"Onii-san, wake up! Wake up!"
It was quite early in the morning. I woke up to see Yuzuru beside me.
"H-hey Yuzuru... good morning."
"It's already eight o'clock! You'll be late for school!"
"OH RIGHT!"
*THUMP*
"O-ow... gosh. I forgot that Maria's toys were there.."
I ran down and hastily prepared. To my shock, I forgot to ask why Yuzuru was there beside me early in the morning.
"Yuzuru, I forgot to ask. What brings you here again?"
"Mom told me that it would be better if the three of us could go to school altogether. After all, Nee-san is recovering from her depression.. and it would be better if you know... we could go together."
"Alright, I got it. So where's Nishimiya? I mean, Nishimiya-san."
"Oh, Nee-san is waiting outside."
"Okay, then we're off! We don't want her to just stand there outside, don't we?"
"Mom, we're going! I'm really late!"
"Okay Shoya! Take care!"
"Got it!"
The three of us walked together for the first time. It sounds weird for me if I think of it, but this was the first time that the three of us were together ever since that time.
"H-hey Nishimiya-san! Good morning! Aren't you going to be late?"
"Good morning. Not at all. I can actually go in at any time, since it's just like a tutorial center, except that we learn normally, like how you guys do."
"Oh, okay."
When we arrived at my school gate, we parted ways. I checked the time and well.. it was not a good time to arrive. I immediately rushed in to my classroom, since I was 20 minutes late. When I started to climb up the stairs... I saw her. The girl that started everything that led up to that point.
"Ueno."
"Shoya. Good morning. Quite a cold greeting there."
"I'm sorry, I don't have time to talk. I need to get to class."
"A-Alright. See you then."
I somehow sensed a bit of a cold stare back there, but I had more important matters to deal with.
When I arrived at class, it was somehow like a dramatic entrance; except that it really was because my teacher sent me to that place...
After 10 minutes of "talking", I came back to my classroom.
♢
"Ah.... recess! The best class of all time!"
"Except that it isn't a class, Ya-sho."
"Alright, so what do we eat now? I don't want to stick to eating bread forever."
"Fine, fine. Let's eat something spicy. I'm craving for something REALLY spicy."
"Y-you mean, we're going to.... order that?"
"Yes, Nagatsuka-kun. Let us face our deepest fears."
"A-alright... if you insist, Ya-sho."
Speaking of spicy, I remember the time when I felt so suicidal, I ate one whole spicy curry bowl. Before I retired from my job and everything next happened.
I don't think I want to come back to that life. Especially when I've reached this far. Though somehow, the past will always come and haunt you back.
Me and Nagatsuka-kun both ordered the spiciest curry set in the menu, the Szechuan curry set.
As we sat down, both of us prepared (physically and mentally) and looked at the glorious food steaming right in front of us, praying that we won't pass out in the next period as we both said.
"ITADAKIMASU!"
♢
"Ugh, where am I?"
The windows were gleaming with the bright sunlight; the room being somewhat.... relaxing. It was kinda how you would experience a dead hour..
Except that it was. My watch read 1:30 PM. I stood up and surveyed the surroundings. (Actually, I didn't want to stand up. The mood itself was making me very sleepy.)
The nurse wasn't there... okay. After I surveyed the room once again, I made my way out. When I passed through the hallway going back, the classrooms were virtually empty. Anxiety quickly enveloped me.
"Why isn't anybody here?"
As I returned to my classroom though, I see Nagatsuka-kun fixing his things. Lady Luck sure loves me today.
"Ya-sho! Thank the gods that you're alive!"
Did I really pass out that bad?
"Uh.... can you tell me what happened?"
"Oh, the school just announced that they would be having a faculty meeting for the whole afternoon to discuss about something important, so they dismissed the students early. You should thank me for staying here and waiting."
"Okay... so uhh, what happened back there in the canteen?"
"That's what I was suppose to say. You slurped everything out of excitement, and then passed out. Jeez, Ya-sho, what were you thinking? You should thank the school that they cancelled classes. Otherwise, you could have missed out on that Math quiz Mr. Yamamoto said during lunch."
And I made it a point to never slurp spicy food again.
Both of us then packed our stuff and left, since we were the only guys left in the school, I think.
"So, are you going straight home?"
"Uh...."
"Just kidding, I know the answer."
And we kept on walking. He sure is a keen person.
"Um.. Nagatsuka-kun."
"Yeah, Ya-sho?"
"Why call me Ya-sho?"
"Think about it. If I call you Shoya, then that makes me somebody less of a best friend. And so I call you according to how I want it."
"Then, is it okay if I can call you Tomo-kun? Since Nagatsuka-kun is quite long. Or would you like Hiro-kun instead?"
"Nah, both are fine, really."
"Then I'll call you Tomo-kun."
"Alright, fine by me."
As we reached the bridge, we said our goodbyes and both parted ways. I wanted to make sure that I could see her everyday. Guess I should thank Nagatsu.. I mean, Tomo-kun for being such a nice guy.
"I think I should invite her for dinner."
YOU ARE READING
Reach For Me (A Silent Voice Afterstory Fanfiction)
Fanfiction(A Silent Voice Afterstory Fanfiction) Seeing Nishimiya finally learning to smile after the things that happened recently, a changed Shoya has devoted himself to one thing in his life - and that is to protect her. But along the way, he finds somethi...
