Shards of a Broken Butterfly

Chapter I

It was a boring afternoon at Hashimoto High School, as the last bell for the day rang, the students rush off to their homes.

 Makoto Reiko, a new student that came from a village, with shaggy hair and a happy personality, was looking outside the school garden for flowers, which is his hobby. "Hey guys, that new kid is pretty strange, and weird.. i bet no girl will hang out with him!" whispered one of the senior male students. He was collecting flowers to ask a girl named Rika Minami out. After collecting the flowers, he arranged them into a bouquet, and started to go straight to the school entrance to wait for Rika to show up.

"I hope she'll like these.. these flowers have a beautiful scent on them." Makoto thought, while waiting for his crush to appear at the gates. And after 15 minutes of waiting, she finally appeared.

The other crowd of students were looking at him while he was approaching Rika, their faces filled with laughs being held back. As Makoto approached Rika, he held out the bouquet, saying, "Rika-chan, i know it's only been a few months, but i feel as though i fell in love with you.. and will you hang out with me?.. these flowers are for you." 

Rika and the other students laughed at him. "Haha! a weirdo like you? hanging out with me? No way! haha! get a life, you flower-picking idiot! hahaha!"

Makoto was embarrassed, looking around him, he saw faces of laughter and disgust.

"He really think she would hang out with him?! HAHAHA" "Yeah! what a freak!" "The look on his face!! hahaha!"

He ran away, filled with fear and sadness, that they made fun of him.

Beyond the crowd, Ayaka Matsumoto, a smart girl wearing glasses, with straight-cut bangs and the crush of many boys in the school, was looking from afar. "Wow, she rejected that guy like there was no tomorrow." Ayaka thought, while slowly drinking her cup of hot choco. "Aya-chan!! did you see the look on that guy's face? hahaha!" laughed Miko Hikari, her boyfriend. "You should have saw it! the new kid looked like a dork! haha!".

Meanwhile behind the school, near the garden, Makoto was sitting on a bench with the bouquet in hand. Looking down on the world, like nothing mattered to him anymore. and he didn't know what to do anymore. As he stood and turned around, looking at the bed of flowers, he threw the bouquet down and took his bike. Wanting to go home.

Ayaka was with her boyfriend, going home together, until they saw Makoto riding on his bike.

Miko went in front of the bike and pushed Makoto off. "hahaha! hey idiot, there's no way a girl will love you! you're a pathetic low-life!" Miko shouted. Makoto stood up and pushed Miko back, "Get away from me!" shouted Makoto. Miko was angered, and tried to land a punch on Makoto. 

"Miko! stop it!" Ayaka shouted as she rushed in front of Makoto to shield him. Miko ended up punching her, Ayaka fell down, and her glasses broke as it fell on the concrete floor. "Aya! why did you protect this low-life?!" shouted Miko. "You know what! i have had it! you may look cute, but your attitude is the ugliest i've seen! bullying a new student? you're the low life!! and this relationship is over!" replied Ayaka, trying to regain her balance.

"You're hopeless, Ayaka. You mean nothing to me! i found someone else, and she's better and cuter than you!" argued Miko. After that, Miko went on his way home. "A-are you okay?" Makoto asked nervously. "Yes, i'm fine.. the name's Ayaka Matsumoto. Yours?" asked Ayaka. "Makoto Reiko, i'm a new student from the Kyoto-prefecture.. nice to meet you, Ayaka.." Makoto replied, still nervous.

"I'm sorry about that jerk.. good thing he went away now.." Ayaka tried to look formal and fine. "It's okay.. why did you have to protect me, anyway?" Makoto asked. "Because you needed help. And besides, you seem like a nice guy.." Ayaka replied. 

"So anyway, i'll see you tomorrow.." Ayaka went away. And as she was about to turn to the next street, Makoto shouted, "Hey! Thank you for helping me!". "You're welcome!" shouted Ayaka. 

And as Makoto turned around to pick up his bike, he smiled. "I've got a friend now.. but why wasn't she weirded out by me?.. i saw her when i was rejected.. and she looked...

sad.."