H I K A R U I S H I K A W A
石川 光
of 3-D
In all honesty, I was sick of people. They made small things seem big, and they love stepping on others, such selfish little creatures.
I think that's the whole reason Iroha and I got along. We both had masks.
But she threw hers away first.
"You're really into this, aren't you?" I asked the girl who sat away from the television screen, studying her butt off.
"I have to. For Asano" she mumbled.
"In reality, though, you also want to beat Karma, don't you?" I asked her, my eyes not leaving the screen as I played with the console.
She worked harder when it was a competition, that I've noticed since before.
"Ah, speaking of which" she changed the topic, "I hear you've been hanging around Manami, Shi-chan".
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention, she's helping me out with my studies" I told her.
"Hmm. If you mess with her, you'll get it from me, alright?" Iroha warned me.
"I know" I told her. "I'm not so careless enough that people would know that part of me".
In reality, I was quite envious. This girl was so lucky to have people she could be truthful with. I, on the other hand, will have to resort on a play of words and a gentle smile.
"You mean, how the people pleaser Hikaru Ishikawa is actually a huge sadist?" she spat inconsiderately. "I know you tend to loose it when it comes to timid girls. The only exception to that is your sister".
"Well, of course. Why in the world will I pick on Hotaru?" I asked her.
"Hm~ Well, from what I know, all the high school girls you've dated so far, ended up crying. No wonder you wont even go out with a girl near your age" she mocked me.
"I'm not that mean" I sweat dropped.
"Anyways, I know you're into submissive older girls, so don't taint my best friend, alright?" She told me.
"Iroha, who do you take me as?" I deadpanned.
What surprised me though, was what she said next. "Jokes aside, it'll be good if you become true to yourself, though".
"That's weird of you to say that" I muttered.
"Karma told me something similar to that back then" she said, tidying up her notes.
I smiled, it was good how he managed to bring her out of her world. But even so, a part of this girl was still stuck in the past.
"You get along well, huh?~" I mused, before noticing what time it was, "Ah, it's already late. I'll get going, then. But before that, Iroha, speaking seriously shouldn't you give up finding him? You've got other people in front of you right now, after all. Karma being one of them".
She blushed, "don't bring up that topic so suddenly!".
She was become more honest as the moments passed.
Did the End Class, really impact her this much?
"Yes, yes. Don't die studying" I told her as I walked towards her door. "Bye".
✖︎●✖︎
The silence made me sleepy. And it wasn't helping that I was trying to read about the subject I hated the most. In fact, it was that point wherein my eyelids got heavy, and I heaved out a yawn.
I was starting to recall what Iroha and I talked about the other night.
"Ishikawa-kun?" Okuda snapped me from my thoughts, once again, her purple hair seemed to glisten under the sunlight the seeped into the windows of the library.
"Ah, sorry. I daze off when I study" I told her.
"I don't mind" she assured me with a smile.
This is bad.
"Okuda-san, don't you think that sometimes, you're being too kind to people?" I asked her, my mouth moving spontaneously.
Shut up, Hikaru.
"People can take advantage of you, you know" I inched closer, taking her glasses.
"U-uh... Ishikawa-kun?" She stammered.
"Sorry", I smiled at her, reverting back to my usual self. "I'm this kind of person, so you should stop associating yourself with me".
"I-It's fine. It was just surprised, that's all" she returned the gesture.
Yup, Iroha would definitely kill me.
It wasn't that I liked this girl in front of me or anything, and I doubt she'd feel the same either way, it was just that I had a bad habit.
There was that itch that made me want to taunt with people. Sadism, perhaps?
"You're like an chemical reaction. Sometimes you do the unexpected, huh?" She blurted out.
I sweat dropped.
"Okuda-san, you really are into science aren't you?" I pointed out.
She blushed, "I'm sorry... I tend to ramble---".
"It's fine~" I assured her. "It's kind of amusing how you compared them to people".
"Well, they really aren't so different when you think about it" she said. "There are various combinations, formulas and effects. Whereas in humans, we have people that go well together with us, certain personalities, and various stories-. And sometimes some things aren't what they seem to be-- Ah, I'm sorry. I'm rambling again".
"I told you, it's fine~".
She did have a point, though. Other than Iroha, the only other two people I got along with, was Karma and Nagisa.
I got into fights. People beat me up. Karma joins in and gets back at them. Nagisa watched from the sidelines and patches me up.
It was an ongoing cycle.
That goes way back, though. Oddly, we just grew apart. I didn't know if it started with Karma or Nagisa, but they just started following their own paces. One way or another, I interacted with different people. Before I knew it, we were regular ol' classmates.
Come to think of it. Nothing really lasted.
"You're lucky" I told her, "you tend to go crazy about the things you love".
"Eh?" she tilted her head slightly. "Ishikawa-kun, isn't it the same for you?".
I shook my head and admitted it, "For me, liking something, is the beginning of the end".