I'm forced awake by the blaring of my alarm clock. Only now do I realize that I forgot to take it off the early setting for running with Emi in the mornings. I wanted to at least get some extra sleep before running tonight. She wasn't particularly pleased with my bailing on her, but calmed down after I told her I would still be doing it with Miki. I almost detected a hint of disappointment, like she was getting more out of it than just the runs from me. Maybe she was, I don't know. Too tired right now to really remember all the details.
What day is it? Oh, right, Saturday. Only a half day today. I never quite understood why we do the half day on Saturday. It seems so superfluous, so out of place. I'd rather just have two full days for my weekend. C'est la vie.
I roll over, tugging the sheets back over my head. Much to my dismay, the sun has decided to betray me, casting excessive rays of sunlight into my room. I struggle to find that same comfortable position I was in before being disturbed, but it continues to elude me. Perhaps waking up might be the best course of action.
Listen to yourself, Hisao. You've got a shot at a free extra few hours of sleep; make the most of it! Unfortunately, my mind is too restless. I start thinking about what today has in store for me: a new routine, maybe some new friends... Yeah, I'm not getting back to sleep.
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, grumbling and shaking my fist at the sun. Just to convince myself that I'm awake, I down my first daily regiment of pills with the help of a glass of water.
So... I have two hours to kill or so. I guess I could go get breakfast for once. Seems like as good of a plan as any. After a quick shower, I put on my uniform, toss my bag over my shoulders, and head for the cafeteria.
The cafeteria is noticeably barren. Not many students here are morning people. I'm not normally one, either, but I might as well make the most of being awake. I pick up a bowl of rice, some scrambled eggs, and a diced fruit dish, then claim a seat by myself. I pull a textbook out of my bag, electing to go over today's lesson ahead of time.
The material isn't that hard. Chemistry and mathematics were both some of my strong suits at my old school, and I did a decent job keeping up with my studies while I was in the hospital. Playing catch-up feels odd, for once. I wasn't the best student overall, but I would still find myself one step ahead more often than not.
“Is that a textbook you're reading?” The voice is feminine, almost tomboyish and vaguely familiar. I think I've heard it in class a few times. Looking up, I see a brown-skinned girl with dark hair, dressed in some odd combination of the boys' shirt and tie with the girls' skirt. She carries a small messenger bag against her side hip. And, of course, the signature missing left hand, wrist wrapped in white bandages. “You must be bored out of your mind to be reading a textbook!” she exclaims with a wide grin.
I blink a few times, mouth agape. Mostly out of curiosity toward the girl standing in front of me. If I remember right, this is Miura. Definitely fits the description, if nothing else. There's also the case that her left hand is missing. That hits the nail on the head. “Uh... I uh...” Stammering? Really, Hisao? And letting your rice fall out of your chopsticks? For shame. She's just a person, after all.
She starts giggling, something seeming almost too girlish for her. “A bit embarrassed, Nakai?”
“Um... it's Hisao.” I manage to regain some of my composure. “And you're... Miura, right?”
She sets her bag down, taking a seat across the table from me. “Miki. Surnames are too stuffy.” She puts her good hand on her neck, using her elbow to support the weight against the table. “You're running with us tonight, yeah? Rika told me you were interested.”
I stuff a helping of rice into my mouth, nodding my head before swallowing. “Well, more like she pulled me into it.” Miki raises an eyebrow. “She heard I was running with Emi and said I should give your routine a shot.” Another clump of rice meets my tongue.
“Ah, the Legless Wonder.” She even talks like Rika. Or maybe Rika talks like her. I haven't decided yet, as if I'm qualified to make that judgment. “She's a bit stuck up, if you hadn't noticed.”
“Really? She seemed pretty friendly, from what I saw.” And she did. A bit hard on getting me to work, but still nice about it.
Miki holds up both hands - er, wrists, waving her good hand back and forth. How many students in 3-3 have readily visible disabilities? Not many, I imagine. “No, no, not to say that she isn't friendly. Just a bit... demanding, is all.”
That I can understand. “Yeah, you have a point.”
“Of course I do!” She shoots another wide grin. It's almost infectious. I can't help but smile back when looking at her. “I always have a point.” She looks around for a moment, and I can swear I hear a light rumble from across the table. Her stomach, maybe? “Say, I'm gonna grab some food. Mind saving my seat?” Suspicions confirmed.
“Y-yeah, no problem...” Stammering again. She's just a person, you're just a person, there's no difference between you two. Stop acting like there is. Her flamboyant behavior, even in the way she walks, is distinctive and eye-catching. I wonder if she just does it for attention or if she's always been that way.
She takes her time getting breakfast. I go back to my textbook, at least attempting to get my mind out places that it shouldn't be right now. Today's lesson is supposed to be over some basics of thermochemistry: working with thermal reactions, heat engines, general thermodynamics... There are a few proofs of the core laws that I don't quite understand. I'm counting on Mutou going over those in class today.
I'm almost completely absorbed when she interrupts me again. “Reading /again/?” It's more penetrating this time. Sharper, as if she's genuinely disgusted. “You need to learn to live a little,” she derides as I set the book down. “Talk to people, have a social life.”
“Sorry,” I reply in between sips of juice. “I still don't know people here very well.”
“Not an excuse.” She finally sets her tray down on the table, bearing an assortment of food similar to mine. Downing her first clump of rice quickly, she glares at me with dark brown eyes. “You have to take action, to step out and put yourself as the pinnacle of attention.” Well, that's definitely something she does well.
“Yeah, not really my style. I'm more the aloof type, if you know what I mean.”
She sighs, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. “Alright, if you won't take action, then I will. After class, you and me. Lunch. Hanging out. Got it?”
I swear, she sounds like she should be in the army. And she claims Emi is overbearing. “The way you're talking, I guess I don't have much choice, do I?”
She finishes off a hardboiled egg before continuing. “If you know what's good for you, no.”
I mimic her earlier action, raising an eyebrow. It's more playful than serious. “Is that a threat?”
“What, you think you can take me?” That devilish grin suits her. “Just because I'm a girl?” Girl or not, she's probably more man than I am. She pounds her stump into her palm like a fist, just for emphasis. My lack of an immediate response seems to only goad her behavior. “Exactly. You can't handle the Miura Special.”
The... Miura Special? “I'm sorry, what?”
She laughs, setting down her chopsticks and drying a few tears of joy from her eyes. “Sorry, old wrestling stuff.”
I can't help but ask the obvious question. “Wrestling? How does that work with... you know?”
“With one hand, you mean?” She definitely seems more open about her disability than I am. I assume she has to be. Though I'm probably the exception to the rule right now. “It's a pretty recent thing. I'm actually a newer student.”
“Oh? How new?” Maybe this wasn't a bad idea, after all.
“This is my first full year here. I came in last December.” She downs a gulp of her coffee can, finished with her breakfast. “You're the new-new guy, so it's only fair that the new guys stick together, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I'm still only halfway done with mine. She definitely has a voracious appetite. But she's so tiny. How on earth does she eat so much?
I check my watch: it's closing in on 7:30. Her focus is elsewhere, her head tilted away, facing into the crowd of students. “Say...” I start, trying to grab her attention. “It's getting close to class time. Should we head up?”
Her eyes widen a bit, as if I caught her by surprise. I think this is the first time all morning that I've seen them actually look feminine. “Yeah,” she replies with a smile, “sounds like a plan.”
We collect our trays, taking our dishes to the designated drop-off point. I didn't get to finish everything, but I never was much of a breakfast person anyways. Something is better than nothing. I swing by our table to grab my knapsack, and she picks up her messenger.
The trip up the stairs to floor three is quiet. We don't talk much as we walk, preferring to just get to our destination. Miki does notice Rika on the second floor, and they wave at each other. They seem like close friends, or something resembling that, at least. I wonder if Rika started with Miki right when she got here? Maybe that was Nurse's meddling again, trying to force people to socialize. It seems to work.
As we file into the classroom, I notice only four souls already inside: Shizune, Misha, a sleeping girl in the front row, and the girl with no legs also in the front row. The latter of the two I don't know seems to be lost in a book. Suzu, I think her name was. And the sleepy one is Molly. Or I could be mixed up. Awake for two hours already and it's still too early. Is there such a thing as a well-rested teenager?
“Don't forget,” Miki says before she takes her seat. “Lunch after class.”
“Got it.” I start moving to my desk before she stops me.
“And don't let the Dynamic Duo talk you out of it,” she whispers. “I know how they are.” The Dynami... oh, Shizune and Misha. Does she have nicknames for everyone?
I just nod and sit down at my desk next to Misha. Pulling a few notebooks out of my bag, I click a pen and write today's date at the top of the page: 9th June, 2007.
“Hey, Hicchan~!” Misha's voice practically pierces my eardrums. I - stupidly - turn my head towards her, giving her my attention. “Whatcha doing?”
“Just uh... just getting ready for class.” I mean, what else would I be doing right now? “Why do you ask?”
“Well, Shicchan~ wanted to invite you to lunch this afternoon!” Yep, here it comes. “We have a half day off today, after all! Might as well make use of it~.”
My expression goes flat, coupled with an apathetic glare. “Are you two still trying to rope me into Student Council?” I already have plans, and they heard about it from the horse's mouth. Well, one of them did, at least.
“Of course~ not, Hicchan!” Yeah, keep trying, Misha. “We just wanted to soc-ia-lize, that's all!”
I try to be as polite as possible. It's not exactly fair to be mean to her if she wasn't paying much attention earlier. “Sorry, I already have plans with Miki.”
Shizune looks confused, almost a tad concerned. But complacent. She makes a few quick gestures and goes back to her work. Misha translates with a rather grim look on her face. “Awww, darn~. Well, have fun, Hicchan.” That feels a little harsh, almost like she's trying to guilt trip me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.
The rest of the class funnels into the room, their eyes weary from late Friday night antics. I guess that's one reason for me to have woken up earlier than everyone else. Where on earth would I have been anyways? Mutou follows not far behind them, looking more tired than usual. He sets a short stack of books on his tabletop, then gets right to work on the lesson.