- Eh...
I almost sighed in resignation, looking at my classmates. It was Class 1-B. No, they weren't bad people, they were just too good for me. Simply put, these students turned out to be friendly and very friendly.
Many girls and boys began to get acquainted with everyone around, showing sincere smiles. To be honest, I envy them. Unlike them, I have not had the opportunity to show any emotions for fifteen years of my life.
By the way, there was someone else in my class who wasn't friends with everyone around, just like me. This is a girl sitting in the seat next to me. Her name seems to be Himeno Yuki, if my memory serves me right.
She also does not make friends with anyone, on the contrary, she stays away from everyone, not wanting to delve into this whole friendly team. No, it was also not any kind of shyness or purely introverted behavior. She was directly repelled by the very idea of such a sugary friendship. If I had to talk about it, she was more like a student from Class C or Class D.
- Are you coming?
- Yes.
She asked me about it right now. The fact was that this is our second day at this school. Yesterday we crossed paths with her on the bus on the way to this place and got to know each other a little. Himeno said I had a "weird face." I don't think it was a compliment.
Although in any case, now we are going to the dorm together for some reason. I don't know why myself, but something in the depths of my soul tells me that it's better not to refuse this offer. After all, I didn't manage to make a single friend yesterday.
Yes, of course, Shibata, Ichinose, Amikura and Kanzaki were interesting guys, but it wasn't quite that. Here, rather, the point is that they are always like this. That is, it wasn't any special attitude towards me. They are always friendly with others. Well, more precisely, Kanzaki of the four of them is less friendly, he is more calculating, but still for him communication with others, apparently, also plays an important role.
Himeno is a completely different girl. Not only does she look very different from them outwardly, because she is the only one in the class who has clearly dyed her hair, but also her character is quite asymmetrical. In any case, she may be my only chance to finally understand what friendship is.
Although, looking at her, it seems to me that she herself does not know the meaning of this concept.
- Why did you sigh?
- Hm?
- Don't make me repeat.
Before that, we had already managed to pass some time together, being in complete silence. I thought that this situation would continue until the very end of the journey, but it turned out that I was wrong. Himeno decided to ask me something strange.
- Because Ichinose and the others make me feel that way.
- Disgust?
- It's only you who have such a feeling.
- Dissatisfaction?
- Maybe.
Himeno gave me an indifferent look and fell silent. I looked back at her before she looked away in the direction of the natural stone road along which we were walking.
To be honest, that girl is quite unusual and beautiful at the same time. However, her aloof nature seems to scare all people away from her. Although, to be honest, apart from Ichinose and Amikura, no one else has tried to talk to her yet. She told the two of them that she was not interested in establishing friendly relations, so the rest of the girls had to retreat.
My opinion was different, even diametrically opposed. I would really like to make friends at this school. I was glad of the opportunity to enter the social circle of ordinary people, but still for me it was difficult to achieve. After all, my preschool education never meant that I would need overly developed social communication skills.
Interesting. Perhaps for this reason, at least so far, Himeno is the best candidate for the role of a friend for me. Although still such a strange idea and such a point of view may well be erroneous. Still, I still don't know what friendship is.
I wonder if it's something edible?
- Hey.
- Hm?
- Let's go to the store.
- Yeah.
I just didn't have the opportunity to refuse. She didn't even ask when she said we were going to the store. Although I'm also not sure that the word "we" is appropriate in this context. Rather, she will go to the store, and I have to decide for myself what to do. Of course, I thought it would be best to accompany her. After all, I also needed to buy something.
When we went inside, we already saw several students here. Well, we didn't have to hurry. Anyway, it's unlikely there will be a big queue or something like that. In any case, Himeno immediately went to get some groceries for herself. I didn't want to disturb her, so I decided to take a walk.
Yesterday I managed to notice a rack with free things, where there is a certain restriction. You cannot purchase more than three free items per month. Also, the quality of these goods was noticeably lower than the rest, but it is worth paying tribute, they could be used without any problems.
Maybe I should get these free things too? After all, I cannot say that this school does not arouse any suspicion. Yesterday Sensei gave us an instruction on how things work in this school. She said that in this school we receive 100,000 private points in the first month, which will replace our money. It's a pity she didn't say how much we'll get next month. I wanted to ask about it, but the joyful atmosphere in the classroom stopped me. Then I thought that if the answer to my question was unsatisfactory for them, then the anger of my own classmates would have been directed at me from the first day of school. Such a knight's move would ruin my entire peaceful life for the next three years.
That's why I didn't say anything and decided to act at ease until the time came. Maybe I could ask this question to Hoshinomiya-sensei next time. Anyway, I'll think about it later.
- Why are you standing like an idol?
- Sorry, I was thinking a little bit about why there are free things here.
- Hmm?
Himeno was holding in her hands a basket with a set of a couple of vegetables, fruits and a lot of sweets. She really likes sweets, doesn't she? If my memory serves me correctly, yesterday she also bought herself chocolate, gelatin and soda. Amazing. Maybe I should try it too?
- I don't know why these things are here, but I don't care.
- That's how... I see.
She wasn't the kind of person who would be interested in such things unless absolutely necessary. More precisely, special conditions need to be created for her to force her to act. I don't even know, because on the one hand it's good, and on the other it's bad. Each situation in which she finds herself in the future will have its own significant pros and cons for her.
Interesting. I haven't been able to see this type of people before. More precisely, I have not seen them in a natural, safe environment for them. Before my eyes, people like Himeno either fell down too fast, or they couldn't even get up.
- Come on.
- Yeah.
It was not worth wasting time in vain. It was much more important for me now to buy everything I needed and return to the dorm.
- By the way.
- Hm?
- I forgot your name.
- I see.
For some reason, I'm not even surprised. Interesting. Himeno, to put it mildly, is a strange girl for ordinary people, but she is at the same time the most normal girl. It's really both strange and amazing in one person. In any case, I continued to choose the goods to buy, while at the same time I felt the gaze resting on my back.
- Is something wrong?
- Aren't you going to tell me your name?
- Why? You'll forget it again.
- Maybe.
Like I said, she's pretty damn unusual.
- Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
- Ok.