Rendered in Code and Color

Chapter 2: A Serendipitous Seating

The same apprehension gripped her though. Was it okay to try to talk to him? Would it be a bother if the popular girl dropped in out of nowhere and started chatting him up? What if rumors started? She didn't want him, someone who seems to value solidarity just as much as her, to be robbed of it.

"...Miyuki?" Kaori had noticed her new friends changes. She actually took pride in her ability to read people. She was a good judge of character and could pick up on a lot of social subtleties. She looked at the distant expression on Miyuki's face, following her eyes to their focal point.

Ayaka and Hiroshi? Who's that guy? Wait... weren't they all in the cafeteria too?

She thought back to a few minutes before, when Miyuki seemed distracted during break. At the time, she assumed Miyuki was just deep in thought. But as she recalled the scene, she realized that Miyuki was staring, no, watching the same group. She recalled a rather fond expression too.

Ohhh. The pieces fell into place. That's how it is, huh? Does our dear Mii-chan have a crush? Kaori's eyes began to light up as she started piecing together a dubious plot.

"Oh!" She tugged on Miyuki's arm, breaking her from her distant thoughts. "It's Aya-chan and Hiroshi! Their friends from my childhood. Come on, I have to introduce you!"

"H-huh?! Wait I shouldn't just drop in-" Miyuki started to protest in a fluster.

It was no use though, Kaori already had ahold of Miyuki's wrist with a grip that bellied her petite frame.

"Don't worry! They'll love you! Plus, that guy their talking to is kinda cute, isn't he?" She said with a mischievous grin.

Before Miyuki had a chance to protest further, or even process what was going on, it was too late. Her brain was like a scientist, trying to work out every possible parallel universe. Does she look at him and smile? Does she avoid eye contact? She should introduce herself, right? But what if- Oh no! She looked! They made eye contact and... it's like all of her thoughts disappeared and the world around them froze.

She'd never seen his eyes from this close. She never expected there to be so much... detail. So many lines that wove together a complex series of vibrant shapes and colors. She was stunned. She had no idea there were so many shades of green.

A sudden yank from Kaori brought her back to reality, and she realized she had to say something.

"It's good to meet you all, my name is Shimizu Miyuki." She said with a polite bow.

Was that too formal? This might be the first time she ever felt so apprehensive over just meeting a few new people. When she looked up, everyone had a warm smile. Not a grin of admiration or excited sparkles in their eyes, just welcoming expressions.

"Mhm, mhm. Wait. WHAT? Shimizu?! Like that super powerful political family?!" Kaori burst. 

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Following Kaori's outburst, the entire class's attention was drawn to their group. They were quickly surrounded by fans of Miyuki, all eager to know the nature of their relationships and any other detail about Miyuki. Their conversation was effectively cut short.

Thankfully, after a short period of this frenzy, the professor entered the room and directed everyone to sit down. The classroom was set up like a theater, with tiered seating broken into smaller sections with five seats and a wide table, which also acted as a wall between rows.

The professor cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Take note. Where you sit today is where you'll sit for the rest of the semester. You'll be working in teams based on these groupings."

Kaori exchanged glances with Ayaka and Hiroshi, her eyes reflecting a mix of amusement and disbelief. By sheer luck, or perhaps a twist of fate, Kazuki and Miyuki had taken seats beside them. All five were now bound together, not just by circumstance, but by a professor's decree.

Once the class ended, a collective groan came from the trio of Kaori, Hiroshi, and Ayaka as they dramatically flopped onto their desks. Their exaggerated sighs of exhaustion drew chuckles from those seated nearby. Contrastingly, Miyuki and Kazuki sat with an air of composure, their faces adorned with awkward smiles.

"What the hell, that was intense." Ayaka sated with a heavy breath.

"No joke. Is it always like that for you, Miyuki?" Hiroshi asked.

Miyuki tilted her head thoughtfully. "It's not always like that, but yes, often enough."

"Hey... I'm sorry," Kaori started, looking genuinely regretful. "It just took me by surprise. But who your family is shouldn't be a big deal."

"No, it's fine. I'm used to it, and I honestly don't mind. I enjoy getting to know people." Miyuki smiled softly.

Kaori, touched by the response, gave Miyuki a dramatic squeeze on her arm. "Mii-chan, you're such a sweetheart!"

Hiroshi turned to Kazuki, raising an eyebrow. "How did you manage to stay out of the fray, man?"

"Yeah! You were just playing some game the whole time," Ayaka added.

Shrugging, Kazuki replied, "Avoiding attention has just become second nature to me." Seeing Miyuki's apologetic expression, he quickly added, "It's not that I dislike being around lots of people. It's just... I've gotten into the habit of blending into the background."

The others carried on with their light-hearted teasing. Amidst the conversation, Miyuki mumbled almost to herself, her voice laden with guilt, "I didn't want to cause anyone trouble with all the attention I get."

Kaori, with her sharp ears and even sharper intuition, caught the mumble. She leaned in, speaking softly so only Miyuki could hear. "It's not your fault, Mii-chan. People are just naturally drawn to you."

Brightening her tone and turning to the group, Kaori chimed in, "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we all get together after class to celebrate?"

"Hm? Celebrate what, Kiki?" Ayaka asked, her brows knit in curiosity.

"The forging of new friendships, of course! The three of us have been friends since elementary, but this is the first time we've met Mii-chan and Kazu-kun!" Kaori explained with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Kazu...kun?" Kazuki cocked an eyebrow, sounding out the unexpected nickname.

"Hey. Why does everyone get a nickname except me?" Hiroshi huffed.

"How's Iro-kun? Because you're so iro-tating," Ayaka teased, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?!" Hiroshi turned to Kazuki, seeking some sort of validation, "Right? Tell her, man."

Trying not to laugh, Kazuki replied, "Sorry, Hiroshi. Can't help you there."

Their playful banter continued for a bit, the tension from earlier now replaced by a warm camaraderie. As the minutes ticked away, they came to the realization that they were due in their next classes soon.

"Alright, we should get moving. But let's meet by the front entrance after our classes are done, okay?" Kaori suggested, receiving nods of agreement from the others.

And with that, the newfound group of friends went their separate ways, excited about the adventures that awaited them.