When Will Class 3-F Get a Break?

Touma Part 5

Username: JiroJunji

Real name: Unknown

From: Chiba Prefecture

Reasons for suicide given: "Unfairness in the world"

The first thing I noticed about Jiro was how off putting his demeanor was. I mean, I expected him to be an asshole and that's what I prepared myself for when I met him. But the guy standing in front of me was actually polite and courteous, contradictory from the online Jiro. As someone who complained about how "unfair" the world was on the internet, he was eerily upbeat and nice. He was somewhere in his early 20s, thick glasses, lanky appearance and dressed in a way that made him appear like the average Japanese millennial. He could've done something with his hair but I could tell he had given up on that a long time ago. All in all, he wasn't anything too impressive.

"I'm glad it didn't take me too long to find you in here." He pushed up his glasses. "The others and I have been waiting for you."

"For me?" Apparently, these people were more eager to die than I was. They even got here earlier than the scheduled time.

"We saw you walk into the store. Since you're wearing a striped sweater we figured it was you. It would've been embarrassing if it wasn't."

I didn't expect him to be this talkative either.

"So where's everyone else?"

"They're waiting outside the store. They're dying to meet you." He said with a grin. Nevermind the fact that pun wouldn't've worked in Japanese but, given the context, the joke was painfully unfunny. I apologize on behalf of the writer.

We didn't stand in the bakery for too long so we made our way to where the others were. I felt a bit nervous to meet them. What if they were just as different as Jiro was from his online persona. I didn't know if I would've been able to cooperate with unfamiliar people. Jiro's upbeat attitude wasn't helping either. Out of all the people, I was to meet on that day "Jiro" was the one I was the least enthusiastic to see. He was definitely the asshole in our group. Or so I thought. I just hoped the others had some sort of resemblance to their internet identities.

Across from the bakery was a bench where the rest of the group was waiting for us. The people I had been talking to for almost a month at that point in time. Three people were on that bench. An old man with his arms crossed and his head slumped over. He was obviously sleeping but if I didn't know any better I'd've thought he went and died without us. Next to him was a dainty young woman sitting with her legs crossed and an apathetic countenance. And as much as I hate to admit it she knew way more about fashion than me. I knew that just by looking at her. To her left was a man about the same age as her looking off into the distance. His long pompadour reminded me of those old 90s manga characters who would bully the main character. Continuing off that observation he didn't seem very smart either. When the young woman noticed Jiro and I approaching she immediately got up and began to walk towards me.

"Tsubasa, is that you hon?"

"Yep, it's me."

She stopped and looked me up and down for a second. "You're prettier than I thought you would be."

"Um, thank you." I muttered. She was a whole foot taller than me and she looked at me with such admiration. She almost looked like Kumi Koda so I couldn't help but feel nervous around her.

She looked back towards the bench and then back at me. "Come on. I want you to meet my husband."

The man with the pompadour.