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Act 2: Down the Rabbit Hole
The Knave of Hearts:
“Hicchan...” came the bubbly voice next to me.
“What?” I grumble out, lifting my head enough to look at Misha standing over me. Class has not started yet, but I forgot to disable the alarm I had set for the morning runs with Emi, and woke up over an hour early.
“Are you feeling well?” I guess this came from Shizune, standing on the other side of my desk gesturing to Misha.
“Better than some others,” I look around the classroom at the bleary eyes. “You two seem to be in good spirits.”
A few signs between them later, “Since you are a new student, we’ve been cutting you some slack. Please don’t expect this to be allowed in the future. Your class needs you to fully contribute for future events.” A few more signs, “Did you enjoy the festival then?”
I nod. “More than I thought I would, yes.”
Shizune gets that gleam in her eyes I’ve seen before. Uh oh.
“Was it the festival itself, or was it who you were sneaking around with up on the roof that you enjoyed? You Casanova you! Hicchan, honestly, hitting on a second year! WAHAHAHA”
It’s easy to tell where Shizune ends and Misha begins in this conversation.
I feel my cheeks turning pink. “No, it’s not that!”
Misha winds up to hit me on the back, then stops herself as Shizune’s eyes go wide and she snaps her fingers quickly to get Misha’s attention and signing something to her very rapidly. It takes a moment before Misha looks up at her hand, then at me, and slowly lowers her hand, saying “Oh….” in a very quiet voice.
“Relax, I’m not that fragile,” I tell her.
“I’m sorry Hicchan,” Misha says. “Shichan reminded me of why you were here.”
“I’d rather not make a big deal of it, but thank you for not hitting me.” They are still looking in my direction, so I sigh. “So, how can I help the Student Council this fine morning?”
“Do we need something from you in order to socialize? We just want to establish that you are engaging in appropriate behavior with Miss. Katayama. And you two are so adorable too Hicchan.”
“And you’re not going to ask me to do something for you?” I ask, suspecting something is afoot. They are being far too friendly to me.
“Hicchan, we are offended that you would even think of such a thing! However if you were to volunteer to help disassemble the booths today after school, we might overlook such things.”
I tap my chest. “Can’t, literally.”
Misha looks disappointed. “Oh.” Shizune however glares at me, like she does not fully believe me. That only lasts a moment before she nods, then her look returns to her usual one.
Guess there’s some advantage to telling folk about my heart after all.
Thankfully Mutou’s arrival ends their opportunity to further attempt to rope me into Student Council work quickly.
We set to work. It’s so unfair to have a test first thing Monday morning.
The lunch bell signals a reprieve. I notice Hanako quickly exiting the room, likely to join Lilly. I realize I have no idea what to do for lunch, so I consider my options.
“Hello,” comes a girls voice from the door which breaks my concentration.
Looking up I see a medium sized girl with dark hair cut short standing there.
Behind me comes the loudest voice I can imagine, “Hello Keiko, are you dropping something off?” I see even Mutou flinch at Misha’s volume.
She nods. “I have to attend to something after school, so rather than being late with today’s paperwork, I figured to drop it off earlier.”
As she walks across the room I notice two more figures in the doorway, a lighter haired girl and the other I immediately recognize from her white hair.
Smiling a little I pipe up “Hey, Rika.”
She glances at me before giving a little wave.
Keiko looks at me before returning to handing over papers to Shizune. Misha gives me the same look before breaking out in a wide grin.
The unnamed girl looks over at Rika. “Oh, now I understand why you came with us to drop off the paperwork.” She giggles and I notice Keiko has a smirk as well as she returns to the pair.
Rika rolls her eyes.
I could hear the two girls giggling.
I look up at Rika. “Was there something you wanted?”
“I thought you might like to join us for lunch…. If you don’t have plans…. That is.”
I nod. “Nothing planned here. Sure.” I get up in a hurry, almost feeling the glare from Shizune behind me.
As we enter the hall, Rika slaps her closed parasol across our path, and looks decidedly to the right. Turning to follow her gaze, I am witness to Emi, once again running through the halls, zip past us carrying a stack of papers. Emi looks so focused that I doubt she even knew we are there.
“Someday she’s going to send someone to the nurse,” Keiko says out loud.
I rub the back of my head. “She, uh, already has.”
Keiko turns to look at me, alarm upon her face.
“Last week, she ran into me. Don’t worry, she got lectured by Shizune and Lilly afterwards.”
Keiko’s look becomes one of amazement. “You mean Hakamichi and Satou actually worked together on something?”
The not yet named companion laughs at that. “That must have been something.”
Our walk continues down the stairs in the cafeteria’s direction. “I wouldn’t know, I was still making sure I was alright.”
The cafeteria is as busy as normal. There is fortunately a table free for the four of us. Once we sit down with our food, Keiko shoves Rika’s shoulder. “You still haven’t introduced your friend.”
Rika looks over. “Oh, um, Hisao, this is Keiko Tsukino, my class representative, and her good friend Aoi Yamata.”
I try to put on a smile. “Hello.”
Aoi was the next to pipe up. “So, you’re the transfer from 3-3?”
I nod. “Only began last Monday.”
Keiko jumps in. “How many times has Hakamichi tried to recruit you for the Student Council?”
I blink for a moment. “Uh… 7 I think.”
Keiko and Aoi nod. Rika looks elsewhere, the discomfort clear on her face.
“Do you guys often eat together?” I finally ask.
“Keiko and I do almost every day,” Aoi says. “This is the first time Rika’s joined us.”
I blink, then look over to Rika.
She shrugs, not looking at us. “I heard they were dropping papers off at 3-3, and… I, uh, wanted to...”
I shake my head. “Uh, ok.”
Keiko bursts out with, “What are you doing after classes today?”
“I have nothing planned, why?”
She nods. “Rika’s been wanting to join us for our weekly card game for ages, but lacked a partner. If you come, then she could join us. You’ll come, right?”
Rika stiffens visibly at this, still not looking in anyone’s direction.
I feel like I have been left out of some important part of this conversation.
“Uh, sure, I guess. But you told Shizune you had an important task to attend to.”
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Keiko smiled. “I don’t want to spoil a good evening dealing with her.”
“Alright, see you at 4, the girls dorm lobby,” Aoi pipes up.
The bell rings, ending any further inquiries into what they are talking about. I sit in puzzlement over how quiet Rika was, compared to how talkative she has been before.
It feels a bit odd going into the girl’s dorm. But, I am invited, and it would be polite to show up. Their lobby has several tables, around one a half dozen people have gathered. Aside from Keiko, Aoi and Rika, I notice two girls from my class, uh… Miura I want to say her name is, and across from her is Suzu.. Suzuki… damn I need to remember names, along with an older boy I don’t know.
I wave as I walk up.
“Oh good, the last person’s here,” pipes up Keiko.
“Does that mean I can leave now,” the boy says with a groan.
“Yeah, thanks for making sure nobody stole the chair,” Miura says.
I look around the room, and realize that here are all of the chairs in the room. I wonder what happened to the rest.
“Well, at least he’s cute, and don’t be late to practice again Miki,” the boy says as he walks off.
I blink at that and look after him.
Miura looks up at me. “He’s always a sport. Glad you could join us Hisao.”
“Hello Miura,” I respond as I take the now empty seat opposite Rika.
She laughs. “Call me Miki, everyone else does. So I understand it, you know Keiko, Aoi and Rika, have you met Suzu yet?”
“I’m afraid not. Hello.”
Suzu looks up and smiles. “Hello Hisao.”
Aoi starts to shuffle the cards. “Do you know how to play Kakeya Toranpu, Hisao?”
I shake my head.
“Ok, then let’s get started in teaching you.”
It is not a hard game to learn, and an hour passes in pleasant company. I am partnered up with Rika, while Keiko partners with Aoi and Miki with Suzu. The game itself apparently is popular in Shimane prefecture, where Aoi’s family is from.
The small talk eventually turns to me as the game goes on.
Miki starts, “So, how are you enjoying Yamaku so far?”
I shrug. “I don’t hate it, but I’m not entirely comfortable either. It’s all new to me.”
“Give it time,” Keiko says with enthusiasm.
“Joined any clubs?” Suzu asks.
I shrug. “Never really was a club joining sort.”
Last hand is dealt. Rika and I lose the last Go stone in our pile, signaling the end of the game. “It looks like you two won,” I say to Miki and Suzu.
“Yeah! Want to play again?” Miki winks at me.
“We just spent an hour here, and I do need to get some studying done.”
“Spoilsport.” Miki gives a displeased face.
I get up. “And I’m hungry. Need to get dinner before it’s too late.”
Rika gets up too.
I look across to her. “Are you joining me?”
She just nods and follows me out of the building without saying a word.
The cafeteria is open for another hour, and is still packed with people. Rika and I pick a table away from the main horde and idly sit eating what we’d selected for dinner.
I finally break the silence. “You were a lot quieter today. Is everything alright?”
She hesitates. “I, uh, enjoyed last night.”
“Me too. But…?”
She inhales, like it’s a lot of effort to say what she has to. “When I got back to my dorm, I ran into… some other girls. They… They… saw us on the roof, and… teased me, saying I had a boyfriend.”
I nod. “I got much the same from Shizune and Misha. I figure it’ll blow over soon enough.”
She does not look very reassured. "Keiko has been helping to... keep the taunting down. Nobody wants to do it around her."
I nod. "Sounds like a good class representative. Put it out of your mind. Let’s talk about something else, alright? So, they’ve wanted you to join them for cards?”
“I have wanted to join, but… it’s a partner game. Must be an even number of players.”
“Ah, makes sense. I’d never even heard of it before”
Rika nods. “I used to play… with my grandfather.”
“I’m sorry if my inexperience lost the game for you then.”
She just smiles, the troubles from earlier now apparently having been banished. “You did well for a new player. Next time we’ll… do better.”
A comfortable silence descends over us. The din of the room comforting in itself.
“The nurse mentioned that you needed to be more active. Did you play anything… before coming here?”
I blink. “You know it’s impolite to listen in on people’s conversations.” A moment later I continue. “Well, I used to play soccer, with my friends. I wasn’t planning on going pro or anything, but I enjoyed it. Now, well….”
Rika nods. “When I was younger I wanted to do… gymnastics. But, the strain… it would have been too much. My father made sure… I didn’t do anything… dangerous.”
“Like how you don’t have to do the physical education classes now?”
She hangs her head a bit. “I can’t even do morning jogs… like the nurse wants you to do. Father says it could cause an embolism… give me a stroke. Which reminds me… are you still… running?”
It was now my turn for the uncomfortable look. “Well, no, I didn’t go this morning…”
Rika then looks at me sternly, her eyes doing that slight tremble I noticed before. “Hisao, you can run. Don’t miss this opportunity you have.”
She sighs, deflating a bit. “I’m not good… at this. You can do something that I can’t, and… I don’t want you to be weak… like me.”
I chuckle a bit and raise both my hands in a placating gesture. “But Emi is trying to kill me, I swear.”
She rubs her hands a bit. “Promise me, ok?”
I nod. “Alright, alright. Now I have two cute girls trying to get me to run. That’s terribly unfair.”
Rika’s face goes straight, and her cheeks flush pink. “You think I’m cute?”
“Well, I, er...”
She smiles slightly. “That’s ok.” She then turns her face down and away in a shy manner. “I don’t mind.”
She shifts subjects. “Have you been to the town yet?”
“Yeah, once or twice.”
Rika nods. “Must be nice.”
It is my turn to blink. “You haven’t?”
“I can’t. Father forbids it.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Don’t, please. It is what it is. But, um, next time you go, could I… ask you to pick things up for me?”
I smile. “Sure, gladly.”
I ponder a moment. “Your father sure seems to put a lot of restrictions on you.”
She sighs. “He does not want me to take any risks.”
I shrug. “Life is risk when you get down to it. I’m one careless basketball away from lying on the ground dead. I can’t stay in my room forever. Could have just stayed in the hospital otherwise.”
She considers this. “How long were you in the hospital?”
“4 months,” I tell her.
She nods.
“My last time in the hospital I was there for a week,” she tells me back.
“What hurt the most wasn’t the time, or the hospital, but that I lost my friends. Sure, they visited at first, but within a month, nobody. I feel like I was abandoned.”
Rika nods. “I’d visit you.”
I smile. “Thank you. And I mean that. But, I’d rather not go through that again.”
She smiles and nods. “Don’t blame you at all.” Then considers a moment. “What were you in there for?”
I pause. Well, I opened this door, it’s a bit late to be squeamish now.
“Heart attack. That’s how they found out about my heart,” I tell her.
Her eyes go wide. “Hisao! That’s horrible.”
I shrug. “I don’t like talking about it.”
“You don’t have to,” Rika says.
“It’s ok when it’s you. Because you’ve been here too.”
She smiles. “Thank you Hisao.”
“For what?” I ask.
“For trusting me with this.”
I smile. “I guess I do, don’t I?”
She beams. It is very adorable.
