Chapter 5: A new chance?

"Before I end the class for today, I have a task for you. This task will be a duo task; I already assigned it to you guys with your partners. So please come to teacher's office and see me for this task. I will tell you who's your partners and your task for this duo's homework. This task needs to be done in one week."

After the teacher left the class, some of the students in that class got ready to go home and go to their club. Suzu tries to look at Rei, but Rei already leaves. Rei came back from the infirmary before last lesson. When she came back, thank goodness, she looked fine. "Suzu, want to go home?" Before they go home, Suzu wants to make a stop at teacher's office. She wants to know who's her partner and she wants to quickly finish the task. When she was already in front of teacher's office, she said, "(knock, knock) Excuse me." After she entered the office, she went to Yamada's desk. "Yamada sensei?" When she found Yamada's desk, she saw another student with Yamada Sensei. "Ah, Nagihara. Good timing; your partner is here too. So, I don't need to tell you her name." After her teacher told her about that, she was confused, and she got herself closer to that person. When she looked at that person, she was surprised and thought everything was on her side these days.

'She really looked fine, but she doesn't seem surprised like I am when I know that we will be group partner. Her face looks too calm; it feels like she doesn't feel surprised about that at all.' When their teacher explained about the task, they looked in their world, both of them. 

After Yamada sensei explains what task they need to do, she asks them if they understand or not about the task. Both of them understood the task, even though they'd been in their world for a second. After that, they left the teacher's office and go home.

'Aihara and Nagihara, have something happened between them? It makes me wonder: if I did not know someone with Aihara's personality, I probably would not have noticed how anxious and shocked she seemed when I announced that she would be partnering with Nagihara. When she thinks about Rei, someone comes to her mind, the same person that have a same personality with Rei. 'How is it going with her right now? How's her life? Maybe I need to find a new partner already. Why my life is so sad?'

After they left the teacher's office, Suzu wanted to ask Rei to go to the library to discuss the task, but before she spoke, Rei had already said something about the discussion.

"Our task seems easy, so it's not going to take much time. Tomorrow we will start our discussion. Bye." 

"...she left. Hah, I really don't have a chance to talk with her. Why is it too difficult to communicate with her? But for what happened just now, I can't believe it with my eyes. This is a dream?' She pinched her cheek, and it's hurt; 'it's not a dream.'

She walks to go to the locker, and she forgets that Sarah been waiting for her. "I think this is my chance, right? This is my chance to talk with her again." She walks while smile, confident about what will happen next. "HOHO, look at that face. What make you smile like that, What is the happy news you got?" asked Sara when she saw Suzu. "My partner is Rei, and we will meet tomorrow for discussion." Explain Suzu with happy smile. "Woah, I don't expect you to get these big chances so easily, huh?" Sara was a bit shocked with the news. "I don't believe it either, but I guess this is my chance. So, I will go for it; I don't want to waste these chances."

 * * *

"No matter how hard I think about it, it's not going to change anything. Why I need to partner with Suzuna for this homework? At school, I barely want to see or talk with her, and now we're the same group partner. What a mess." She heard someone knock on the door, and it was her maid, "Miss Rei, the dinner is ready." "Alright, I will go down with Yu in a minute."

Rei and Yu have dinner together; their parents need to work overtime. "So, what happened to you today, sis? After Misha picked you up at school, you kept zoning out." "Oh, that's just nothing. It's just school stuff, you know, It's nothing big." Yu stare at Rei with eyes that said, 'Really? I don't trust you.' Kind of like that. "This food is delicious, right, Yu?" said Rei, nervous, hoping her little sister don't ask a detail. 'And now she changes the topic', think Yu in her mind. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, BUT if you want someone or opinion to talk to or you want to share something, don't forget about your little sister here. I ALWAYS WILL BE WITH YOU, OKAY?" Rei nodded with a smile. on her face, "Thank you, Yu." 

'It's already been two days since we started the task. But why she still treat me as cold as she was, Nothing changed at all. I thought I can ask her what happened to her and maybe I can get closer but now I'm wrong.' She felt unmotivated for a second. "What's wrong with that face?" Suzu looked at that person, it's Sarah. She's waiting Suzu at the locker. "Nothing, it's just I don't feel like I can't keep up with this mission." Sarah feels a bit confused, "What mission?" Suzu look at Sarah with face that said, 'What else if not her?' like that. "Ah that! It's just been two days, not two years. Relax; the time will come. Don't give up easily; where is your spirit and confidence?" Suzu agreed with Sara, "You're right! I can't give up easily. I can take it if it takes a month or longer than that. Anyway, it's too early to give up. Thank you, Sara." Sarah smiled at her and touched her shoulder as symbol 'You got it'.