A Different Kind of Beauty

Chapter 2

I'm not sure whether to say that I was happy or not to finally have drawn some attention towards me. Isn't that what most people want? To be noticed by others? 

I guess I'm not normal then, because at the moment, I wished that I hadn't.

Sitting on the classroom floor, I was on clean up duty for the night, but had told my partner they could go on ahead. The classroom had already been cleaned, but I was a bit anxious about the results of our last test. 

A stupid worry after being in Sousake since junior high, but I was more worried about my answer. Thinking back on it, it was obviously a joke question for us third years. Yet I took it seriously, and maybe a bit too far. 

So I was sitting in the classroom trying to pick up the courage to make my way to the staff room. 

"What in the world are you still doing here Anzu?" I looked over to the door to see Rinko standing there. "You should be on your way home."

"Yeah..." I quietly answered. She sighed and made her way over to me. 

"What's got you down this time?" she asked. "I swear, between you and the others... it's a miracle you haven't self-destructed."

"I'm afraid I might have taken a joke question too seriously..."

"Really?!" 

"What?" I turned and looked up at her to see Rinko staring at me in disbelief. 

"You need to chill out. You're starting to sound like Misaki." She rolled her eyes and yanked me to my feet. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it isn't as bad as you thought."

Boy was she wrong. 

I was sitting at my desk reading like normal when she suddenly threw the door open and stormed over to me. My eyes widened under my glasses, and she slammed a paper on my desk. 

"What in the world is this?" she demanded.

"M-my test..."

"No, this is the best thing ever!" she laughed and I flinched at her sudden change in behavior. "Who knew that you had this kind of humor!"

"I wasn't trying to be funny," I meekly replied.

"Tanji-chan!" Oikawa suddenly entered the classroom through the open door, Iwaizumi following after with an irritated expression. "Why did you suddenly run off?" he whined.

"Stop complaining," Rinko and Iwaizumi said. 

"Besides, it's none of your business if I decide to visit a friend of mine," she answered. 

"Um, Rinko... You just told him why you ran off," I quietly told her as placed my book over my test. 

"I did?" she asked herself shocked. 

"Hah!" Oikawa shouted, sticking his tongue out at her. I rolled my eyes and opened my book again to keep reading. I blocked out the sounds of Rinko and Oikawa arguing, and dove back into the story. 

All of a sudden I felt someone shaking my shoulder. I gave a light hum and held up one finger for a moment. I needed to finish the page I was on, but the person shaking me seemed to be a bit impatient. 

Someone reached out and grabbed my book just before I could finish. I jumped up and reached for it, but Oikawa moved it out of my reach. I slammed my hands on my desk before I moved to go after him.  

He was a little less than a foot taller than me, but with his longer arms he kept it out of my reach. A small growl escaped my throat as I tried over and over to snatch the book back. 

"That's what you get for ignoring our question!" he indignantly said. 

"Um... Oiwkawa-san, I think you should give Anzu her book back," Rinko said worriedly. 

"Why?" he questioned. 

"Oi Trashykawa, just give it back." Before Oikawa could reply or even act upon that statement I kicked him in the shin. With a huff I walked out of the classroom, Rinko following after me after a quick comment. 

"I told you to give it back." Just as Rinko approached me, I moved past her and re-entered the classroom. Oikawa looked at me in alarm as I approached him. 

"She's come back! Iwa-chan!" he called worriedly. 

I stopped a few feet from him and bowed, staring at my shoes. 

"I apologize for my actions. It was uncalled for to attack you like that."

"Don't worry about it," Iwaizumi responed from behind me. I stood up from the bow and Oikawa handed my book back. 

"No hard feelings, 'kay?" he said with a smile. I nodded, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "I knew you looked familiar! Hey Iwa-chan! It's the girl we hit with the volleyball!"

"Wait, you did what!?"