Chapter Text
Chigusa gently dropped her right foot into the puddle, shattering her reflection. The ripples echoed for a while and were soon still again. She dropped her left foot and watched her reflection shatter again. Her eyes shimmered along with the ripples of the puddle.
She stared at the empty gate of her high school. There was still a good long hour until anyone came by. The student council did ask all the members to arrive at an earlier time so they can prepare for the school festival but she might have reached an hour too early.
She didn't mind waiting if she had something to entertain herself but in her hurry to reach early her, she might have forgotten her phone. The only activity she could do to entertain herself was talk to any of the teachers but she didn't really want to do that. She would rather prefer being alone.
Deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice a tiny pair of arms slowly snake behind her. Suddenly, they fell on Chigusa's back, startling the poor girl. She whipped around to see a sparkling pair of eyes. Chigusa instinctively pushed the girl and gaped at her as she fell back.
The girl yowled in pain as she broke her fall with her arm and ended up injuring it. She hurriedly attempted to get back up again but it was in vain as she collapsed again.
Chigusa squinted in suspicion. The girl was tiny, a junior perhaps? She had a different uniform. Chigusa recognized it as the one from the nearby high school. What was she doing here? Chigusa hesitated to help her but she felt sorry after her third failed attempt at getting up.
"Are you all right?" Chigusa asked as she helped the girl stand up. The girl gripped her hand tightly.
"Wow! You are strong!" She cheered, her grip tightening on Chigusa's arm.
"oh, thanks?" Chigusa flinched in pain and carefully ushered the girl on a nearby bench and helped her sit down.
The girl flashed her a bright smile and Chigusa nervously smiled back. After a weird moment of silence, Chigusa laughed nervously.
"So, uh, what is your name?" She asked, kneeling down to meet her sparkly eyes.
"oh! oh! what is YOUR name?" She asked, brightly.
Chigusa stared. She blinked. A part of her wanted to be immature and say I asked first but she held back and sighed. "I am Chigusa. A member of the student council."
"Aw, man! student council? That's like such a big deal! The girl giggled. "This school has changed so much! It was so big before! I wonder what happened?"
"Oh! are you an alumnus?" Chigusa asked, doubtful. She seemed too young to have already graduated but her words hada nostalgic air to them. Almost like an adult who missed her days of fun in high school.
"What? Do I really look that old? Jeez!" She huffed. "I am a junior!"
"Oh!" Chigusa exclaimed, taken aback. "I just assumed so from the way you were talking. I didn't mean to offend you."
"That's mmkay! I was on leave for the past week. I didn't know that the school was under renovation! it looks so different now." She swayed from side to side, cheerfully taking in her surroundings.
"I am glad you like it but the school was not under renovation. It's been pretty much the same since the school was established." Chigusa tilted her head to the side, confused as the girl mirrored her.
"What are you talking about? The school's completely changed! There was a set of swings over there!-
"Pretty sure there was no swing set." Chigusa shook her head.
"What about the flowerbed? Wasn't it closer to the building before?"
"No?" Chigusa shook her head as the girl struggled to comprehend everything.
"Also, but- but- I am sure the school was a pale red before! What do you have to say about that?" She accusingly pointed at Chigusa, a smile of victory on her face. "Gotcha now!"
"Ah..." Chigusa turned around and stared at the tall building a further away. It was pale red.
"See! I knew I was right! Jeez, you sure are a ditz for being a part of the student council and not knowing that the school has gone through a huge makeover. Anyway, that's fine! I assume you are-
"You are at the wrong high school." Chigusa interrupted.
"eh?"
"That's Yuigaoka high school. The pale red one." Chigusa pointed.
"Ahhh."
Chigusa didn't know if she was a klutz or naive or...just stupid. Chigusa waited as she took in the new realization, slowly
"Oops, sorry." She smiled, sheepishly, and winked at Chigusa. "Let's move past this, shall we?"
"Sure..." Chigusa laughed, hesitantly and the girl laughed along with her.
"So, why are you here so early?" She asked, completely forgetting about her goof up.
"Ah, it was for some student council work." She gently brushed through her hair, avoiding her sparkling eyes. The whole situation was strange and she just wanted it to end. Wanting to avoid any more questions Chigusa asked one instead.
"So, why were you on leave for a week?"
"Ah!" For the first time in the entire conversation, she looked away. "I was in the hospital.." She muttered. "because of an accident."
Her eyes rested in the faraway trees, now avoiding Chigusa's gaze.
She was in an accident. Chigusa felt her heartache. She had pushed her. How could she? It was just her defensive impulsive nonetheless she had hurt another person who was already hurt.
Chigusa opened her mouth to say something. Anything. However, she couldn't bring herself to say anything except for-
"What...happened..?" Her voice was extremely low. A near whisper.
"Ah, well, haha." Her voice quivered.
Chigusa had pushed her.
"I should have been more careful" she lamented.
"I jabbed my pen into my pet horse's eye."
Chigusa had pushed her.
"I should have pushed her harder" She lamented.
"...what?" Chigusa's eyes twitched. "huh?"
"Ahhh! it was an accident! I swear! She charged at me!" She sniffed. "I love my sweet Princess! she is adorable but she attacked me when I was sketching. It was so sudden."
The girl jumped off the bench moving violently. "I was like 'wait!' but Princess was all like...mad! super mad! I tried to stop her but I forgot about the pen in my hand and I accidentally...jabbed her." A flash of pain flashed her face as she gloomily sat down.
"Princess pushed me off the fence I was sitting on and tumble down the hill was pretty painful." She sighed. Her disheveled golden blonde hair flopping over her eyes after her little skit. "Princess is all right though so I am glad!"
"Ah...I see." Chigusa felt sorry. She gently took her arm and examined it.
"Did you hurt your hand?" Chigusa asked, even if the marks on her hand made it obvious. She nodded and Chigusa gently rubbed it.
"Wowee! your hands are like magic, sis!" She giggled.
"Ah! thank you." Chigusa massaged her hands as the two went back to a comfortable silence with the occasional giggles from the girl.
"Sis, someone's coming!" She pointed excitedly. Chigusa looked up to see one of the student council members and got up. She checked the time on the large school clock and realized she needed to get to work.
"Well, looks like it's time for you to go." Chigusa smiled.
The girl nodded and hopped off the tiny set of stairs.
She turned around and clasped Chigusa's hands and held them close to her. "This is the beginning of a new friendship! don't forget me! Bye!"
"Who was that?" Chigusa's colleague in the student council asked just as he finished climbing up the stairs.
"A..." Chigusa gazed at her hands which were still warm. "friend."
"What's her name?"
Chigusa gasped as she realized that she never asked her name. "Well, it's complicated."
"No! my name's not complicated!"
Chigusa and the boy jumped in surprise and turned around to see the sparkly golden eyes.
"That was funny, right? I have pretty good comedy timing!" She hopped shifting her weight from one leg to another.
"What's wrong? Did you want something?"
"Left my bag lol. Bye." Just as swiftly as she had arrived she grabbed her bag and stormed off like a little tornado.
Chigusa huffed.
"Hey, Chigusa, let's go. We got work to do."
'"Yeah." Chigusa looked back one last time just in time to see the girl trip and fall, turn around, flash a goofy smile, and run away. She sure was weird a one.