Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – The Black-Haired Girl
Haru wipes away the solitary tear and walks back to the rooftop door, finishing off the protein bar, Haru stands in front of the door
'I wonder why she was crying'
Haru leaves the rooftop and returns to his class
"Haru! Where did you go man?!"
Kohei gestures to Haru to come and sit next to him
Haru sits down in his seat next to Kohei
"I just needed some fresh air, I don't like being stuck in the classroom for too long"
Haru smiles briefly
"Ahh okay man, let me know next time, we can eat on the roof together"
"Sounds good"
Kohei has a bright look in his eyes
"I've got some great news for you"
"What?"
In a hushed tone Kohei explains
"I was speaking with Misaki-san, she was asking about you a lot, question after question, I think she's interested in you"
"Misaki-san?"
Kohei points to the pink-haired girl
"Sakura Misaki, beautiful, talented and smart... Not to mention has the biggest chest in school"
"Oh yeah, she's okay"
"OKAY?! She's every guy's dream!"
A few classmates look over due to Kohei's outburst, including Sakura
Haru flashes an awkward smile at Sakura, turning to Kohei after
"Shut up dumbass"
Kohei gives Haru a mocking smile
"Perfect first girl to the harem"
Haru jabs Kohei in the ribs
"I've got a little sister, that's all I need"
'Rather him think I'm a siscon than force this stupid harem idea onto me'
"Whatever you say 'Main Character'"
Kohei laughs as the teacher enters and walks over to Haru
"I told you to come and see me at lunch, being late and missing meetings on the first day, are you trying to get suspended?"
"Ummm...."
Haru scratches his head
"I kind of forgot"
The teacher frowns
"This isn't a joke, stay behind after class, I need to have a word with you"
"Yes sir"
Classes resume for the rest of the day, as 3pm ticks by the bell goes and the classroom starts to empty
Kohei stands to leave
"See you tomorrow, Haru"
"Yeah, see ya"
As Haru puts his books away and walks to the teachers desk the teachers looks over his glasses at Haru
"Top grades in your last 2 schools and looking almost certain to get a recommendation to any university he wants"
The teacher scratches his head while quizzically staring at Haru
"Is this just a bad day or are you trying to throw your potential away?"
Haru goes to speak but pauses
As Haru goes to finally speak the teacher interrupts him
"I won't let you throw your potential away"
"You'll be on class clean up and set up duty for the next 2 weeks starting tomorrow, as punishment for today"
Haru looking disheartened nods
"Good, you'll have to come in at 8am to set the class up and leave at 3:30 for the next couple of weeks, so make arrangements around that"
Haru nods again
"you can go now, see you tomorrow"
"See you tomorrow, sir"
Haru walks out in a hurried manner
'I hope Kaya is okay waiting for me'
Haru gets to the lockers to see Kaya smiling and talking with Horie
'That's the girl from her class, they seem to be getting along'
Haru walks up to the girls
"Ready to go?"
Kaya looks up happily
"Sure, but first"
Kaya points to Horia
"This is Horie Komachi, she loves Horimiya just like I do!"
Haru looks after to Horie who is blushing just slightly
"Nice to meet you, Komachi-chan"
"Nice... to meet you too, Kugimiya-senpai"
"Are you going to the station? Want to walk with us, Komachi=chan?"
Horie excitedly replies
"Sure!"
They walk to the station and board the train, Horie leaves at the 2nd stop, giving a brief wave to Haru and Kaya
Haru and Kaya get off at their stop and walk down the road towards their road
Kaya speaks up in a cheerful voice
"I enjoyed school today! Horie is so nice to me"
Haru looks over to Kaya shocked
"Didn't expect to hear that from you today"
"I'm glad I made a friend"
Haru smiles
"Yeah, I'm glad you did too"
Haru walks into the house first and takes off his shoes
"We're home!"
His voice echoes through the house
"Guess we're alone tonight then"
Haru makes his way into the kitchen
"How about I make your favourite tonight, Miso ramen with pork cutlets?"
Kaya skips into the kitchen
"Sounds great"
Haru and Kaya sit down to eat together
"Thank you for the food"
As Kaya takes a bite, her eyes light up
"Oh my god, this is so good, you're such a good cook bro!"
"Well, I've done enough of it over the years"
"I know but you're still really talented"
Haru smiles at Kaya sweetly
"Thank you"
As they both finish their meals
"Kaya, I have to do something for the next couple of weeks
Kaya looks at Haru quizzically
"What do you mean?"
"I've got to do class set up and clean up for the next few weeks for being late today"
Haru sighs
"I have to go in 30 minutes early and leave 30 minutes late, so, you're going to have to go in on your own"
Kaya looks downcast
"Okay, I will hopefully see Horie on the train and we can go in together"
Haru pats Kaya on the head
"You'll be fine"
Kaya looks up, still with a sorrowful look in her eye
"I'll make you pancakes every morning before I go, is that okay?"
Kaya perks up
"That would be nice"
Haru smiles then
"That's sorted then"
Kaya and Haru retire to their rooms for the night, Haru is laying on his bed listening to music
'I should probably get an early night'
As Haru closes his eyes he imagines the roof again and the black-haired girl, bawling
'She looked so sad'
'Why am I even thinking about her?'
'Why do I feel so empty when I think of those tear-filled eyes'
Haru slams his hand down on his bed
'She looked fine in class, smiling, laughing with that Misaki-san'
Haru turns over to face the wall
'Guess we all have sides we aren't proud of'
Haru closes his eyes and slowly drifts off to sleep
The next morning Haru is woken by his phone alarm blaring in his ears
He opens his tires eyes to look at his phone
'7am'
'Far too early'
Haru sits on the edge of his bed and looks over to the mirror
His messy blonde hair covering his part of his eyes, he whips off his t-shirt and goes to shower
Out of the shower, Haru puts on his uniform, spikes his hair the best he can and goes downstairs
Looking at his phone
'7:30am'
He gives a light knock to Kaya's door
To his surprise she opens
"I couldn't wait for the pancakes so I got up when I heard you in the shower"
Haru smiles sleepily
"Well, I better go and make them then"
Haru whips up 2 pancakes drizzled in syrup and places them in front of Kaya
"Bon Appetit"
Kaya smiles and tucks into her pancakes
Haru looks at his phone
'7:40am'
I should get moving
"Don't be late Kaya and make sure to lock up"
"Will do, see you at school"
Haru pats Kaya on the head and leaves
As Haru arrives at school he shows his pass at the gate and makes his way up to his classroom
As Haru walks down the hall he hears a humming coming from the class
'Am I not the only one on duty?'
He peaks around the door
To his disbelief, the black-haired girl is putting out some chairs at the front humming a melancholic tune
"Hey"
The girl drops the chair she is carrying in shock and turns around quickly
"What are you doing here?!"
Haru runs his hand through his hair
"A good morning would have been nice"
"Why are you here?"
Haru steps into the class and picks up the dropped chair
"I'm on set up and clean up duty, just like you, it seems"
Haru sets the chair down in front of its corresponding desk
"I liked the tune you were humming"
The girl turns away
"Forgot you heard that"
"You like making me forget things, don't you?"
Haru carries on taking chairs down from desks
"I'll forget it if you at least tell me your name?"
The girl turns to look at Haru
"Miku Ichinose"
"Ichinose-san it is then"
Haru smiles and begins humming the same tune Miku was earlier
Miku throws the chalkboard eraser at Haru but it misses badly
Haru playfully asks
"Want me to forget that too"
Miku looks at Haru angrily
"Shut up and do your job"
"Yes madam!"
Miku huffs and carries on preparing the chalkboard
The 2 work together in silence as the classroom slowly starts to fill up
Haru sits at his desk and pulls out a textbook and starts making a few notes
As he is writing he catches Miku watching him out of the corner of his eye
He looks directly at her
"What?"
Miku slowly makes her way over to Haru
"Why are you taking notes before the class even starts?"
Haru chuckles
"Because I am awful at Japanese History, and we have that first, so I am just preparing"
Miku studies his notes for a little while before pulling a pen out of her pocket and bends over right next to Haru
"This is wrong"
She scribbles a note on his page
Haru slightly shocked with a little red in his cheeks
"Oh... thank you"
"Miku looks to her right as her face is right next to Haru
She jumps back
"It's nothing, I'm good at history, plus that was an obvious mistake"
Haru smiles sweetly at Miku
"You could always tutor me?"
Miku starts to blush as she turns away
"Don't be stupid, idiot, that was just a one-time thing!"
Miku makes her way back to her desk and sits down
Haru smirking goes back to his notes
'Her handwriting is really cute'
Haru shakes his head and carries on writing
A few hours pass and the bell goes for lunchtime
Kohei turns to Haru
"We going to see your sister today?"
"No, I have a few things to do, so I'll be back in a bit"
Haru picks up his bag and leaves the class
As he looks back in the class, he sees Miku and Sakura talking and laughing with a couple of other girls
'I guess she is okay today'
Haru makes his way to the cafeteria, buys himself an egg sandwich and makes his way to the roof
'Hopefully I get a bit of peace today'
Haru opens the door to the roof
The roof is completely empty
'Good, glad it's empty'
Haru meandered to the fence and sat with his back against it
'I just came up here because I like the quiet, that's all'
Haru pulls out his phone and texts Kaya
'Is everything okay today?'
Almost instantly she replies
'Yeah, it's all good, are you not coming to see me today?'
'Not today, have fun with Komachi-chan'
'Okay bro'
Haru puts his phone away
'I'm glad she's found a friend already, she already seems like a different person than at the last school'
Haru finishes off his sandwich and stands up, as he is making his way to the door, he hears footsteps coming up the stairs
He jumps behind the entrance to the roof
'Why am I hiding?'
The door opens and Haru peaks around the side to see who it is
Miku steps onto the roof, and walks to the same spot Haru had been eating
She sits down at the fence and put her face into her knees
'Is she okay'
Haru slowly steps out from behind the roof entrance
As he gets closer he can hear Miku quietly sobbing
"Ichinose-san?"
Miku looks up quickly, instantly wiping away the tears
"Do you come up here to do this every day?"
Miku stands up quickly and goes to push past Haru
Haru puts his arm out to stop her
"Let me go!"
Haru moves so he is standing in front of Miku
"Are you going to tell me just to forget again?"
Miku starts tearing up, unable to wipe the tears that keep forming
Meekly she responds
"Please just forget it"
"I can't, every time I have a minute alone, I think about you crying on this roof"
Haru pauses as he feels a lump in his throat
"Why do you come up here?"
"If I tell you, will you let me leave?"
Haru nods
"Putting up a happy front, pretending to everyone that I'm a happy girl, that loves life and everyone around her"
Miku tearing up more
"It's just so tiring, it wears me down every single day, coming up here, letting out that frustration and sadness... it helps"
As Haru goes to reply, Miku pushes past him and leaves him alone on the roof again
'Yeah it really is tiring'
Haru wipes away a tear
'Maybe we can help each other, if only she'd just let me speak'
As Haru turns around, he sees the door ajar
Miku just peeking through
"You don't have to forget it"
The door closes as Haru goes to speak again
'I won't forget'
Haru goes to the roof door and opens it, she shouts down the stairs
"I WANT TO SEE YOU SMILE, GENUINELY"
'I don't know if she heard me, but I'm not going to stop until I see her smile'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone