What If..?

Chapter One

It was just another normal class day, the students shuffling through the hallways from breakfast in the cafeteria. Maizono was already in class, chatting cheerfully with Naegi, who was always five minutes early. Ishimaru was, of course, up front and upright in his chair, getting every last bit of information from the previous class session crammed into his brain. Standing within the classroom doorway was Chihiro, part of his hair pulled back with a light blue bow and a rosy glow on his cheeks. It was just another normal class day... except now he was taken. The small blonde took his usual seat in the front row to the far left, closest to the window. "Good morning," Maizono chirped with a cheerful smile, gingerly tucking her long hair behind her ear.

"Good morning," the programmer grinned back, bashfully looking towards his books as he slid them from his bag. Since their moment in the laundry room with Mondo, Chihiro had been walking on air at the concept of being in a relationship. It was new, exciting, and filled every step his tiny feet took with overbearing joy. He knew he was blushing already just thinking about it, so he kept his gaze lowered towards the floor as he unpacked his belongings, not wanting to be too obvious about his new found romance. Chihiro didn't want to draw too much attention to it immediately.

Little by little, the remaining students continued to pile into the classroom, and Chihiro would occasionally dart his eyes towards the door, knowing that once that bell rang, Mondo would most likely be stumbling in late with one shoe on and breakfast hanging out of his mouth. He would receive a silent reprimanding glance from both the teacher and Ishimaru before drifting his way towards the back of class with his shoulders and head hung low in drowsiness. This was how he entered class every morning, if he even bothered to come to first period. It was still a couple minutes until the morning bell, though, but he continued to keep watch, just in case.

With a loud thud, Junko took a heavy seat behind Maizono, thumping her head against the desk top. She was another person who didn't quite appreciate the mornings. Her bubbly idol friend attempted to prod a good morning from her, but it only resulted in an angry grunt of frustration from against the wood of the desk. Only a few desks remained empty as the time clicked down, and soon, Yamada slid into his normal seat behind Chihiro. "Good morning, Fujisaki-san," he greeted with his cat like grin, adjusting his glasses as he got comfortable within his desk. Junko lifted her head briefly to glare at his irritating voice before popping her head back against the desk.

"Morning," the boy in front of him smiled with a brief glance over his shoulder. With his head tilted back, he shot a stare towards the back of the room where Leon was leaning far back in his chair against the empty desk behind him. Mondo still wasn't here. Then again, he had a minute to the bell. That would be two minutes earlier than he usually arrived. Flipping his attention back towards the front of class, Chihiro pressed down his skirt beneath the desk top, taking in a long breath. For some reason, he was feeling nervous. The butterflies gathered furiously in his stomach and he began anxiously tapping his foot against the ground.

After their loving revelation within the laundry room, the two had shared a couple more sweet kisses and a small chat as they gathered their laundry before departing for the night to complete homework and get some rest. For a second, Chihiro was concerned that maybe after a night of well deserved rest, Mondo may have come to his senses and realized that Chihiro wasn't what he wanted. He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart patter against his palm. Hopefully not. Thirty seconds until the class bell to find out.

From the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted the biker slouching his way into the room with his bag slung over his shoulder. Instead of taking an immediate left towards the back of the class, however, he passed the front row of desks and stood idly beside Yamada's. Chihiro peeked over his shoulder, unsure if maybe he should say good morning, brush his hand, or say nothing. Mondo pointed his finger towards Yamada before gesturing for him to get up. "This is my seat," Yamada spoke defiantly, pressing his hand against his chest.