Origami Girl

Chapter 4: Dolls and Cobwebs

Origami Girl

4- Dolls and Cobwebs

"When someone who's starved of love is shown something that looks like sincere affection, is it any wonder that she jumps at it and clings to it?"

― Masuda Sayo, Autobiography of a Geisha

"Gosh, that test was just- ugh" Ka-chan lamented, stopping halfway before looking down towards the ground and sighing.

"Well, at least you have Literature to back you up, I'm hopeless at it," Sayaka-chan replied, in an attempt to comfort the other girl, "So, how did you find the Math  paper just now, Ayano-chan?" She asked me.

"It was okay, I guess," I said in reply, not really knowing what to say.

"You're always like that!" Ka-chan teased sarcastically, and slapped my shoulder in jest.

"Ayano-chan's really smart isn't she? She can handle all the schoolwork by herself," Sayaka-chan remarked.

"Yeah, you don't seem to have a problem with academics at all," Ka-chan said, following suit.

"No, it's not like that!" I exclaimed, blushing.

"Well, you don't need to be so humble with us," Ka-chan responded, giggling, "You should be more proud of your achievements you know. . ." she sighed.

"I didn't achieve anything, so you don't have to praise me," I replied curtly, turning away.

"Well, come on, you've been near the higher end of the spectrum for the past few class tests! It has to say something right?" Sayaka-chan said.

I fell silent, not intending to continue this conversation any further. Indeed, I felt uncomfortable whenever the two of them decide to talk about academics. I will somehow be implicated into the mess. With that, the remainder of the journey to the Chemistry lab we walked in silence.

It wasn't long until the three of us reached the Chemistry labs. We were rather early, so there were only about three or four students in the lab. The three of us went towards our separate lab desks, according to our index numbers.

I placed my pencil case on my empty lab desk. The desk was more of a long counter, with a countertop and a pull-out drawer underneath, where some equipment were kept, also functioning as a temporary storage space for our worksheets, notebooks and whatever we brought to the lab, so that they wouldn't get wet, especially when we wash up after our experiments, which could get rather messy. In the middle of the desk, between the second and third seat, was the sink, a rather deep metal cavern, albeit with markings on the rims, evidence of its usage over the years.

My seat was at the very end of the bench, beside the grilled window. I guess I just have a thing for sitting beside windows.

The teacher, Kobayashi-sensei, was a petite woman, dressed in a scarlet floral print dress. She was preparing an experimental set-up on the long teacher's lab desk at the front of the class, and was too busy to bother about the majority of the class being late. Her long hair tied in a neat ponytail behind her back, Kobayashi-sensei took out some bottles of different-coloured liquids and poured them into many smaller containers. Chemicals, I presumed. Of course, this was chemistry after all.

When the remainder of the class finally filled up the lab , bringing noise and chatter along with them, Kobayashi-sensei had also finished the preparation of the chemicals. She looked up at the class, and  almost simultaneously the chatter and commotion declined.

"Class, greet." said Kashiwagi-san, as per custom.

The entire class bowed and greeted Kobayashi-sensei, and the petite teacher did the same. Not long after being ordered to sit down, the class drifted off into conversation again,  and not only after having Kobayashi-sensei knock her knuckles on the whiteboard loudly did the class went silent and paid attention.