What is Family? by Hoshiko - Part 6
After my final class of the day, I hurried back to my room, slightly surprised to realize I was the first of our little group to get back to Greenwood. Closing the door after myself, I dropped my book bag beside the desk as I hurried to the closet where I changed out of the stifling school uniform.
Ties, I decided, had to be one of the most uncomfortable pieces of clothing ever created in the history of man. It was basically a little hangman’s noose – what was the message in that?
Running a hand through my hair to smooth it out, I glanced out the window, catching sight of Mitsuru-sempai and Shinobu-sempai making their way to the front of the building, side by side.
There was something right about that image that I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the moment. In all the time I’ve known them, I can’t remember an instance when I ever saw one without the other close behind. It was just one of those things you didn’t question.
It simply was.
Smiling to myself, I turned away from the window and grabbed my book bag, carrying it over to my bunk. Undoing the little latch, I reached inside, drawing out the notebook that was nearly filled with interview notes - all neatly jotted down in my handwriting.
Setting that aside, I dug deeper in my book bag until my fingers brushed the pen that had somehow become separated from the notebook. Pulling it out, I grimaced as I discovered that the cap had come off, and that ink was staining the inside of my book bag.
Sighing, I took the rest of my textbooks and notebooks out, placing them in a haphazard pile on the floor by my feet. I felt some form of relief that none of my school things were irrevocably damaged.
Setting my book bag aside to dry out, I studied the globule of ink that had attached itself to my hand. I thought it somewhat fascinating the way it managed to keep its shape, even as I turned my hand this way and that.
Well, it was more of an amorphous blob, than anything else, but it seemed fairly determined not to ooze any further down my hand.
Looking up as I heard the sound of footsteps outside in the hall, I suddenly realized that I should have probably been doing something else instead of musing on the marvels of ink.
Giving myself a mental shake, I got to my feet, idly wondering if I would be able to wash the ink off, or if I was doomed to have a permanently discolored hand.
Opening the door with my non-disfigured hand, I stepped out into the hallway, having to weave my way through the mass of students to get to the bathroom. To my relief, I was able to wash most of the ink off, although there was an unpleasant looking purple-black splotch on the palm of my hand that I couldn’t get rid of. Hopefully, it would come off in time.
Making my way back to my room, I belatedly remembered that Suka had track practice that afternoon, which meant that I would have to interview him after the sempai. I vaguely remembered him complaining about it the other day – it seemed the track coach had decided to call an ‘emergency’ practice due to the track meet the next week.
I smiled at the memory. Suka had been absolutely certain that the track coach had it out for him until I pointed out that he thought everyone was out to get him. His reaction to that had been absolutely priceless.
Chuckling to myself, I passed the sempai’s room when the door opened and Shinobu-sempai stepped out. I had to do an awkward little backwards skip to avoid bumping into him.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Shinobu-sempai, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” I apologized, smiling sheepishly.
“That’s quite all right, Shun. Accidents happen.”
Had Shinobu-sempai said those words in any other tone of voice I don’t think I would have been quite so…relieved to hear them. He has a way of making the simplest of phrases sound like a threat.
As it was, I nodded to indicate my agreement.
“Where are you going, Shinobu-sempai?” I asked curiously, seeing that he was no longer dressed in his school uniform.
A flash of annoyance flitted across his face, and for the briefest of moments I was worried that I had somehow been the cause of it. Maybe his earlier words had been a threat of some kind…
“I have some business to attend to as Student Council President. I’m afraid it might take until dinnertime.”
I frowned, feeling a little bit sympathetic to Shinobu-sempai’s situation. It couldn’t have been easy to keep up the busy schedule he had, what with his schoolwork, his duties as Student Council President, the betting pools, and all those other little schemes of his that he always had going on the side.
“I guess I’ll have to interview you last, then, Shinobu-sempai.” I said thoughtfully, mentally rearranging my interview schedule.
“Think of it this way, Shun: at least you won’t have to worry about being interrupted during your interview with Mitsuru.”
Looking up in surprise, I saw that he was smirking – that unnerving expression of his that had sent many a person running the other way – as fast as their legs could carry them.
“I’ll see you later, Shun. Good luck.” Shinobu-sempai called over his shoulder as he walked away.
I was left standing alone in the hallway, staring after him, rubbing my fingers together in a nervous habit I had not indulged in for years.
The sound of a door slamming somewhere down the hall snapped me out of my thoughts. Shaking my head and muttering darkly to myself under my breath, I shook my hands out at my side and continued on to my room, forcefully trying to push thoughts of Shinobu-sempai and his devious plots out of my mind.
Naturally, I failed.
Ever since the night I had first asked to interview him, Shinobu-sempai had seemed so determined that I interview Mitsuru-sempai before him. And now, he was practically giddy – well, giddy for him, at any rate – knowing that I would be interviewing Mitsuru-sempai in private. And without any interruptions.
I had no idea what he was planning, or even why, but I decided that it was probably best that I didn’t. As they say, ignorance is bliss.
To be continued...