Harem of Side Characters [Rewrite]

Shiho Manabe - Delinquent Puzzle

It's another normal day as a normal highschool student. Well, normal apart from the fact that we have the whole zodiac exam going on.

I arrive far in the meeting room earlier than I intended, but well, things like that happen sometimes. However, it seems I'm not the first to arrive. I can see Manabe and Yabu in one of the corners of the room with a hastily bought breakfast in front of them. The food in front of Manabe is half eaten, while the one in front of Yabu hasn't seemed to be touched at all.

I approach them quietly. The regular Yabu would have greeted me with a smile and a wave, but she doesn't. Like yesterday, she was sleeping. She remained as still as a statue with her head pressed up against her forearm.

I glance over at Manabe to see if she has anything to say, but she doesn't even pay me any mind. I was expecting her to scoff at me, yell at me, to do something. Yet, the only thing she could do was stare at Yabu.

"...Uh, hello?" I try to speak.

...

The girls don't reply. They really are acting out of it. I realize that this is probably not the best time for me to talk to them, so I should probably le-

"...Oh, Ayanokouji. Good morning~" The sleeping girl finally lifts her head up.

"...Yabu...What happened to you?" I'm not sure how to describe her.

There was no life in her eyes. It was as if I was staring at a porcelain doll.

"Nothing. I'm still the same old Nanami Yabu. Did you need something from me, hmmm~"

"...I think you should go back to your room, you don't look so good..."

"Hahaha...and not participate in the exam? Very funny. I'll stay right here. I'm just a liiiiitle bit tired so I might...doze of every now and then..."

The bags under her eyes revealed more than just lack of sleep.

They're swollen as if she's been crying for decades straight.

Like every ounce of water in her body has exited through her eyes and left nothing but the shell of a girl who normally seems so lively.

Her clothes aren't in any better condition. Yabu isn't the most prim and proper person, but even her casual wear usually looked relatively clean and tidy. This time though, it looked like she slept in these clothes judging by the amount of wrinkles on it.

"See, if even he agrees you should sit this meeting out, you probably should!" Manabe speaks up in agreement.

"Ooooh, Shiho's here! That's right...I'm already in the meeting room..." Yabu mumbles to herself while looking around.

"Shit." Manabe curses. "You left our room early in the morning to come here, I almost thought you were fuckin sleep walking, but no matter how much I tried to snap you out of it, you just kept walking and walking. Even now I'm not convinced you're awake because you're-"

In an instant, Yabu snaps her neck towards Manabe.

"I'm what? Tell me, Shiho. What am I?"

"...You look pretty fuckin scary right now...You're doing stuff that you wouldn't normally do if you were feeling okay..." Manabe flinches. I can't help but agree with her sentiments.

"Of course I'm feeling okay~ I had everything I ever wanted. Loving parents, a nice home, a lot of friends...How could I not be okay? I had a grand old time, while you were struggling to figure out what it meant to be a normal girl as your mom was getting high on heroin~"

...

"The fuck...did you just say...?" Something in Manabe's posture changes. That must have struck a nerve. Not good.