The Abyss that is the Human Emotions.

As the bell rung, signaling the beginning of lunch break, I quickly got up from my seat and left the classroom hurriedly. I could see the wave of crowd beginning to move towards the direction of our seats.

With a lunch box in my hand, I walked to my favorite spot for lunch, the rooftop. Naturally, this would be the case for a person like myself. There were rarely people up here after all.

"Haah…" releasing a tired sigh I have been holding in, I sat down and began to eat my lunch while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Shutting my mind off from the world, I began to zone out and silently stared at the clouds drifting about nonchalantly above.

Over the years, it has become quite the hobby for me. Whenever I feel bored I have the sudden urge of just letting go and allow my gaze wander to explore the distant sky.

They calm me down. Clouds carries no burden, they move according to the will of the wind. Floating aimlessly without a shred of resistance.

It may sound a bit childish of me, but, I sometime wish to be a being that embody the natural characteristic of a cloud. Yet, such desire has already entered the realm of impossibility for a human like myself.

To go with the flow is to accept the will of the world around you, no matter how disgustingly cruel it is. You stop seeking for what you desire and embrace everything that comes your way, even if lies are mixed within it. It is a type of deception that society pressure you into having so it can manipulate you into conforming with its lies. And I refuse to accept such a fate.

"-HEYYY!!!!"

"Aghhh, son of a-!!!" I instintually covered my ears, unable to contained my shock.

Stumbling back a bit in surprise, I turned to see the one responsible for destroying my eardrum. "The fuck is wrong with you?" I blurted out in annoyance.

"What do you mean? The fuck is wrong with YOU!" She retorted back.

"Hah?"

"I called out to you for like the past 5 minutes, yet you wouldn't respond! I was even barely a meter apart."

"Mizuno… Kaori..?" Calming down from my state of confusion, I finally realized who my auditory assailant was.

"I see you still have your memory intact." She nodded.

"How did you get up here?"

"Uh… I walked through the door?" She sent me a questioning gaze.

"R-Right.."

We quietly stared at each other momentarily before I decided to break the silence. "So, what do you need?"

"Ah right! Let's be friend!" As if just remembering what her purpose was, she snapped out of her daze and shouted cheerfully. What came out of her mouth was a type of unfathomable and nonsensical bullshit I have never encountered in my life.

"Hah? No, why should I?"

"Eh? But I want to!"

"Well, I don't know if you know this, but that's not really how friendship work. You got to develop it naturally. Even a loner like myself understand that." By attempting to create a bond through such a mean, there is a high chance you would only earn yourself another burden, another lie to withhold once you realized both if you are not compatible.

"I see. You're quite right about that."

What is with this girl…

"But, you know, the thing about human connection is that it is not something that can be granted. If such is the case, I can guarantee you that it would be nothing but a sham. You have to put in the effort, or else you'll never be able to comprehend the abyss of someone's soul." She formed an odd smile. "So, wouldn't it hurt to at least try?"

My eyes shook for a slight moment before I calmed down and tried to study the individual before me. No matter how I thought about it, this was still a weird situation. "What's… your intent-"

—Creak

Interrupting me in the middle of my sentence, the door of the rooftop suddenly creaked open.

—SLAM

I was about to continue with my question without paying any mind to who just came up to the rooftop, but the door slamming caught us off-guard.

We exchange glances before coming to a silent mutual agreement to see what was going on. As we were getting ready to peak our heads around the corner, we came to dead-silent stop as a voice, that sounded awfully familiar, reached our ears.

"Fucking bastards…"

This… voice… this tone…

"What's with that? Just because they're from the big city of Tokyo, they think they're the shit! Fawning over them like a pack of hungry hyenas, pathetic…"

To this, I let out a slight smile. There were no ill intention beneath that smile, but I just felt refreshing. Refreshing that I witness the 'other side' of another human. But I had also felt refreshed because this had further heightened my conviction of the fact the other side of human beings is something truly unsightly.

"Even that bitch Saki was willing to leave because she had the 'hots' for that guy. And also, what's with that fucker this morning? Acting all high and mighty despite being a loser. Ugh!"

No matter if they were a flower possessing the pinnacle of beauty itself, buried under it is just another serpent readying to unleash its venomous fangs.

"I… just…"

"Hm?" I stopped my line of thought as I felt something was off.

"Just… want to apologize, damn it… Hirano- no… Shiki… you shitty bastard… I feel so dumb… what's with this…?"

What…?

"Funny isn't it?" Mizuno Kaori whispered next to me.

"What is?"

"The endlessness of the abyss that is the human emotion."

"…"

"Is someone there?" Yuki Shiori suddenly raised her voice. Fuck, this is the worst situation to be in.

I turned to look at Mizuno Kaori, but it seems she didn't have any clue on what to do, seeing as she is wearing that awkward expression.

Yuki Shiori's light footstep continued to approach our location at a steady pace. My this time, I have alright come to accept the situation.

I heaved a sigh and turned my head to meet her gaze as she turned the corner.

"Shik-… Hirano…"

"U-uh, yeah.."

"And this is…"

"Mizuno Kaori! The new transfer student," she introduced herself enthusiastically despite the circumstance.

"Did you hear it…?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I didn't?"

"I see…" her eyes then turned towards Mizuno Kaori and opened her mouth. "Mizuno-san, I'm sorry but could I have some words with Hirano?"

"Ah, sure, I guess." Nodding her head, Mizuno Kaori stood up to leave.

And thus, I was now placed in a position where I am alone with Yuki Shiori. Someone I used to have a crush on. Someone I now despise.