"Clyde! Wait up! I turn to see her catching up with me in the hallway, a smile plastered on her face, looking somehow brighter than everyone else in the school.
I stop, only out of habit. "What?"
"Are you coming to our hangout this weekend? You should!" she says, almost in one breath. "I know you're busy or whatever, but we'd love to have you. It's gonna be fun!"
I don't answer right away. I never know how to. It's not like I want to be part of it, but I can't quite bring myself to tell her no either. She's persistent, always trying to include me.
But I'm not part of their world, and she knows that. "I'll think about it," I say, a non-answer that I know won't make her stop asking.
Haruka seems satisfied with that response and starts walking away, turning back to wave at me. "Cool! I'll save you a spot."
I watch her go, the faint clatter of her footsteps a reminder that she's moving through the world with ease, while I'm stuck in place. The way she just invites people in. It's strange, almost alien to me. But I'm used to it by now.
The class is barely starting when the teacher announces the next project: a group assignment that will be graded. Immediately, my stomach sinks. The last thing I want is to be forced into a group, forced to work with people, to interact.
The teacher, oblivious to the silent groans around the room, starts assigning partners. As the list is read, I feel my anxiety growing with each name.
"Clyde, you're with Haruka," she says, a knowing smile creeping onto her face as she glances at both of us.
Haruka turns in her seat, beaming. "Yay! This is going to be so much fun!"
I can't help but feel a heavy sigh build in my chest. Not only am I stuck with someone who doesn't seem to take life as seriously as I do, but she's practically bouncing with excitement. She's going to drag me along with her whether I want to go or not.
"Yeah, sure," I mutter, not bothering to hide the lack of enthusiasm in my voice.
Haruka is already making plans by the time the bell rings. I watch her scribble things in her notebook, flipping through pages as though this project is the most important thing in the world.
"So, I was thinking we could make a presentation," she says, her pen tapping against the desk as she glances at me for feedback. "You're good at research, right? You can find some of the details, and I'll work on the visuals. It'll be perfect!"
I don't want to do this!!!
"Yeah, okay," I say, feeling the weight of it all sink in. Why is she so... eager? Why does she insist on pulling me into her orbit?
The days pass, and somehow the project is taking shape. Haruka's energy is unrelenting, always sending me messages with ideas, always pushing me to do more, and I find myself responding, mostly because it's easier than ignoring her.
"Did you find anything good?" she texts one afternoon. "I have some ideas for our presentation—let's make it fun, okay?"
I read her message and let out a deep breath. Fun. That's the last thing I want right now. But I can't just ignore her. I reluctantly send back a quick reply.
"Yeah, I found a few things. I'll send them later."
And that's how it goes. Haruka is relentless, but she's... not wrong. We're getting somewhere with this. The research is coming together, and I can feel myself contributing, little by little, even if I don't want to.
The night before we're supposed to present, I'm sitting at my desk, staring at the computer screen. The project has taken longer than I thought, and somehow, Haruka has turned it into an event. A big event.
I'm finishing up the last of the slides when there's a knock at my door. I freeze. I wasn't expecting anyone. My aunt and uncle are at work, and the house is as quiet as always.
I open it to find... Haruka, standing there, holding a bag of snacks.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, half-surprised, half-resentful.
"I thought I'd come by and check on our project!" she says, grinning. "And I brought snacks for us! Gotta keep the energy up!"
I stare at her for a moment. This wasn't part of the plan. I didn't ask for her to come over. But somehow, here she is.
She walks past me, like she owns the place, and starts unpacking her snacks onto my desk. It's strange, and honestly a little unsettling. But I can't just tell her to leave.
"Well," I say, trying to sound casual, "you didn't have to come all the way here."
"I know," she replies. "But it's fun this way! You're not exactly easy to get a hold of, you know?"
I roll my eyes but say nothing. I didn't realize I was that hard to reach.
Haruka just laughs, as if everything is perfectly normal. For a moment, I almost feel like it is.
The next day arrives, and the moment of truth is upon us. Haruka is bouncing on the balls of her feet, practically vibrating with excitement. She's already set everything up in the classroom, arranging the slides, and making sure the projector is ready.
I stand in the corner, as usual, trying not to attract attention.
When it's finally our turn, Haruka steps up to the front, speaking confidently, almost as if she's the one in charge. She takes the lead, with me trailing behind her. For a moment, I feel like a ghost, like I'm not even a part of this at all.
But as we present, I find myself talking. Just a little. Offering facts, details, things Haruka doesn't know. The words come out without me thinking about it too much. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I don't feel invisible.
It's a strange feeling, but it's there, and I don't know what to make of it.
The class is quiet, and when we finish, I don't expect applause, but it comes anyway Not a lot.