"We're lucky we were already on the ground floor." I chuckle as I allow Suzu to slip from my back and onto the small bench before leaning her forward onto her bag.
"Sorry again." He sighs, his expression a picture of sheepishness.
"To be honest I think she was about to pass out anyways. Plus you carried her bag, so you made it easier than the usual." I return, giving him a hearty pat on the back. "Buuut..."
"I knew there would be a catch." His palm meets his face as he speaks.
"Could you get us lunch?
I forgot my purse." I put on the best puppy eyes I've got, admittedly nowhere near as good as the student council president's...
"Alright, what do you want?" He responds with a sigh.
But apparently my puppy eyes are good enough!
"Yay!" I squeak before reciting our usual lunch to him and sending him away. I sit myself next to Suzu's sleeping form and rest my head on the table, I haven't had to be 'cute' for a long time, I had forgotten how much a drain it is. Either way, Hisao seems to be a good guy. First thing he asked once he had recovered was if Suzu was okay.
"Ehh!" Speak of the devil. Suzu jolts awake suddenly, almost hitting me in the head with a stray arm.
"Jeez, Suzu, you almost got me that time."
"Wha-? Awh man! I almost won that time!" She pouts adorably. If only she were awake when I conscripted Hisao to get our lunch.
"You almost won?" I tilt my head quizzically.
"Yeah! I was playing battleship..." She trails off, her face becoming more confused by the second.
"I wouldn't think about it too much, you'll break something." I giggle in retort.
"Only because you keep making me study! I feel like my head's about to explode and books will come flying out!" She mimes and explosion from her head, with sounds included, before pouting even harder, drawing the attention of almost everyone in the cafeteria in the process.
"I doubt that." Hisao calls out from behind me before placing two lunches on the table and stretching out his back. "I'm Hisao, nice to meet you, Suzu." He continues.
"Hi!" She chirps back before digging into her ramen with a ravenous hunger akin to a wolf.
"She'll be more talkative once she's eaten." I giggle, remembering our first few study sessions where I had to reward her with food every time she completed a question. Without missing a beat, Hisao slides into the seat next to her and removes a small pre-packed lunch from his backpack.
"So what bring you here, Hisao?" I queery while breaking my chopsticks apart, causing his face to scrunch up slightly.
"To the cafeteria? Lunch." He responds plainly while pulling a sandwich from a small box.
"No I mean to Yamaku, silly. You know Suzu's and mine is pretty obvious, so It's only fair." I shrug, making sure that my stump is resting on the table in case he hasn't noticed it.
Somehow.
"I had a heart attack after one of my best friends confessed to me. It sounds like a bad book, I know." He chuckles dryly before taking a bite from his sandwich.
"Ooooh you should introduce us to her, Hisao!" Suzu explodes with a mouth full of noodles, causing me to cringe twofold.
"Well I would, but she lives pretty far away."
"Awhhhhh. I bet you'd be a cute couple." She pouts again, disregarding the fact she has no Idea who this girl is... or even who Hisao is, given she's only ever exchanged greetings with him.
---
"I love your use of reds here, Rin." Nomiya's words shake me from my thoughts. Those thoughts that I usually end up caught in when I paint.
Very annoying.
"Yeah, my last painting was so blue I just wanted to get away from it for a while." I chuckle back.
"Well I think you made a fantastic choice with these colors!" He continues, now taking a step back to take in the work from a distance.
"You shouldn't judge art before it's done, remember." I chide after placing the brush down alongside the my messy palette. My spine pops, almost audibly, as I turn to look at the clock. I should probably rescue Emi before she runs herself to death. "Nomiya, do you mind?" I swivel my head back around to the bespectacled art teacher.
"Of course, you get going." He chuckles, his whole body shaking in unison with his deep laugh.
"Thanks!" I call out while slipping on my sandals and grabbing my bag with my mouth. "I'wl fwinish it later thish week." I continue as Nomiya lifts the painting from the easel and places it on a nearby desk. I push the door open with my shoulder and slip outside into the nearly empty hallway. My footsteps echo slightly as I begin trotting my way towards the stairs, further driving home the point that I get far too distracted when get in the zone.
As does a certain other person I know.
I push through the final door with a heave and see the setting sun dying the sky orange. I should take a picture.... I'll take one after I find Emi. Surely enough, I see a head of blonde hair bobbing around the track as I step up the small hill that cuts off the track field from the school. It looks like she's at the end of her rope, her loose ponytail has become more of a messy bun of hair at this point. I heave a sigh through the bag still resting between my teeth and make my way over to the track, coming to a stop at the finish line. Not long after, Emi rounds the last corner and notices me, her determined expression not shifting in the slightest. A few more taps of her prosthesis land her across the line and spawled out on the grass beside me in a matter of seconds.
"Yuu okay?" I slur through the handle of my trusty messenger bag before realizing the futility of holding it any more. I lower myself to the ground alongside Emi and drop the bag before using my tongue to make sure I'm not missing any teeth. That bag seems to get heavier every time I pick it up. Maybe I should use the strap as intended for once... Ah well.
"Far from it." Emi sighs between gasped breaths. "I seem to be getting slower." She continues before lifting her upper body into a sitting position and raising her arms behind her head.
"I brought drinks." I shrug. It's pretty much all I've got to offer at this point, my reassurance skill is seriously underleveled.
"Thank you, Rin." Emi lower her arms, her breathing now a little closer to being under control again. She carefully unclasps the bag and reaches inside before pulling two small boxes of juice out and placing one at her side, leaving both hands free to impale the other with a straw for my sake.
"Besides, even if you are getting slower, you're still the fastest thing on no legs." I chuckle.
"Even so..." Emi begins, but trails off, her eyes now attached to the distant horizon and setting sun. "I'll be seeing my mother this weekend."
"So you
need to place first?" I tilt my head slightly, locking my eyes onto Emi's face.
"It'd be for the best, yes. You know what my mother can be like." She sighs, a small frown forming on her lips.
"You do still have like, four days until the track meet. Or I could kick Miki in the legs for you? Everyone knows how clumsy I am..." I lay on the sarcasm causing her frown to break into a smile.
"Thanks Rin. For trying to cheer me up." Her gaze settles on me, as does a warm smile.
"No problem. That offer is still open, too." I chuckle.
"I don't think espionage will be appropriate." She giggles before standing up again. "Come on, I need a shower."
"Is that an invite?"
---
Notes:
Art from literarylondon.org and Four Leaf Studios!
I'm English, so I use color instead of colour, sorry everyone else.
