PART ONE; CHAPTER SEVEN. In which unexpected things happened during your wait for the train and two second years managed to accompany you through your walk towards your work.
Awkward conversations, ensues.
Warning: passing out.
Half edited.
Gentle inhaling and exhaling of breaths escaped from parted lips, eyes closed and mind - despite all the protracted events and thoughts that plagued when awake -- when asleep, your own universe was in the state of tranquility. The silence inside your head was comfortable alike when your body touches the surface of your plush bed. Your nose slightly scrunched, feeling *Chairo's paw softly clawing against your cheek.
Soft.
Gentle.
" Fujita-san. "
Cats talk now, huh?
" Fujita-san? "
Since when did cats had the ability to talk...?
You cracked a lazy eye, the one unhidden from your arm to see a pair of dark orbs gazing back at you with concern. A confused noise rumbled in your throat as you regressed your posture straight from the backrest of your chair (you were sure that you were in bed). A yawn was quickly taken away as reality harshly slapped you across the face.
" Fujita-san, school's over. "
The feeling of tranquility ebbed away when you realized that you had just been fantasizing yourself in bed and your cat wasn't actually the one that touched your skin, rather, it was a finger poking your cheek to get you out from your stupor. You were in school, not at home. You slept on the desk with your arm to support your head as a makeshift pillow, not in your own plush bed that had much more softer cushion for your head. The thought of it made you feel a little upset and it seemed like your classmate caught up with your mood when she asked you if you were alright, with that same look on her face.
A dismissive wave of your hand and she understood, nodding her head as she sauntered off somewhere around the room, still near for you to hear her: " You're in cleaning duty today, by the way. "
You nodded wordlessly and stood up from your chair as it made a scraping sound. It made you wince as your senses adjusted slowly; the sun's ray went through the opened window of the room as the area casted a soft glow inside, there were at least half of the class that was still inside the room and carried with their cleaning duty, their chatters were soft and was pleasant enough for your preference. You stifled a yawn and thanked the same girl that woke you up, she was Saki, you remembered and she once again catched with your dazed post-sleep state, grabbing the broom from its storage and gave it you in which you thanked her for.
You wasted no time and began sweeping the floor, making sure that each dirt and dust there were all swept and for the floor to be clean as possible. You gathered them in a dust pan and carefully disposed it on the trash can. Staring at the waste bin that was full with garbages already, you volunteered to throw them to the school's main dumpster -- leaning the broom against the wall and finishing your first work in order for the other to be done. It looked like no one was going to bother throwing it, and you were already done with sweeping anyway. You tied either side of the bag and took it out from the bin and made your way through the hallway.
This could serve as a distraction for the fatigue your body was still feeling.
Your body felt ten times worse than it already was yesterday. The guess of this being insomnia could really be possibly true now, and the only way to find that out was definitely getting yourself checked by a doctor. Having this 'I can't sleep enough and I feel tired all the time' case had started back somewhere in the middle of your first year in highschool. You didn't exactly knew how but one day it just... happened. Eyes staring at the ceiling of your room, even thought your body felt tired your eyes can't seem to shut themselves. It wasn't all that worse before, only then it did when you reached your third year. And in that certain time, you were positive with the reasons behind it. Schoolworks, after school-work, relationship, the past, you had been overthinking all along and it consumed your body mind. You were still in denial that it was a huge sleeping problem at those times though.
That was the specific time where started to have the worst dark bags under your eyes, many people said that your skin went a tone paler and your posture became sluggish. You've got a feeling that this would badly affect your academic performance this first semester, you barely listen to the teacher's lectures anymore and still have not yet finished projects due next week and the following week after that was the semestral finals. Honestly, you weren't going to expect having high grades -- at least this for this semester. You needed to maintain your grades and not lower them unfortunately like in your second year. You were aiming for a prestigious college in Sendai afterall, quite literally -- whatever bits of hopes you have left and dreams would be crushed if you weren't going to be able to enter the university you've been planning and saving for for the last three years. Fingers crossed that you'd be able to grab a scholarship.
Walking through the hallway was easier than you thought it would be. You quickly slipped off to your outdoor shoes to avoid any scolding from the student council. The school was strict with keeping the floors clean so if they were to see you use the indoor shoes at the backyard of school where there were amounts of soil to stick itself on the footwear and use it back inside, you'd be a goner. This part of the school was oddly quieter than some parts of the large area. You could clearly hear the chirps of crickets, the sound of students bustling albeit distant than before.
Stopping infront of the dumpster, you tossed the large bag filled with garbages -- removing microscopic germs with your hand (if that was possible) by making your palms touch in an almost clapping manner. You took a sigh and felt your neck strained. Out of impulse, you slowly tilted to the right side and hearing the crack made you sigh in satisfaction as you did on the other side. You didn't know how much you needed that neck crack until now. It felt relieving, but it was brief as you suddenly felt dizzy and you visioned small back spots -- your eyes squinting by the sudden change of sight -- with a good consciousness, you supported your body with your hand touching the nearest wall you could lean against to.
You were certainly not ready for that.
You could have died possible ways but from a mere crack of a neck was not your choice.
It took a couple of seconds for your vision to go normal, and when you felt like you were ready to head off, you went back to the building and concluded that your classmates were definitely finished cleaning. On your way there, you were still a little shaken from that sudden ordeal event but managed to loosen up when you entered the room and quickly -- you grabbed your bag and looped it under your shoulder, ready to head at the train station. School day was over, work night was to be done.
Walking on the pavement of the street, with nothing but you and your working mind made you feel like you were forgetting something. It was trying to scratch your brain, an attempt to make you remember what you needed to remember in the first place. However, it drifted off midway through the saunter. The feeling of your chest tightening every so slightly concerned you. Slightly, because you thought of it nothing but just a normal squeeze. People experience this ever so often and it wasn't something that you should be hardly worried about around this time, reassurance of thinking that this happened to you before and you didn't feel any extreme pain after that was enough to not be bothered by it.
You reverted your thoughts away and eyes from the patterns of the ground, fishing out your transportation card and with a swift move of the code sliding on top of the code reader, you were able to go through smoothly, walking up towards the stairs with a small tired huff. Seeing that there were fewer people around the area had you supposing that the Shinkansen wasn't going to arrive any time soon. Given that you didn't have any things to do after school besides cleaning, you were pretty much early in the train station. You were usually accompanied by after school club activities and other things necessary to school but having the club session postponed for good reasons, brought you here.
Standing near a post, you picked out your phone from its where it was hidden and checked the lock screen for any messages or notifications that'll caught your eye; a new post from your favorite content creator would have been a good thing to pass time - but seeing that your phone was dry, you put back in your pocket. Your feet shuffled ever so slightly as you stood there, a minute passing by. The train station was comfortably quiet in its own term of a place, occasional heels of shoes squeaked and clicked against the ground tiles and there were murmurs of voices, a few ones that talked with their normal range. Either of all was pleasant.
Your feet shuffled once again, as you stood straighter and just then, you felt a soft vibration.
Already knowing that it was coming from your phone, you took it out once again and pressed the button with your finger easily to check what the notification was first. There was a voice in your head that was satisfied with something to do while you just stood there. Your eyebrows raised, glad enough that it wasn't any notification, specifically a message to make your heart drop. Instead, you felt somehow refreshed upon seeing who it came from.
Mom 🌻❤️
We ran out of soy sauce yesterday, darling
can you buy on your way home? I'm planning to
cook takoyaki tonight...if you can't, it's alright. I can
buy and make them tomorrow.
you
i'll buy later mom
Great! i'll ready the ingredients then so text me
if you're on your way home, let's make them
together...More fun! 🥰
you
exciting :)
A smile twitched in the commissure of your lips, you silently chuckled at your mother's enthusiasm and hoped that your reply didn't sound sarcastic. Buying soy sauce was now on your to do list and you noted that and reitirate the reminder a couple of times in your head to avoid forgetting. You weren't quite sure if the convenience store you usually go to for late night errands had that ingredient needed, so it was better to head the supermarket first if you didn't want to come empty handed arriving at your house. Eating takoyaki at night sounded good, better right then with a softdrink to pair with.
You waited for a second to see if she had any thing more to reply but when she didn't have any, merely a scene and a heart to yours, you put the phone where it was placed and felt your head a little lighter. Whether it was from the way that you were silently looking forward tonight or something else, either thoughts were thrown away as you felt your name being called. Craning your neck to the left, you've caught sight of the salmon pink haired male with his guitarcase bag's strap looped both sides of his shoulder shoulder. Your eyes extended their gaze to the person ahead of him, a guy that was probably in the same school as you were with the identical uniform, he also had an instrument's bag held by his shoulder and you tried not to frown.
You squinted your eyes silently at the guy next to Mafuyu, observing his features for a short time had you realizing that it was the same guy that you accidentally fell asleep on his shoulder. Just as when you'd hought that you didn't have that much embarrassing encounters with your life, you just have to meet him once again.
( Or maybe once once again, you've seen him somewhere around your time in middle school. You weren't quite sure if it was really him though, many people back then in your school had the same features as him. The first year at that time when you were a second year who spoke as if he were the sin of pride, boldly making a stance of how he was going to make a better band than what you have right back then and with how he'll steal you away from them. Quite an interaction indeed for someone you weren't that acquainted to. )
You greeted him with a neutral hello and let your hand shake in a friendly wave. It wasn't that everyday that someone you barely know from your school acknowledges you in the train, so you might or might not have come stiff from their eyes. He let out a small smile and turned to his friend (possibly, he was) and stared right back at you once again, his smile never left when turned to the darker haired male.
The mentioned guy looked at skeptically and weirdly perhaps? ( you weren't really that good with reading people) for a second before gazing his eyes to the other.
You were going to be frank when you thought that there was a sense of uncomfortableness as you stared at the both of them, expectantly. It was though the darker haired male wanted to say something to you but he can't do it with the way that he constantly parts his mouth — only to close it and then he'll turn to the lighter haired male who stared at him with an expectant look. You were in stuck in thought right in the middle of: talk to them or wait for them to talk to you. You really didn't know what to do in this situation, it wasn't like you were close with either of them. In fact, it was far from that actually. They were just second years that went to the same school as you.
But it seemed like the latter from the thoughts were picked out, thankfully as the raven blue haired boy introduced himself to you with a small quick bow.
" Uenoyoma Ritsuka. "
Straight to the point, no further formalities.
You didn't know what you found odd. Was it the fact that he just introduced himself to you? You didn't mind forming any friendship with people your around your age, that is — if he was enganging into something like that. But at this circumstance where you're literally in the train station waiting for your ride to arrive, maybe that was the oddest of all? That someone a grade younger than you was introducing himself so suddenly with another male who you had started with something...rocky? You knew, you said you didn't mind forming a platonic bond to other people, but it seeme like the chance of it was dying down with your unwavering stare at him.
Just as quick as how a Shinkansen would travel, whatever was left your mind with great braincells have left you properly understanding what you had to do. A simple introduction with your fool name that came with a 'Nice to meet you, Uenoyoma-san.'
You nodded your head when he insisted to drop the honorific and after a nod, a silence have died down between the three of you. Mafuyu didn't utter a word after he was the first one to approach you.
The nod you gave was meek and you focused your gaze bac towards the trainless tracks infront of you. You felt like heaving a deep sigh from the small conversation you had with the two — but as much as you wanted to, you didn't want to be seen as rude. If doing so, they definitely would have saw your hardship of talking to them. It was true though and you weren't really much often conscious when you say something rude to somebody, so you thanked yourself for being able to keep it.
Thankfully, to run away from whatever interaction you had and to avoid it further, the sound of an announcement for the train arriving reached your ears. It didn't take that long for the train to be in front of you, you bid them goodbye with a small nod and brisk through the sea of exiting passengers and took a vacant seat as quick as possible. No, you weren't exactly running away from them. More like, you didn't want to stand and hold a grab handle while the transportation was at high speed. With the odd deepening exhaustion your body was feeling, sitting was the best option.
You sat on the most edge of the train bench, one that conveniently near the the door and made yourself comfortable in your seat. You removed your school bag from your shoulder to hug it in your chest, taking out your phone before you did so in order for you to be kept entertained through the ride. The same voice that announced the arrival stated the departure and you felt somebody sit on your right, a space well given between the two of you, and as you'd do always, you didn't bat an eye to them.
The train was the most quiet with barely people talking inside, it was much more quiet than the station itself. You knew better than to watch videos from your favorite content creator, so you went for a different social media platform that had lesser videos to pop out and read through posts instead, making sure that your volume was all the way down to avoid disturbance to the passengers along with judgemental stares. Coming across a picture of a cat in a cute costume had your lips twitching a little into an amused smile, it reminded you of your cat at home.
You scrolled further through the platform and managed to keep yourself entertained. To engrossed by that unknown fact that there were two pair of eyes lingered from time to time.
" Fujita-senpai. "
Short-lived, your entertainment was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice. You almost dropped your phone, hearing the soft call of your name. You didn't know how much you were going to thank someone, but being able to grip your phone tight and have successfully kept it to falling from your grasp — your phone already went through a lot — the last thing you wanted to was to have the screen protection's surfsce cracked entirely. You turned your head to your right as there could no possibly somebody calling you from the opposite side, your face slightly morphing into exasperation for the inconvenience you were put through.
It slowly fell from your face as he looked like a puppy, staring at your with those doe eyes of Mafuyu's. Should you be concerned to that? You figured you should with the question that came from him.
" Does your ride stop by at Machida station? " Reluctant stare, and your brows furrowing by his inquiry was the first non-verbal reply that you gave to him. If things couldn't get any weirder, why does he have to ask you that? You were deeming to be convinced that these two boys had some sort of plan that has to do something with you. Good things, you hoped — even though you were far from acquainted with each other. What were their intention? Were they intending something? The questions that desperately flooded your mind, had your brain throbbing in slight pain and that wasn't even a metaphor, you could feel a headache forming really this time.
By your discomfort, you nodded your head wordlessly in agreement, unbeknownst to your wavered gaze, his eyes shined as he turned to his right where Uenoyoma sat.
" We do too, would you like to walk with us on your way there? "
" On my way to where? " Staring at him suspiciously, you were starting to think of them to being really odd. The chances of them knowing where you're headed to was kind of high with the way that the salmon pink haired male mentioned there. There was no way that he'd been keeping an eye on you during your ride in this same train. You tried to convince yourself that it was just a mere coincidence.
Perhaps, Mafuyu saw you more than just an acquaintance? It was not that evident but it seemed like Mafuyu forgived you now. He saw you as a friend now, how...peculiar. You weren't that best of making friends,
Mafuyu seemed to have troubles finding his own words with lips clamped shut as he innocently glanced at you and then to Uenoyoma. The mentioned male had the trouble clear in his face though, crystal enough for you to see.
Walking with them wouldn't be so bad would it? You felt like if you decline, you'd feel guilty and rude for doing so and it seemed like they weren't going to stop even if you did, they're going to be stubborn and persuade you.
" I'd like that. " You craned your head back to your phone and kept it inside the pocket of your bag and turned to the Mafuyu.
" Where are you headed off to? "
Uenoyoma answered for the other male, clutching the packed guitar between his open legs. You raised your brow at his reply and tried to remember if that place was before or after the club. Finding the right braincells for you to remember that you always pass by that place when off bound to work, you nodded. It was a good thing that the club was a couple of blocks away before the Studio he had mentioned, the last thing that you wanted for the either guy to tell you was for them to drop you by, if the place was blocks ahead. You weren't that close, mind you and them but you got a feeling that one of them would offer if that was the circumstance.
" Mine is a couple of blocks before yours. " The raven blue haired second year nodded his head rather stiffly before averting his gaze from you quickly. Strange, but you did not comment.
He probably found this awkward like how you did.
As the train made its first stop that signalled you were bound to head off from the transportation, you stood up from your seat and craned your head, expectantly looking at the unexpected company you had. You guessed you're on the lead for this walk as you were the first to come out from the automatic sliding door as people rushed to fill in the now unoccupied seat for them to take. Unlike yesterday where the lighter haired between the two had walked on your tail, he stood beside you now with the slightly taller male on his side. The three of you walked in silence, sauntering outside the station and to the pavement of the busy city.
The quietness between the three of you, you considered as unnerving, and you couldn't help but stare at their figures subtly when their attention was somewhere but you. It felt like you were needed to engage a conversation for whatever you've put yourself through. Really, you still couldn't register that you were with someone you weren't that well acquainted to. You, a third year who was with a second year whom you caused a bruise some days ago — with also, another one who you were certain that you've seen a couple of years ago.
There was a slight bitterness in the back of your mind as you remembered a memory, alike to these second years with you. It wasn't really an evocation that you'd like to think more of, so you turned to them instead and opened your mouth to speak again.
" Do you two play acoustic or electric? "
After crossing through the pedestrian lane, your question was executed. The feeling of that same curl in your chest went back as you tried to cough the feeling of it, if rubbing your chest could ease the pain, you've done it. Although it didn't die down. Maybe through the distraction on the train, it didn't falter down to the slightest. Your chest was getting tighter and tighter by each step that you took. One more turn and you're going to be arriving at the club, Uenoyoma replied about how he played the electric guitar whilst his friend was learning about it.
" You're teaching him? " There was a slight stutter and dryness in your voice that made you gulp a lump of saliva down to your throat, feeling it withered. You cursed yourself for forgetting your tumbler this morning, waking a little late from the almost sleepless night you have had, that would easily have been a good solution for your small problem if you brought it. Blinking your eyes, your vision was starting to get blurry like what had happened some time ago when you cracked your neck.
What the hell is happening to me?
" Kind of, " You could hear the raven haired's voice muffle. Or was it Mafuyu's?
The same black spots feed your vision, you couldn't exactly tell what was happening with your surroundings — but you felt yourself lean against a post, your arm supporting your body as the dominant one clutching the side of your face. Your breathing was getting ragged and your head was aching so bad.
The only thing that you could focus on was the ragged rise and fall of your chest, it was much clearer than the concerned voice that came blocked away from your ears, their voices were nothing more than just incomprehensible mumbles. You couldn't even see their face, limpid they were as if they were taken as a blurred picture from a camera.
" I don't feel fine. " You managed to murmur, but you doubt that they heard you with the way that it was just under your breath. Perhaps you really were the only one who heard it — your body declined you in that moment, and the last thing you could feel before everything felt numb was something that soft your face hit against to.
* Chairo (also mentioned in chapter 3) - MC's persian cat. Chairo, 茶色 means brown in Japanese. Hence, the color of their cat's fur being in the shade of brown they named them after that color. They found it hard to find a name at that time, so that was the only thing that they could think of.
MC's mama was so excited thinking of having a cooking session with MC, later the night.
MC doesn't work on weekends at the club, they take
those days to be productive in their house, like studying and cleaning their room if messy. But recently, they've been slacking off.
When I say that MC going to have a hard time in this fanfic, I am serious. Don't worry though, there will be fluffy things coming soon. Also! As you can see there's a [p.1] in the chapter's title and that means part 1 for the seventh chapter (if you're confused). I planned to split the chapter into two since I thought it would be more better if it was! That's everything for now, see you in the next chapter dearies, take care and stay safe always!! ♡︎♡︎