Free Writing: Volume 1

Scene 1: Classroom

    

   It was a scene that I am much too familiar with. I saw this scene as though it was taken straight from a movie, and everywhere I looked was a camera pointing at me, filming each of my actions. I would sit and watch the sunset, but I am much too busy with schoolwork. My classmates, most notably Nakamura, my friend, told me to go home.

     I for one, am an advocate of being alone, so I ignored those sayings. I love being alone, this way, I can watch in awe as the world rotates and revolves around me without anyone bothering. There was such a strange yet soothing sense of melancholic nostalgia that presents itself each time I am reminded of how the sun is slowly setting.

     The classroom was empty and had only me inside of it. I have my bag, my book out, and my pen, writing away at the white pages and pieces of paper. Sitting at middle of the room proved to make it a little difficult to see what was outside, but even from here, I can still feast upon the sight of the twilight sky.

      The rotating sky fills the windows, and likewise my mind, as it slowly turns darker and darker. If i were to speak out what was in my head, then it would consist of words intertwined with that unsatisfied yet happy feeling of existence.

    The homework I'm doing is English. I've always found English to be an easy subject. Unlike everyone else here, I can speak it somewhat fluently. However I am merely a fortunate soul who was exposed to American culture at a young age. I found their "western" way of life quite different to life here in Japan.

     For example, they don't usually bow over there, and they disregard our social rules. Americans are.. very rude by Japanese standards. I can understand why most people don't like foreigners. In truth, tourists just don't know how the culture is or what the social rules are. I mean, some Japanese people misinterperate American customs as well. The most hilarious one I know of is how the word "Fuck" is misunderstood and is instead thought to mean "very" or to put emphasis on something.

     Well.. that's how it's used, but not what it means. So it leads to things like "Fucking Sale" or "Fucking Store." Good thing they aren't very common. Wait, I was doing homework, what am I talking about? A slow sigh leaves my mouth, I felt the air exit through my throat as well as my stress and a few thoughts that join my exhaled breath.

    "Hey, I thought you left already?" Someone with a feminine voice, light but very intimidating at first with how mature it sounds, spoke from the back of the room. Komori stood there, long hair draped over her shoulders with large eyes pinned on me. She was carrying her bag and was probably headed home. "Huh? I thought you finished your duties early." I try to slow down each reply to not disrupt the atmosphere. "I did, I spent a long time studying alone." She replied, her soft voice fills the quiet room. With her white indoor shoes, or "uwabaki" she steps towards me. Pushing past the light that pierces through the clear open window.

   "How is it going?" komori stopped and asked, crouching down to the height of the desk, so she can better see what I was doing. It felt as though we shared the same feeling of nostalgia. I remember way back when I was in elementary school, I'd stay late and watch the sunset with my friends at the time. Our classroom windows were directed towards the west, so everday we were given a beautiful look at the pink, slightly purple horizon that engulfed us with the same calm conscience I am feeling now.

    Komori was with me in elementary, she's my only friend that I still have from those times. She was curious yet calm, putting her bag down while careful not to break the thin rope that was holding this feeling together. "It's not that hard.." Feels like I'm showing off, but these quizzes really are easy. I just want to be blunt with what I feel to better express myself.

    "Darn, why can you speak two languages and I can't?" Jokingly, she stabs at me with a slight amount of jealousy mixed in. I take the cap of my pen and seal it, as to mark my finishing of this page. My eyes direct themselves over to Komori, her own black eyes were reflecting the light from the windows, it made her eyes shine with the color of the sky.

     In between us, our gaze, it was full of what I could only describe as "the feeling." I can almost feel our hearts sync up and beat in unison. "You done now?" She asked. "Yeah," I nod. "I think I'm good." Komori straightened her back and peaked above my table before standing up and lending me a hand by grabbing my textbooks and putting them inside my bag that was hanging on the table.

     She reached out, my blue bag in her hand and a feathery smile that was softer than the illuminated clouds outside, on her face. I take it without any other words leaving my mouth. "Alright let's go! We still have a train to catch!" Cheerfully, absolutely sparkling with joy, she breaks character and let's the world know that there are two Students, alone in a classroom, about to leave.

    Out we go into the world, where I can hear the city noise and the leaves from trees that rustle with the wind.

     I hope one day, me and Komori can watch again, the setting sun dipping below the horizon.