Once Upon the Girlfriend Page

"I hate school."

The date was the 5th of September, a Monday, and was the year's start of the second semester.

The summer break ended and was left for the whole month of August.

For each and every year, the day marks the commencement of a psychological horror story for every person who has to venture into society. Given the genre, it sure isn't the least bit likable unless for the attendee who is psychologically unstable─which directly calls upon honor students being psychopaths.

I sure wasn't.

I didn't like school that much.

But even so, I'm at the twelfth season ("second cour") of the story (assuming that a season changes annually), and am tentatively adhering to everything it offers my life with.

Prolly because it was the most hectic of all seasons under the line.

Would you agree if I speak of school as a waste of time and energy?

Content warning, and ironically a waste of time and energy on a different clause altogether, I'm about to rant.

Whenever I seek out its pointlessness, I find myself in front of the school gate. The light steel is not thick enough to refer to as a reinforced barrier, and not tall enough to prevent entry and escape. Frankly, it is an accessory merely there to tag the property for something other than what can be called general public.

What I said made sense, I tell you.

If not for the crucial two reasons pushing me to attend school, I might have already dropped out.

First, it was just a crossing away.

My home is in the neighborhood of the school.

If we were to talk about convenience, it only requires me five minutes or so to reach. I'll just have to walk past the town square. I'd circle the statue of our town's first chieftain, and then some essential shops and establishments. After the pretentious sights of renaissance homes, the high school situated in Nichiyoubi cast its regal pathway where it's easy to feel like a king displaying supremacy in a crowd of redundant human interfaces.

The second reason is entirely of obligation.

You wouldn't really expect an eighteen-year-old nowadays to not be at school. But while that may be the case, I have a convoluted escapist behavior. one which must mean avoiding reality by facing reality itself.

Leaving my shoe mark at the last step outside the school's territory, I officially arrived at the campus. Upon sight was the mammoth school painted in rustic red and green, a prison enclosed in a protective barrier the council will never hide from their best student. For the sun to cast luminous and fun towards its youthful population, I feel somewhat hesitant knowing Snow White's ingress would blight their ingenious playground.

Same as how I've been the center of attention these past few minutes.

Exactly beginning at the point when I stepped outside the house.

All folks in the area─their countenance grimacing to this seemingly narcissistic envoy of crestfallen dreams.

Here's the catch: I don't care if they're unhappy with my presence.

"Azusa," I called to the person walking in front.

I took a glimpse of a familiar person's back─and left them feeling the wryness I could have empathized with. Catching up to her came to be cumbersome but what's a little inconvenience going to do? I walked slightly faster, and tapped her back.

She stopped walking and twirled, her dazzling image captivating the ruinous landscape of jealous adolescents.

She looked a bit perturbed, but was replaced by a gentle smile.

Strong it was to lift my spirits, and soon became a widespread phenomenon contrasting everyone's disrespect towards their most prized asset. She raised her hand for a wave, whence the barren walkway estranged itself for a domain torn between love and hatred.

"Oh my, Yukihime!" She gasped to have mentioned the girlish name.

Whoever it was, I could easily be annoyed. Nonetheless, I can't deny being the so-called "ice princess" to my classmates and close friends. I raised an eyebrow towards her mockery, but I could only nod with.

"How lenient of you."

Meet my girlfriend, Azusa Koguma.

"Not as lenient as you," I countered, and led our walk together henceforth. "Coming from someone who lives far out, I feel like I'm not doing a good job waking up early."

"Still, you live close to school," she argued. "Most enviable of you."

She grinned in the process, the feeling of mockery apparent as if I triggered her sisterly instincts.

As the little brother of one myself, I don't mind being spoiled.

However, as it happens, Azusa Koguma is still in her second year so the permission, even if granted, couldn't pass through the legitimation process. Man, I would have not passed on the thought if it can be canon.

"Your kind do put into mind that students who live close by school are the ones who come late, as usual. Though I don't have any problems with it, I would appreciate it if the stigma vanishes."

Without missing a beat, she bantered, "It's too good to be true, though."

I was about to frown, but lucky for her that she's my favorite person.

"Then give me a reward for being a model student," I told her.

"You're already walking besides me, your favorite person!"

"Aww, you!"

Redacted.

I led us walking to our respective classrooms while talking over our mundane daily lives.

Everything related to summer break─but then, without any doubts held, my narrative cracked her the dream I had.

She was someone I can trust my worries for─alongside secrets.

However, there's a shortage of what I can share versus what happened.

That spectacle of a dream I sense of being brought by an unnatural cause.

From the mention alone, it's only the regular topic thrown in a friendly conversation.

Nothing much of a report nor counseling for guidance.

Azusa has not much to comment for herself, but the lack of reaction thereof made it somehow a bit excitable.

As we go further, she's an expert in all dilemmas related to dreams.

Her ingenious brain supported her head for a quick thought, her wrists glowed in circling spell circles. Silent as they called out attention for whoever walked alongside us. From the resplendent treatment to them being potatoes, I was graced by her honor of exception.

White and lustrous, the embodiment of Space Magic.

Eyes shut to the relaxation of her frame: she performed divination on the spot, calling upon Spirits to guide her stellar venture. Wind rushed to her arms, prying to her sleeves as she absorbed them to her core.

Shortly afterwards, she stopped and looked above my head.

Where I couldn't see or feel─only knew it was a hue in a technicolor myriad.

"Oh, it's black!"

Azusa Koguma's eyes glinted and by the way she lifted her left hand, I almost thought she'd cast a terrible ninjutsu.

Once snappy, her excitement leaped in a flash.

I'd say it was almost creepy how she jumped in front and sagaciously directed her pointer finger in my face.

As a result, our walk was interrupted.

Entanglement intensified between us, peculiar couples, then leaving everyone else lost in translation. I wouldn't feel the need to protect our conversation from being heard. Must be time at last where the butterflies are burned as they seek to sneak information out. So which the institution believes in, no one can escape the Mind Club.

"Don't you think the multiverse is here to cause you problems next, Yukihime?"

That was quite the remark: definitely sounds like she's jumping to conclusions.

As it sounded like, I'm being arrogant to even expect an outrageous development. I really want to ponder about it but really now, I'd been irritated over another notion, thinking about it weighed more than what's obviously important.

In the end, my proposition was, "Now what, are you going to make me answer 'which is it that eat dreams?'"

Azusa chuckled, then looked at me with a fulfilled smile, nonetheless telling me to get a hike. "Uh, nope? We can't have any more references. We're copying too much, you know?"

"Well, fair enough," I answered, agreeing only in part.

Our shadows moved as our bodies pranced through the pathway laden with cherry trees.

My short walk to class alongside our resident astrologist sooner reached its end and homeroom ensued only moments after I sat down.

"I hope any interesting developments don't happen."

I murmured from my seat, the bliss taking over my head down to the body.

If there was one nice development that could make me happy, it would be anyone confessing their love for me.

I hope it could be her─but asking for it would only be painful, not from the perspective I would be slaughtered by her fans but from insidious guilt awaiting my emotional torture.

I shouldn't have uttered those words.

Because.

What came after it was a sophisticated jinx.

"This might be the second semester but, kids, here's a surprise." A baton found itself hitting the teacher's table. "Introduce yourself."

Cue to an exhaustive depression, Naru called to someone and all our heads turned over the entrance door.

She walked: it was a girl in a small stature, about cute to pass the standards of a certain person named after Snow White.

Oh boy, I suppose I must calm myself down.

Else, I may have been rendered calm by her eeriness.

Along with her, a tantamount touch too negative even for the emotionless not to flinch. There was this grown gremlin entering the room whose serene walk towards the front prompted a bugging synthesis. Senses brought to boil, and anxiety heightened to enigmatic configuration.

Following her was the Takarabune, the eyes of seven fortune deities cast upon a poor soul. It was as if she was about to get devoured, and I…Snow White's realized what was going on when it was already too late.

Benten and I stared at each other.

He snickered when I snickered, coughed a little when caught being playful by the others.

This was their game─painting red to a rather blue moment I shared with Otohime.

I didn't misremember the food I served her.

My memories have been devoured.