Sayano comes early as usual and is alone in the classroom. He can't help but be curious about the girl who sits beside him, who is also an early bird as well. A girl with black hair and her eyes were odd like her eye color was different each eye. Her eyes were unusual, but Sayano thought they were incredibly pretty.
"Hetekomaraia? Hatemorycha? I forgot... what was it again?" Sayano asked in his mind.
He sees her reading a manga that Sayano has been reading too.
Without thinking too much, Sayano asks her, "No way, you're reading that too?!"... Sayano immediately regrets his actions and stops looking in her direction.
After some silence, the girl literally stood up, and sat on another chair, one seat apart. Sayano, with his spirit broken, slumps on his table and sleeps.
Class starts and not much happens other than lectures and yapping.
Lunchtime, and as usual, Sayano goes up to the roof, and eats there, all alone.
Usually, no one would come up here since the sun is literally right above, and there's no roof, so people would eat at the ground level or indoors. Sayano, however, is prepared and always brings an umbrella.
He enters the door to the roof and sits on the floor. This time, something caught his eye. He spots a girl on the rooftop as well, clutching the railings. Sayano, scared, exclaims to the girl, "MISS!"
The girl turns around and sees Sayano rush towards her. When Sayano is in front of her, he pants and gasps for air. After some moments, Sayano says to the girl, "Miss, whatever it is, please don't take your own life!"
The girl smiles and says, "You're silly. I was here to watch the sky."
Sayano sighs in relief and says, "Thank goodness..."
The girl smiles and says, "I'll be going now, thank you for your concern."
The girl leaves and goes downstairs.
Sayano sits back in his place and starts eating.
"Who was that? I think we're in the same grade, she was kinda familiar." Sayano thought to himself.
After lunch, Sayano heads back down to his class and goes about his day as usual.
Not much happens, and dismissal comes.
As usual, he reviews the day and records his past encounters. Sayano had a clear goal, to make friends, so he reviewed the day and made plans to interact with other people.
Sayano thought that this made him seem desperate, but he did not care, even if it made him look like a loser.
Sayano goes back to his home and the rest happened like the last chapter. Sayano stayed up late, fearing that his father may come back again. After some time, he sleeps.
Sayano goes to his school again and just like last time, there is this girl who's an early bird like him. Just like last time, the girl is sitting one seat apart, even though she should be sitting beside his seat.
Sayano, instead of staying sad from this random girl's clear declaration of boundaries, studies for the upcoming exams instead. He studies hard, since after this, Summer break will come.
"How the hell do I do this shit, man..." Sayano says as he looks at the math problems.
The girl, seeing his distressed face, stores her book in her bag, and sits on the table beside his.
"Hey, you need help on that?" The girl asks in a monotonous voice.
Sayano smiles brightly, seeing that small gesture of her help, makes him think this is the happiest moment in his life. Sayano nods and says, "Yes!"
The girl nods and starts helping him study.
Sayano, can't help but cloud his judgments from happy thoughts.
He couldn't believe it, a person talked to him, and a girl too. He is incredibly happy.
After a while, the girl finishes helping Sayano, goes back to her original seat beside him, and starts reading her book.
Sayano asks her shyly, "Can I ask you a question?"
She nods.
Sayano smiles and asks, "Why did you help me?"
The girl slightly furrowed her eyebrows, and said, "I felt guilty for last time."
She said in a nonchalant voice.
Sayano smiles, "Okay."
They both sit in silence, while she is reading manga with a stoic face, Sayano has a stupid smile on his face stuck the whole time.
Checking the time, Sayano realizes it's almost class, and asks the girl one last time, "Hey, what's your name?"
Sayano stutters and says, "Y-you don't need to say that of course *nervous chuckle*, I-I'm just curious, yeah, hahaha."
From his voice alone, it's clear Sayano has no experience talking to anyone, let alone a girl.
"Sakawa." She said while reading her manga casually.
"Sakawa... Nice name." Sayano mutters while staring down at his table, fidgeting his fingers.
This is it, the moment he has been preparing for his whole life, a friend.
"VICTORY!" Sayano thought to himself, clearly proud of himself.
Class starts, and the whole day goes like normal.
After dismissal time, he hesitantly goes looking for Sakawa, and he finds her on a bench in the schoolyard.
He hides, devising a plan to 'accidentally' meet her on the way out, and walk with her home.
After a while, she stands up and heads to the school gates.
He rushes and runs a long path to make it seem like he wasn't following her nearby.
Right before Sakawa can exit, Sayano rushes in front of her, his clothes drenched in his sweat.
He pants heavily, but he regained his composure and looked at her in the eyes. He stands up as if he didn't run a marathon with his weak body.
Sayano asked nervously, "Sakawa... What route do you use to get home?"
Sakawa looks at him blankly, and after a moment, she answers and explains her route to him.
Sakawa uses a route that, if walked by Sayano, would take him double the time the original route would make.
Sayano, what a poor guy...
Sayano was presented with a choice.
Will he walk his original route and live normally, or will he take the risk and walk the route that is way longer than his original, just to have a walking buddy...
Sayano was weighing the choices.
If he did choose the latter, then Katsu would have to wait a bit longer, and that was the main reason for his worry.
Sayano thinks for a while.
Sakawa, a patient girl indeed, asks him,
"So uhhh, what are you trying to do?"
Without hesitation, Sayano answers,
"Wow! No way, I use the same route too!"
Sakawa, shrugs and says,
"Okay."
Sayano asks her,
"Can we walk home together?"
He stutters
"W-well I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything b-but like yeah, hahaha..."
Sakawa nods and says,
"I don't really see a problem, so why not."
Sayano nods and casually walks with her, feigning a calm demeanor.
His thoughts are the direct opposite.
"NO WAY HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS A DREAM OH MY GOD!"
Usually, he wears his earphones to listen to some music, but now, he doesn't wanna wear them, since he wants to not miss a thing Sakawa will say.
After a while, Sakawa reaches her home and says,
"I'm home now, thanks for walking with me."
Sayano replies in a calm and collected voice,
"No problem."
Sakawa waves goodbye and enters her home.
Sayano walks for a while, and all of a sudden, he runs home, so that his little brother won't wait for long.
Yep, this is his plan.
To walk with Sakawa, and after Sakawa reaches her house, he will run full speed to his house.
It's a dumb plan, for sure, but he's willing to go as far as to make a new friend, and to not make his little brother worry.
He may be an idiot, but he is a good person.