As the ray of the orange morning sun came through the window and the birds started chirping, Shizuo let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't one of relief, but one of pure exhaustion.
He thought to himself, "Another mundane year of doing the same thing over and over again." Shizuo usually did his morning routine mechanically, sort of like a robot. He opened the silver faucet and soaked his face in the rushing cold water to wake himself up.
As he put on his uniform, he had a passing thought "What if I stopped going, would anyone even care?" it was only just for a second though as he noticed he had finished putting on his clothes.
Just as he was about to leave, Shizuo took a glance at his soulless apartment, the one filled with memories of him just sitting in the dark all alone, staring at the TV but not actually watching it.
As Shizuo was walking to school half asleep, he felt a gust of wind pass by, scattering the pink petals of the cherry blossoms like confetti. It made him agitated. Every petal felt like a reminder of a goodbye he wasn't ready for from the person he now despises most.
He clenched his fists while staring at the delicate flower petals floating by a question lingering in his head "Why does everyone love these things so damn much?"
At the gate of Minato Mirai high school, there were already people laughing and chatting.
"Which class are you in this year…"
"…I'm in class 3"
"…Oh my God, same…"
Shizuo relentlessly pushed through the crowd just to be able to see the notice board. Just off to the left he saw the list of third year students each under a class number.
He started to scan the names of the students in the first class. His scan came to a halt when he read "Amaya Shizuo" in the list of students. "Third floor… right wing" An image formed in his head.
Shizuo quickly went up to his class and took a seat by an open window towards the back of the class and blankly stared out the window. His dormancy was broken when he felt a sharp pain on the top of his head. His head snapped to investigate the source until he heard "BUDDY!!"
"Come on Dai... I already told you to stop it. Next time you pull this crap again, I'm going to be seriously pissed," said Shizuo, rubbing his head.
"We're in the same class again—you should seriously be hyped bro," said Dai, smiling ear to ear.
"How in the hell can I be hyped when you almost killed me?" murmured Shizuo.
"You really need to put on some muscle, or you won't be getting a girlfriend anytime soon," smirked Dai.
"Hop off my–" before Shizuo could finish his thought, the bell rang loudly.
The home room teacher walked in, clipboard in hand, loudly announcing "Everyone take your seats." When the class finally organized itself, he introduced himself "I am Koyama Fumio, and I am going to be your homeroom teacher for this year."
Shizuo was relieved since teacher Koyama Fumio was known to be a very laid-back teacher and very lenient with deadlines. But Shizuo's attention was stolen when the teacher's deep voice cut through the air like a blade when he said "But before I start roll call, we have a new student who will be joining us today."
Shizuo was not impressed at first. "Probably some lame douchebag who thinks he's a celebrity." He thought. But as the doors to the classroom slid open, time itself seemed to come to a halt.
She walked in confidently—with the elegance of a butterfly. She spoke with a soft voice—one that carried a hint of charm. "Hey everyone, I am Nomura Misaki." Turning to the black board, she started writing her name, each stroke of chalk more elegant than the last but when she turned, her smile was the warmest in the room.
"I look forward to making the best memories with everyone this year." Shizuo could only stare, completely awestruck. "Now Nomura, you can take the empty desk at the back of the class"
Shizuo was lost in thought. His gaze was now fixated on her, like the rest of the world had faded away. Thoughts kept circling his head. "WOW! She is gorgeous … She will definitely be popular," these realizations left a small lump in his throat.
He was snapped back to reality when the teacher started barking "AYAMA SHIZUO" during roll call. He scrambled to answer "Present, sir." He sank back in his chair feeling completely embarrassed, his cheeks turning crimson. "Damn it, Shizuo, why can't you just act normal for once" he thought.
His embarrassment deepened when he heard a soft giggle to his right. Out of curiosity he looked over to see her. Nomura was sitting next to him.
He'd been so caught up in his own world that he completely forgot there was an open desk next to him. He had also forgotten to check where she took a seat. So, when their eyes met, and Nomura smiled at him, it had caught him off guard.
"I'm sorry" she said delicately. "My name is Nomura—what's your name?" Shizuo froze. He hadn't expected her to be so close to him. "I- I'm S-Shizuo, Ayama Shizuo" he stammered, barely keeping himself together. She whispered "let's be friends, OK?" while extending her hand.
When Shizuo looked at the hand raised to shake his, an image popped into his head. An image where they belonged to each other. But Shizuo knows better than to let his thoughts wander. "IDIOT… She pities you… that's all it is." He thought bitterly.
With a quiet sigh, he shook her hand
"Alright, then."