Periwinkle - Life in shades of blue (part 1)

Bangs

Manage me, I'm a mess
Turn a page, I'm a book half unread
I wanna be laughed at, laughed with, just because
I wanna feel weightless and that should be enough

(Weightless by All time low)

If there's one thing I don't understand, it's bangs.

Or rather, it's not like I don't understand them in general. It's only this kind of bangs, not long enough to be tucked behind the ears nor short enough not to fall in front of the eyes. I guess they'd be called tufts, more than bangs. Who wants tufts of hair in their way? They may still pass on a girl, maybe, because they use all those tiny clips and colorful headbands to hold them back. But what's the point in a guy though?

I don't realize how hard I'm staring at the guy in question, getting lost in my thoughts to escape a lesson about things I already know, until bangs himself turns to glare at me. Not just any randomly annoyed look, but one that makes my blood freeze. That doesn't happen often.

I shake the intrusive thoughts about my new classmate's hair out of my head, and for the rest of the lesson I focus my attention on the only other student in the classroom. She seems very bored, but at the same time has a diligent look, taking notes. Her cursed energy looks kind of weird, it twirls in strange convolutions around her head, seemingly concentrated mainly in that area. The color is a very peaceful light green. I wonder what kind of innate technique she uses? Perhaps I'd know if I actually payed attention when Professor Nagami introduced everyone, but I was still too busy with the bangs of the guy sitting to my left to notice.

When the professor leaves the classroom and the other two students start packing their things, I realize the lesson must be over. Feeling like I just woke up, I snap up, showing off my best smile before talking to the girl.

"Hello, nice to meet you! We'll be working together from now on, so I wanted to ask you a few questions about your innate technique if you don't mind." I don't wait for an answer, moving a chair in front of her desk. "Ah! I'm Gojo Satoru, but you can call me Satoru," I try to remember every good manner I was taught, reaching out one hand for her to shake. But I must do something wrong, because the hand stays there, in midair, suspended above the wooden desk. I'm starting to pull it back, disappointed, when the girl gets up with her backpack.

"I know who you are" She doesn't seem to want to look me in the face, as she circumnavigates the chair and my lanky legs hindering her way out. "My name is Shoko Ieiri. I use reversed cursed technique. See you tomorrow."

She doesn't even give me time to process what she said, walking out of the room. I'm sure I'm not concealing my shock, I feel like I won't even be able to stand up now. I've only heard stories of that kind of energy manipulation, I myself should achieve that technique but it's been no use up until now. Who knows, maybe she'll be able to teach me and I'll finally use red! Maybe I'll even get to the point to where I could heal myself, it'd be amazing.

My train of thoughts is brutally interrupted by the loud thud of a book, falling on Ieiri's desk. "Everyone here knows who you are, child prodigy."

I look up to find bangs himself, still looking down on me with the same gruesome look he had before. Hey, bangs aren't so bad when you see them from the front, after all. They give off a mix of emo and retro vibe, which remind of a samurai in combo with the bun. I think his typically Asian traits contribute a lot to make him look so stereotyped: olive skin, black almond eyes, smooth and dark hair. Man, he looks like he just stepped out of a history book. I wonder if he knows... of course he does, there's no way it's not intentional. The thought of him stressing over his perfect bun in front of a mirror makes me smile, but when bangs' expression shifts into proper anger, I realize I haven't heard a word of what he's said so far.