The bell rang and lunch break arrived. Hikaru-kun took out his bento and stood up. "Oh, it's time for me to go."
I approached him and asked, "Going to Mizuha-chan like usual?"
"Yes, as always."
Takeru approached him and grinned. "Of course he's going to Mizuha. He can't even stand to miss seeing her for a single day."
Hikaru felt annoyed and blushed. "Ah, shut up, Takeru."
"Ah, Hikaru-kun, I'm going with you too."
Takeru then turned to me. "Hey, Akemi-chan, want to join us? Come on."
"No, thanks. I want to eat here with my friends."
"I see, that's too bad..."
"Then we'd better get going now," Hikaru said, and then left with Takeru for Mizuha's classroom.
Those two had grown close recently. Hikaru-kun wasn't even annoyed by Takeru anymore. What had happened between them? Was it because they both grew close to Mizuha-chan?
"Akemi-chan, what are you waiting for? Come here, let's have lunch together," my friend called out. "Yes, I'm coming..." I joined them.
My name is Minato Akemi, the class rep of Class 1B. I'm here to tell you my story.
A week had passed since my confrontation with Mizuha, when she and her friends found out I was the mastermind behind what happened to her.
All the bad rumors about Mizuha-chan were gone and her reputation was restored. Everything was back to normal now.
Also... it looked like Mizuha-chan and her friends kept their promise. They didn't tell Hikaru, Takeru, or anyone else that I was the one who started the rumors; only Mizuha-chan and her close friend knew this.
But since then, my relationship with Mizuha-chan had changed. After I declared her my rival, we didn't act friendly like before.
Even though she had tried to approach me many times to reconcile, I rejected her coldly, walking past without a word. Things were awkward between us.
Even after everything that happened last week, I still hadn't given up on Hikaru-kun. I wouldn't stop until I confessed to him. This time, I'd make sure to win him over from Mizuha-chan.
But how? I had tried everything but still couldn't make him fall in love with me.
As usual, today I was eating bento with my two close friends in my classroom. Both had been kind to me since the start of high school. I was happy to be friends with them.
"Wow, it's a nice-looking bento, Akemi-chan."
"Did you make it by yourself?"
"Yes, I made it myself. Want to taste it?"
"Yeah, bon appétit."
"Mmm, so delicious. You're really good at cooking, Akemi-chan."
"Haha, thank you, you two."
"Akemi-chan, what's wrong? Do you have something on your mind right now?"
"No, nothing happened."
As I picked at my bento box, I suddenly remembered many things that had happened since I first met Hikaru three years ago. I clearly recalled that unforgettable day—my first day in junior high—and how it all began.
Three years ago... during junior high.
Minato Akemi, 13 years old. Today was the first day of my junior high school.
My alarm rang. I woke up and hurried to get ready. I looked at my junior high school uniform worriedly.
Would I fit into it? I hoped so despite my chubby build.
I was worried that I might not fit into it, but never mind. I immediately put on the uniform.
Thank God it fit me. I tied my hair into my usual twin braids and put on my glasses before stepping out of the house while my mother watched me leave.
"Okay, Mom, I'm leaving now."
"Be careful on your way—cough, cough. I'm sorry I can't come with you on your first day."
"Mom, are you okay?" I asked, worry creeping into my voice as I noticed her health seemed to be declining recently.
"Don't worry, my dear. I'll be fine—just a little cough. Now, go before you're late."
I nodded with a concerned look. "Alright, I'm off."
My mom called after me. "Please take care."
I left my house and headed to school. On the way, I spotted a sakura tree in full bloom, its petals scattered on the ground. It was a pretty sight, and I felt the freshness of early spring.
After walking for a while, I finally arrived. I stared up at the building. "Whoa, so this is my new school, huh? It's way bigger than my elementary school," I mumbled to myself.
I walked through the gates where students crowded the courtyard.
Suddenly, a senior boy came running toward me with his friends from the other direction.
Before I could react, he crashed into me and we both fell. I landed on the dry ground, my glasses knocked off, while he stumbled into a muddy puddle and soaked his uniform.
He shouted, even though he was the one running toward me. "Hey! What are you doing, fatty? Aren't you watching where you're going?"
Trembling, I stood up. "S-Sorry! It wasn't my fault! You bumped into me suddenly."
Students nearby gathered to watch as the senior glared at his dirty clothes. "Look what you did! You made my clothes dirty! How are you going to fix this? Pay me now!"
I begged, shrinking back. "I... I don't have much money. Please don't hurt me!"
"What did you say?!"
He was then about to raise his fist. I shut my eyes, but the hit never came.
"Senpai, aren't you ashamed of wanting to hit a girl?"
I peeked at the source.
The senior snapped. "Who are you? How dare you interrupt my business!"
"That's not important. She already apologized. Why are you trying to take her money?"
From the voice, I guessed that a boy had grabbed the senior's arm, but without my glasses, I couldn't see his face clearly.
The senior swung at him. "Tch, this brat. How dare you talk to me like that? Take this!"
A teacher's voice rang out. "Hey! What are you doing? Are you fighting?!"
The senior froze. "Crap, the teacher's here! This isn't good!" He then shoved past me and ran, his friends scrambling after him.
The boy muttered. "Ah, what a mess on my first day."
He turned to me. "Hey, are you okay?"
I stayed silent, my hands brushing the ground as I searched for my glasses.
"Oh, your glasses, right? Here they are," he said, picking them up and handing them to me.
I took them and put them on. Finally I could see his face clearly. He looked so handsome, like a prince from a fairy tale. He was my hero.
He chuckled. "You can see me now, right? Haha. Here, take my hand."
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
I stammered shyly because I wasn't good at talking to strangers.
"Y-yes... I'm okay... Th-thank you... for helping me."
"It's okay, no big deal. I'm glad you're all right."
Then the first bell rang. "Oh, time to go. Okay, see ya..." He then turned to leave.
Before he could leave, I stopped him. "Umm... wait..."
He turned back to me, looking confused. "Yes?"
"Could I know your name?"
"Huh? My name?"
He turned back, smiling. "I'm Takamiya Hikaru, first year."
With that, he headed into the school building.
So his name is Hikaru! He's also a first-year student like me. He's so brave to stand up to a senior like that... I wonder what class he's in. I hope we're in the same class so we can meet again.
That was my first encounter with my prince and hero, Takamiya Hikaru. It seemed like I'd fallen for him.
I entered my classroom, Class 1E, and sat in my seat. Looking around, I confirmed Hikaru-kun wasn't there. He was in a different class, and I felt disappointed knowing we wouldn't be classmates.
All the faces around me were unfamiliar. Not one student from my elementary school was here. I gathered my courage to try talking to some classmates.
"Hey, can... we talk...?" I asked them quietly, but their responses were immediate.
"Sorry, I don't want to talk to you." "Go away, fatty, you don't fit with us." "You're so ugly, don't come near us."
They rejected me completely. No one wanted to be friends with someone who looked like me. Sad and disappointed, I went back to my seat.
When lunch break came, I went looking for Hikaru-kun. I walked past all the first-year classrooms but couldn't find him.
I checked almost every first-year class and he wasn't there.
Class 1A was the only one left. I hoped he'd be there.
As I approached the classroom, I bumped into a girl who was standing in front of Class 1A.
She fell and said, "Ouch..."
I noticed she was a cute girl with long blonde hair.
Not again. I bumped into someone else today. What a bad day.
I offered my hand just like Hikaru-kun did to me earlier.
"Hey, are... you... okay? Sorry... I bumped into you."
She glared at me first, making me nervous.
Then she took my hand, smiled, and said, "Thank you. It's okay, not a big deal. It was partly my fault for not watching where I was going."
Her sudden change surprised me. I'd expected her to yell at me.
A guy's voice called out suddenly. "Eri, what are you doing? Let's go..."
"Excuse me," she said, bowing to me before leaving with her friend.
The guy asked her as they walked together. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry."
There are some nice people here after all.
I then continued looking into classroom from the outside.
"There he is! I found him. So he was in Class 1A, huh?"
Hikaru was surrounded by classmates, chatting and laughing.
I could see many of the female classmates talking to him. I wanted to approach him, but seeing how crowded it was, I thought it would be better to return to my class instead.
Also, I don't think Hikaru-kun would be interested in a fat girl like me. I thought that with a sigh of disappointment as I walked back to my classroom.
Before I could leave, a girl suddenly walked past me and whispered, "So, you have your eyes on him too, huh? An ugly girl like you isn't suitable for him." The girl then chuckled before entering Class 1A.
I felt frustrated hearing that from her. I gritted my teeth as a single tear fell and ran back to my classroom.
Time passed, my first day at my new school ended, and I returned home.
"I'm home!" I called as I entered the house, and then went to the kitchen where my mother was cooking.
My mother turned to me. "Oh, Akemi-chan, welcome back."
"How was your first day at the new school?"
"Great, Mom. Today was the best."
"Did you make any friends?"
I fell silent for a moment before suddenly replying, "Yes... I made so many friends today... everyone was nice to me." I lied to her.
"Really? I'm glad to hear that."
I looked down. Sorry, Mom. I didn't intend to lie to you, but I didn't want you to worry about me.
"Hey, Mom, what are you cooking?"
"Hmm, as usual, your favorite food—shrimp fried rice."
Suddenly, the front door opened and someone called out, "I'm home!" It was my older sister, who had just gotten back from school.
She was three years older than me. Compared to me, she had a pretty face, dressed nicely, and was very popular at her school.
My mother turned to her. "Oh, Yuuka, welcome back."
"Oh, Onee-chan."
My sister entered the kitchen. She looked at our mother and sighed.
"Mom, what are you doing? Are you cooking again? You're not feeling well, right? You're supposed to be resting. Just leave everything to me," my sister said, concerned about our mother's health.
"Akemi-chan, did you ask Mom to cook your food again?"
"No, it wasn't me. Mom was the one who wanted to cook."
"It's not a big deal, my dear. I'm doing well right now. Just let me cook for her, okay?"
"But..." she said, looking worried.
Why does onee-chan look so sad? I wondered.
My mother served both of us food. "Here, it's done—your favorite food. Let's eat it before it gets cold."
"Don't look so sad, Yuuka. I'm fine. Come on, let's eat, okay?"
"Alright, Mom. If you say so… then, bon appétit."
The three of us enjoyed eating together, as usual.
My father and older brother were not there because they were busy with work and college, so it was just the three of us again. Even though I was isolated and had no friends at school, at least I still had my loving family. They truly cared for me.
About a month later, after school ended, I went to town to run an errand for my mother.
There, I happened to see Hikaru-kun in an alley.
What? Hikaru-kun? What is he doing? And isn't that the blonde-haired girl from back then—and the senpai who caused trouble for me on the first day?
I slowly approached them and watched from a distance.
Hikaru shouted. "What are you guys doing? Where are you planning to take her? Leave her alone!"
Wait, is he trying to protect her from those guys this time?
Suddenly, two seniors punched Hikaru in the stomach, and another struck his shoulder.
"Hikaru-kun!?" I whispered, not wanting those guys to notice me.
The blonde-haired girl approached him. "Takamiya-kun, are you okay?"
She begged the seniors. "Guys, please stop this fight."
Oh no, Hikaru-kun got hurt. What should I do? I was unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. "Excuse me, can you move aside? My friend over there is in trouble."
I turned around to look at him. A guy appeared behind me with clearly non-Japanese features.
Wait, is he a foreigner? But he's wearing the same uniform as me and speaks Japanese fluently.
I stepped aside and made way for him. "O... okay... please, go this way."
"Thank you," he said before approaching them.
Wait, where have I seen this person before? I wondered, trying to remember.
Suddenly, I remembered.
Oh, he's the guy who called out to the blonde-haired girl earlier when I bumped into her. But what is he doing here? Also, is he calling Hikaru-kun a friend?
I continued to watch them as he immediately stood in front of Hikaru and the girl, ready to defend them.
After a few words from the new guy, Hikaru regained his resolve and stood beside him, joining the fight.
Both Hikaru-kun and his friend charged at the seniors and fought them off while the girl closed her eyes.
After a while, the seniors were defeated and ran away, leaving Hikaru, his friend, and the girl.
I was amazed by them. "Wow, Hikaru-kun is so cool. I didn't know he could fight like that."
"So he really wants to protect everyone when they're in trouble, without judging them by their appearance."
"Ah, they're starting to move. I'd better leave before they notice me," I said, and then returned home.
The next day at school, during lunch break, I heard some of my classmates talking and overheard their conversation.
"Hey, did you hear the news?"
"Huh? What is it?"
"Hikaru-kun from Class 1A got involved in a fight yesterday."
"Hikaru-kun? You mean that rich boy?"
"Yes, I heard he got into a fight with Zul, who is in the same class."
"Oh, that foreign-looking boy?"
"Both of them seem to have adhesive strips on their faces, covering their scratches."
"I thought Hikaru-kun was a nice person. I didn't expect he'd get into a fight too—too bad."
My heart pounding.
No, they're misunderstanding. Hikaru-kun didn't get into a fight with his friend—they got injured while fighting to save that girl from those seniors.
I then stood up and said, "Umm, that's not right. Hikaru-kun wouldn't do something like that—you're all misunderstanding." My cheeks burned with embarrassment.
They whispered to each other, "Huh, what's up with her? Why is she defending Hikaru all of a sudden?" "Yeah, why is she acting like this?"
I couldn't stand their gossip about Hikaru and me. Grabbing my bento, I fled to escape their voices.
I found myself sitting on a bench in the school garden. The scenery here was so peaceful, surrounded by all kinds of flowers. The wind was blowing gently—it felt really nice. This was the perfect place to eat lunch.
I had just opened my bento when a guy sat beside me and asked, "Can I sit here?"
I didn't look at him and just replied shyly, "S-Sure... go ahead..."
"Thank you," he said. Was that him…?
I peeked at him and froze. "Wait… Hikaru-kun!" I blurted out in surprise.
It was Hikaru. He was the one who suddenly sat next to me.
"Huh! Wait, you're… oh! I remember now! You're the girl from back then, right? The one I helped on the first day?"
He smiled at me. "Nice to see you again… I never expected to run into you here."
Oh… he still remembers me, thank god. He sat so close—my mind went blank.
"Y-Yes… it's nice to see you again, Hikaru-kun… U-Um… the weather's really nice today… isn't it?"
"Yes, today really has nice weather."
"Why… are you here, Hikaru-kun?"
"Well," he began, "I was looking for a quiet place to eat my bento today. My girl classmates always come talk to me during lunch break, and it makes me feel kinda uneasy... I don't like standing out too much. So for today, I decided to run away from them." He chuckled.
"Is it okay if I sit here with you? Am I bothering you?"
"That's okay… Hikaru-kun… I'm glad to have you here…"
"Then let's eat together. Bon appétit," he said, beginning to eat his bento.
We ate in peaceful silence. Hikaru seemed relieved to avoid the usual crowd.
I kept eating while quietly watching him. I didn't say anything—too embarrassed by him sitting so close to me.
I gathered my courage and decided to ask about the adhesive strips on his face. I pretended not to know the real reason.
"Hikaru-kun… you have adhesive strips on your face… D-Did you get hurt somewhere?"
"Oh, these? I fell yesterday. It's no big deal, haha." He laughed it off, but I knew he was lying. I already knew the truth behind those strips.
"I see… Please be… careful, okay?"
Then Hikaru asked me, "You're alone here? You're eating alone? Not with your friends or classmates?"
"Umm... I... actually don't have any friends yet..."
"Really! That's unfortunate... but don't worry, I think you will get more friends soon."
"Yeah, thanks, Hikaru-kun."
What is this feeling! I'm talking to him so casually all of a sudden… I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now…
A few minutes later, we both finished eating our bentos. "Ahh, I'm so full now... Thanks for the food," Hikaru said as he packed up his bento box. I did the same.
Hikaru stood up and smiled. "Thanks for letting me eat with you. I really enjoyed it today. It was refreshing. Well then, excuse me. See ya!" he said before walking away.
I stood up. "Umm... thanks for... spending time... with me."
Hikaru turned back and gave me a warm smile. "It's no big deal. I was happy to spend time with you too."
After that, I made my way back to the classroom, feeling happy because I got to spend time with Hikaru earlier. I hope we can do something like that again next time...
When I arrived at the classroom and sat in my seat, one of my classmates suddenly approached me. I think she was the class rep.
"There you are, Minato-san."
"Y-Yes... Can I help you?"
"A moment ago, after you left, our homeroom teacher came looking for you. She said it was an emergency... Can you go see her right now?"
"Umm... understood. Th-thanks for letting me know," I said, quickly standing up and hurrying to the teacher's lounge. I had a bad feeling about this... all of a sudden.
When I arrived, I found my homeroom teacher and asked what was going on. "Sensei! Do you need something from me?"
"Oh, Minato-san... there you are. Actually... I have some bad news," she said, her face filled with concern.
"Huh? What is it, Sensei?"
"I got a call from your sister. Your mother collapsed earlier and has been hospitalized."
"She asked me to tell you to pack up your things. Your older brother will be coming to pick you up and take you to the hospital."
I was in shock, my whole body freezing as my face turned pale. "W-Wait... No... Mom!?"
To be continued....Amemonogatari IX