The Disconsolate Maiden

Chapter Fourteen

Grabbing her lunch tray, Homura looked around the cafeteria nervously, having no idea where Jyushimatsu and his five creepy brothers sat. They seemed to be the type who would cause trouble. Knowing this, she was wary of being seen with them. She was known to be the student who always tried her very best, even though she was still fairly new and unwanted among her peers.

Homura stared down at her tray, her eyes clouded with worry, not even noticing how much her hands were shaking.

"I can't do this..." she thought to herself, almost wanting to sit with Naomi for lunch. That was a first. "I'm too shy...I'm not supposed to be the one here. I'm not supposed to even be alive, so why am I in this predicament? This isn't a predicament, yes, I understand that...but I just have a feeling I'll be looked down upon because of this. But...it's not like I'm popular...or that anyone cares about me..."

"Hooooomuraaaaaaaaa chaaaaaaaaaan!" Jyushimatsu yelled out from across the cafeteria, waving his noodle-like arms in the air excitedly. "Come sit with us! We're over here!"

Homura widened her eyes, a lump forming in her throat as she stumbled forward a bit, her legs trembling as she took tiny steps. A single tear ran down her cheek, and she had no idea why.

With her gentle, pale hands trembling and knees knocking together, it was a miracle that Homura ever made it to the table where Jyushimatsu sat. It was definitely a miracle.

Jyushimatsu pointed at the empty chair beside him and smiled widely, kicking his feet back and forth a little.

Homura sat down next to him, not noticing that there were only four of the brothers at the table.

"I'm so happy you're here!" Jyushimatsu laughed, staring at the ceiling, still smiling.

He showed no signs of wanting to harass Homura.

Homura let out a sigh of relief, relaxing just a bit before she folded her hands together and bowed her head, whispering the words every Japanese person said before they began their meal.

"Hey," one of the boys said, pulling out a white phone. "Do you have a phone number?"

Homura looked up, her mouth open ever so slightly, her eyebrows slanted in distress. The words her father had spoken to her the night before came flooding back, again and again.

"I'm not wanted..." Homura thought, biting her cheeks a little. "I'm not wanted at all..."

"I'm sorry," the boy said, shaking his head little, then smiled somewhat how an anime cat would look with it's mouth closed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Tch...Todomatsu you're so pushy..." another one of the brothers mumbled, scooting a bit closer to one of the brothers who had green rimmed glasses on. The brother with glasses one was so absorbed in his book, he hadn't even realized a girl was at their table.

"Todomatsu..." Homura muttered under her breath. "I-I'm sorry, I'm not upset!"

Homura felt like someone had slapped her on the cheek the moment she lied to the sweet boy.

Jyushimatsu rested his head on Homura's shoulder and closed his eyes, literally falling asleep in just a few seconds.

"Jyushimatsu...don't do that...our guest might not like that..." the same brother whom had scolded Todomatsu muttered.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves?" Todomatsu offered, slurping up some noodles, making a cute face in the process. "I'm Todomatsu!"

"Ichimatsu..." the other mumbled, slumping down into his chair a little, resting his feet in the empty chair across from Homura. "I'm Ichimatsu..."

"The one sleeping on you is obviously Jyushimatsu, but I'm sure you know that by now," Todomatsu giggled, grabbing his phone as soon as it buzzed loudly on the table. He began texting furiously, his huge round eyes getting rounder and rounder.

"Who's the one r-reading...?" Homura asked, still slightly uncomfortable, not sure how she should feel about Jyushimatsu sleeping on her.

"That's Choromatsu," Ichimatsu hissed under his breath. "He thinks he's smart."

Choromatsu didn't budge, still absorbed in his book.

"I see..." Homura sighed. "Wait..aren't there six of you?"

"Karamatsu and Osomatsu niisan are busy," Todomatsu said with a sigh, putting down his phone. "Or more like, they're having to catch up on the homework that they didn't do last night."

Choromatsu closed his book and pushed his glasses up a bit....they were fake glasses.

"Where did you get those glasses," Ichimatsu jabbed at Choromatsu. "You can see just fine."

"W-W-Why is there a g-g-girl at our t-table?!?!" Choromatsu exclaimed, jumping out of his seat, turning bright red. "Why didn't you tell me, Ichimatsu?!?!!?"

"You were busy reading that porn that's banned in our school," Ichimatsu said with a smirk.

"I wasn't reading porn!" Choromatsu exclaimed grabbing his book, a magazine slipping out of it as he did such.

Todomatsu grabbed it and smirked, passing it over to Ichimatsu.

"You disgust me..." Ichimatsu muttered, his hands trembling as he stared at several neko girls on the cover of the magazine. "You otaku,"

"Is that the monthly idol magazine?" Homura asked politely, her voice as quiet as a mouse.

"I'm not an otaku!" Choromatsu yelled, sitting back down, snatching his magazine from Ichimatsu. "And yes! Yes! It is the monthly idol magazine! Isn't it great? All the girls in it are so pretty! I hope I can be an idol manager one day! Their hair is always so silky! And their clothes...their clothes are amazing!"

Todomatsu quickly stood up, slapped Choromatsu from behind, then sat back down, an annoyed look on his face.

"Nobody cares," Todomatsu snickerd.

Homura looked down and smiled, her heart beating at a slower pace. She suddenly felt completely at home with the four boys.

"I-I..." Homura laughed slightly, still looking down, "I a-actually have a dream..."

"A dream?" Todomatsu and Ichimatsu said in accidental unison. "Like what?"

"I'd like to be an idol one day...I.." Homura blushed a little, her palms growing sweaty. "I'm not going to do it for myself though."

"Oh..?" Choromatsu said, raising his eyebrows. "Who are you doing it for then? Karamatsu always talks about how amazing you are at piano."

"Piano.." Homura thought, breathing out of her mouth slowly. "Piano was all she had..."

The school bell rang loudly, signaling the students that their lunch break was now over.

"You're cute, you know that?" Todomatsu giggled.

Jyushimatsu jerked up his head, awakening from his short nap. A broad smile was still on his face. He didn't even look surprised when he realized he had been sleeping on Homura.

"I have to go," Homura said, standing up from the table. "Thank you for your time."

Homura bowed politely then took off, leaving the cafeteria as fast as she could, tears in her eyes.