"How would you describe their personality? I know a lot of people with the name Nao." I questioned, with another question to exactly pinpoint the answer I needed.
Fishing for details is a skill, after all.
"She's distant and usually cold, but she opens up if she feels comfortable doing so." She answered.
I feel like a top-secret information has been leaked through her lips. Distant and cold? Okay. There could be a few other students around here who can fit that description, but there's actually one that comes to mind right now. Naokawa.
Does this mean her first name is simply just Nao? That would make her… Nao Naokawa? Really? Could it really be that simple? All this time, I've been guessing at something far more complex. Raffaele, right? It's actually funny.
And wait —did she just say "opens up"? Opens up? Are we talking about the same Naokawa here? The one I've dubbed the Ice Queen in my mental yearbook? Wasn't it practically impossible to imagine her as anything but an iceberg of solitude, like me?
Yet, this girl's suggesting Naokawa had someone she actually trusted. Someone she could rely on. That's cheating. I thought we loners were supposed to be, you know, alone.
Still, there's a weird sense of relief in my chest after knowing she can actually open up. That's how you can tell if a human is, well, human.
After extracting what felt like forbidden information, I had the faint sensation that I inched a bit closer to Naokawa. Yet, I knew I was still far from reaching the core of her icy fortress. There was only a slim of a chance she'd actually respond to me in any meaningful way.
But, this girl in front of me was a treasure trove of information, crucial for my survival in this strange ecosystem of a school. I needed to keep her close, maybe even her make her an acquaintance. Yes, that seemed something like a solid plan.
But, what is she her for? Just for kicking the door down on me? No way.
"So, what are you here for?" I asked, scratching my cheek awkwardly.
She looked at me, blinking a few times as if trying to reboot her system. Clearly, the poor girl was running on two hours of sleep. "I heard from the teachers that a new student got assigned to the temporary classroom." She finally answered.
Oh? She came all the way through what I imagine was a horde of students just to satisfy her curiosity? That's some next-level dedication. Even I, with all of my misplaced determination, wouldn't go to such lengths.
Still, knowing she used to spend her time in this room, I thought it might be worth asking about its history. "Do you know what the temporary class is about?" I asked.
"It used to be a normal classroom, but our student numbers dropped."
A simple answer as her reply, too simple for my taste. This school is already quite large by standards. Was it even bigger before? It's a bit hard to wrap my head around it.
"That's it?"
"Of course, that's basically it."
She said, her response like a blunt force trauma to my overanalyzing. I guess it was that straightforward after all. Finding out Naokawa's first name was a lot simpler than I'd expected it to be.
But wait a minute. Me and her haven't even shared names yet, right? If my grand master plan is to make her an acquaintance, I should probably start by getting to know her a bit more. That's one step I definitely have to do.
So, social anxiety, I'm going to need you to take a little break here.
"My name is Kita Muramatsu." I blurted out, while my eyes found a sudden intense attraction with the corner of the ceiling.
What am I doing right now? First impressions are everything, and I've already ruined this one spectacularly. Really top-tier performance for someone with the name "Kita".
I could practically hear the sound of my plan flatlining in the distance, all thanks to my idiotic behavior. She giggled softly, and somehow, that small sound pulled my gaze right back to her.
There was something commanding about it, and I don't particularly hate it. She's definitely the type to climb to the top of the social food chain
Just to boss everyone around. Not that I'd blame her, honestly.