The day seemed to progress at a snail’s pace. The warm sun seeping in through the windows only served to further drain the energy from the room, rather than keep anyone energized. Even the teacher seemed out of it, haphazardly writing down problems for the class, just going through the motions it seems. Meanwhile, I end up spending more time doodling and trying to stave off boredom than actually paying attention to the lecture. Looks like today is just another one of those days.
 
At long last, the lunch bell goes off, signaling freedom for the trapped students, if only temporary. The classroom empties out into the hallway to merge with the traffic of other students heading elsewhere, including myself.
 
“Hisao!” someone shouts behind me. I instantly recognize the voice, particularly because I’ve been getting especially fond of it over the past couple weeks.
 
“Hey Hanako,” I respond to her. I can feel a smile forming on my face at the sight of my girlfriend for two weeks. Even after all this time, I still can’t believe I have someone as wonderful as her to be in a relationship with.
 
“H-Hisao, are you going to go to the tea room today?” Hanako asks me with obvious concern. She apparently noticed that I was going in the opposite direction from our usual hangout place.
 
“Nah. I need to go return some books to the library, but I left them in my room, so I’ll need to make a stop there.”
 
“O-oh...” she responds depressingly. “Um, we’re still going to study later though, right? With Lilly?”
 
“Of course. I just figured I’d get this out of the way so that I don’t get slapped with late fees. Is that okay?”
 
“Y-yes!” Her energy seems to have resurfaced after my reassurance that we’ll still be able to see each other.
 
“Okay. Go on ahead then and I’ll see you back in class. Sound good?”
 
Hanako gives a strong nod of approval at this plan. “I’ll see you later then.” At first it looks like she’s about to be on her way when she stops and turns back to me, her facial features having gained a bit of crimson in her cheeks. “U-um.... I l-love you, Hisao.” She finishes this with a quick peck on my lips, skipping off with a wave and a smile. The gesture itself catches me off guard, and it leaves me feeling lighter than air. I have to say, she’s really been coming out more lately. Not that it’s a bad thing seeing her with more confidence. It’s actually a relief.
 
“Wahahaha! Hisao you stud!” Another familiar voice rings in my ears, though not exactly the best one for my ear drums to handle. Even if we were right in the middle of a construction site, that laugh would drown out any other source of noise in the vicinity.
 
“Oh, hey Misha. Hey Shizune.”
 
“Hisao! When did you and Hanako start getting so lovey dovey with each other?” Misha pops the obvious question. I notice that she’s signing this for Shizune’s benefit as well. They must have both seen the gesture that Hanako made.
 
“A couple weeks now. We’ve been keeping it a bit on the down low, though, just because Hanako doesn’t really want the whole school getting on her case about it.”
 
As Misha signs my reply, Shizune begins signing something in return.
 
“...........”
 
“’While I am more than happy to see fellow classmates finding love in their life,’” Misha translates, “’I have to remind you that public displays of affection like that are generally frowned upon during school hours.’ Aww, come on, Shizune. Give them a break. I think it’s cute that our nervous little bunny has finally found someone.”
 
“...........”
 
“’Rules are rules! It’s a distraction for the other students. If you let them get away with the small things, suddenly they’ll be making out in the hallways, or even right in the middle of class.’”
 
Although I can understand the reasoning behind such a rule as far as the distraction part goes, I think Shizune is possibly looking at things a bit too seriously. Besides, I doubt Hanako is at a point where we can even do such things in public. That quick peck alone probably took a lot of courage to pull off.
 
“It’s okay, Misha. Don’t worry Shizune. I’ll be sure to let Hanako know for future reference.”
 
After Misha signs my response, Shizune gives me a simple nod and a smile. Realizing the time, I give them a quick goodbye and make my way over to the dorms to grab my books that I was supposed to turn in to the library.
 
 
---
 
 
My original plan was to turn these books in before school started, but after waking up later than planned, I ended up forgetting them in my rush to get out the door. That little mishap could be blamed on the little “study session” Hanako and I had the previous evening. Regardless, I was now tasked with getting this chore done on my lunch break instead, so that I would still be able to meet Hanako and Lilly later.
 
I manage to make it to my room in short order, quickly unlocking the door and getting inside. A small stack of four books stands on top of my desk, greeting me with the reminder to bring them to their proper home. I promptly stuff two of them in my bag, slinging the other half under my arm. Thankfully they’re not that big. Just some light reading material I had picked up for when I wasn’t hanging out with Hanako and Lilly. A couple of these were also recommendations from Hanako, and I have to say, I was not disappointed with her suggestions.
 
I’m barely back out the door when I am assaulted with the strong scent of garlic. The sudden odor was potent enough to push me back inside my room, almost knocking me flat on my ass.
 
“What the hell, man!?” Kenji shouted at me.
 
“What the hell yourself! You nearly scared the shit out of me.”
 
“Don’t act so casual! I saw you! You and that bacon girl!”
 
Bacon girl? Who.... oh. Uh oh.
 
“I saw her kiss you in the hallway after lunch hit! I was devastated! So I decided to follow you and confront you when you were by yourself. Damnit! How could I have not seen this? Those damn feminists must be using her as a spy to convert you to their cause! It’s always the quiet ones that you suspect the least. What did they do to you, man? Memory wipe? Nanomachines? Did they threaten your family!?”
 
“Kenji, what the hell are you rambling about?”
 
“That bacon girl is an accomplice of that blonde bitch isn’t she? Don’t you know that she’s one of the top ranking officers of the feminist movement??”
 
“Kenji, Lilly is not a feminist. Neither is Hanako. And I would prefer it if you did not refer to my friend as ‘Blonde Bitch,’ and I especially don’t like you calling my girlfriend ‘Bacon Girl.’”
 
“Oh god it’s worse than I thought! You’re completely sucked into their mad schemes! I thought I could trust you, man. You were like a brother to me. Well, not really. More like a second cousin twice removed. But still! We were like family! And yet you go and let yourself get pulled into their diabolical plans!”
 
Kenji’s stark raving mad now. Guess I’ll need to quell this before he gets the entire building’s attention.
 
“Kenji, shut up for a second.”
 
Surprisingly, he actually listens to me and pipes up. Or that could be because he’s having difficulty breathing after expunging so much oxygen on his rant.
 
“Hanako and Lilly aren’t feminists. Just trust me on this one. Hanako especially wouldn’t harm a fly, much less a human male. If they were, I probably would have found something linking them to the group by now. I haven’t steered you wrong yet, so why would I lie about something like this?”
 
Kenji stares at me intently through those hilariously thick glasses. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but at least he’s not screaming at the top of his lungs. Actually, I probably don’t want to know what goes on in that head of his. After what seems like an eternity, he finally breathes a heavy sigh and places a clammy hand on my shoulder.
 
“All right, I’ll trust you on this one. But I’ll be watching you two! If I find that you are in cahoots, there will be hell to pay. I swear on my father’s grave.”
 
“Wait a minute, your father is dead? You never told me that.”
 
“Hell no! Why would he be dead? Damn that is rude. Asking if one’s parents are alive or dead. You are messed up, man.”
 
“But you just.... you know what, forget it. I need to get to the library. I’ll catch you later Kenji.” I make sure to close the door behind me and lock it, not even giving the man I regretfully refer to as a friend a second glance before running down the hallway.
 
“Remember! I’ll be watching you two! Very closely.”
 
The thought of him trying to sneak a security camera into mine or Hanako’s room pervades my mind. I seriously hope he doesn’t go that far. Then again, where would he find the time and money to get all that done?
 
The rest of the day goes off without too many problems. Books got turned in, survived the rest of school, and I was able to spend time with the two most important women in my life. Having Lilly around during our study session actually helped a lot, since Hanako and I were able to focus more on the subject at hand rather than on each other.
 
 
---
 
 
 
It’s been a bit of a routine as of a late, but one that I’m okay with. I get up, dry swallow my slowly depleting assortment of pills, go to class, hang out with the two girls, and then either go do something in the evening with them or read in my room until bed. I wouldn’t call it a rut, rather a pattern that I’m okay with. For the first time, I actually feel a bit of contentment with the way things are going, rather than the feeling of dread that every day came with when I first arrived at Yamaku. I mean, I have great friends, I’m in a relationship, and my studies are going well. The future still holds a lot of mysteries, but for the moment at least, everything just feels...... right.
 
Today starts off in much the same way. Wake up, pills, head to class, nothing too different. When I get near the main building, though, something a bit out of the ordinary pops into my view.
 
A small crowd seems to have formed in front of the concrete stairs. All of the people forming it look to be girls, most of them being from the younger grade levels. Someone important must have come by the campus, probably one of those motivational speakers or something. I don’t usually have much of an interest in them myself. Even back at my old high school, they would spout the same messages; “Stay away from drugs and alcohol,” “Practice abstinence until you’re older,” “Stay in school,” those kinds of things. It all just melds together eventually. The only plus side was that they would cancel some classes for them, so it was a worth the break from coursework.
 
As I approach the circle, though, I start to catch some of the dialogue being thrown about.
 
“There’s no way someone like her could get a guy that easily.”
 
“What’s he like? Is he nice?”
 
“He’s the new guy that showed up not too long ago, right? The one in 3-3?”
 
“I figured he’d have gone to that blind girl from 3-2. What did you do to get his attention?”
 
“She probably showed him something special, if you catch my drift.”
 
Why do I get the feeling that I’m somehow involved in this?
 
Before I can piece together what’s going on, one of the girls suddenly looks in my general direction, doing a double take upon realizing my presence. “Hey! That’s the guy!”
 
“Wait, what?”
 
Before I knew it, a small army of high school girls has jumped in front of me, each of them saying things like “OH MY GOD” or “You’re so lucky!” and “How long have you two been going out?” I have a hard time keeping track of it all. I choose to ignore their ramblings, stretching my neck to get a glance over their heads to find out who the other person they are crowding is.
 
Oh shit...
 
Hanako is right in the middle of the circle, being talked to death by several girls. She doesn’t seem to be replying to any of their questions, but instead has a look of fear, disgust, frustration, confusion, and more, all into one. I try to shout to get her attention. No response. Instead, she’s looking back and forth between the faces surrounding her. It’s then that I notice her expression has changed to that of panic. The same look she had when she had that one episode in class. Eventually, she falls beneath the talking heads, and out of my line of sight.
 
“HANAKO!!”
 
Pushing aside the girls crowding me, I make a beeline to the girl caught in the middle. Finally breaching the center, I find her collapsed onto the ground, clutching her head and sobbing uncontrollably. Some of the other girls seem to be showing concern for her current state, asking if she’s okay, while the more clueless ones continue to gab on and on about whatever. I tune out their voices and focus on the task at hand.
 
“Hanako!” I shout once more, rushing to her side. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.”
 
No response still. She’s completely lost all focus, and her breathing is becoming erratic. The crowd of girls moves in closer, trapping us. It’s like they’re seeing some sort of sick sideshow. I want to tell them to back off, but Hanako’s condition has me filled with fear instead. All I want to do right now is get her away from all of this, but she won’t even get on her own feet. Why aren’t any of them getting the idea of what’s going on here!?
 
“Hey! Back off you sacks of shit!”
 
Is what I wanted to say, until a familiar voice beats me to it. I look up to try to find the source, but my view is blocked by the number of bodies surrounding the two of us.
 
“What the hell? We’re just trying to talk to Hanako,” one girl speaks out to the new voice.
 
“I don’t care, you don’t need to crowd around her like she’s some goddamn celebrity. Get your asses to class now, before I put you all in a stranglehold!”
 
The threat apparently works, as the girls finally begin to disperse. A couple of them still show some concern for the two of us, but the others seem to just not want to have to deal with the person they now faced. When enough of them leave for my view to be unclouded, I see now who it was that just saved us.
 
 
---
 
 
I’m leaning against the wall outside of the Nurse’s office. Hanako is inside lying down on one of the beds. While I think we managed to get her there before her panic attack got too severe, it still did a good number on her mentally. I myself am just trying to piece together just what was going on. Why was there such a large crowd surrounding Hanako of all people?
 
Miki finally comes out, heaving a heavy sigh as she closes the door behind her. Her usual perky complexion is replaced with one of frustration at the events that had transpired. On the way to the Nurse’s office, Miki had explained that she saw me going into the horde of women calling out for Hanako. That was how she knew there was major trouble, and acted accordingly. As for the threat she made, it was apparently a better idea than trying to force her way through the crowd.
 
“How is she?” I ask the first question to come to mind.
 
“Nurse says she’ll be fine,” Miki responds. She just needs some rest.”
 
“Thanks again for breaking that up. It was good that you came when you did.”
 
“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes people can just be so inconsiderate, even at a place such as this.”
 
“What was all of that? Did something happen? All I know is that they were bugging Hanako about something.”
 
“You don’t listen to school gossip much, do you?” My confused silence was the only answer I could give to that one.
 
“Remember when I told you that this school isn’t that different from other high schools? Gossip functions the same way here as anywhere else. Apparently word got out that you two are seeing each other. Some of those girls must have just been excited for her, while the animosity others were holding onto just decided to come out all at once. Either way, all that attention at once, just.... fuck!” She slams her one fist against the opposite wall after the expletive. “Why is it that people can avoid talking about disabilities here, but as soon as something happens not related to that it all turns into a segment of one of those goddamn paparazzi shows?”
 
It’s all clicking now. The rumors alone would likely have been brewing since a couple weeks ago when Hanako kissed me in the city square. That one quick peck to me in the hallway yesterday probably confirmed many people’s suspicions. Kenji yelling at the top of his lungs about the whole thing probably didn’t help much either. The sheer surprise that someone like Hanako was dating a guy apparently struck the school like a tidal wave. Indeed, Yamaku really is just like any other high school, gossip vines and all.
 
“Anyway, we should be getting back to class,” Miki speaks up once more. “Nurse has already got us covered with an excuse.”
 
I simply nod at the suggestion, starting to go on ahead with her. However I stop myself and look back to the office. Miki says she’ll be fine, but something in me wants to make sure of that myself. “You go ahead. I want to see Hanako real fast.”
 
“Suit yourself,” Miki says, a smile forming at last. “And Hisao. Thanks for helping her out. The damage probably would have been worse if you hadn’t come along when you did. You’re a pretty good guy.”
 
“Likewise.”
 
Miki walks off, raising her bandaged stub in farewell. I then take a deep breath and go inside the office. Nurse turns and looks at me from his desk with his familiar perky expression.
 
“She’s fine, Hisao,” he responds to the question he was probably expecting me to ask. “Just some rest and she should be good to go back to class.”
 
“Thanks.”
 
“Miki told me how you found her,” he went on, taking a more serious tone. “And I kind of heard that little expletive of hers outside. I can share her frustration with the whole thing, but you both should know that it is human nature to be interested in other people’s private affairs, especially with someone who stands out like Hanako.”
 
I say nothing, largely because I have nothing to argue that with. He does make a solid point about Hanako standing out, not just with her scars, but her personality in general.
 
“If you plan on being with her, then I would expect a good amount of attention, both good and bad. A high school is probably one of the toughest environments to survive in when it comes to these things, and Yamaku is no different in that regard. You understand that, right?”
 
I give a solemn nod in response. The gesture appears to have the intended effect, as Nurse immediately perks right up, confirming the end of the lecture.
 
“Good. Anyway, like I said she should be fine. Same thing as before; just needs some time and space.”
 
“Um, would it be all right if I stayed with her this time?” I ask. “At least for a little bit?”
 
Nurse cocks his head at my request, catching that it sort of goes against the “space” part of what he said. After a moment, he smiles once more.
 
“Sure. I think I can trust you on this one. I’ll leave you two alone. I need to go run an errand real fast anyway. No funny stuff, okay?”
 
I give him my thanks and he leaves the office. I slowly find my way to where Hanako is lying down at, withdrawing the curtain and taking a seat on the bed with her. She’s facing the wall, so I can’t tell if she’s awake or not. I don’t say anything, but instead place a hand on her shoulder and caress her arm gently, hoping it at least helps to calm her down.
 
“Hi...Hisao...” she speaks up after a minute of silence. So she was awake after all. “Did I d-do something wrong?”
 
I shake my head slowly. “No, you didn’t. It was just one thing after another. There wasn’t anything you could do to stop it.”
 
“Why did they suddenly want to t-talk to me so much? Is my private life suddenly that important to them after all this time?”
 
I want to simply repeat what the Nurse said, but I feel Hanako knows the answer to that as well as I do.
 
“They were trying to ask what I did to get you. How someone like me could get a b-boyfriend. Some of them just stared at me, like I was some kind of circus animal. I heard others saying... horrible things. Like, you were only using me for sex. I refused to believe those people.”
 
She finally sits upright, bringing her thin legs up to her chest. Her long hair is completely hiding her face, preventing me from gauging her current emotional state.
 
“Hisao... am I simply not allowed to l-live a normal life?”
 
I lightly wrap an arm around her shoulder, trying to find something to say that could help ease her concerns. My mind draws a complete blank, though.
 
“Hisao,” Hanako speaks once more. “I’m so confused...”
 
“Hanako,” I try speaking finally. “Remember when you gave me that kiss in the middle of the city square a couple weeks back? When we first started officially seeing each other?” She gives me a light nod to confirm her memory of it. “You didn’t really care who was watching then, right? Just like you didn’t care who was watching when you gave me that kiss in the hallway yesterday, right? So, the way I see it, you shouldn’t really concern yourself with what the other students think of you being with a guy like me.”
 
She finally turns her head to meet me, her hair finally falling in a way that reveals her complexion. Her eyes are still a bit red from her breakdown, but she seems to at least be recovering faster than the last episode she had.
 
“Besides, Nurse may say that we have to deal with all those things, but the way I see it, if anyone does have a problem with us being together, then we can just tell them to go screw themselves. How’s that sound?”
 
A light giggle escapes her lips. Looks like my attempt to sound tough may have had some success.
 
“I think that would make things worse, Hisao.”
 
“Well, maybe we can get Miki to do it then? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
 
“I don’t think you’d have to ask her in the first p-place.”
 
We share a simple laugh, albeit at the slight expense of our mutual friend. It probably would be a good idea to not get her involved more than she already has been. Not that I’m not grateful for Miki stepping in today, but, yeah, semantics and whatnot.
 
“So, you going to be okay now?”
 
Hanako gives a nod in response. “I-I think I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.”
 
“Well, go ahead and get some rest. I’ll go on to class and let the teacher know you’re all right.” I stand up with the intention of leaving the office, when I feel my uniform sleeve being tugged on. I look back down to see Hanako holding onto me.
 
“Hi-Hisao... would you... stay with me this time?”
 
At first I think of what Nurse would likely say if he saw the two of us sharing a bed in his office, but I disregard those thoughts and give a passing smile to the woman I refer to as my girlfriend.
 
“Of course.”
 
Hanako gives me her thanks, and I kick off my shoes, getting onto the bed with her. The curtain gets closed, so that our presence is blocked by onlookers, and we simply lay down on the thin mattress in each others arms. I place a soft kiss on her forehead, passing on a few words that I’ve gotten more and more used to saying.
 
“I love you, Hanako.”
 
“I l-love you too, Hisao.”
 
What a crazy morning this has been.
 
 
---
 
 
We ended up spending the entire morning in that office. Nurse, upon confirming that Hanako was in good enough condition to be released, allowed us to go back to class after lunch. Once school finally let out, we met up with Lilly to explain what had happened. The students that had flocked her in the morning made no attempt to approach her again the rest of the day, probably more out of fear for what Miki would do to them than anything else.
 
“I’m so glad you’re all right, Hanako,” Lilly says after we finished recounting the story. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help. When I left you to take care of class representative business, I didn’t think anything like that would happen. I was worried when I didn’t see either of you during lunch.”
 
“I-It’s okay, Lilly. I’m fine now.”
 
“And thank you, Hisao, for staying with her when she needed it. I’m sure she appreciated your presence more than anything else.”
 
“Don’t worry about it,” I reply. Hanako embraces my arm, confirming what Lilly had theorized.
 
“Did you still want to try to study, or do you still need time to rest?”
 
“I-I think I can do it,” Hanako replies with a smile. “We were supposed to go over science today, r-right?
 
Before we can continue onto our original plans, someone ends up calling for Hanako, causing all three of us to turn towards the source. I recognize her as one of the girls from the morning incident. She’s also from our own class. The narcoleptic girl, Suzu I think her name was. Sure enough, the tired look in her eyes made it seem like she just woke up from another sleeping spell.
 
“Hanako! I wanted to talk to you, about this morning,” she starts. Hanako hides behind me at the mention of the morning drama.
 
“I just wanted to apologize for, you know, making you freak out like that. It was rude of me and the other girls. You have your private matters, and, well, we shouldn’t be prying into them.”
 
Hanako is hesitant to respond, but slowly comes out from behind me, in time standing parallel to Suzu, hands crossed in front of her.
 
“You’re not.... mad at us, are you? We’re all just glad to see you happy for once. We didn’t mean any harm by it.”
 
Suzu’s expression and the tone in her voice seem to show that she’s serious about what she’s saying, though I can’t help but feel Miki still had a hand in this. Finally, Hanako responds with a smile and a shake of her head, tossing her long hair a bit.
 
“No, I’m not mad. And t-thank you for apologizing. It means a lot to me.”
 
Her reply seems to give Suzu renewed vigor, as she breathes a sigh of a relief. “That’s great! Congrats to the two of you. You make a great couple.” Lilly playfully nudges my side at this, and I can feel a bit of heat coming into my cheeks as a result of the compliment.
 
“Thank you, Suzu,” Hanako replies, bowing to our classmate. “We have to be off now. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
 
“Yeah! See you then. Take care.” And with that, Suzu runs off elsewhere, leaving the three of us in a pretty good mood. Hanako especially seems happy with how things have turned out, turning to meet myself and Lilly, her face positively beaming. I think this kind of interaction was what she wanted, rather than half the school crowding her at once. Maybe one day she’ll be able to handle larger crowds, but, that can come later. One step at a time.
 
“Shall we, then?” I respond to her
 
“Of course!” I offer my arm to her and she willingly accepts, while Lilly takes hold of Hanako’s shoulder. For that walk, we don’t take into account who could be seeing us, or what they may be thinking. We just go our own way. And I think Hanako especially is fine with that now.
 
“So, where should we go to study? The Shanghai sound good?”
 
“It’s all right with me,” Lilly replies to my question.
 
“I-I’m okay with that too,” Hanako echoes.
 
“All right, the Shanghai it is.”
 
Yep, just another peaceful day. One of what I hope is many, many more to come.