A small smile crept unto my face once my eyes landed on the tall building in front of me. My ruby-colored eyes twinkle in glee while my hands clutched the strap of my bag. As I moved my foot forward, I felt my phone vibrate inside my skirt's pocket. A question mark popped out of my head as I tugged my hand inside my pocket to get my vibrating phone.
I flipped my phone open and pushed the answer button. "Hello?" I spoke with a soft voice as I waited for the caller to answer back.
"Took you long enough to answer my call." I could sense the caller roll her eyes to the right as she spoke in a bored tone. A little giggle escaped my lips when I finally recognized the person I'm speaking to right now. I heard a sigh at the other side. "Where are you?" she asked.
Another giggle escaped my lips as I answered her question. "I'm already here at the school's entrance. Come pick me up?" Suddenly, a heard a beep. I heaved out a sigh and closed my phone and put it back to where I got it earlier. Typical Ai-chan.
I pinched the bridge of my nose like my head hurts and heaved out another sigh as I moved my foot forward. Until I felt someone's presence just beside me. I flinched when the person beside me held my shoulder to get my attention. I moved away because of the sudden contact.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice said as I turned my head to look at the person beside me. My ruby-colored orbs made contact with her coal ones. A happy smile immediately formed on my face as I ran towards her and about give her a big hug when she shoved my face away using her right hand.
Imaginary tears streamed out of my eyes as I whined at her. "Why so cold, Ai-chan?"
Her thin-pinkish lips formed into a scowl as she playfully glared at me. "Could you please stop calling me 'Ai-chan'?"
"But your name is 'Ai-chan'." I replied, following right behind her when she started to walk towards the school building.
Another scowl appeared on her face while she adjusted her glasses. She looked at me and acted disgusted because of my reply. "Please don't act like Nagisa from that anime 'Free!'"
"But you are Ai-chan." I pouted as I followed behind her. "My dearest Ai-chan!" I cheered as I raised my hands into the air.
"Jeez~" Ai-chan face-palmed at my childishness and kept on walking inside. We changed our leather shoes into our indoor ones and I followed right behind my elementary best friend.
She led me through the crowded hallways and into the faculty room to get my class. A male teacher handed me a piece of paper and welcomed me. I returned his warm welcome with a smile as a thank you for his hospitality. I slid the door open, revealing an impatient Ai-chan.
She dropped her crossed hand into her sides and walked towards me with curiosity, her black-rimmed glasses gleamed with the light. "So," she started, "what class are you in?"
I looked at the piece of paper that I was holding a while ago and read it. There was a number and a letter conjoint by a hyphen. Then below it was the name of my homeroom teacher. I read it out loud so Ai-chan can hear. "1-A." I said with a low voice.
Suddenly, Ai-chan's eyes gleamed then turned her head to the other side while her cheeks turned a shade of pink. I tried to look at her straight in the eyes and ask her what's wrong when she spoke up. "You're in my class." She said in an irritated tone, but through her words, I can sense happiness in her tone.
The sides of my lips were tugged into a slight smile because of how she acted while my eyes shone like stars at what I just heard. My elementary best friend is my classmate. "Alright!" I cheered in glee as I hugged her really tight. "Ai-chan's my classmate again!"
Ai-chan forced me to let go as I twirled us around. As I jumped in glee, I accidentally bumped into someone. I stopped my happy dance while embarrassment and shock written on my face and faced the person I bumped into.
Standing straight, I was about to apologize for bumping him until he sent me daggers of glare while rubbing his back where he felt sore because of the sudden bump. My eyes landed on his dark gray orbs that's been glaring at me. The male student in front of us has dark gray hair that's styled in cornrows and is kept in braids until his nape. He has these narrowed eyes that has the color of ashes when wet. And has two piercings on each ear. You could also tell that he's an athlete because of his body built.
Clutching Ai-chan's sleeves tightly, I kept quiet and just stood there, watching what he'll do about the accident awhile ago. I gulped when he didn't stop glaring at us.
"Oi." The male student right in front of me glared at me and Ai-chan. "Watch where your going. It's a good thing we're in school." then left like nothing happened while his hands on his nape.
I switched my eyes to look at Ai-chan to ask her who the guy is. I shivered when I saw how cold and dangerous her stares are so I kept my mouth shut. This only means that she's irritated and just keeps her feelings and emotions in.
Ai-chan regains her composure and stared at me, asking if I'm alright. I just smiled at her as an answer to her question. She led me to our room which is located at the third floor of this building.
***
The bell suddenly rang, signaling every classroom that it's already lunch break. I stood up from my designated seat and ran towards Ai-chan's place while carrying my bento box.
"Na Ai-chan~!" I called out, waving my hands in the air to get Ai-chan's attention who is currently fixing her notebooks and placing them back inside her blue-colored bag.
She moved her attention to me with her face showing irritation. "Could you please call me by my given name?" she asked, returning her attention back to her scattered pencil and pens in her desk. "Please call me 'Aiko'. 'Aiko'!"
I pouted at her sudden outburst about her name. "But Ai-chan is Ai-chan." Then a bell rang inside my head. She never wanted me to call her 'Ai-chan' since we met during elementary and yet I don't know the reason behind that. "Na Ai-chan~" I called again, making her playfully glare at me. "Why do you hate the nickname I've been calling you?"
Ai-chan heaved out a sigh as she placed her pencil case inside her bag. "Because I hate the meaning." She easily answered as she stood up from her seat, a bento box also in her hands.
While walking away from the classroom, I asked Ai-chan if we could eat somewhere nice and secluded. She placed her index finger to her chin as if she's thinking. Then her face gleamed. She just told me to follow her and so I did. I still asked her about the name thing and she easily answered every question.
"Don't get me wrong. I like my name." She started, "My name's simple and easily remembered but the meaning. I don't like the meaning. It's too girly. 'Aiko' means 'child of love' so that's already enough. But you calling me 'Ai-chan' is already the limit. It's like calling me 'Love'. An endearment for couples. It just brings chills through my body. So be thankful that you have a boyish name but a very good meaning."
My lips formed into the letter 'O' as I understood her answer. Yet, a ridiculous counter for that lame excuse suddenly popped out of my mind. "But nobody calls you 'Ai-chan'. So if you ever heard someone calls you that, it just means that it's me." I smiled while she just stared me with those cold eyes behind those rimmed glasses. Ai-chan heaved out a sigh as she declared that we're already here.
I looked all around me as my lips curved into a contented smile. The place is really secluded and has this scene of a secret garden with old sakura trees around and wild flowers growing on the green blanket of grass. I was about to seat on the green blanket when me and Ai-chan heard a pained groan from nearby, three cherry blossom trees away. A questioning and panicked looked came across my face as my gaze landed on Ai-chan. She also has the same expression on as she also looked at me. I again heard someone pleaded to stop while groaning in pain. But it seams the person he was talking to did not stop from beating the poor guy.
I was about to go near the place when Ai-chan stopped me, holding my forearm really tightly. A question mark popped out of my head as I gazed at her. She just stood there, holding my forearm as she stared at me, telling me to stay here.
"But Ai-chan," I whined, forcing her to let go of me. "we have to help whoever that person is. He's in trouble."
She still kept quiet as she took hold of my forearm really tightly, silently pleading me to go and forget everything that I've witnessed right now. But I pleaded and asked her to let go off me help the person in trouble. I forced her to let go of me by pulling my forearm free out of her tight grasp.
But she didn't budge. She just stared at me with with her charcoal-black orbs as her grip on my forearm tighten. "Koki, let's just leave."
I was about to protest and successfully force her hand to let go when my ruby-colored eyes landed on her face, her eyes giving out deathly stares. I kept quiet and nodded. Ai-chan pulled me with her as we both exited the place, leaving the poor male to be beaten up by whoever that person is.
Ai-chan convinced me to eat at the rooftop with her. And there we had out lunch and passed out the time after we're done eating. The scene from earlier came rushing through my mind like a river. I can't believe we didn't do anything to help that guy. And it's not like Ai-chan to do nothing about this kind of situation.
"Ai-chan." I called to earn her attention. She turned her gaze at me, her black orbs to staring back with curiosity. "What is it?" she asked.
I kept quiet for a second, hesitation in me. Until I inhaled some air and spoke up. "You know the person being beat up, right?" I asked, my eyes still on the scenery in front of us.
It was her turn to keep quiet, dropping her hands to her side, looking away from me. Shock came across my face because of the obvious answer right in front of me. She knows the person and she didn't even help him. I was knocked off of my thoughts when Ai-chan spoke up. "Before you could think of anything, let me say this first." She started, inhaling in some oxygen before speaking her mind out. "I don't know the person being beat up. But I know the person doing the beating." she answered easily. She clutched her hands together in a tight fist as she answered, her eyes now on her indoor shoes.
"What?" I asked, my red orbs staring back at her as they widen in shock. "You actually know the person doing the beating?"