Dancing: A Miki pseudo-route (Update 7/30/17)

[Mirage_GSM]

he is essentially someone that Hisao only met very recently, and he has no info on her whatsoever aside from her being his classmate.

That's a given, but he spends most of the day with her (he gets up around noon, meets her until an hour later and stays with her until after sundown. That's probably more time than he spent with Kenji all week - and most of those eight odd hours is glossed over by writing that they wasted time. It's time that could have been used to flesh her character out and have him get to know her - Just hanging around the bleachers they probably wouldn't have much to do but talk...

Oh, and when did Shizune assign Hisao to the fishing stand? Did she actually do that or did Miki make that up? It's not really clear from your chapter.

[acquireTigris]

he is essentially someone that Hisao only met very recently, and he has no info on her whatsoever aside from her being his classmate.

That's a given, but he spends most of the day with her (he gets up around noon, meets her until an hour later and stays with her until after sundown. That's probably more time than he spent with Kenji all week - and most of those eight odd hours is glossed over by writing that they wasted time. It's time that could have been used to flesh her character out and have him get to know her - Just hanging around the bleachers they probably wouldn't have much to do but talk...

Oh, and when did Shizune assign Hisao to the fishing stand? Did she actually do that or did Miki make that up? It's not really clear from your chapter.

Here's my take on Hisao:

Since his heart attack, he's been apathetic. His world has stopped spinning, though the rest of the world continues to spin on without him. He doesn't bother to try and interact with the world, or in this case, with the students of Yamaku. He pays little to no attention to the things that are happening around him. This goes on for the duration of his stay in the school. But as fate would have it, a handful of people do pay attention to him. Mutou, Nurse, and the main six shoujos are the most notable ones in Act 1, and his bleak outlook changes. Kenji, too, but he ends up being more of a nuisance than a determinant. I decided to keep most of Act 1 as canon, but despite all the choices you make, Act 1 Chapter 10 will lead you to Miki in my story.

As for Shizune assigning Hisao and Miki as a pair for the fishing booth, I made that up entirely. There is no canonical booth for 3-3, and I needed an excuse to stick both characters together during the festival.

I hope this clears things up.

[acquireTigris]

Settling in

My eyes burn from the sunlight drifting through the window. A while ago, most of the class groaned in unison once Mutou told us that we were starting on a new lesson instead of having a little extended break from the festival, but he is relentless and we end up succumbing to his wishes. He drones on about electrons and protons while my mind is focused on yesterday's events. Was I really that bad at names? I guess now's a good a time as any to refresh my memory. I start enumerating the students in my classroom. First there's Haruhiko by the door, who's looking a little lost right now. I think he needs a map. Beside him is... Ikuno? She doesn't really strike me as anyone memorable, but I at least try to remember her. Next is Miki, who looks like she's about to drift off any second now. Then Suzu, the girl with sea-green hair who apparently beat Miki in the race to dream land. Then-.

"Nakai!" I stand upright quickly. Mutou is pensively watching me. There are literally two girls, front and center, who are drifting away, and I'm the one who gets called out. That seems fair. I take a look at the two in question. It looks like Miki's found her bearings again, but she's looking at me like she's worried that I got reprimanded instead of her. Suzu, on the other hand, is still catching forty winks.

"What is the surface charge density of a sphere?" Mutou asks calmly.

"Uhh..." I glance at my notes for a quick second before looking the teacher straight in the eye. "It's the, umm, charge divided by the total volume of the sphere, which is four over three pi multiplied by the radius cubed. Sir."

He keeps analyzing me until he nods once and smiles. "Good work, Hisao. Please be seated."

I drop into my chair with a sigh of relief. I was glad that Mutou's howl didn't shake my heart. Lucky me.

I peek back at the girls in front. Miki is shaking Suzu up, and the other girl is very reluctantly sitting upright. At least my little act of defiance inspired a couple of students to start listening to the lesson. Though I honestly can't blame them; Mutou's monotone isn't exactly exciting.

For the rest of the afternoon, we are subjected to charged particles, electron fields, and attraction forces. It isn't as hard as I thought it was, but most of my classmates don't seem to agree with me. It looks like Hanako at the back looks like she's not having a hard time, and a part of me is glad that she isn't skipping classes. I jot down notes as the teacher says them. My hand would be burning right now if it weren't for the rate of Mutou explaining things.

We are dismissed, and I stay for a while to finish up the notes on the board as the rest of the room empties itself. Mutou calls me over. I'm starting to think that this guy hates my guts. I sulk towards him and stand in front of his desk.

"Good job today, Hisao." He smiles his trademark awkward smile. "I see a lot of potential in you."

I was expecting an earful of reprehension, not praise. I absentmindedly rub my forearm. "Uhh. Thanks, mister Mutou. I think. To be fair, I was just doing what a student is supposed to be doing."

He scoffs. "Nonsense! You're doing exceedingly well. I just think that you lack the passion for your studies." I am surprised by the contrast from his boringness while he's giving lectures and his eagerness about his student's academic performance. My academic performance. "I have an offer for you, Hisao. Are you free two weekends from now? Because you'll have the opportunity to visit a science symposium outside town. With a few more students, I could make get the school to officially declare our outing as a field trip."

My eyes widen. "Wow... You're putting a lot on my plate, sir." I try to smile, but I think it comes off askew. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go."

"Good," he replies. "I'll print waivers and send them to the participants as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir," I smile, this time it feels more natural. "I'll be looking forward to it."

I soon notice that the Student Council duo was still in the room with me and Mutou, and that Shizune is eyeing me maliciously. By the looks of things, she's plotting to assimilate me into the Student Council. Before she could sic Misha at me, I make a break for the door. And to my surprise, Miki comes to my rescue, unwittingly, most likely, as she drags me by the elbow outside the classroom. "Yo."

"Hey," I greet back.

"That was pretty cool, the way you made Mutou think that you weren't paying attention but then you totally were." She sounds pretty impressed, but I can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something from me. Maybe it's what she said? Maybe it's the way she said it?

"I didn't... really-. I wasn't trying to contradict the guy. I wasn't paying attention at all. I just got lucky and thought on my feet." As I'm being led through the halls, I pause for a lengthy amount of time before I turn toward her. "Where are you taking me?"

"You? Ha ha! Nowhere, really. I was just dragging you along since we were friends and I wanted to hang out. With some other friends."

There's definitely something wrong here.

"Miki, where are you taking me?" I repeat.

She buries her tongue in one cheek and keeps quiet for a little while longer. As we turn a corner, I see the shape of a girl curled up on the floor in a corner beside the library. Is that Suzu Suzuki behind that cabinet? It's Suzu Suzuki behind that cabinet.

"Sorry!" She finally lets me go as we both stand over her. "I didn't know who else to turn to, and you were the closest dude I could find that I can trust. I can trust you, right?" She blinks faux-puppy eyes at me. Judging from how casual she's acting, I'm guessing Suzu falling asleep in weird places is a regular occurrence.

"You need me to carry her, where?" I sigh. What have I gotten myself into?

"The library. It's not a long trip. I mean, it's right there. I'd lift her myself, but she's in a weird angle and I..." Miki trails off. I understand what she's trying to say. The sleeping girl is lying in a position where a left hand grip was needed to pull her out safely.

"I'll do it," I grumbled, and scooped snoozing Suzu up. Snoozu. Heh. Thankfully she's light enough that I don't strain myself too much while I carry her. Miki opens the library's doors for me. I feel like an action hero bringing his wounded lover into a cathedral or sanctuary, but obviously reality is a lot less exciting than that.

Miki leads me along the aisles and shelves. Inside, I find two more classmates of mine with a pile of books between them while they sit on beanbag chairs. Lezard and Akio, I think. They regard me with a degree of indifference as I bury Suzu in an empty beanbag. After checking to see if she's comfortable, I turn to Miki and purse my lips. "We done here?"

"Yes!" she hissed happily, a whispered yell loud enough to sound like she's using regular talking volume. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would've done without you." She turns to the pair who was busy reading books. "Take care of Suzu for me, you hear?"

"Sure, sure," Lezard mumbled as he turned a page of his book. Akio simply nodded.

"I'll be back in a few to fetch her," Miki says. Both guys nod again. I leave shortly after, and Miki follows me.

"Book club?" I ask.

"Literature, actually. Same difference." We're both walking toward the cafeteria without saying a word.

"Thanks again," she tells me, and I wave it off.

"It's no big deal. Just don't make me do that again."

"Wimp," she smirks. I glare at her, and she replies with a chortle. "I'm kidding," she says while lightly punching me on the shoulder. "But I'm still thankful for you carrying Suzu for me like that. For her sake and mine."

"You're welcome," I reply, "but I'm still confused as to why you chose me of all people."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean since yesterday. Out of the many students in our school that you could've picked to hang out with for an entire afternoon, you picked me, a guy who barely even knows you. Why?" I finally voice out my concerns. Hopefully I let them out properly.

She pouts, but I think she's actually biting the inside of her cheek. "I have my reasons," she declares. "But it was mostly because you were lonely. But it's not a pity thing," she quickly blurts out, waving one hand in front of her face.

But she's right, though. I was lonely that day. I chose to stay away from the only guy who seemed to treat me like a friend, and I regretted it. Only a little. It made me glad to know that someone went out of their way to keep me company for a night.

We reach the cafeteria by then, and I spot some empty seats for the both of us. We take our table and unsling our bags from our shoulders.

"So I guess we're even," Miki says. "I did you a solid by being your pal, you did me one by picking up a pal."

"Actually, I owe you," I admit. "You dragging me to the library saved me from getting recruited into the Student Council."

She grins widely. "You're kidding, right? Shizune wants you in the SC?" Miki stifles a laugh. "She must be either really desperate for more hands, or she wants to get in your pants."

"W-what?" I choke, feeling my ears starting to heat up.

Miki yips and slaps one knee. "You should've seen the look on your face! HAH!" I panic and check if anyone I knew heard that, but thankfully the entire room is filled with mostly first and second years. I sigh with relief.

"Lighten up, Hisao. I was kidding." She beams her one million lumen smile at me. Despite my annoyance, I can't stay mad at her for too long. "Suzu would have a blast hanging out with you."

"I hope so," I reply. I never really asked for it, but it feels like I'm slowly growing in popularity. "Though she's already hung out with me. I mean on my arms. She was hanging on my arms."

Miki stares at me incredulously. "Nice try, Robin Williams, but you really need to work on your punch lines." I feel like slapping myself right now. That was lame.

"Huh. I guess I do," I say.

Despite the chatter from the students around us, silence returns between us, probably because I never was good at small talk. I stand up and make an excuse to leave. "Listen, I probably have to go. I need to work on that English homework from last week and, uhh..."

"Oh, sure. Go on ahead. I didn't work on that either, but being the egghead that you are I know nothing'll stop ya."

"Hey!"

She giggles again and smiles. "Man, is it easy to get your goat." She stands up and pats me once on the head. "See ya, Hisao."

By the time I open my mouth, she's already bounded back to the library. I'm left waving at nobody. I guess I'll really start on that crappy English homework. But first, I buy some flavored bread from the cafeteria and I take it with me to the boy's dorms as my room-service dinner.

Next|Previous|First

[Numb]

"No friends?" Astute observation, Miki. She bends down slightly, her

This is in the first chapter, just saw this today. Her what? It just ends off, I'm going to assume it's something to do with cleavage, or would've been but you cut it out.

Suddenly, I notice Shizune re's eyeing me maliciously

Shizune re's? Again, assuming this is a blunder that slipped through editing.

Pretty good start so far, though the first chapter could easily be extended to add some more characterisation. In fact, I'd recommend extending it. Anyway, from a curse victim to a curse challenger, good luck buddy. I'll extend the same offer I always do, since I can't help myself. If you ever need any help or advice, then I'm here. I'm also willing to edit, but there are other people here who are more reliable for that than myself. Also...

First of all, English isn't my first language, though I don't find that as an excuse for being lackluster at using it.

This surprised me. You're clearly a very strong speaker and have an impressive understanding of grammar, as this is better than some of the material I've seen native speakers produce. Good job man.

[Mirage_GSM]

"Sorry!" She finally lets me go as we both stand over her. "I didn't know who else to turn to, and you were the closest dude I could find that I can trust.

Something is wrong about the sequence of events here:
Class is dismissed.
Hisao finishes his notes. It can't take too long, since Shizune and Misha are also still there, so maybe a minute tops.
Then Miki apprears and drags him to the library where Suzu has fallen asleep, but they both had classes together with Hisao up to this point.
So, unless Miki and Suzu left class early this is not possible.

Apart from that chapter two is noticeably better than the first. Still a few tenses but no homophones that I noticed. More rigorous editing I assume.
And I agree with Numb: I've seen much worse by native speakers.

As for chapter 1:

As for Shizune assigning Hisao and Miki as a pair for the fishing booth, I made that up entirely. There is no canonical booth for 3-3, and I needed an excuse to stick both characters together during the festival.

Yes, I get that. My point was, that Shizune assigning Hisao to the booth is a deviation from (or an addition to) canon, so I think it needs at least a little explanation. Your readers can be assumed to have read act 1, but there is nothing about an assignment in act 1, so your readers don't know what you're talking about.
I can think of two lines of internal monologue that would fit there: Either "Shit, I completely forgot about that." or "What? I don't remember that at all. Maybe she told us while I was wallowing in self-pity/daydreaming during yesterday's homeroom/resting in the nurse's office (if he did race Emi - we don't know which exact path he took to the beginning of your story)."

[brythain]

I hope Shizune didn't really want to 'sick' Misha at him, but to 'sic' Misha on him is just about acceptable. [LINK]

It's an entertaining read, needs editing a bit as the others have said, but you sound like a native speaker. And I have a soft spot for Miki.

[acquireTigris]

"No friends?" Astute observation, Miki. She bends down slightly, her

This happened when I was trying to decide where and when Miki would perform the action and I half-assed it somewhere and forgot to remove it entirely.

Suddenly, I notice Shizune re's eyeing me maliciously

Second editing mistake. This is why I'm not supposed to be writing past midnight.

This surprised me. You're clearly a very strong speaker and have an impressive understanding of grammar, as this is better than some of the material I've seen native speakers produce. Good job man.

Thank you! English may not be my first language, but it's stuck to me for so long that I'm pretty comfortable speaking and writing with it.

Something is wrong about the sequence of events here:

As for chapter 1:

I've edited accordingly, and I've filled some extra lines for Act 2 Chap 1 that fleshes out Mutou's and Hisao's relationship.

I hope Shizune didn't really want to 'sick' Misha at him, but to 'sic' Misha on him is just about acceptable.

Today I learned.

[acquireTigris]

Old New Habits

I find myself lying on my bed early in the morning still wearing yesterday's uniform, extremely well rested. This wouldn't have bothered me if it weren't for the fact that the sun wasn't up yet, telling me that it was still too early in the morning, and I had no idea what happened last night. I bolt upright and rattle my brain for memories of what happened. I can't have short term amnesia. Just the thought of me having short term amnesia gives me shivers. I panic and switch on my study lamp, and it shines directly on my English homework. My English homework. My unfinished English homework. Leave it to the worst subject ever created to lull me to an early sleep without trying.

I lie back down on my bed and try my best to get some more rest. A minute goes by. Then another. And then another. I'm tossing and turning in my sheets, and I groan. Something tells me that I'm not going to get another wink of sleep until later tonight.

Defeated, I get back up, grab what would've been my sleeping clothes, a shirt and a pair of shorts, along with a towel, and I make my way to the bathroom just outside my door. Since it's still too early, I have the entire place to myself. I pick the first shower stall and crank the valve up to 11. While I let the water run over me, I think of whether to soak myself to the bone for an hour or not. Eventually, I opt against it. I never did like the disgusting feeling of wrinkly toes. Or wet socks. Or wrinkly toes in wet socks.

I finally step out of the shower feeling invigorated. Drying myself up, I dress in my supposed sleep clothes and make my way outside the dorms. I know it's a school day, but I think it's way too early to soil today's uniform, and I've got time to spend, so I've decided that I could take a walk around the school and maybe visit the parts I've never been to before.

As I exit through the doors, I almost bump into someone and I jerk back quickly. I didn't expect anyone to be up this early. She's wearing the school's PE uniform and her twintails, normally neat and tidy, are all across her face. She's tapping one running blade on the brick floor and her arms are crossed.

"Good morning, Hisao!" Emi pipes up, her voice soaked in a sickly sweet venom. I may have deliberately forgotten to run with her in the mornings for a little more than a week now.

"Morning, Emi," I say meekly, waving to her. "Fancy meeting you here."

Without another word, she grabs me by the elbow and starts dragging me with her. I reluctantly let myself get dragged along. For a girl her size, she sure is strong. What is it with me getting dragged around by girls these days?

"Where're we going?" I croak, feeling the guilt of a thousand un-jogged mornings wash over me like the waves of an unrelenting ocean.

"To the track, where you were supposed to be days ago," she grumbles. Though I don't have a clear view of her face, I could see her cheeks puff up in annoyance from behind her. I'd think it was cute if she wasn't so miffed right now.

"But I'm not wearing proper jogging attire!" I reason with her.

"But, schmut. You're jogging and you're going to like it!" I open my mouth for a rebuttal, but I decide against it and shut up. I deserve this punishment. I might as well see it through.

"You can let go now," I mumble. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Damn right you're not," she grumbles, but she doesn't let go. Not until we get to the field. Once we reach the bleachers, she turns around, grabs me by the shoulders, and pushes me toward the ground like I'm some sort of sapling that needs planting. I don't budge, though.

"You better do at least six rounds this morning. That's one more than I would've let you run if you only started earlier."

My jaw drops. "Six!? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Relax," Emi smiles. "You're not going to be sprinting or anything like that. Just go at your own pace." She takes a peek at her stopwatch. "It's still an hour and thirty before first period starts, so we've got plenty of time." So she's telling me to go at my own pace, but she's giving me a time limit. Irony is cruel.

"Yes ma'am," I say. I might as well get it over with. I get my legs moving and as I finish my first lap, I can already feel my blood pumping in my ears and my heart beating fast. "Aren't you going to jog with me?" I ask Emi as I jog by where she's stretching on the bleachers.

"I don't have to," she says. "I've already done my rounds. I just need to cool down and I'm done with my morning workout." She starts doing the splits, and I have to avert my gaze in case I bump into a tree or something.

At the end of my second lap, my shirt is thoroughly soaked and I'm breathing through my mouth. I try to think positive thoughts. I can still probably make it through the next four laps without collapsing in a heap.

In the middle of my third one, I can see from a distance that someone else arrives at the field. It's a long-haired, tan-skinned girl, and she's wearing her PE uniform as well. "Morning, Miki," Emi pipes cheerily, propping her right prosthetic foot on the bleachers and sitting with her knee on her chin. "Thanks for telling me that Hisao was still alive and not hiding in his mom's basement. I wouldn't have found him without your help."

"Y'mean this gaylord that's running turtle laps around the field is Hisao?" she asks while starting to stretch herself.

"I c'n... hear... you...!" I groan as I make the turn toward them. Sweat is all over the running sand. If plants grew when people sweat on the ground, I'd be turning the track into a garden.

"Good morning to you too, Hisao," Miki shouts back. I'd roll my eyes at her right now if it wasn't so damned tiring to even attempt.

I stop in the middle of my next lap. Twelve minutes and I feel like I'm about to crack open. I put my palms on my knees and breathe. My lungs feel like they're on fire. I close my eyes to rest them, and when I open them again I find a pair of shoes running on the spot right in front of me. I look up to find a concerned Miki looking down at me.

"Don't stop your legs from moving," she says as she jogs in place. "If you do, you're going to end up hurting yourself more when you let your muscles rest when they shouldn't." With that, she starts to walk backwards before beginning her proper morning run.

I paddle my feet in place on the ground. They feel like they've been weighted with lead. But I take Miki's advice anyway, and I don't stop jogging, even if it's pathetic chicken steps.

I inch forward so I can gain some distance while I catch my breath. Miki passes by me once, and again, and a third time before I'm back to running with my previous pace.

"Don't push yourself," Miki says as she overtakes me on my fifth. "Move at your own pace," she says again just as I start on my last one, and by then she's probably done twelve. It's impressive to think that I had a head start but she's made twice the distance I did. She's pretty fast. Probably as fast as Emi. I finally decide that she's in the track team.

When I finish my run, I am back to heaving like a broken squeak toy. I sit on the bleachers to take a breather, but Miki taps me on the shoulder and shakes her head. She isn't sweating but her clothes are still a little moist, which leads me to believe that she was finished with her run minutes ago. "You're going to want to stretch. Your first work-out will be a bitch, and it will hurt, but stretching will at least tune the pain down by a fraction." I nod and start stretching, and Emi takes over and shows me the basics, minus the splits.

"I'll be off, then," Miki says to the both of us, and I nod in reply while Emi waves. "Bye," we both say in unison, but mine sounds weak. I am almost done with my legs, and when I lose balance while I'm stretching, I could prop myself up against one of the railings so I won't fall face-first onto the grass.

"See?" Emi says. "Was that so hard?"

"Easy for you to say," I retort tiredly. "You're already used to these kinds of things."

"The first step is always the hardest, young grasshopper," she says, imitating a sage while putting both her hands together in reverent prayer. Then she giggles afterwards. "We better get going. Class starts in thirty minutes and I'm sure you don't wanna be late."

"'Course not," I reply. Emi waves at me and I wave back while she leaves for the girls' dorm and I go to the boys'. For the second time today, in the span of an hour, I take a nice long shower.

As I get dressed and sling my bag over my shoulder, I eye my desk and see my English homework again. My unfinished English homework. I feel like hissing at it right now. I hate that dumb English homework, and I hate the butterfly effect. I leave it on the table. Hopefully it'll rot and serve as a warning to future assignments that I mean business when it comes to hating English homework.

The rest of the day pretty much breezes by without a hitch, except for when I didn't get a grade for my English class since I never started working on that damned piece of paper, and my body was slowly getting more painful by the hour. At the end of the day, I feel like I'm supposed to be wrapped in a full-body cast. Miki approaches me as homeroom period ends, still looking as concerned as she was from this morning.

"Yo. How're you holding up?"

"Apart from feeling like I'm going to shatter into pieces from the slightest touch, I'm good." At least my face muscles aren't sore, and I let out a smile.

"That's pretty normal," she says. "Just drink a ton of water for a few days and the pain'll go away. I think it has something to do with lactose acid or something."

"Yeah, lactic acid buildup in the muscles which leads to muscle fatigue. You drink water so you drain it all from your muscles. I think I read something about that somewhere. Thanks for the reminder."

Miki nods at me. "Hey, listen, about Emi. Don't be mad at her. She's usually pretty sweet and cool to hang around with, but she was probably just pissed because you didn't follow through with your deal."

"I know, I know. I deserved what was coming to me anyway."

"That attitude is perfect if you want to improve yourself," she smiles. "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own. Bruce Lee said that."

"Thanks for that nugget of wisdom," I say.

"Nah, I didn't look that up. Suzu did. She's a total nerd when it comes to quoting book stuff."

I glare at her.

"Not that there's anything wrong with being a nerd, or liking book stuff for that matter." She laughs while shaking her head. "You are such a gaylord."

"What does that even mean, 'gaylord'?" I retorted.

"It means what it means. You're a total gaylord." She lets out a couple of laughs again and interrupts me before I could answer back. "Hey, you free tomorrow afternoon?"

My annoyance subsides. "Sure, I am, I guess. Why, what's up?"

"I want you to hang out with me and Suzu, since you seem like you're sill lacking in the 'I've got friends' department." I would normally take that as an insult, but she's right. I do lack friends. Judging from how Miki's been talking about Suzu, the girl who I barely ever see awake, I think we'd get along just fine.

Before I could say yes, Miki's phone starts beeping. By the way it sounds, it's an alarm, and Miki almost leaps from her skin. "Shit, I'm gonna be late for practice!" She grabs her bag and waves at me with her good hand without her goods pouring all over the floor, a feat I consider as respectable as clapping with one hand.

"See you tomorrow morning," she calls, and it serves as her parting words.

Part of me was actually trying to avoid another one of Emi's sessions, but Miki just had to go and trigger my guilt reflex. Crap.

"Bye," I yell out to her, but by then she's already gone.

I might as well find something else to do. Maybe Yuuko's over by the library. She could give me some new titles to read.

Next|Previous|First

[Mirage_GSM]

"I don't have to," she says. "I've already done my rounds. I just need to cool down and I'm done with my morning workout."

If she did her routine, but has not cooled down yet, why did he meet her in front of the dorms?

I amble along at a snail's pace, and as I finish my first lap I can already feel my blood pumping in my ears and my heart beating fast.

When you write "amble along at a snail's pace" I picture a leisurely walk - and it's perfectly possible to walk 8km in 90 minutes. Still just walking 400 m shouldn't stress him out so much, or he wouldn't have managed to get out to the track in the first place. So I guess he's at least jogging, isn't he?

I stop in the middle of my fifth lap. Twelve minutes and I feel like I'm about to crack open. I put my palms on my knees and breathe. My lungs feel like they're on fire.

If he felt like that in lap five, another fifteen would have DEFINITIVELY killed him. Letting a beginner run 8km would be grossly irresponsible, even if that person didn't have a heart condition.
In the VN, Emi has him run 4 laps at the beginning for a reason. Being mad at Hisao for not keeping an agreement he didn't actually agree to is not enough reason for torture^^°

Oh, and why'd you have to copy that "gaylord" thing? As a running gag it's growing quite old...

[acquireTigris]

If she did her routine, but has not cooled down yet, why did he meet her in front of the dorms?

Knowing Emi, she probably checks the male dorms every few laps during her morning runs just to check if she could catch Hisao in the morning. Knowing Hisao, he probably subconsciously avoided waking up early just so he could avoid Emi's morning runs. Emi just got lucky with Hisao waking up earlier than necessary that one time, thus Hisao blames his English homework.

When you write "amble along at a snail's pace" I picture a leisurely walk - and it's perfectly possible to walk 8km in 90 minutes. Still just walking 400 m shouldn't stress him out so much, or he wouldn't have managed to get out to the track in the first place. So I guess he's at least jogging, isn't he?

He's jogging. I think I need to word that differently.

If he felt like that in lap five, another fifteen would have DEFINITIVELY killed him. Letting a beginner run 8km would be grossly irresponsible, even if that person didn't have a heart condition.
In the VN, Emi has him run 4 laps at the beginning for a reason. Being mad at Hisao for not keeping an agreement he didn't actually agree to is not enough reason for torture^^°

It's been a while since I've read the VN, and I may have overestimated Hisao's endurance. I used to play football (the non-american kind) and I pretty much jog around a regular field for fifteen reps before practice starts. It might've been too much for most junior high school students, but my best friend is basically Emi and he likes to push the entire team to their limits (though instead of not having legs, both his arms are dislocated). I got used to it after some weeks, but I don't have a heart condition so I should've toned the poor kid's training program down by a lot.

Oh, and why'd you have to copy that "gaylord" thing? As a running gag it's growing quite old...

It's playful banter, it's canon with the fanfic I'm basing this fanfic on, it speaks levels about Miki's attitude towards things, and I personally like it. But it's not like I'm going to slather a generous helping of "gaylord" all over this route. It will be used sparingly, and it will hopefully be used properly.

[azumeow]

If he felt like that in lap five, another fifteen would have DEFINITIVELY killed him. Letting a beginner run 8km would be grossly irresponsible, even if that person didn't have a heart condition.
In the VN, Emi has him run 4 laps at the beginning for a reason. Being mad at Hisao for not keeping an agreement he didn't actually agree to is not enough reason for torture^^°

I got used to it after some weeks, but I don't have a heart condition so I should've toned the poor kid's training program down by a lot.

All of my this. I just started an exercise regimen last month, and 15 laps around a track would have hurt bad. I agree that it most likely would have killed Hisao.

Oh, and why'd you have to copy that "gaylord" thing? As a running gag it's growing quite old...

It's playful banter, it's canon with the fanfic I'm basing this fanfic on, it speaks levels about Miki's attitude towards things, and I personally like it. But it's not like I'm going to slather a generous helping of "gaylord" all over this route. It will be used sparingly, and it will hopefully be used properly.

I enjoy the gaylord.

[acquireTigris]

If he felt like that in lap five, another fifteen would have DEFINITIVELY killed him. Letting a beginner run 8km would be grossly irresponsible, even if that person didn't have a heart condition.
In the VN, Emi has him run 4 laps at the beginning for a reason. Being mad at Hisao for not keeping an agreement he didn't actually agree to is not enough reason for torture^^°

I got used to it after some weeks, but I don't have a heart condition so I should've toned the poor kid's training program down by a lot.

All of my this. I just started an exercise regimen last month, and 15 laps around a track would have hurt bad. I agree that it most likely would have killed Hisao.

Oh, and why'd you have to copy that "gaylord" thing? As a running gag it's growing quite old...

It's playful banter, it's canon with the fanfic I'm basing this fanfic on, it speaks levels about Miki's attitude towards things, and I personally like it. But it's not like I'm going to slather a generous helping of "gaylord" all over this route. It will be used sparingly, and it will hopefully be used properly.

I enjoy the gaylord.

I regret killing Hisao. At least I have a save state that prevents this from ever happening.

[Mirage_GSM]

Remember his heart acted up from throwing a few balls at some tin-cans during the festival

[acquireTigris]

A Thousand Miles

My alarm beeps earlier than I'm used to, and I reluctantly climb out of bed. Flicking the lights on in my room, I do my daily routine of chugging down all the meds I need to not die for the next few weeks. Dark thoughts, dark words, but I need to accept the fact that if I forget to take these pills, I'm a goner. I may be well-rested, but my legs are sore from yesterday's jog. On the bright side, it's 5:30 AM, two hours later than when I woke up yesterday, though the sky is still pretty much dim. This time, I don't bother to take a bath. I'm going to sweat it up at the track, anyway, so why attempt to clean myself up prematurely? I wear my PE uniform, which ironically enough is something I never wear since I'm exempt from attending PE. I wonder if Lilly from 3-2 is exempted from PE, too. She probably is, since blindness is definitely a problem when you're dealing with sports and the like. What if PE for her is just playing chess for the entire period? I shake my head at the thought. If that were the case, I'd be playing chess once a week and be graded for not being bad at it. I'm not decent at it, though. I'm a bit glad I don't have to play chess for my grades.

Once I left my room and locked the door, a loud thump echoes from inside Kenji's room. I stop in my tracks and eye his door. I could be wrong, but I'm actively guessing that he's been up all night doing... something. My imagination fails to grasp what he could be possibly be doing at the moment, and I'm grateful for that. The world doesn't need another Kenji to plague it. I almost knock on his door, but I decide against it, mostly because he might eat up my time with one of his lectures on the catastrophic effects of letting feminism run rampant or something along those lines.

I think of jogging to the track to maybe knock a few seconds off this morning's session, but I'm practically limping from the pain in my thighs. They feel tight, and the slightest movement makes me grit my teeth. It isn't unbearable, but it's damn well annoying. I'll have to settle with walking for now.

To my surprise, I don't find any sign of Emi at the track. Instead, I'm looking at Miki bending down in front of the bleachers in her PE uniform and bloomers, bottoms up, her legs straight, and her face practically touching her knees. People can do that? Wow. The human body body doesn't cease to astound me, and neither does Miki's. Erghm. Let's not get ourselves carried away here.

"Morning," I say to make my presence known.

Miki stops stretching for a bit and looks up at me. "Yo, top of the mornin' to ya," comes her reply, and she goes right back to pushing her nose against her knees.

"You seen Emi? I was expecting here to be here by now."

"You jus' miss'd 'er," she says, her breath a bit tight. I guess bending like that squeezes the air out of your lungs. She stands straight up and regards me seriously. "She's usually really early. Like, really early. That way no one gets to hog the track from her."

"Ah, I see." I guess it explains how she found me when I woke up a couple of hours after midnight. "I was expecting her to be the one to supervise my jogging."

"She passed the torch to moi," Miki smirks, putting her hand against her chest.

"I'll be in good hands then," I reply. She stares at me with an incredulous look. A few gears grind in my brain and I realize that what I just said was possibly the dumbest thing to say to someone like her. "Crap, I'm sorry! I slipped my mind."

"Pah, it's nothing," she says blandly, waving her stump across her face to dismiss the issue. I could tell she's trying to do it lightheartedly, but she's really glum about it. Touchy subject, I guess. Touch. With hands. Damnit, Hisao, you did it again. At least she can't read thoughts. She looks at me eye-to-eye, and I remember that one time she knew I was hungry during the festival, and that other time she knew I was lonely. Crap. What if she can read thoughts?

If she really is telepathic, she doesn't let me know. She only shifts her gaze down to my pants and puts her good hand on her waist. "Your legs still hurting?"

I nod. "It feels like my thighs are doing knots on themselves."

She looks back up at me. "That's 'cause you didn't stretch properly-," I raise a finger to explain to her that I stretched with an expert yesterday, "-or you didn't stretch before jogging."

"Oh." So that's what I missed. My finger slinks back down.

"I guessed as much." She raises her left arm and bends it behind her head, while her good hand grabs onto her elbow and pulls it towards her head as much as she can. "Copy me," she muttered, and I mirror her, right to left. She counts silently, but I could read her lips as she does sixteen counts for every pose. After every one, we do the same for the opposite side, but she has difficulty when she needs to grab things with her left not-hand.

Once we reach to stretching the legs, she pulls her right knee up to her chin, hugging it towards her body, and I try to do the same with my left. My sense of balance isn't the best and I wobble to and fro, hopping so I won't fall on my face. My clumsiness brings a small smile to Miki's face, but it's gone the second it appeared. She's probably more miffed than I thought. I want to apologize to her, but I should probably do that later. I don't want to break her focus and piss her off even more.

The entire warm-up lasts for fifteen minutes, and I can almost feel my muscles feeling a lot more limber than when I just woke up. My legs still hurt, but the pain is a degree more bearable than if I didn't stretch. It doesn't mean that they don't feel like they're about to fall off at any second. "We're going to stick with the six laps Emi made you start with," she orders. "Same rules apply; go at your own pace, just keep moving, and make sure you finish."

I nod and get behind a starting line, almost forgetting that Miki hasn't started her own run either. She lines up beside me, jogging and flicking her wrist in place. "I'd race you, but we both know you'd be eating my dust." All my guilt washes away as I glare at her, and she smirks back at me playfully. I open my mouth to formulate a clever counter, and trust me when I say I really was going to think of one, but she's already bolted down the track. I groan audibly before I follow at my tortoise-like pace. At least she's back to being her old snarky self.

Just like yesterday, I lose my breath some time in the middle of my second lap. I don't dare to rest for fear of getting told off by Miki, but I'm sure I don't want to collapse either, so I slow down while keeping my jogging pace. A step an inch, a step an inch, a step an inch. I breathe deeply through my nose, which somehow feels much more rejuvenating than breathing through my mouth like I usually do when I'm out of breath. To be honest I'm not sure if I've got my breathing right. Maybe I'll ask Miki how to after this run. She's already done seven laps after I finish my second one, and five of those were spent sprinting. I can't help but admire her dedication to her craft.

One repetition before I'm finished, she's already done her twenty laps. I imagine that I'd be a goner if I try running that distance in my condition. I jog past her while she's wiping her neck off with a face towel. I'm close to finishing and my breath isn't ragged, but I reckon I could go faster than my current speed.

So I turn it up a notch.

I don't exactly make a bee-line for the finish line, but I think I performed the low-stamina-kid's equivalent of one. I found my pathetic little ten meter dash strangely satisfying, if not extremely tiring, and I'm reduced to wheezing through my mouth. I'm bending down and holding my hand to my chest, my heart fluttering fast. Miki rushes to my side and puts her hand on my back.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice strained with concern.

I look up at her, one palm propped against my knee, and give her a thumbs up. My eyes are swimming in tears and I sputter, but I'm fine. I'm coughing out of strain, and what might have been a heart flutter. I couldn't tell. My head is still spinning a bit.

Gritting her teeth, Miki kneels down for a split second and punches my shin.

"Ow!" I howl, my attention leaving my chest and finding itself on my left shin. I kneel down and massage it with both my hands. "Wussat for?" I whimper, still clearly out of breath.

"You dickweed." She almost punches me again and I flinch, but she thinks better of it, but her hand is still balled in a fist. "I said to go at your own pace, not push yourself to the limit. I'm not dumb. You obviously have some sort of heart or lung problem if Emi is so concerned about having you jog every morning even though you have the stamina of a fat house cat."

I look up at her, deeply fascinated by how she guessed all that just from observation. I've lived long enough to know that common sense is, in fact, not that common. It's actually a freaking super power.

My chest rises and falls steadily, and my thoughts focus on my every breath. Both of us stay quiet for some time, me kneeling on the track and her looming over me like a tree. A bird chirps somewhere in the distance.

"I'm sorry," I finally break the silence. "I should've known better."

"You damn well should've known better." I feel like I'm being reprimanded by a marginally more intimidating Emi. She sighs and closes her eyes. "Look, we better get moving before classes start and I'm sure both of us need some time to freshen up. We'll cool down with some stretching and today's running session is done. And please-." Her hand hovers in front of her face, as if she's trying to grasp onto some concept in the air. "Don't do that again."

I nod and get up, raising my right arm and tugging my elbow with my left hand, initiating the stretching exercises first.



I climb up to the third floor with reasonably better-feeling legs, though my shin is still in pain. A handful of students are already in the classroom, and a few eyes find their way on me as I enter the room. Miki isn't here yet, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn't want a stiff confrontation where I have to pass in front of her before I reach my desk.

As the morning grows, the room slowly fills up. I eventually find Miki coming in alongside Suzu. I catch her gaze and expect an awkward stare, but she smiles at me and takes her seat. Huh. That's weird. My thoughts analyze the strange exchange for the better part of the morning before first period starts.



I wake up to realize that homeroom period has ended. This morning's workout must have taken a toll on me. I don't remember ever falling asleep, but at least I didn't snooze in the middle of class. I rummage through my bag and I'm left with a homework list, namely English, where I'm supposed to submit a chapter report on Silas Marner, a horrible book that I'll never understand, Physics, which is just a problem set that I could do in a couple of minutes, and Geometry, which I could also do in a few minutes. I am just about ready to leave when I feel hands wrap around my face and the world goes dark.

"Guess who, Hicchan~?" a singsong voice pipes up.

"This better be important, Misha." I peel the Vice President's fingers off my nose.

"But it is~. The fate of the school is in your hands, Hicchan~." She bends upside-down in front of me and we eye each other. "Join me and Shicchan? Pwetty pwease~?" She tries to pout, but it's only half-effective because her curls are obscuring my face, and all I can see beyond that is her eyes and nose.

I should've guessed that Shizune would've had a part in this. I turn around and find her sitting on the desk, both arms and legs crossed. Her smile looks like a half-smirk. She waves at me before turning to Misha and she starts signing.

"You have responsibilities to Yamaku and to your Student Council~," Misha says. "We can make the whole school better, but we're going to need your help~. Don't you want to serve a noble cause, Hicchan~?" I know I'm talking to Shizune but it feels like I'm talking to the pinkette instead and I can't take her seriously.

"I'm flattered and all that you chose me to help you guys but..." I desperately look around for a vine to hold onto to save me from this quicksand situation. Unfortunately, the three of us are the only people in the room. I am about to give up just as Miki enters the room, a knight in shining armor.

Fine, she wasn't actually shiny or in armor, but the thought still stands. She was my ticket out of here.

"Miki!" I stand up and immediately meet her at the door with arms wide open. I clap her squarely on both shoulders. "How are you this fine day?"

"Yo," she says, clearly confused. "I'm good. Are you... uh, feeling okay, Hisao?" I can imagine that Misha and Shizune behind me are as dumbfounded as she is.

"I'm great!" I say loudly before moving in closer to whisper to her. "Are you in any clubs that I could possibly join?"

"What? No! We both know the track team isn't going to let you join." She scrunches up her eyebrows. "Why do you need to join a club for anyway?"

I take a step to one side to give her a clear view of who's inside the room.

"Oh," she muses. "Hi you two." I think at least one of the girls behind me are waving because she's waving herself. She turns back to me. "You need an excuse to not join the SC?"

"I think that's a given," I whisper back. Miki's face suddenly contorts itself. I think she's trying to point at something with her lips...

"If this is a delaying tactic, Hisao, we're not buying it~." Misha's voice is right behind me, and I blurt out in surprise as I turn around. Shizune, of course, is the one closer to me, and she's staring daggers into my soul.

"I-it's not, I swear!" I reason out. "It's just that, well..."

Miki is tapping her foot on the floor. "Is this gonna take a while? 'Cause I was expecting that me you and Suzu were gonna get the rest of the afternoon together and-."

"Exactly!" I exclaim, glad that the gears in my brain were still grinding away in perfect condition. "We're all going to hang out together today. Because I'm joining the Literature Club."

"You are~?" Misha asks, while Shizune looks surprised.

"You are?" Miki asks, equally stunned.

"Didn't we talk about this this morning?" I pull the dark-skinned girl with me to the hall as we make our escape. "We all know that a student that has a club can't join the Student Council, right? Now if you excuse me, ladies, me and Miki have places to go." I can imagine the incredulous look on Shizune's face as we walk away, while Misha's probably just disappointed right now.

"Smooth move, Hisao," Miki says as soon as we're out of earshot, grinning like a madwoman. "I never knew you were a nerd for books."

"Gimme a break, Miki," I huff. "It's called 'thinking on your feet', and I really am joining the Lit Club. I like reading, and I get to have an excuse to not to be bothered by Misha and Shizune. Two birds, one stone."

"Color me impressed," she says. Her grin slowly falters, though. I can tell something's bothering her.

"Sorry about this morning," I guess.

"What, you mean with the whole 'don't break your limits' thing?" She scoffs. "Forget about that jazz. I'm just glad you made it through in one piece." Her charming grin comes back, and I can't help but smile along. "Besides, a good knock to your knees is probably a better reminder for you instead of just using boring words."

I nod. I try to get over the whole thing but I'm still embarrassed about the whole 'you got hit by a girl' part.

I'm about to ask where we're going, but our chosen path seems familiar. I choose to hold any further comment until we get there. Soon enough, we arrive at our destination: two large mahogany doors.

"The library? You and Suzu hang out at the library?"

"She's a nerd like you," Miki jibes. "'Course she'd feel at home in the library."

"Why don't you two hang out in a more normal place, like the cafeteria, or the roof?"

"You try making friends with a girl who sleeps 24/7 and see if she likes stairs." She sticks her tongue out playfully. "I've been in Yamaku longer than you, you know. I'd like to think I'd be the expert at prime hangout spots. Besides, there's the beanbag section, so she can stay KO'd as long as she likes."

Ah, so Suzu's sleeping patterns aren't normal. I guess it explains why she's never awake in class though she's barely ever called out.

I push the library's double doors open and enter the huge room. It's mostly empty right now, aside from all the volumes of course. "Ladies first," Miki quips.

Really?

"Pipe down," I grumble. "It's common decency to keep quiet at a library."

"Relax," Miki chimed. "We're not gonna get in trouble. We've got the whole place to ourselves. AIN'T THAT RIGHT, LIBRARIAN!?"

I hear a startled cry from behind the desk, then the loud clang of wood on tiles, then a groan. "It's okay! I'm okay..."

I look over to the librarian's desk to see a poor woman in glasses rubbing her lower back. "Yo, Yuuko." Miki greets her as if nothing happened.

"Hi, Miki..." the librarian replies. "You could've at least kept the volume down. You scared me to death back there."

"You did say you're okay, right?" Miki smiles.

Yuuko frowns loudly. "I guess I did." She looks like she's about to cry.

"Thanks for taking care of Suzu for me. I'll make it up to you next week." Yuuko nods. I really think she broke something back there. I sure hope not. "We'll be back here if you need anything, m'kay?"

"Okay..." the librarian whimpers.

"You really think you should push Yuuko around like that?" I ask her as we walk along the various shelves.

"Yeah, she's fine. Me and her are acquainted, so it's no big deal. Besides, no one comes to the library on Wednesdays so there's no one
to bother."

I'm really skeptical about this, but she did say that she was the hangout expert. I merely nod and follow her to the beanbag section.

We find Suzu burying her nose into a book. From the looks of the title, I think it's a collection of Shakespeare's works. It's probably in English. I can already imagine how hard a time I'd have if I read that.

While I was preoccupied with my thoughts, Miki waves to the girl on a beanbag. "Yo, Suzu."

Suzu's eyes travel from the book to us. "Hey Miki. Glad to see you came through with the whole plan." She smiles at her, then at me.

"You know Hisao from our classroom, right? I guess this is the first time you and him are properly introduced."

"Obviously," Suzu replies.

"Hisao Nakai," I bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Suzu nods once. "Suzu Suzuki. The pleasure's mine."

"Now that you two have been acquainted, did I tell you that Hisao was the one who carried you in here last Monday?"

The girl with sea-green hair grabs a book from a stack next to her feet and chucks it straight at Miki. The taller girl dodges it and laughs heartily. Suzu buries her face in Shakespeare again, and I can see her ears are a bit red. Did I miss something?

"One of these days, Miki, bam! Straight to the moon." Suzu's words are muffled by the book's pages.

Miki cups her hand toward me and whispers. "I love it when she squirms like that." I guess it is kinda cute the way she does it.

"Anyway, Hisao says he wants to join the Literature Club." Miki plops onto one of the many beanbags, and I follow suit, choosing one in front of the both of them.

"You do!?" Suzu's head immediately pops out of the book. "That's great! More members means more book reviews with Yuuko." She's absolutely brimming with energy, a strange juxtaposition of her compared to her constant sleepiness.

"Yeah. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, though."

"Oh that's alright. As long as you're really set on joining, it'll be fine."

"I know you'd like that, Suzu." Miki flashes her Cheshire Cat smile again.

"Shut. Up," says Suzu.

I can't help but grin at the two girls' exchange.

The rest of the afternoon is spent with small-talk, jokes, and Miki poking fun at Suzu. It's the most fun that I had since I got to this school. I'm quiet for the most part while the two girls banter, and my thoughts keep on coming back to how I really appreciate that Miki came into my life the way she did.

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[Mirage_GSM]

Nice chapter again.

Less inconsistencies than the last one, though you should still think about getting a proofreader.