𝟭. 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 || 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 [✔]

chapter 10: First Day

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#022423
•••

Like any other person, Aeris despised mornings and Mondays. The transition from a warm cocoon of blankets to the chilly reality of a new day was never pleasant.

There had been a brief period when she had taken to rising with the sun, but that was an exception rather than the rule. Lately, her days had blended into nights, and her nights into days, rendering her sense of time a muddled mess.

The incident that had jolted her from this haphazard slumber was Tobio's persistent ringing. Aeris squinted at her phone, its harsh glow hurting her still-sleepy eyes.

"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice thick with drowsiness.

"Nanachan, are you still asleep?" Tobio's voice, surprisingly alert, echoed through the phone.

Aeris rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of her dream. "Why do you ask, Tobio?"

"It's Monday," Tobio said, his tone suggesting a hint of amusement.

In an instant, Aeris was wide awake. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand; it glared back at her with unrelenting accuracy, displaying the ungodly hour of 7:30AM.

"E: FUCK!," she whispered, tossing her phone onto the bed. She yanked the covers off herself and practically leaped out of bed.

The sudden movement sent a rush of blood to her head, causing her to momentarily sway. She reached for her nearby desk to steady herself.

The room was still half in darkness, the curtains doing their best to stave off the morning sun. Aeris stumbled her way to the bathroom, tripping over a pair of discarded shoes from the night before. With a sigh, she vowed to herself that she would start tidying up after she got used to this new routine.

Aeris washed her face to wake herself up, brushed her teeth, applied cream and lotion, brushed her hair, and changed into her uniform, which she had thankfully prepared the night before knowing she might be late.

She quickly put on her socks and rushed downstairs, feeling like she jumped from twelve flights as she locked the door and sprinted outside, spraying on some perfume as she ran.

In her haste, she realized she had forgotten the way to the school. Despite having gone out with Tobio the previous night, she still couldn’t remember the direction, perhaps due to lingering tiredness.

'Where the fuck is that school? I know this street is familiar,' Aeris thought anxiously.

She hoped she was heading in the right direction. As she exited the alleyway, she finally spotted the school, feeling an immense wave of relief wash over her.

"Matte!" she yelled, her voice carrying the urgency of the moment.

The teacher in charge of the gate glanced back, his hand already on the lever to close it. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, waiting for her to reach him.

"Name and year, and why are you late?" he demanded, his expression stern.

"I—... I...." Aeris panted, trying to catch her breath from the sprint.

"You... what?" the teacher prodded, maintaining his strict demeanor.

Aeris took a deep breath and admitted, "I lost my way here." She was still gasping for air, but her voice was steady.

"What do you mean you lost your way? Are you a new student or something?" the teacher asked, his sternness giving way to a hint of curiosity.

Aeris nodded rapidly. "Hai! I am a new student."

"Okay, I'll let you pass this time, since you're a new student," the teacher said, somewhat more leniently. "What year are you?" he inquired.

"I am in the second year," Aeris replied.

The teacher opened the gate, and Aeris followed him inside. She couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The hard part was over, for now at least.

"Fumiko-san, your new student is here," the teacher announced as they approached the faculty office.

The teacher knocked lightly on the door and waited for a response. Aeris stood there, her heart still racing from the mad dash to school. 

« ֪ ׅ ֹ =͟͞ ♡
𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗.
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 ♡

— translation
▪︎ matte - wait
▪︎ hai - yes