I wake up to a beeping sound, and realize that my head is resting on my laptop’s keyboard. I must have fallen asleep playing again. I lift my head off the keyboard, feel my face, notice that it’s damp and feels like keys have been imprinted on it, and then notice that the keyboard and palmrest are wet as well. I must have been crying after I passed out...
Quickly, I unplug my laptop, and flip it over to remove the battery, when I notice the pool of liquid underneath. Oh, right, I forgot, this one has drainage channels under the keyboard. I set the laptop back down, and grab a towel to clean everything up. Once this is done, I look at my phone. It’s 4:30 AM, and I apparently missed a text message from Hisao.
“Hanako, I’d like to talk.” Looks like he sent it around 10 PM.
He’s going to tell me that he decided to get back with Shizune, isn’t he?
Screw him.
After finishing up some homework, I get ready for class, and then remember that it’s Saturday, and I didn’t schedule any Saturday classes this semester. Might as well get some breakfast, at least. I decide to skip the cafeteria this time, and walk to McDonald’s. Neither option serves actual
food, but at least McDonald’s is tastier, is only a couple blocks away, and shouldn’t be too crowded at this hour.
Before long, I make it to my destination. There’s almost nobody here, except…
wait, is that who I think it is? Sure enough, the blonde suited figure looks up at me, and waves. Well, I wasn’t going to bother her, but if she’s already here… I head up to the counter, and order a platter of pancakes. It’s not long before they’re ready, and I head over to Akira’s table.
“Hey, Hanako, what brings you here this late?”
Late? She must be well past the midnight oil by now...
“J-just wanted to g-get out of the dorm… and I d-didn’t eat last night, stayed up playing WoW instead… what about y-you?”
“Eh, this is basically my lunch break, with how they’ve got me working…”
“I’m glad I’m not s-studying law, then, if lawyers have to work like that.”
“It’s not usually
this bad, it’s just because my dear
fucking father knows he can get away with burying me under this much work…” Akira’s phone vibrates, and she looks at it. “Aaaaand, speak of the devil. Apparently I can’t even take a fucking hour lunch break without being asked where I am.” She deletes the message, and scrolls down to another one. “Oh, hey. You might want to see this one, Hanako.”
It’s a message from Hisao, sent at 7:22 PM. “Heading back to Tohoku.” Wait, if he went to try to fix his relationship with Shizune, he would’ve spent the night, I’d think… so does that mean Shizune broke up with him? Hmm.
I pull out my own phone, and look at Hisao’s last message to me, before shutting it. I now realize that he wasn’t going to tell me that he decided on Shizune, but… am I his second choice? I don’t think I’d be happy with that any more.
“You OK?” She must have noticed my grimace.
I open my phone back up, and hand it to Akira. “Hisao sent this l-last night, after I f-fell asleep.”
“So? He’d like to talk. Sounds like a good idea.” She takes another bite of her hot dog, and then sets it down and washes it down with some coffee.
“I just… what if I’m his s-second choice?”
“Talk. To. Him. How will you know if you are or aren’t if you don’t?”
“Y… you’re right.”
Wordlessly, we finish our breakfasts, and Akira pops a couple pills with the last of her coffee. “Hey, I gotta get back to work. Good luck, kiddo.”
“Th-thanks, Akira.” A crowd is forming in the restaurant, so I decide to follow her out, and then I head back to my dorm. Once I get there, my phone starts playing music.
“«Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver»”
I look at the caller ID, and see that it’s Lilly. Akira must have added her to my phone yesterday morning.
Ha ha, very funny. I decide to answer it anyway, though.
“L-Lilly?”
“Good morning, Hanako. How are you?”
“I’m d-doing fine, you?”
“I’m doing fine as well, thanks for asking.”
An awkward silence descends on our phone call, neither of us knowing what to say after the pleasantries are through.
“So how are your studies going?”
“Fine, y-you?” That’s all there really is to say, so...
“I’m busy studying for finals now, but they’ll be over in a couple weeks, and I’ll be starting university in September.” Oh, right, I forgot about the different school year in Scotland.
Another awkward pause, before Lilly starts again. “How’s the weather there? It’s pretty cool here.”
“It was rainy yesterday, but it’s supposed to be n-nicer today.”
The weather isn’t exactly a captivating topic for either of us, though, and I’m left staring at my bed, listening to a silent phone again. I decide to try to make conversation this time. “I’ve b-been playing
P-Portal, you sh-should… oh…” Blind. Right.
Lilly chuckles at my slip-up. “My my, I’m afraid my reflexes just won’t be up to that game.”
Well, that wasn’t one of my brighter moments.
Something that Akira said yesterday morning flashes through my mind.
"You have another friend that you could call... and she'd listen." Dare I tell Lilly about Hisao? Akira’s right, she’ll listen. It’s what she might say that worries me.
Then again, I remember that she seemed to be trying to get me together with Hisao a year ago, and I remember her being disappointed that he had started dating Shizune.
Maybe… maybe this won’t be so bad.
“So… I’ve… I’ve been seeing s-someone the past couple m-months…”
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