(3rd Lunch)-Sixth Period-End of Day
Odd Day: Homeroom-First Period-Third Period-(1st Lunch)-Fifth Period-(2nd Lunch/You leave in the middle of fifth period and come back to class after lunch)-(3rd Lunch)-Seventh Period-End of Day
Note- Everyone goes to sixth or seventh period at the same time. Also, homeroom is basically twenty minutes of filler. It only exists to take attendance, listen to the announcements, and pass out papers to students. In practice, you just sit around and hang out with friends.
Writing it all out, it does sound a bit complicated, but it's just a bit of context to help you better understand my oncoming battle.
The fight began the moment that I entered the school. Since I was tardy, the rule was for me to go into the main office and get a tardy slip. During this process, the bell signaling the end of homeroom rang and students filled the halls as they transitioned to first period.
Clutching my tardy slip, I turned to make my departure from the main office, only to catch a glimpse of an unmistakable, distinct purple hue dancing in the periphery of my vision. Without thinking I turned at look. The sides of the office were mostly glass and peering at me from the other side was someone from my grade. A popular girl that I tended to avoid.
Charlotte, the violet-haired wonder.
The expression that she had when she looked at me... It couldn't tell you exactly what she was feeling, but I can tell you for certain that whatever it was, it was strong. Just looking at her unnerved me.
When she saw me exiting the office, she marched toward me with an incredible vigor and speed. It's at this point that I'd like to take you back to my three, no, four rules that I nearly always abide by. Rule two: Flee from the fairer sex. And when it came to Charlotte, that rule was double.
The instant that I left the office, I entered a trance-like flow state. Slipping through the crowd, making unusual turns, and hiding behind larger students, I went all out to avoid her. Before long, I managed to enter my first period completely undetected.
Since you have the class every day, first period is half as long as your other classes. It only lasts 45 minutes. Once that time was up, I headed back out into the halls to continue my unremarkable day.
"Seriously?!"
Being the guy that I was, once the bell rang, I was one of the first people to exit their class. Hearing loud stomping, I looked to my left. Marching down the empty hallway was Charlotte. Determination radiated off her skin like steam from an engine.
Hold on! Did she know what first period I had? If so, how? Why the hell would she trouble herself with my schedule?
Once again, I was forced to make my escape. This time, I had to work far harder to maneuver away from her, after all, the halls were mostly empty. Blasting through the halls, I sped walked away from Charlotte. Behind me, I could hear the steadily increasing sounds of Charlotte going faster.
Then came a moment of sudden genius. Just as I turned the corner of the hall, I completely stopped my momentum and went into a slow, casual march. This may seem quite foolish at a surface level, but I remembered an important fact. At the end of every period, during the short transition, the principal stands at the end of this hall.
This school had a bad habit of treating its students like elementary kids, although we were on the brink of adulthood. As such, when Charlotte came zooming down the hall, she was stopped by the principal and given an earful about school rules.
Safe!
Now it was time for fourth period. Just like usual, it was a boring and unremarkable class filled with an unsurmountable nothingness. During this time though, I thought about what my plan would be for lunch. It'd be difficult to avoid her without anywhere to run and no crowd to slip into... Actually, why in the hell is that girl following me anyway? This isn't fair, just talking to someone like her makes me totally uneasy.
Hmmm, the boy's bathroom would work. I could hide during the duration of lunch and sneak out once it was over!
There were only two issues with my plan. First, if Charlotte saw me go into the bathroom, she might hang around nearby for me to get out. If that happened, I'd be stuck in a tight spot. Compared to that, the second issue sounds rather trivial, but I'd rather not hang out in the bathroom during lunch. The more rowdy guys tend to hang around in there and they've got a tendency to mess with me.
All that said, I didn't have to abandon my idea completely! There was a way to make it work. After making some excuse, I got out of class early and made my way up the stairs and to the second floor.
Right before winter break, there'd been a major accident in the second-floor boy's bathroom. After one of the larger students began jumping around in there, he slipped and fell into the intersection between two stalls. While the kid was fine, the stalls certainly weren't. The incident caused two of the bathroom's three stalls to be destroyed, causing the entire bathroom to get shut off. There was a large sign on the door warning students not to enter and yellow tape near the entrance, but not on the door itself.
Normally, I'd never follow through on such an outrageous idea. Just a blatant breaking of school rules was never really my style. My hands shook slightly as I lifted the tape so that I could go under.
Before the bathroom stall incident, the lock on the door had already been broken for a few years. Actually, during the entire duration of my attending this school, the administration had never bothered to get it fixed.
When I opened the bathroom door, my heartbeat was surging. Getting caught would be a world of trouble and many afternoons stuck in detention.
Was this going a step too far? Probably. I still didn't even have a clue what Charlotte wanted to talk to me about. Standing my ground and talking to her was something I'd rather avoid.
It's not that I hated Charlotte or felt any real animosity toward her, but out of everyone at this school, it seemed like we always ended up being dragged together. I'm not sure if it's by pure chance or some ploy to satisfy some cruel god's malicious desires, but she's one of the few people willing to go up and speak with me. No matter how much I turn up my over-the-top delusions, she'll always take one for the team and be the one to speak with me. In a way, it reminded me of Jean, though that situation was different.
Leaning against the wall, my stomach emitted an audible growl, a reminder of my neglected hunger.
"I should have grabbed something to eat before coming here," I muttered ruefully, lamenting my oversight.
Without my phone to entertain myself with, I trailed off into the labyrinth of my mind. That was until I heard the hurried sounds of students getting out of class and filling the halls. The bell for third lunch must've rang while I was in here. That means I've got thirty minutes until lunch ends and I transition to my last class of the day.
As the commotion subsided and solitude enveloped the hallway once more, I found myself lost in contemplation.
"You know, at this point, it really seems like Sukuna might win-" I began, my words trailing off into the empty space.
Bam!
The suddenness and intensity of the sound caused my head to snap to the noise's source.
And there she stood, unmistakable in her vibrancy—a vivid splash of violet amidst the muted hues of the school corridor. Charlotte, in the confines of the abandoned boys' bathroom, her presence, once again, served to be a startling anomaly in my otherwise mundane reality. Her existence itself, in all of its radiance, broke down every desperate desire in my heart to maintain my 'normal'.
Her gasps and puffs for air filled both the bathroom and my meek heart with the melancholy of an unavoidable encounter. The resounding click of the bathroom door as it was shut sealed my fate, breaking down my heart a little more with its finality.
My eyes darted from place to place, a desperate attempt to not look directly at Charlotte for too long. But Charlotte's gaze was glued to me, holding me captive in place, each step she took echoing like a death knell in the hollow chamber. Trapped against the wall, I retreated inward, a feeble attempt to escape her relentless advance.
When she had made her way in front of me, I'd felt like I'd shrunken down to the size of an ant. It was my only attempt at a proper escape.
It was as though she were a giant towering over me, as I was unable to fight back in any meaningful way. And what was it that she did in that towering position? She grabbed me by the scruff of my collar and forced me up. She rejected my escape and forced me to look her in the eyes as an equal.
Of course, in reality, I hadn't shrunk down and Charlotte wasn't a giant. In fact, we were both about the same height, I may have beaten her by a centimeter or two. Yet, in that moment of vulnerability, I had allowed myself to be consumed by irrational fear, retreating into the safety of self-imposed insignificance.
But Charlotte's gaze, brazen and unyielding, offered no shelter for my worry-filled heart. There was no condescension, no sense of superiority—only a recognition of our shared humanity. A powerful gaze that demanded I stand up straight and look her in the eyes.
And so I did, not out of my own will, but due to Charlotte's inescapable influence. "Ah, this is why I wanted to avoid Charlotte."
That was perhaps the first time that I ever saw Charlotte. I'd merely looked at her before, but this was the first time that I'd seen her.
Her dark brown eyes bore into me with an intensity that left me breathless, their piercing gaze etching itself deep within my soul. But it was her vibrant purple hair that truly captivated me, cascading down her back in a mesmerizing display of color. On her right side, a star-shaped hair ornament adorned her bangs. Despite her powerful demeanor, her facial features exuded a softness and expressiveness that belied her commanding presence. Clad in a white school shirt beneath a black sweater, her ensemble was completed by a white skirt with black accents that grazed her upper to mid-thigh, paired with sleek black tights.
In her hand was something distinct, a black-cased phone. That design looked somewhat familiar as well. Before I could think about it any further, she extended her hand and presented it to me.
"Here, you left your phone at school two days ago. I would've given it to you yesterday but you weren't here.", her voice was rugged and tired. I hadn't expected it.
Grabbing the phone, I took note that it was fully charged, unlike when I'd left it. "O-Oh! I see then! That must've been the reason you were chasing me down all day."
It took a moment, but the expression on Charlotte's face slowly changed as she came to a realization.
"So this whole time, you knew that I was trying to talk to you! You've been leading me on a wild goose chase all day!"
"Huh? Oh, well, uh not really. You have to think about this in a different way. I had no clue why you were going after me so-"
"Let me guess, I may have been being controlled by Martians trying to get rid of you?"
"You poor soul, you must be talking about the Intergalactic Federation of Universal Bacterial Destruction and Decontamination. No, no. They wouldn't be after me."
"Dumbass, that's not the point! You're lucky you know! I had a feeling that you were avoiding me so when I thought of places you might hide, this bathroom was number one on my list."
"That's only because I allowed you to find me. My heart couldn't take seeing you fail so many times over!"
Bursting with annoyance, Charlotte remarked, "If I hadn't found you, you would've lost your phone forever you know?"
"Come now, a higher creature like myself can use telepathy."
I was at the end of my rope. Playing a part like this in such a dire situation takes a fair bit of energy.
Gritting her teeth, it seemed like Charlotte was ready to admit defeat.
"Whatever. Don't think of repaying me. We aren't even yet."
With that, she marched her way out of the bathroom with the same powerful vigor that she entered with. Standing there, I nearly collapsed. A gigantic weight had been lifted from my shoulders. However, for some reason, I felt like I didn't mind this encounter as much as I thought I would. Anyway, I should get out of here before I get caught. I've got no reason to stay any longer.
----
As she made her way out of the bathroom, mixed in with her sea of annoyance, there was a single thought on Charlotte's mind.
"That conversation that we had... It actually felt somewhat normal."