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Sayo Hikawa was out of her element. She was at a high school party. If that wasn’t bad enough, neighboring schools also participated, adding to the unease she felt during the occasion. There was a giant dance floor, with many people milling about and dancing, but Sayo knew that she didn’t belong there; even though she was a proficient guitarist, she couldn’t dance to save her life. She was also too socially awkward. Hina, why did you force me to go to this? She thought. She scanned the room, looking for familiar faces; however, the dim lights and flashing purples, reds, blues, greens, and other colors blinded her. She couldn’t make anyone out, and the people she did see were people she didn’t know. The only faces she recognized were those of the troublemakers around the school; she instantly looked away, not wanting to be in their presence for even a femtosecond.
She wore relatively simple attire to a glamorous party. While most of the other participants had lavishly and extravagantly, she had opted to wear a simple suit on Hina’s suggestion; it was the one thing she thanked Hina for pertaining to the topic of the party. She sighed; the party was becoming increasingly boring, and she was about to pick up her phone to call Hina to pick her up. While the alcohol was around and she was getting ready to leave, she heard a mention of the name “Hikawa.” Curious, she decided to turn around in the direction to see who had mentioned her name, deciding to delay her departure for a few seconds; after all, Hikawa wasn’t a common surname throughout Japan.
She saw a group of three students, though she only recognized one of them. The one she recognized was Touko Kirigaya, and while she wasn’t a student who excelled much in academics, she was popular; even Sayo knew who she was, despite being known for living under a rock. While Sayo would normally not be attracted to the type of girl Touko was, she found something about her unique to the occasion that was particularly alluring. While Touko usually wore her blonde hair straight and wavy with a slightly messy undertone, she had decided to tie half of it in a ponytail for this party. However, that wasn’t the anomaly about her appearance that Sayo noticed.
Touko’s choice of apparel for the party was unconventional and not Sayo’s style. She wore a long necklace around her neck, which seemed highly expensive and unneeded to Sayo. The thing about her that stood out to Sayo the most, though, was her dress. Even though Sayo knew that Touko came from a family of clothes makers with a large reputation, she didn’t imagine that she would come to a party with a dress this radiant and striking. Its color was a mix between her gold eyes and the vibrant red that could describe her personality in one stroke. The fabrics had an intricate pattern that Sayo couldn’t pinpoint, with a band around her waist that seemed to tie the whole thing together. It extended very far back, almost falling to the floor, though the length it extended forward was almost nothing compared to that. There was a blue-purple rose on the left waist portion of the dress that Touko wore that only added to its magnificence. While Touko was regularly casual, Sayo thought that the manner with which she carried herself on this occasion gave her a new aura of elegance and luster.
In her trance, Sayo didn’t notice a figure approach her from behind. When she felt a small tap on her shoulder, she practically jumped out of a nearby window. When she turned around, she saw a pink person, though Sayo thought it was a ghost at first. “I guess that startled you more than I thought it would’ve, hehe,” it said.
“Could you please come into an area where I can see you?”
“Haha, sorry,” it said before stepping out into the dimly lit room, where Sayo could glimpse at an actual person. None of them talked for a few seconds to look at each other, though it was mainly one-sided; Sayo was the one who needed to take more looks at the person she had just exchanged a few brief remarks with. She saw a lot of pinks; the girl’s eyes, hair, and aesthetics were all pink. The girl had twintails that extended slightly past her shoulders; while they weren’t long by normal standards, they were extremely long for twintails. Sayo thought she was an eccentric figure, given that she had come to the party wearing extremely casual clothes; her fashion was the antipode to Touko’s extravagance. It seemed more appropriate for a game night with a person’s closest friends. “Ah, it seemed that I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Nanami Hiromachi, and I’m just a normal high student.”
Hiromachi? That name sounds familiar; I think she placed third on the most recent round of exams. “Ah, Hiromachi-san, it’s nice to meet you; my name’s Sayo Hikawa.”
Nanami raised her hands in front of her face and began waving them. “No need to introduce yourself. Everyone knows who you are~.”
“Am I really that famous? I think that the one who was one of the top students after the last round of exams should be more well known.”
Nanami’s face darkened; Sayo thought she might’ve witnessed a supernatural murder of three people by a group of werewolves. “Oh no! I did it again?” Nanami quietly whispered though Sayo heard.
“Did what again?”
“It’s nothing; would you like to meet my friends?”
“Of course, I would be delighted to do that, Hiromachi-san.” Nanami walked a convoluted path that made Sayo wonder where she was heading. Is she just leading me around the rose bush? However, when Nanami finally stopped at her destination, Sayo was extremely surprised; she had just her to the group of three girls from before, including Touko Kirigaya. “I presume you are all Hiromachi-san’s friends?”
The three of them looked at Sayo. “Yes, we’re all good friends with Nanami! I’m Touko Kirigaya, and I’m so famous that some day, this school’s gonna have to build a bronze statue in the garden to celebrate my accomplishments.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kirigaya-san. And you two are?” Sayo looked at the two girls that accompanied Touko; one of them was very short, having short purple twintails. The other one had light blue eyes and the same light blue hair.
There were a few seconds of silence before Touko pestered her friends. “Shiro, Fusuke, Sayo-san’s not going to bite or kill you two.”
The purple-haired girl decided to speak up first. “My name is Tsukushi Futaba, and I’m the class president.”
“Ah, it’s nice to meet you, Futaba-san,” Sayo said, looking at the shorter girl. Turning her head to the blue-haired girl who was taller than her companion, she said, “I supposed that you are Shiro?”
She saw the girl almost die out of fear. She seems like Shirokane-san, she thought. “Y-yes, my name is Mashiro Kurata.”
“Shiro, don’t be scared. Anyway, would you like some fried noodles, Sayo-san?” Touko said, changing the direction of the conversation.
“Fried noodles? How did you smuggle those into here?” Sayo suspiciously eyed the cup noodles that Touko had just pulled out of nowhere.
“It doesn’t matter, Sayo-san; just enjoy yourself.”
“I won’t eat your suspicious goods that you’ve most likely smuggled into here, Kirigaya-san.”
Touko pouted. “Fine, I’ll let you not eat them if you’ll stargaze with me on that hill over there.”
Sayo raised her eyebrow. “You win this one, Kirigaya-san; I’ll go look at the night sky with you.”
“Well then, lead the way, Sayo-san!” Sayo sighed, walking out the back door to the hill. Sometimes, she would turn around to check if Touko was still following her. Why am I checking on Kirigaya-san periodically? Oh well, that doesn’t matter anyway.
When they reached the top of the hill, they watched the constellations in the sky, their brightest stars shining from many light years away. Sitting in silence, Sayo wondered what Touko’s purpose for bringing her here was. Touko broke the air of awkwardness, saying, “Sayo, you and I are polar opposites, yet we’re both here, so close to each other and alone. Why do you think that’s the case?”
Sayo turned around. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say here, Kirigaya-san.”
“‘Opposites attract’ is the old saying, is it not?”
Her perfectionist personality kicked in. “Kirigaya-san, I still do not understand what you are trying to say; additionally, the saying is not always correct. In an atom, the electrons do not go to the protons due to the strong nuclear force, which is around 36 magnitudes stronger than gravity. So no, opposites do not always attract and land in the same place.”
“That just proves my point; if we can brave a force so much stronger than what brings us down to the earth, don’t you think we’re destined to be together?”
“Please stop your incessant flirting, Kirigaya-san.”
“Aw come on, Sayo-san; don’t you think I look good?”
Sayo briefly paused, deciding whether to lie or tell the truth. She decided to tell the truth. “I d-do say that your appearance is above average.”
“Haha! There’s no need to be stuck up, Sayo-san; just say you like me.”
“W-what are you insisting on, Kirigaya-san?”
Touko laughed. “Your face is so red, Sayo-san! Just say yes to being my girlfriend. You know you like me.
“I’ll admit defeat just this once, Kirigaya-san.”
“Great! We’re officially girlfriends now,” Touko said. Sayo was about to object, but Touko pulled their faces together in a kiss. She heard the gyaru girl pull her phone out to take a selfie. “Thanks, Sayo-san! Let’s meet up at my house tomorrow.”
“Very well then, Kirigaya-san; I’ll arrive at your house tomorrow.” Touko walked off the hill, rejoining the party.
It sometimes pays to listen to Hina, Sayo thought, smiling.