"No man is an island", as the infamous quote says. The norm is that people should communicate with each other to make things work.
Communication…. Is something I am not good with. Introverts usually do not like interacting much with people. Other dudes can manage by enduring it just to survive socially.
Introversion seems weird to other people my age but for me, this is my safe haven. I am good with just having one or two friend. Though in reality, I didn't really have a person to call as a friend since elementary.
"Nagi, have you submitted your class report to Sensei?"
My seatmate, Nakajima Daiki, is the person I often converse with, probably due to the proximity of our seat.
I'm not sure if I call him my friend but, we do talk often.
"Yes, I did. Thanks for informing."
Don't get me wrong. I do talk to people but there's a cap.
Yes, my social battery is only limited to 5 people a day. The only exception is our teachers or any school officials since my brain picks up that I don't really have a choice but to interact with them.
If I hit the limit, I feel weak that I want to go down to my knees and not talk to anyone for the rest of the day.
If it's other people, I don't find myself obliged to talk to everybody.
I don't really get extroverts. Is talking or befriending a lot of people more of a validation for them? Or is it just that they are programmed to be like that?
"Nagi, you look ecstatic, did something good happen?"
Nakajima asked me in a curious tone.
"I am fine. It's just that I only got to talk with 2 people including you."
"There you go again with your social battery thing. Will it kill you to just talk to people?"
He doesn't understand. People are built differently. We don't have to force anything against our own will.
In reality, of course I want to change. I just don't know where to start.
Is it with Nakajima? Or with other people? I wonder what stimulus will it take to push me to go with the change I seek.
"Say, have you joined any club?"
Nakajima asked. It seems that he just wants to genuinely talk.
"I am part of the manga club."
That reminds me, she did request for me to visit tomorrow since the student council will do an ocular visit to each club.
"Are people in manga club, like you?"
What are you implying, Mr. Nakajima?
"A lot better than me, if I have to admit."
I am fine with just talking to Nakajima like this. This seals that I will not meet my quota of 5 people a day.
I hope peaceful days like this continues.
The class is over and I was ready to go home to escape this facility full of extroverted people (it's just a school) after some classroom duty. However, Takahashi-sensei asked me to drop this pile of files in the art club's room. I couldn't really reject her since she's a nice teacher to all of us.
I should just get this over with. My unfinished manga are waiting for me at home. And also, the anime I asked my sister to record for me last night.
I do hope there's no one in the art club right now since it's way past dismissal hours. Or at least, one. Yes, that's tolerable.
As I approach the art club room, I saw no sign of anyone around. Great, it really is my lucky day.
"I'm sorry for intru-"
As I opened the door, I immediately closed it yet opened it slightly to peek. There was someone in there.
It's a girl with a blue hair exceeding her shoulders but not lower than to her chest.
Looking closely, it is my classmate. Kotegawa Ayano.
Just as the day was smoothly going my way, I had to encounter one of the ultimate extroverts of the class. Damn!
S-She's always the one that befriends everyone (based from what I always see). She has this some sort of extroversion aura that blinds my social eyes!
To describe this perfectly, she's the final boss of the introverts to deal with! If my limit is only up to five people a day, she is a sole equivalent to five!
Why is she here anyway? It's weird for the queen of all extroverts to be part of the art club.
Let's have a little peek.
"I-I called you here to say…"
She murmurs while facing a replica of statue of Plato.
Why is she talking with-
"I-I like you! Please go out with me!"
The extroversion guru just confessed her love to a statue. T-The heck?
What is she doing? E-Extrovert activities? T-That's plain embarrassing! I-Is she perhaps practicing a love confession?
She's even doing a skit wherein the boy actually accepted her feelings. Man, am I right to see this?
Then, the unthinkable will soon happen.
"Choo~"
She's about to kiss the statue! I-I couldn't hold my laughter….
"D-Don't!"
I suddenly opened the door and told her to cease what she's doing. Her lipstick might ruin the statue.
No, I'm lying. I can't take this second hand embarrassment. I'm sorry for peeking.
S-She's looking at me in shock. Man, what should I do?!
"J-just dropping off some files. I'm sorry for intruding. Have a patheti-, good day."
I quickly left and shut the door. Yet, I can feeling a sinister intent behind me.
It was Kotegawa. She drags open the sliding door then grips into my shoulders.
"Did you see everything?"
I have to give a response.
"No ma'am. I didn't see a thing. Goodbye."
She's red as hell when I looked at her face.
"L-Liar! You're giggling!"
O-Oops, was I obvious?
"Erase that from your memory! Wah, that was so embarrassing!"
Extroverts really do have a different type of reactions. They can be so loud.
"I-I was just trying…. Practice…."
She's trying to explain even though I didn't ask. Even someone like her gets embarrassed to this extent. I thought her kind was more of a shameless, shy-free personality.
"Rest assured, I didn't see everything of it. F-For real."
Crap, I giggled again. I couldn't erase what she was doing in my brain.
"D-Die!"
She's holding a rolled tracing paper to smack me in the head.
"I-I'm sorry…!"
I ran before she even catches me.
What a day. Now, I'm on the way home to find myself comfortable again at home.
Since I get to walk for like 20 more minutes, I can read a manga I secretly brought with me at school. Though, I didn't get to read it there today.
"W-Wait, where is it?"
I noticed something is missing in my bag. My notebook. Did I leave it in the classroom?
Crap, I think it's my personal notebook!
I-It's full of my self-created light novels! No one should see it!
Calm down, there should be no students at this hour at school. Y-Yes, I can pick it up without being noticed by someone.
As I am sprinting towards the classroom, I saw the door is already open.
T-This can't be! Is there still someone there?
P-Please! Let there be no one!
I am now standing at the doorstep of our classroom and I saw my notebook open being read by someone, a blue haired girl.
What an unfortunate event. It's Kotegawa Ayano. Just end me.
"R-Return that!"
I shockingly told Kotegawa as she looks at me.
I can feel that my face is getting warm. This is an absolute embarrassment.
"I thought it was a normal notebook so I had to check if there's a name and…"
"You haven't read everything, right?"
I asked just to confirm.
"Hmm, just to the point wherein Mikoto will fire his Super Strika V beam to the-"
"A-Alright, that's enough!"
S-She's read almost halfway already! Was I too late?
"Y-You shouldn't open other's personal stuff."
"Yes, yes, sir. My bad."
I couldn't feel any sincerity to it!
"P-Please forget what you just read. It's supposed to be a secret."
Maybe, I can talk this through. She seems approachable, anyways.
"I wonder about that, Mikan-sensei…."
She's teasing me…! Even saying my pen name from the notebook!
"I-I'll do everything! J-Just don't spread it to others!"
I'm so pathetic. Why am I begging like this? I didn't think she's a bully!
"Everything?"
"Yes! Everything!"
"Then…"
Here it goes!
"Help me with my love confession!"
I thought it was going to be a brutal one but…
"W-Why me? I'm pretty sure there's more experienced than me."
"You were the only one to witness an embarrassing event that I was mainly part of. Now, suffer with me."
E-Eh…..?
I have to stay tough!
"H-Hmmm, don't force me. I can leak to everyone your thing if you persist in spreading stuff about what you read."
"I mean, you can't. You don't have friends, anyway."
She responded in a manner I didn't expect.
My heart gets crushed to her reply. It brought me down to my knees. I feel melancholic all of a sudden.
"I-I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
"That's rude!"
Since it's true, anyway.
"What's in for me, then, if I helped you?"
I asked. I want to get some advantages from this event.
"Let's say I help you with your studies, is that fine?"
Well, I do suck at some courses particularly Mathematics. I believe she can help me since I didn't have anyone to rely on.
"Deal, then."
She smiles at me as I affirmed her offer.
"Nice working with you, partner!"
There is much of an enthusiasm with her response. I guess she's glad that her weird quirk will not be leaked.
This marks the start of my unexpected partnership with the most extroverted girl in the class, if not the whole school, to keep our embarrassing secrets safe.
Man, this is gonna get so tiring....