Isekai dump

Yano Nori pt. 2

The bell chimed as the door opened with a swing,

"Mom, I want to dye my hair black" he paused "and maybe get a haircut," Nori whined, he hadn't seen that his mother was talking to someone. 

The two women stared at him in his school-white uniform. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Mrs. Miyashiro.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were talking," he said a little sheepishly. 

His mother huffed in fond exasperation, her hair orange, and pulled back into a straight ponytail. The woman across from her had black lustrous curls, and red lipstick on. He never had an opinion on red lipstick but considering yesterday's meal he had gained some. Too bad his opinion was invalid when it was on Mrs. Miyashiro.

"Oh, don't worry boy, we were just talking about my son anyway, how is he in school?" she gave him a speculative glance.

"Uh, a troublemaker?" She laughed at his response.

"Yes, I suppose in your eyes Kohaku can be one."

 For some reason, Mrs. Miyashiro found him endearing.

"No, but in all honesty, he's a role model student," he grinned because it was true.

"Good," she winked at him. 

Nori's smile turned sheepish.

"Anyway, what's this I hear about you wanting to cut and dye your hair black?" My mother said leaning over the counter, her florist apron neat and tidy on her green T-shirt.

"Well, I was thinking," Nori looked down, a little embarrassed. 

He was shorter than the average kid so his mother and Mrs. Miyashiro had a whole head and a half on him.

"That I should start blending in, and start being a good student," Nori's mother raised her orange eyebrow at him, her hawk eyes intently thinking.

"Okay," she said.

"Really?" That's it?

"I mean why not, I already let you be a punk," she snickered.

"Hey," Nori shouted. Yano Nori does not pout.

The woman across from my mom laughed too.

"I'll be seeing myself out, thank you for those orchids!" She said,

"Of course, anytime, Himiko-san!" My mother waved enthusiastically. 

She then looked at him, her gaze contemplating.

"I guess you want to dye your hair tonight?"

Nori hummed in reply. 

The next day Yano Nori came into school with a neat uniform and black hair, his hair cut close to his head. A little messy but not as big or wild as his previous hair, it was more subtle.

"Okay, are you going to tell us what's up?" Susumu said. 

Kohaku just observed Nori.

"I've just decided to finally join the dark side, I'm gonna be like Kohaku now, a good student! A role model citizen," Nori put on a proud face and gestured towards Kohaku.

"Role model citizen my ass!" Susumu said, lightly shoving his shoulder into Kohaku's.

"Do you hear this?" He stared at Kohaku.

Nori didn't care for their opinions, more like he was sure that this was a good thing. There was bound to be some bullshit going around, some law of the plot or something. Either way, he had a feeling he and Kohaku weren't going to be as close as they once were. Nori's mouth turned into an uneasy smirk.

"'Why does it matter anyway? I'm just thinking about the future," He leaned his head on his palm, his elbow leaning on the desk he sat in.

Susumu scoffed, "It matters because we're your friends, you changing so abruptly and us not knowing about it shows that we're not doing our jobs right," he pointed his thumb at himself.

Kohaku hadn't said anything during this whole exchange, not that it was unusual, he was usually the quieter one out of all of them but Susumu had a way of getting him to talk. Bring him out of his shell. Nori stared at them then rolled his eyes, flopping his upper body onto the desk where his head became positioned away from them.

"Do you see this?" Susumu complained. 

He could hear Kohaku's reply in a hum. He was just staring into the vacant seats of the classroom. It was lunchtime. He didn't have the same class as Kohaku or Susumu. Kohaku sat by the windows in the second last seat and Susumu behind him. Two peas in a pod. He put air into his cheeks only for someone to put the flat of their palm on them, slapping the air out.

"Aye, what the hell?" Nori abruptly sat up, Susumu was laughing and Kohaku had a little smirk.

"That was," Susumu didn't finish because he was laughing too much. 

 Nori gave him the stink eye before setting them on Kohaku.

"What the hell, Kohaku?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just didn't know being a good student came with angst," he put his hand up in admission.

"Look who's talking" Nori scoffed, but it was finally a normal reply coming from him. They went about their bickering routine for the rest of lunch.