A Firefly's Glow

Chapter Five: Part Three

I completed the final selection with a flourish, dropped my pencil onto the floor that surrounded me, and lazily rolled onto my back. I slid off the lumpy potato sack and onto the floor, which was currently giving me less of a cramp than the potato sack was.

It seemed as if the potato sack was stuffed with tiny pebbles. I couldn't tell what they were, but I've never sat in a chair like this before.

“I’m done!” I cheered weakly, taking a sigh of relief and shoving the pile of exam papers off of my lap. Throughout the morning, the golden orb that shone through the windows had traveled across the wall until it seemed like a sunset was dawning upon the horizon.

I had officially named this particular day the worst first day of school I had ever had. Perhaps each school had an entrance exam, but was an exam really worth this much time?

I hopped onto my feet and lugged the pile of exam papers onto the appointed desk beside the stage. The papers had been layered messily with corners sticking out the edges of the pile. My back was giving me an aching pain. Clutching onto the black briefcase that had forlornly sat on the carpet, I sauntered over to the set of doors and slipped outside into the hallway.

I slowly shut the doors behind me and glanced at the interiors of the hallway. One side of the wall was lined with widened windows that presented a view of the school campus. I gaped at the courtyards that were scattered throughout the view, and that there were several of other buildings that were identical to the one I was standing in that very moment.

My eyebrows traveled far up my forehead. My public school had only consisted of one building, and that building was half as big as this one.

“Second year’s classroom B,” I murmured, slowly walking down the widened hallway. I didn’t have a clue where the classroom I was looking for was.

The boots I wore continued to pinch my toes. Perhaps my toes were abnormal, but even if my toes weren’t abnormal, these shoes would probably pinch me anyway.

Silence droned through the hallways. All of the students that had been scattered around the hallways had disappeared. The fact that seemed to dawn over me was that every student had been in groups of at least two. I didn’t catch anyone who was standing alone.

I narrowed my eyes in discouragement. Perhaps I would live the rest of my school years as a loner with no friends. I hated pessimism, though times like this seemed to be an exception.

I freely descended down the stairs, skipping up to two steps as I hopped towards the first floor. The glistening chandelier hung so close to the stairways on either sides of the room that I could reach my hands over the rails of the stairway to touch the tiny pieces of glass.

As I reached the first floor, I pushed the front doors open and headed outside. The fresh air filled my nostrils, and it blew my hair back behind my ears.

When I opened my eyes to glance at my location, my mouth curved in fright. The setting I was peering at seemed to have morphed since Megane and I had arrived to the school this morning.

Or this building had more than one stairway, more than one chandelier, and more than one front door.

“Oh my god!” I shrieked, feeling my eyes repeatedly widen in fright.

I tried my best to remain calm as I sauntered through the unfamiliar courtyard. A large fountain the size of a large pool sat in the center of the courtyard. The small geysers shot water cleanly into the air, and they descended in precise arcs.

Separate buildings surrounded the courtyard, and cherry blossom petals continued to scatter across the pavement.

Which one do I go in? I pondered nervously, glancing from my left to my right. There are so many! If I go into the wrong one, I’ll never be able to get out!

All of the buildings looked exactly identical. It was especially difficult deciding which building to head into.

I spotted a particular building several feet ahead. A sign that hung above the set of doors with golden letters engraved above the doorway was scrawled “Seika Academy High School Division”.

I felt a smile cross my mouth. “That’s the one!” I cheered, hurrying over to the doors and yanking them open. I found this building exactly identical to the previous building, with an enormous chandelier dangling from the domed ceiling, and carpeted staircases arching on either sides of the wall. I ascended one of the staircases, repeatedly skipping every two steps. As I landed onto the second floor, a loud chime sounded throughout the hallways that was loud enough to toss me off my feet.

I heard murmurs utter throughout the hallways, and the sets of doors that were set along the hallway walls swung open.

I jumped in anxiety and hopped a few steps back into the stairway. I peered around the corner of the wall with my mouth bent into a nervous curve.

I caught arched golden signs that hung over each doorway with characters engraved on every single one. I squinted my eyes to read what the signs had said, and the words barely became clear to my eyes.

The sign I was aiming my gaze at read Year 1-Division C.

I slowly stepped out from behind the corner. Taking languid steps down the hallway, I spotted another sign adjacent to 1-C.

Year 2-Division A.

I felt my steps gradually increase as I ran down the path. Students began spilling out of every doorway in sight, grouped in cliques and murmuring away. Ahead, I spotted another doorway following 2-A and I repeatedly squinted my eyes.

Year 2-Division B.

This is it! I silently cheered, stepping beside the doorway. Unfamiliar students poured out of the open doors, chattering happily in groups. Their beautifully flawless faces beamed in the bright sunlight that emanated from the windows.

I felt my face redden. The blonde boy belonged in a classroom filled with people like this, although I had never pictured him walking with anyone besides Megane, or one of his well-paid servants. As the thought came to mind, I noticed that the boy had never said much to me before. He was always quiet and secretive. I didn’t even know the boy’s first name.

I raised a hand to my chin in silent thought.

With his looks, I guessed that he probably had a girlfriend. I didn’t think guys like him would mention their love lives too often. I thought that perhaps his girlfriend was a super-rich princess or a famous magazine model.

“Hey,” a recognizable mellow voice murmured. I jumped in shock and rapidly cleared myself of my thoughts.

“Oh,” I automatically uttered, glancing up to a familiar violet gaze that bored into mine.

“You were sinking into space.” The blonde boy informed, giving me an emotionless frown. “Did you get lost on your way here?”

“N-No, not at all!” I stammered nervously, fidgeting with my fingers.

The boy turned his back towards me and slowly stepped down the hallway. “Let’s go. Megane’s probably waiting for us up front.”

“R-Right!” I remarked, stepping behind his trail. I continued to take slow steps behind him until I heard a familiar voice chime from behind me.

“Hotaru?”

I immediately recognized the light voice that called my name and I whipped my gaze around my shoulders. I spotted familiar gingered locks and the friendly caramel-tinted gaze. My mouth slipped open ajar.

“Amanatsu?”