Spring, spring, my most awaited spring.
The first day of class was best to start during the spring days.
Winter had gone, no more grey clouds dominating the great skies and the trees that went bare had regained its full-bloomed beauty once again. On this spring day, the flowers colored my world, looking forward to the warmer days to come—the happiness that was only seen in the brilliant shades.
As I walked to reach the school, I let my eyes pictured every tree, treasuring the greens and pinks in my mind.
I was too thrilled! The best way to start the school year! Spring is the best!
Soon, I reached the school grounds: the Itachiyama Academy. It was an expensive school for a peasant like me, but I managed to find solutions—through scholarship and doing part-time jobs secretly.
To graduate in the Itachiyama Academy was one of my goals, and no matter what, I have to achieve it. Today was the start of my second year, two more years to go!
Awright!! I need to get motivated!
I then rush to my designated classroom—class 2-4, a college preparatory class. It doesn't really mean that I'm smart, I'm just awesome.
Once I was inside the room, most of my classmates weren't still here, but I was greeted by those who were present. I checked where my seat first on the name list pinned on the bulletin board. While walking between the aisles, I heard a classmate of mine talking to my other classmate.
"Hey, have you heard? The school has agreed to take down the cherry blossoms trees in exchange of money . . ."
Before someone could respond, I had already done it!
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed. It felt like my ears flared upon hearing it. I marched towards her, Kosugi-san, that quick. "Is that true?"
"Oh?" She was seemed surprised. "Nakano-san, g'morning!" I nodded as I gave her a look to explain it to me. "Yes, the news was announced on the TV this morning. For road widening, they say."
"But that's against the Environmental Codes! They can't just do that!"
"Right, right!" My other classmate, Takahashi-san, agreed. "Especially that the air pollution in Tokyo is high."
Taking down the cherry blossom trees? Didn't they know that they were compromising the future just because of their greed for money? That's bullshit!
"I . . ." I exhaled, balling my fists. "I'll go talk to the director of this school."
"But the opening ceremony will start in a few."
Tsk.
"Then, after the ceremony," I told them and went back to my seat.
To think that my beautiful morning would be ruined by that ludicrous news. I can't let them do that, not on my watch.
I inhaled, then exhaled. I had to remain calm, so that I could think straight. There were a few possible things to do, only if I had a strong connection.
My eyes were cast low, then noticed a pair of shoes down. The size of its feet was easy to recognize.
"'Sup, Yerina!" A bubbly approach of someone. As I panned my head up, he greeted, "Good morning!"
I smiled, "Good morning, Motoya!" Then I noticed that he got here in this class not being accompanied by someone, and the answer was very obvious. "That wuss is chickening out again, yeah?"
He immediately understood what I meant and laughed, "He really hates the first day of class, because of the–" then the bell started to toll– "oh, speaking of: general assembly."
I sighed. It wasn't that I disliked the idea of the general assembly, the cutting of cherry blossom trees only bothered me.
"Let's go?" I invited him, standing up.
"Sure," he replied, "but are you gonna let him not to attend the ceremony? You know where to find him, right?"
I chuckled, "He'll come on his own, don't worry."
Motoya Komori and I both took the path where the main gym was. Everything seemed to look fine, surveying every student of this school. But for me, it wasn't.
"Ne, Toya," I spoke while pacing at an average pace. "You know about the cherry-blossom-trees-issue?"
"Oh, yeah." There was sigh in between his words. "It saddens me, actually."
"Right! It's making me restless."
I heard him laughed aloud. "That's why you're having the constipated face, Yerina!"
"Constipated?" I frowned.
"Yeah, that kind of I-have-to-do-something constipated look."
I jutted my lips up as I hit him in the arms. "You suck in giving descriptions, aho. But you're right, I have to do something."
He only gave me a sideward grin. "Well, I just want you to know that I always got your back."
I made a moue expression. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. That's what liberos usually say, right? Doesn't work on me." And I waved my hand below my chin.
"C'mon, Yerina, I meant that . . !"
Scoffing, continuing our pace, until we reached the gym. As we both entered inside, it was already filled with students—the kind of crowd that Kiyoomi really detested.
But . . .
"You two." A threatening atmosphere loomed from the back.
"Huh?" We both uttered. I would lie if it didn't get me startled. Like how an olden static robot, we moved our heads to look behind.
Kiyoomi Sakusa . . . What a terrible face he has.
It was as if Motoya and I shared the exact brain cell and thought the same.
"How dare you two to make me wait here alone?" And he had the audacity to tell us that.
I only nudged the guy beside me, ignoring his rant. "Told you, he'll attend."
"Hahahaha! You predicted him too well!" Toya patted my shoulder while chuckling.
"Of course," I smirked. "Now, you're obliged to buy me a milk tea after the dismissal."
It was the first day of class, after the ceremony, the school authorities would let us go back home. And he had no complaints about it. Talk about being a rich kid.
Then Kiyoomi, still with an intimidating aura, walked in between that put a gap between us Motoya. "Pay more attention to me, damn it," he muttered through this mouth mask. "I didn't hire you to leave me and be with this round eyebrows."
"Pfft. Are you jealous, Oh Thy Great Hetakusa?"
I followed him through gazes and I sensed a vein popped on his forehead. "I'm not. I'm paying you, so be in full service in me."
I only smiled. That's true, and I don't really mind. But, "It's your father who's paying for my labor, Kiyoomi~," I replied sarcastically.
"Don't be so demanding, Kiyoomi!" Motoya Komori, his cousin, swung an arm around his shoulders. "You went off on your own, right? It's not Yerina's fault."
I pursed my lips while nodding my head approvingly. Then Motoya gazed back at me and gave me a sparkly 'I-gotchuuu!' smile and a thumbs-up.
I grinned and copied his thumbs-up gesture.
"Tch," Kiyoomi clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes more, coaxing a darker glare. "It didn't really mean to go off on my own. Blame those crazy humans."
Yoomi even pushed Komori away, then whispered, "Don't go throwing your arm onto someone. That's rude."
"'Ai'ssu!" The bubbly cousin only simpered, closing his one eye.
I smirked inwardly. I knew what he meant. "Fangirls, huh? I don't get it why you have so many fangirls, when you're like an old farted gramps, Yoomi-kun?"
He only glanced at me and continued walking. "Don't casually say my name if you're just going to insult me."
Yoomi never had some nasty nicknames to call me, but he was so used to me calling him with insults. And I would always expect him to scold me more often about etiquette.
"Well, I'd accept if it's Motoya . . . But you, Yoomi-kun? Heh, I hope they'd raise their standards."
Motoya was seemed to agree with me. "Right, right!" he chanted. "It's seriously bugging me!"
Kiyoomi only sighed, "I also wish if it's this round eyebrows. . ."
I chuckled. He might appear that he didn't really care about his fans, but he was actually considerate. He was always being offered gifts, and wanted to turn them down, yet he appreciated the effort behind the gifts, and he'd be guilty if didn't accept any of it.
The three of us began to walk further inside. Kiyoomi liked to be seated to the very front of the assembly hall, because he'd see lesser humans. I wouldn't argue with that.
"So, you accepted anything?" I asked the gloomy guy.
He shook his head. "I was lucky enough to hide from them."
Motoya and I laughed in unison. "Poor, Yoomi-kun, always hiding."
"Why won't you just accept them, Kiyoomi?" The light-browned-hair guy questioned. "Most of them are sweet treats, right?"
Kiyoomi only scoffed, "Why would I? Only God knows how did they make those treats. What if the utensils used are a breeding ground of germs? And if they didn't wash their hands properly? Their workplace, did they even sanitize it? No."
Speaking of a germaphobe . . . Once we reached the front area of the hall—where Kiyoomi's desired space—he immediately zipped his bag open that contained his sanitizing stuff, pulling out a disinfecting alcohol spray and a clean towel. He sprayed all over the place, then crouched down, and sprayed the solid-wood planks of his seat, and dried it using the towel.
I was amused about watching him, that even the people around us were puzzled.
He sat down—the same as us two. Folding the wet part of the towel inwardly, he picked a transparent zip-lock pouch and put the towel inside.
Typical Kiyoomi. So meticulous.
If could bring him a portable air purifier, I would have done it.
Kiyoomi was already capable of doing anything by himself, yet not everything. And fulfilling the spots that he overlooked was my job. Knowing him, being willingly careful and vigilant defined his personality. It wasn't an easy job, especially that he was too nit-picky about everything. But (again), I worked enough to satisfy his demands and, that was the reason why I was still by his side.
Soon, the opening speech started. The principal spoke first.
I listened to him, of course, but I would appreciate it if he used better appropriate terminology. And I also had the huge obsession in overanalyzing stuff, that even his grammars didn't have a way out. He was working in the corporate world, he should act like one.
After the speech, the director of this school, Fukushi Hyakuman, took his time to carry his address. He was the responsible person for permitting to cut down the cherry blossom trees! If not today or tomorrow, might be in the next few days.
I was terrible getting annoyed hearing him and it made my blood boiled up to a thousand-degree Celcius, because of every pompous word he let out.
He was saying words that surprisingly made no sense!
"You all have walked your way from the lower level to higher ones, and it's now your responsibility to set a positive influence to those students who follow you. Not only in academics, but in other aspects of your life. For the youths are considered as the hope of tomorrow."
Youths are the hope for tomorrow . . ? That's utter bullshit!
I clenched my fists tight, inhaling and exhaling heavily.
These grown-ups surely knew how to manipulate people through words. Road-widening must be a result of economic development, a good intention, yes . . . But the road to the future suffering was paved with good intentions. And the reason why the road to suffering was being paved was because of these money-sucking leeches. Then they would ask 'hope' to the young people? Something I would not forgive.
I could sense Kiyoomi and Motoya's confused stares were piercing right through my skull.
"Nana." It was Kiyoomi. As I averted my gaze at him, he told me, "If you want to take a shit, get the heck outta here."
Motoya fought the urge not to laugh loudly and bent down his head to hide his facial expression.
I only smiled full of enlightenment, but sardonically. It felt like I was being smacked by a hammer in the head. Do I really give off that kind of expression?
"You ass," I hissed, but it got me laughing quietly.
This gloomy-looking bastard only scoffed, but all I knew, there was a mocking smile sculpted on his lips.
"Yerina . . !" Motoya was still suppressing his laughter, "Can you still hold it?"
"Shut up, you another ass." These guys were truly cousins.
But I wouldn't acknowledge if they were wrong, because they were somehow right.
What I was about to do might shit my undies, but it was better to stand up for what I thought was rationally virtuous than doing nothing.
In a place full of seated humans, I dared to stand up, interrupting the school president's speech. It might be considered as a disrespectful, unprincipled action, but it would take years before I cared.
"Y-Yerina . . ?" stuttered Motoya. I knew that Kiyoomi had the same expression.
"Ehem," I uttered, clearing my throat. Since I was the first person in our lane, I was ascertained that he could hear me. "Hello, sir! Obviously, your role as a director is to provide advice and to comply with local, state, and national standards of this country, would that include the taking down the cherry blossoms trees?"
It must be petty to act courageously just for the sake of those trees, and I was much aware that others might think I was dumb enough to do this . . . Then, I wouldn't mind.
Today, we were living in a world where the trees were getting destroyed each day in exchange for money. And to fight the destruction of trees was to stand by them.
I would make myself be part of the solution, not the problem.
That alone gave me the strength I needed.
"You must be thinking of how insolent I am for cutting you off right in the middle of your talk, but that's who I am." Then I smiled full of confidence, having no a little bit of regrets in my system. "This is just my opening speech, sir, and please expect me to see me more often and hear more of my appeals."
After freeing those words, I began to leave this place. Truly, there were mixed reactions that filled this four-cornered assembly hall. Good reactions or not, all I knew, I blatantly made my voice be heard.
This was my starting point. I would make sure that I will become the best damn lawyer that every human would ever know.
I am Yerina Nakano, and that's kind of voice I want to be resonated all across the world.
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sigh . . . why am i writing this? i feel so stupid hahahhaha
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