Hanabira is the top-rated private high school in Tokyo, and at this moment I am regretting ever applying to this school. The entrance exam could start any minute now I thought to myself, and the more I thought about that anxiety-inducing idea, the more I feel like I'm going to fail; my heart is beating out of its chest as I stare at the back blank side of my exam. I notice myself hyperventilating a bit before I take a deep breath, as I exhale the proctor said those dreaded words.
"Let the exam begin!"
As I flipped the exam around the questions looked all blurry, my heart was racing even faster, I could die from how much anxiety I had in me and at that moment. Because I couldn't focus, my brain thought back to two weeks before the exam.
"Kyo! You're late!"
"I know I'm sorry Kimori," I said, feeling a sense of dread as I sat down at my desk coming back from grabbing school lunch. Sitting in a square around me were the twins Kimori and Himori Tora, including our middle school's all-around ace Goda Ota.
"So, we are all applying to Hanabira high huh?" Kimori said.
"I suppose it's kind of funny that the top 4 students of this school are going to Hanabira," Himori added.
"Yeah well, there is no guarantee we will all get in," Goda said bluntly.
"We don't want to hear that from someone who got a scholarship and doesn't have to take the exam from hell," I interjected.
"You're the only person I am worried about Kyo, after all, you have most ridding on this and you're the only one with high test anxiety."
It was only Goda who said that, but the other two were thinking the same thing, and it rang in my head as to why I am here and what it means for me if I fail. I snapped back to reality, and barely finished the exam in time.
"The exam is now over! We will now come around and collect them, once we grab your paper you're free to leave the testing center." The proctor announced.
When my exam was picked up I closed my eyes and stretched my arms. My anxiety was pretty much gone at this point, "I've done all I could," is what I thought to myself. What stood before me after I opened my eyes was probably the only person in the whole exam building to not be in school uniform, in fact, he was as far off as you can get with crazy spiked hair, a diamond earring on his right ear with a dark blue letter "H" within the diamond, he was wearing a light-blue plaid shirt with dark blue jeans, and a chain connected from a belt loop to his pocket. The person standing before me was Kimori, the oldest of the Tora twins.
"Yo," he said.
"Huh didn't know you were here Kimori. How do you think you did."
"I aced it, of course, you?"
"Passed by the skin of my teeth I'd say."
"Well enough about the exam, wanna go get lunch?"
"Oh uh, sure I guess."
"'I guess' and here I thought we were friends Kyo."
"I didn't mean it like that! I just didn't plan on it, and thought I could go home and sleep."
"Haha sounds like you, speaking of, if you passed, when are you moving?"
"The day I get told I got accepted I am out of there," I said with gusto as I stood from my testing chair and began to walk with him out of the building. We decided to go to a local maid cafe that Kimori frequented.
"Hiii! How can I serve you, masters, today?" A rather cute, long black haired girl in a maid outfit said in that felt like the most anime voice you can think of.
"I would like my usual please, just tell the cook Kimori is here, as for my anxiously tired friend here, a grande melon soda with a strawberry crepe please."
The girl looked at me for confirmation to which I just nodded. Kimori and I have known one another for 3 years now, so he knows my preference in food, and understands that I don't care for talking much so he will gladly do so on my behalf.
"Thank you," I said.
"No problem, now can I ask a serious question?"
"You really like putting your nose where it doesn't belong, but sure go ahead."
"What does your mother think of the move?"
Three months ago I got into an argument with my mother over dinner about my wanting to quit music, her life's work, her job, the thing she has done for more years than I have been alive, and I told her I wanted no part of it. I announced this in front of her, my step-father, and my aunt. The outcome was simple, I got slapped across the face and was called the second most disappointing thing in her life, next to that of my father. My aunt stopped my mother from going any further and made me an offer. If I can get into Hanabari high I can live in one of her apartment complexes which would make the commute easier and I could get out of my mother's house. That is what was riding on my passing this exam, succeed and I get to live by myself and be free from the shackles of my mother, or fail and have the mental abuse and shackles remain. It was a simple choice really. In the end, I told the events that took place to three people, Kimori being one of them.
"I… I don't know. Sorry." I said
"What do you mean? Have you not talked to your mom about it any more than that day?"
"Nope, I haven't really talked to her since that day, I think she is waiting to see my results."
"To not talk to your own mom for three whole months… I can't even imagine that, but Kyo, I do wish you the best of luck going forward."
"Well, we will see one another in Hanabira, so same to you," I said with a slight smile.
"Uhhh, sorry to interrupt masters, but here is your food," Kimori ordered an omelet, chicken sandwich, a peach crepe, and his own melon soda, including my two items there was a handful of stuff for her to set down. As she laid out everything, Kimori's attitude instantly switched from sentimental curiosity to pure excitement, less about the food, but mostly because the new cute maid was an easy target for a womanizer like Kimori. He tried to get a good look, but I flicked some of my whipped cream on his shirt to distract him and said to the maid "sorry about him, he really is a good guy, just not here, you're good to get back to work, thank you." She nodded at me and began to walk away.
"What the hell man!"
"Hehe, sorry Kimori, hand slipped."
"DUDE!!!"
"Anyway, are you going to continue to play tennis with Himori?"
"Yeah we will try it out at Hanabira, but I am not sure if we will continue to the end of high school or not. According to our teachers, we have to start thinking about the future, and I have no intention of going pro like Hiro does."
"The future huh?" I threw my free career as a musician out the window, but that was all I was ever taught, so I hadn't given anything past high school any thought at all.
"We still have three years, so don't burst a brain vesicle Kyo."
"I'll try not to."
"A change of subject as I am bored of talking seriously, are you ready to get a girlfriend?"
"What?" I almost spit out my Soda.
"Well now that you're free from your chains, you can finally get a girlfriend, early congrats to you." As he raised his glass before taking a drink.
After eating our food and him chatting about all the "hot babes" at Hanabira that he would get as his girlfriend, we parted ways. Saying at the same time,
"See you at Hanabira." "See you at Hanabira!"