TW: violence, strong language.
A stray cat sleeps peacefully on a park bench. A rather usual place to sleep. The trees move as the wind slightly blows above its head, while birds rest on branches. A little boy walks along his dog, following the route he takes every day. It's 4:30 pm, and a lonely figure walks past the kid and sits next to the cat. He's wearing a dark green school uniform and in his hands he holds a book and a half emptied seeds container. He takes a fistful and throws them in the ground, observing how a flock of birds arrive. He smiles a little. Some meters on his left are a group of teens laughing.
"I was going to say he's handsome but he looks like a grandpa feeding the birds! Who does that?"
"Stop, he's gonna hear you!"
The teens tried to stay quiet but he heard everything they said. He turns to face them and realizes he'd seen them before, they go to the same school as his. The man takes his belongings and after gently petting the cat, gets up his feet and leaves the place; all while still listening to the group's comments about his appearance. It didn't even crossed his mind to face them and tell them to let him enjoy his time, he could never do that.
His name is Noriaki Kakyoin. He's a normal high-schooler, who enjoys playing videogames, painting and reading. Those teens in the park are usually the same type of people he has to deal with on a daily basis at school; he's learnt that there's no use in trying to speak with them, since he's already known as the lonely guy who sits at the back of the class. He's not perceived as much by others, and while he thinks that's a good thing, deep in his heart he wishes to have someone to hang out with just like everyone else.
Kakyoin heads home. After being questioned about being early by his parents, he goes to his bedroom and spends the rest of his evening reading a book and doing his homework.
Noriaki Kakyoin thinks of himself as an average guy. He's 18 years old and as every other person his age, he has questions about his future. Will he ever travel to another country? Will he ever get a girlfriend? Will he ever get married? Will he ever meet someone who sees him as who he really is, who loves the same things he does, who's willing to put up with his average looking face, his average personality and his average daily life?
He doesn't know it yet, but he will. He just has to wait for the next day.
~
Before class starts, he likes to draw on his notebook. Right now, he's doodling the girl in front of him, who, like him, usually sits alone at lunchtime. He's been thinking about talking to her someday, since she's kind of cute. A sudden idea pops up in his head. He reaches to her, and she turns around.
—Hey, could you pass me my pen? It's under your desk—. He says, with a shaky voice. The girl smiles, nods, and gives it back to him. —Thank you. I don't think we've talked to each other before. My name is Noriaki Kakyoin.
The girl puts a strand of hair behind her ear. While he speaks, she doesn't look at him in the eyes, and he found that very cute. Somehow that made him gain some confidence in his words.
—I'm Emi. The class is about to start, we shouldn't be talking.
—We could talk at lunchtime— he realizes he's being pushy—. I mean- if you want to.
—Sure! —The girl says. She turns back around and just then the teacher arrives and soon the class starts.
All Noriaki could think about was that maybe, if he pushed himself just the way he did just now, he could achieve a lot. Maybe she could be that person he desperately wants. He's growing anxious thinking about how to approach her at lunchtime.
