Start A New Memory

Chapter 3: A New Friend

Tuesday, August 17, 1999
11AM PDT, San Francisco, CA | Ocean Valley High School
(Note: Italicized text indicates Japanese dialogue)

After two hours of listening to the teacher go over a syllabus again (Although in this period, everyone got a kick out of the teacher talk about his five dogs and two cats for one hour), all the students in room D105 needed a long break, and lunch, which was an hour long, gave exactly that. Shinichi, who wanted to eat his lunch without people gushing over him, was following Corina, the girl who sat in front of Shiho in Calculus class, to a place where no one else went. That place being, behind Building D in the garden. In return, Shinichi was to sit with her every time he wanted to sit there, and he had to bring along Shiho along every time because she needed help ensuring that her grade in AP Biology remained an A.

"I can't believe I'm eating lunch with the smartest kids in school!" Corina cheerfully smiled. She opened her lunch box and started eating the barbeque on a skewer, and then ate jasmine rice out of a spoon.

Shiho took out her lunch as well, which was just a sandwich. "We're here because of your deal." She started eating it after saying so.

"Yeah, I know," Corina nodded. "But it's just so nice to finally have someone sitting right here with me! Sometimes, it gets lonely..."

"Hm..." Shiho thought for a second. "Do you have any friends?"

"Not really!" Corina shook her head. "I mean, I talk to my classmates for group projects and stuff, but no one really wants to talk to me. Like, all I really talk about is toy robots and math."

Shiho was thinking about what Corina said. She could definitely relate to what she was experiencing. She looked over at Shinichi and wondered if he had a similar experience as well. She's heard of famous people being the loneliest people despite being well liked. "Well, then. Do you have any Biology work you need help on?" she changed the subject.

Corina went along with it, and responded. "Well, I mean, yeah, a little bit. But when the urgent times come, I need your answers!"

"My what?!" Shiho gasped in disbelief.

"Like, answers to the homework?" Shinichi asked with a chuckle, and did some weird hand gestures.

"Yes!" Corina nodded. "It's no biggie anyway, you had Mrs. Bell when you took AP Bio right? I heard she never changes the curriculum, so I thought I could copy your answers."

"Look, I'm not that innocent myself, so I'm not gonna talk about integrity and that stuff," Shiho explained, thinking about those times when she snuck out of her house to go to high end fashion stores using her guardian's credit card. "But no one's gonna believe that you thought of the words I wrote. Also, I didn't have Mrs. Bell, I had Mrs. Wellington!"

"That's not a big deal either, cause I'll just change up the wording somehow!" Corina argued. "Also, Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Wellington give the same assignments! It's Mr. Lieuveux that gives different assignments! Just give me the answers! Okay, it's not just answers, I also need to prepare for tests and stuff like that!"

"Look, um, Shiho, if you don't want to-" Shinichi started.

"Okay, then! I will give you the answers!" Shiho agreed to her terms.

"Yay!" Corina punched the air.

"But, in the form of a two to three hour long lecture after school," Shiho added another term for some kind of negotiation. "That. Is what you need to ensure you consistently have an A in that class."

Shinichi turned his head. "Wait, what? No one even has time for that!"

"I know what I'm doing," Shiho turned her head at Shinichi, and glared at him for a few seconds, then looked back at Corina. "So, anyway, are you up for the challenge?"