Chapter Text
The last bell had rang. It's now after school. Although, one person seem to not notice it. The class was packing up to go home. Some were talking to their friends about wanting to hang out at a cafe. Most tennagers nowadays wants to hang out with their friends. 'Having friends is one of the best things that appears in your life!' is what people always say
The teacher looks around the classroom and sigh. There was one person who wasn't packing up. He walks over to the person and shakes them sightly, caughting their attention. "Shinonome Akito, why aren't you packing your stuffs?, The bell had rang. Do you want to get in trouble for staying here in school?" The teacher said as he looks at the person who was staring at him with his olive eyes, confused.
Shinonome Akito, The student in his class who he had never seen with anyone. Even during lunch, he would just sit in his desk, eating or looking outside of the window. He was wearing his school uniform except the shirt is replaced with a grey hoodie, his orange hair that has a yellow streak at the front and the bangs under his eyes.
"..Sorry Mr.Yukimura. I wasn't paying attention.." Akito's voice was very low that the teacher almost didn't understand what he had said. It was also the first time he actually spoke, that's a surprise. "I wouldn't have to call your parents now Shinonome-kun?" Akito stayed quiet. The mention of his parents. It's not like they would care . They never cared for Akito nor his older sister. Well, maybe perhaps with his sister is different. His father always insulted Ena on how her drawing isn't 'good enough to make others look at her'. His mother was an alcoholic, never paying attention to Akito.
Akito doesn't remember a time where she smiles at him.
"No need Mr Yukimura. I can go home by myself. No need to call my parents." His tone sounds blunt but a hint of fear which is go unotice by the teacher.
Akito was changing out his shoes when he heard some students whispering.
'I heard that Chiyo decided to confess to the music teacher~'
'No way!, Isn't the music teacher married?!, There's no way she would have a chance~'
'I know, her confidence is way too much high! But I do envy her for that'
'yeah..'
Akito wasn't interested. Romance wasn't really his thing. Sure, he got love letters back then but he wasn't interested in any of the girls. He started walking home however it started raining. He fortunately had an umbrella with him. 'This summer, I feel like it's gonna be different somehow'
He looks around him, street lights, people walking with umbrella and cars stuck on traffic. Rain was starting to feel heavy. He waited for the light to go green. The light turns green, as he walks to the other side he thoughts, he ask himself
'tell me why the rain fills me up with such a longing as I dream of simpler days?'
He thought about it. His days was always bad. He wasn't interested in living as he gave up long ago. Living as a empty shell. He crossed the road and started walking again to his home
He doesn't want to go home. He's afraid.
He walks along the streets. Crossing paths with a few shops. He hears people talking, the rainsdrops and his footsteps. It might take a while to get home. He stops at a cafe and wanted to order something and sit there to get his mind off things.
So he does. He walks into the cafe and finds a seat near the window. He placed his umbrella near the window and his bag on the wooden floor. Eventually, one the employee's took his order. "Hello!, What can I get for you today?"
Akito looks at the menu. He finds something he likes and he looks at the employee with a small smile 'Can I get a hot chocolate and a strawberry sponge cake?. The employee wrote the order on her note pad. She looks at Akito after finish writing 'Alright sir, your order will be here shortly!' the lady said with a huge smile. She walks to the back, Making his order.
While waiting for his order, Akito decided to listen to some music in his phone.He finds a song called "Hitchcock". He plays the song and put on his headphones. The song starts playing and Akito listens to it while looking out of the window.
'Tell me why the rain fills me up with such a longing as I dream of simpler days?,
'And tell me why my heart's skips a beat though the heat as the summers carries away'
The song itself made Akito surprise. The first verse, he had thought about that just a few minutes ago. He shrugged it off when the lady appears again with his order. 'Here's your order sir!, The total would be 600 yen!'. Akito nods as he pays the lady. She walks over to another few customers who arrived and there Akito was, eating his cake alone. He's supposed to eat this with friends but.
He doesn't have any.
Akito sometimes feel lonely. He always spend his weekend at home. Studying or just on his phone playing games. Unlike his sister who has online friends, he doesn't. He's not good with talking whatsoever. He looks around and see a group of tennagers laughing and talking at a table near the back. He wasn't sure why their were laughing but it isn't his business.
After finishing his cake. The employee nods and said goodbye to him 'Come again!'. Akito walks out of the cafe with his bag and umbrella. It's still raining. 'Maybe it's still gonna rain till the next morning' Akito wonders. He walks away, going to his home. He checked the time on his phone, '4.49 p.m'. Something blurs his vision. Huh?. He realized that he was crying. He wipes his tears away but soon, more started to come out. He was a crying mess. It reminded him when he was back in middle school.
'Look!, Akito's dad didn't come!'
'Maybe cause his parents hates him!'
'Who wouldn't?, He looks like a toad!'
'No wonder hos sister doesn't even care!'
Those bullies laughs at young Akito. He felt ashame. He wasn't like normal children. His parents never cared for him.
Tell me why the tears are falling filling up my eyes as all their laughter fills me with shame.
Akito wipes away his tears. He's in public. He can't be seen crying!. He decides to duck on a near building.
The rain felt heavy on his skin. He wonders if it's fine to keep on thinking.
Finally, Akito arrived home. He opens the door. "I'm home!" and no surprise. No one answer him back. He puts the umbrella near the front door and took off his shoes and put it on the shoes rack. He walks upstairs to his room. Putting his bag near his desk, he decides to take a shower. Leaving his clothes at the basket near the bathroom.
"AKITO, HURRY UP WITH THE SHOWER. MOM MADE DINNER HURRY UP!"
His sister, Ena shouted. It was so loud that Akito felt irritated by the sudden loudness from his sister. He kept his patience.
Wonder if it's fine to keep on thinking through the night that someday soon my patience will pay.
He stands theres in the showers, he thinks about the time during his childhood, well before he attended middle school of course. He missed the time where his parents would care for him. A happy family. Nowadays, his parents would just nod at him if he achieves something. Whether it's getting straight A's or winning a football match. They would also nod at him when he goes to school.
'With just a single nod of goodbye?.'
He cries again. He always cries if he tries to remember anything from his childhood. Despite that, he feels like there a hole inside of his heart. No actually, there's no heart. It felt as if he's not a person. More like an entity that lives on earth. Serving no purpose.
That tears a hole straight into my side
His body stalled in frozen time.