I’m actually the first person to enter the classroom today. I don’t think that has ever happened before. I should probably use this rare opportunity to…
do something. I’m hit by performance anxiety and end up doing nothing else than sitting by my desk before the first group of people appear, idly chatting amongst each other.
How depressing. I can’t even talk to them. I don’t know their names, and I’ve been here too long to pull the “new guy” card.
Luckily, I’m somewhat saved by the arrival of the student council duo, who seems to be as eager to talk to me as ever. The other group pulls themselves a barely noticeable distance away from them. I wonder if Misha and Shizune knows that they’re somewhat disliked, and if they do, I wonder if they’re bothered by it. Shizune seems like the person who’d at least pretend to ignore it. Maybe that’s what she’s doing, pretend. Or maybe she’s oblivious since she can’t hear and all. I somehow doubt it.
 
M: Hichaaaan~!
Well that’s certainly an enthusiastic greeting.
H: Hello Misha, Shizune.
I have the courtesy to look at Shizune when addressing her. Earlier I’d always look at Misha because she was the one who said the words, but I’m doing my best to adjust.
M: What are you doing here so early? Missed us that much? Wahaha!
H: I woke up too early and didn’t really have anything to do in my room, so I figured why not.
M: So your girlfriend let you of the leash for one morning~?
H: Ritsu and I aren’t…
M: HAH!
I’m taken aback by Misha’s sudden volume increase.
Earlier I had assumed that she was unable to change the loudness of her voice, but today I was proven wrong, even if it was just even higher than her already too loud shouting.
M: Got you Hicchan! I never said I was talking about Tainaka!
M: Wahaha!
She enthusiastically claps her hands in a little victory salute, apparently missing a few words in her otherwise fluid translation as Shizune looks over at her, slightly annoyed.
H: It was only because you’re always teasing me about it. To be honest you are getting pretty stale.
M: Now you’re not being very nice Hicchan!
H: You’re not either.
M: oh, did I hurt your precious feelings for Tainaka?
I’m not sure whether she outplayed me or if she’s just being silly.
I decide to give her a loaded look, but I’m not sure if the words were from Misha or Shizune.
Misha breaks the silence before I reach the conclusion. It’s not actually any silence to break, as the buzz from my classmates chatter never faded.
M: Just joking, Hicchan!
M: To be honest, I’m a little jealous of your relationship, it seems so easy going…
M: Wahaha!
The last laugh feels incredibly out of place, which is quite a feat considering that it was Misha who delivered it.
 
Ritsu enters the classroom, but Misha doesn’t get a chance to include her in our conversation and Ritsu doesn’t get a chance to escape before the bell rings, followed by a for once on time Mutou.
Hanako doesn’t show up at all, but I figure she’s saying goodbye to Lilly or something along those lines.
It does however become a valid concern when she doesn’t show up the day after either, and I bring it up during lunch.
H: Hanako hasn’t shown up for two days.
R: Evidently.
H: Aren’t you worried?
R: I am, really. I’m trying to think of some solution, but it’s not my strongest point.
H: Thinking?
R: Idiot.
R: I meant reaching a solution.
R: Which I guess is the same thing.
R: You’re still an idiot.
H: Guess you’re not the only one then.
She looks at me with a silly grin across her face, keeping the same expression for a few seconds too many.
R: Ok, that was pretty good.
R: But!
Ritsu rises quickly from her chair, triumphantly rising a clenched fist into the air.
R: To prove you wrong, I have come up with a solution!
Perhaps a bit too quickly, she spills rice all across the floor, plus some on her legs.
She brushes off some of it with one hand while resting the other confidently on her thigh.
R: Today, we’ll hang out with Hanako whether she wants it or not!
H: That’s a terrible idea.
R: Okay, drop the last part, but we’ll visit her at least, no forcing her or anything like that, okay?
H: I guess, but I doubt she’d lock herself in if she wants to “hang out”.
R: But I’m very certain that I want to have a vocalist on my concert in a few days!
She almost sounds legitimately angry by now so I figure it’s the best to backpedal a little.
H: I’m not really against you, but it just seems a bit meaningless.
R: Good, we’ll go there as soon as school’s over.
I’m not sure if she heard the whole sentence, but I don’t want to repeat it. She’s most likely just actively ignoring it.
Ritsu is just standing in the middle of her rice, looking uncertainly around before suddenly getting a hint of determination in her chestnut eyes.
R: Umm, my food is kinda…
R: All over.
R: Except where it should be.
R: Soo…
R: It’d be nice if you shared some of yours.
She’s staring at the roof, I end up doing so too.
It’s rather mundane, so I shift my gaze to her face. It’s a dark shade of crimson. She is, if possible, an even worse blusher than me.
R: I- I don’t even have my chopsticks.
Was that a stutter?
R: What to do?
I’m halfway through passing her my chopsticks before realizing her less than subtle request.
R: S-seriously Hisao, you’re terrible at this.
Her eyes are flickering restlessly around my face before she decides to close them shut and opening her mouth instead.
My shaking hand uses the sticks to pick up a few grains of rice, before slowly reaching over to her gaping mouth.
 
She has pretty teeth.
They are neatly lined up, with the fangs just long enough to be noticeable but short enough to be cute. The curve in between her teeth is so smooth that I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me they were filed, the randomness of such a statement aside, and the gentle bite and pull before the tip of the chopstick is being enveloped by her fleshy pink lips feels incredibly delicate.
She gives a few unnecessary chews to the grains before swallowing and opening her eyes.
Do indirect kisses count? I wouldn’t mind this being my first.
Ritsu doesn’t say anything. She just opens her mouth once more, expectantly.
I pick up another small clump and lead it carefully into its destination. This time she swallows right away, realizing the futility of chewing centimeter long rice grains. Her eyes glide open once again.
R: This is a very little time efficient way of eating.
R: But…
She’s red again.
Or perhaps the shade never left.
R: Once more.
She leans a little closer as her eyes slide back down and her mouth hangs lazily just wide enough to feed.
I repeat the process, it feels a bit more mundane the third time around.
R: Well, that was…
R: Something.
R: But I think I’ll hold the chopsticks myself if I’m gonna be done with it before the end of break.
R: Unless you’re having more, since I’m stealing your lunch and all.
H: Don’t mind, it’s even your rice.
She giggles slightly.
What I said wasn’t particularly funny by any means, but I guess it’s a good thing.
She grabs the plastic lunchbox from my lap and places it in her own. I hand her the chopsticks as well.
Our hands brush lightly against each other during the exchange, but it’s okay.
 
We loosely talk about nothing and everything until the bell rings.