A Clean Sheet [Locked tight and shut]

[HenryT]

Chapter 00 - Session

I knock on the therapist's door.

"Come in, please," a voice of a young female answers.

I step into the room, as Miss Inori gestures me to sit down. I take a look around the room. It seems more like an 18th century study than a hospital room - the floor is covered with a red carpet, the seats are old-looking armchairs. Everything seems to have a stylish black or red accent to it.

"So, Mr. Ma..." I wave a hand at her. "I told you, I am not comfortable with that. Just call me Henry." "I remember, being so formal is a habit in this profession. But tell me, why should I call you Henry? Your file gives no information about that name whatsoever. In fact, there's nothing about you here up until..."

"...January 1st, 2010, am I right?" She gives me an interested look. "Exactly. Care to tell me about that?"

I take a deep breath. "Well, the reason for that is...the Frank Martin you see here in front of you didn't exist before that time. Before that, there was a small, detached boy by the name of Henry Tamm. Both the spitting image of another, though as Frank Martin's life started, Henry's life ended on the same day."

She writes it all down on her notepad, trying to keep up with my fast talking. "Do you have a recorder on you? My talking is only going to get faster, as it helps me to not break down while I tell you these tales of misfortune."

She raises her look as she searches for a recorder. "Is there a chance of that happening?" I laugh a little before I answer. "Not until the juicier stuff. Excuse my cockiness, but this is a way of coping with emotional stress, same with the laughing." She pulls out her recorder from what seems to be a lower drawer of the desk and presses record.

"Now, as the law states, I am supposed to ask you, if it's alright with you as I record this, but seeing this was your idea, I'll skip this part today. Today is Wednesday, May 30th. Now, tell me again about yourself."

I take another deep breath. "My name is Frank Martin. I am 18 years old, soon to be 19, and I have grey, long hair, set in a punkish look. Other special features? Severe total heterochromia, my left eye is black with an orange iris. Situs inversus totalis, meaning my inner organs are anatomically mirrored."

"To tell you the truth, the man named Frank Martin didn't exist before the year 2010. Before him came a small, emotionally detached boy named Henry. The two looked exactly alike, although a different hairstyle. But as Frank Martin's life began, Henry's life ended tragically."

"Tell me about him more, what was he like?" Miss Inori seemed more curious about me than ever.

"Well, from birth he had suffered because of his looks. He never went to a daycare, because the other kids were afraid of him. At school he was constantly bullied because of his looks, but luckily only verbal contact was made. The teachers made sure he was never beaten, which made things only worse. The only times he was physically beaten it was so bad he ended up in a hospital."

"After the last beating, which was the worst of his life, Henry decided he wasn't needed in this world anymore. He took on an alias by the name of Frank Martin and faked his own death. Nothing too tragical, just a fall off a cliff into the river down below and the body getting eaten by the wildlife. It might sound tragical, but for him it was simpler to create this version of his supposed death than the one that ends with a gunshot to the head. He packed his things and left the country."

Miss Inori looked more shocked than ever. "What kind of a beating was it to cause something of that scale?" I gave her a small grin. "We will talk of that another time.
Today I feel like talking how Frank Martin ended up here in Yamaku." She gives me a nod, as a gesture for me to continue.

"Frank's first goal was to get to Scotland. Going to the country of fine mountains and whiskey, he set off only carrying a bag of clothes, all of his money, and his laptop. Hitchhiking through Eastern Europe, he arrived in Calais' a month later. There he met his first obstacle - for some reason, minors weren't allowed over the Channel without parents, thanks to kids trying to run away using this route every day."

"He felt depressed at first, but he quickly put that feeling behind him, as he figured out a new destination. Japan. He found a cheap charter plane straight to Tokio, the only condition being that he would have to work for the company in return. At this point, Frank had already given up his hopes, so he gladly accepted."

Miss Inori signals me, trying to interrupt my story. "A charter plane to Tokio, from Europe? The toll restrictions are stricter than ever at both ends of the flight, how did you get past them?"

I think a bit before answering. "I believe they arranged a coffin and an oxygen mask for me, and posed me as a corpse. Don't ask how it went through though, as I have no idea."

"Anyway, when Frank arrived in Japan, the only job he had to do was carry boxes from warehouses to the planes. Though at first his colleagues avoided working with him, they gladly accepted him as one of their own, thanks to his good work ethics. Working hard, all day long - that was Frank's life for about 6 months. By that time he had collected enough money to go to a school meant for people like him - people who came from outside Japan and had no experience speaking Japanese whatsoever."

"Of course it was hard at first - working all day, then going to school by night. He was able to adjust over time though. In fact, the teachers were impressed with his performance. They told him they had only seen a handful of people in their school that were able to embrace the language so fast and thouroughly. By the end of 2011, Frank had learned enough Japanese to speak it fluently, though not without a small accent."

"Before graduation, he applied for a Japanese citizenship and succesfully passed every test. On the graduation day, however, he was told that since he is still not 18, he could enroll in any high school in Japan, if he wanted to. This was the happiest day of Frank's life, as he realised he could start a fresh life, unaffected by his past. And that's where it all went downward."

Miss Inori was so focused in my story she didn't even notice me stop. "Wait, what? Downward? Could you go into further detail?"

Once again, I give her a small grin. "I was just getting to that, I needed to catch my breath. This is the longest I have ever talked in a row." I take a series of deep breaths, and continue with my story.

"On January 10th, Frank was hit by a bus. This happened three weeks after his graduation. The bus failed to stop on an icy hill and Frank noticed it a bit too late. Though he was lucky, he only got hit only on his left side and the speed of the bus was slow enough to cause a few fractures. The doctors thought otherwise and kept him in the hospital for about 5 months, mostly because of his organs and the heterochromia."

"By the end of the second month, the days started to blend into eachother, and I think he would've given up on life, if it wasn't for one guy. Hisao Nakai. By the way, the only reason I am telling you his name is because he is coming to this school as well, this Monday." Miss Inori just gives me a slight nod. "I am aware of that. Seems like you two are quite close."

I start laughing and I don't stop for a few minutes. "You can say that again, he feels like the only true male friend I have ever had."
She gives me a surprised look. "Best true 'male' friend?"

"Yes, there's a girl who I connected with in my old days. I'll tell you about her some other time, you'll find she fits into the story rather nicely. Anyway, about Hisao now."

"Hisao had been in the hospital a bit longer than Frank had. Poor bastard had arrythmia, and the worst thing is that..." I hesitate for a second. "Well, it's something between me and him. I won't tell you about it unless he tells you himself." Miss Inori gives a nod and gestures me to go on with my story.

"Hisao is only one of the three people that who know most of Frank's story, the other two being you and me. By the end of this school year, though, you will probably hear about the WHOLE story, all the small details of my past and present life."

"At first Hisao was afraid to talk to Frank, like they all are. As time went by, Hisao got used to the way he looked, and they became more open to eachother. The days went by and they became best friends, sharing their stories together, recommending books to eachother, all the things two friends could do in a hospital."

"One day Frank was surfing the web for high schools with campuses, when he stumbled upon this school we are in right now, Yamaku Academy. A school for the disabled. It had a 24-hour nursing staff and every accomodation for people who couldn't live on their own and needed that...extra care. For him, it sounded like a blessing, because he was a bit afraid how he would fit in with normal schoolkids."

"He sent a letter to Yamaku immideatly, and well, we know what happened with that, don't we?"

Miss Inori gave me a small giggle before she replied. "I was the one to reply to you, you know, as you asked for these therapy sessions yourself."

"Ah yes, I remember now," I answer with a small giggle. "Anyway, when Frank told Hisao about his plans, he was happy at first. But as Frank's leaving date approached, he became increasingly depressed. It must've been as hard for him to see me leave as it was for Frank."

"The day before departure came some good news though, Hisao was supposed to enroll at Yamaku as well. At first he became deeply depressed by the news, but as Frank told him that's the same school he's going to, Hisao cheered up, noting 'at least there will be someone that knows me waiting for me'."

"Frank arrived here two days ago and he has already made some friends for himself, but I think there are only two people who he trusts more than others."

Miss Inori gives me a slyish look. "Already getting busy, huh? I am sorry, that was a bit inappropiate."

I wave her off, saying that she doesn't need to worry about formalities here, as I want to keep it more of a friendly chat than just talking to a therapeut.

"Could you tell me who those two are? If you're alright with it, of course."

"Sure, I see no problem with that. Ms. Ikezawa and Ms. Satou are the ones I am talking about."

She gives me a dissappointed look. "And I thought I was being the formal one here."

I laugh a little before answering. "Alright, Hanako and Lilly then."

"Hanako is a really shy girl. Her face is half-scarred, and so is her left hand, and she uses her long, dark hair to hide the scars from everybody else. The first time Frank tried to talk to Hanako, she just yelped and ran out of the classroom.

"And what about Lilly?" Miss Inori asks. I take a second to answer her question.

"Ah, Lilly. Where do I begin with her? First of all, no matter from what angle, she is really good looking. Tall figure, long blonde hair and her manners are always top of the class, I feel like I am at a tea party every time I talk to hear."

"I stumbled upon Lilly and Hanako on my first day, while they were having tea at lunch, in a secluded classroom. I have had lunch and an occasional afternoon cup of tea with them ever since."

"Do you like the tea or are you using it as a way of communicating with the girls?" Her sudden question catches me off guard a bit.

"Well, actually both of them. I can't wake up without a good cup tea in the morning, and its a really good way to start a conversation." I take a quick look at the clock and notice there's only a little time left. "I think we have only a few minutes left, so I'll let you talk once in a while, Miss Inori."

"Please, just call me Inori, since we have dropped the formalities already. Miss Inori makes me feel old. Anyway, I noticed that your whole story was in a narrative form up until we started talking about Lilly."

"I just found it simpler to tell my story from someone else's viewpoint, like a book. You got to admit though, it would be a great adventure book."

"I can't argue with that, it was really interesting to hear how you coped with those thing, even if you were a bit vague at some points."

"Sorry about that. Anyway, I switched from narrating because I found it easier to talk about my feelings that way."

"Okay, I see. Well, unfortunately, this is all the time I have for you today. Thank you for showing up, and I'll see you next month." She stops the recorder as I exit the room.
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Edit v3: Reworked the WHOLE thing.

[Mirage_GSM]

While your writing is good and mostly free of mistakes, the backstory of your OC has to be one of the most ridiculous I've read on these forums so far.
I got the first bad vibe around here:

Name: Frank Martin

a) Character bio
b) Another OC who goes to school in Japan
Then he "travels around the world" as a minor without money and is a natural born genius...
Practically screams "Gary Stu!" with every second word.
Oh and...

Lilly, Hanako, and Hisao are probably the only people I actually feel comfortable talking to. I might have actual feelings for her, as every time she talks to me, I feel my heart skip a beat. Every time it happens I think if this is how Hisao feels like.

The thread title clarifies that you're going to ship your OC with Lilly, but from this sentence it's not clear whether he is talking about Lilly or Hanako.

[HenryT]

First of all, thank you for the response. As I said, this was a quick two hour write for an idea that I didn't want to lose, so it's definantely not the best idea ever. Though it felt good enough for some better evaluation, so I posted it here, for more experienced writers than me to assess and give tips on it.

Now, on to the problems. I don't know if I should list them out like this, but here goes:

I got the first bad vibe around here:

a) Character bio

A brain lapse, that should have NOT been in there.

b) Another OC who goes to school in Japan
Then he "travels around the world" as a minor without money and is a natural born genius...
Practically screams "Gary Stu!" with every second word.

1. Read through the story again, please. It clearly states the character is from Estonia.
2. The travel around the world part does seem stupid as an afterthought. Straight to Japan seems better now.
3. Why would he have no money? Which kid running away from home DOESN'T bring money with him? (Stupid question <---) And surprisingly, you can live in Eastern Europe on little to no money, as long as you can work.
4. Yes, the natural born genius thing is overused. I realise that now, and as one I won't try to push it too much.
5. Gary Stu? Is that a generic character like John Doe or John Smith? Forgive my ignorance...

Oh and...

The thread title clarifies that you're going to ship your OC with Lilly, but from this sentence it's not clear whether he is talking about Lilly or Hanako.

It's written like that because...uhmmm...hold on i'll think of something...I have no idea. Must've been an even bigger brain lapse from my end.



Well, I reworked the chapter around a lot, as I realised I should REALLY read what I post next time. Tell me if it feels any better

Hopefully, I have all Friday off, and a new chapter should arrive in that timespace.

[Suox]

.

[HenryT]

Well, first of all, thanks for even posting. I hope I don't sound too depressive, but all critisism helps, be it positive or negative.

As for the Eastern Europe being cheap comment, it's mostly there as an example and also, if you try to go from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, to say, Calais', Google Maps will take you through some of the countries considered as Eastern Europe. And who said he didn't detour into the Czech Republic for a cheap beer run?

[Mirage_GSM]

1. Read through the story again, please. It clearly states the character is from Estonia.

Uh... Yes? Did I imply anything else? In fact I have no problems at all with him being from Estonia. Just the genreal overuse of the "foreign student" trope.

3. Why would he have no money? Which kid running away from home DOESN'T bring money with him? (Stupid question <---) And surprisingly, you can live in Eastern Europe on little to no money, as long as you can work.

Well, the amount of money a 17 year old can realistically be expected to have saved up is usually not enough to get one very far.

5. Gary Stu? Is that a generic character like John Doe or John Smith? Forgive my ignorance...

It's a male Mary Sue. Suox already explained it in detail.
The reworking improves some parts, but one thing stands out even more than before:

By sheer luck I was able to find a ridiculously cheap flight straight to Tokyo, but only if I agreed to work for the company that provided the flight.

Let's just handwaive the fact that he was able to buy a ticket, but there's no way an airline would accept him as an employee. Airlines are required to perform an official background check on all employees that even get within view of an aircraft. That would invariably have turned up his status as a runaway. The age where a runaway could stow away on a ship heading for parts unknown are centuries in the past. (Stowing away in an aircraft is ... inadvisable. A few people try stowing away in the parts where the landing gear is retracted each year, but at the destination they are usually either crushed, frozen stiff or both.)

[HenryT]

Well, I am done planning the first act, now I just need to figure out the exact dialogue to use. Let's say the first act, Hisao is practically a second main character

Also, here is a VERY quick drawing of Frank Martin (without glasses, I can't draw those at all) :

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8387761872_f1bf2424b0.jpg
Frank Martin by H_enry_T, on Flickr

Also:

b) Another OC who goes to school in Japan
Then he "travels around the world" as a minor without money and is a natural born genius...
Practically screams "Gary Stu!" with every second word.

1. Read through the story again, please. It clearly states the character is from Estonia.

Uh... Yes? Did I imply anything else? In fact I have no problems at all with him being from Estonia. Just the genreal overuse of the "foreign student" trope.

I meant as in the character was born, raised and went to school in Estonia, THEN travelled some time and ended up in Japan. The THEN in your original post is the cause of all this trouble I don't know if it is a typo or am I misunderstanding something...

Also, the airline thing stays. I like the idea, and if a guy who has a "hollow" eye is possible, then that idea is possible too. I may be open to corrections, but changing the story to your liking is a bit too much, wouldn't you agree?

[Mirage_GSM]

I don't know if it is a typo or am I misunderstanding something...

It's a misunderstanding. The "Then" was meant to signify that I was moving on to the next point of my post not that the travelling took place at a later time than his stay in Japan.

Also, the airline thing stays. I like the idea, and if a guy who has a "hollow" eye is possible, then that idea is possible too. I may be open to corrections, but changing the story to your liking is a bit too much, wouldn't you agree?

Of course you don't have to chance the story "to my liking". In fact, if something in a story is simply not to my liking I usually don't bother to remark on it without being explicitly asked for my opinion.
In this case I simply pointed out that the situation you described would not be possible in real life. Whether you act on that information is entirely up to you.

[HenryT]

Act 1: Settling in
Chapter 1: The Arrival

Beep-beep....beep-beep....beep-be*slam*

"Alright, I'm up already. Stupid thing," I get up with a groan. A quick check in the calendar confirms my worst thought. Monday. Of course it is. I get dressed, wash up and head down to the kitchen area. Since it's only my second week here, it takes me longer than I had planned to find the things for make my morning cup of tea. As I am halfway through, the first warning bell rings, notifying that class is starting soon. School is not a good reason to waste a good cup of tea like this though, no matter what the teachers say.

I finish up well after the last bell and head towards class. There's not a single soul to be seen, except for Mr. Mutou and a familiar-looking kid in the main hallway. "Oh, right. Hisao was supposed to arrive today," I remind myself. Greeting him might be a good idea, but then Mutou would know I am late. Whatever, it's not like Hisao is going to dissapear or something. I sneak up the stairs and give Hisao a quick wave, in case he saw me.

I enter the classroom, drawing some surprised looks. "Relax, it's just me. Mutou is coming shortly, and he has a little surprise for us." I take my seat with a small grin on my face, as the others calm down a bit.

"What do you mean by that? You didn't get into any trouble already, did you? It would suck to see you go after only being here a week." I see Miki has already made her way to my desk. I just give her a wag of my finger. "You'll see in a minute, just be a good little girl and wait patiently."

"Not until you at least give me a hint or something." Persistent, are we? "Fine, but just one," I give in to her, "there's a new student coming here right now, an old friend of mine."

At this point I notice people around me are listening, and Misha has translated everything to Shizune. "Wahahah~! That means we might have someone else to join the Student Council, since you turned us down so rudely."

"Still not going to join, girls. And I will make sure my friend will get some second looks of the Student Council as well, just to make it fair." Misha looks more confused than ever. "How is THAT fair? If anything, you should help us get him to join the Student Council, Fracchan~!"

"Again with that nickname? I told you already, just call me Frank, Fracchan doesn't sound right on any level. And no, if he is given the choice of joining your little club, he should know the full story." "Alright, alright, you meanie. Just remember, we still need your help with the festival and..." Misha gets cut off as Mutou enters the class, Hisao right behind him. "I apologize for being late, class, but we have another transfer student joining us. Please welcome our new classmate, Hisao Nakai." He claps his hands and we join in, giving him a long applause.

"Well, I am Hisao Nakai, as you already know. My hobbies are reading and soccer and I hope I get along with all of you, even though I am a new student." We give him another long applause as he sits next to Misha, and we start our group work.

The rest of class goes along uneventfully, except for Misha's occasional burst of laughter filling the room. I finish my work and drift off into sleep until the lunch bell wakes me. Might as well get something to eat. I try to locate Hisao and invite him to lunch, but Misha and Shizune drag him out of the class as soon as I catch his attention. It was expected from them, I think to myself. I fall into thoughts so deep, I almost crash into Lilly on my way out of the class.

"Oh, sorry, Lilly, I didn't notice you there." She gives a smile. "No problem, Frank. Is Hanako in the room?" I take a look back into the class. "Yeah, she sure is. Hey Hanako!" She jolts up and practically dashes to us. "Y-yeah, let's go." She takes her positon behind Lilly and we continue on to the "tearoom", as I like to call it.

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"So, how has your day been so far? I heard that a new transfer student joined your class." She takes a sip as I look at Hanako, hoping she would answer first. No such luck though, as she does the same.

"Yeah, he is an old friend of mine. I was going to invite him to lunch with us, but seeing as the Student Council already had a death grip on him, I didn't bother with it. Maybe another time." I take a quick sip from my teacup as I talk. Bad decision, as I choke on it a bit and start coughing.

"A-are you okay, F-Frank?" Hanako asks me with a worrying look. "Nothing to worry about, the tea went down the wrong pipe. That's what I deserve for talking and drinking at the same time." I laugh it out, and it seems to calm her down. "Anyway, Lil', what kind of tea are we drinking today? It seems a bit too sweet, even though I haven't added any sugar or anything." Her face falters a bit, looking as she is in deep thought. "I think was Hot Cinnamon Spice, Hanako picked it out herself, as I have never tried it myself either." I take a quick look at Hanako, who is clearly upset by the comment "I-I think it's p-pretty good..." Great. Not only did I get her worried about me, now I have insulted her decision making as well.

"Don't worry Hanako, I just don't fancy sweet things that much. For example, if we were to split a small cake between us three right now, I would get the smallest piece and struggle even with that." Though the explanation seemed good enough for me, Hanako is still a bit upset about it.

"Remind not to get you a cake for your birthday then," says Lilly with a suspicious grin on her face. "Actually, I don't think you have told us when your birthday is." Smooth recovery, Lilly. "I haven't, have I? It's June 18th, so only two weeks away." Lilly seems a bit surprised as I finish my sentence and even Hanako has raised her head a bit. "What? It's not that big of a deal, you know. Just another day of the year, which just happens to be the one I was born on."

"Well, I think we should at least do something together that day," Lilly says, smiling. "How about we go to the Shanghai that day?" I take another sip from my teacup as I think about it. Of course it would be nice to get out once in a while, but is it really alright to go out with them like this, seeing as we barely know eachother. Then again, getting to know them wouldn't hurt.

"Sure. But let's do it the day before, seeing as the 18th is a Monday. Is that okay with you girls?" "That seems fine, but really, I should be the one asking you that, since it is your birthday we are planning here," Lilly answers with a small pout and I can't help but to laugh a little.

The first bell rings, indicating we should really get back. I get up from my chair and help Hanako put away the stuff. "Alright, alright. But nothing big, just me and you girls. Maybe Hisao as well, if he doesn't have anything to do." We set off to class and say our goodbyes at the 3-2 class door to Lilly, before going to our own class.

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The rest of classes are even more eventless than before, and as the final bell rings, I slowly get up from my seat and walk out of the room. As I walk out of the main building, I see Hisao standing in front of the door, looking confused.

"Hey, Hisao, how 'ya doing?" He jumps a little and looks at me. "Jesus, Frank. You can't scare people like that, you know." And then it hits me why he's so angry. "Oh, crap, I didn't cause any heart flatter, did I?" Hisao clutches his chest, releasing it shortly after. "Luckily, no, but you really should be more careful, you know."

"Oh stop it, you sound just like the Nurse." That seems to trigger something in Hisao's memory. "Ah, damn, I was supposed to go see him at lunch. Too late now, I guess." I laugh at him a little. "Sure is now. What are you doing here standing around, anyway? Shouldn't you go to the boys dorm?" Hisao looks a bit embarrased as he tells me that's exactly what he is looking for, but doesn't know where to go. Well, I can help him with that. I tell him to just follow me and I start walking towards the dorm, Hisao right behind me.

As we go inside, I take a quick look around the common room. "Thank god, Kenji is in there," I mutter to myself. "Who's Kenji?" Hisao asks me, as we climb the stairs to the upper floor. "Ah, just a paranoid guy, who thinks the feminists are about to get us." Hisao looks a bit shocked. "Don't worry, he's a good guy. His heart is in the right place, just a bit too paranoid for my liking. Well, this is my stop. Room 115." Hisao stops for a second. "Mine is a bit up ahead, one-one-nine." I give him a grin, as I tell him Kenji's room is right next from his.

"Well, I'm gonna go to my room. See you later," I wave off the confused Hisao and enter my little pad. It's not much, just a bed, a desk with my laptop on it and a small coffee table next to the desk. I start the computer and start going through random sites, as usual. By the time I grow bored of it, the sun has already set, so I go to bed.

It takes me a while though to fall asleep, as today's events start to reappear in front of me. Hisao finally arriving to Yamaku, Lilly and Hanako planning my birthday, falling asleep in class and getting scolded by Mutou. I don't get Lilly though, why are birthdays such a big event. I never had a birthday party in my life, just a quiet sit-in wth my parents.

I keep staring at the ceiling as I doze off to sleep.
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I tried to keep it short enough so one scene could fit on a laptop screen. As always, criticism is always welcome.

Also, Chapter Two is already in the production!

[HenryT]

First of all, sorry for not posting anything for this long, I had problems with my internet. But at least it allowed me to write a lot during that time.

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Chapter 2: A start of something beautiful

I wake up, covered in sweat, trying to remember my nightmare. It was raining, that's for sure. And there was someone there, 3 men, no wait, one of them has too long hair to be a man...Red hair...oh god, no. As her face flashes in my thoughts, I desperately try to hold myself back from releasing the contents of my gut to the floor.

"Damn, I thought I got rid of that nightmare while I was in the hospital." I make a dash for the bathroom and luckily it's empty. It takes me a while to recollect myself and by the time I finally manage to get back to my room, there's only an hour before I'd have get up and prepare for class.

Might as well stay up now. I get dressed, trying not to think about the dream anymore, and go down to make myself my usual cup of tea.

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The day goes on uneventfully as usual, and again, I fall asleep in the last class of the day. Luckily, Mutou doesn't notice me this time and I get some of that rest I missed before. As the last bell rings, it seems a good idea to catch up on the work I should've done in the lesson. Spurred by the thought, I make my way to the tea room, hoping to see Lilly while I get some work done.

I open the door and look inside. As I thought, she is there, quietly drinking her tea. I greet her and sit down on her opposite side. "So, what brings you here, Lil'?

She gives me a small smile. "Well, thanks to the festival preparations I had no time to eat during the lunch break, so here I am now. What about you?" I hesitate for a moment. "I fell asleep during the last lesson, so I thought I should catch up on the work."

She pauses and takes a moment to think about it. "Again? That has to be the fourth time you've fallen asleep in class, at least counting by the times I have heard. Are you sure you're okay?"

I try not to think about this morning as I answer her. "No, not quite. But t-this isn't s-something I w-would f-freely t-talk about. I-it's s-something r-really unpleasant from b-before I c-came to Yamaku."

"Is everything alright, Frank? Should I get the nurse?" Lilly is obviously worried as she prepares herself to get up from the chair, but I calm myself and tell her to sit down.

"No, no, I'm fine, really. Let's just change the subject." She takes her seat again with a worried look on her face. "Don't worry, I'll tell you about it as our relationship moves on, I promise you. "

"Alright, it's a promise, "she says, looking much calmer than before, almost as if she's ...blushing? We don't talk much more, as I try to read more about the last lesson. A small noise from the door diverts my attention from my work.

A small "Hello...?" can be heard as a head with brown hair pops out from behind the door. Ah, it's just Hisao. He seems to space out a bit as he enters, as he lets the door open to its full extent. I cough a little to get his attention, which seemed to work."Ah, Frank, didn't see you there."

I put down my pen and look at him. "So, Hisao, how are you liking the school? I trust the Student Council hasn't given you much trouble already."

Hisao gives me a small smile. "Actually, I just played some Risk with Shizune and Misha, and lost. Now I don't think I can escape them anymore." I lose control of myself and I laugh as he gives me an odd look

"I'm sorry about that outburst, Hisao, I just find it funny that they got you hooked already. But not to worry, they're not that serious about you joining until you give them something other than a maybe." At that point Lilly sneezes slightly, which reminds me of her presence in the room.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing you two. Lilly, this is my old friend Hisao Nakai, he just transferred here yesterday."

"It's nice to meet you, Hisao, Frank has told me so much about you." Hisao is obviously caught off guard.

"Don't worry, man, I haven't told her the juicier stuff. Yet. And Hisao, the lovely lady sitting across from me is Lilly Satou."

Lilly blushes for the second time in my vicinity, this time more noticeably. "Oh, stop it you. Anyway, Hisao, what brings you here?" He looks puzzled for a while, obviously trying to remember something.

"Oh, I was looking for the library. Is it still open?"

I open my mouth to answer, before realising I don't know that myself. "I....have no idea. Do you know when they close, Lil'?"

She doesnt't take long to answer. "I think they close at six thirty." A quick glance at my watch confirms there's still loads of time until that.

"Well, I am all finished with my work here, so I can show you where the library is. Care to join us, Lilly?" I ask as I get up from my seat.

"I would love to, I needed to talk to the librarian anyway." She picks up her cane and bag and we walk out of the room.

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I gotta say, even though I have been in a lot of libraries in my life, I never find myself short of amazement when I enter this one. There seems to be just about everything here - from mangas and fiction to drama and romance, and of course the large-printed and Braille editions of books. I leave Lilly and Hisao with Yuuko and go on to the manga section.

As I look through the many types of mangas, I notice something new in there and take a closer look. "Kuroshitsuji", huh? A quick look at the backside reveals that its about a demon butler serving a 12-year-old head of a noble family in the Victorian age. Seems interesting enough.

I take a couple of the first volumes and look for a place to sit. Hanako is sitting in the back, where the beanbags are, and is reading next to Hisao. It seems they are talking as well, their lips are definently moving. I start heading towards the two, but before I reach them, Hanako stands up, looking at him.

The only thing I can hear is "Ivegottogodosomething!" before Hanako dashes straight into me. I manage to catch her before we fall to the ground. She quickly gets up and looks away, her face as red as a rose.

"I-I-I am s-s-so s-sorry, F-F-Frank." I can't be angry at a cute face like that.

"It's okay, Hanako, just remember to look both ways before dashing," I say with a small giggle. She seems even more embarrased, but quickly gets behind me as Hisao approaches.

"Are you two alright? I'm sorry to scare you off like that, Hanako."

She clutches my arm tightly as she responds. "N-n-no, i-i-it's my f-f-fault..."

Sensing the awkwardness of the situation and Hanako's impatientness, it would be better if I step in. "Come on, don't say it like that. I am sure no-one is at fault here. Hisao just doesn't know you're so adorably shy yet." Hanako's face gets even redder as she hides behind my back, so that Hisao doesn't see her.

"You're quite lucky Hisao, when I talked to Hanako for the first time, all she gave me was a yelp and a quick dashaway. But look at us now, a week ago she wouldn't even dare to use me as a human shield, let alone talk to me." I notice Hanako taking quick looks at Lilly as I finish talking.

"Yeah, good call, Hanako. Let's see how Lilly's doing, she could need some help with all of those books." I start moving towards the counter, but stop as I see Hisao not coming with us. "Are you going to stand like a statue there all day or are you coming with us?" I say jokingly, "I'm not getting any younger here you know."

Hisao tells me to shut up and hurries next to me. Hanako keeps giving Hisao small, stealthy glances, which he doesn't seem to notice. I give her a small smile and Hanako's looks away from us, as her face quickly reddens. As we approach the counter, Yuuko has already piled an enormous amount of books on it, which only makes me let out a whistle.

"That is a lot of books. Do you need any help carrying those back to your room, Lil'?"

She seems to be in thought, as she feels each book. "My, my, that really is a surprising amount of books. I appreciate your offer, I couldn't carry all of these myself, even if I didn't have to worry about where I am going."

I give Lilly a couple of books, before I put as many as I can into my backpack. They all seem to fit and I strap my very heavy bag to my back, before we set off.

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The sun is starting to set as we enter Lilly's room. Hanako came with us only to her room, which was next to Lilly's, and Hisao didn't feel comfortable coming to the girls dorm, so it's just me and Lilly.

"Where should I put the books, Lil'?" "You can just put them in a pile next to the other books. I'll figure them out later." I empty my backpack of books as I take a look around her room.

The first thing I notice is the plain nature of the room, visually. Beige walls, a wooden cabinet, no posters or wall hangings at all. It feels like everything here has a certain place, which I would guess Lilly needs because of her blindness.

The only thing that seems out of place is a heap of books in the corner, all stocked in neat piles ranging from knee height to waist height. I bet most of them are in Braille, so I don't even try to read them.

"Hey Lil', how come you dont have a bookshelf? It would be a lot easier to determine what books you have read already that way."
She answers with a small giggle. "It's easier for me to remember the books if they're on the floor like that."

So even she gets lazy sometimes. "Just admit it, you're a bit lazy. But who am I to judge? You should see how my room looks like. I mean..." I realise what I've just said and try to correct myself, but Lilly is faster than me.

"My, my, Frank, since when do you correct your speech around me?" she answers with a sly grin.

"I know, I usually don't, but since I screwed up twice in one sentence, it felt off for me."

"You know you can talk like usual around me, no need to correct your speech because of my disability."

"And you know I usually don't. Luckily my disability is something you don't usually mention in everyday conversations."

Lilly turns around and gives me a worried look. "Your disability?"

I have really let myself off guard right now. "Oh, it's nothing major. I have Situs Inversus Totalis - basically, my organs are on the opposite sides on what they should be. If you consider what other students here have to deal with, I've gotten lucky with that being only one of the two things wrong with me."

"Well, that is right, since I imagine you shouldn't have any medical issues with that. Tell me though, what is the other thing you mentioned?" I open my mouth to answer, before quickly closing it again. I don't want her to know about that yet.

"I...Well, it's complicated to explain to you. Tell you what, you can ask Hanako about that one."

"Why don't YOU want to tell me?" she asks with a small pout. I give her a grin as I answer, though I realise it's pointless. "I'm not very good at explaining colours."

"Colours? What do you mean by that?" I can't help but to giggle a bit.

"I won't tell you anything more. If you want to find out, ask Hanako. Oh, and if she asks if its okay to tell you, she has my permission to do so." I take a look at the clock and notice there is only half an hour until curfew. "Whoa, that was quick. Apparently it's only half an hour until curfew. I better get going then."

I get up and try to leave, but as I open the door, I feel Lilly's hand pull me back in a little. "Wait, Frank. I just wanted to say..." She pulls me in closer as she feels my face with her hand. Suddenly, she gives me a kiss on my cheek. "Thank you for being such a gentleman and helping me with my things."

The time seems to stop as I wish this moment would last forever. After what seems to be an eternity I can hear her soft voice. "Are you...crying?"

I snap out of it and realise a string of water running down my right cheek. "Yeah, my heart took over for a second there." God, that sounded so corny.

She gives me a small, embarrased giggle and proceeds to wipe off my tears with her hand, only stopping to feel none on the left side of my face. "Is...is there something wrong with your left eye?"

I take a few deep breaths before I answer her. "I...I have heterochromia, meaning my eyes are different colours. Though that's not all that's wrong my left eye. It's something far w-worse than t-that." I remember the nightmare and find it increasingly hard to control myself.

Lilly notices it as well."Oh, my, Frank, you're shaking a lot. Is it related to the story you didn't tell me at the tearoom?"

"Y-yeah," I say as I try to calm myself, "but I don't want to ruin the moment right now."

"It's alright, we don't have to talk if you don't want to." She starts swaying a little, as she hums out a very familiar tune. As I try to concentrate where I have heard it before, flashes of the origin appear in my mind.

EGOIST - Euterpe

I pull myself away from her a bit as she finishes the song. "How...how did you know it was my favourite song?" I ask her softly. She just gives me a kind smile. "Lucky guess." Something in the back of my head tells me to check my watch. Almost curfew. Damn.

I dry off any tears that may be on my face and step out of the door. "Well, I've gotta go, before I get myself into trouble. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I close the door behind me and walk back to my room.

I can't believe it what just happened, though. I keep thinking about it as I fall into bed. A small spark of hope ignites my train of thought. Does she have feelings for me? I am sure she wouldn't be that forward with just anyone. This little feeling stays with me as I drift off to sleep.

[HenryT]

Chapter 3: A trip to town

As I watch people come into class on Saturday morning, I try to remember how the days went by as such a blur. I guess it was because nothing big happened during this week. The only things I can point out are the fights between Lilly and Shizune, as the deadlines for the festival came closer.

"Nakai, can I speak to you for a moment?" Mutou's voice breaks me out of my train of thought. I watch as Hisao follows Mr. Mutou out of class. I wonder what's this about, but then again, it's none of my business unless he tells me himself. I put my head on the desk, trying to use the chance to rethink my day.

I feel something small hitting my head. "Oi, Frank, you sleeping or something."

I look up and see Miki getting up from her chair. "No, not yet at least," I say as I lower my head. I hear her footsteps reaching my table.

"You know, a gentleman at least looks at a lady when he is talking to her."

I raise my head again and give her a smile. "Fine, fine. What do you need?"

She looks at me, a bit offended. "Why do you assume I need anything from you?"

I can't help but to laugh a little. "Well, it isn't a common sight to see you talking to me, you know."

She gives in to the pressure. "Alright, alright. I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to join our track team."

"You had my curiosity at first, but now you have my full attention. Why me?"

Miki blushes a bit before answering. "Well, you...seemed like someone that's a fast runner, and we need one to beat Emi and the other schools at the track meet that's coming up. Its June 17th, by the way."

"The 17th...oh, probably in the morning, right? I can't make it if it's in the evening though, I already got plans for that."

Miki is visibly cheered at the fact that there might be a chance. "No, no, it's in the morning, you'll definently have time for your date in the evening."

"It's not a date, alright?" Anyway, what distances do I have to run? 100m and 200m are my best guesses." Miki stops to think a bit. "Well, those two plus 400m and the 4x400m relay. You are a fast runner, right?"

"Girl, with freakish looks like mine, I have to be. Don't worry though," I add to Miki's shocked face, "I have years of experience running away from bullies, so I can say I can take you guys to the win."

Miki looks like she is about to say something, but she is cut short by Hisao and Mr. Mutou coming back to class.
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The bells ring the end of the lesson, a welcome sound to all of the students. The classroom empties in the blink of an eye as everyone rushes to finish off their preparations for tomorrows festival. I don't get what they're getting excited about, but that's probably because usually we didn't have anything like this at my school, and the rare ones that happened were for the lower classes.

I stay behind to finish the last questions Mutou gave us, so I wouldn't have to worry about them over the weekend. Apart from me, the only ones left are Hisao, who is doing the same thing as I, and Hanako, who is obviously waiting for Lilly. Though we all sit close to eachother, we don't try to start a conversation, so the room feels as quiet as the grave, except the noises of pencils writing on paper.

Before long, Lilly's tall figure appears in the doorway and Hanako quickly rushes to her. They exchange a few words before Lilly leaves and Hanako sits down in her chair again. It feels weird for me seeing Lilly and Hanako separated like this. I look at Hisao, who seems to be looking at Hanako himself.

After ten or so minutes, Hanako seems to be grown bored and leaves the room. I finish my questions and get up from my seat. As I see Hisao doing the same, I decide it would be good to start a conversation. "So, you've finished as well?"

"Yeah, just did. I just can't figure out what to do with the rest of the day."

"Same for me. I was thinking about going into town, maybe get a cup of tea at Shanghai or something like that. Wanna join me?"
"Nah, I rather not. I was thinking of going to the library myself."

I give Hisao a mischievous look. "Gonna try to get close to Hanako, huh? You sly dog, you."

Hisao looks startled at my words. "What? N-no, I-I was just g-gonna pick up a n-new book and..."

I laugh at his embarassment a bit. "Come on, I know you like her. And from what I have understood, the feeling might be mutual."

"Are you sure?" he asks, looking at me as if trying to detect if I am lying.

"85% sure man, you really can't see how she looks at you? It's the same way as I look at Lilly, so I can tell."

"Oh, so you like Lilly, huh? I figured it by the way you flirted with her when we first met."

I stop to think about his last words a bit. "That was flirting?"

Hisao's turn to laugh at my embarassment. "It sure was. Anyway, I'm gonna go to the library now. Good luck with your love life."

"Yeah, same to you, I'll go ahead to town."

I watch him walk out of the classroom as I try to think about Lilly and I. Sure, we had that moment a few days back, but who knows if it's a sign of something bigger between us or a one time thing. I cast aside those thoughts and head out of the school building.

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As I reach the town, I realise I don't know what to do exactly. It's a bit early for that cup of tea, so I walk around the park a bit. It reminds me of the area around my old house for a while, so I find the closet bench, sit down, and enjoy the view.

After a few minutes, it proves to be too boring though, as I start walking towards the Shanghai. It's in the far corner of the park, so it doesn't take me long to reach it. I notice something unusual though, a small little shop with some figurines and books on the window stands. A shop for otaku's huh? Might as well take a look, I think, as I step in through the door.

It's a nice little shop, a bit dusty, but I like it. Bookshelves filled with complete collections of different mangas. Stands with little badges and figures of different anime characters. Something at the back of the store catches my eye. A weapons stand, with all kinds of different swords and guns. All modified to accomodate cosplay convention rules. If I am lucky, maybe I'll even find THAT here.

I already know I don't have that much luck, but I recognize something else I have been looking for. Dante's Ebony and Ivory. I pick up one of them and take a closer look. The craftsmanship on these things is remarkable. Full steel, all of the action of a real gun, but a stopper in the barrel keeps it from real use. No matter, these stoppers can be easily removed. I put it down as I look at the price. Oh, these aren't cheap, but at this level of effort put into them, I wouldn't expect anything less. She would've loved these when we were kids. I try to force memories of her to the back of my head, before I lose it in public.

I bring the set to the man working behind the counter. Having paid for them, I start to set off, but he stops me halfwaym saying he has got an offer for me. Since I had bought something so expensive, he offers me Dante's coat as well, for free. Can't say no to a bargain like that, and it gives me a way to conceal the guns as well. I find a size comfortable with me and walk to the Shanghai, my wallet a lot emptier. I notice a black Evo driving away as I enter. A little bell above the door signals my arrival to Yuuko, who's standing behind the counter.

She does a quick, overacted bow, as her usual "Welcome to the Shanghai! Can I take your order?" rings in the teahouse.

"Ah, Yuuko, you're looking lovely as usual. A lemon tea with a dash of milk for me please."

She blushes a little as she writes down my order. "Your usual then. Anything else?"

"I can't think of anything right now, but I'll be sure to tell you if I need anything."

I start looking for an open table as Yuuko hurries away. It isn't a hard task, as it is mostly empty. I notice a familiar flash of yellow hair at a window-side table and head that way.

As I thought, no more than a second is needed to determine Lilly is sitting at the table. She seems a bit depressed.

"Hi Lilly. It's nice to meet you here."

She tries to match the voice to the person before continuing, I guess. "Ah, is that you, Frank? Care to take a seat?"

"Sure, why not." I say as I sit down. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was here to meet my sister, Akira. You just missed her."

"Ah, I think saw her car leave. Does she work that far away that she has to leave this early?"

"Unfotunately so, it's a long drive here. Thanks to that, we rarely see eachother these days. Anyway, enough about me, what about you?"

"I felt like today is a day that I shouldn't be wasting by sitting in my room. So, I came here. Got some sweet gear from the otaku shop as well."

"I noticed your walk was a bit heavier than usual. I guess you must've found something special."

"Not much, just a couple of things. Ah, thanks Yuuko," I say as she places my tea in front of me. "Could I get a strawberry sundae as well?" She nods as I get a strange look from Lilly.

"A strawberry sundae combined with tea. You have quite interesting tastes."

"Nah, by the time it arrives, the tea will be gone already. Do you want some as well, seeing as your cup is empty."

"Might as well, I'll have the same you are having. Mind if I taste it first, though?"

"Sure, though I doubt you will like it. It's lemon tea with milk, an old favourite."

"Oh?" she says as she takes a sip of my tea. "It seems good, I'll take it."

As Yuuko comes back with my sundae, Lilly tells her the order. She quickly leaves, and a small awkward silence falls between us, as I eat my Sundae.

"Do you have any siblings?" she breaks the silence.

"Nope, not a single one. To be honest, I envy you a bit for that. I guess you hear that from most of the people who are only childs like myself."

"Yes, you're right. For me it's a difficult subject to think about objectively, since I have had Akira for my whole life next to me."

"I get that, it's hard to put yourself outside of a situation you have been in your whole life. You two must have a pretty close relationship."

In the meantime, Yuuko brings Lilly her tea, trying to interrupt us little as possible. Lilly thanks her and I think about our conversation a bit. Despite usually being so on guard and formal in front of people, she has an amazing level of curiosity. Finishing my sundae, I realise that our little affair a few days back might not be a one-time thing. She cautiously takes a sip of her tea and I look at her closely, trying to get some emotions of how she feels. Nothing at first, but as time passes, her smile becomes more evident.

"This is some good tea. The milk gives it some sweetness."

I give her a small smile. "See, I told you. Anyway, if you're finished, how about we head back?"

She stands up and pulls out her cane, as I hand her bag. "That would be a good idea, if we don't want to get any trouble." We continue out of the Shanghai and get to Yamaku by nightfall.

As we reach her room, she gives me a small kiss. "Thank you for this lovely evening."

I return the favour, before leaving. "You're welcome."
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[HenryT]

Chapter 4: Festival de l'amour

The next day I wake up earlier than usual, thanks to the people gathering here for the festival. I look out of my window - even though it's not even 10 o'clock, there's already a lot of people walking around campus grounds.

I get dressed and get out of my little room, only to bump into Kenji, who seems to be sneaking around for a reason. "Sorry, man, didn't see you there," we both say to eachother.

"So, how's the war against feminists going, man?" Kenji quickly shushes me as he looks around. "Shut up man, or do you want to blow my cover?"

I take a suspicious look at him. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that? There are no feminists in the boys dorm. I know, I checked." Kenji seems to calm down, as I think how to plan my approach next. As always, when talking Kenji, it's a good idea to go along with his act.

"Alright man, then we're good. Don't go outside today though, a lot of feminists out there."

I give him a dissapointed look. "Aw, really? I promised to help a friend with some stuff, so I really have to go. I'll look out for them though!" I tell Kenji as I head off.

I exit the boys dorm and notice how many people are here really. As I walk around the grounds I see that there's a lot of stalls around here - from food and drinks to different games. I haven't seen a school festival so massive before, so I don't know where to start. I remember something about Lilly's class having a food stall, so it's my best chance right now.

Getting closer to their stall, it really stands out from the others. Twice as wide as the other stalls and with a lot of cooking equipment, it looks more like a small outdoor restaurant than just a festival event. There's steam rising from everywhere, pots and pans moving at blistering speeds. Most of the blind students seem to be unpacking ingredients with the help from the teacher of 3-2.

As I look in more closely though, it becomes evident that there's a lack of people, as everyone is switching between different stations quite often. Maybe it would be best to help them out? I don't have anything to do anyway, so why not make myself useful.

I approach the counter, where Lilly is currently situated. "Welcome, what would you like?"

I look at the menu, figuring out what the options even are here. "Hey Lil', could I get some yakisoba?"
"Ah, is that you, Frank? Sure, coming right up."

"You guys seem pretty busy."

Her face drops a little, confirming my guesses. "Well, somewhere along the chain of command our order got mixed up and we only have half of the indgredients we need. The fact that we are missing about half of our class is gone doesn't help, either."

"Well, the solution to the first problem would be to halve the serving portions. As for the staff problem, how about I help out? I don't know what to around here anyway, since it's my first festival on this scale."

"Oh, I couldn't be more grateful right now. You could help us until more of our class shows up."

"And then we leave and you take me on a little tour, deal?" I say as I walk behind the counters.

"Sure, though I don't know how much help I'll be on the tour part. By the way, have you seen Hanako?"

"Hmm, can't say that I have, but I only woke up around an hour ago, so I haven't been around that much. I'll keep an eye out as I work though."

Lilly gives me an affarmative nod as I take my place behind the counter. After some time, I find myself thinking how cool this is - doing something with friends that is actually productive. It also gives me time to observe all the people walking past or to the food stand.

Most of them seem to be little kids dragging their parents or grandparents along with them. I notice that there are definently more elderly people among the crowds. Maybe this is that kind of a town, a place where you either live your whole life or you spend your senior years in.

"Sorry, we are having a few difficulties on our end. What can I get you?" I say to the next customer as I put money away in the safety box.

"A miso soup would be nice." I look up as I notice the familiar voice.

"Ah, Hisao, nice to see you around here. Hold on, I'll get you your soup right away."

"Thanks. You guys seem pretty busy. Why are you working here, anyway, isn't this 3-2's stand?"

"Yeah, well, some of the others from Lilly's class didn't show up on time, so I stepped in and asked if I could work with them. Beats sitting around doing nothing, at least in my opinion. Here's your soup, by the way. Remember to drop off the bowl back here when you're finished."

"Ah, thanks. And here's the money."

"Right. Oh, before I forget, have you seen Hanako?"

"No, not today, why?"

"Lil' was just a bit worried about her. If you do find her, keep her around for company, for me and Lil'?"

"Okay, I'll see what I can do."

I take a look at the leaving Hisao before attending another customer.
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The rest of the day passes on quickly as more and more people come to the food stand. Luckily the teacher has found the rest of the class and we have enough staff to allow some of the others rest. I look at the clock and it's already getting quite late.

"Hey, guys, is it okay if Lilly and I take our leave?"

Lilly tries to refuse, but she is interrupted by another student. "Yeah, sure, you two have done enough work already. We can handle ourselves here, you two go and have fun."

Lilly gives up resisting and feels her way around the counters, picking her cane up along the way. I guess we should look around for Hanako, though Hisao might be already with her.

"So, I guess searching for Hanako would be the first priority. How about we check the library first?"

"That seems like a good guess. We'll check there first then."

Though there are lots of people on the outside, the inside of the school seems almost abandoned.

"It's nice and quiet here, isn't it?" "Yeah, much better, that noise was starting to get a bit irritating."

We climb the stairs as I notice how Lilly seems to know every little corner there is, probably having memorised the path from experience.

"Hold on, I think I hear voices from the tearoom. Let me take a quick look, " I stop Lilly as I open the door. As I thought, Hisao and Hanako are chatting away there.

"Well, look who we have here, two little lovebirds sitting on a mountaintop." Both of them look surprised as I let out a laugh. "Don't worry, I'm just teasing. Hey Lil', they're in here," I call out to her. I sit down on the opposite side of Hanako as Lilly takes the last open chair. Hanako's face is still bright red from my little comment.

"So, Hisao, I see that you had no problem finding Hanako. Have you two been outside yet?"

"Nah, we thought it would better to stay inside." he answers, exchanging a small look with Hanako.

"Fair enough, I won't try to feel around the chemistry you guys are having. Anyway," I quickly add, before Hisao could answer anything, "you seem to know your way around here, Lil'."

"Well, I have been here for a few years now, so I've memorised most of the rooms. The dorms still trip me up though."

"Yeah, I noticed the layout is quite difficult to remember at first. Were they built later than the main building?"

"Actually, they were unused buildings before they were renovated."

"Ah, I think you mentioned that before."

"Anyway, how are you two feeling about Yamaku? You have been here a week now, two in Frank's case."

Hisao doesn't seem to understand, so I go first. "I really like it. It's better than my old school, though the stadium was way better there. Ours was the newest full-size stadium in Europe when I left. True story," I finish with a smug smile on my face.

"I don't know, I think I've come to like it as well."

"Well, that's a relief, most people who transferred here because of their..." Lilly stops a bit before continuing, "...needs, don't grow to like Yamaku."

"Well, not me, I came here by choice. What about you, though?

The quick reversal comes as a surprise to Lilly. "Well, I've been here a while, so..."

"No, I mean you seemed pretty depressed about Akira yesterday."

"Hmm~?" What's with that tone? Oh, no, don't tell me...

"Akira's already taken, sorry."

And there it is. My palm hits my face so hard I actually lose balance on my chair and fall on my back. Hanako and Hisao quickly look over the table to see if I am okay, and Lilly's eyes shoot open in terror. "Oh my god, are you alright, Frank?"

I raise my hand and make an imaginary mouth with it. "Yeah, he's alright," I speak with a cute little voice. It seemed a good way to lighten the mood and it seems to have worked. Hisao falls back into his chair, laughing, and even Hanako's smiling a bit. The only one in the room to still be worried is Lilly.

"Seriously, Frank, don't do that again, what if you got hurt?"

I lify my chair back up and take a seat. "Alright, alright. Though that was no way to respond to a concern, even if it is funny."

My choice of words makes Lilly raise an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you aren't interested in her?"

"I would be, if my eyes weren't set somewhere else already, if you know what I mean."

She gives me a small girlish giggle as her pale cheeks turn red. Did I actually say that out loud? We all sit there in silence for a moment before I try to change the subject.

"Well, I think we should all at least check out what the festival has to offer that we haven't seen yet. How about it, Hanako, Hisao?"

"Sure," he says, but Hanako hesitates a bit. "D-do we have to?"

"We can stick to the less crowded areas, if you want to." That seems to comfort her enough to get an answer out of her. "W-well, o-okay then."
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I take a can of coffee and a styrofoam cup of tea and hand them to Hisao, before I take another two cups myself, and we head back to where the girls are sitting. It's actually a nice place, a bit away from the festival and lit by moonlight.

"Welcome back, Hisao." Her ears are good, as I'm not even close to them and Hanako hadn't noticed me yet. But still...

"Wrong person, right order," I say, as I give them their teas, "sorry, but they only had instants."

"Ah, no matter. Did you enjoy the festival, though, Frank?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fun. But it wouldn't been that fun without you two and Hisao."

As Hisao reaches us and sits down as well, the first fireworks start to go off, and a lot of enthusiastic cheers can be heard from further around us. We sit and awe for a few minutes, admiring all the colourful displays, as Lilly listens with her eyes shut. All kinds of different colours and shapes can be seen.

I have only seen fireworks like this on New Year's Eve, and even those were much shorter and smaller where I lived. But to enjoy this with my friends, and more importantly, Lilly, the feeling from this moment has made me the happiest I had been for a long time.

"So, the festival's finally ending. The fireworks definantely sound bigger than last years." She gives a delicate sigh. "It's too bad though that we will be graduated before the next festival."

I my hand gently around her shoulder. "Don't worry, there should still be Tanabata before we graduate, right? How about I take you there?" I say as I pull her closer to me.
She gives me the happiest look I've seen on her. "That would be wonderful." We set off as the last of the barrages end.

"By the way, I asked Hanako about your looks, like you wanted me to." I trip out of sheer surprise.

"A-and?" I ask her as I regain my balance. I feel something bad coming up.

"If anything, I like you even more. Now that I know how you look like, it's easier for me to imagine all of the things around me. But the image I have of you isn't complete though."

Though she is being flattering, the last part has me on my guard. "What do you mean?"

This time she gets really close to me. "Do you mind if I quickly feel your face?" she says as she starts to run a hand around my jawline. I gotta say, I am surprised how direct she's being right now, but as I feel her soft hands around my face, I forget about everything around me.

Her hands are feeling every little detail of my face, not to mention how her long, soft fingers move so surely even with the slightest of movements. I have no doubt that her tactile feelings are in another league compared to mine.

She runs her hand through my hair as she retreats a bit away from me. I'm sure she has got every last little detail of my face remembered now. "Thank you for letting me do that, Frank. And I've got to add, even though you have your unusual...how to say it, colour patterns, I still think you're very handsome."

I don't even think about how she has preferences in looks, as I pull her in close and give her a kiss. "Thanks, Lilly. That means a lot coming from you."

I hear her say "You're welcome," before she locks her lips with mine. She quickly pulls away after a few seconds, her face crimson red. I look at her with a bit of disbelief, then I realise Hisao and Hanako have been looking at us the whole time. As I feel my own face reddening as well, I figure it's best to say something to avoid the awkward silence between us.

"Umm...yeah, I-I think we should head back. Even though it is the festival night, we still got school tomorrow. And don't think of me as a buzzkill, I know some part of you agrees with me," I add to everyone's dissapointed faces.

We all agree on one thing though - it really is getting late. We escort the girls back to their dorms and thank them for the great time before heading to sleep ourselves.
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[HenryT]

Chapter 5: Going shopping

I can't seem to fall asleep, as I keep thinking about the festival and especially, about Lilly. I lay on my bed in that near-sleep state until the alarm clock annoyingly signals that I have to get up if I don't want to be late.

I stumble into the shower and turn on the water. As I let the warm water run down my body, I start feeling more and more awake. I guess a hot shower was the only thing I needed. I get dressed and head out to class.

It seems I am a bit early though, only some of the students are here right now, and the two of the most active of them all are here as well. I greet Hisao before sitting down at my desk and resting my head on the table. I guess the energy boost from the shower wasn't that big.

"Ah, Frank, sleeping in class, are we?" As always, Misha's voice is loud enough to wake the dead. "You know, you shouldn't have stayed up so late, even though it was the festival yesterday."

"I'm really tired and I am so not in the mood for this, girls. Really." A painful truth, as I don't even have the energy to lift my head right now.

"Oh, really? Then I guess we just have to wake..." Oh, gimme a break. "...you..." Her hand chops the air right above me "...u-Ahh~!"

I grab her hand in a grip as she tries to slap me in the head. Misha's obviously shaking as I slowly lever myself up from my chair. I notice her eyes shooting out in terror as I tower over her. My tall frame must look scary enough, even without my odd looks. I give her a kind look and put her fingers in her palm, which seems to calm her down a little.

"Please, Misha, try to understand. I've been up all night and I haven't slept one bit, so I seriously don't have the energy right now. Are we good?" I try to say with the nicest smile I could possibly manage in this condition, and let go of her hand.

"Y-yeah, we're good." I pat her on the head as Misha blushes a bit, an unusual sight for her.

"I am sorry if I scared you back there," I try to comfort her as I sit back down. Seems to work, as she visibly cheers up as her voice returns to it's usual loudness.

"No worries, I should've known better than to wake a sleeping bear. Anyway, getting to the point I wanted to reach, we saw you helping out the 3-2 stalls yesterday."

"Yeah, I felt like I should do something to make myself useful, and they seemed a bit understaffed, so I joined in. What about it?" I ask, my head buried in the table.

"Wahahaha~!" God, her laugh is always annoying. "I understand, but even though I am sure your help was appreciated, it would be better if you helped your own class next time around."

Figures as much. Before I can say anything, heavy footsteps from the hall announce Mutou's arrival and Misha rushes back to her seat, Shizune along with her. As he walks in through the door, I look at him and am thoroughly surprised to find someone who had a night that was worse than mine.

We open up our notebooks and the first class of the new week begins.
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"Frank, are you awake?" Lilly's soft voice brings me back to reality.

"Huh, what?" I say as I stretch with a loud yawn. I manage a surprised look as I find myself in the tea room with Lilly, Hisao and Hanako. Wow, I really need sleep, if I am having blackouts already.

"I asked you if you wanted to have more tea?" Lilly asks me again.

"Yeah, sure....sorry, I must've fallen asleep. I couldn't get any sleep at all last night."

Hisao shoots me a bit of a concerned look. "And I thought I was the insomniac here." He realises his words a bit too late, as the whole room gives him his full attention. I decide to poke him a little bit, just for fun.

"Your medication giving you a hard time again, huh?" Hisao tries to keep me quiet, but Lilly's already caught on the subject.

"Medication?" she asks, with a worried face.

Hisao gives us a sigh, indicating him giving up. "Yeah, I have a heart condition."

"A-a h-heart c-condition? Is it s-s-serious?" We all looks at Hanako who seems genuinely worried about Hisao and embarrased of all of the sudden attention.

"Yeah, I've got arrythmia. I can't overexert myself or get hit in the chest, or I might have a heart attack. But don't worry, since I always take my meds and have no plan doing full-contact sports I should be fine." Hanako looks even more worried than before, but Hisao's story sparks something in my memory.

"Hey, I almost forgot. Well, two things actually. Firstly, Miki got me into the track meet that's happening on Sunday, it would be cool if you guys could come cheer me on."

All of them agree besides Lilly, who seems to be in deep thought. "Sunday, isn't that the day we planned the..."

Yeah, I know, don't worry, unless you had the WHOLE day planned out, I should be well rested by evening, so it's fine really," I cut Lilly off before she reveals too much. "Which brings me to item number two - Hisao, me and the girls were planning to celebrate my birthday this Sunday and I was wondering if you could come as well, seeing as youre one of the only friends I have here."

"Yeah, not a problem, man. Who else are coming?"

Lilly interrupts us for a bit. "Well, there's Frank, obviusly. Then there's me, Hanako, you, and probably Yuuko as well, seeing as she will be the waitress that evening. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, Frank, but I invited Akira as well."

"No problem, Lil'. Wait, Akira is over the drinking age, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" she asks me with a suspicious look.

"I was just wondering if she could score us a bottle of whiskey. Or two."

The whole room is visibly shocked. "What? You can't celebrate a birthday with class unless there's at least some whiskey included. Maybe some Captain Morgan mixed in with some Coke as well, but only if the enviroment allows it."

"You know we are all under the drinking age, right?" Lilly asks me, trying to scold me. "What if we get caught?"

"Oh, come on, Lilly. If we split a single bottle between the five of us, we all only get a glass, two if the bottle's big enough. That won't even get you buzzing."

"And how do you know we all have such high alcohol toleration?" Hisao's time to cut in between.

"Simple, I don't, but you've gotta admit, a small glass wouldn't hurt anyone." I try to calm them down.

"Well, alright, if that's what you want, I'll see what I can do," Lilly says with a dissappointed tone.

"Thanks, Lil', you're the best. Like you said, birthday's should at least be celebrated with friends, so wouldn't it be best to let loose a bit?"

She agrees as the conversation dies again. I notice Hanako's sitting too quietly and try to get her to open up. "Say, Hanako, didn't you say there was a chess set around here? We could get a game finished before the bell rings."

She jumps a little, obviously awoken from sleep. "Y-yeah, l-let's play." She goes to a nearby cupboard and pulls out a chess set. We set up the pieces and start playing.
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Hanako's rook forces my king into checkmate.

"Well, seems like I have no option but to admit defeat. Good game, Hanako."

"Y-yeah, good game. There's still some time left, how about another one?" She really seems confident, so I accept her offer. Confidence is a trait I rarely see in her.

We set up the pieces again, as Hanako makes her first move.

White pawn, f6. Black pawn to e4. White pawn to g5.

I start to move my pawn, but something odd catches my notice. I almost jump out of joy on the inside, but only reveal my happiness to Hanako as I sit back in my chair and give her probably my slyest grin ever.

"W-what's wrong?" She asks me with a curious face.

"Nothing, just a little move, I like to call..." I move my queen from d1 to h5. "...Checkmate."

She doesn't believe me at first, but as she observes the playing field, she gets more distraught. "H-h-h-how d-did you...?"

"Found a website for trick plays yesterday, I'll send it to you later, if you want to. The chances for this to happen have to be in the millions, though. Honestly, I am so sleepy, I almost missed it myself." I laugh, but get cut off as the lunch bell rings.

"Well, we'd better get back." I say, as we put away our things and head back to class.
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I drag myself into my room as the final bell rings. Luckily Mutou was kind enough to let us off a bit early, seeing he was more tired than the most of us were. I fall in my bed, but something seems out of place. Am I forgetting something?

Let's see...I got my bag...there's still some food left...same with the tea.... Oh, scratch that, got no tea. Well, it seems a good enough excuse to go shopping, and I should really try cooking something other than ramen. I get out of bed, empty my backpack and head out of the room.

A group of familiar figures can be seen at the gate. It seems like Lilly and Hanako have the same idea as me, probably the same with Hisao. "Hey girls, Hisao. Going shopping?"

A shy hello can be heard from Hanako, as Hisao turns around to face me. "Ah, Frank, nice to see you out here. I thought you were going to sleep?"

"Screw it, I can go without sleep longer than without food. So, shall we be on our way?"

"So we shall," I hear Lilly say as she takes hold of my arm. It comes to me as a bit of a shock, and she's quick to notice that. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..." she says while backing off, but I pull her back close to me.

"You thought it would be faster for us if you'd take hold of me instead of using your cane. Am I even remotely on target?" I say as we start walking.

"Dead on, actually," she says with her trademark giggle.

After some time I take a quick glance at Hanako, who seems to be closer than usual to Hisao. She is holding onto her leather bag so tight that her hands have lost all colour. Even though we are all friends in this group, she looks as if she's going to the Principal's office.

Hisao's seem to have noticed too, as he let's out a small laugh.

"S-s-something the matter?" Hisao looks at her. "You just look like you're getting in trouble."

"W-w-w-what do you mean?" She is obviously startled and Hisao tries to calm her down.

"Well, I think you should relax a bit. We're only going to the store, and there's only students around us, right? And don't you do this every week?"

"Y-yes, but only with Lilly."

"Well, I'm right here. And don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."

"Oi," I wave a hand in front of Hisao's face, "we're still here, you know," I give him an accusing look. Hanako seems to liven up, trying to hold back a smile. Their conversation gave me something to think about, though.

You don't notice it at first, but Hanako's dependance on Lilly is massive. Has she ever left school without her? What if those two never met, how would she survive then? Would've she found someone else like Lilly? I think about that scenario the whole way to the store.

We each grab a few baskets, and before I could say anything, Hisao and Hanako have already scampered off. There's definently something between those two. I release a sigh as I turn to Lilly. "So, what do we need today?"

"Well, I could use some bread and I don't think I have milk left. Oh, and some eggs. What about you?" she says as we go through the isles, getting everything we need.

I pull out a recipe for Thai-style chicken with rice and figure out what I need. She gives me a small whistle as I read her the list. "Wow, that's a long list. Are you sure you can carry all that back to school?"

"Well, I'll have to manage, now won't I?" I examine the spice rack. I definently have everything I need right now. "That's my end covered. How about you?"

"This should be everything. Off we go then." We approach the counter and see Hanako and Hisao waiting for us outside. Our transaction done, I load my things in my backpack.

The road back to Yamaku is completely empty now that it's close to nightfall. Lilly and I march on ahead, while Hisao and Hanako follow a bit behind, struggling with their bags. I try to lighten the load by offering to take one of the bags, but they resist, so I shrug and walk on. As time goes by, I notice Lilly's arm getting tighter around me, as if she wants to say something.

"Something the matter, Lil'?"

She looks up at me. "I was going to ask you the same, you have been swaying more and more since town. Are you sure you're alright carrying all that?"

"Ah don't worry, the bag's fine, it's the sleep deprivation that's affecting me right now, " I say as my vision gets a bit fuzzy, "Ah, damn, could I lean on you a bit as we walk? I know it's harder that way, but I don't feel that well all of a sudden."

Lilly stops for a bit, furrowing her brow. "We can take a quick break if you need to."

"Thanks for the concern, but I feel like once we stop, I am going to fall asleep. We should keep moving, unless you want to carry me back." I try to lighten the mood, falling short of target, as Lilly furrows her brow even more.

"You really do worry me sometimes, you know." she quietly says as we start walking again. "Well, I try my best not to. I can't fall ill though, with the track meet and the party coming up."

"Ah, I meant to ask you about that during the lunch break. I didn't figure you as a runner type."

"Yeah, I guess that with all of the running I have done thanks to how I look I have developed quite a touch at it. I mean..." I try to correct myself, but the damage has already been done.

Lilly tightens her arm around me as she tries to find a somewhat right reaction. "I guess it was hard being bullied all the time."

"Yeah, but over the time, people got used to how I look. Some in a longer time than others. Over the years, as that happened and I found ways to make myself useful, the bullying started to just fade away."

She doesn't say anything for a long time as we keep on walking. "I think this is the longest I have heard you talk about your past, Frank."

"Yeah, I guess so. It feels good though, sharing these things with people I care about." I want to add something, but fail to find the right words, so I keep my mouth shut. Lilly seems happier than before, so I guess it wasn't all that bad talking about it.

Eventually we get to Yamaku, with me visibly swaying. We say our goodbyes as me and Hisao head back to the dorm. I stumble my way to my room, leaning heavily on his shoulder while trying not to fall asleep. "Damn, I haven't felt this sleepy since...well, forever. If I'm not in class tomorrow, could you make up some excuse to Mutou? Don't make it sound too bad though."

"Don't worry, I'll figure out something. You just make sure you get a good rest."

I thank Hisao and open my door. I am so tired I don't even bother getting undressed and fall straight into bed.

[HenryT]

Chapter 6: Competition and Confession

I jolt awake as I hear a thumping sound at the door. I take a quick look at the clock, only to see that it's about five in the morning. I stand up and look for my clothes, because I wouldn't look good only wearing my underclothes. Realising they were on me the whole time, I answer the door. "Who in their bright mind awakes a man at..."

I stop to see it's Hisao. "Ah, it's you. Still, why are you trying to wake the dead this early in the morning?" I take a quick look at Hisao, who seems to be wearing his gym clothes. "Are you finally taking up running?"

"I have been doing that since last week. Anyway, two things. Firstly, here are the notes from Mutous classes yesterday." He hands me a notebook as I give him a faint smile.

"Yesterday's notes? Damn, I must've slept off Tuesday then. No matter, I suppose you gave him a good enough excuse? "

"He didn't ask me about anything, though Miki did. I told her you were resting for the track meet and she seemed okay with that answer.

"Good man. Anyway, you mentioned asking something else?"

"Oh, right, wanna come running with me? I figured it would be best to wake you up and since you have the meet on Sunday anyway, why not train?"

"Seems fair enough. I'll meet you at the track, I'm gonna change my clothes real quick.

I rush to change my clothes as Hisao walks away. He's got a good point, I should see how much of my speed I lost while I was in the hospital. It would be bad to find out I've slowed down too much at the track meet. I finish up, grab a bottle of water with me from downstairs and head for the track. There's a nice wind out and the sun is shining brightly. A perfect time for a run.

I arrive at the track and notice Hisao and Emi already stretching out near the bleachers.

Emi notices me first and takes a quick look at me before greeting me. "Ah, Hisao, who's your tall friend? Is he a good runner? I'm Emi by the way."

I give her a smile as I start stretching myself. "The name's Frank, and from what I've heard, you're the big dog to beat at the track meet this Sunday."

"Are you also competing there?" she says with a suspicious look. "Looks like I might have someone to challenge me this year. You are a good runner, right?"

"Yeah, I used to be, I haven't ran for a while now, so I don't know how much speed I have left. Oh, one question though, and it might be a weird one," I say while trying to look away, "could you spot me something I could use to tie my hair?"

My fears become true, as Hisao starts giggling uncontrollably. Emi doesn't seem to mind though and quickly gives me a small ribbon out of her bag. "There, that should hold on for long enough to get you through the morning."

"Thanks. It's a bit embarrasing to ask this, seeing as I am a boy and all. I guess that's a downside to looking gorgeus with long hair. Well, better than with short hair, I look older than most teachers here with a short haircut."

"No problem. So, you guys ready to run?"

"Yeah, you guys go on ahead, I'll run at my own pace."

"Suit yourself, Hisao. Don't push too hard though." I say as we start running. "So, umm...Emi, was it? How long do you usually run around the morning?"

"Well, I don't want to tire you too much, so how about we do a half mile at a medium pace, and then the same at a faster one?"

"Seems fair enough." I reply as we go around the first curve. I speed up a little, and find Emi comfortably catching up to me. We find ourselves going at higher and higher speeds and by the end of the mile we are practically sprinting. Emi seems to be a bit short of breath as we stop to rest for a while.

"Dear God, you're really fast, you know that? I don't think I have ever ran this fast."

"H-heh, years....years of practise." I take a deep breath and stretch a bit. As Hisao walks by us, I get and idea. "Hey, how about we cool off a bit and walk a lap with Hisao?"

"Phew, that sounds....that sounds good." Emi says as she's put's her hands behind her head. We quickly catch up to Hisao, who seems to be wheezing a bit. "Hey, Hisao, you alright? Mind if we walk a lap with you?"

"Yeah, just trying not to push myself too much."

"Alright, man, how are you feeling? I think I am going to finish this lap, stretch a bit and then get back to class. Or...."

"Or what?" I hear Emi say from my right side.

"I thought we could do a little race. One lap, standing start?"

"Sure, but we should do it fast, I still have to get a shower before class. Hisao, can you give us a start?"

Hisao agrees as we reach the lap marker. We take our places. "Ready, set...GO!!"

We blast off the line, going into the first turn right next to eachother. Emi's really fast, but I manage to keep up. As we get on the back straight, I feel some kind of a rush assaulting my brain, telling me to speed up. I kick in another gear and this time I feel so fast I only concentrate on going ahead and don't even try to look at Emi. Is this what they call a runner's high? Though my legs are already sore from our previous mile, I keep on accelerating until I cross the finish line. I try to stop, but I've got so much speed I trip and slide on my back. I look up to see Emi crossing the finish line and slowing down.

"Whoa....I..I...I don't think....I...can take these speeds....anymore....you're too fast for me." she tries to say as she's gasping for air.

"Good race guys, I don't think I have seen Emi so tired before. You're really something else Frank."

"Thanks...but I can't say that I....I ain't tired either. That...was a good race, Emi." I get up and get my water bottle from my bag. I take off my shirt and drink a bit of the water, before dousing my body with the rest. As I turn back towards them, I notice Emi's already stretching.

"Well, I am gonna go and take a quick shower. I'll see you in class, Hisao," I say as I start going to the boys dorm.

"Wait, Frank, aren't you going to stretch at least?" I turn around to see Emi looking at me like I am forgetting something important.

"Nah, I'll cool off by running back to my room," I say as I start running backwards, "see you at the track meet, Emi!" I turn around and increase my pace a bit.

I put my bag down in my room and quickly hop in the shower, only to find that the water takes a while to heat up. Good thing I like cold showers then. As the water hits my body, I start stretching and feel my legs loosen up quite a bit. It's only after I get out of the shower that the rest of my body starts to become loose as well.

A quick glance at the clock confirms I still have enough time to get to class. I dry myself up, change my clothes and grab my bag as I exit the door for another day of class.
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Well, at least the day wasn't effortless. Thanks to Hisao's notes I was easily able to catch up and Mutou didn't seem to ask me anything about missing class yesterday. The only bad thing about today might be the surprise test before lunch, but since it was English, I don't worry too much about it.

I am in a train of thought so deep, I fail to notice Kenji walking straight towards me. We bump into eachother and I try to apologise, but that only makes Kenji go ballistic.
"Watch where you're going, you stupid feminist!"

"Whoa, chill, Kenji, it's me Frank. And what happened to not mentioning feminists? Not undercover anymore?"

He adjusts his glasses as he gets uncomfortably close. He pulls away after a few seconds. "Ah, Frank, good to see you. Just the man I was looking for. Let's walk and talk," he says as we start heading towards the school grounds.

I blink my eyes, trying to recover from the shock that I was a target for Kenji's ramblings. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've got to warn you about that blonde. You don't know her, man."

"Ah, we're talking about Lilly, right? Don't worry, she's cool."

Kenji looks positively shocked that I talk so casually about her, but quickly recovers and starts talking again. "Seriously, listen. You've noticed the deal between her and the Student Council, right?"

"Can't say that I haven't. Let me guess, you're gonna come up with something by the likes of 'she used to be in the Student Council, then something happened and she's not there anymore', right? It was one of my theories as well, and the most likely one I have thought of so far."

This time Kenji is so shocked that he doesn't talk for a few minutes. I enjoy the silence for a few minutes as I look around. The grounds here are really well kept, it feels like I'm not in a school, but in a park.

"Well, I see you are a smart man, Frank. But, let's see if you can explain this. Lilly's foreign, obviously."

"Obviously."

"Now, do you know where she is from?"

I think a bit about what to say before I answer, this being Kenji and all. "Well, my best guess would be somewhere from the Isles. The manners, the excessive tea drinking, they fit perfectly."

"Ah, you see, that's where I think you're wrong. Now, answer me this. Who have the social power, lots of money, a bloody history and are a small part of an organization that used to be big?"

"If you're trying to say the Mafia, then I gotta disagree with you, unless she's got ties to the Irish Mafia."

Kenji gets a bit agitated by my answer. "Why not? It all fits, the looks, the power, the money..."

I cut off Kenji before he gets rambling again. "Because, first of all, she doesn't look like she's from Sicily. And she definently can't be Russian, I have dealt with enough of those guys to know there's a zero per cent chance of that."

"What do you mean by that? Are you part of the Russian mob or something?"

"Oh, come on. By this time you must've noticed I am more foreign than Lilly. The looks, my accent. They all indicate that I am so not Japanese."

"So you ARE a part of the Russian mob!!" Kenji basically screams. I decide to have a little fun with him as I pin him to a nearby tree.

"Yes, I am. As you can tell, it wouldn't be the best option to scream it out here. You get what I'm saying?" I tell him, lowering my voice an octave or half.

Kenji looks a bit scared as he escapes from my clutches. "Yeah, man, no worries. I won't blow your cover. Just remember, be careful with that Satou chick. She could be dangerous."

"Don't worry, I can handle anything she throws at me. I'll see you later," I say as I walk away from him.

At least that went better than expected, looks like he bought the story. I hope it doesn't cause any trouble, though. Realising I am walking to nowhere, I try to remember where I was headed before I bumped into Kenji. Oh, right, the library. Gotta pick up some new manga to read or reread some old ones. I turn around and head for the main school building.
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Damn, nothing new this week. I take one of the first volumes of Fairy Tail and look for a free table. A hard task, as most tables have someone sitting there already. Mostly these people are alone but I don't feel like talking to people I don't know that well today.

Wait, I think I can see a familiar blonde sitting at the Braille section. "Mind if I sit here?" I say, my voice still lower than usual from talking to Kenji.

"Oh, not at all, sir," she says in a tone more polite than usual as she signals me to sit down.

"Are you alright, Mr...?" She obviously doesn't recognise my voice. For the second time today, I decide to have a little fun messing with people.

"Martin, I am the new English teacher in school. You must be Lilly Satou." It's really hard to keep myself calm as I watch Lilly think hard about who's she talking to.

"Ah, well, then I have to welcome you to Yamaku, Mr. Martin. By the way, how do you already know my name?"

I have to think this through, I don't want to mess it up. "Ah, yes, well, I worked together with your older sister a few years back. I have also heard about you from this boy named Frank, who seemed to have quite a high opinion of you. The two of you must be close."

Lilly blushes and tries to hold back her embarrasment. "No, Mr. Martin, we aren't, but is that really what a teacher should tell his student on their first meeting?"

"Only if he loves her ever so much." Ah, crap, I might've blown my cover with that one. Lilly is visibly shocked and is shaking quite a bit. "I-I'm sorry?" Might as well reveal myself now, before things get out of hand.

"Come on, Lil'. You really don't recognise me? It's me, Frank."

She think about it a second before going into a full blush and slapping my shoulder. "I actually thought you might be a new teacher. That was not funny."

I start laughing as I try to answer her. "Well, it was for me. Anyway, what'cha reading?"

"Nothing special, just trying to catch up on my chemistry."

"Ah, not doing well in there?"

She gives a small sigh before answering. "Yes, science isn't my strongest suit."

"Heh, I know what you mean. Anyway, can I ask you a question?"

"Not at all. Something the matter?"

"I was just talking to Kenji and he got me thinking...you're at least half foreign, right?"

"Ah, a good guess. Yes, I am half Scottish, half Japanese."

"Right, I knew I was right about you being from the Isles. Looks like Kenji's proven to be wrong."

"Yes, well, I've always been interested how people ask that. Akira has told me she and I look different from the others." she says, looking half worried. "I hope Kenji didn't cause you any trouble though, he's always rambling about random conspiracies."

"Don't worry about him. He was going on about how you were from the Mafia and all that. Which would explain some things," I say as she giggles a bit," but I shot down all his options and managed to scare him off."

Her face turns into a mix of curiosity and carefulness, like she is afraid to ask. "Scare him off?"

"Yeah, well, I wanted to mess with him, so I told I am from the Russian Mob. And something about him not wanting to blow my cover, if he doesn't want to deal with the consenquences. Nothing too big."

Lilly shoots me a worried look. "Are you sure that was the best idea? He has got quite an imagination, you know."

"Don't worry, I didn't go that far. And some of the stuff he talks about actually makes sense. Moving on, umm, since you're half Scottish, you must speak English quite well."

She seems to like the change of subject. "Yes, my family usually spoke Japanese around the house, but they made sure we could speak English as well. I can speak it fluently, but I study it as well, so I would have the qualifications on paper as well."

The only reason I can think of why she would need that is..."Ah, are you planning to become an English teacher?"

She gives me an enthusiastic nod. "Yes, and there's quite a high demand for local English teachers, so that's extra motivation for me."

"Well, I say go for it. You would be perfect for it and I gotta say, I wouldn't mind studying English under your supervision."

For a moment, it seems that I hit a soft spot, as she lowers her face and lets out a nervous giggle. "I don't think anyone's ever told me that before." There's a short awkward silence between us. "Well, enough talking about me, what about you?"

I lean back in my chair and put my hands behind my head. "I don't know where to start. What would you like to know?"

"Well, it would be nice to know where you're from, since you know my heritage."

"I am from a small country named Estonia. You know where it is?" I ask Lilly and continue, as she nods, "Well, I can speak four languages, Russian being my worst. I am fluent in Estonian and Japanese, and I am probably even better than you in English."

"Oh, aren't we confident?*Do you mind if we talk in English a bit then?*

*Not at all, madame. Anything else?*

*Well, if you're from somewhere so far away as Estonia, how did you end up in Japan?*

*It's a long story. Do you have the time for it?*

*I'll manage.*

I spend the next half an hour telling her the story in the same exact way as I did to Miss Inori. As we progress with the story, I notice more and more how she can't keep her emotions under control. Is it really such a sad tale for her?

*...and that's how my first day here went. Are you alright?* I see a small teardrop run down Lilly's face.

"...I'm sorry, what?" She doesn't seem to notice a thing, so I take a napkin from my pocket and wipe it off her face.

"There you go. Tell me, was it really such a depressing story that it even got you to cry? I don't mean to imply you are cold or anything," I quickly say to not offend her, "it's just that you've always seen like the type to be in control of her emotions."

"I usually am. But to answer your question with my own, how is it not a sad story for you?"

I have to think about this one more thouroughly. Am I the cold one here? Or is it just the fact that I left my last life completely behind me? I fail to think about it more as Lilly sits next to me and starts running her hand through my hair. Ah, the softness of her hands, I'll never get tired of that.

"Well, I'd have to say it's because I have a whole new life here. I've left my past behind me and even though it will catch up to me one day, I am somewhat grateful for it."

Lilly removes her hand from my head as she gives me a worried look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if I didn't have these looks, I would still probably be in Estonia, mulling about my life. Thanks to that I got the courage to leave my old life behind. And If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here right now, talking to the sweetest girl I have ever known."

I watch Lilly blush a little, but her face turns serious. "You know, back when you were trying to trick me that you were a teacher, you said something that spiked my interest for some time. Do you really....love...me?"

"Yes," I reply without skipping a beat, "I do Lilly. I know we have known eachother for less than three weeks, but I really feel somewhat different when I am with you. I am way past the crush stage now and I can tell from our times alone that I am not the only one with feelings for the other."

I take a deep breath, trying to collect my courage. "Getting to the point real quick...Would you like to go on a date with me sometime in the future?"

Lilly's face is so cute when it's crimson red. "Well, I would be lying if I told you I had no feelings for you. A date sounds wonderful. Promise me one thing though, we try to slow down our relationship, okay?"

I jump for joy, on the inside of course, and give her a kiss on the cheek. "Of course, Lil', I wouldn't want to screw up this marvellous opportunity. Do you want to go the next Saturday or the one after that?"

"The last option sounds better. It's the 30th right?"

"Yeah. Well, I gotta go. It's getting a bit late and I still have homework to do." I give her a real kiss this time as I stand up. "See you later, Lil'."

I take my bag and start walking towards my room, wielding a big smile and a warm heart.
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If you couldn't tell already, text in bold is in something other than Japanese.

[HenryT]

Chapter 7: A perfect end to a perfect day

"Something's a miss." I say that to myself as I get out of bed. There's a note on top of my clothes.

"Don't forget, track meet today. Bring water, you're going to need it. - Frank"

Ah, how sweet, someone let me a note. Wait, I am Frank. And what's the time? I quickly look at the clock and luckily, it shows that I have about an hour before I have to be there. I put on my shorts and walk to the bathroom. Maybe that haircut yesterday wasn't such a bad idea, I think as I look at the mirror.

I thought it might be better if I had shorter hair and I admit, I look much better like this. Though I look years older and my bad eye can be seen from all angles now.

Going to the track earlier might be a good idea, to not to worry anyone looking for me. And so I find myself walking through crowds of people, all here for seeing our track team compete with ours. It makes me feel...scared to see all these people here. I've never run in front of a crowd before, not mentioning one this big.

I check to see the bleachers, if there's any sign of Lilly, Hisao or Hanako, but then remember something. Crowds. Damn, so Hanako's out of the game. Since I can't see Hisao or Lilly either, I head to a small unoccupied spot where Miki and another girl are stretching.

"Yo, Miki, umm...Haruhiko, right? Am I on time?"

Both of the girls look up and greet me briefly before returning to their business. "Yeah, right on time. To tell you the truth though, I got some bad news for you. Thanks to the fact that...let's just call him Jerk, dropped out, we might have to drop out of the relay."

I lower myself to their level and stretch my legs. "It's a mixed relay?" I ask and continue after a confirming nod, "Well, if you can, put me in the last two shifts. I get faster over a distance, and I can hold my top speed for about a lap."

Miki stands up, visibly cheered from my offer. "Well, that solves that then. Come on, let's get us signed up for the relay then."

We reach the counter just before the 400m competitors are called to the track. "Shit, Haru, can you sign us up? We gotta go, now."

"Wait, the lap is first? Alright, time to get wasted," I say, as we jog to the starting line.

Miki seems to find me hilarious for some reason. "Haha, yeah, nothing like some running to blow off your mind."

My run is first, so I take my place and wait for the starter to give his commands. As he raises his pistol, I can't help but to let out a small smirk. This is going to be good.
I sleep in a bit on the start and enter the first turn last. I increase my pace to a full sprint and by the last corner I am neck and neck with the leading pair. I kick it into top gear and push by them and cross the line with a comfortable lead.

I run off the track straight to where my bag is and douse myself with a bottle of water. The announcer, with her trademark laugh ringing through the speaker, happily gives the results. Not bad, I think as I hear my time, better than I thought I would be.

"You're too fast, you know that?" I hear a voice behind me. I turn around to see Miki grabbing a bottle from my bag. "What happened at the start though, did you fall asleep?"

"Yeah, a bit, but I recovered fast enough to win."

"So, do you want to do the short runs before the relay as well? Since you're running two shifts there, we don't want to push you too much, you know."

I give her a sigh as I lever myself up from the grass. "Yeah, I'll think I'll skip the short ones. I'm more of a medium distance guy, two to six laps is my sweet spot."

"Alright, at least we don't have to worry about the other schools winning those, Emi's got them on lockdown."

"Yeah, she is really fast for her age. Not in a bad way, I mean, she can beat most seniors and she's just a freshman." I stop to hear Misha announcing the 200m run. "Sounds like your call. You'd better hurry."

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit," she screams as she runs back to the track.

Watching the runs might not be a bad idea, at least I get to scope out some of the other school's runners. It seems a bit weird though, I'd never thought a sport event would be this big in Yamaku, even if it is against another school. But then again, I never went to these kinds of events in the past.

Emi easily wins the shorter runs and as the relay race is called out, I take one last look at the bleachers. Hisao, Lilly, and most shockingly, Hanako - they are all there, watching the runners for the relay prepare themselves. Hisao catches my look and I give him a quick wave before heading to the track myself.

Seems like the girls are heading out first. I watch Haruhiko go first and she manages to keep herself close to the lead. The next shift goes bad though, as a really fast tall girl increases the lead to about a second or so by the final turn. I hold my hand out, praying that Miki would give me the baton smoothly enough.

Luckily, there is a lot of grip between my hand and baton and I storm off, trying to catch up with the leader. The guy's good, I have to admit, as I can't get close enough to him to pass him. They bog up their handoff on the last handoff, which gives me a chance to run ahead. I use the opportunity to its fullest and increase my speed until I feel I can't get any faster.

I see a fast moving blip out of the corner of my eye as Emi slowly passes me. Are you kidding? I can't have slowed down already! My vision get's a bit blurry as we round the second to last corner. I am thinking about slowing down a bit, but a little voice in my head keeps telling me to go faster.

Go hard or go home, I guess. I use the last of my energy to try and pass Emi, and it's working, but too slowly. Suddenly, her speeds seems to drop a bit and I use that to get next to Emi and cross the finish line first. I lower my speed and, again, head straight to my bag for a little shower. God damn, I don't think I have been this tired after running before. My body's all sore and my breathing is out of control.

I don't notice Hisao and the girls approaching while I try to calm down. While he and Hanako stay standing, Lilly sits right next to me.

"You know, you're going to get a LOT of sweat on your clothes if you sit this close."

"Well, alright," she says, looking a bit hurt. Nice going, man. She tries to back off a bit, but I pull her in closer.

"Who said you can't be close to me? I was just giving you a heads-up," I say and kiss her on the cheek. "By the way, I can't get something out of my head. How in the world did you manage to get Hanako to show up?"

Hisao and Hanako give eachother a quick look before answering. "She was actually the one to get Lilly and I out of our rooms at the right time. And since when have you been so rude?"

I shake my head a bit and put my face in my palm. "I am sorry, my brain doesn't seem to work properly right now. Anyway, " I say as I get up, "I am gonna go take a quick shower. I'll see you guys later at the Shanghai, alright?"

"Aren't you coming with us?" I hear Hisao say as I start walking away.

"Nah, I'm gonna get there a bit earlier, I gotta prepare something before you guys get there." I leave the trio a bit dazzled and head back to my room.

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"Hey, Yuuko, is the table ready?" I ask, while putting the last of the meal in the oven.

"Y-yeah, just finished," she says while walking into the kitchen. "By the way, the others have arrived.

"Great. Now, when the oven finishes, could you serve it equally to six portions?"

"S-sure, but aren't there five of you?"

I pat her on the head before I remove my apron. "You think after all this help I am going to have you going without even tasting the food? Cute. Now, if you excuse me, I have to make an appearance."

I walk out of the kitchen to see Lilly, Akira, Hisao and Hanako all waiting for me at the door. "Hey guys, come on in. If you don't mind, I would like you to sit down at the table, the food should be ready soon," I say as I give everyone a hug.

We all sit at the table, with one spot remaining open. Before anyone can ask, I say that it's supposed to be Yuuko's seat, and that she'll occupy it as soon as the meal is served.

I take a quick look at everyone before Yuuko get's here. Akira seems to be the only one without a Yamaku uniform, wearing the same suit she had when I first met her.
A faint sound of an oven beeping can be heard. "Ah, seems like it's ready. I hope you don't mind, but since you know I don't like cakes that much, I decided to cook up something else you might really enjoy.

An amazing aroma is around us as Yuuko sets down the tray. "Chicken with rice, Thai style." I notice Yuuko trying to sneak away from us. "Come on Yuuko, sit down with us, this meal wouldn't be here without your help, you know."

She resists a bit, but after everyone asking her to join in, she sits down at the end of the table and we all dig in.

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Akira is the first one to finish. "Man, this chicken is good. You mind giving this recipe to Lilly so she could cook me this some time as well. What?" she says as Lilly gives her a nudge in the shoulder, "you know I am kidding. I am gonna have my boyfriend cook it for me instead."

"It would be better if you did it yourself, but since you have a habit of blowing herself up while cooking, it might not be the wrongest idea to have someone cook for you."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, Frank, since we are all almost done with the food anyway, how about..." she says as she pulls out a bottle from her bag, "we start the night?"

I take the bottle and examine it closer, not believing my eyes. "You actually got us the whiskey? And, even better, a bottle of Jack?"

"Hey, it's your birthday, you can have the privilege of drinking on a day like this. Just...don't tell anyone." She gives a look at her sister. "Lilly scolded me enough about this already, and she's a pussycat compared to some of the people in Yamaku."

"I know what you mean, but don't worry, I ain't stupid." I say as I line up the glasses and fill them all up.

"Wow, you look like you have experience doing this. Is there something you're not telling us?" Akira gives me one of her analytical gazes as she says that.

"Only that I used to serve drinks at parties before you guys even went to high school. Even though we Estonians are mistook as Russians, I gotta say, they have nothing on us when it comes to drinking."

Akira tries to say something, but Hisao beats him to it. "A professional drunk from young age, then?" he asks while trying to supress a laugh.

"Nope, I have never been drunk in my life. I have drank some heavy stuff during the years, but I know how to keep myself under control," I say as I hand everyone a glass. "Bottoms up!"

I drink mine in a single swig. Feeling the alcohol burning my throat a bit, I slam the glass on the table. Luckily not everyone's this bold as me. Akira's finished as well and even Lilly has drank a half, but Hanako and Hisao seem to struggle a bit. Yuuko has sneaked away all together, but soon comes back with some ice.

"Ah, there you are," I say. "Hey, Hisao, Hanako, how about we add some rocks to the drink, that way it's a bit watered down and easier to consume."

"Y-yeah, sure, b-but I t-think I will end my drinking with this glass." A small hiccup can be heard after she has finished talking.

"Same for me, this isn't good for my heart." Hisao adds to Hanako's quiet talking. "So, should we do it?" He looks at everyone but me and Yuuko.

They all start to search their bags and pull out their gifts.

"Happy birthday!" all say in unison.

For the second time tonight, I am completely shocked. Hisao's holding Hei's full and half-broken masks from Darker than Black, Lilly's gift is a full set of all Linkin Park albums and Hanako got me a... oh my god....a copy of the actual Death Note.

"Have you guys been snooping in my dreams? The only thing that could make this better is if you would pull out a tachi from the Edo dynasty."

Lilly's the first one to respond. "Glad you like the gifts, you can thank Yuuko for telling us what you like, mostly."

I look at Yuuko and give her a big hug, as I thank the others as well. "By the way, Lil', how did you know I like Linkin Park? I haven't mentioned it in any of our talks."

She gives me a small giggle, but a quick look at Hisao reveals the one who betrayed my secret. "I'll remember that one, man."

Akira takes a look at her watch as she levers herself up from her set. "Well, I've gotta get going. Birthday or not, I still have to work tomorrow."

"You sure you're good driving?" I ask her as she walks away from the table.

"Don't worry, I could outdrink all of you brats and still drive like a champ. Seeyas!" She raises her hand as she leaves.

She's right though, it is getting late. I pack up all the things in my bag, remembering to not forget the gifts or the bottle of Jack, and we all help Yuuko with the clean-up, before leaving as well.

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While walking up the hill, I notice Hisao and Hanako swaying a bit while holding tightly on to eachother. "Hey, you two already drunk? Don't tell me you sneaked another glass or two while we were cleaning up?"

Hisao seems to be thinking about an answer far too long to be sober and the only things that can be heard from Hanako are small, but continuous hiccups. "Yeah, but only one. We thought...we thought we could handle it, but as you can see, we failed to do so."

"Don't worry, you guys are just fine, I don't think you would be hung over tomorrow. The fact that you can walk is already a good sign." I look at Lilly, who seems to be just fine, but there are some signs with her as well. "Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, just a little buzzing." Ah, she's fine alright. "Do you mind if we sleep in your room tonight? I don't think that we can make it back before curfew."

"Sure, I can give you girls my room, and I'll just sleep in..." I get cut off as Lilly shakes her head.

"No, I...I want to sleep with you tonight." I take a look at her and her face is becoming redder by the second. "But don't...get any ideas, I just feel like I need someone to hold me right now."

I guess the alcohol has affected her more than I thought. But I can't say no to a cute face like that, no matter how much she has had. "Don't worry, I'll be there for you," I say as I grab her by the waist. A bold move, but she either doesn't mind it or is too buzzed to notice.

Luckily there isn't anyone patrolling outside and we all get to my room without getting caught. I help Lilly sit on my bed and try to tell the other two to go to Hisao's room, but they've already fallen asleep next to the table. Both of them are holding onto eachother tightly, as if they we're caught in a blizzard and are trying to keep their bodies warm.

"Aw, they're so cute together," I say to myself.

"Did they fall asleep already?" Lilly has already gotten under the blanket and is looking at my general direction.

"Yeah...I'm gonna get a picture of this. It's a moment too beautiful to let pass by." I take my phone and snap a quick photo of the two, before joining her in bed.

"At least..." I say as I let a yawn escape, "...at least I made the right decision by getting a bigger bed here."

"Yeah, it's perfect for two people cuddling like us."

"That's a definent plus," I say as she lets out a happy giggle. "Well, good night. Try to sleep well." I give her a kiss and feel her do the same moments after the first one ended.

"Thank you for being here, Frank." She closes her eyes and quickly falls asleep. Her pale face blends in with the white pillow and she looks so peaceful when she sleeps.

"I told you already, I will be there for you when you need me." I tell her, but no reaction. She has quite a strong smell of alcohol coming from her mouth and something tells me I wouldn't be able to wake her anyway. After closing my eyes, I can feel the outside world fading away.