Chapter 1: Familiarize

The world seems so unfair to me. I repeat and repeat this sentence.

I’ve been living this world for 16 years, with nothing, just a loving mother. My name is Medori Todou, a second year high school student. I just grew with a single friend only, Akira. I met him when I was six. He’s always the one defending me from my other classmates who teases me. But he left, his family went to America. Now, I’m alone again. Years passed, same words I can hear – ugly, stupid, freak. I’ve been used to it. This year, I transferred school. Today is my first day, my Mom drove me to school. I entered the university’s hallway, where I saw students who are very far from my looks, they are really different. They stared at me, I knew it. I reached my classroom – 2A, I saw beautiful students. I am so out of place. I feel like, I want to go home. I can’t see anyone interested to be friend with me. And then I saw a guy at the corner, sleeping.

“Hey!” another guy there in the corner, with girls around him. The girls are so noisy, screaming and gossiping.

                “Is Prince not yet awake?” a girl there said. So, I just knew that the guy gleeping there was named Prince. I can’t see his face, though he seems familiar to me. But how can I know him? I doesn’t even have friends before, just Akira.

               

                Our class was dismissed. I went out of the room, the suddenly, I tripped and fell off the ground.

                “Ha – ha! So ugly!” a girl shouted as I was there at the ground, not yet standing. Oh! This is my classmate, she’s one of the girls surrounding someone. But how could she do this to me?

                “I just saw you staring at Kanou-kun! You freak!” she shouted there. People were surrounding us. I don’t know what she’s saying. Who’s Kanou? I doesn’t even know that guy.

                 “Hey, girls. What are you doing there?” oh, who’s this? Maybe, he’s Kanou? Eh?

                “Kanou-kun!” the girls there greeted him. So, he’s really Kanou.

                “Oh. Hello there. Bullying a new student?” he laughed then looked at me. “old-fashioned, nerd and a kinky woman? What a waste!”

                “Kanou Riuka.” I heard a familiar voice, the voice from my past. Is he gonna defend me? Who are you? But I can’t see his face.

                “Oh, Prince! How come you’re here?” oh, so he’s Prince. Why is he here?

                “Can you stand?” he asked me, and helped me to stand. “Is it right to bully her? Do you have the rights to bully her?” I feel like defended. This is really the thing I miss about Akira. Prince is somehow familiar, his voice, his face and even his move.

                “What? Oh! So the prince is saving the princess?” Kanou laughed.

                “Let’s go.” Prince told me. We went outside. As we walk, I saw a guy running towards us.

                “Prince! What happened? I heard there’s something.” he asked Prince.

                “It’s nothing, Iuchi.”

                “Hello, Medori-chan. By the way, I am Iuchi Kiori, but you can call me Iuchi-san. Nice to meet you.” He introduced himself to me.

                “Uh. Hi? How did you know my name?” I curiously asked him.

                “Since you’ve been popular to this University.” He smiled. But how come I’ve been popular in just one day? Maybe of my looks? Or what? Hm.

                “How come? Because of my looks?” I asked him.

                “No? No. It’s because, this Prince..” he looked at Prince. “saved you.”

                “What? Is there something?” I looked at Prince.

                “Look, this Prince is one of the hearthrob of this University.”

                “Really? I’m sorry.” One of the hearthrobs? Eh? Who’s the other? I don’t know that one of these hearthrobs will come and save a girl like me.

                “It’s okay.” He smiled to me. “Uh. Wait! Prince! Can you wait for me here? I’ll just get my book inside.” Iuchi said.

                “Fine.” Prince nodded. Iuchi ran towards the building. Now were alone, I’m really shy and ashamed of myself. But I really want to thank him.

                “I just want.. to.. Thank.. you.” I finally said.

                “It’s nothing.” He replied. “Are you always been like this?”

                “Being bullied? Well, yes.” I answered him directly.

                “Uh..” he answered. It’s so embarrasing to be with him here alone. So I decided to go home by myself.

                “Uh, thank you again. I’ll go now!” then, I quickly ran away.

                “Oh.. –kay.”

                I ride a bus to go home. I’m sitting at the corner thinking about Prince and Akira. They’re really alike. But it’s impossible too! Akira is in America and he’s Akira not Prince. Duh? Oh! So confusing. Now, I’m home. Mother was cooking at the kitchen.

                “Mom, I’m home.” I greeted her.

                “Medori-chan. You’re here. How was your first day? Is it great?” she asked.

                “Oh. It’s not, as expected.” I frowned. “Mom, you know Akira, right?”

                “Yes. Why?”

                “I just met someone. He’s really alike with Akira. He defended me.”

                “Defended you? From teasing again?”

                “Yes.” My mother always knew of me being bullied.

                “It’s your first day, and you’re bullied already? Oh. What kind of classmates are them? Doesn’t have any respect?” she’s angry now.

                “Mom. I’m used to it.”

                “Medori.”

                “Oh, Mom. I’ll just do my assignments upstairs, okay?” I don’t want to talk with these kind of things right now. I just want to think about Akira. I went upstairs and open my books. But there’s nothing on my mind but Akira. I so miss Akira. How come he’s on my mind right now? Is it because of Prince? I can’t think of any right now.  Just Akira… A cute, lovely face of Akira.. Aki…ra… A..ki..ra..