All the things left unsaid, were revolving in my head the entire morning. As I left the boy's bathroom at school that morning, I bumped into someone on my way out. It's the last possible person I expected to see. "You go here?!" Akemi was just as surprised as me. She followed me when I ignored her. "So, when can you come to practice with us?" I couldn't return to the classroom like this, she might clash with Amara. Well, I don't know if she's calmed down from last night anyway... I also... for some reason don't want the two of them to meet. "Soon, I think. We're almost finished with the album." "Really? About time!" She clapped her hands together and looked genuinely excited. "You better be ready to bring it, because we've been leveling up without you!" "You're a gamer?" "Huh? No! It's just a phrase." "Okay." When I went silent she seemed ticked off. "Anyways you better hurry up and finish." She walked away. Only then did I return to class. I couldn't tell if it's becau

With Claire, Aunt, Uncle, and their entourage gone... I could finally breathe again. Once I used to envy Claire. She had been good at learning languages since young due to her parents' different backgrounds, smart, and obnoxiously confident. Even if Aunt had been a mistress, at least her husband doted on her... even though I'm sure Claire and her mom were ostracized by his family and she clashed with her cousins a lot... I don't think I'd be able to handle that and smile like she does as if nothing is wrong. Where does that strength come from? What inspires her to persist so? Mom's Dad... doted on Aunt too after Divorcing Grandma (Mom's mom was the first wife but she died of cancer long before I was born. The Grandma I know is Grandpa's second wife), even though he ended up cheating again on her, creating my uncles. They're nothing like Mom. You can tell with just a glance. Droplets of love, perhaps if a child is watered that hope and positivity set them up to tackle life? Is that

She was waiting on her brother, here. Her parents wouldn't let her brother leave the house by himself, so she accompanied him on his date. His parents didn't know he was dating, he thought they'd be studying. My true thoughts blurted out of my mouth the second she finished explaining. "That sounds incredibly awkward." Taken aback, her small mouth hung open for a bit before sheepishly smiling. Well, fudge. I already blew it so no point in stopping. "Aren't you the third wheel?" I usually try not to show much interest in the affairs of strangers, a sigh escaped me at my strange behavior. I wanted to leave but I ended up sitting in the cafeteria with Katsumi and chatting as we read our purchased manga. After all if I came up with an excuse to leave someone as socially awkward as her would blame herself, at least I would. Was I projecting too much? "It's not so bad..." "Is he even still in this building?" I ask. The light reflected on her lens as she looked up and pulled out her

Forever. I remember watching those girl friendship cartoons on television. Bratx Vinx Meow Meow Power I remember longing for friends I could huddle around with one day. Wear matching colors or different colors of the same outfit. But... "She's cute y'know but she's sorta weird." I once overheard the guys in my class talking. "She's nice but like, she never says anything." "When I talk to her I feel as if I'm talking to a wall." The girls would say. For the first time, when I met an acquaintance girl who was crying, I remember just staring. If it were me, I wouldn't want people to stare at me. I wouldn't even cry in public. That's embarrassing. If I ask if she's okay would I annoy her? That'd make me annoyed. I would just want to be left alone. "..." In the end, I said nothing. When her friend entered the room, she rushed over and asked her what was wrong and why she was crying. Ah, so that's the natural response... The things that are invasive to me aren't to others.

"Is that so? What are those reasons?" Fukuda-san sat back in his seat and folded his arms. He had lost his stand-offish aura before but a flicker of mischief was there as he sized me up. I don't think I did anything wrong just now... did I? I slightly felt nervous. He pointed at his ears. "Her earrings." "Huh?" "Before I knew it, looking across the room to see what earrings she wore today became something like checking the weather." I blinked. "A-ah..." So he was the same as me. From the moment she transferred in my attention always went to her ears. Her earrings weren't huge or anything, sometimes they repeated and sometimes they were so random... Amamiya-san seemed to like unusual earrings. Most girls liked beautiful earrings but she went for earrings modeled after objects. Before I knew it it became an unconscious habit to look at her earrings, and before I knew it the more I wanted to talk to her and ask about it. Watching her awakened something inside me. When I got r