Chapter 026

"Shouko!?"

I don't know but the thought of him, triggered me to start crying... My mother hugged me and I can feel her warmth but still I can't stop my tears....

"There there, Shouko... It will be alright..."

"~sob ~~sob~"

"One day, you will have many friends by your side, you know... More than I have or your father has --"

"..."

I was silent, all this time, as my mother just continues to console me... My eyes must have become red due to my crying and one of my mother shoulders also got dampened because of me... I just do things that other people don't like... I am sorry.

"So, Shouko... Just try to make friends who will stand by your side, helps you when you are in trouble and who can easily understand properly, okay?"

"...ade"

"Hm!?"

I made a friend, mother... is what I am saying to my mother but my voice again didn't come out that loud, which made my mother to ask again... So, I tried to say it again

"i made a friend today, mother"

As I said, still in low voice but my mother easily heard me. She hugged me as tightly as she could and gently kissed my cheek... My mother does this every time whenever I, or my brother, achieve something whether it's about us, win any price, scores highest grades, or like these things... And as today, the very first day of my high school, I have successfully made a friend so she did it again... But it's embarrassing.

"Good, I am very proud of Shouko... Okay, what is her name?"

Then she broke the hug and started patting my shoulder lightly... and asked this question.

"his name is Kaneki Ren. He --"

"Wait a minute, Shouko... Did you just say that your friend is a 'boy'?"

I nodded my head slightly...

After seeing me accepting the fact that my friend is a 'boy', she put her one hand on my right shoulder and stared at me for about 10 seconds, and then she sighed lightly and asked...

"Shouko, you have to be patient, you know... I am not saying that you should unfriend him but first try to make friends within your school, you get it right?"

"but mother --"

"No buts... Okay"

"he is from the same school, which I am attending..."

"Huh! Are you in your right mind, Shouko? Your school is an all girls' school, am I right?"

I nodded my head.

"So?"

"he is the only male student enrolled this year, he is in the same class as mine..."

"I s-see"

My mother looked surprised but her face slowly forms a small smile on it... I don't know the exact reason, but I guess it's because this is the first time I talked about anyone with my mother... That's might be the reason why she is smiling like this, while her face seemed to be resting on her hand....I don't know when but her smile slowly turned into a grin...

"Ara~ Shouko, are you embarrassed?"

I shake my head, as fast as I could... I don't know, why, but my face is red from the moment I told her that I made a friend... I don't know.

...

Then, I told her everything that happened between us. It took me more than 1 hour to tell everything, as I can't say many words at a time because of my communication disorder... My mother seems to understand everything I said, as she sometimes nods her head...

"I see..."

"..."

"Well, it's partly your fault, Shouko..."

When I heard my mother saying that it's my fault, some tears again welled up inside my eyes...

"But not alone, it's his fault also... He should have cleaned the board; he shouldn't have left Shouko alone there"

She said while patting my back, but I know she is saying this that it's his fault also, because she wants me to feel better...

"Anyway Shouko, you have to pull yourself together, okay?"

I nodded at her words but my head is down all the time, when I started to talk about the things, about him...

"And, you know there is a word that can help you..."

As I was still feeling not fine, my mother said something which make my head rise and now I am staring directly in my mother's eyes... She told me the word, when she developed a teasing grin on her face... Mother!

"Ara~ Ara~, Shouko..."

She said and chuckled a little... It looks like I made an amused face which caused her to behave like this... My mother behaves like a child sometimes, which caused our whole family to smile, even though no one in our family shows it on their face...

"Haha... Shouko, you know you just make a cute face that I can't help but laugh..."

"..."

"Don't get angry... Okay, you know, you just have to say 'Sorry'."

...

I took the first bus, which is standing in the first, at the bust stop... I quickly went inside, sat there and then I started to find out if he will be here or not... And to my surprise, he is not in this bus but some of my classmates are...

Today, the first thing I will do, when I will meet him, is apologizing... I am not sure, if he will forgive me or not but I, at least, have to apologize...

After some minutes, the bus reached the school with no issue...

Then I slowly walked towards the classroom, I reached there and hear some whispers about him...

"Oh, that Kaneki guy sure is a weird guy..."

"Yes, you are right... See, who in the right mind, did chat on the board..."

"You two, keep it down... Maybe he is listening from anywhere..."

"Haha, so what, we are in majority we will deal with that 'pervert'..."

"Right..!"

"But who is another person?"

"Haha... I guess there is no one else; he must be talking alone"

""Haha...""

I am sorry Kaneki-san... I have to do something to stop them, but I can't say anything to them as my voice will never come out... But I have to do something...

I opened the gate at full speed, to make the whole attention come at me... And it worked, as all the students, present inside, have their attention focused on me... It's embarrassing but it's alright if it's for him...

"Good Morning Komi-san"

"Good Morning Komi-san"

Everyone greeted me; I just nod once then slowly walked toward to my seat and sat there...

...

After everyone sat at their respective seat, but his whereabouts are unknown as he is not here... But thankfully, the sensei is also not here...

After about 5 more minutes, someone's footsteps can be heard clearly, coming in this direction... And it was him, when he entered his eyes first fell upon the black board, he didn't showed any expression but when he completely saw that there is only his name written on the black board, and there is not a single mention of me... He turned his face and started to stare at me for few seconds, until sensei came beside him and told him to move aside...

While me, I unconsciously, grabbed my notebook, which was on the table, and try to hide my face... I am sorry, Kaneki-san...

Yesterday, I made up my mind that I will definitely say 'sorry' to him as soon as I see him...

...

Lunch break.

As the lunch break approached, Kaneki-san came to me...

"Komi-san, I wanted to ask something, if you don't mind..."

I nodded my head...

Then we walked toward the cafeteria, I am walking with him but at some distance, he is in front of me while I am at his back... I have my lunch and a register in my hands, while he is empty handed...

We were silent all this time, and I have some fear inside me that saying, that he is angry... I don't want to lose my first friend...

After some seconds, we successfully reached the cafeteria and sat at a table... He pointed me to sit down, so I sat down, while he went to the counter to buy his lunch... I knew it, he is angry.

...

"So, Komi-san, mind telling me why did you do that?"

After he settled, sitting near me while having some distance between us, he asked... He is still not showing any expression on his face, but I know that he is angry or annoyed, as his eyes are darker than yesterday...

I told him everything about what happened when he left... He hummed between my lines, as to show that he understands about what I am trying to say... I bring my notebook with me, so that I could write in it and explain him...

"I see..."

When I explained everything to him, he said this or muttered in a low voice, but I heard this... I also wrote 'Sorry' in between, but he didn't react to it... So, I started to write 'Sorry' again and again...

'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' 'Sorry' ...

And at last my apology was accepted by him...