“R-really?”
"Honestly." Akira reassured the small girl with a nod of her head. Akira didn't realize all the harm she could cause posing as a boy, especially to Mai's feelings. She wasn't exactly strategical, and this plan was only half baked when she came up with it. She wasn't even thinking of the consequences that could follow being discovered by the school staff. It never really even crossed her mind that she could get in trouble for disguising herself as another gender.
“Oh. I-it’s p-pre-tty.”
"Yeah, it was." Akira responded to Mai, although she was giving a thoughtful look to the nearby Cherry blossom trees as she spoke to her fellow freshman. She wasn't sure why she enjoyed looking at the Cherry blossoms so much, but something about them was nostalgic. It made her feel a bittersweet sense of peace, which was something she seldom felt since the loss of her parents. It didn't feel like it had been too long ago, but it had been years since her mother and step-father died in the car crash. Some days she woke up and completely forgot that her parents were dead, and other days it was just as heartbreaking as the day of the accident itself. She didn't believe any of that 'all wounds heal' bullshit. It wasn't true, and it gave teens the wrong impression when it came to pain. For years she felt like a oddball for not 'bouncing' back immediately from losing her family. A bit of therapy and the move helped a lot, but still there was a gaping hole in her chest, and it was a weight she felt she would carry for the rest of her life.
“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS."
"Looks like it's starting.." Akira chimed in an energetic fashion, definitely excited to begin her new year at school, though she was also putting on a strong face. She was still distracted by thoughts of her parents, but no one wanted to befriend the kid that constantly whines about their dead parents, so she had to suck it up, and move along, even though it hurt. Announcements? Why do we have to go inside for that? Are we doing something special? She mentally asked herself, although the question was definitely rhetorical. Her face held a baffled expression, though she decided to just go along with whatever this school had planned. Besides, she didn't want to stand out much to the staff, because she didn't want anyone to go digging into her student records, because if they looked closely, most of them said 'female' clear as day on the papers.
"SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST."
How far away is the building? Immediately her eyes turned to Mai, then the surrounding students. Everyone else around them was very tall compared to them, sans some of the female population. She didn't want Mai to get lost in the commotion, especially since she now felt a sense of responsibility for this girl. They just met not too long ago, but Mai was just so fragile that some sort of instinct kicked in that made Akira want to do everything that she could to support her.
"WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”
Stay sharp? Why? Akira tilted her head, definitely at a loss. Was something bad going to happen or was she talking about keeping an eye out for that maniac (Kazuki) that the guards dragged off a few moments earlier? Though, she could somewhat relate.. back in Britain she was always getting into fights, and labeled a delinquent. She understood him a bit, but she couldn't get over the fact that he'd put girls at risk of harm to make his escape. She unconsciously clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to turn white again. If that guy (Kazuki) ever ends up hurting Mai, I guess I'll have to fight him. She wasn't exactly a steroid cage fighter, but she was fairly good at fighting, thanks to all the workouts and sports activities she took place in. Carrying heavy supply boxes at work also helped define her arm muscles, so that was a plus. I might lose, but who knows? Perhaps next time he'll watch where he's going, or at least think twice...
“Ah I g-guess w-we g-go no-now?”
"So it seems..." Akira nodded her head in agreement and stood, buttoning her male uniform jacket as Mai dusted herself off. Akira dusted her pants, a dirt spot on the back would definitely be embarrassing to say the least. Though after Mai was done, and she'd checked her own uniform for wardrobe malfunctions, she led the way towards the building and Mai seemed to follow her. Suddenly she realized they would be sitting down again, and pointed over towards a dark haired male (Ryou) He seemed to be mostly minding his own business and was close to the back, a low key spot that she felt would make Mai more comfortable than being surrounded by people, "You can sit with me if you want... I'm going to go ask him if it's okay to sit over there." She informed the small girl, not wanting to make her feel left out, especially since Mai was the only person she knew here so far. Freshmen had to stick together, right?
Without hesitation, Akira approached the tall dark haired male, taking a moment to check to make sure that Mai was still following her as well. Here it goes, just be cool. You're a dude now, so this should be easy. Akira mentally repeated at least three times in her head before she reach the row where the tall male was sitting, "Hey, do you mind if we sit in this row? I'm not too worried about seeing, so long as I can hear them, plus this is close to the exit.. so it's a bit more convenient.." She responded, rubbing the back of her neck, causing some of her short ivory hair to shuffle and tussle around from her nervousness. She was a bit worried that a real guy would be able to tell she wasn't a boy, so she made a mental note to keep her neck concealed by her uniform collar. She definitely didn't want someone to notice her severe lack of an Adam's apple this early in the game. Once people got to know Akira as a boy, she was fairly certain they would no longer be searching for minor details that would give clues to her true gender.. at least she hoped so.
She was a bit worried that the ebony haired male would refuse their company, because he definitely came across as an older student, but she wasn't entirely sure. He turned down a group of girls moments before their approach, but perhaps it's because they were bickering and being a bit obnoxious? It was then that her eyes landed on the tall male once more, noticing that he was very aesthetically pleasing, though her attention at this school was not going to placed in flirting, so she didn't let herself notice his appeal any further. Calm down. Calm down... She reminded herself, also reminding herself that here, she was a boy, and she couldn't check out other boys, regardless of if he reminded her of a magazine model. Perhaps he was one? This school was very elite, and the tuition cost was painful... she luckily got in free, on a fluke scholarship.. so she'd have to work hard from now on.
+1 Popularity (Ryou)