Blind Date (Blind Girl x Male Reader)

Chapter IX

A few days have passed since the fateful dodgeball game against Mika, yet it's still the talk of the school. The match has become a flashpoint in your growing popularity, sparking controversy and shifting the dynamics of the school—deepening divides between cliques with their diverging opinions of you

⭑★⭑

Strolling around the school hallways has proved itself as a strange sight to behold lately...

The students that used to be an unruly crowd all make way for you to walk past, some with respect, some with sneers in their faces

The only thing is, everyone seems more distant now

Whether you like it or not, you've become the school idol, and there's nothing the folks from the journalism club can do to help your case

Not only that changed, though

Poka hasn't been much talkative lately, you suspect Mika’s friends said something particularly cruel that got under her skin; It’s worrying, but bringing it up feels tricky, and in the end, you left it to Mariko and the others, though they’ve been quiet lately, which doesn’t help your concern

The whole situation feels oddly isolating

Speaking of it, Hiro isn't online anymore for a few weeks now, neither in games or in social media, you can't help but worry about him, but that's something that's also just out of your reach

So, what can you do? If everyone needs their space, you might as well use this time to focus on something—or someone—else

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[Journalism club, No P.O.V.]

The room feels larger than it should...

Mariko, Momo, Ken and Aira are sitting in their usual spots, their desks aligned together  into a larger one, each member's works overlapping with one another in the chaotic scenario

Though among them is Poka, close enough not to look isolated, but far enough to not mingle with her new friends

It's been a short time since she was introduced to them, though she only hangs out in the club as an "outside opinion" instead of actually working actively with them

The situation is still very unfamiliar, and she fidgets nervously with the hem of her sleeve, deep in her own thoughts

Thoughts that are interrupted when Mariko looks up from her notes, calling for her attention

Mariko: Poka, we're almost done with the structure for the article about the interclass games – She rhythmically taps her pencil on her desk – Since we weren't there to see the dodgeball game of your class against class B, we'd like to ask a few questions

Momo: When I heard Y/n was acting up again I immediately regretted not going to watch the game – She nods without lifting her eyes from her own work – Something about stopping the game? I noticed some students weren't exactly appreciative of the commotion afterwards

Poka: W-Well... – She stutters, trying to find the right words – I don't really know how and where to start... You guys know I didn't see a thing, so it was pretty much just a lot of cheers, jeers and thuds...

Ken: That is an interesting way of thinking of it, your input is quite a unique one indeed – He adjusts his glasses – But as far as I know, the aftermath of the game would be quieter, no?

Poka: I wasn't there until the end – She shrinks, hyper-aware and embarrassed on how it sounds – After the game was stopped for a bit, I could feel all eyes on me and... And I couldn't take it, so I went somewhere else, anywhere, really

Aira: Must've been a lot of pressure – She remarks, while balancing her pencil over her lip like a mustache – What was the time-out for though?

Poka winces, remembering the shock vividly

Poka: I-I was... I was on the bleachers, then Mika's friends came over and started to tell me some... – She grips the hem of her sweater tightly, struggling to open up about what happened – They started messing with me and Y/n stopped the game to address the two

Aira: "Address them" in wha—

Mariko: What did Miki and Rina tell you? – She slams one fist on her desk, startling the others – Are they still bullying you even now that Y/n is basically the boss in this school??

Poka: Don't worry too much about me – She turns her face away – I'm already used to them, their words don't hurt me

Mariko: Your well-being is our priority, all right? – She looks at Poka, who is clearly not okay, and in sequence nods at all other members of the club – Don't you think you're not important just because we just met you, if we can help you, please do tell us how

The other members of the club nod and mutter in agreement, putting their works away to better hear Poka

Poka: Oh... Well, they just said some things about me not having a place in this school – She lifts her head, feeling a little better after Mariko's willingness to help – But I've already heard that ever since they know me

Mariko: Right, at least you know that's not true, since you have five friends that care a lot about you, right?

Poka nods, forcing a smile

Aira: And how did- – Aira looks at her colleagues, not wanting to get cut off again – -how did Y/n help you by stopping the game?

She explains what happened in the timeout, from how Miki and Rina fumbled the situation, a few snippets of hushed conversations, confirming how the students in the school are starting to take sides, and how nevertheless the whole gym was way less noisy after your statement

Though she's still leaving some parts of it out, hiding how she truly feels about you having left her with the club when you couldn't really get to her and talk about the incident

She does know you didn't do anything inherently wrong, but in a way, that makes her worry a lot more about Mika's statements:

"You're just luggage for Y/n, when he gets tired of you he will simply 'drop' you, same goes for anybody else you might happen to 'befriend'"

Even though she doesn't say it, she misses you, and worries about you

But the situation feels so complicated...

For now, the only thing to do is to wait and see things play out when the dust settles...

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[Meanwhile, Class B]

An unsettling clicking sound fills the empty room, Mika is tapping a pen onto her desk in a slow sequence, like a metronome with hauntingly long stretches of silence between each beat

She takes a  glance at the through the window for the hallway, catching a student staring at her from afar, and she laughs as he immediately retracts in fear

Everything has changed, the subtle shift in power dynamics is something she wouldn't ever miss

It's as if everyone knows what she can do, though they're unable to do nothing

The more she observes, the more she can see the invisible strings she can pull, it's almost too easy

Suddenly, her phone buzzes, a text message from Rina popping into display

"It's ready"

She grins coldly then gets up, walking out of the classroom with a gait parallel to a countdown... Then turning to a corner and vanishing in the silence of the After-school hours

⭑★⭑

Welp, that's it for now

I planned this chapter to better set the atmosphere and transition the story into some kind of new "arc"

Well, anyways, I'll be experimenting with different dynamics and interactions for the next chapters too

See y'all next week, bye!