Restart | Akaashi Keiji

〚4〛

First day of school... I nervously stared into the mirror, fixing stray pieces of hair around my face and pinned it down neatly with some bobby pins. I haven't felt this nervous in a while. I was never able to find friends that weren't just convenience friends. People who actually care about me, after school, after classes. I let out a desperate sigh, thinking if it was even possible to make any this time around. What do I have to do..? 

I remembered thinking that I had finally found some friends who cared, only to be crushed a couple months after when they had suddenly cut me off from their group, avoiding me like plague. Right after that day, I would also catch glances from other people staring at me while whispering to each other. To this day, I'm still not sure what happened.

Then I moved schools again, the next year. Starting from zero. I made some friends, and I thought I could finally be happy for once. Until a certain girl joined us. I don't recall ever talking to her very much. But all I know is that she had told my crush that I liked him. I know this because he had approached me, trying to confirm the rumor. This wasn't  anything I've even told her in particular before so I was very confused, very embarrassed and very angry all at once. From then on, I distanced myself to those group of friends, thinking they were absolutely also talking about me behind my back, as it was something I've shared with the other girls.

If you were wondering what happened to the crush in question, he was very nice. But he told me straightforwardly that he didn't feel the same way, which was expected. I never even considered telling him about this little crush, ever. It's just not something I'd do. For the rest of high school I just stayed as an acquaintance to him. Admiring him quietly from afar. I eventually got over him, like I had told him I would. But I still remember what drawn me to him in the first place. His passion for music, the sound of his guitar. His overwhelming kindness, and cheerfulness. He was the complete opposite of me. 

By the time I had snapped out of my thoughts, I was already in front of my classroom. Looking up at the sign on top of the door reading '2-6', I instinctively straightened my uniform one last time before knocking on the door.

"Come in!" I hear a loud, cheery female voice from the teacher.

I opened the door meekly and noticed every single student staring back at me. I gulped and looked at the teacher who was beaming at me.

"Are you the new student? I'm your homeroom teacher, Sano-sensei. Could you introduce yourself to the class please." 

Ugh, this is the part I hated most. I was overwhelmed with anxiety as I turned my body towards the class and looked straight at the floor while muttering, "I'm Kang Sera. Please call me Sera. Kang sounds weird..." I cringed internally while saying that. 

Being in the classroom reminded me of how much I really hated school. The classroom was filled with murmurs and chatters until Sano-sensei spoke up. "Thank you, you can take a seat right at the back there beside Akaashi-kun. Akaashi-kun could you please raise you hand so Sera knows where you are?"

...Akaashi? He has the same name as my savior? I timidly looked up and see a figure of someone with messy black hair raising their hands, and hurriedly jogged there so he could stop raising his hands. The thought of inconveniencing him made me uncomfortable.