Chapter 10

If Anya never met Hime, This would not been happened . This was right after Anya had moved up a year from Hokkaido. The cherry blossoms were visible from the hallway windows, with the sports clubs members doing their training beneath them, running in circles or long lines. She could see some new faces among these people.

Since Anya wasn't part of any club, She once again went to help Kurumi-Nee san with her work. Oddly enough, it wasn't related to future guidance. When she headed for the classroom . It's the class that Kurumi-sensei was responsible for as a her guardian. As she took a peek inside from the windows, spotting a single student preparing a music stand.

It seems like this classroom was used as the practice room for the wind ensemble.she was hesitated if she should even enter the room when she realized who that student actually was. It turned out to be Hime-san. Since they barely knew each other only that moment when she invited her into her room, she doesn't remember all of her classmates' names, but she've known her since she was the model student . She's fairly popular in class, with all of the girls fawning over her, and she's always racking in the top grades.

Her looks are on point and breathtaking, her academic abilities are top-notch, and she's perfect in every regard— that is Hime-san. That being said, Anya may know about her, but she has no clue who she was. They never talked much, and she's just another classmate. However, if it's a person at least somewhat acquainted with, entering the classroom becomes a lot easier.

"Hello... I have some business here, so don't mind me..."

Anya used her excuse with a faint voice and moved through the room. Still, things were awkward. Hime-san looked over at her and there eyes met.

"Ah! Fujiyama Anya."

Anya almost jumped when she called out her name. Since she doesn't really stand out even in her new class, she thought people would take the longest to remember her name.

"You already remembered the names of all our classmates? That sure is fast." I answered.

"No, not yet. I just remembered yours because you're in the sports list for the girls basketball, right?"

"That's amazing."

Just as Hime-san stated, she joined the sports committee. she thought she might as well try out some other work for the school outside of the future guidance duties.

"When we decided on committee members, you were the one the most motivated for it. That's why I had it easy remembering."

She's not wrong, but that made things only more embarrassing.

"I was planning on joining a committee, but I would feel bad to take the popular stuff, so I chose one that isn't popular."

Even if she offered to join the cultural festival or sports festival committee, it'd probably leave everybody

unmotivated. That's why Anya went with the sports committee instead. However, Hime-san didn't seem too happy about the statement, as she crossed her arms.

"I personally think that the people motivated for the committee should handle the job. In the end, I got the position of the class representative."

Yep, that she did. It's the role of the person to keep the class together. However, when a random person said 'Hime- san should be the class rep!', the rest of the class came together, and thus, she was selected as the class representative.

"I think that you're pretty amazing, Fujiyama-san. Normally it wouldn't be that easy for someone to take over this kind of duty. It's hard to voice your own determination, you know?"

"I don't think it's anything special." "Well I do. It's admirable."

She wasn't quite sure what to feel, but she definitely didn't hate being praised. Especially since it came from the popular girl in class.

"So what brings you here, Fujiyama Anya"

Being told by Hime-san, she remembered.

"Yeah. it's just some miscellaneous work, though. I'm supposed to check if we have enough cleaning utensils here," I said while opening up the locker, taking out all the cleaning tools, and lining them up on the floor.

Hime-san got up from her chair and crouched down next to her.

"Should I help you?"

"Nah, I'll be done in a minute, it's fine."

"Don't you have to do the other classroom as well?" "Nope, just this one."

"Huh? But these are the first-year classrooms, right?"

"Well, this is actually the job of this class's homeroom teacher Kurumi-sensei, but I'm taking over for him.."

"Really? I feel bad for you..."

"It's fine, I'm doing this because I want to. Helping others feels pretty good in a way."

"Helping others... Wow..."

"Doesn't change the fact that Kurumi-sensei's a bad person. He can only think about getting home quickly."

"Hehe." Hime-san giggled. "He's just as the rumors say, I see."

"You can say that again. Not to mention that most of them are actually true."

she found herself laughing along. It seemed like quite a lot of rumors were floating around at school. I wish he'd actually take them seriously for once.

"You're also the exact same as the rumors describe you."

"Huh? There are rumors about me going around?"

Is somebody talking badly about her behind her back?

"Nope, it's just a rumor inside of me, so to speak. Well, I heard most of it from Itsuki ."

"Err, who's Itsuki again?"

"Itsuki Itsuki . You were in the same class during middle school, no?"

"O-Oh, right, Itsuki-san."

Hearing her last name, Anya remembered her face. guess that was pretty rude of her.

"Anyway, I'm glad I got to talk with you, Fujiyama. You're as amazing as I thought."

"No no no, I can't even hope to compare with the genius at the top of the student year that you are."

"I'm no genius at all."

"Aren't you always scoring the best grades in the entire year?"

"Well, that is true, but... Then, look at this. Though it might not be something to show others."

She said, stretched her back once, and pointed at a notebook on her desk.

"I was planning on going through what we learned during today's class before club starts."

"Before club starts? In such a short time?"

"If I don't do at least this, I won't be able to keep my current grades."

"Don't tell me..."

"It's true. Did you know that I came from an affiliated home school?"

"Yeah, I heard about it."

"Right after enrolling at home school, I was pretty much a drop-out. The first small tests and exams were a disaster."

Even now, she found it hard to believe that this story was about Hime-san, hereyes were wide open in shock.

"Then how did you get your grades this high?"

"It's not something to brag about, but my parents and teachers were getting impatient with me. I focussed everything on my classes, practiced a lot with paired self- study. I only managed to reach this level after enrolling at this school."

Hime-san made it sound as if it was simple, but Anya fully knew that this wasn't the case. Even for studying itself, you need the talent and right material, and if you're not cut out for it, you won't ever get the best grades no matter how hard you work. she have been reminded of that ever since she enrolled here at Marybell High. That's why she understood. She's not

gifted or anything, she just put a lot of effort into her studies. If anything, it'd be rude to call her a genius.

"I'm sorry for calling you a genius without thinking!" "It's fine, I don't mind it."

"But that must have cost you so much effort, no? Studying all day right when the first term began... calling you a genius would be rude to all of your hard work."

"You really don't have to apologize like that." Or so she said, but I was still bothered by it.

"I think it's really hard to produce results as you have. If all your efforts didn't show results, it'd be easy to break down. That's why I don't want to do something like denying your hard work."

Everybody would assume that the people standing at the top of the school year must be a genius of sorts. However, Hime-san clawed her way up to the summit with sheer hard work. At the same time as Anya was lost in thought, Hime-san blinked at her in confusion.

"You're a weird one, Fujiyama-san. Normally people only praise me while looking at the results, so this is a first for me."

"I just genuinely feel this way."

"Yep, I'm happy you do. Thank you." Hime showed a bashful smile.

For a moment, Anya was fully entranced by her beautiful smile but quickly returned to my original work. If she take too

long here, Kurumi-sensei will complain. At the same time, Hime-san crouched down next to me again.

"Let me help you after all. What should I do?"

"It's fine, really. This is simple work."

"I still want to help."

"Hmmm... then could you put the cleaning utensils that I finished checking back into the locker?"

"Got it."

As Anya thought, Hime-san is perfect. She's charming and beautiful, excels at her school work through sheer effort, is kind to everyone, and works harder than anybody else. Some average guy like me can't hope to even stand on the same stage as her. She knew that, and yet she still found herself admiring her.

"If only I could work just as hard as Hime-san."

"I personally would like to be more like you, Anya - kun."

"Huh? What's so good about me?"

Hime-san put her index finger on her mouth, smirking. "Hehe, that's a secret."

"Oh come on..."

Anya was curious, to say the least, but doubted that Hime-san would actually offer to tell her. With the both of us working together, we finished this odd job relatively soon, and once

the final cleaning utensil was back at its place, I closed the locker door.

"Thanks for helping me. I'll let Sensei know that I'm done over here."

"Yep, see you later."

Anya thought that was the first time Hime-san and she ever talked. Even now, it's a precious memory of her . She said she was exactly as 'the rumors said', but to her, Hime-san was even more than everything I had heard. Anya thought she was simply a gifted genius, but these results were all hard-fought for but she knew it was impossible for me, but still remember wishing to one day be like her.

_____

A shrilling electronic sound made Anya's head vibrate, awakening me from her dream. With half-opened eyes, she searched for the phone and stopped the alarm.

"A dream about Hime-san, huh..."

Despite rejecting her, she keep tracing her odd actions with hereyes at every moment. When she cut her hair, when she shortened her skirt, and when she fed me that awful lunch box. At first, Anya was just thinking about why she was adding that way.

She was simply curious about the girl called Hime and yet, by the time she realized it, she was constantly thinking about her. Her expression when acting odd like that felt so lively to me, Anya couldn't help but think of it as cute.

Her eyes were radiating with joy, her lips forming a teasing smile, her reddened cheeks, it was all burned into her brain. She knew what you would call this emotion. Anya couldn't lie to her own feelings anymore. So far, she have simply admired Hime-san.

Anya simply respected her for her hard work. But now, things are different. She was attracted to Hime-san. Even though she had already rejected her confession, She now wished to stand next to her.

Anya want to become a friend worthy of the perfect Hime-san. So far, she don't have anything of value to offer, but want to be closer to Hime-san nonetheless. And for that, she needs to gain confidence and need to become a person who can openly and proudly stand at Hime-san's side.

The problem is... how do she do that? Anya helped with all the odd jobs so far in order to become more confident, but that hasn't shown much work. Anya want to change, but she don't know how. As she was filled with agony and twisted emotions, she got off her bed.