Not alone any more

"Kei, are you planning to work at all this lesson?"

"Teacher!"

I looked down at my open notebook. It was blank apart from the title and date I had scratched on at the beginning of the lesson.

The teacher squatted down in front of me, resting his huge arms on the desk. Was this some from of intimidation? He was very muscular. Even his face. Especially his face.

"Y-yes."

The teacher sighed and rapped his fingers against his watch. But he didn't leave. He just watched me. Was he going to wait until I wrote something?

I put my pen on the paper. What were we supposed to be doing again?

"Reiko, Mizuki, could you let Kei work with you?"

"Huh? Why?"

Reiko didn't look happy about this at all. She glared at the teacher with her fierce ruby eyes.

Reiko and Mizuki were the most popular girls in my grade. Obviously, they wouldn't want anything to do with me.

"Teacher-"

"It looks like he's having a bit of trouble with his work."

I tried to object, but the teacher cut me off. Was this some kind of punishment?

"If that's the case then we don't mind, do we, Reiko?"

Reiko crossed her arms and scowled, but didn't resist any further.

As I got up to sit with them, the sound of my heart filled my ears. I wanted to disappear. How am I going to talk to them? What if I make a fool of myself? It's not even a what if.

I sat one seat apart from the girls on Mizuki's side. If I'm this far away, then I shouldn't disturb them.

"Why are you sitting that far away, Kei-kun, Could it be that you don't want to sit next to me?"

The cute smile that Mizuki always wore was now gone. She didn't even look at my face and appeared genuinely depressed.

I felt myself become more flustered.

"No, wait I-"

Had I, without intending to, already offended Mizuki.

I want to die.