As Baku along with Erity entered the kitchen together, a horrible smell thrust deep inside his nostrils. Exactly the same thing happened to Erity, though, as she was about to leave the room, she felt bad leaving Baku to deal with it on his own, so she followed regardless of that horid smell. Baku walked first, the lights were off and his fridge made an eary noise which made this scene very unnearving for both of them.
It took them only thirty seconds to find where that horrible smell was coming from. The ramen Baku had cooked for Erity was spoiled. The bowl was filled with rotten food, a large number of worms inside that bowl and flies above it. This disgusting sight almost made them both vomit.
Baku then started coughing yelling "HOW?!"
"What is this?! What the fuck is this!?? Why does it smell so bad??? I'm gonna pass out...
"It's supposed to be the ramen I cooked yesterday…
"Yesterday?? It looks like it's been sitting there for a whole fucking week!
"I forgot to look up the date before I opened them. Sorry….... I'm gonna have to clean that up too...
"NO WAY. Don't even think about cleaning it. Throw it outside.
"But the bowls..
"WHO CARES ABOUT THE STUPID BOWLS??? If a single worm falls on your hand Ι'll never let you touch me… Quickly! Throw it in the trash!
"Okay—okay fine.
Baku then quickly grabbed a plastic bag and threw the bowls inside, following that he wore his shoes and left the apartment to dispose of the bag. Erity chose to stay inside and wait for him. Two minutes later when he got back, he saw Erity wandering around the house, scratching her head.
"What's up?
"I feel strange…
"Do you need a glass of water?
"Y—yeah…
As Baku walked towards the kitchen again he felt something grasping his shirt.
"No–Baku wait. I lied.
"You what?
"I don't need a glass of water.
"So?
"I'm going to sound crazy… But I feel like I have completely lost track of time. Can you check? My phone is out of battery." Said Erity after remembering that she drained the last of her battery taking photos of him while sleeping.
"Uh, okay… Yeah, I'll check.
Baku then noticed that his phone was not in his pocket, so he searched for it. For a while he could not find it, so he asked Erity to help him, and they both searched. After a bit, Erity managed to find it under the couch where she was originally sleeping on. A very old-looking one, with buttons, not a smartphone.
"Oh, It's 7 am.
"SEVEN AM?! NOT PM?!
"Nope, it says here 7am.
"An entire day passed??? Wasn't this a quick thirty-minute nap?
"Quick nap? No, you spent the night here.
"Oh no no no… I will be in so much trouble… We need to HURRY, or we will miss the first bell! I cannot be late. Can I use your bathroom?
"Yes you can.
Baku found Erity's shock a bit exaggerated. It was still 7 am and the walk to school was just 40 minutes. The first bell always rings around 8:30, so they still had a lot more time to spare. As Erity entered and closed the bathroom door, Baku had to get ready as well, so he went inside his room to change into his new school uniform. A white long-sleeved buttoned shirt and a hand-sawn "Sacramento-green" vest with a set of dark grey pleated pants.
While putting his vest on, he noticed that on the right side, was a white sewn snake and that reminded him of "yesterday's" chat with Erity when they were walking together after school, and how she mentioned that it was what symbolized the whole Uragiru Prestige High School; the white snake. When he asked why they chose a snake, Erity did not have an answer.
For Baku, this uniform policy was completely new. He felt special, owning something that looked so carefully made just for him. As he inspected every piece of clothing he saw that his name was written on a white paper name tag. It looked very thin and easy to rip, so with no second thought, he ripped it off. Then he looked at the gym uniform. A black skin-tight dri-fit shirt and pants. They also had name tags and Baku ripped them off as well.
After putting his gym clothes inside the gym class bag, he decided to finally wear his uniform. Meanwhile, Erity was in the bathroom. Unlike the whole house, the bathroom had a lot of space. She saw that Baku had both a washing machine and a cloth dryer, so when she undressed, she also decided to wash her clothes there. Then with that being done, she started her daily routine. The first step was to take a shower. Sadly, for her, she did not have her usual body wash nor her conditioner, so she had to use what Baku already had there. Though, when Baku heard all the noise from the water running, he walked towards the bathroom door and knocked.
Erity was using so much hot water, that the stems of the heat were getting out of the door gap. Since the apartment was new, Baku hadn't bought a curtain for the shower, so Erity was exposed, and the knocking caught her off guard.
"YES—?!
"Is this what you meant by 'use the bathroom'? Are you having a shower?
"YES.. HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL?
"Stop yelling. Sigh… Are you also using the washing machine?
"Please dont enter…," said an embarrassed Erity.
Baku went inside his room again to wait for her. When Erity had finished, she realized that she did not take a towel with her. She felt dumb and helpless. So she decided to ask for help.
"B-Baku…?
The apartment walls were very thin and were not soundproof so Baku could hear her clearly.
"What is it?
"C-can… you bring me a towel….?
"A towel?
"Yeah.. sorry I forgot to get one with me…
"Okay wait.
"Seriously what is she thinking?" Baku thought to himself while walking toward his boxes. When Baku moved to Uragiru he chose to get as few items as he could. Only the essentials, so he had only brought two towels with him. He picked one and walked over to the bathroom again.
"Erity…?
She took a while to answer. Erity was not wearing anything and only one door was standing between them.
"I feel a little guilty for barging in your house like that.
"...
"I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable… inside your own house…
"Don't worry about that…. Yes, you did some unexpected things, but for some reason, I am glad you did…
"That sounded rather creepy…" Baku thought again, feeling embarrassed.
"Well… what I meant to say is… A house can get very lonely very quickly when I am the only one inside it."
Out of nowhere, Erity tried to open the door. She wasn't thinking straight. She felt an unexpected desire to look him in the eyes. To see his face. To judge wether that was an honest answer or if he just said that. But Baku noticed the door opening and he immediately shut it himself.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
"WWHATT AM I DOING?!?!
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!
"WHY DID I DO THAT?!?!
Baku then with his eyes closed, swiftly opened the door, threw the towel on the other side, and then closed it again. Erity wrapped herself with the towel and sat on the floor flustered. Baku's face got a little red. Even he felt embarrassed.
"I didn't do that on purpose…
"You didn't.
"Yes…...... You didn't happen to see anything… Right?!
"No. I saw nothing.
"Exactly…. I will… change now.
"O-Okay......….
After drying her whole body with the towel, Erity continued her daily routine with step two. She got the uniform from the dryer and wore it again carefully. The female uniform was not that different from the male one. Again, a white long sleeve buttoned shirt with a "Sacramento-green" vest, a charcoal black skirt, and long white socks that reached just below her knees. After she wore the uniform, she left the bathroom with her hair still wet. As she searched for Baku, she managed to find him inside his room tidying the bed Erity had slept on.
"Hey… Do you happen to have a hairdryer?
"Oh, I think there is an old one in one of my boxes.
"And a hairbrush?
"I'll go look for that as well. There should be one somewhere.
He opened the box where he kept his mother's old items. He felt odd, giving his mother's hairbrush to Erity, but eventually, he did. As time passed, the only thing that Baku could do was wait. He walked around the house thinking of what had just happened. Strangely the way he was speaking to Erity reminded him of something. He could not recollect of what it was though that feeling of familarity was too powerful. He spent a whole day with her and the day before that he hadnt even talked to anyone for more than two minutes. His life was changing and this whole strange encounter felt a bit "normal".
Suddenly he heard Erity coming towards him and his thinking session came to an end. Baku tried not to stare, but alas he could not take his eyes off her short golden blonde hair. Erity could barely keep eye contact with him. They were wearing matching-colored clothes, and she could not help but think that they would look like a couple if they walked together, so a small, tiny hint of embarrassment was visible on her rose-colored cheeks.
"Hey.. thanks for letting me stay over today!
"Well, I have to thank you first for hanging out with me.
"Aw, you don't have to thank me.. We can hang out more often if you want.
"I would love that.
They walked towards the school. The weather was clean. No clouds, no sign of rain. They had a forty-minute walk ahead of them. Instead of being anxious, for the first time, Baku felt excited. This was the first step into living the "Normal" lifestyle his uncle wanted him to live.
"Oh, by the way. Sorry about earlier. The… shower thing. I can't start a day without having a shower first.
"Oh really?
"Yeah you should try it, it makes you feel fresh.
"Maybe I will.
Erity smiled when he said that. She was in a good mood today. Forty minutes then passed and by walking they had made it to the golden front gate. At the gate, Yuumi was just standing there, she did not look happy, rather worried. When she saw them both, her face lit up. She ran and hugged Erity, and after a few seconds, she let go of her.
"I KNEW IT…. You two were together…
"Aww, Did you miss us already Yuum?
"Good morning Chisaka!
"Cut the crap, both of you…
Her worried face quickly shifted into an angry one as she crossed her arms. Every other student that passed gave odd looks at them.
"Where were you two?! It's been a whole week…
"Come again...?" said Erity as her heart dropped.
"...??
"Are you two high?! You have been missing for a whole week without giving any warnings and now you show up like nothing ever happened…? I got very worried, you know...
"What…? Yuumi... We were here yesterday. Are you trying to pull off a prank on us? Because if you are, you suck at this...
"No…Erity this is serious—
As the bell rang mid-conversation, Yuumi let out a long sigh.
"Erity, you owe me an explanation. Baku if you did something to her…... You are finished…" She said as she gripped Baku from the collar of his vest.
"Anyways…. I'll see you both in class.
And as she was leaving, she gave a half-sad half-angry glance, then turned towards the second building and swiftly entered. It got quiet, no student was outside except them two.
"What's up with that..?
"Is she joking? We were at your house just yesterday, right?" Said Erity more unsure than ever.
"Do we even need to question it? That is what happened.
"Baku, do you have a phone on you?
"Yes, it's still on me, why?
"Please look up today's date. It should be March 3rd. We could prove her wro—
—Huh…?
"What's up?
"March 10th.
"WHAT–? Your phone is broken. Let me check mine... Oh right, it's out of juice.
"Okay, for now, let us forget about that. You have a point… mine could be broken. It's old after all… First, we need to get to class. We can discuss this later.
"What class? That's not important now.
"Of course it is. Do you want them to be even more worried? We don't have much time left.
Erity was shocked and confused at the same time. This couldn't be possible… could it?! She was also surprised that Baku was thinking so rationally even after something so odd and trivial had just happened to them. This line of events had started to scare her. Did she really sleep for an entire week?
In the end, they managed to get inside their class, barely in time. Erity was still in shock, while Baku seemed just sceptical. At the same time, their teacher Eiichi came in. He was on a new level, beyond furious.
"You two…
"Good morning Eiichi-sensei.
—Stop talking, Erity…
"Hello Ei--
"YOU, ALSO… shut the hell up.. You… YOU SKIPPED MY CLASS FOR THIS WHOLE WEEK. How dare you…
"Sorry…?
"No, don't sorry me… You are not getting away with this. Last time was the first day, so I let you off with just a warning, didn't I? You'll be having TRIPLE the amount of schoolwork for tomorrow. Have I made myself clear?
"Yes sir.
"Yeah…
"Now go on to your desks. I don't want you to give me a single excuse.
As minutes passed, Eiichi was still walking back and forth, rubbing his eyes with his right hand and thinking at the same time about what he was going to do since they both lost so many classes. His anger could not be measured. For Eiichi, whenever someone disrespects the time and effort he puts in his lectures, it was like being spat in the face. It took him five whole minutes to decide if he was going to review all the lectures, he gave this past week or not. And he did, manage to briefly do that in a single day. As some hours passed without any breaks, Eiichi decided that the whole class should take a quiz. For Baku, the quiz wasn't even hard. It took him some time, but he completed it rather soon. Though exhausted.
After finishing he noticed that Fukushima, this whole time, was trying to get his attention without being noticed.
"Psst. Baku.
"Hello?
"Dude finally!
"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you.
"Where have you been? Everyone thought that something happened to you…
"Uh… it's complicated…
"Sorry for being selfish, but I really need your help… This week has been hard on me. Remember Yuumi?
"Yes I do. What happened?
"She….. Kind of… beat me up.
"You let her hit you? Why?
"I don't like hurting girls.. If anything, I want to protect them. And it was my fault, so I deserved it.
"Well sorry that I wasn't able to help you.
"Nah… it is okay…. Look, don't call me weird... Because I found it kind of hot.
—Sorry but that sounded weird…
"F-Forget I said that then. I uh… well never mind. Now tell me something else. What happened to you and Erity? The first day you come to this school, and you have already gotten a girlfr–
"SHHHH… That's not what happened at all… I'll explain after class…
"Pfft fine. Oh, and I almost forgot… Could you give me the answers to the test??
Baku looked to see if Eiichi was looking, but thankfully he was again half asleep on his front desk with a book on his head.
"Please, oh good friend Baku!
"Sure. Just don't copy them altogether. You know... change them a little.
"Got you! In case you didn't know, I'm the best plagiariser in the whole campus!
"No, I did not know. Anyways, you do your thing, I am gonna rest a little.
"Got it, thanks a lot!
Baku stared out of the window. Α lot of clouds had formed in the sky, strangely it was very bright. It started raining as well, the grass outside was all wet, and there were a lot of puddles of water out in the yard.
Suddenly it started pouring. The rain was so loud and continuous that no one could focus on the test. Or at least that's what Baku thought because no one besides him was looking outside. His eyes glanced for a moment at the centre of the schoolyard and noticed that a strange shadow was staring straight at him. It didn't seem to have eyes, yet it looked human, so real that Baku's whole body got the chills.
Immediately after that, he looked at Erity knowing that she saw it as well because she was also looking at him with a terrified expression. As he carefully looked again at the shadow, he started to understand what he was seeing. It looked like a very tall person, wearing a dark cloak. Its face was not visible, but deep down Baku knew that it was looking directly at them. He was consumed by its look. He was thoughtfully staring at it.
Out of nowhere, a paper plane hit Baku's head and the noise of the rain completely stopped. He looked around and saw that Erity was the one who threw it. Their teacher didn't notice. Baku unravelled the paper and read the letter written inside.
*Baku, meet me behind the second building after school. * said the letter. And he looked at her once again, giving her a signal that he agreed. Then, he quickly turned his head and looked outside again. That "thing" was now gone. The clouds had disappeared, and the yard was dry. It was like that rain never even poured, and Baku knew what he had seen.
After five more minutes, everyone had finished their tests, and Eiichi told his class to have a quick break for half an hour or so, to let him check the answers. Baku stood up. He felt someone grabbing his arm and then dragging him outside.
"Hey! What's up, why are you dragging me like this?
Fukushima stopped as soon as they got out.
"Dude look… I am sorry for doing that to you, but I can't afford for you to escape...
"What? I wasn't planning to.
"I need to know what happened. About this past week... Because it's very unusual for Erity to be missing. She always comes to school, even when she is sick. She didn't even answer any calls since her phone was off… I want to trust you, so please tell me everything that happened. Yuumi, and I as well, are worried about her. She is Yuumi's best friend and I kind of find her fun sometimes. So, please tell me, what happened?
"Okay… Something did happen. Look, it's weird, even for us, ok? We haven't talked about it yet.
"What do you mean? Is she…. Pregnant?
"What in God's name? Fukushima… will you just listen for a second? Last week, the same day I first met her after school, she told me that she wanted to tell me something especially important in private. Like every person, I was interested in hearing what she had to say, so I agreed. She suggested coming to my house. The way she asked… made me feel like I could not decline so I agreed. We did not get to talk much because when we reached my house, she just fell asleep on my couch, then a little later I also felt tired, so I went to sleep as well. On a different bed of course. I am a person who grew up with…. Manners. The country I grew up in is known for its hospitality, so I really did not mind. If she were that tired, then she could just say so from the beginning and I would have done the same. So here is the weird part. That happened yesterday...
".....What? What do you mean by "yesterday"?
"I don't know.. It's like we slept for a week..
"So, this whole week you were sleeping? How is that possible?
"I don't have a single idea. The last thing I remember is the thing I just told you. We still haven't talked about it yet. I think that we both felt very… very tired. When we woke up, she also said that she felt like she had lost track of time. I did too, but I did not say anything about it. Anyways I seem to be rambling… Sorry. You don't have to believe me or trust me.
"I feel like I do believe you.
"That's….. unexpected.
"This isn't something someone would make up just to skip school. Well, it is. But you do not look like a class skipper. Still, it is very strange, what you just told me. I feel like you are not lying. So, if you are telling the truth– I am happy to have an honest friend like you!
For some reason, those few last words felt like sharp knives going through his skull. Baku suddenly got a heavy headache. His heart was pounding very fast, and his body was covered in a cold sweat. The dizziness would not go away and his head kept spinning. Following that, Baku ran towards some brushes and threw up.
"HEY.. BAKU?! H-HOLD ON!
".....
Fukushima quicklu followed.
"STAY WITH ME! HEY.
"...
"ARE YOU OKAY?!
As Baku stood up his vision started getting hazy. He couldn't breathe normally. He walked aimlessly almost falling every time he took a step. Fukushima tried to calm him down, but Baku would not let him. His eyesight was gone for a while now, and his body temperature had also risen. As seconds passed Baku eventually sat down. Fukushima was lost for words. He had no idea of what was happening to him, nor what triggered it. The closest assumption that he made was that it was a panic attack, so he decided to sit near him and wait it out.
At the same time, Erity was with Yuumi in the cafeteria sitting at a table together. The cafeteria was in a large open-air building, with at least thirty tables with four chairs each. The cafeteria also had five different vending machines with snacks and a large kitchen where the school chefs prepared the "healthier" meals. The building was almost empty, only a few of their classmates were spending time together there and strangely the environment around them was noticeably quiet.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Yuumi?
"Erity please tell me the truth.. What happened this past week? You never miss school.
"Oh.. about that.. Well yes, I never do, you are right about that. So, I will not deny that it happened. You know Baku, right?
"Yes, I do know him..
"Well..
"Just get to the point already...
"He is .. kinda attractive...
"Oh my god… Erity you didn't…
"Well, I didn't do anything in particular... We did have sex though...
"WHAT?!?! DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T USE PROT—
"Well… I threw up a couple of times this morning…
"OH NO NO NO NO… ERITY...
"PFFTTTT—AHAHAHA, YOU FELL FOR IT AGAINNN! MY GOD THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY!!
"WHAT?!
"Girl, I didn't even touch his hand. We just talked!
"OH MY GOD ERITY I'M GONNA KILL YOU..
"It was an early April fools' joke hehe... You should have seen the face you made just now.
"I told you many times that I do not celebrate April fools'... Sigh…...At least you are okay…
Yuumi turned silent for a little. She looked around, annoyed.
"You made me worry…
"Well sorry. I promised to tell you everything that happened. It is weird... I know that you will not believe a word, but here goes nothing~
As Erity explained, Yuumi was quite shocked. She couldn't really believe her that easily.
"That cannot be possible…A whole week?!
"I'm telling you the truth Yuumi.
Yuumi paused to collect her thoughts.
"Stop talking…
She looked at her and noticed that her hands were not shaking and she didn't even seem to be holding it in. Her facial expressions were rather calm and collected and there was no sign of her lying…
"So this is not a back-to-back prank right?!
"Yuumi. Hello? Why would I lie about something like this?! I told you… It's fucking scary… Even for me.
".... I'm gonna must think about it. You might be my best friend, but this seems too fictional to be true.
"Okay…
"Like… Are you sure that you didn't wake up sooner? You might have, and then forgot about it… Think about it really hard, please.
"No Yuumi. What I told you is all I know of.
"Okay… I will try to believe you…. But I swear to God— IF IT'S ANOTHER PRANK YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE….
A cough then paused their conversation. Just then both realized that Yuumi was yelling so much that she caught the attention of everyone that was inside the cafeteria.
"Shushhh. Don't yell." Whispered Erity.
"Right.. There are other people here too…
"Exactly..
"Oh! By the way—You did mention his looks… Do you think that he could be "the one" who you were talking about?!
"Actually… I'm not sure.
"You already saw that he is different.
"Exactly, everyone here is so boring and annoying… And the fact that he does not know much about me, makes my life ten times easier. He does not need to know what happened in the past. So please do not tell him…
Yuumi then got up. Then with a soft smile, she opened her arms, waiting to hug her.
"...I'm happy for you.
Erity got up also and accepted the hug.
"Just don't make me worry so often…
"Fine. I mean I acted like such an idiot… I barged into his house like that… He let me in and I just asked for things and expected them in return…. He probably hates me… he just does not tell me so… He is too kind to do that…
"Aww look at you sweet talking again…
Erity then quickly let off the hug.
"Can we change the topic now? For now, I just want to forget whatever happened this past week...
"Let's get something to eat then
"Hmmm… Wait—Didn't the cafeteria announce something about a weekly Creepe special??
"OH, I almost forgot!
After that small talk, Yuumi and Erity made up. They got their crepes and spent the little time left eating together. As for Baku and Fukushima… things did not go too well. This single mental breakdown made Baku realize that his past was still haunting him. Talking with Fukushima triggered a forgotten memory of his which resulted in that throbbing headache. After fifteen minutes had passed since that incident, Baku had completely calmed down. When Fukushima asked what had happened, Baku said that he had a very heavy headache. He lied. And Fukushima was not stupid. He just didn't want to be insensitive, so he did not ask a second time.
When the thirty-minute break ended, everyone returned to the class. Erity and Yuumi entered first. As Fukushima and Baku were walking towards them, before entering, Fukushima could clearly hear from outside of the classroom, Yuumi and Erity talking about him.
"Baku hold on. I want to hear this..
"..ok.
Just as he said that he and Baku waited outside.
"Yes, Yuumi… you haven't told me... What do you think about Fukushima?!
"Arakan? Why him...? I mean there are plenty of other guys in school…
"Can you really compare them to him? I know how important he is to you...
".... He is stupid and I hate him... He is always weird and only tries to do lewd things... I cannot believe a boy can be so pervy… he was so pure back then.
"Wait… So you don't like him?
And then there was a moment of silence. Fukushima soon after felt broken.
"... let's go.. It was a mistake to eavesdrop on them..
"W— wait.
Baku had a feeling there was more to it and his body moved on its own, grabbing Fukushima by the wrist. After talking with Yuumi for the first time, the way she worded him out, the way she accidentally said more than she wanted, he knew that she still had much more to say.
".... N-no… I would not say that… Well, I do not know…He... he is kind of cute. In his own way. But he is still an idiot...
"OH, MY, FUCKING, GOD, I KNEW IT!!
"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN.. I just called him cute it is nothing serious…Though… I don't want him nor the whole school hearing of this. So do not say a word to him… Because hes gonna brag to everyone immediately...
"I, Erity Hayashi, your best friend, will take your secret to the grave!
Fukushima's heart was pounding very fast. His face lit like the colour of his eyes. Bright red. He was embarrassed just by thinking that he got embarrassed. He didn't know how to react. For a tough guy like him, he just couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. With his face beet red, he covered his mouth with his large hands.
"Baku…. SHE SAID…
Fukushima then tried to get into the class to talk to her but as he was about to walk in he tripped and fell to the ground. Baku then quickly reached his hand to grab him.
"Get up, we need to run… FAST!
"Run? Why?! I want to talk to her…
"Follow me, quickly! Before Yuumi gets here… You certainly do not want her finding out about this…
They ran outside to the yard, and at the same time, their class was about to start.
"Baku. I seriously do not know how to express my gratitude. If you had not told me to wait there…. I wouldn't have heard about how Yuumi really feels. Even if it was just a small comment, I still really needed to hear that. It is funny, because i just met you but if you were not here. If you hadn't stopped me… who knows what I would have done. Probably something terrible. I have known her for the longest time and… having that knowledge now… it's like a blessing to me… I'm very thankful! If anything is ever bothering you, you can always count on me! I will do whatever I can to help you.
"I didn't do more than just tell you to wait and hear everything she was about to say. You immediately misunderstood her. You only heard the wrong things, and you didn't want to hear more. Sometimes, it's better to face the whole truth… even if it is something you don't want to. Someone once told me; In every dark tunnel, there is always a small dim of light. And I believe that it's true.
Those words that Baku mouthed. Fukushima could not believe how Baku talked with such certainty even after breaking down minutes before.
"Damn.. that's deep… No, you really did something great here! I'm very thankful that I met you!
Fukushima shook Baku's hands in gratitude and bowed.
"You surely just changed the future... My future! I'm sure that we are gonna get along greatly, you and me! I can feel it.
"Y-you don't have to bow… I just did what everyone would have done…
"No! Trust me. You are a great person. Do not ever forget that. I owe you big time… Now let us get back to class. Eiichi is really gonna kill us if we are late.
"You don't have to tell me twice…
They then speedily walked into their class. Eiichi didn't seem to be bothered. Fukushima was even more cheerful than he was before. He waved at Yuumi, and she waved back. That made Fukushima smile so hard that he could not even see in front of him as he tripped on someone's desk, making Yuumi giggle a little. Baku had just realized that Fukushima and Yuumi were both developing feelings towards each other. For the first time in his life, he felt like he knew how someone was feeling. He was happy for them.
In the end, he decided that it would be best to let them figure it out on their own and not interfere again, so he sat on his chair without thinking about it. After all, those feelings are just too trivial for him.
As Eiichi was passing everyone's results, he finally came to Baku and talked to him.
"Good job Yoshite… It's a perfect hundred of a hundred... You are a very smart student for someone who skips classes...
"I'm sorry Mr Eiichi. I'll try to not let that happen again. It was something very personal." lying was the only way that Baku could get away with it. So, he did.
"Because you have manners, I will forgive you. You both are teens. I understand.
"I-
"Anyways, keep up the good work. Knowledge is the key to success. Fukushima, I know that you cheated. Do not even try to hide it.
".....
Eiichi headed to hand the results to the next person, but for a second he stopped.
"Oh, Yoshite, I almost forgot.
He reached and whispered to him.
"You must be careful. Just do not let your guard down, okay? You are new here; you might have unexpected experiences. If you ever need to talk to someone, come and talk to me.
Baku was unsure about what Eiichi was referring to. He didn't say anything, but he kept this warning in mind, and after a long sigh, he rested his head on the desk and waited for the moment the final bell rang, to see Erity. Yuumi once said that this school is all about first impressions, and Baku seemed to have made a bad one already.