The school bell rings, signifying the end of classes for today. Though I wish it rang to signal my demise instead, kind of like a "We've come to claim your soul" type of thing. God, I'm so tired that I don't even want to stand up from my seat. But I've got things to do, so I better get a move on.
I stand up and begin putting my book and papers into my bag. Most of my classmates are also doing the same thing. Some of them have opted to remain seated and talk with their friends about what they're going to do later on. And of course, there's the popular group who are as loud as usual.
"Hey Tatsu, when are you gonna pay me back for the lunch money I lent you last week?"
"I'm, like, super sorry, Kenta! But I'm really broke this month. But I promise I'll pay you back next week, for reals!"
"Geez, you should know by now that Tatsu never pays anyone back. It's your own fault for giving him money. Right, Asuka?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah I guess you're right, Sumire-chan. But Tatsu only borrows loose change, so I don't think it's that bad."
"Oh, you're an angel, Asuka-chan!"
As the guy named Tatsu goes in for a hug, Asamura desperately tries to deflect him by hiding behind Sakakibara Daiki, who effectively calms Tatsu down.
Come on, how long is this farce going to last? I need to go to the baseball mound to meet with Suzuki. And I can't exactly do that without Asamura, who will act as my backup. God knows what will happen if I go there alone. I might just end up making the situation worse.
I stare long and hard at Asamura, hoping to somehow get her attention. Somehow, it works and she finally meets my gaze. I jerk my head a bit towards the door to signal her to come outside the classroom with me.
"Ah, sorry guys. But I have to go now. I'll catch up in chat later tonight, okay?"
"Kay, be sure to go online later. I've got some cute outfits I want you to look at."
"Mmm! I will. See you, Sumire-chan. Bye bye, Daiki, Kenta-kun, Sho-kun, Stupid Tatsu!"
She gives a quick wave at her friends as she rushes out of the classroom. Finally, we're both out on the hallway and ready to set out towards the baseball club.
I begin to walk but I feel a slight tug at the end of my shirt. I turn around to see who dares to grab me, only to see Asamura with an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry, Sugiyama-kun. But I really do have to go. Something came up and my mom asked me to come straight home."
"W-wait, what about the plan? I can't talk to that baseball superstar alone."
"Why not? It's not like he's a big shot pro player. He's just our senior!"
Easy for you to say when you're one of the popular ones! She clearly doesn't understand the hierarchy of high school. A scrub like me can't just approach the lord of the land! If this were feudal times, I'd have to sacrifice my entire family just to gain an audience with someone of Suzuki's stature.
Seeing my visible and audible grunts of distress, Asamura lets out a sigh and shakes her head as if to say "Just what I'd expect from a loser". She takes out her phone and begins texting someone. After a few quick taps, she puts her phone back into her bag. I have to wonder how she managed to send someone a text so quickly. I need at least 5 or 10 minutes of typing, thinking, and preparing before hitting send.
"I did kind of expect you to be against going on your own. Don't worry, I called someone to fill for me. You should be fine now, right?"
She begins to rapidly walk away without even explaining who the replacement is. Maybe I could've grabbed her and demanded to know who was coming. But let's be honest, I don't have the balls to do that. She'd also probably kick my ass if I did.
No choice left now but to wait.
Five minutes pass by.
I just thought of something. If I don't know who I'm even waiting for, then maybe that person also doesn't know who he or she is meeting with. What if they've already passed by me and just didn't know it?
No, calm down. I'm sure Asamura would have described me to them. Something like "Look for someone with dead looking eyes and a scowl on his face." Although that person might mistake me for the principal with that description. But in any case, I'll just give up if they don't show up. Worst case, I can just ask Asamura to reschedule with Suzuki.
"Guess I'll just head home for now."
As soon as I mumble that, I hear the door of my classroom loudly slide open. Asamura's friend group steps out and fills the hallway with laughter and loud chatter. Most of the noise is coming from the guy called Tatsu though.
I lean on the wall and try to make myself invisible as they pass me by. Although I do take a quick glance at them just because. I see the three stooges and the queen, but the king is strangely absent. I watch as they round the corner and go down the stairs.
Odd. That group is never without Sakakibara Daiki in the fold. It makes me wonder what happened and why he isn't with them. Just as I was wondering about that, I heard another set of footprints coming out of the classroom. I turned to see who else was inside the classroom; The last classmate to exit.
The person that steps out has very distinct golden brown hair styled in a cool way that resembles an anime main character. His face is so dazzlingly handsome that it makes me want to bow down. His posture is perfect, his steps are firm, even his uniform seems a cut above mine.
"Yo! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
Sakakibara Daiki raises his hand in an apologetic way. Wait, was he talking to me?