wingman | Cell Phone Novel

first

⌠ 1 ⌡

The last bell rings.

Sunlight beams through the 

classroom windows.

I take the long way to the library today.

A winding path,

cluttered by gravel

and grass shavings.

Shouting in the distance,

the boy's soccer team.

They're practicing like usual.

The library is small,

shadowed by zelkovas.

You might miss it if you weren't looking.

But I've taken this path

a hundred times.

Open the grainy door,

the smell of old books clinging

to the dusty air.

Pass the endless rows

to find the corner.

Our corner

on rainy days.

The same silence as always.

Only.

Our eyes meet for a second.

She's sitting in my seat.

"Hey," I almost whisper.

She gives me a playful smile.

⌠ 2 ⌡

That small silence,

broken

by her excited words.

"Sakai!"

"Akiyama."

"Perfect timing. I need help with some homework."

I take the seat next to her and pull out my novel.

"Aren't you acting too friendly already?" I say.

"Really?"

She tilts her head at me.

"Technically, we already met months ago."

"Right..."

"So we're just making up for lost time!"

I sigh with a smile and flip to a new chapter.

I feel her notebook pushed against my wrist.

"Please? Eri was supposed to help me but-"

"But?"

"She left early with Takeshi."

"Huh. Brave of her."

Akiyama looks at me confused.

"He's a bit much, but isn't he a good guy?"

"Yeah..." I shift in my seat. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So. Again, I ask kindly, great Sakai-san."