By the Light of Day - Chapter 1 - Part 2

First off, if you haven't read Part 1, please read that first. Like the last part, this is told from Nami's perspective.

This part is rated 13+ because there isn't anything very bad in it, but the story as a whole isn't something most people under 13 should probably read.



By the Light of Day

"Beginnings" Chapter

Part 2



"Yuichi-kun, guess who's back?" Izumi and Kagami practically jumped on top of Yuichi as he and I walked into the classroom.

"Hey Kagami! Hi, Izumi." Yuichi smiled. He never smiled like that around me.

"Did you miss us?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah, I did. Why were you two gone?"

"Kagami and I had the flu." Izumi declared. "It was really weird. We never get sick, especially this close to summer."

"At least you got sick yesterday, so you won't be sick when we're on summer vacation."

"Sick in the summer? Yuck." Kagami made a disgusted face and stuck her tongue out to show how much she hated that idea.

"It could happen." Yuichi pointed out.

"That's all speculation, Yuichi-san." Izumi said calmly. "You see, with that reasoning, anything could happen. Everyone in the whole school could be out sick at the same time, but, really, what are the chances of that?"

"I'm just saying, it's possible."

"Anything's possible, Yui-kun."

While the two of them argued, I slunk over to my desk towards the back of the classroom and sat down, my head resting face down on my tall stack of textbooks. I doubted either of them noticed my absence, until I felt a hand on my back.

"Nami-chan? Are you okay?" It was Yuichi.

"I'm tired."

"Did you stay up late last night?"

I glanced up, my arms wrapped around my books and my fingernails digging into the spine and pages of the book in order to keep somewhat calm. "Yeah, I guess." I half-smiled.

"Oh. I'm sorry." He apologized, probably for thinking he interrupted my nap, then walked back to the spot where the Nakamura girls were waiting for him. They looked at me while whispering to Yuichi, and I assumed they were the ones who urged him to check on me. I didn't believe he'd leave Kagami and Izumi for me.

The rest of the day dragged on. It was really hard to do my schoolwork without asking Yuichi for any help. There were a lot of things I didn't understand, especially when we got to math. Yuichi asked me a few times if I understood everything. I lied and said that I did, simply so I wouldn't have to talk to him. It was stupid, really; ignoring him because he had more fun with Kagami and Izumi than with me.

He didn't seem to notice how little I was talking. Nobody else said anything, either. While we walked home, the twins joked around with Yuichi and he laughed more than he usually did. I guess I should have just been happy that Yuichi was laughing, but it only made me more unhappy to know that his happiness was only because of the Nakamura twins.

Hiroshi and Kaiya left before the Nakamura girls, but they departed soon, too, leaving Yuichi and I alone yet again.

"How are you feeling now, Naminai?" Yuichi asked. This was the first time he'd used my full name since the day we'd met.

"I'm okay," I blushed. "Yui-kun?" I said, after some hesitation.

"Nnn?"

"Yui-kun, do you like the Nakamura twins more than you like me?"

"What are you talking about? I like you all. You're all my friends. You know that, don't you?"

"But who do you like more?" I regretted asking that question as soon as the words escaped my lips. I already knew what the answer was.

I saw something flicker across his face for a moment before he turned away from me. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe anger. "Why does it matter, Nami?" We had stopped walking now.

I shook my head, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to see it. I noticed that now, even the crows were silent. The clouds in the sky and the leaves in the trees and the grass beneath my feet all seemed to stand still, waiting for the next person to say something.