COMING OF AGE | Nishimura Riki

009 | scared of rumors

sato mai
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I thought rumors were just like cars on the highway, it comes fast and goes away fast. Maybe I should acknowledge the rumor about me going to that stupid Kinmyaku party have only been alive for two days, at least what I know. Despite the rumor being alive in a short amount of time, I'm already sick and tired of hearing about it.

I thought the rumor was going to die out as soon as Hanami and Yui confronted me, instead, the rumor kept growing. Also, I am aware that the rumors are not growing because people are interested in me. It's because people have nothing else to do.

The ones who are so invested in this rumor definitely question why I was there out of all people, and I know that because I feel the same. Unfortunately, theories about the reason why I attended that party have also been added to the discussions.

As I said, everyone are lacking a personality so all students in Jishin are aware that my Dad is in prison and my Mom is in hospital. I'm not embarrassed about it, I'm just mad at people for not respecting my personal life.

My stomach made a loud sound as I walked out. It's lunch time which means all of the students are going to be gathered in the cafeteria, except me. I am not in the mood for any sort of attention, I just want to be by myself right now.

I passed by a trash can which activated my habit of dumpster diving. I looked down at it, seeing a half sandwich lying on top of empty bottles and cans. Without hesitating, I picked up the sandwich and brought it along with me. I can take the bottles and cans as well to make money. but I don't have the energy for that right now.

I sat down on the ground as I enjoyed my half sandwich I picked up straight from the trash. This moment isn't what normal people would call life, but this is a pure definition of my life.

"What are you doing here by yourself?" A voice suddenly asked.

I looked up and saw Ni-ki walking towards me.

"The real question is what you are doing here" I responded.

"I had a doctor's appointment so I just came here. I also didn't feel like going to school just yet, instead, I wanted to check if you were outside which you were" Ni-ki said with a smile.

"Aren't you afraid of getting caught here? Isn't it embarrassing for Kinmyaku students to show their faces around Jishin students like this?" I asked.

"Sounds like you are scared of rumors" Ni-ki stated with a smirk.

"Why should I be scared of rumors when you are the celebrity among us" I replied with a chuckle.

Right, the rumors. I wonder if the rumors are active in Kinmyaku as well. Probably not since posh people dont care about anything except themselves. Plus, they all were too drunk and high to even remember their name that night, so the chance of them remembering that I was there is low.

"Did you have fun at the party by the way?" Ni-ki suddenly asked.

"Well, it was worth coming for the money. The only disadvantage is that my business is out of stock at the moment, but it's for a good reason so it's fine" I answered.

"Do you know that you are quite popular at Kinmyaku?" Ni-ki suddenly stated.

"Me? Popular? Absolutely not, why would I be popular at your school? There is a difference between being liked by many people and being known by many people" I said.

"You are at least famous, a lot of students know you and keep interested in the things you do" Ni-ki replied.

"I can tell that you haven't been attending Kinmyaku for a long time, you are still a newbie. Isn't it ironic how desperate some people are to get famous when that lifestyle is created by false accusations that you choose to live by?" I expressed.

"In my eyes, being famous is not a good thing. The definition of being famous is that you are known by many people, people with opinions about you. These opinions are most likely to be bad ones as well" I added.

Ni-ki stayed quiet, causing me to look at him to check if he is still here, or if Ni-ki got bored and decided to leave. I would leave if I was Ni-ki, but I'm not Ni-ki since he is still sitting right next to me.

"I'm sorry, I sounded quite mean, didn't I?" I said.

"You are not mean, you are just speaking the truth. The earth's population might be 7.8 billion people, but despite that, it's not so many of them dare to be truly honest. And you are one of these people Mai" Ni-ki replied as he looked at me with a smile.

"The truth is, you are not famous in Kinmyaku for a good reason. Most comments I hear about you are negatively loaded. However, I met you before I met all these comments and negative reactions towards you, so I know it's all false accusations" He added, still keeping his lovely smile on his lips.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you voluntarily chose to hang out with me. Honestly, you are too good to hang around someone like me" I said with a chuckle.

"It's you who are too good for this world" Ni-ki replied.

I smiled back at him, letting myself enjoy the sweet eye contact between us.

The sound of a crowd of talking students started to approach us. I immediately pushed Ni-ki away, forcing him to leave now or else someone will catch us together. I know it's going to be an embarrassment for Ni-ki to be seen with me, especially when the rumpus will start going around. And I have no energy left for any more rumors that are related to my existence.

Ni-ki waved goodbye as he ran toward his school. My eyes held focus on him only until he disappeared into the forest that is separating our schools. I let out a sigh, suddenly all the fun disappeared along with Ni-ki. He took the fun with him and left me alone in boredom.