Today is the first day of high school.
I stand at the front gate of Seiryou High School, holding my bag and taking a deep breath. The morning wind feels nice on my face. The sun is bright, but not too hot. The sky is blue with no clouds.
This is it, I think. A fresh start.
No more childhood drama.
No more old classmates.
No more bullying.
High school will be peaceful.
I fix my necktie and walk through the gate.
I don't even get to the shoe lockers before I hear it.
"Yuuji-kun~!"
My heart stops.
My legs freeze.
My eyes go wide.
That voice...
No, it can't be.
Slowly, like in a horror movie, I turn my head.
And there she is.
Airi Fujimoto.
Smiling.
Waving.
Walking toward me like nothing happened.
My whole body tenses up.
Airi… is here?!
I try not to panic. But I am already panicking.
She stands in front of me, looking up with a bright, happy face.
"It's really you! You haven't changed at all, Yuuji kun!"
She sounds so cheerful. Too cheerful.
"Uh… h-hi."
I try to smile.
It comes out weird.
Airi Fujimoto was my classmate back in primary school.
She used to bully me.
Not the "give me your lunch money" kind. The worse kind.
The quiet, sneaky kind.
She once hid my gym shoes and made me wear pink slippers all day.
She once told the whole class I peed myself. (I didn't. It was juice.)
She once wrote "Yuuji is a baby" on the blackboard before class started.
Every day with her was like walking into a landmine.
But now, she's here.
Looking cute. Happy. Like we're old friends.
And smiling like an angel.
"Can you believe it? We're in the same school again!" she says.
"Y-yeah," I say. My voice is shaking.
"Wait what class are you in?" she asks, leaning in.
"1-B," I say, almost hoping she'll say something else.
"Me too! Yay~!"
No.
NO.
We're classmates again?
How is this real?
"Let's walk together!" she says, grabbing my arm.
I flinch.
But she doesn't pull my hair.
She didn't try to trip me.
She just smiles.
We walk to the shoe lockers, and she even opens mine for me.
I don't know how to feel.
This girl made my childhood a horror movie.
Now she's acting like my childhood friend?
I glance at her.
She hums a song while changing into her indoor shoes.
She even helps a first year who dropped his books.
What's happening?
I walk behind her to Class 1-B. My head is spinning.
The classroom is bright and clean. The windows let in sunlight. The desks are in neat rows.
Airi walks in first and waves at the teacher.
I find a seat near the back.
She sits two desks to my left.
Then she turns to me and smiles again.
I pretend to read the blackboard.
And I take out my secret weapon.
Yuuji's Mental Diary – Day 1
Airi Fujimoto Status: 😇Damage Taken: 2/10Confusion Level: 10/10Notes : Why is she so nice?! I feel like I'm in danger.
While I'm writing, someone taps my shoulder.
I jump.
"Relax, man. It's just me," a voice says.
I turn and see a guy with spiky blond hair and a big grin.
"Name's Daiki Morishita. You?"
"Uh, Yuuji Tanaka."
"Cool. We're desk neighbors now."
He leans closer and whispers, "Hey, who's that girl over there?"
He points at Airi.
"Oh. That's… Airi Fujimoto. We were in the same class before."
Daiki raises an eyebrow. "She's kinda cute. She your girlfriend?"
"WHAT?! No! Not even close!"
I yell louder than I should. The whole class looks.
Airi giggles.
My face turns red.
Great. Day one and I already caused a scene.
The teacher walks in. He looks like he didn't get enough sleep. His tie is crooked, and his shirt is wrinkled.
"I'm Mr. Kumagai. I teach Japanese Literature. You may call me Sensei, or Master of the Written Word."
Everyone just stares.
He clears his throat.
"Let's start homeroom."
After homeroom, we introduce ourselves.
When it's my turn, I stand and say, "I'm Yuuji Tanaka. I like books. Please be nice to me."
Simple. Safe. Good.
Then it's Airi's turn.
She stands with a sweet smile.
"I'm Airi Fujimoto. I love sweets and cute things. I hope we can all be good friends~"
The class claps. Some boys looks like they saw an angel.
I roll my eyes.
Daiki leans in. "Dude, I'm telling you. She's totally into you."
"She bullied me for two years," I whisper.
"Oh. So like, enemies to lovers? Nice."
"That's not how it works!"
At lunch, Daiki and I eat outside.
We sit under a tree with bento boxes.
"So," he says while chewing, "tell me more about your old classmate."
I tell him some stories. He laughs way too much.
"Wow. That girl's scary. You sure she's not planning something?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
I glance at the school building.
Airi is sitting with another girl. She's quiet and serious looking, with black hair and bangs.
"Who's that?" I ask.
"Dunno. She hasn't said a word all day."
She looks like she's staring at me.
Creepy.
After lunch, we return to class.
The afternoon passes without drama.
No pranks.
No insults.
No bugs on my desk.
When the final bell rings, I almost relax.
Maybe I overreacted.
Maybe Airi really did change.
Maybe people grow up.
As I pack my bag, Airi walks over.
"Yuuji kun~ want to walk home together?"
My heart skips.
"Uh… s-sure."
We walk to the gate.
It's quiet.
The wind blows her short hair gently.
She smiles at me.
It's kind of… cute.
I look away.
Maybe she's just being nice now.
Maybe I can trust her.
We reach the corner. She waves goodbye.
"See you tomorrow, Yuuji-kun~!"
"Y-Yeah. See you."
I turn and walk home.
My heart feels weird.
Like it's floating.
Is she really nice now?
I reach my house, open my bag—
and find a note.
I unfold it.
It says :
"It was nice seeing you again today.Let's talk more tomorrow.You haven't changed much… or maybe you have? ♡–Airi"
I froze.
Mental Diary – Update
Airi Fujimoto Status: ???Damage Taken: 2/10Confusion Level: 7/10Comment: …Is that a normal note? Why does it feel creepy?
I flop onto my bed.
I stare at the ceiling.
Something weird is going on.