BEING REWRITTEN*𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗿𝘆━ 𝗄. 𝖻𝖺𝗄𝗎𝗀𝗈𝗎

-RW : 𝐂𝐇 .𝐢

ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀsᴇ

I could feel shota passively watching me from the couch, hiding his lips behind his coffee mug as I aggressively threw my strawberry poptart into the toaster. He hasn't said a word to me since the fight we had the previous night; the fight we're still sour over. Had it been any other day, he'd ask me what was up my ass considering how I stomped out of my room and slammed the cabinets. But my uncle was just as stubborn as I was, he refused to speak. He quietly sipped his morning coffee and reached for the week old newspaper as the toaster dinged before my breakfast was ready.

With one last glare at my uncle, I grab my food, give Jiji (our cat) his goodbye scratches and I'm out the door. My scuffed up converse made bewitching splashes of water with every step. Japan has been enduring a patch of gloomy weather these past few days. Dark and heavy clouds have been hovering over Musutafu, casting a gray filter over the city.
I love it.

I love the downpour and woke up, despite my mood, looking forward to my daily walk to school in the rain. I have my half eaten poptart in one hand, my umbrella balanced on my shoulder, and my headphones blasting hits from whatever rock or grunge playlist I could get my grimy hands on– I really couldn't have started the day any better.
Surviving what comes next is the challenge. School and I don't mix.
Not because im dumb or don't get good grades, but rather because the brutal social aspect has left me friendless my entire school career. At first, it stung. I'll admit, never having a childhood best friend that would invite me to their birthday parties or someone to sit with at lunch felt like a sucker-punch to the stomach. Everyone just steered clear of me, They still do.

And yes.
I can acknowledge I'm not the easiest person to approach or let alone talk to, when I do talk I get clammed up and start tripping over my words. Which just makes the interaction awkward for every party involved– so I just don't talk anymore. I'm more of a listener anyway.

However, the school day passed by just like it does every other day. I only had to deal with two catty remarks from some preppy rich kids and only 3 times did some immature upperclassmen run up behind me and pull my hood over my head as some impractical joke.

The end of the school day is my favorite for two reasons, one: it's the end of school. Duh.
And two: it means Remi's Arcade is open. I may have misspoken when I said I was friendless. Remi, the owner, is the only person I could consider as a friend. He's an older gentleman who towers over you while talking your ear off.
Seriously, he's like 6 '5. Anyways, the arcade used to be the hot hang out spot because it opened after school let out and was only a short walk away. But once everyone got older, they just stopped going.
Their loss, my steel.

I love the arcade, I love that it's almost always empty and I have my pick of any game any time I want.
Except today.
When I opened the door to my favorite establishment, I was greeted like usual.
"Ahah, my favorite customer," Remi's voice rang through the building as a big smile stained his aged face, "I was wondering when you'd show."