When lunch time rolled around, Nomura was swarmed by girls bathing her with complimenting and questions.
"Ohh my GOSH, I love your hair…"
"Where did you transfer from?"
"Hey Nomura, do you want to eat lunch together?"
"Do you mind if we call you Misaki?"
"Misa-chan, do you use Line?"
Shizuo slouched over his desk, with one earphone in, and the other dangling by its chord, barely paying attention to circus happening besides him. He stayed like that until Dai mentioned the idea of grabbing lunch at the cafeteria.
"What do you think they're going to have on the menu today?" Inquired Shizuo, taking out his earphones. "I don't know—but as long as they have curry, I don't care" replied Dai with a smug look on his face. "You amaze me sometimes, you know that, Dai?" said Shizuo, chuckling and shaking his head slowly.
They pushed through the noisy crowd, mixed with the sounds of clattering trays. When they got their food, the two sat by the window, two servings of steaming curry and rice between them.
"So, Shizuo," said Dai, looking up from his tray.
"What's up, Dai?" said Shizuo, with a mouthful of rice.
"What do you think about the new student," Dai said. "What was her name again… OH, yes, Nomura"
Shizuo stopped chewing for a second. "W-What about her," he said.
"Well, do you think she's cute," asked Dai smugly.
"I guess," replied Shizuo, fidgeting with his hair and trying to look composed.
"Andddd… there's my cue," Dai said.
Confused, Shizuo said, "What do you mean?"
"Come on, man—I've known you since elementary school, and you only fidget with your hair when you're nervous," added Dai.
"Lay off the teasing, would you?" muttered Shizuo, trying to hide his flustered face.
As they finished eating, Shizuo offered to return their plates to the racks. On his way, he ran into Nomura who flashed him a smile warmer than the morning sun he detested and waved at him. He fumbled to wave and smile back at her.
He walked back to the tray rack, thinking, "What's her problem… someone might get the wrong idea if she keeps being this nice…" and fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.
Shizuo's heart was beating so fast he thought it would rupture. For a moment, he had forgotten he was even in class. All he could think about was Nomura's smile, her soft voice, and the warmth she radiated. The usual, mundane school life had faded into white as he sat there frozen, completely out of sync with the lesson.
He was pulled from the clouds back to his seat by the ringing of the end of period bell. That's when he realized he had been day dreaming the entire lesson. He had to sit through one more class for the day: Japanese history.
He mechanically pulled out his textbook and placed it open on a random page—his mind elsewhere. Right next to him was Nomura who was rummaging through her bag looking for her textbook. She then frowned as she realized she had forgotten her text book.
A faint flush washed over her face when she turned to Shizuo and said, "Hey, so… I kinda forgot my textbook… would you mind sharing it—just for today… please?" with a soft voice.
Shizuo stared at her a second longer, like his brain was still processing her request. He started fidgeting with his hair and hurriedly said, "U-um, sure, I- I don't mind." As she picked up her desk to get closer, all he could think was "Holy SH*T! Holy SH*T!"
When she finished moving her desk closer, she looked at him, and with a smile warm enough to melt anyone's heart, she said, "Thank you." That was the first time he had noticed her light hazel eyes and her fair skin.
As the final bell of the day rang, Nomura picked her desk up to return it to its prior position. She looked at him one more time, her alluring hazel eyes glowing, and softly said, "Thanks again. I will repay you one day, I swear." The afternoon sun kissed her skin, making her warmth even more intense. Averting her gaze, Shizuo stammered, "D-Don't mention it… I-It's fine."
While Shizuo was packing his bags, Dai walked over with a huge grin on his face.
"What?" said Shizuo, nervously looking around.
"Ohh, it's nothing," replied Dai.
"Forget about it," said Shizuo. "You wanna swing by my place for some video games?"
"Sorry, bud, I promised my girlfriend we'd hang out today," said Dai, checking the time on his phone.
"Cocky much?" asked Shizuo sarcastically.
"Well, I have to get going… I don't want to keep the missus waiting," he said, sprinting out of the class room.
Shizuo finally decided to leave school and walk back home. After he finished packing his stuff, he put on his earphones and walked out of the front gate. His pace was slow, almost like he's got nowhere to be.
His eyes wandered, but never made eye contact with anyone. He was completely disconnected from his surrounding when he started replaying the day's events. His thoughts kept spiraling. "No way all of that happened… I shouldn't let her close to me… I mustn't get the wrong idea."
He was woken up from his day dream by the sight of the huge apartment complex in front of him.
He slowly walked in, his face shifting to a neutral one.