I had come to hate dates. I mean if you do a certain thing several times in a row, wouldn't you despise that thing? I started getting used to it as Aiya didn't seem to want to stop going on them.
We had gone on six dates just from Monday to Saturday. Sunday was my only day of rest, and that was only because of religious reasons.
Heugh.
She even called me every night by 11 pm. She often finished the call by 3 am.
After I woke up today, I felt like not going to school as Aiya ended the call yesterday by 3 am but unfortunately, I must go to school whether I liked it or not.
As I arrived at the school gate, I saw Aiya waiting for me. I must say, nothing beats having a girl waiting for me—especially my girlfriend.
"Hey." I waved at Aiya, smiling eagerly.
"Heya, Eiya." Aiya grinned, waving back. "So, how was your night?"
"Could have been better?"
"Oh, why?"
"Well, calling me every night by 11 doesn't really give me the required 8 hours of sleep."
At this very moment, I feel like just lying on the floor and sleeping.
"Who doesn't want to be called by their girlfriend at night?"
"Me," I said plainly.
"You cannot mean that."
"I do."
"You're the worst," she pouted.
I always imagined pouting to look ugly, I thought it was just the artist of the work of fiction that made it look good. I mean who would think pushing one's lips or one's bottom lip forward and feigning annoyance would look cute?
"I was joking—half joking at least," I mistakenly blurted that last part.
"I heard you," she looked away from me abruptly as to say, 'I hate you.' If you really hated me, you wouldn't walk side by side with me.
She must have been really angry as she didn't talk till we reached the hallway to class. As Aiya pouted and walked beside me, I felt a pair of eyes burning into my back. I brushed it off, but the feeling lingered. I noticed Miyamura before he spoke, the red hair making him hard to miss. He looked... determined. I braced myself for whatever was coming.
"Suzuki," Miyamura came in front of us as we were entering class.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Please tell me this is a lie, but are you dating Nakamura?" Miyamura asked desperately, trying not to accept the truth.
"Yup, I am. Is there an issue?" She asked bending her head slightly sideways in confusion.
"What does he have that I don't have?!"
He's created a scene. I couldn't leave so I watched what Miyamura was about to do.
"For one, he doesn't create scenes," Aiya furrowed her brows, appearing visibly annoyed.
"Uh—"
"What's going here?" a cobalt blue-haired boy asked.
When Akatsuki walked in, it was like the air shifted. If Miyamura's desperation was loud and messy, Akatsuki's presence was quiet but suffocating. He didn't have to raise his voice to command attention.
To be honest, the boy didn't look like a student. Miyamura looked like a delinquent, but he was something else—he had a lot of piercings and was barely wearing the school uniform, only wearing the school trousers.
He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and was full of chains and bracelets.
To be honest, he should be violating the dress code, one would think someone like him shouldn't be in a prestigious school like this.
Though I also violated that same dress code, this school was too lenient in that aspect.
"What do you want Akatsuki?" Aiya glared.
"According to my sources, you're dating Nakamura over here. So this is him? I expected more, but then again he is an extra."
What is that? It's kind of annoying that I know nothing about this.
"What's that to you? Moreover, what are doing here?" Aiya narrowed her eyes.
"This is also the way to my class too. I suppose I should be taking my leave. See you around Nakamura," Akatsuki waved at me as he left.
Who is that guy? So, there are people like him in this school, huh?
He looks like an agent of violence; his presence sends shivers down my spine.
I'm sure if I cross him, despite cameras and the prohibition of violence I'm sure he'll find a loophole to beat me up.
Why are such strange characters interested in me—first it was Takamine that platinum-haired girl then it's Akatsuki this cobalt blue-haired boy.
"Heugh."
I must have sighed out loud as Aiya looked at me for a second then turned away quickly then just entered into class, I followed suit.
"Aiya, so I I have a question."
"Ok, go on." She faced me, waiting for my question.
"Why do people treat me differently?"
I had thought it was my weird introduction, but Takamine shouldn't know me, and Akatsuki shouldn't even care about.
"Oh, it cuz you're in Class 1-E, there's a stigmatization to us."
"I see, but even our classmates stigma—"
Jackson- senpai abruptly entered class, cutting our conversation short. "Good morning students, I have come to inform you that you will be having the midterm test by the week after next week." She said robotically. "As for the information about the test, it will be told to you this Friday. With that out the way, I will be taking my leave." She said leaving the class.
She always says very little about anything as if she hates being here, what's funny is that she is the teacher that is coming next to teach us.
After she left, Ito came to the class podium to speak, he gave a deliberate cough to draw everyone's attention.
"Ahem. From Jackson-sensei's words, we won't get the details till Friday, until then I would like to propose we form study groups like we did last term. Is everyone on board? If there is anyone that can't attend, could you raise your hand?"
When Aiya raised both our hands, I froze. The study group was my one chance to blend in—to stop feeling like an outsider. But her grin left no room for argument.
Why did she do that? I might not be failing academically but I'm certainly not the best, moreover, I've barely talked to anyone in this class, so I was looking forward to this.
"Aiya, could I ask why you and Nakamura can't attend?" Ito said with worry in his voice.
This guy really cares about his classmates well he is the class president—he's a better man than me.
"Cuz, I believe we can handle studying by ourselves." Aiya grinned.
"I see, is there anyone who can't attend?"
To my surprise no one raised their hands, then again, we were students of Class E so it's possible that most of us are weak in a certain subject or so.
After that we had math class, so our math teacher—Jackson-sensei came to class, and she gave a surprise test.
The test didn't look that hard though there were some questions I'm sure 99% of high school students wouldn't be able to answer, I as well failed those questions.
She marked it in class and gave us back our scripts, I got 27 out of 50, and the pass grade was 30. I wish she told us that before we wrote the test so I could at least pass.
During break, I stayed in class because I needed a nap but the cause of my lack of sleep came to disturb me.
"Eiya."
"..."
"Why are you pretending to sleep?"
Pretending is a stretch, I'm more or less almost about to sleep.
"Eiya if you don't wake up, I'll have to use force."
Force? What does she mean by that? She must be joking, right?
She started breathing into my ear. Oh, so this is ASMR—ASMR stands for "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response." It typically refers to the "tingly feeling" that travels from the head downward that some experience in response to certain sounds, feelings, or descriptions.
These can include soft whispering, crinkling paper, or a gentle touch.
I was genuinely surprised that it felt good, one could say I felt too good. I reacted to her ASMR and of course, now my cover was blown.
"Are you still gonna pretend?"
"Fine, I'm awake."
"Why'd you even pretend in the first place?"
"Because I was actually trying to sleep."
"I see, but what about the break? I mean aren't you hungry?"
I'm actually kind of hungry but I can more or less get past it, it really isn't that big of a deal.
"Well, I'm sleepier than I am hungry. Moreover, I think if I go to the cafeteria, I might fall asleep on the way there."
That isn't a joke, I'm that tired. Though it is kind of my fault that I forgot to pack lunch today.
"I see... then it's good that your amazing girlfriend packed lunch."
"Are you sure? Is the food enough for both of us?"
"Yeah, it is, now say 'ahh'."
"Ahh."
I felt as if I had regressed to when I was a baby, though I do not have any memories from that time. My oldest memory was when I was 3, the night Ayato left.
"S-S-So is it delicious?"
"Yeah, it's really nice."
"Oh, really what do you like about it?"
"I like the sauce, it's really spicy."
"Oh, you like spicy food?"
"Well kinda."
Not really but the sauce does taste really nice.
After sharing lunch, the day went uneventfully and of course, me and Aiya went on another date.
"Aiya before I forget, in class I was trying to say even our classmates distance themselves from me."
"It's because you act gloomy."
"Gloomy?"
"Gloomy."
"I see, where are we going to?"
"Oh, we're going to an arcade."
"Are you good at those games?"
"Well kind of, don't get me wrong I'm not unbeatable but I'm not bad at it," Aiya said looking directly at me.
She appears to be gauging my response, in actuality, I have never gone to an arcade talk less played an arcade game but might as well say I have.
"Well brace yourself because I will you at every game."
"Oh, is that right? I'm definitely going to win you."
"We're gonna have to see right."
Why was she gauging my response? Is she trying to appeal to me? It isn't that weird considering I'm her boyfriend and all, but aren't you supposed to be truthful in a romantic relationship?
I find it ironic that in every single romantic relationship I've seen, both of the parties are untruthful. I mean that also applies to me.
I mean I'm assessing my girlfriend well because she is very suspicious, but am I not supposed to trust her? The thing is I don't have anything that could make me not trust her.
Though my lack of trust stems from him and his 'special education' I am also at fault.
"Eiya we're here."
"So, ready to lose." I grinned.
"You wish." She grinned back.
As we entered, I felt the cold breeze coming from the A.C., it was refreshing. The place looked state of the art and housed a lot of gaming equipment—ranging from Desktops, Gaming Consoles, et cetera.
As we looked around for what game to play, I saw Kisaragi alongside a girl with short blue hair, maybe they were classmates.
The thing about Kisaragi is that he never answers texts or calls. It's kind of infuriating though after giving 3 texts and 2 calls, I got tired of trying to communicate with him. I was actually going to just ignore him but he and the girl he was with came over to meet me.
"Nakamura, what's up?" Kisaragi grinned.
"Oh, the usual."
"Eiya, who is he? Wait isn't that...Yui?!" Aiya said.
"You know her?" I asked as if I had never seen that person before.
"Oh, I'm Tsubasa Yui. I'm Aiya's childhood and Renjiro's girlfriend."
For an instance, Kisaragi glanced abruptly at Tsubasa but changed to being aloof.
So it seems the statement about them dating also came as a shock to him too.
We all sat down at a table so we could all talk.
"Yui how have you been?"
"I've been fine, especially with Renjiro around," Tsubasa said hugging Kisaragi's arm, Kisaragi's body reflexively jerked.
They don't actually seem to be dating. So the next question is why fake it? Why would you fake dating someone? I feel it connects back to me somehow.
Tsubasa's arm clung to Kisaragi's, but her eyes flicked toward Aiya. Something unspoken passed between them—a tension I can't decipher.
After 30 minutes or so of catching up, our girlfriends—and I use that term very loosely, noticed our existence.
Tsubasa and Kisaragi left saying they had to read for the upcoming midterms. After that, I don't know if Aiya lost the mood or not, because the look on her face said, 'I'm tired.'
"Eiya."
"Yeah"
"Can we just go do this tomorrow?"
"Uh, sure."
As I walked away, her tired expression stuck with me. It felt like I was leaving something unresolved, but I couldn't place what.
I left but I had a feeling I shouldn't have; I don't understand why she's suddenly tired. Well, I left and went back to the dorms and went to watch TV—the school gave us a preinstalled TV, but it only shows campus news.