Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 1 - Reluctant Blaze

Chapter 1.5 - Happy to be a Nerd

Like a thief in the night, Yumi opened the door as soundlessly as possible and crept inside on tip toes. She was swift and silent, and invisible as the ninja she was, invading the guarded fortress with the subtlety of the air itself.

At least, that was how she envisioned it.

"Miss Yumiko Manaka, you're late—again," the teacher told her with a stern tone. At this, the strawberry blonde half-Asian dropped to her knees.

"NOOOOO!"

"Miss Manaka!" the teacher addressed her strictly and pointed towards her desk in the middle of the classroom. While the girl passed her by, muttering about her lost pudding, the educator couldn't help but press her fingers against her brow.

"And wipe yourself, you're covered in sweat," she added.

Yumi sulkily crossed the classroom, greeted by the ignorable laughter and muttering of her peers, and sat at her desk. Her neighboring classmate poked her from behind with the blunt end of a pencil.

"Morning, Yumi. What did you lose to your mom this time?" she asked in a low voice. Her rear seatmate and good friend was Scottish, although she didn't carry the accent heavily. Her face was round, with some freckles. Her hair was a deep and rich shade of red, tied into a pair of short, low pigtails. Sitting on her nose was a pair of thick, round-framed glasses. From her neck, hanging on a thin, stainless steel chain, was an old bronze rod the size of a test tube.

"Good morning, Kylie," Yumi whispered back over her shoulder. "You know how she's been annoyed that I keep coming late for school, right?" Kylie nodded. "I made a deal with Mom last night that if I could make it on time today on my own for once, she'd let me have the last cup of pudding."

Her friend chuckled. "Oh, sucks to be you. Then again I don't think I can manage that much on my own either. I mean, I don't think it's insomnia, but I suppose that's what I get for playing too much Dragon Cross and getting so engrossed in my research late into the night. Did you know that Mayan gold may very well be scattered in various regions all over the Occidental world? Speaking of gold, what is up with that pay-to-win strategy they have for single-player RPGs? Sure, I bought the cosmetic stuff 'cause they look hella cool, but getting overpowered gear right off the bat? Where's the challenge in that?"

Yumi listened to every rapidly fired word, not just patiently, but with every intent to pay attention to her friend. As talkative as she was in the eyes—and ears—of others, she was a fun and interesting person to be with.

"I'm never too good at RPGs, so I can't really relate," she replied. "I'm more of a Parablast gal myself, even if I do main Support classes."

Cutting into their conversation, a tall womanly figure with straight black hair tapped a textbook on Yumi's head.

"Miss Manaka, Miss MacHallen," the teacher spoke up with an exasperated tone. It was not the first time the two were like this, and probably not the last. And while it was refreshing to watch such fast friends, she would have much preferred they exercise that friendship on their own time. "While I do respect your tastes in role playing games and online first-person shooters, I ask that you respect what shouldn't be a waste of my time."

"Sorry, Miss Shwartz," both parts of the guilty party said in tandem.