Happiness For You (Chapter One)

She stood in front of the school gates. As she stood, she felt freedom, a new way of life, a feeling she never felt before. At the same time she felt nervous. She certainly wasn’t starting a new school although she felt like it. In front of her was her old school, ok not exactly old, the school she had been going to for the past four years. Now she was eighteen and at her final, senior year.

But that wasn’t the reason of her feeling freedom and nervousness.

She thought to herself and remembered what her mother had said. “Next year is your last year, you’d better get good results and enter the first class next year. If you don’t, I don’t know what I’ll do with you.”

She shivered at the thought of it. Whenever her mother said that, she meant it. The last time her mother said that was when she was fifteen years old. Her mother had asked her to do something, to record a program on the television, and when she didn’t do it, her mother had said the exact same words. What her mother had done was something she hated and would remember it for the rest of her life.

Her mother had invited her worst cousin for dinner and asked him to stay over. Sure, everyone’s supposed to like their cousin and so does she, except this certain one. She always kept a long distance away from him when she found out a deadly secret (to her, that is). Apparently, he had had a crush on her ever since they met. And this so-called deadly secret was announced to her the following day after she’d found out.

If he was a cutie who looked shy while confessing his crush, she would have at least given him a chance. But he was exactly the opposite. He was a fat boy who had a huge round belly that wobbled each time he took a step. And when he confessed? That was the worst thing that can happen in history.

He had held her hand in a sickly way. He looked into her eyes, looking confident that she would accept his love.

“I, Takahashi Kojimi, now pronounce my love for you, Takahashi Nozomi. My love awaits your acceptance, which I think, you have no problem with that.”

She had staggered back two to three steps and almost falling over but not quite, for he was still holding her hand. As she almost lost her balance, he pulled her towards himself and protruded his mouth. She, in fright, had screamed out loud and slapped him hard, causing herself to really fall. Her butt landed on the floor. Kojimi was in a state of shock after being slapped by the girl he liked.

He looked at her for a long time, trying to understand why she did it. Then he spoke, “Why did you do it?”

Nozomi continued not moving, on the floor. She didn’t say a word.

“Tell me. Why did you slap me?”

Again and again he asked but she did not answer. She couldn’t possibly. She just couldn’t tell him that a fat guy like him is one of the people whom she would never be a girlfriend to. Not only is he fat, he eats like a pig. The amount he eats for every meal is at least three to five times more than her and the way he eats is like, oh my god, he practically pushes everything down his throat without chewing. His whole face will then be full of crumbs and gravy. It disgusts her.

“Why did you slap me? Aren’t I good enough for you? Haven’t I been good to you? Treating you nicely, making jokes to make you laugh, singing with my melodious voice, dancing my funny dance and even laughing at your lame jokes.”

She just stared at him. Did he honestly think that he was that good a catch? She thought he thought too well of himself. “You! You are certainly not good enough for me. If you think you’re that good, how come you don’t have a girlfriend?”

“Well, you don’t have a boyfriend either. So what have you to complain about?”

“Oh, then why do I have someone crushing on me?”

“Hey, if I’m not crushing on you, would you have anyone else doing that?”

“At least I have some dignity to know how I am like and not too full of myself, unlike you.”

Kojimi was silent. He did not think that she would have thought so badly about him. But, he decided, he won’t give up on her. In fact, he was going to pursue her until she agreed to be his.

She on the other hand was thinking that he would back out after all she said to him. But what she thought was wrong because the next day, he acted like nothing had happened and continued to act according to his plan, which, she didn’t know about.

Again she shuddered at the thought of the memory. Well, she had achieved what her mother wanted. She got good results in her last year and because she did a bit too well, she’s got to leave her class and join the smarties of the first. Maybe that was why she felt freedom. Because she’s got a new life at a new class, where she would meet new friends.

And why was she nervous? That has a secret behind it.

Because in that first class, studies a boy named Yu Kanda. And this Yu Kanda was the one and only person whom she had a crush on. He never seem to be interested in anyone and always liked to be alone although he had his own group of friends. She had never thought of confessing to him for that would show that she was a desperate person in search for a guy.

She always kept out of his sight whenever she thought he was looking. No one, not one living soul, knows about this crush of hers. She kept this wonderful secret since the first time she saw him which was four years ago. She was never in the same class with him.

But this was her lucky year. She and he same class. They might even talk to each other, although she wouldn’t know how to open her mouth if he was around. She will get tongue-tied.

She didn’t really mind being in the same class with him although they didn’t really know each other. But what will happen if her feelings grew? And what will she do if he found out? She definitely didn’t want that to happen otherwise she swear she could just die at that moment, or maybe not die but just faint out of shock and embarrassment. And when she regained her consciousness? She will just have to faint again or melt away from sight whenever they see each other.

Well, she told herself, that will never happen. She took a deep breath and walked into the school and then to her new class.

When she reached there, she stood at the door, surprised. She had thought that the first class would be silent but to her surprise, they were worse than her last class. Her last class could still be called noisy, but this was, WOW! This was havoc. She looked around and saw her target which was of course Kanda. Only he was quietly sitting in his seat, not making a single noise. Suddenly, the class became silent.

Pin-drop silent.

She looked around once more and found all eyes on her. She opened her mouth. “Erm.. Hi, I’m new in this class.”

“Er-hem.”

She turned around and saw the teacher.

“You are the new student, I expect.”

“Oh, I’m new to this class, old to the school.”

“Ah... The girl from Class E?”

She nodded, embarrassed.

“Well, welcome to this class and have a seat. Why don’t you sit next to Kanda? He’s over there.”

The teacher pointed at him and Nozomi’s heart pumped against her chest. ‘Oh my God! I’m going to sit next to him! Oh my God!’ she thought.

When she looked at the class again, they had already sat down at their respective places peacefully and did not make any sound.

She meekly walked to her new seat. As she did, she glanced at Kanda who was staring at her. She smiled a little, expecting him to do the same but he failed her. He just looked back in front as if she didn’t exist. She felt annoyed. Who does he think he is, although she liked him, she couldn’t help thinking. She then sat down.

“Class, as you have seen, we have a new member of this class. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

She stood up. “Er.. Hi, m..my name i.. is Takahashi Nozomi. I am.. am glad I am able to.. to be in this class. I’ll.... be needing your... your help in.. in the future...”

“Now, Nozomi, you don’t have to be so nervous. The whole class, I’m sure, will welcome you like their long lost friend. You will feel one with this class in no time. And..”

A knock came on the door and a figure appeared.

Nozomi peered at the figure and almost fainted. ‘No, it can’t be. It can’t be. Oh my, my life is ruined.’

The teacher continued.

“Oh yes. As I was saying, we are also going to have another new student.....”

-brenda-