Amidst The Dissonance

Lunchtime Conversations

If there was something about school that Shuichi didn't mind as much, it was definitely lunch time.

As expected of such a reserved student, he'd often eat lunch by himself. He didn't mind, however. He preferred to have time to himself when he was eating. He'd sit outside near the small courtyard and spend about fifteen minutes consuming his every-day meal. Two small roast beef sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. Six or seven sliced apples. Three pieces of sushi. A fortune cookie. A small container of grape juice. Sometimes, if he was in a good mood, he'd pack himself a store-bought brownie, or a small bowl of thawing ice cream.

Unlike his friends, Shuichi usually had only forty-five minutes to eat. He personally thought it was unfair, especially knowing that nearly everyone had the same one-hour and forty-five minute lunch break. But there was no point complaining about it; not only were his Wednesdays completely free, he was also in a few classes that he relatively enjoyed for once.

Advanced Chemistry was the first one. Contrary to most of his peers, Shuichi thought the class was relatively fun. It was fast-paced and difficult, but he had a relatively fun time performing lab experiments and watching concoctions explode into vibrant colors. He figured that he'd need to familiarize himself with Chemistry more if he was going to pursue forensics and Detective Work.

After Advanced Chemistry was Digital Photography. He definitely wasn't the best photographer out there,--especially not with Mahiru in his class--but he still thought that his photos were relatively decent. In addition, it was the only class he had where he was allowed to relax outside for long periods of time. His teacher was a sweet and laid-back elderly man, fast approaching his eighties. He often encouraged the students to take advantage of the weather by relaxing outside and taking pictures. Furthermore, he was heavily fascinated with Shuichi's future career path as a Detective. He was one of the few people aside from his uncle that was truly excited for his potential work, and that alone was enough to boost motivation and confidence by tenfold.

Finally, there was Creative Writing and Literary....he always forgot the last word. Most people shortened it to "Creative Writing" anyways. While he wasn't the biggest fan of the teacher,--she and him weren't on a very good basis after she caught him sleeping in her class--he still enjoyed the rather relaxing atmosphere and easygoing assignments. He wasn't a huge fan of writing, but being able to empty his thoughts and drift through his mind on a piece of paper was just what he needed to do right before lunch.

And there was also her. Kaede. He had known about her before attending Hope's Peak Academy because of the piano competitions and recitals that she attended. Her name would appear on the news every once in a while, congratulating her exceptional performances, her upbeat personality, and her never-ending perseverance. To think that she out of all people would be able to make such easy conversation with someone like him? As he said to himself earlier, that was rather impressive for an extrovert.

He didn't really see himself as someone special. He received his title because of something that he regretted. And her? She likely had earned it. Though he had never actually heard Kaede play the piano, he was sure that her skills were exceptional, considering all the awards that she had one. And him? He couldn't even solve a simple practice case that his uncle assigned to him. Compared to her, he felt like a fraud.

Despite his pessimism however, he still kind of wanted to talk to her again. He wished he had said something to her when they parted ways after class. Now he wouldn't be able to talk to her again until tomorrow.

He made his way down the halls, looking out for the doors that led to the courtyard. The boisterous chatter from the cafeteria slowly faded into white noise the farther he walked. He glanced left and right, looking at the black and rich blue lockers. A few students were stationed near some of the lockers, engaging in quiet chatter or looking down at their phones. A classroom door swung open and a teacher walked out slowly, the click click of her red heels piercing the air. The quiet hum of the lights above soon replaced the white noise of the cafeteria. Upon recognizing the quieter atmosphere, Shuichi slowly relaxed and smiled. He liked this part of school.