Through the Eyes of the Concealed

After Summer 3

I can see myself back on a mountain. This place seems oddly familiar. Where have I seen this place before? 

There were stone stairs leading to the top. At the entrance, there was a big, red shrine. There were lamps scattered at the side of the path. Everything else are just grass and trees. I looked everywhere to get myself familiarized with the place.

As I returned my look back onto the stairs, there was someone standing on a step. His back is facing mine but I can tell that he's tall and lean. I feel like I have met him somewhere before. His clothes, from his polo down to his slippers, seems very familiar to me. He turned around and I was surprised that I was able to recognize that person more. 

"Gin!" I said to his name. 

I can really see Gin right in front of me! Without a doubt it really is him!

"Hotaru..." He actually spoke my name. 

I cam rushing towards him. Every step, I can feel an inch closer to him. His arms were wide open, just waiting for me to snuggle with it. 

But as I step closer to him, my footsteps are starting to get more heavier. 

"Hotaru!" He spoke my name again.

Don't worry Gin! I am almost there! 

"Hotaru!" He spoke. But His voice is not Gin's anymore but rather from a teenage girl. 

Soon, everything just instantly disappeared and I lost all the vision of that mountain. I opened my eyes and I found myself on my bed. It was all just a dream. 

I sat up from where I was and tried to remember everything that has happened in that dream, especially Gin's face. 

"Hotaru!" Someone called my name again. It's Mayumi. "Come on now! You don't wanna be late on the first day of school right?" 

I quickly got up and prepared myself for school. I quickly headed the bathroom and then I ate breakfast. Mayumi joined me as we walked together to school. It is our first day of classes. We were just in time. As soon as we opened the door to the hall, the lobby was filled with students finding for their classes. We quickly joined up the chaos after we have replaced our shoes and tried to find for our classes. 

"Hotaru! Which class are you going to be?" Mayumi asked me. 

"I'm in Class B."

"Awww. I'm in Class C. Well, we'll both see each other in breaks. See ya later!" Mayumi said before she headed onto her own class. 

I better get to my own class now. 

As soon as I opened the door to my class, there were bunch of other students inside the classroom now. Some noticed my entrance and greeted me on the way. 

"Hey Hotaru! How was summer." Someone asked me on the way.

"It was great! Thanks for asking." 

Some groups of girls and boys were talking to each other. Some were just taking their time alone and just sleep before the homeroom teacher arrived. 

I tried to find an open seat and just patiently waited for the homeroom teacher to come. Before anything could happen, a girl sat on a seat in front of me and greeted me with a smile. 

"Heyo!" She greeted. 

"Hi there!"

"I'm Himari, nice to meet you!"

"I'm Hotaru. Nice to meet you as well." 

"So we're going to be classmates this year huh?"

"Yeah. I guess so." 

"Well, please take care of me!" She said and I just kindly smiled and nodded at her. 

Just in time, the homeroom teacher entered the room. 

"Okay class, we shall begin with homeroom today." He spoke.

The homeroom went by just like that. The bell rang and we all proceeded to our break. 

"Hotaru, are you going to the cafeteria?" Himari suddenly asked me. 

"Um, yeah. I am."

"Well, can I join you?" 

"Sure."

We both walked out of the classroom and proceeded our way to the cafeteria. On the way, we passed by the Class C room and I can see Mayumi just about to head out from her room.

"Hotaru!" She called my name. 

"Mayumi! We were on the way to the cafeteria." 

"Oh, seems like someone's friendly on the first day of school." Mayumi said while looking at Himari. 

"Oh, she's a new friend." I said to her. 

"I'm Himari, nice to meet ya!"

"I'm Mayumi, Hotaru's roommate. Nice to meet you as well." 

"Woah! You're roommates!" Himari suddenly asked with curiosity.

"Yeah we are." I replied to her. 

"Well, shall we go on our way to the cafeteria?" 

We both nodded and we immediately went back to our classroom and ate our foods. The first class was Math. 

"Good morning everyone! I am Miss Sakurai and I will be your English teacher this year. I hope we will have a wonderful time learning about English today so let's do our best!" 

She's a very lively teacher as the seniors would say, I hope that's in line with how the way she can teach. 

The discussion started as soon as the introductions are finished and we were all reminded for a test that will be given at the end of the week. The whole class groaned. I was silently listening to her lessons and I must say that she can really teach well. She's really nailing her lessons on Grammar.

"Ughh! There's a test at the end of the week!" I can see Himari said in front of me with her hands on her head like she has a headache. 

"Don't worry, you'll be just fine." I comforted her. 

"Hotaru. Did you understand her lesson on English right now? The subject-word-?" 

"The subject-verb agreement? Ummm, yeah I did. It was only a light lesson to be honest-" 

"Can you please teach me?" She asked me like a wailing dog. "I'm gonna flunk the start of the school year if I'm going to fail this test right now." 

"Umm, I don't know..." But she keeps on giving those puppy eyes like she can beg. "Oh, alright! But you will get us dinner for tonight."

"Yahoo!" She said in joy. 

And so, the school hours went by just like that.