Hatsukoi

CHAPTER
~ * 1 * ~
Yes!! Only a few more minutes until this class is over! I looked over at Koji who was reading his text book; he glanced at me and winked. We knew what came next... we always did it...
Rinnnggg... The bell for the end of class rang loudly in the halls.
Matsui-sensei stopped what he was saying and said, "Ahh, well it looks like we'll have to continue tomorrow. Make sure to read the rest of the chapter. I want everyone to be able to read it when we get back tomorrow! Understood?"
Koji and I then stood up quickly and said, "Let's ride!!" It produced many looks as we grabbed our stuff and practically flew out the door. Not that it bothered me; it was a Wednesday tradition between Koji and I. Wednesdays we didn't have any clean-up duties or clubs.
Read the rest of the chapter? Hell, that'll be a cinch. I've been studying English since I was three - I practically speak it like a second language! I've always easily passed these classes and I've always had to help Koji as he struggled along. Poor guy!
"Hey, that was pretty good, Hajime." said a familiar female voice behind me.
I didn't bother looking, I knew who it was. "What can I say? I am a genius."
Sayomi just hit me in the arm. "Whatever!"
"Oww! Hey, don't be breaking my beautiful arm now!" I said it jokingly enough, but Sayomi didn't find it funny.
"I still don't know why you two insist on doing that stupid line every Wednesday at the end of our last class." she said as we walked down the hall. People passed us without even a notice.
Koji and I just laughed.
She continued. "But I suppose boys will be boys. Honestly, you're seniors, yet you act like sixth graders..."
She gave us a glare as we came up to an intersection in the hall. "I have to go put this gym stuff in my locker. I'll meet you two outside, okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah, okay."
When she was out of ear-shot, Koji said, "Ha ha! I think the best part is the way she gets on to us for doing that! It's nothing that serious but she sounds like my mother or something! Ha ha ha!"
I grinned. "Except she's a lot prettier than your old baba."
He smirked, but we continued on for the door. He then changed the subject. "Hey, I heard this morning that some girl died recently."
I didn't miss a beat in my step. I'm not cold-hearted, but it did sound a little vague. "Well, people die everyday. Tell me what's different about this one."
"She was fairly young, sixteen I think, and died in the hospital. She was from Meisei, if I remember right."
"Meisei, eh?" That school was fairly close... wasn't it in the city just east of us?
I looked up and thought for a moment, then looked back at Koji. "Well, yeah, that is kinda strange. How did she die?"
"They said it was a pointless death. Emotional problems she wouldn't confess or something. Just kinda strange to have someone so young die... I wonder if she was hot. What if she was... what a loss!"
I grinned. Same old Koji. I knew what was next...
"Not that I care about it that much... I mean, I have Keiko. She's enough to worry about."
I rolled my eyes but I wasn't going to say anything. The boy never learns... Well, I guess I should explain it a bit. Kikuchi Keiko was... no, is a senior in our school who is not only incredibly beautiful, rich, and wants to be an actress, but she's also a snobby, stuck-up girl whom I'll have nothing to do with. She only associates herself with people who fawn over her like fans. I'm sure Koji would do just that, but he's only fooling himself. He's had this "love" thing for Keiko since our junior year, but he still fails to realize that Keiko probably doesn't even know he exists, nor would she even care if he loves her. At the very most, she'd only use his confession to feed her oversized ego. I'm fairly certain he doesn't really love her, though. He's just humoring himself, or something. She's great eye-candy, I'll admit, but not much else.
Now, Koji, he's a real piece of work. He has light brown or tan hair and light blue eyes. Obviously not ugly, but still, he doesn't have much luck with the ladies. He's not stupid, either. In fact, he's pretty smart compared to most, and he's a good people person, at least in knowledge. He clams up whenever he's confronted by any girl other than Sayomi. Like I said... poor kid. He's my height and he's sorta like a "pretty boy," in that he could be an actor or perhaps a model, but not enough apparently to attract anything... I suppose nobody would notice or care unless he appeared on a magazine cover. Such a silly world we live in...
I tried to get him off that annoying subject and onto something else. "I'm glad Seisho High is so normal. Nothing ever happens here, like that kind of death. Although... sometimes that makes it kinda boring."
Koji nodded. "Yeah, especially since it's our last year and all."
I pushed opened the door to the school and walked outside. Going down a few steps I put my stuff down next to the edge of the steps and slouched against the rail. Koji did the same.
"And especially since you still haven't gotten a girlfriend, Hajime." he said, almost continuing.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, like you have. But spare me your explanations about Keiko, 'cause you know I've heard it all at least three times before." He just snorted.
A moment later, who would walk out the doors but good ole Matsuyama Yoichi. He's a tall guy, with a broad chest, and obvious strength. Girls really go for his short black hair, blue eyes, and muscles, I suppose. Also, he's about as smart as a plywood board when it comes to academics. Either way, Koji and I find him absolutely hilarious.
"Yo there, little guys!" He'd always call us that.
"Hey there, big guy. What's new?" I called.
He walked towards us, walking in that almost kingly way he does. He brushed his hand through his hair and bent over to talk to us a little closer, as if it was some kind of secret.
"I've got this new girlfriend, see..." he said quietly.
I grinned. This was not a rare thing for him to say. In fact, I think he said it every other week or so.
He continued. "Yeah, she's a real gem, this one. Her name's Ryoko and she's got the biggest mama's you've ever seen, my man! I'll have to show her to you two after... well, yeah." He smirked and then laughed.
We laughed, too. He makes dating seem like a game or something. Of course it's rather chauvinistic, but I find it funny. Not that I'd ever do that sort of thing, though.
He grinned, in a way that almost told you he was the sneakiest guy ever. "She practically begged me to go out with her. It's so troublesome to be so popular!" He struck a really stupid dramatic pose at this last line. Unfortunately, Sayomi had been walking outside and heard this last declaration and could probably figure what had happened.
"Oh no. Don't tell me you tossed Kirara for another girl! Who is it this time? Who are you going to ruin, huh?"
He grinned in that same evil way to her. She never seemed to bother him much, but, needless to say, Sayomi can't stand Yoichi at all.
"Oh, just that girl you know... Shimazaki Ryoko, I think? I forget names so easily. I can describe her measurements for you, if you like."
She just walked around him, looking obviously annoyed, closed her eyes and shoved him a little. He laughed and turned to leave, calling to us, "I'll show her to you next time! Gotta go mack-up with her now, so see'ya!" After giving a half-wave he walked off, in style of course.
Sayomi was watching him leave and probably planning to lecture us on how we shouldn't bother with that immature loser. She turned around to face us. Koji was already grinning.
"You shouldn't bother with that immature loser, you know! He's such a chauvinistic pig!" She looked serious, but we've never been able to keep serious whenever she gets to be like our mothers. It always makes us laugh - and laugh we did.
She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. I looked at her. She was shorter than Koji, whom I was taller than by an inch. It was probably average height for girls, but even so she didn't let her shorter-than-us bother her. She has dark orange hair that falls down her back, even when tied in the back with one of her red ribbons. It's not perfectly falling down, but sort of flows behind her. Still, she always has two red ribbons strung through her hair; sometimes tying it in place, or just there. Her orange eyes opened and examined us.
Sighing once more, although with less annoyance this time, she said, "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped."
We walked on out of the school. The front paved area was large enough for plenty of parking. Between parking sections a row of trees grew, the tall, thin, with leaves closely packed kind.
I happened to notice all the people that were still leaving. Our school was pretty big. Seisho High School had an attendance of almost 1300 students and over 90 teachers and faculty, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me. But, I suppose it is still just memories from my younger years. I used to live in a much smaller town and the schools during elementary were no where near as big. I moved here to Settu-city in Osaka during junior high. I've known Naito Koji since then, practically...

We walked down the road. Koji sighed, stretched, and let his arm holding his bag drop.
"Long day, huh?" I said.
"Oh yeah. Can't wait to relax once I get home. These six day school weeks are tough." he replied. He lifted his bag and slung it over his shoulder and gazed at the sky. It was still a bright afternoon.
"Yes, but remember we've only got less than a month left. Then we graduate..." Sayomi said it with a hint of sadness.
"Scared about being on your own all of a sudden?" I glanced at her.
She held her notebook to her chest and nodded without looking back.
We were coming up on her house so I gave her a pat on the back as she turned into her house. She still lived with her parents, at least until she graduates and gets a job. Koji and I live in our own apartments. They're not much, but we can afford them and it's peaceful. At least for me, that is.
Koji still looked tired as we came up to my apartment.
"Hey, get some rest man. Got another day ahead of us. Just think about Keiko or something, I'm sure you'll feel better!" I grinned at him, but unfortunately he didn't find it funny. I just waved and walked up the short stairs to the second floor of the apartment building.
I unlocked my door and threw my stuff in the corner. I fell back against my bed and let out a long sigh. What a day, indeed.

I guess, deep down inside, I was kinda afraid of graduating, too. I had lived alone for awhile now, every now and then my dad would pop in and check on me, usually to give me some extra money, too. They sent money each month, my parents I mean. My mother handled it and my dad always told me when he came by that a man couldn't live off the scraps she sent so he'd always give me extra and tell me not to tell her. If I needed anymore than that, I could almost always find some sort of temporary part time job or something to get by. I didn't have any financial troubles, really. So that's not what scared me. I suppose it was just the realization that school would be over and I had a hiatus until starting college at Musashi University. Maybe it was also that I feared I'd be going to the uni alone. Maybe what I really needed was a girlfriend. Not like Koji though... hmm.
"Eugh, all this thinking is making me have to piss."

After studying a bit and relaxing, I got into bed, and, switching off my light, turned over. Soon I fell asleep...