loveless

Interest

Takumi rushed in the bus earlier than before. As soon as he arrived at the bus station he got on the first one and it was very empty. After he sat down, he took out his headphones and started listening to music. The bus was stopping continuously on every station. It soon got filled up, and someone sat right next to him.

“Yo! How ya doin mate.”

Great trouble from the early morning. He turned around and saw Makoto grinning.

“Don’t you have something better to do?” Takumi said, removing his headphones.

“Why looking so disappointed?” he asked.

“Was I supposed to look happy?”

“Oh, you’re cruel,” he cried, “I usually get bored so let’s talk until we get to school,” he demanded hyped up.

“I am not very cut out for chatting. I usually tend to be very awkward. You may go find someone else,” he blurted straightforward.

“But as you can see, there isn’t anyone I know right now, so what’s the big deal? I can talk and ya can just lis’n.”

He is too stubborn; I don’t need to waste my energy from this early in the morning. “If you are that persistent, suit yourself.”

“Yay! So where should we start? Oh last summer...,” he went on.

They got off the bus walking to the school. This kid has nice stories. I wonder where he got them from. I wonder if he really experienced these things.

“Classes will be starting soon, we better hurry up. Well, you should be prepared when you get in the school, pretty boy,” he said, patting him on the back.

“I think I dealt with it,” he responded. Makoto raised an eyebrow before itching his head.

“How?”

“I told some of the girls that I was gay, so I guess it wouldn’t be that difficult today.

“Why did you do that? Such a waste of that aesthetic face and body of yours.” He sighed. “Man! You are so lucky! I also want girls to be chasing after me,” he wept.

“I am more than happy to be switching with you anytime.” He frets.

“You don’t know the value of what you have.” He pitied him.

“You don’t know the value of what you have either.”

They reached the school and walked inside the battered building. There were much more students on the school grounds than yesterday. He felt murmurs rising at his presence and stares being targeted his way.

 “Do you know that you are currently being stared at?” Makoto whispered.

“Yes.”

“Do you realize that you are being talked about? I guess about you being gay or something.”

“Yes, I’m not deaf,” he said standing at the door before the crowd got heavier.

“You sure are very popular. I’m still jealous though.”

“I just want a quite morning where I can look more or less invisible.” Takumi sighed. But this is very unpredictable and entertaining.

 “It’s time to go to classes!” Erica said with a clear and loud voice, as she showed up behind the crowd. The students looked pissed off before departing to their form classes.

“I would really appreciate it if you stopped flirting and attracting much attention,” she said looking at Takumi from the side of her eye. Her face was plain and colourless except for her animated eyes. She was wearing black leggings under her knee length school skirt with her white shirt tugged in neatly.

“Believe it or not, I’d really appreciate it others stopped getting attracted by me. It’s only my second day here and I barely talk. It is evident that I wasn’t the one flirting,” he interrogated in awe.

“Huh? They said that you started flirting with the girls in our classroom yesterday.”

 “I don’t like girls to begin with and I said that I was gay the first thing yesterday to be left alone, but it is those girls that aren’t shameful enough to leave me be and tried to accuse me instead,” his tone was nipping and held an expressionless front on. Erika stopped glaring at him and turned her gaze away. Takumi exhaled, walking to the stairs and into his classroom.

After classes finished it was one in the afternoon –lunch break. I am so not in the mood to go deal with people and I am so hungry. Takumi held his forehead and shut his eyelids. I can’t stay here for too long either, maybe I should just go to the bathroom and forget about food for now. He grabbed his bag and rushed to the bathroom, which was right in front of the classroom.

 He opened the door and closed it behind him. He looked ahead and saw Makoto standing in front of the sink.

“I’m guessing your plan didn’t work so well,” he said as he started laughing.

“I don’t think it is this funny. I’m not in the mood for people,” he exclaimed, tilting his head back and exhaling tensely.

“It is funny! The way you look now is even funnier!” he kept on laughing and pointing at him.

“Anyways, do you know a nice quiet place other than the bathroom?”

“This school is too small and filled with students. there is no such a place. Well, that is if you don’t count the roof. You can reach it using the stairs at the back of the second floor beside the emergency exit–”

Takumi left the bathroom while Makoto kept on talking. He was already close to the stairs without being seen. He kept going up as quiet as possible. Finally, he reached his goal. The breeze up there was strong and refreshing. But what was most important was that there was no one there. Just as he wanted, he took his lunch out of his backpack and sat on the floor; enjoying the view of the city from the top. Seeing the city all well rounded as the breeze carries the cherry blossom petals all over the place. So this is how spring is like.

The bell rang and it was time to go home. He was leaving through the gate when students surrounded him.

“Can I help you?” he looked at them with an annoyed gaze. He could see the boys glaring at him and whispering.

“We just had a question to ask,” one of the girls said. “Are you really gay?” another girl asked.

“Weather I am or not is my business, no? Stop making a fuzz over the littlest things. I hope I can have a quite school life from today onwards.”

“But, it’s fun to make friends,” one of the girls blurted.

“It’s much more fun to me, to stay to myself. Now, if everything is clear, can I go? I don’t have all day,” he said, putting his hand to the back of his neck, allowing his fair hair to cover the tips of his fingers. He had an impassive look on his face as his mouth and lips were indifferent.

“Oh, sorry. Have a nice day,” one of them said before they walked out. The glares stopped coming his way and the whispers calmed down. He switched his backpack to the other shoulder and walked out of the gate.

Takumi rushed his way to the bus station. Do all girls have no pride at all? All they do is throw themselves away for looks.

He took the keys out of his bag’s pocket and placed it in the lock as he turned it and pushed the door open. He got inside seeing Erin sitting on the couch, holding his phone, not even realizing his presence. He walked over to him, but he still didn’t raise his head or say anything.

 “What are you doing?” Takumi asked curiously while standing right behind him, trying to get a peek at his phone.

Erin suddenly jumped off the couch, turning his phone’s screen black. “Oh! Young master, welcome back,” he said, putting his phone behind his back.

“Was that text from my grandfather,” he asked, peering directly into his eyes. His eyes turned slit and his bright iris decreased in size.

“N-no.” he averted his eyes.

“It’s fine I don’t really care what that old man wants.” He walked to the sofa.

“Young master, May I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.” he sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and threw his bag next to him.

“I don’t mean to be nosy, but during my stay with you for the past years I never got to understand why the Duke never talked to you, not to mention your brother acted as if he despised you.”

Takumi turned his gaze to the floor. His face was covered by his hair and reading his expression was impossible. His back was bent slightly as he placed his hand on the front of his head.

“Technically, according to the Duke, my birth was a mistake. I don’t know the reason why and it’s not important. Knowing won’t change anything.” He sounded toneless and flat.

 “I am very sorry,” he said looking ashamed.

Takumi stood up without adding another word and walked to his room.

***

Takumi was eating his lunch on the roof. It was getting a bit chilly by the blow of the breeze. Even if knowing won’t change anything, maybe it could fill my curiosity. Lucky Mikael, he must have partied when he knew that I got kicked out. Why am I even going to school? Maybe I’ll drop out next month.

He looked down to the school’s grounds seeing the guy with the red hair and piercings on his face; on his nose and lips. He was wearing a bright red tank top showing off his colossal arm covered with a lion tattoo.  Seems like some people don’t learn their lessons.

 “Hey, just cover up for me this time,” he cried.

“I-I ca-can’t. I al-also have m-my cleaning duties t-to do,” the girl replied, with a frightened voice.

“Just do it this once! You won’t lose anything will ya?” he walked closer and forced the broom in to her hands.

“b-but…” she was biting her lip while her hands were shaking unconsciously.

“You’re getting really annoying right now! I told you just cover up for me this time,” he shouted.

 “Hoy you! hedgehog head! Do your duties yourself,” Erika said, appearing behind him. Her eyes were glaring as usual. Her pupils were touching the very ceiling of her eye leaving the bottom blank. Her lips were clenched in disgust as her hands were hung to her sides.

“Who ya calling hedgehog head? It’s Kirito!” he glared at her with stripped eyes as he clinched fists.

Erika turned towards the girl and said, “You can leave now. I'll handle this!”

“Thank you very much, president,” she said in relief as she hurried back to the building.

“Hoi! What do you think you are doing we weren’t finished speaking yet! Don’t get in my way!” He stepped towards her, holding his fists tighter.

“I heard enough nonsense. Where to you think you are dressed like that. This is a school not the gangster’s playground.  Maybe if you behaved a bit more, you wouldn’t have had to repeat this year for the fifth time. People who dress as filthy as you do, can’t expect others’ respect. Got a problem with that?"

Don’t you realize that someone like him could send you to a hospital? I wonder if she can fight, or if she’s just a blabber mouth. Takumi took another bite off his sandwich while he continued watching.

“Hoi! Watch your mouth if you don’t want to lose it!”

“Try me! I’d be more than glad to put garbage back in the bin!” she said, having a wide smirk painting her front while she cracked her knuckles.

Kirito clenched his teeth and allowed his eyebrows to be one. He lifted his fists and raised them in front of his face before he dashed towards her. As he was about a few centimetres away, his legs stopped dashing and forwarded one of his fists to her face. She was standing motionless as his fist was about to reach her front. She put one foot to the other side and pulled herself to that side allowing her ponytail to dash after her as Kirito’s fist hit her flying hair strands. He prepared his other fist and was ready to botch her face. She bent down, causing his punch to miss again and hit the empty atmosphere. She opened her palm and slightly bent her fingers, so that their tips could touch the ceiling of her palm before she bent it to its optimum. She targeted his chin and permitted her palm to dash before her forcefully towards his chin, as her body straightened up increasing the force.

Kirito crashed to the ground on his bottom with his two hands on the ground, supporting his form.

"I hope you finally learned your lesson." Erika glared at him with a callous look in her eyes.

Kirito’s face was crumbled and shocked. His eyes were widely open while his lips were significantly parted. “I will make you regret this!” he snapped, before he got up dusting his clothes and walked in the building.

Takumi had his eyes open in a shock and his fair lips slightly parted before a slight grin dominated. Nice! She seemed very fluent and finished her move neatly. It’s a move that requires a lot of practice and strength to get this forceful; especially towards such a muscular opponent. It’s mostly used to distract the opponent before using the final blow, but she used it as her main. She doesn’t seem like the usual girls. Interesting….