It was a hot summer day, and the extreme heat had already driven everyone off the streets and into the air-conditioned comforts of their homes. Only one girl can be seen next to a bus stop, her long black hair was twisted into two braids and tied together into one high ponytail. An empty bus pulled up beside her, and she ascended the steps, scanned her transportation card, and made her way to a window seat on the back of the bus.

The bus started to move and the girl watched as the scenery outside the window ran back and formed a tape of natural beauty. There was something calming about the empty streets and the stillness of the city. She was so lost in her thoughts that when the bus suddenly pulled to a stop, she was jerked forward and bumped her head on the bar of the seat in front of her.

She rubbed her forehead and resumed to stare out of the window. She was only vaguely aware that someone had taken a seat beside to her and the bus had started moving again.

“I’m not invisible am I?”

The girl turned to the sudden voice and found a boy with dark blue hair and glasses staring at her. She raised her eyebrow and turned her attention back to the window.

“It would be nice if you are invisible.”

“Then I wouldn’t have met you and you wouldn’t have met me.”

The girl was surprised by the boy’s boldness and was tempted to say something in return. But after a few moments of hesitation, she shook her head, turned back to the window, and the boy sighed beside her.

“Don’t you find me more interesting compared to what’s outside the window?” The boy tried again, “Has anyone ever told you that your black hair and brown eyes are extremely pretty? Especially when you blush…and…”

He adjusted the rim of his glasses as she ignored him again. This boy was not used to this cold treatment, but this boy was also not the type to give up easily. He wanted her full attention, but before he could open his lips to speak again, the girl turned and held up one index finger.

“If you are not so talkative, I might consider befriending you.”

“Really?” The boy saw an opportunity to start a conversation and took it, “I…oh…this is my stop…”

The bus jerked to a stop again and the impact sent both the boy and the girl leaning forward. The boy sent a look of regret at the girl as he made his way slowly to the back door of the bus. He just stood there and stared at her until the bus driver coughed loudly, and sent the boy a few steps on the stairs.

“I will remember you.” The boy said as he descended the rest of the stairs and stepped onto the sidewalks. He didn’t leave and instead stared at the bus until it finally disappeared from his sights.

“I…I will remember you too.” The girl whispered as the boy became a tiny dot in her vision, “Goodbye.”

“So this is Hyotei Senior High,” Mumbled a girl with long black hair as she wondered into the campus, “I still can’t believe I got in.”

She picked a quiet spot inside the giant school gates and rummaged through her book bag for a map of the school. When she couldn’t find that piece of paper, she dropped onto the grass and dumped everything in her bag onto the ground next to her. She didn’t hear the footsteps that were coming closer until a dark shadow appeared over her.

“Remember me?”

The girl looked up and found a familiar bespectacled boy with dark blue hair. She couldn’t help but gasp, it was the boy from that summer, that boy on the bus, that boy…she was simply speechless.

“I don’t think I have formally introduced myself.” The boy gave her one of his hands and pulled her to her feet, “I’m Oshitari Yuushi.”

“ ,” The girl replied simply as she brushed off his hand, but after a few moments, she couldn’t hide her curiosity, “You go to Hyotei too?”

“Looks like we’re going to be classmates for the next few years huh?”

felt a mix of anxiety and cheerfulness as she understood the meaning of the boy’s reply. Oshitari smirked as he bent down and collected ’s stuff back into her bag. He pulled back to his full height as he glanced at her class schedule.

“Looks like we have all the same classes too.” Oshitari lifted the straps of her bag onto his shoulders and took a few steps forward, “Let me show you around.”

“Wait!” said desperately, “Give back my bag, or people might think…”

Oshitari laughed as the girl trailed off. He put his bag and hers in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Before could comprehend, Oshitari was already leading her out of the shadows and onto the front steps of the main school building of Hyotei.

“Who cares about what people think.”

The girl struggled a bit, but couldn’t escape his grip on her shoulders. The two walked past the curious glances and questioning looks as a red blush appeared on ’s cheeks. ”What have I gotten myself into?”

Written by Amiya
February 14, 2008