Kokuhaku: Part 1 of A Tanabata Story

Chapter 5

At the day's end, tired hot and sweaty, they gathered at the parking lot where each homeroom teacher checked their class's names off the roster. Jack winced inwardly when he heard Miko's clear voice answer to her name.

Seating wasn't assigned, so when the doors opened, Jack, Takashi, and Riku rushed in to claim the rearmost seat. Jack squeezed between the two others who defended their space with sharp elbows. Once he was wedged well in, they pulled snacks from their pockets and began trading. He had traded a package of Umaibo for some of Riku's mochi and was negotiating an exchange rate between his potato chip sticks and Takashi's Pocki. He slowly ate each chip as he spoke to increase their scarcity and value. He laughed as Riku raised his offer in growing panic, then he caught a familiar flash of long dark hair out of the corner of his eye.

Jack froze with a potato stick hanging from his mouth and stared down the aisle as Miko gracefully mounted the bus's steps. He thought it strange that he should be so aware of her, that he would instantly recognize her from such a fleeting glimpse.

She paused as if looking for a place to sit, but didn't notice him. Jack studied her until Junko came up behind and directed her to an open seat.

"There he goes again," Riku said sardonically.

Jack's attention snapped back to his smirking friends. He noticed the potato stick hanging from his lips and shoved it in his mouth.

"When are you going to realize you don't have a chance with her?" Takashi asked.

"You don't know that," Riku said, chuckling. "You should go up to her and confess. You might get lucky." His grin widened, raising his cheeks until his eyes were little more than dark crescents.

"Don't say that," Takashi chided. "I wouldn't embarrass even an enemy by making him do that."

Jack shrugged, staring off in her direction. "I know. None of us have a chance. Still... I keep wondering what it would be like."

Riku gave Takashi a lopsided grin. "Especially when he's home alone with his hand on his—"

Jack hit him over the head with a bag of rice crackers. It burst, pouring orange chili-flavored crescents all over him. The three roared with laughter. Scowling and/or bemused heads turned toward them from all over the bus.

"Gaijin are so noisy," a student two rows up said.

"And messy," another added.

"You!" A teacher shouted over the chatter. She stood at the front of the bus, pointing down the aisle. The students quieted as they looked back to see what they were doing.

"You will have that all cleaned up before you leave this bus."

Jack ducked his head trying to hide as he snatched at his spilled snack.

"But I didn't have anything to do with it," Riku complained.

"All three of you!" the teacher commanded.

Riku grumbled and Jack burned with embarrassment. She must think I'm an idiot. It took forever to clean up. They were still picking crumbs out of the seat when they returned to school.

七夕

Back at school the next day, the teachers slammed them with work. It was as if, having given them a day off for the field trip, they felt the students now had to pay for it through their studies. In clubs, the soccer season was heating up and the senpais were preparing for the first round of competitions with nearby schools. They even let Jack and some of the more promising first-years play on the field to give their upperclassmen someone to humiliate while practicing on them.

One morning, a couple of days after the trip, Riku and Takashi caught Jack walking alone in the middle of the crowd passing through the school gates. "Hey Jack-kun, come with us," Riku said.

Their wry grins told him they had something uncomfortably amusing planned.

"What?"

"Just come with us." Riku led Takashi up the main walkway to school, gesturing for Jack to follow.

He did follow them to their classroom with a growing sense of dread. They stopped outside the door and waited, leaning against the wall. It was all very odd. "What is it?" Jack demanded with growing suspicion.

For several minutes, their classmates turned puzzled and disapproving looks on the three of them—meaning mostly jack—as they drifted into the classroom

"Takane no hana sighting confirmed," Riku muttered.

At the same time, Takashi said, "There she is."

With eyes focused straight ahead, her face impassive, Miko strode down the center of the hallway. She didn't seem to notice the watching students or her name trailing behind her in their excited whispers. She might as well have been walking through an empty building.

She expects this worship, Jack thought. This has gone on so long she no longer even notices. Even so, Jack found himself holding his breath as she drew near. The fear of drawing her scorn fought down the suicidal desire to be noticed by her.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Miyamoto-san." Riku and Takashi called out.

Jack's heart stopped.

Miko jerked as if stung. She turned widened eyes on them, then to Jack's horror, they fixed on him.

"O-o-ohayo..." she stuttered as if stunned by their audacity.

Something between an idiot grin and an agonizing grimace convulsed on his face in response.

She passed them without slowing, watching them from over her shoulder. Her penetrating gaze fixed them in place until she entered her classroom.

Takashi and Riku exhaled nervous chuckles.

"What are you guys trying to do?" Jack gasped once he was able to speak. Joy, despair, and rage still clashed within him.

"We're just helping you out," Riku said.

"Helping? How?" Jack asked in a trembling shout.

"We thought if you talked to her first, it might help you work up the courage for your kokuhaku."

"Baka!" Jack shoved past them into his classroom.

Riku and Takashi guffawed.

Of course. He should have known they were mocking him. How could he be so stupid to keep staring after her? If Riku and Takashi let this get out, he would become the joke of the entire school and the target for their brutal humor. He might even have to leave. Jack ground his teeth. Why couldn't she have gone to a different school?