Chapter Text
Sara Chidouin had never been particularly good at art. Quite the opposite, actually. Her skills were way below average. Most people would say that her drawing abilities were horrendous. She was so bad that her classmates joked that anyone who dared look at her pieces would be cursed with misfortune for seven years. Yet there she was, standing at the entrance of Sonobeno High School, mulling over a certain poster.
"Professor Mishima’s Art Class
If you want to improve your skills in a friendly, judgement-free environment, this is the place for you! Join Professor Mishima’s Art class today if you are passionate about art and wish to hone your craft in a relaxing setting.
No experience is needed. This class is about you and you only— regardless of your level, Professor Mishima will guide you to become the best artist you can be.
The only prerequisite? A love of art!
Limit: 10 people per semester
All ages are welcome!
Register by calling at (xx)-xxx-xxxx-xxx or by completing the form on www.mishimaartclass.jp."
“Thinking about joining, Miss Sara?”
Sara gasped, the man’s sudden appearance startling her. Turning around to face him, she was surprised to see the person in question. Standing in front of her was her Japanese teacher, Professor Kazumi Mishima. At first glance, he seemed very intimidating. His unruly grey hair and his small, circular spectacles made him appear much older than he was, not to mention his tendency to cackle evilly at the end of nearly every sentence. However, Sara’s impression of him was proven to be false. Professor Mishima always went out of his way to help out his students. Time and time again, he demonstrated that he was a kind-hearted individual who wanted nothing more than to contribute good to this world.
Talk about judging a book by its cover. Sara couldn’t have been more wrong about him.
“I would like to join, but…” she trailed off, looking away in embarrassment.
“But?”
“I’m… I’m not talented at all. I’ve never been good at art. Everyone says I’m hopeless,” Sara laughed, trying to not appear like she was bothered about it.
Professor Mishima frowned at her words. Sara flinched. She knew that he wasn’t a bad person, but he still looked scary when he did that. The professor didn’t seem to pay her reaction any mind, since he was most likely used to it.
“Do you want to be good at art, Miss Sara?” he asked gently, looking at the teenage girl with a solemn expression.
Sara gulped. “I…”
“Do you?”
The professor was looking at her expectantly, as if he already knew what her answer was going to be.
“...Yes, I want to.”
Hearing that, a genuine smile spread on the professor’s face. He didn’t look so scary anymore. One could argue that in that moment, he looked like a normal person, which was as angelic as Professor Mishima could get.
“Then there’s no need to be ashamed, Miss Sara! As long as you have a desire to learn, I will do my best to guide you and teach you everything there is to know about art. Your current capabilities in the field are of no importance to me.”
There was a certain glint in Professor Mishima’s eyes as he spoke. Sara could tell that he truly lived and breathed art. Whenever he spoke about his craft, his expression changed completely. He looked like an entirely different person.
Unknowingly, Sara’s lips curled upwards.
“I’ll think about it, Professor.”
The professor beamed at her. They both knew that was her way of saying yes and that they would get the chance to go on this journey together, as teacher and student.
“I’m glad that you’re considering it, Miss Sara. Well then, I’ll see you in class. Mwahaha…”
Sara bid him goodbye, and with that, Professor Mishima disappeared inside the school. She wistfully glanced at the poster once more, before being shaken to her senses by the bell and by someone crashing into her at full force. She lost her footing for a brief second, but, thankfully, she didn’t fall over. Her body was quite sturdy, after all.
“Gah, what the hell are you standing around here for, Sara?! If not for your body of steel, we both could’ve gotten seriously injured!”
She sighed. She knew that voice all that well. It was her best friend, Jou Tazuna, but he preferred to be called Joe. He was loud, gaudy and he wasn’t exactly on the bright side, but he also was loyal, friendly and loving. Kind of like a puppy.
The same Joe Tazuna was sprawled unceremoniously on the ground, whining at her pathetically.
“Aren’t you injured, though?” Sara asked matter-of-factly, pointing at him.
“Well, not all of us are as strong as you, Samurai Woman! Now, c’mon, can’t you help up your best bud in the whole wide world?” Joe grinned at her from down below, holding his hand in her direction.
Sighing, she took his hand and helped him up to his feet, ignoring her quickening heartbeat. She took in his form, purple eyes carefully analysing his appearance from head to toe.
“Hey, quit staring at me like that… I-It’s kind of embarrassing,” Joe stuttered out, rubbing the back of his neck as if to shake the awkwardness away. Sara’s soft gaze turned into a glare and Joe shrieked, backing away from her, only for a whine of pain to leave his lips.
“I was quote, unquote, staring at you because you scraped your knee, you idiot. Shouldn’t we get that checked at the nurse’s office?”
Joe’s expression went blank, only for his usual grin to return moments later.
“Aw, man, I didn’t know ya cared about me that much! I’ll be fine, though. I’m a manly man. I’ve been through worse,” Joe said smugly, looking rather proud of what he had stated. He probably thought he looked cool.
He really didn’t. ‘Cool Joe’ was an oxymoron.
Sara snorted. “Sure. Though I believe that moments ago you said that—”
“You have no proof!” Joe screeched and Sara laughed at that, finding his self-consciousness entertaining. She was about to retort to his remark when a deep, baritone voice suddenly called out to them.
“Tazuna! Chidouin! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in class right now!” their homeroom teacher yelled out. Sara was relatively unphased, but she’d be damned if she would let this incident stain her record because of a bumbling idiot. Said bumbling idiot was currently sweating profusely. Knowing him, his life probably was flashing before his eyes.
“Sir, yes, sir! We’ll get going now! C’mon, Sara, let’s go!” Joe said, grabbing the girl by the arm and making a run for it. Sara gasped in surprise. She did not expect him to be so… forward. He usually chickened out when it came to physical contact with a girl.
“No running in the halls!”
It looked like no matter what she did, she was bound to get into trouble when she was with Joe, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Ah, so you’re signing up for Professor Mishima’s Art class?” Ryoko asked, looking at her friend in wonder. Sara hummed in response, nibbling at the ricecake in her hand.
“Huh, really? The same Sara who’s a horrible artist? You’ve got guts, I tell ya!” Joe, who was sitting across from them, laughed, leaning his arms on the chair’s back.
“Says the guy who’s sitting on a chair backwards,” Sara countered, sending him an icy glare.
“It’s cooler this way!” Joe whined at her childishly, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Ryoko giggled, seemingly amused at their antics.
Ryoko Hirose was Sara’s other good friend, but they didn’t get the chance to spend much time together because they were in different classes. They only really got to hang out during lunch and on weekends, since Sara was busy with after school clubs during weekdays. Ever since she introduced Ryoko to Joe, though, they started to hang out a lot more than usual. Sara was glad that she got to see her more often, but at the same time, she was a little bitter that it was just because she was enthusiastic about her new boyfriend.
She wasn’t jealous. She just felt a little left out, that was all.
“Don’t you think you’re pushing yourself too hard, though? You’re taking a lot of extracurriculars this year,” Ryoko said, looking at her in concern. The sincerity in her voice quickly washed off any of Sara’s remaining harsh feelings. How could she think that? No matter what, Ryoko would always be her good friend. Despite what Sara felt…
“I can drop a few of them,” Sara replied in monotone. Ryoko only replied with an ‘Ah, I see’ and continued to eat her food, undisturbed by Sara’s answer. Meanwhile, Joe was looking at her intensely, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Sara raised her eyebrow, the staring making her a little uneasy.
“Why are you so set on this Art class, Sara?” Joe asked, looking at her questioningly. “You joined so many after school clubs because you want your résumé to be perfect. So why suddenly drop them for Art?”
Sara gulped. Joe was much more perceptive than he looked. He wasn’t the most academically gifted, but his people skills and his observational abilities more than made up for it.
She didn’t necessarily have a profound, personal reason for wanting to join Professor Mishima’s Art class. She was just a little embarrassed to admit it out loud since it was so childish…
“I… I just like art, okay?” She pouted, puffing out her cheeks. Joe’s gaze lingered on her a little longer before he burst out laughing. Ryoko winced, taken off guard by his sudden outburst. “W-What’s so funny?”
“The teasing really got to ya, huh?”
Sara’s gaze turned to her feet so that she could hide her flushed face.
“Whatever. You all will eat your words after Professor Mishima turns me into a modern day Picasso.”
Joe chuckled. “I’ll have to see this for myself, then. I’m signing up with ya, Sara! Best friends do everything together, after all!”
Sara looked at him in disbelief.
“You’re almost as bad at art as me though.”
“Hey, cut that out!”
The two continued to fight about their talent in art for a while. Ryoko watched them passively, giggling once in a while at something they said. She knew better than to get involved in their playful arguments and, at this point, she had gotten used to them.
“Why don’t you join too, Ryoko? It’ll be fun!” Joe remarked enthusiastically, looking at her in optimism. Sara nodded in agreement.
“I’m sorry, but I’m already taking a design class… I’m not smart like Sara, so I can’t juggle so many things at once,” Ryoko said apologetically.
Joe sulked a bit at that, but he quickly bounced back to his usual self, eagerly questioning her about her design class. The two of them resumed a casual chat, the subject of Sara’s sudden interest in art being long forgotten. Sara smiled at the scene. Even though the prospect of Joe and Ryoko dating saddened her a little, she wouldn’t let it get to her. After all, seeing the two people most precious to her be happy was enough to make her happy too. Even if it hurt her a little. Just a little. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
Maybe this new class would help her clear out her mind. Art was supposed to be therapeutic, after all.
“Oh man, this studio looks awesome!” Joe gushed, staring at the building in front of him in astonishment.
Joe’s taste usually was rather questionable, but this time, he was right. It wasn’t anything extravagant or extraordinary. It was relatively small in size, having only one floor, but it had a stylish, coquettish look.
“I didn’t take you as the type to appreciate minimalist looks.”
“Oh, come on!”
Sara chuckled and went up to the studio, ringing the doorbell. Joe trailed right behind her. For someone who prides himself in his toughness, he sure hides behind me a lot… Sara thought. Joe was whistling, bobbing his head to a rhythm he probably made up in his head. She took this chance to sneak a glance at him. The afternoon lighting really was flattering on him. It complimented his tan, olive skin. His uneven, wavy brown hair was messy, as usual, and was clipped back by the same yellow hair accessory he always wore, his brown eyes flickering with excitement. Since it was a Saturday, he was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and brown cargo pants, paired up with a pair of white sports shoes. Despite his simplistic clothing, his flashy ear piercing and bracelets still were enough to make him stand out.
Even when he dressed down, he still was gaudy. Classic Joe.
“Ah, Miss Sara! And I see you’ve brought Joe as well… Mwahaha.” Professor Mishima had already opened the door while Sara was busy scrutinising her best friend. The teenagers greeted him, bowing in front of him respectfully. “Don’t be shy, come on in.”
They followed Professor Mishima inside. As expected, the interior had a minimalist look as well. It followed a tried and true white and brown theme, which was right up Sara’s alley. The room was devoid of any furniture besides a supply closet, a hardwood desk and a couple chairs. There were numerous blank canvases, all but three taken, of which one was clearly reserved for the professor. He ushered the two of them to sit down and Joe rushed to the one in the very back, mumbling a half-hearted apology to Sara. The girl sighed and moved to sit at the front. She was a little anxious about sitting in the front because everyone would be able to see what she drew if they so happened to glance in her direction.
Damn Joe… He sacrificed her in order to spare himself the embarrassment. She would never forget this betrayal.
Noticing her agitated state, the girl next to her smiled at her reassuringly. Sara recognised her as Nao Egokoro, her upperclassman who was two grades above her. She didn’t get many opportunities to talk to her, but Nao was famously known in Sonobeno High for being Professor Mishima’s protégé. Throughout her high school years, she had won numerous awards in Arts and Crafts competitions which helped raise the school’s prestige. Many considered her gifted in the field, but she vehemently denied it. It’s all because of the professor’s support! Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything , she would say.
Despite their distant acquaintance, Sara was quick to identify her because she hadn’t changed at all in the year she didn’t see her. Nao’s long, unkempt dark pink hair, in particular, was her trademark. Sara was confident that no one else in Japan— no, in the world, had a hairstyle akin to hers. Her matching pink eyes emanated warmheartedness, her gaze alone being enough to make anyone feel at peace. However, her outfit was on the simpler side. It consisted of an orange shirt with puffed out sleeves which cut off just above her elbows, dark denim pants and a blue apron.
Ah, perhaps she should’ve brought an apron as well… Oh, well. At least she wasn’t wearing a white T-shirt like Joe. Talk about stupid. Things were bound to get messy in an Art class.
“Before we delve into the wondrous world of art, I believe that an introduction is warranted,” Professor Mishima began after Sara had sat down, his baritone voice booming in the room. “Some of you here are, or were, my students, so you are personally acquainted with me. But for those who don’t know me,” he cleared his voice, “I’m Kazumi Mishima. I teach Japanese and Art at Sonobeno High School… Mwahaha…”
Ah, there it was. His signature evil cackle. Way to make himself seem friendly.
“Since we are all going to be working close together for the next six months, we should all take turns introducing ourselves. Since you’re in the front, why don’t you start, Miss Sara?”
Sara was momentarily taken aback by the professor’s invitation. Everyone’s eyes turned to her, so she brushed off any remaining anxiousness she had and spoke loudly.
“I’m Sara Chidouin. I’m a second year student at Sonobeno High. Professor Mishima is my Japanese teacher and he encouraged me to join, even though I’m… not the best at Art.” That was only putting it lightly. “My friend Joe from school followed me here because he can’t stand the thought of being away from me for too long,” she joked, eliciting laughs from everyone in the room. Nao, especially, seemed to be very amused by her smug quip.
“Actually, I’m her best friend!”
“ That’s what you take issue with?” A woman dressed in punk rock attire said incredulously. Joe merely shrugged in response, grin as bright as ever. “Jesus, guys these days…” she muttered, and Sara couldn’t help but silently agree.
After that, everyone went on to present themselves. The introductions went on quickly. Everyone seemed nice enough, though she was a little intimidated by the fact that most of them were older than her. Nevertheless, they all were so quirky that Sara had a hard time fathoming the age difference between her and these people. For example, promptly after introducing himself, that Q-taro guy declared that he was 193 centimeters tall and weighed 105 kilograms of pure muscle mass, which was odd to say to a group of strangers he had just met, but that did seem like it was his greatest achievement in life. The man called Keiji worked as a private investigator, yet preferred to call himself Mr. Policeman because ‘Mr. Investigator just isn’t as catchy’ . Kai came to the class with kitchen utensils, claiming that they were indispensible self-defense weapons.
These people made Professor Mishima seem normal in comparison.
Despite all of these eccentric characters, two people stuck out the most to Sara. The first one was her ex-upperclassman Nao, who was the closest to resembling an ordinary person out of everyone there. Usually such people would be overlooked, but in this setting, it was quite the opposite. Her normalcy was extremely out of place there.
The other one was Reko Yabusame, a singer-songwriter. She had the look of a rockstar. The bang fanning the left side of her face was dyed light brown, contrasting the rest of her dark hair. The heavy black eyeliner in droplet-like shapes was a… unique choice, to say the least. All in all, she had a tough look, being dressed as if she were about to perform and not go to class.
She barely got to say anything about herself before Joe started to fawn over her, proudly claiming that he had seen her in magazines. Actually, he did most of her introduction for her.
“Can someone make this gaudy guy shut up?” Reko had finally said and Joe promptly apologised. “Look, I get it, you’re excited, but I’m here as Reko Yabusame and not as RECO. I was hoping that I at least would get away from the pressure of stardom here. Didn’t expect anybody here to know me.” Her previously hard expression softened once she saw Joe mope around. “H-Hey, don’t make that face… Look, how about I give you an autograph after class is over?”
Joe’s face immediately lit up once those words left her lips. On one hand, it was nice that his mood had improved in a matter of seconds, but on the other, Sara dreaded how Joe would talk her face off about it for months, if not years to come.
It was strange how Reko changed her attitude as soon as Joe seemed to be hurt by her words, though. Perhaps she had a weak spot for sensitive people?
Once introductions were over and done with, Professor Mishima began going over how the class would go. There was no set curriculum since everyone most likely had a different level of skill. For the first class, however, the professor would go over the basics of colour theory and shading. He stated that even if some people in the room were familiar with it (Sara automatically turned her head to look at Nao, who was sheepishly grinning at her), it wouldn’t hurt to refresh their memory.
Alright. Sara felt like she could do this. It was only the first class, and it wasn’t even that hard! She already knew about colour theory (at least she thought so) and she didn’t have to draw anything complicated. She just had to shade some geometrical shapes. Even she could manage this!
With a sudden surge of confidence, Sara grabbed her pen and hastily noted down everything the professor said. In order for this first lesson to be a success, she had to be as thorough as possible.
“You seem really fired up, Sara,” Nao commented, glancing curiously at the girl sitting next to her.
“Of course,” Sara replied, taking a pencil from her case. “I won’t let myself be beaten by my own clumsy hands. I will overcome this challenge!”
“That’s… one way to look at it. I’m glad you’re excited about this, though.” Nao seemed dumbfounded at the reason for Sara’s determination, but made no further comments on it.
“I will emerge victorious… I… will not falter…” Her grip on the pencil began to loosen as soon as it touched the canvas, her hand shaking uncontrollably. Nao began to panic when she saw her underclassman in that state and her protective instincts took over.
“Sara! Are you okay?! Do you need some water?”
The girl in question let out a shaky sigh, turning her head in Nao’s direction once more.
“I’m fine, but… Nao, how do I draw a cube without accidentally making it a sphere?”
A wise man once said, Arting is hard .
That wise man was Sara herself and she thought that sentence mere seconds before. She used to practice kendo, yet she had never felt so tired like she did now after an hour of continuous drawing, and she had only drawn cubes, spheres and pyramids. Not to mention that they didn’t even remotely look like what they were supposed to be. Thankfully for her, the professor gave them a fifteen minute break so that they could unwind a little before they went on with the lesson. Sara knew better, though, and she knew that he was going on a smoke break because her drawings were stressing him out. I’m so sorry, Professor Mishima , she thought as the teacher rushed out of the room, his hand hurriedly searching for something. Probably a cigarette pack.
Now Sara was sitting in the back of the room next to Joe, who was gushing over how amazing art was.
“Dude, this is super fun! I wasn’t sure about this whole art thing at first. I totally thought I would bail after the first five minutes, but boy, was I wrong!”
Joe was as excitable as ever, and while she usually found that quality of his endearing, but in that moment she found it insulting. It was like rubbing her failure in her face. Joe, who was supposed to be nearly as bad as her at drawing… was faring a lot better than she was.
“I’m glad you came up with this idea. You are too, right, Sara?”
“Right, yeah. No regrets whatsoever.”
Sara chugged down an entire water bottle. Meanwhile, Joe was looking at her in horror. She truly was no joke. She finished that in bare seconds . Even after no water was left, she continued to hold the bottle in her hand in an attempt to squeeze out every last drop.
Needless to say, Joe was so shocked he forgot how to speak. He simply stood there, mouth open, like a gaping fish.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, Sara.”
While the two friends were talking (well, more like Joe was having a monologue), Nao approached them. Sara was even more embarrassed now. Since the woman sat next to her, Sara’s failures were all on display for her to see. She must’ve seen everything… every shaky line… every shadow turned light… every light turned shadow… and every cube turned sphere…
Sara shuddered. She refused to entertain this train of thought any further. Things were bad as they were, she didn’t need to think about how Nao, an art student, was judging her for her unsettling drawings.
“You’re trying too hard to be perfect, you know.” Sara looked at the other girl in confusion. Wasn’t art supposed to be perfect in order to be aesthetically pleasing? “I can tell from your face what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong about that. Art isn’t about perfection. Art is about emotion. Sure, technique is important! But what matters the most is for your feelings to shine through your pieces.”
Nao squeezed Sara’s shoulder in consolation and, strangely enough, that simple gesture seemed to do the trick. Sara felt much calmer than before. She didn’t know why such a small thing was so comforting for her. Maybe it was because Nao seemed so compassionate.
“Failure is only part of the process. So embrace your mistakes, Sara. They’re nothing to be ashamed of,” Nao finished.
Her speech reminded Sara a little of Professor Mishima. It was clear as day that Nao was passionate about art. The flame in her eyes when speaking about the subject gave it away. Sara thought it was amazing that they could love something so much. She wanted to know what that felt like, too.
She smiled at the woman, feeling relieved. Nao was right. She was so blinded by her desire to prove her classmates wrong that she forgot what art truly was about. It wasn’t about competitiveness or seamlessness. It was about raw, unadulterated passion.
Sara clenched her fist. How could she be so careless? Because of her killer instinct, she neglected what truly mattered. Not the finish line, but the jou—
“That being said, your technique does need a lot of work. From what I’ve seen, you always are in a rush to finish so the shading looks plain messy, not to mention that your straight lines always somehow turn into curved ones. When drawing, it’s better to take your time to make sure that the finished product is clean and appealing to the eye and not an incomprehensible mess. Ah, but that isn’t to say that messy means bad! Sometimes, that is the piece’s charm! That’s what abstract art is all about! But it has to be the professional kind of messy, not the—”
Nao stopped herself from continuing when she saw Sara’s dejected expression. Almost instantly, she started to freak out, trying to reverse the damage her words may have done to the younger girl.
“Ah, I’m so sorry! Was that too harsh? I didn’t mean for it to come across as such heavy criticism… If what I said was offensive, I will repent for my sins!” Nao apologised profusely. She honestly looked like she was about to cry.
Sara sniffled. “No, it’s fine… I know I’m bad at it. I’m glad you told me about my shortcomings, really, I’m just… not used to this, I guess.”
Nao hummed, being deep in thought. After a few seconds, she gasped and Sara looked at her with a raised brow, silently questioning her.
“I know! I could help you too! Professor Mishima is only one man, after all… he has to make sure that he pays equal attention to each and every one of his students. I will take responsibility and pay some of my lifelong debt to the professor by taking care of you in his absence!” Nao exclaimed, taking Sara’s hand in her soft one. Sara blushed, the older girl’s unintended affectionate gesture flustering her. “Let’s get back to work! I have so many things I need to teach you, Sara!”
“Wait, but we still have five minutes of break—”
“Soldiers never rest, Sara! Never!”
The girls hurried back to the front, where Nao began to slowly guide Sara through the process. She was listening to the art student attentively, nodding once in a while. In the meantime, Joe was staring at them in utter astonishment. He sighed and brushed his hand through his hair, redirecting his attention to his canvas.
“It’s literally just a cube… How can anyone mess that up so bad?” he mumbled. Sara’s art truly was a sight to behold, and in the worst way possible.
“Mwahaha… I have to say, Miss Sara, I am very impressed. This cube is perfect. And you drew it by hand! Stupendous!”
The professor was intently measuring Sara’s cube with a ruler. She grinned cheekily at her teacher’s praise, looking proud of her success.
“Exactly eleven centimeters and twenty five milimeters per side… measured by eye! Mwahaha… I’ve spent my entire life pursuing art and never have I witnessed such a feat! Truly incredible!”
Reko patted Sara on the back, grinning at her ear to eat. “And to think that you were grouchy all throughout the break… I knew you had it in you, Sara! Good job!”
Sara thanked Reko, being appreciative of her congratulations. Truthfully, she looked unapproachable in the beginning, but so far, she had only been considerate towards everyone, especially the girls. She looked a little rough around the edges, but Sara was convinced that she had to be good at heart.
Professor Mishima continued to critique Sara’s drawing, pointing out her mistakes and how she could improve. She diligently noted down everything the professor said, as to not forget his advice. After the professor finished critiquing everyone else’s drawings as well, he explained that they would delve more into colour theory the next lesson before they would move on to their first practical assignment.
“I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow. Class dismissed!”
Following his dismissal, people began to take their leave, a string of goodbyes and “nice to meet you”s filling the room. Before going home, though, Sara wanted to make sure she got to thank a certain someone. The pink haired girl was about to exit the studio when Sara suddenly grabbed her sleeve, stopping her in her tracks. Nao looked at her with inquisitive eyes, tilting her head in confusion.
“Sorry for stopping you all of a sudden, but… I just wanted to say thanks. You were a great help today, so I just wanted to… tell you that, I guess…” She awkwardly trailed off at the end, unsure of what else to add.
Nao giggled. “There really is no need to thank me. If you ever find yourself needing help, please don’t hesitate to call for me! I will do everything in my power to aid you in defeating the enemy!”
She’s talking as if this is a warzone… Sara thought, laughing ungracefully at what Nao said. However, before she could reply, she got startled by Joe’s high-pitched squealing.
“Aw yes! I can’t believe the Reko Yabusame signed the cover of my notebook! She wrote ‘for Joe’! ‘ For Joe’ !”
The boy was jumping around in utter exhilaration while Reko was staring at him, flabbergasted. Nao was laughing wholeheartedly at the scene and so was Sara, but inwardly she was cringing so much she was sure she was going to have a seizure.
“Well, I should get him before he embarrasses himself any further. See you tomorrow, Nao,” Sara affirmed casually, waving goodbye to the other girl. She reciprocated, and then finally left, leaving only Sara, Joe, Reko and Professor Mishima in the room.
She walked up to Joe, putting a stop to his energetic jumping by pulling him by the ear. She paid no mind to his pained cries as she directly addressed Reko, “Sorry for that, Reko. I’ll get him out of your hair now.”
The singer shrugged her off. “S’all good, don’t worry about it. I’m used to it at this point.”
Sara quickly told the other two her goodbyes and then proceeded to drag Joe out of the room in order to save him from any further shame. Her best friend began to complain about how she cut off his time with the Reko Yabusame and that he deserved better as her “stan”. She had absolutely no clue what he was talking about and she wasn’t the least bit interested to find out.
While Joe was droning on and on about Reko, Sara found her thoughts drifting to the Art class. A soft smile graced her lips as she remembered how Nao was so kind to help her, even though she had no obligation to do so. She would make sure that she would pay her back by the end of the semester no matter what it took. It was the least she could do for someone so sweet, after all.
Perhaps choosing to attend Professor Mishima’s class because of something puerile was the best decision she could’ve ever made.
***
BONUS:
“Hey, Joe, can I see the autograph from Reko?”
“Sure, Sara! You gotta be careful, though. Not only did the Reko Yabusame write my name, she also signed it on the cover of my limited edition Spoopy-Boo notebook.”
“...Just give me the thing.”
“Here ya go! Don’t get too jealous!”
“...”
“...”
“I didn’t know your name was Gaudy Guy.”
“N-No way! She wrote Joe! Joe, I tell you!”
“Ah, yes. To my dearest fan, Joee Eee.”
“Maybe she wrote my full name! Joe Tazuna!”
“You’re really grasping at straws here. It’s a sorry sight.”
“Ugh, just leave me alone already…! Way to crush my mojo…”