| Psithurisim |

| Chapter 4 |

Before I can leave class, I'm stopped by Yumehara and Teruhashi.

"Hi! What's up?" I tilt my head, shouldering my bag.

Yumehara is the first to speak, "Abeno, we were wondering if you wanted to go for coffee after school?"

"Sorry we're asking a little late" Teruhashi says, "we just couldn't find you during break."

"Uh, yeah. Just uh, meet me outside! I have to go to the bathroom first." I say before walking off to the girls' toilets.

Once I've taken care of business, I run downstairs to change my shoes. I quickly change my shoes. My lungs are happy to catch a bit of a break, but they're soon heaving again as I run out of the school.

"Abeno!" Teruhashi says, eyes wide, "are you alright?"

"Yeah you look like you just ran a mile. You really didn't need to rush – we would have waited."

"It's alright." I huff and puff, "I probably needed the exercise anyways."

The two girls begin to walk off, and I follow them, panting, but thankful for the leisurely pace. It feels weird, just being us. I half expect them to turn on me now that we're alone. Going from nice and sweet to mean and cruel.

But they're normal girls – not rich bitches. So, they shouldn't be like that right? And they've been really nice to me so far – I don't think I've offended them. I just. I don't know what to talk about. I mean, I doubt they're going to talk about ramen, or the latest Shonen jump release. Yumehara plays dating sims – I think – but I don't know if Teruhashi does, so that might rule out video game talk.

Yumehara's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, "so, Abeno?"

I hum in response, tilting my head up to look at both her and Kokomi – instead of the sidewalk.

"Where did you go before transferring to PK?"

"Uh, it was some private school in Tokyo. I didn't really go long. Before that I went to a middle school in Canada."

"Woah, a private school in Tokyo?"

"Yeah, my mom thought it would be good for me, but it wasn't so now I'm here."

"Any reason for transferring to PK?" Teruhashi asks.

"Well my older brother lives nearby, and this was kind of just the closest school."

"Oh. Didn't you know Kaido before transferring – you seem to be quick friends."

"I um, we played the same game – but I don't think we ever talked or met in it. Which reminds me" I take out my phone, and shoot Kaido a quick text. Haroko8342. My character's name.

"Oh! Is that him you're texting - do you have a crush on him?" Yumehara prods.

I shake my head, "yeah, I'm texting him, but no. I mean he's sweet, but I see him more like a brother or a gaming buddy."

Yumehara doesn't seem satisfied with this answer, and I can only assume that she either doesn't believe me or is trying to figure out how to set me up with someone. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see she's obsessed with romance. If she's trying to get me into the dating world, she should stop ahead of time.

"So what's you're older brother like – you said you had one, right?" Teruhashi asks.

"Yeah, that'd be Daichi. He's uh, strange but very smart – eccentric, I guess. He builds movie sets and sculpts and invents things on the side – but they mostly just blow up in his face. He's also got a huge, sweet tooth, and really enjoys spicy things. But that's about it when it comes to Daichi."