"A Slice of Life", or "How not to Have a Normal School Year"

It was a fairly nice morning. Not too warm, not too cold, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day. At least, as far as weather was concerned.

Yoshida Akio, on the other hand, wasn't paying much attention to the weather. He was paying more attention to the fact that he was running late.

Akio was trying to take a short cut that, so far, hadn't shortened his bike ride to school in the slightest. If anything, it had lengthened it. Less crowded? Sure. Shorter route? No.

"Come on," Akio said under his breath, pedaling his bike faster. how much longer could it take? It seemed that he'd made a complete U-turn around Tomoe Gakuen and was now coming back.

Why'd I have to listen to her? Akio thought. He'd been told that this way was faster by a friend at school, Shimizu Hanako, Oh, sure, she'd be able to make it in time. After all, she had enough energy to jog faster then I can ride. Hell, she probably just runs to school every day.

Still, he pedaled onwards. At last, Tomoe Gakuen came into view. The high school had quite a pleasent surrounding, with several trees planted in locations that framed the entrance. Akio wasn't focusing on nice scenery. If he ran, he'd make it in time. He lept off his bike, neglecting to at least chain it up. He burst through the door, and ran for his classroom. He was almost there, just a little further.

Akio made it, and swung the door open. He glanced at the clock, and was relieved to see that he made it on time. His arms hang rather limply and he leaned forward, with a sigh of relief. Akio walked over to his desk, which was only one seat away from the center desk, and sat down.

Hanako was in the middle. She looked at him, innocently, and asked "How was the shortcut?"

Her voice gave no indication she had planned to make him late.

Akio merely glared at her.

edited 16th Sep '10 5:52:36 AM by AnnoR

Shizuka sat on her seat, the one on the back of the classroom just by the window on the right, as she made some doodles on her notebook while the homeroom teacher came to start class. Her beloved guitar rested just behind.

Shizuka was a transfer student, so even though she was on her second year of Highschool she didn't knew a lot of people. And more importantly she still haven't found enough members to start her music club.

Oh well, I'll just have to put an extra effort into it. Maybe stop doodling and make a recruitment poster instead...

Class had begun. Akio sat attentively, listening to everything Kobayashi-sensei had to say.

Hanako, on the other hand, was leaning her head on her right hand and watching with an extremely disinterested expression. Kobayashi-sensei had only been talking for a few minutes and she was already bored.

Akio couldn't help but notice her extreme lack of interest. Hanako was always bored and disinterested in class. That was always worrying. Hanako got creative when she got bored.

Another one of this particularly interesting trio of students sat in the right-hand corner farthest from the teacher's desk. Ishikawa Koari didn't know Akio or Hanako, and they didn't know her. She didn't particularly give much thought to the other students. Well, most of the time, at least. Koari was currently sitting with her hands on her lap, eyes staring as if laser-focused at Kobayashi-sensei's forehead. With her extreme lack of expression, it was impossible to tell if she was actually paying attention or not.

edited 16th Sep '10 4:38:16 PM by AnnoR

Kiaku sat attentively near the others, listening to whatever the teacher had to say and making sure he logged it into memory. Yoshida Akio...as always sitting by that friend of yours.

The teenage cult leader smirked and seemed to enjoy the class. He was always the perfect picture of order, cleanliness and grace. The fact he had a pretty face and had charisma to go with it...well, except when the Medusa Eye was revealed...made most people trust him. And they were right to. After Princess was revived, they would be glad they were on the right side.

Gandai Arisu sat silently in her seat, surveying the other people in her class. Something didn't feel right in the room; she wanted to blame the closed windows but the stiffness in the air couldn't be accredited to them. Closing her eyes, she reached a hand into her dress pocket and closed her hand tight around the dagger hidden there. The weapon changed every day. Yesterday it was mace. The day before it had been a pocketknife. But she never left the house unarmed. Not since the events of the prior year.

Gandai Arisu...Kiaku did not think that person would be returning, but acclimating the plans to reflect that would not be difficult. He looked back at her, knowing that the cause of the strict air in the room was his Medusa Eye. He waved at her, almost like an arrogant taunt. He had played a role in the events of the prior year, a role that would make most involved parties either love or loath him.

Hanako sighed. A small Cross Popping Vein appeared on her forhead as she rolled her eyes in irritation. She didn't really hear anything Kobayashi-sensei was saying. All she heard was mindless droning coming from his mouth. She was already painfully bored and it had only been about seven minutes.

Akio was getting even more nervous. Hanako was his friend, but it looked more and more like she was going to try something to make things more interesting. That never turned out well.

Koari maintained her steady stare at Kobayashi-sensei's forehead. It was almost as if she was purposfully not looking anywhere else. Until briefly, she looked to the side. The student that she looked at was Yoshida Akio. She didn't know him, nor did she really care about him, so her gaze looked for a new target. Gendai Arisu, Shimizu Hanako, Kawaoto Shizuka, none of them held her gaze for too long. Her eyes finally settled, once again, on Kobayashi-sensei's forehead.

Kobayashi-senei was possibly the most oblivious teacher in the school. Hanako liked that. She could do many, many more interesting things while he droned on and on. Right now, she was trying to decide what to do. Talk to some other classmates? Kobayashi-sensei probably wouldn't notice.

"Akio," she said, in a quiet voice that was not quite a whisper. "You didn't tell me how the short-cut went."

Akio looked at her, a little suprised. Talking in the middle of class? She was normally a little more subtle then that at first.

"Hanako," he replied, whispering urgently. "What are you thinking Kobayashi-sensei's sure to catch you disrupting class."

edited 25th Sep '10 7:27:46 AM by AnnoR

Kobayashi-sensei was not the best teacher Sato Yoko had ever had. On her first day, he had read aloud from the attendance sheet for a full two minutes before he realized he'd taken Shodoshima-sensei's class list by mistake.

It wasn't so much the mix-up that bothered her; it was just... Kobayashi-sensei had taught this class last year, too - Yoko had overheard Shimizu-san complain about it one lunch hour. It took a special kind of teacher to care that little about learning his students' names. To be perfectly honest, Yoko worried about him; it seemed as though every time she saw him the circles under his eyes got darker and darker.

Now he was droning on about the upcoming fall festival, and how after lunch they'd be deciding on their class' contribution, and that a banana did not count as a snack, and while uniforms would not be required they would dress to reflect the carelessness they had for their school...

Yoko sent a sympathetic grimace in poor, facepalming Anno-san's direction; managing Coma-yashi, as she'd heard the class rep call him under his breath, seemed to occupy nearly all his class-time.

If she'd been back home in Kyoto, she'd have taken this brief lull before the proper start of class to review her study notes from the night before. But this was not home, and Yoko was determined not to turn around. If she turned around while the fall festival was the topic at hand, she knew she'd have to make eye-contact with Kawaoto, and that was generally not a good idea.

She is obviously a very nice girl, Yoko reprimanded herself for thinking such unkind thoughts. But I do wish I had been put in a different class.

Yoko had anticipated having difficulties in making new friends; that had always been nee-chan's talent, not hers. What she hadn't anticipated was having someone very loudly and enthusiastically trying to befriend her, on the pretext that 'transfers need to stick together!'

Apparently Kawaoto had somehow found out that she could play the drums a little (which in and of itself was worrisome, considering who'd taught Yoko what little she knew about music), and had decided she'd be perfect for the school music club she was putting together. That had been a month ago, and Yoko was running out of ways to politely refuse her.

(OOC: Hope ya don't mind me tossing in an NPC, especially one named after ya.)

edited 1st Oct '10 6:33:58 AM by FurikoMaru

(OOC: I don't mind at all. NP Cs are always good, to make it seem as if the world isn't only populated by nine people with actual names.)

Hanako frowned. "C'mon, I'm just trying to pass the time, Akio-kun."

Akio took a quick glance at Kobayashi-sensei. He seemed to be somehow zoned out and droning at the same time. How much longer could Kobayashi-sensei keep talking about the Fall School Festival?

I swear I've heard him repeat that 'bannanas are not a snack' about three times, thought Akio.

"It didn't go well, Hanako. It sent me around the school, and then back," replied Akio, finally. There was clear annoyance in his voice.

Hanako was confused for a second. It didn't ever take her that long to get to Tomoe Gakuen using that route, and she just ran there.

"What do you mean? You rode your bike here, right? How'd it take you that long?" she asked.

Koari's laser focus on Kobayashi-sensei's forehead broke for the second time. She looked across the room, and settled on looking at another girl's back.

For some reason, she couldn't really figure out why, Koari felt compelled to say something. Perhaps it was boredom getting to her, although she certainly didn't show it.

"Hello," she began, her monotone voice clearly heard by everyone in the room. "Sato Yoko."

It was strange. Everyone had heard it, and everyone looked back at her. Most of the students really couldn't help it. A sudden monotone voice out of no where tended to garner attention.

"Ishazawa-san!" reprimanded Kobayashi-sensei. Koari turned to look at him.

Akio looked at the strange girl, and then back to Kobayashi-sensei. Was there anyone named that in this school? Was that even a real name? he thought.

"Do not disrupt class again, Ishkazama-san!" ordered Kobayashi-sensei, getting Kaori's surname startlingly wrong.

Koari looked at the teacher impassively. She didn't even bother to correct him on using two completely different, possibly nonexistent surnames. She just stared at him expressionlessly.

"Ishikawa-san?" said Kobayashi-sensei, finally getting her surname right.

"I will remember not do do so again, Kobayashi-sensei," she replied, her voice remaining monotone. She couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, had made her speaking up wrong. But it didn't matter, so she didn't think about it.

edited 30th Jun '11 8:56:49 AM by AnnoR

Every hair on the back of Yoko's neck prickled at once.

What the flying fuck?! she thought before she could stop herself. Kawaoto doesn't sound like that...

She turned, and saw a pair of dark green eyes staring intently back at her. She blinked. Ishikawa talks? Wait - Ishikawa talks to me?

After an awkward pause, Yoko waved hesitantly to her classmate. But Ishikawa's attention was focused on the teacher once more, so the very confused girl followed suit.

edited 1st Oct '10 6:33:13 AM by FurikoMaru

Kobayashi-sensei nodded, and then tried to get back to his lecture. However, it appeared he had completely lost his train of thought. The teacher paused for a moment, getting a rather disoriented expression on his face.

"Students..." his voice was rather faint and odd-sounding. "I'll be right back."

Kobayashi-sensei stumbled rather awkwardly out of the classroom, looking very ill suddenly.

"What the hell just happened?" Akio asked rhetorically, after Kobayashi-sensei left the room.

"Well, that was much more interesting then usual!" said Hanako cheerfully. Finally, something exciting! she thought.

"Hanako, did you see the expression on his face? He looked like he was going to..." Akio's voice trailed off, trying to find a polite way of saying that Kobayashi-sensei looked like he had been about throw up.

"Well, he looked really sick all of the sudden," he settled on.

"Oh, he'll be fine," replied Hanako, dismissivly.

Koari's expression hadn't changed at all watching Kobayashi-sensei leave. She was actually quite curious as to what had just happened.

"That was highly unexpected and unusual," she said, still in monotone, to no one in particular. "Clearly Kobayashi-sensei was feeling ill."

It was strange, even to her, how much Koari was speaking today. Most students had gone through the school year without hearing her speak once. Koari only ever spoke when directly asked something. Perhaps the situation was just too odd not to comment on.

Quite bizzare, was her only thought on the subject.

"Does... does anyone know what's going to happen now?" asked Akio. He couldn't help but notice Ishikawa Koari had spoken again, when her speaking once in a day was weird enough. but he didn't comment on it, more worried about what would happen after Kobayashi-sensei's sudden departure.

edited 16th Sep '10 4:36:47 PM by AnnoR

Done!!

Finally, after ignoring the teacher speaking the whole class, a feat that granted wasn't difficult at all, she was done with her recruitment poster.

Sharp lines, colorful effects, a message clear and inspiring, there was nothing that could be better about the poster. Now Shizuka only had to get to copying machine and then scatter the poster on all corners of Tomoe Gakuen so that no matter where they hid, her destined band members would be able to see it.

And talking about destined band members... Shizuka lifted her gaze and then focussed all the energy of her stare on a certain Sato Yoko. Well truly on the back of her head since she was looking straight ahead at the teacher but that was beside the point.

That name, that style, that essence, that haircut... and she knew how to play the drums. It was all too perfect to come in a single package but the girl had it all. It was like Kami-sama had put Shizuka on this school just to find her.

So concentrated was Shizuka on her target that she almost didn't heard Kaori speak. Truly, she might have missed it altogether was it not by the fact that she said the name of the person she was just thinking about.

Ishikawa Kaori... interesting this might be the first time I hear her talk since I came here. I wonder what's going on in her head...

...

Shizuka just had to add something more to her long inner rambling. A final note to it.

She might look good with a bass

Arisu sighed as the teacher left the room. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the dagger while simultaneously reaching for her rosary. The black-and-silver necklace lay tucked beneath her uniform, so she closed her fist over the cloth and sent a silent prayer to God, Buddha, and whatever kami happened to be listening. Probably her unease had nothing to do with demons at all, but it never hurt to be careful.

She noticed Kiaku's wave and drily returned it. Something about him had always seemed... off... but she could never put her finger on what.

Kiaku smiled at her, and then got back to working and looking the part of the best student in the class. It was fortuitous to have so many people with a unique air to them in one class...

He looked at each one, as if sizing up the dangers and potential benefits for keeping them around.

Ishikawa Kaori...perhaps that person could be useful if drawn into the web.

Akio and those others would also almost certainly be useful to the Demon's Army, but only if certain people drew them in. They would need to have a meeting with Mr. Bright. Kiaku chuckled inwardly at his little joke.

edited 16th Sep '10 1:27:23 PM by NickTheSwing

This is getting bizarre.

Yoko had seen teachers fall ill in class before, once or twice, but she'd never seen one stagger out the door like he was looking for a soft place to collapse in a heap and die before. I just assumed he had severe allergies that were keeping him up at night, she thought worriedly, but then, I've only known him for a month; maybe this is something new. Quickly she stood, and turned to the rest of the class.

"If no one minds terribly, I will accompany Kobayashi-sensei to the nurse's office to see that he arrives safely," she announced, bowing briefly and heading for the door.

"I mind," Anno-san objected, standing. "I'll follow sensei and then speak with the principal. All the rest of you will have study hall until you next hear from a teacher." He stared very pointedly in Kawaoto's direction. "And study hall does not mean Impromptu Shred Class." He left briskly.

Immediately the class descended into a flurry of chatter. Yoko sank with embarrassment back into her seat. Of course; Anno-san took his position on the student council very seriously. If a transfer student had taken care of his stricken teacher while he did nothing it would have looked very bad. She should have thought of that.

(edited to better fall in line with what comes next)

edited 16th Sep '10 3:26:39 PM by FurikoMaru

After the local student council member had left to check on Kobayashi-sensei, Akio and Hanako's talk continued.

Hanako looked at Akio, disgruntled. "What, do you want Kobayashi-sensei to come back? He's as boring as a log."

"He's a teacher, Hanako. Besides, that didn't look too good," Akio replied. He was genuinely worried for Kobayashi-sensei, even if he he was the most dull teacher in the school, and hadn't even memorized the names of anyone in the class.

"He might be boring as hell, but I don't want him to get sick," Akio added.

Hanako rolled her eyes, then suddenly stood up and stretched.

"Ah, that feels great! I was starting to ache sitting down for so long!" Hanako said, smiling.

Akio stared, first at Hanako's chest, inadverdently.

It's like a magnet, your eyes immediatly focus on her breasts, he thought to himself.

Looking up at Hanako's face, he asked "We were only sitting down for about nine minutes, and you're already stiff?"

Hanako down at him, a large cross popping vein appearing on the left side of her forhead, extending a little off of her head.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I got here early, you know!"

"Why do you get here early if you find school so boring?" asked Akio, honestly.

Hanako made no response, instead turning away angrily.

Koari watched them. She first focused on Hanako, looked her up and down, and then her gaze moved to Akio. For both of them, she felt slight curiousity. She'd always feel occasional curiosity about other students, some more then others. But Koari never spoke to any of them, unless they spoke to her first.

She stood up, and walked over to Sato Yoko's desk. She was very sure of what she was doing, acting on previous curiousity.

"Sato Yoko," she said, staring unblinkingly at the girl. "I had attempted to begin a discussion with you in class. It had been ill-advised. However, now that Kobayashi-sensei has departed, I am interested in commencing the discussion."

edited 16th Sep '10 4:35:52 PM by AnnoR

After Anno-san's clear remark at her Shizuka crossed her arms clearly offended That's so rude, it only happened one time, it was last period and I did say I was sorry

For one second the image of herself standing on her desk, eyes closed and her fingers a blur of movement as she played crossed Shizuka's mind but she hastily dropped the idea.

Instead the guitarist decided to try her luck.

Shizuka stood up from her seat, walking with her just made poster in hand towards Kaori's seat... when she noticed that she had already stood up and walked towards Sato Yoko's.

A smile formed on Shizuka's face, some bad people that always think the worst of things might come to erroneous conclusion that it was a predatory smile. They would be very wrong, Shizuka's intention where nothing but pure. She stood back and let the quiet girl talk to Yoko first before intruding on their little talk. Anything else, she considered, would be quite rude.

edited 16th Sep '10 3:50:02 PM by daltar

... did she just imply she used the Evil Eye on her teacher?!

Yoko was about to reply that she had intended to review her study notes with the extra time, and perhaps they could speak at lunch, when out of the corner of her eye she saw Kawaoto heading their way.

"Certainly!" she said immediately, glancing back at the bluenette momentarily to make sure she was retreating. She returned her attention to Ishikawa-san and smiled. "Of what would you like to speak to me?"

(OOC: Nicely played, daltar; thinking of a bass player in terms strictly decorative is ridiculously common among guitarists.)

edited 1st Oct '10 6:35:33 AM by FurikoMaru

"I am curious as to your opinion of Kobayashi-sensei's class," answered Koari. "Also, I am curious as to your opinion of the school itself, your fellow classmates, and the like. I have not asked any person's opinion of any subject in two years, and I am eager to resume such coversational subjects at this current time."

The way Koari spoke was strange, not only due to her monotone voice. She made casual subjects sound complex due to her unusual speech patterns.

Hanako watched with a look of suprise on her face.

"Akio, look! That Ishikawa girl is talking to the transfer student." she said, grabbing Akio's shoulder.

"Huh-Ack!" Akio was suddenly turned around to face the conversation. His discomfort at being turned around suddenly was overshadowed by his curiousity at the events before him.

"That's weird. I've never seen her talk this much at once," he remarked.

edited 16th Sep '10 4:43:38 PM by AnnoR

Arisu glanced at Kaori, eagerly discussing something with the transfer student. She ignored it and rose from her seat.

Eyes cast down, she stood and began to move to the front of the class, but suddenly something caught her foot and she tripped. As soon as she hit the ground, she realized that it was the foot of one of her classmates... and that not only was she now down on the floor, but she'd taken a chair with her. The clang echoed throughout the room, and Arisu's eyes widened in embarrassment.

edited 16th Sep '10 4:56:10 PM by Absynthe_

The loud clank was enough for Shizuka's attention to be drawn from the two girls talking.

After putting two and two together and seeing as nobody had reacted yet she hastily walked towards Arisu.

"Nice, you idiot" Shizuka said to the prankster as she gave him a furious glare. The girl then kneeled to help the fallen girl up "Are you alright?"

Yoko stared. And people say I speak weird.

"Well, Tomoe is very different in many ways from my previous school," she began tactfully.

"On what points do the two differ?" Ishikawa asked immediately.

"Oh, the grounds here are much less cramped than at Momijioka. And you have your swimming pool inside! I find this to be a much better arrangement." Yoko let herself babble a little; it felt good to have someone besides a mad guitarist on a mission to talk to. "As for my classmates, everyone has been very kind so far."

"I have observed very few people speaking to you more than once or twice," the taller girl pointed out. "From what data do you draw this conclusion of kindness?"

This girl has a happy future ahead of her in investigative journalism, Yoko thought bleakly, as several members of the class who had been watching the conversation unfold suddenly seemed to find their desktops or cell phone screens fascinating. Aloud, she replied, "Well, I have only been a member of this class for a short time; it's only natural that people would speak to their friends more often than they do to me."

"Have you no friends of your own?" Ishikawa asked.

Yoko was just working out how to respond to that question when, mercifully, the lolita girl further up the row tripped and fell, bloomers on display to the world. Judging by the smirk on a nearby boy's face and the frown on Kawaoto's, it hadn't been an accident.

Poor girl.

edited 1st Oct '10 6:36:50 AM by FurikoMaru

"I... I'm fine." Arisu said, taking the hand offered to her and rising. "I'm sorry, I can be absentminded at times." Immediately her free hand went to her pocket, where the dagger could clearly be felt through the fabric. Good. "My name is Gandai Arisu, what's yours?"

Akio stood up, glaring at the prankster. He hated that kind of thing. The culprit was none other then Tanaka Jiro, Tomoe's resident jerk. He hadn't even pulled his foot in to try and pass it off like it wasn't him.

Akio glared at him.

"What the hell, Jiro!" he said, advancing on the bully. Tanaka Jiro had a reputation as the school's biggest asshole. He'd picked on or pestered anyone he could find.

And worse then that, if the rumors were true, thought Akio. He'd had his fair share of run-ins with Jiro, and wasn't about to let him get away with this.

"Just having some fun," Jiro said, dismissivly. "Nothing wrong with some fun."

"Oh, yeah, because there's nothing wrong with tripping other students. Not at all," replied Akio.

The sarcasm was not lost on Jiro. He stood up, and walked towards the other student. He was large, far too large to be high school age. There was a rumor that he took steroids.

Akio had gotten himself in trouble again. He stepped back, not having expected such immediate retaliation.

"Hey now!" called Hanako. She took a few steps towards the two. "We don't need to do this."

Jiro looked at her. "I'll talk to you later, Hanako-chan. I'll make sure you're alone."

Hanako's anger instantly made itself known. "You bastard!"

Koari's question going unaswered, she turned to see what the commotion was about. One student had tripped another. She felt a little odd looking at the student who had fallen, after seeing that she had landed in a position the exposed her underwear to the rest of the class. But other then that, she couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

"What a pointless display," she annouced, loudly(although still in a monotone). She walked up to the two students, Akio and Jiro, and stepped in between them. She faced Jiro, and looked up at the large boy's face, staring him directly in the eye.

"Huh?" Jiro grunted. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"You appear to have an extremely overreactive pituitary gland," she said, without breaking her emotionless stare at Jiro's face. "Or perhaps you are taking some sort of drug? Please elaborate."

Everyone stared. Jiro wasn't sure what had been said to him.

Koari awaited an answer, confused about the looks she was getting, or Jiro's dumbfounded expression.

What's so strange about what I'm doing? she thought.

edited 22nd Sep '10 9:55:33 AM by AnnoR

"Kawaoto Shizuka. Just Shizuka is fine" She said as she helped Arisu back to her feet "You got a funny name" She mentioned with a little smile to try to calm her, she seemed fine but one never knew.

And then a certain boy, she though his name was Yoshida or something like that, rose to face the tripper. He wasn't doing too good until another girl, Shimizu, went to help too. She didn't do much good either.

Then came Koari-chan with words weird enough to stop the whole classroom in their tracks.

Shizuka had to control herself pretty damn hard not to recruit her there and then.