CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – One simply don’t….

......

It was already after school yet, Sunohara didn`t come. It wasn`t really that new so I didn`t worry about it. I leave the room alone. Evening has come. And as always, Sunohara is there.

"Listen... be quiet for today..."

"And why?"

"It`s because... It`s a day we have to be quiet." 

"Is there such a rule in this dorm?"

"Like I said, don`t talk too loud." Perhaps, he`s trying to trick the rugby players into thinking that he`s out.

"Let`s ignore that and have fun until morning!"

"Stop it!"

"All right, like always, let`s play step on a thumbtack and scream out loud."

"We never played that!"

"All right then, let`s play Rock-Paper-Scissors, the loser Sunohara is going to step on a thumbtack."

"The loser Sunohara...? How about the loser Okazaki?!"

"All right, let`s go!"

"Eh?"

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

"All right! I won!" Sunohara win.

"Damn it. Let`s do it again! Rock, paper, scissors!"

"All right! Two wins in a row!"

"Hurry up and lose! Rock-Paper-Scissor!"

"How about that! Three consecutive wins!"

"Hey! Isn`t this a game that will continue until I step on a thumbtack?!"

"That`s right."

"You`re totally bullying me!" Thud! The door suddenly opened loudly. 

"Guah!" 

"Damn you... you never learn do you..." There are two rugby players standing in the door.

"You were too loud." I said.

"All right then, let`s go to my room and have a decent talk."

"Uh..." He grabs Sunohara by the scruff... UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa--------- ... He leaves a trail of voice as he was dragged away. 

I`m looking at the cloudy sky. The weather report says that it`s going to rain in the afternoon. Sunohara`s not here. I don`t know what really happened after last night, maybe he went somewhere again and waited for the evening?

......Sunohara appeared with blood-shot eyes after first period had ended.

"Hey, good morning."

"Were you crying up until morning?"

"That`s not entirely true!" He rubs his eyes as he said that.

"But you know, doesn`t it excite you whenever Saturday comes?"

"It doesn`t."

"Why? School would be over after three hours."

"Usually after four hours."

"Let`s go play somewhere after lessons! We could go flirt with girls from the other school every once in a while."

"It`s gonna rain in the afternoon."

"Eh?! You`re lying!"

"Hey... did you walk here with your eyes closed?"

"Look. Can`t you see how cloudy the sky is?"

"No way... My Fun Saturday Night`s Saturday Night Fever..."

"Your sentence`s meaning is wrapping around itself."

During lessons...

"... what in the world is that...?" I look left and right outside the window, ignoring the lesson as always. The area near the school gates ends up with no one as if a pedestrian crossing once lesson starts. There, I see something I haven`t seen before--... I wonder what it is...? "It`s moving so perhaps it`s a creature, but I can`t guess what it is. It`s too big to be a cat... It`s too round to be a dog... It`s tail is too short to be a tanuki...

"...That pattern in its body is peculiar..." It has a somewhat striped patterned skin... It looks like an animal... is it in good mood...? It`s rubbing its nose against the school gate wall. It`s quite amazing to see its legs move so fast. Ding, dong, dang, dong...

"Where are you going, Okazaki?"

"Something`s bothering me."

"Is it interesting?"

"It`s probably nothing."

"I`ll go too."

"You`ll be in the way so don`t."

"Don`t say that. I`ll be bored, being alone inside the classroom."

"You sure don`t have any friends."

"I don`t want to be told that by you!"

"Hmm... I`m sure it`s around here..." I wonder if it went somewhere else. It really bothers me though, not knowing what animal it was...

"Are you searching for something?"

"That`s not exactly it..." Shuffle shuffle... Shuffle shuffle...

"Hmm...?" There`s something wandering around my legs...

"??"

"Puhi puhi!"

"......" Shuffle shuffle... Shuffle shuffle...

"Hey, Okazaki...? What`s that?"

"Puhi puhi!"

"I... I wonder??" What... the hell is this animal...? It`s not a dog, it`s also not a tanuki... it`s an animal with a striped pattern on its back. I think I`ve seen it before, although it`s still a child...??

"Puhi!"

"S... so cute..." Sunohara getting near to the animal.

"Yeah... it has a charm that dogs and cats don`t have."

"I wonder if it`s all right to touch it? I wonder if it will bite?"

"Anyway, it`s snuggling around my legs so I don`t think it`s hostile."

"Then... I`ll touch it, and stroke it, and hug it!" Sunohara stretches out his hand to touch the little animal.

"Pu... puhi puhi!"

"Don`t run away--..." By the time he was about to touch the back of the cute little animal...

"Hey---!!"

"Eh?" I turn around as I heard a familiar voice. At the same time something passed before my eyes. Blag! 

"Nohou!" There was a Japanese-English dictionary tumbling down at my foot when I look down. At the same time, Sunohara also tumbles down with a nosebleed.

"What do you mean by `at the same time`?!" Sunohara mad.

"Don`t read people`s minds."

"Ouch... what a thing to come flying towards me. I could have died there if it hit somewhere vital! Anyway, who the hell..."

"Look..."

"What is it?" Thug! He got kicked as he was about to get up. Before I could say something, he made another somersault and hit the ground.

"Look out."

"T... too late..." His feet and legs tremble from the attack as he says that.

"Puhi puhi~"

"Geez... what are you trying to do to my pet?" The culprit that magnificently kicked Sunohara said that as her long hair fluttered.

"Your pet...?"

"Yes, my pet." Said the owner, Fujibayashi Kyou.

"Huh... this round thing?"

"Puhi, puhi~"

"Cute, isn`t he?"

"Is it a new breed of a dog or a tanuki?"

"Do you have marbles stuffed in your eyes? What part of this looks like a dog or tanuki?"

"What the hell is it then?"

"It`s a piglet."

"A pig shit?"

"I`ll kill you?"

"It`s scary so don`t say it while smiling."

"P-i-g-l-e-t. It`s a pig if you`re not familiar with it."

"Uhh... What was it...? A baby of something, isn`t it?"

"It`s a baby boar."

"Puhi! puhi!" The piglet sounds.

"......"

"What?" Kyou ask.

"Pet...?" I tried to conform.

"That`s right."

"......"

"Puhi?"

"If you want to say something, just say it!"

"Are you serious?"

"I`m totally serious."

"Ah, you want to know its name? It`s extremely cute, you know."

"Let me hear."

"It`s Botan. It`s pretty, isn`t it?"

"Puhi~" Botan showing its happiness.

"It`s a tasty name..."

"Hmm? What?"

"Nope... It`s nothing..."

"Uhh... ouch... it hurts... it feels like my nose is getting burned." Sunohara awake.

"Yo, you awake?"

"Yeah... anyway, what`s this about a Botan-nabe? If you need miso, there isn`t any unless we go back to the dorm. Also, I caught a glimpse of a shoe and something light-blue colored from that kick just now. I`m certain it was your pan..."

"Forget about it--!!"Thud! Sunohara kicked – so hard.

"Tsuoooooo!"

"Pant, pant... did you hear that?" Kyou Glare.

"I didn`t." I have no other choice but to say that.

"Well? Why did it come here?"

"To meet me of course."

Botan excited "Puhi puhi!"

"Lessons are still going on, so what`ll you do?"

"That`s right..." Kyou hugs Botan.

"Puhi, puhi!"

"You see, Botan... I can`t go home yet."

"Puhi….." Botan look sad.

"So be a good boy and go home." 

"Puhi..." 

"I`ll go straight home after school."

"Puhi..."

"It`s all right, this guy here will walk you back home."

"Hey! Why are you pointing at me?"

"This kid likes to walk around so it might go somewhere if you don`t watch him."

"Like I said, guard him."

"Hah?"

"You got free time, don`t you?"

"If so, for once, become useful for someone."

"Stop messing around. I`m gonna go sleep in class.There`s nothing more important than that for me."

"Stop complaining. I`ll treat you to lunch today if you go."

"Leave it to me." I strike my chest as I agree.

"Hey... I don`t know where you live."

"Ah... it`s all right, Botan will guide you there."

"You should just watch out for cars, crows and a baker guy whose eyes look piercing."

"What if I run into one of them?"

"Ahahahaha! Of course you know what would happen. It just means your life span will shorten dramatically." I don`t want to hear such disturbing words from you...

"I can choose any lunch, right?"

"If your choice is within the school cafeteria`s menu."

"Don`t forget that, all right."

"That is if I`m still inside the school once you return."

"All right, let`s go, you pig."

"Puhi!"Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap~

"H-he`s surprisingly fast!"

"Hey hey, you`re going to be left behind."

"Ah... I`ll leave that person on the floor to you. He`ll wake up after five minutes." Refering to Sunohara.

"That`s also true."

"Puhi-- puhi--!"

"Look, he`s calling you."

"Oooops, wait for me my lunch!"

"Stop saying such disturbing words!"

"It`s all the same!" I shout that as I chase after the little creature.