01.
Fired up with her brother’s reassurance, Hanae marched into the classroom with as much determination as she could muster up.
Quietly, she stood in a line in what she assumed to be the check list of students name.
Slyly, she looked around the classroom as the children who had already checked in with Iruka Sensei.
A girl with pink hair. Another with blonde hair. A boy with a black ponytail, then another with red marks on each of his cheeks. She thought to herself, taking note of all her observations.
Her eyes slowly drifted to the other side of the classroom, the side that had the sun’s early morning rays beaming through it.
Hanae’s timid honey colored eyes instantly locked onto indifferent onyx ones. Absentmindedly, she maintained the eye contact for who knows how long, waiting for the owner of the other pair to look away first.
Finally giving in to her shyness, she shifted her eyes to anywhere else other than his, constantly switching back to his gaze which never faltered.
I hope he didn’t see me. She thought to herself, finally finding a comfortable gazing target on her feet.
She slowly shuffled further up in the line gradually, till she finally reached her Sensei.
“Hi there! I’m Iruka Sensei. What’s your name?” he asked cheerfully.
Hanae couldn’t help but smile at the kindness of her Sensei. “I’m Hanae Itou. It’s nice to meet you Iruka Sensei.” she greeted, bowing respectfully.
“Aren’t you sweet?” Iruka asked amused. “Your seat will be anywhere on the third row in the center.” he instructed, checking her name off the list.
“Thank you.” she said quietly as she timidly walked over to her assigned row.
After what seemed to be years of torture to Hanae, but in reality was only a few moments, Hanae finally reached her row.
Curiously she looked over to her right to spot another girl, who also seemed to be shy. She slowly moved her gaze to the left of her, spotting a redheaded boy who already seemed to be dead asleep.
Maybe I should say something. Hanae thought to herself.
“Hi!” the boy to her left greeted, startling her slightly. “I’m Kouhei!”
A light smile graced Hanae’s lips. “I’m Hanae.” she replied quietly.
“How long have you been there for?” he asked, yawning loudly.
“I just sat down actually.”
“Oh, alright. I was just making sure so I didn’t seem rude.” he explained with a wide smile “Is this your first year at the academy? I’ve never seen you here before.”
Hanae nodded her head lightly. “Isn’t this your first year also?” she asked, mustering up all the confidence she had.
“Yep. But my older brother is a instructor here, so I know this place like the back of my hand.” he bragged “I can show you around later if you want!”
“I…I have to meet my brother later at lunch.” she responded quietly.
“Oh…”
“But, I can tomorrow.” she added quickly, causing Kouhei’s smile to grow back.
“Great!” he responded happily. “You’re my first friend in the academy. You should feel pretty special.” he said smugly.
Friend? “I’m glad.” she responded kindly.
“Do you know anyone else?”
Hanae shook her head. “No one other than you.”
“Great, we’ll meet new people together. But…I gotta tell you something first.” he whispered, inching closer to her. “That girl over there.” he said, pointing to the girl on the right of Hanae. “I think she’s pretty.” he confessed almost inaudibly.
Hanae looked over at the indigo haired girl beside her.
“But don’t tell her!” he added.
“I won’t.” Hanae said quietly, looking back over at the girl next to her. “What’s her name?”
“I don’t know yet. You should ask her for me.” Kouhei suggested.
“No!” Hanae responded timidly. “I can’t.” she added quietly.
“Why not? She doesn’t look mean, does she?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it-”
“Alright, Class! I need your attention please.” Iruka called from the front. “I’d like to welcome you all to your 1st year of the academy. You have a very long road ahead of you, which I’m sure you all know.”
A very long road? Hanae asked herself, as she began looking around the class room.
Once again, she looked back towards the pair of onyx eyes. Luckily, they were focused intensely on Iruka Sensei.
Hanae tried to remember if he was one of the faces she happened to glance at earlier.
I don’t think I remember seeing him with anyone. She thought to herself, looking down at the desk she sat at. Does that mean he doesn’t have any parents? She added, becoming slightly heartbroken.
“Psst.” Kouhei whispered. “Do you think I can eat lunch with you and your brother?”
Hanae thought about it for a while. “I don’t think he’ll have a problem with it.” she whispered happily.
A wide grin grew onto Kouhei’s face. “Great. I don’t think I would’ve given you a choice anyways.”
Hanae laughed quietly at her friend’s demeanor.
She couldn’t help but go back to the thought of not having parents though, slowly growing sympathy for the lone boy with the intense onyx eyes.
*Whether Hanae was aware of it or not, her sympathy would slowly grow to a light infatuation.