Izumi Natsumura 10
"So it was your fault," says Ino outta nowhere and without any reason.
"What?"
"You were the last one to yell at her. It was your fault," she accuses me. God damned you, Ino, you're just doing it to annoy me.
"Nuh-uh. Everyone was yelling at her."
"But you were the last one."
"So what? It wasn't my fault, right, Sotoka-chan?
Sotoka-chan smiles at me weirdly, like she's uncomfortable or something.
"Well…"
"It wasn't just your fault," says Hanna-san.
"Right? Hanna-san agrees with me, and she's very smart."
"No, I'm just saying is everyone who was there at that moment share the blame."
"Nuh-uh. I was just asking 'er if she's gonna help us. If she had told me before I wouldn't asked 'er anything."
"Maybe, but that's not the point."
"Of course it is; it wasn't my fault!"
"Okay, okay, stop fighting," says Sotoka-chan. "Why don't you tell us instead what happened next, Izumi-san."
"Ok, but it wasn't my fault."
"Of course it was," it seems Ino can't stop wrongly accusing me. She's really a nuisance, "but keep telling us your story, Izumi."
"IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!"
"Fine, it was not your fault," says Sotoka-chan.
And that's why I hug 'er.
"Arigatōgozaimashita, Sotoka-chan! I knew you would be on my side!"
"Yeah, sure," Sotoka-chan tries to push me away, even though I just barely hugged 'er. "Let me go and tell us what happened, Izumi-san."
"But she's a little guilty," god dammit, Hanna-san. Shut up.
>:(
"No, Khanna-san, it's not her fault," Sotoka-chan defends me, and just because of that I keep hugging 'er.
"Not all of it, just a little. As I already said, everyone who was there share the blame, and obviously Yuri Okabe already had a lot of stress and anxiety and… why are you winking at me constantly while you hold a finger in front of your lips, Hamano-san? Are you feeling well? Did I said something I shouldn't?"
"Don't listen to her, Izumi-chan," Sotoka-chan laughs nervously and puts one of 'er soft, warm and beautiful hands over my head.
And suddenly pushes me away so strongly I let 'er go.
"NO, SOTOKA-CHAN, I WANNA HUG YOU!" I yell and do everything I can to hug 'er again.
But Sotoka-chan's too strong, and she doesn't let me get closer to 'er.
"COME ON, SOTOKA-CHAN, JUST FIVE MORE MINUTES!"
"Keep telling us our story. No story no hug."
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"No, no, no crying, Izumi," Ino tells me with a mocking smile. Man, I hate you so much, Ino, and one of these day I'm gonna get even.
But I'm gonna ignore you just for now.
"Well," I tell Sotoka-chan. "But when my story's over I want you to hug me for a while."
"Ok," says Sotoka-chan. "Tell your story."
"Sure, I left and came back, and you were fighting and I helped you, the end. ONE HUG, PLEASE, SOTOKA-CHAN!
"Come on, tell it right, Izumi," Ino scolds me.
"No, no," Sotoka-chan interrupts 'er. "I told Izumi-chan I'd hug her if she told us her story, and she did, so I'll hug her," wait. Really? I told it as a joke, but ok. "Izumi-chan, close your eyes and open your arms."
I close my eyes and open my arms.
She gets closer to me.
I can feel 'er in front of me.
"You don't hug me," she tells me, "I'll hug you."
"Ok ok, hugmehugmehugmepleeeeeeeeeeeease.
Sotoka-chan gets even closer.
Closer.
Closer.
¡Kami-sama-chan, Sotoka-chan, Arigatōgozaimashita! ¡This is the best moment of my entire life!
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
And Sotoka-chan hugmeandletsmego.
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What was that?
"That was not a hug, Sotoka-chan, it was an insult!" I yell "Come on and do it right!"
"What do you mean? I hugged you. Now, you told the story very fast and very badly, so I hugged you very fast and very badly. I you want a good hug, you'd better tell a good story."
"She got you, hahaha," Ino mocks me once again.
And I can't handle it anymore.
"You play with my feelings, Sotoka-chan"
:'(
X'(
X'ᗡ
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" And I start crying as loudly as I can.
And Sotoka-chan gives me a good hugs.
"I'm sorry, Izumi-chan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
And I cry as hard, and I hug her even harder.
"YOU'RE MEAN, SOTOKA-CHAN, YOU'RE SO MEAN!"
I'm sorry, Izumi-chan, please forgive me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Ino's staring at me.
I stare back at her.
And smile.
"You motherfucker!" Yells Ino. "Let her go, Sotoka-san; she's faking it!"
I cry even harder.
"There, there," Sotoka-chan strokes my hair lightly, "don't listen to her, Izumi-chan. And you," tells Ino, "don't be such a liar."
"She's not lying," god dammit, why did you have to talk Hanna-san? "Izumi Natsumura is faking it."
"Really?" Sotoka-chan deja de acariciarme el cabello.
And I cry even louder.
"WHY EVERYONE'S SO MEAN TO ME?! ¡THEY MOCK ME AND THEN CALL ME LIAR! DŌSHITE, KAMI-SAMA-CHAN?! DŌSHITE?!"
Pero Sotoka-chan still lets me go.
"Just tell your story," she tells me dryly, and that really breaks my heart 'cause now she'll think I'm a liar, and she won't hug me anymore, and she doesn't like my hugs that much, in the first place, and everything I did to make 'er bear them a little more has gone to waste thanks to Hanna-san's big mouth.
"Thanks a lot, eh, Hanna-san," I glare at 'er.
"You're welcome," she answers immediately. Can't she understand sarcasm? But she's so smart. Maybe she's just toying with me.
Yeah, that's the reason: she's just pretending to be dumb, but she's even crueler and eviler than Ino.
I gotta be aware of 'er.
But, anyway, I think I'd better continue with my story.
"Ok, Yuri was gone, and then the girls gathered in small groups and started asking stuff like:
"'What we'll tell the coach?'
"'Who's gonna be the new captain?'
"'So, we're not studying today at Yuri-chan's place?'
"'What's wrong with her? She's late and still she annoys us with her shit.'
"'I didn't know she was such a baby.'
"'She just wants the spotlight.'
"'And it's not like we need her in the team or anything.'
"'Yeah, she doesn't play that well anymore.'
"'And you, whatcha doin' here?' one of the girls noticed me and asked me. 'We don't want your shitty flyers.'
"'And what were you doing with Yuri-chan? She doesn't have time for you.'
"'Yeah, don't speak to her.'
"'And you were yelling at her, why were you yelling at her?'
"'Just leave.'
"'Yeah, whatever, I'll leave now. I just wanted to know if she could help me with something.'
"'No, she can't!' One of them yelled at me, even though I wasn't speaking to 'er.
>:(
"'I didn't ask you!' I yelled back at 'er. 'And why do you care?! It's between Yuri and I!'
"'She doesn't want to! Go away!
"'Yeah, go away!'
"'And it's Okabe-san for you! Who the fuck do you think you are?! Know your fucking place!'
"'Shut up and you go away! With people like you it's no surprise Yuri left the team!'
"'Now you know how Sotoka-san feels when you're around her' Ino totally lies.
"'Oh, come on,' says Sotoka-chan. 'It's not that bad.'
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"Yeah, right," I say, "I yelled it was no surprise Yuri left the team, and they got really mad and told me:
"'At least we use deodorant, unlike some bitch!'
"'Fuck off! Nobody wants you here!'
"'She left the team because of you! Everything's your fault!'
"And they were getting really mad at me, so I left. While I was running away they were yelling me things like:
"'Never come back!'
"'Or:
"'Bring us Yuri-chan back!'
"But at least they didn't chase me.
"So I went back to that part where I talked with Yuri, you know, in the back of the school.
"And Yuri was there.
"Crying.
"But as soon as she saw me she wiped 'em tears and told me:
"'Hi. Everything all right? It was so weird what happened there, right? I don't know why I did it, but I did it, you know? And it just like felt so good, like I was so relieved, but I need to be in this club to get to a nice college, and I have to get back with the girls and apologize and such, but I really don't want to, and it's just my high school's first year; the simple idea of doing this until I graduate gives me stomach aches from time to time, and sometimes my throat like closes a little bit, and I just can't sleep even when I'm so tired everyday… oh, sorry, I'm just rambling on, but I didn't know I had that much to say, and I don't want to stop, and I know like I'm boring you with all this, and I oughta shut up. You probably thinking: "What's the deal with this worthless dumbass? She's crying for nothing. She just has to study and play soccer and help a little in the council and take a few extra classes. Like it's that hard. Everyone in her family had done it, and no one ever cried or ran away or hid at the back of the school, and she's only a high school girl. Let's see her when she's in college or at her job, but, despite all her grades and trophies and etceteras, she will surely end like her mother. I'd better shut up.'
"'Uhhh, yeah, hey, so… you gonna help us get the last member for the club?'
"'Yo, were you goin'?' said someone near where we were. There was a bunch of guys who didn't know we were there.
"'Didn't you hear? The soccer team's kicking Hamano-san, Yamamoto-san and other girl's ass.'
"'Those girls are from that anime club, right?'
"'I guess so.'
"'So why they fighting?'
"'Those girls made Yuri Okabe quit the soccer team or something.'
"'Holy shit! Really?! Let's go watch!'
"And they left.
"I was so pissed 'cause someone was hurting my Sotoka-chan, but I also was so happy 'cause they knew about the club. See, Ino, my flyers work.'
"Sure," she says. "I mean, they recognized us as those girls from that anime club, and that's exactly what we wanted, right?"
"It's something, ain't it?" I reply. "If it wasn't for my flyers, no one would know about us."
"Sure, but that's only because we haven't done anything else."
"You mean 'cause YOU haven't done anything. It seems I'm the only one here who cares about our ANIME LIFE."
���Sotoka-san hasn't done anything too."
"LEAVE SOTOKA-CHAN OUTTA THIS!"
"But that's only because I'm not creative," says Sotoka-chan, but, I mean, how can't she be creative? She's Sotoka-chan; she's so perfect in any way. She's even humble enough to admit her perfection. "I can help you in anything, just let me know."
"You shouldn't have said that," says Ino.
"Really, Sotoka-chan? So me and you can get together some day to find new ways to recruit new members, or you know what? We got suspended for two weeks, right? That means we can get together every single day to find all the ideas we can and make lots of flyers or posters or whatever."
Sotoka-chan smiles at me uncomfortably.
Yeah, I know, that "every single day" part was too much.
It's just that the idea of being alone with Sotoka-chan every day for two full weeks was too tempting to let it pass.
"Well, we can get together most days."
"Ok, I'll help you out," says Hanna-san, and with those words she totally ruins my plan to spend alone time with Sotoka-chan.
I think Hanna-san hates me. I don't find another explanation of why she's doing this to me.
"Sure," says Sotoka-chan. "We can see each other here or any other place."
"What about in someone's house?" Hanna-san proposes. "The idea of see each other here constantly goes beyond my budget, to be honest," well, yeah, I don't want to spend that much money here, either, but being here means Sotoka-chan and delicious coffee.
"Sorry," says Sotoka-chan. "He doesn't like visitors."
"Mine either," says Ino.
"Your dad's also like that?" Asks Sotoka-chan.
"No, they'd be happy to see you, but I don't want them to be bothering us all day long, and, most importantly, I don't want a certain someone," Ino's glaring at me, "to mess up my room."
"I can ask my parents," says Hanna-san, "but I don't know what'll they say—well, there's no way of knowing how they will respond considering there are an infinite amount of variables to consider, but you know what I mean, right?—I've never invited anyone to my house, and I just got suspended, but they've always supported me in everything, but I just got suspended, and I don't know how they'll react—
"Ok, we get it, you can't," Ino interrupts her.
"I didn't say that," Hanna-san replies.
"Whatever," Ino replies. "For now your house is a no, like Izumi's; it surely it's disgusting in there."
"Just in my room," I say, "and it's not that dirty; there's only a bunch of manga there."
"So it could be at Izumi's," says Sotoka-chan, "your parents don't mind?"
"They'll not be there; they never are, and, yeah, I mean, we could hang out there for a little while.
"Ok," says Sotoka-chan, "so we'll see each other tomorrow early at Izumi… chan's."
"Ok, I guess" says Ino like there's no other option.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Ino."
"I don't want to," Ino replies, "but I rather go than stay at home."
Yeah, I get it.
"Hey, Izumi Natsumura," says Hanna-san. "What's your address?"
"Sure, it's ████ ███ ████████ ███ ████████ ████████, ██," last time Ino mocked me for giving my address to a bunch of strangers, so, I'm sorry.
But I gave my address to Hanna-san, and she's practically a stranger.
Uh-oh!
"Ok, thanks, at what time we arrive?"
"Just early," says Sotoka-chan. "To seize the day."
Hanna-san's about to ask what time is early but:
"I don't know," says Sotoka-chan. "8, 9 am."
"So it's 8 or 9 am?" Asks Hanna-san.
"Since 8. You get there whenever you want," says Sotoka-chan.
"What about if we hang out from now? We could spend the rest of the day together, and then we could have a sleepover, and we could stay awake all night long watching anime and manga, Sotoka-chan. You could even stay at my place all the time you want—
"Tomorrow morning's fine," says Sotoka-chan.
What a shame.
But at least I tried.
"Ok," I say, "so tomorrow morning at my place."
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"And, what happened with Yuri Okabe?" Ino asks.
"What happened about what?" I ask.
"You told us you two heard some guys talking about us."
"Oh, yeah, we just came back to the soccer fields, and I attacked the ones who were attacking Sotoka-chan, and then they attacked me, and then they attacked both of us, and that's it. So, where's my good hug, Sotoka-chan?"