Kotonoha had woken up early the next morning. After eating a small breakfast, she left early as well and took the train downtown. She planned on getting some things and was hoping to make it to school before class started. She had remembered what Eiichi said to her, and because things had gone so well over the weekend, she sent Makoto a text asking if he would walk with her to school. She felt calm and joyful. Not only had she been able to get Makoto back, but she had helped in the founding of a new group of friends that would meet every lunch hour. Maybe even before and after school! She thought maybe there was some possibility for Sekai and Eiichi to get together. They had seemed very friendly yesterday, they had both helped her out so much, and they were both knowledgeable in social matters, they might be a perfect match. She figured it was the least she could do. Maybe she could talk Makoto into helping her out.
The train stopped near a shopping district and she got off. She visited a crotchet shop where she purchased yarn and a book on sweater knitting.
She had imagined Makoto wearing something that she made with her own hands. During her childhood and through Jr. High, she had participated and even excelled in many activities like ballet, Iaido, and piano, but father insisted that as soon as she began her years as a high school student that she place more focus on her education. Simply because of that, she always had her nose buried in books because she couldn't think of anything else to do with her time. This was also in part because talking to new people still frightened her. She could remember very little of ever making something with her own hands. She thought now was the time to start. Maybe Makoto would be embarrassed because people didn't really wear homemade sweaters anymore, but the image of him blushing while wearing it made her giggle. She imagined him saying, 'As long as you made it...'
She had stepped back on to the train with glee in her heart. The ride back was smooth and she just took it all in. The sky was still a blue grey outside as the sun was just rising.
Her own friends, before she had very few, and now she felt as if she had been blessed with more friends than she could handle. And Makoto...if it had just been him, she would've been satisfied, but now, things were just fantastic.
The train slowed to a stop at her usual station. She would get off here and wait for Makoto to appear so they could take the train together.
The doors slid open and her eyes met something that was so out worldly, she must have imagined it. She thought she saw Makoto standing at the station. Sekai was with him, and she had walked up very close to him, her face closing in toward his. The doors to the train shut and it was off again. She stared forward, wide and stunned.
"Couldn't be..." she muttered.
It must have been someone else. She had been thinking so much about everyone, her mind must have played a trick on her. Besides, his back had been turned, and she couldn't see the girl all that well either. The thought was absurd, ridiculous, of course!
She shook it off. It was just her imagination. But then...why did she have this uneasy feeling all of a sudden.
When she made it to school, Makoto had returned her text, telling her to go ahead without him.
She leaned against the wall near the gate, her phone still in her hand.
It was just a coincidence, what she imagined and the message she had read four or five times now, it was all coincidence, had to be. Since Eiichi knew so much about people, maybe he could tell her. She wondered if he had been studying to be a psychologist in his off time, and knew a few things. Maybe that's what he did when he went home.
She looked up at the passing students.
She saw Makoto! She began to jog toward him, she couldn't wait to greet him. Doing this would shatter all her doubts.
"Itou." A girl's voice called out to him.
Kotonoha turned and saw the leader of her school festival committee, Otome.
Intimidation rushed over her, and she thought of Makoto standing right by her. Otome knew him?
As if he did not see her, he responded only to Otome, "Morning."
Otome looked menacingly at them, but mainly Kotonoha, who shrank up behind Makoto unintentionally, trying to hide.
"Morning..." she said with her glare.
Makoto turned to Kotonoha, she thought he hadn't noticed her, "Let's go, the bell's going to ring."
He walked off without a second look. She only wanted him to be with her, she just wanted to touch him to make sure he was there.
She reached out, but retracted when she realized this would be uncouth. He continued on without her, while Otome just stared at her.
In class, Kotonoha did her best to shake everything off. It could not be how she was thinking about it. She must have been looking at things the wrong way. It must have just been a bad morning because she had been so disheartened. This had to be all conjured in her head. This must be how things normally are, how regular adults behaved.
And she remembered Eiichi. He would know, he would help her, she had to find out. But it would have to be some other time, lunch was not for a couple hours, and Makoto and Sekai were going to join them. She would ask him later this evening, after school. She would text him. When she was in trouble the last time she spoke with him, things went well. She didn't want to use him like that, but she didn't think Sekai would be the best person to ask. Because of what she imagined earlier, the thought of talking to Sekai made her uneasy, even though it wasn't true. She might be forced to bring it up. She couldn't do that to her, it might make things awkward and Sekai would begin to think she didn't trust her. Her doubts...she had to keep them between Eiichi and herself. The thought was strange to her. How could she trust someone she hadn't even known for a week?
***
It was lunch time, and on the roof of the school, Eiichi waited. He listened to students talking outside from down below. He listened to the wind and watched the clouds. Up here, there was less noise, less...'vibes'. He knew Kotonoha and the other two would be showing up any moment, but he was not looking forward to it. Kotonoha had been very pleased with things, but yesterday was a shit storm in his opinion. He was starting to think he might just back out of the whole thing and find another place to hide from the teachers and hall monitors, when the door to the roof opened.
Kotonoha appeared, and she was alone.
"Katsura-chan, where's Itou n' Saionji?"
She wasn't even ten feet from him and he could feel her despair.
"Oh, they must be on their way. I texted them and am waiting for a reply," she wore the most painful fake smile.
He smiled back, had to try and keep those spirits up, "Well that's good. Did you bring anything?"
"Yes, I have a box I prepared for Makoto-kun and myself," she stepped over to the benches.
"That sounds great. I'm sure he'll love it."
He went and joined her.
"Oh! But didn't you bring anything?" she looked up.
"Ah I'm fine, I usually have a big breakfast."
"That's too bad. Well, maybe when Sekai gets here, she'll share some of hers with you."
"Really? Ya think so?" 'Not even if she paid me.'
