Meeting with the heroine of the normies

My love for manga led me to the mall to complete my collection. I was analysing each of the shelves to find the rare gem. Brrr, I love that enchanting smell of Shōnen and Shōjo and that sweet captivating scent of Nekketsu and Ecchi… I want that manga … those millions of manga… I desire them all…

—Get up, Kinari!' shouts Chizu, my little sister, before slapping me.

—Ouch!

I rub my eyes and check the time on the alarm clock on my night table.

7:30.

—Wipe the drool off your lips and join me for breakfast.

A dream … it was just a dream.

I look again, out of the corner of my eye, at my alarm clock.

April 15, 2016.

Today is the first day of school that oh-so-miserable day when normies meet.

What a pain in the ass!

I stretch then crawls from my bed to the kitchen regretting my nightly reading of the night before.

— I arrive, Chizu.

I hurry not to arrive late at the school. On the door step, a shout resounds and makes me jump. I stop in my dash.

—Big Brother!

—Yeah?

—I prepared you a bento for your first day!

—Thank you, Chizu.

My sister was always very attentive. She's the only one who can get me to smile a lot. She takes care of everything, my waking up, my meals, she cares about me constantly. We're everything to each other, Chizu is my only reason to live. Our parents have abandoned him, so I have to help him, every day. Even if lately, it's rather the opposite.

I decide to leave and take the road to Kanagawa Kibogaoka High School.

It's quite hot, the cherry trees are all erecting their pinkish leaves. On the road, I contemplate the sea in the distance bordered by the shopping street in the city of Yokohama. Despite the horizon, the clear sky, the blazing sun, the colours seem dull to me. The smiles of the passers-by seem false.

Why do they hide their daily worries?

The beginning of the school year is such an important day for many students, but I don't care.

Têto, hear my prayer. I wish no one would talk to me all year.

I analyse the school, scan the corner where I could spend three peaceful years.

—It's big here.

This high school seems three times bigger than my college, in front of the gate, a horde of happy students, on the other side, people swimming in happiness.

Where am I? Is this their famous first day of school?

It's great.

—This 3D universe is beyond me.

Stop hiding your problems by putting on such absurd smiles.

I cross the hallway to consult the bulletin board, the one that would tell me which class I would be assigned to.

In front of me, the crowd is getting restless. I'm pushing my way through the crowd when I hear a female voice shouting hastily behind me. She turns sharply towards the call, certainly from her friend, whipping my face with her hair in the process.

The smell of her long chestnut curls awakens my senses strangely. Surprised, she observes me with her emerald eyes, then apologises while smiling.

A joy filled with innocence and naivety.

Surprisingly, my attention doesn't wander from her face. Something about her intrigues me like a feeling of déjà vu. She kneels down in front of me and picks up the things she had dropped.

The eyes are fixed on me. On the stage, the student's whisper, surely imagining horrible things.

What should I do? What would Chizu do in this situation?

The criticisms I received made me feel numb

—Why isn't he doing anything?

—Leave him alone! Look how he's dressed, he's a pure otaku.

—He disgusts me.

What a pain in the ass, this first day!

The girl looks at me with confusion.

—Sorry! she repeats untiringly

I keep silent when she suddenly frowned.

—We've already met, haven't we?

—I don't think so.

— I'm Anzu Shimizu, and you?

She won't let go of me.

It's annoying to be the centre of attention. I decide to follow my sister's advice and introduce myself in a friendly way.

I lean towards her.

—Kinari Yamazaki, nice to meet you.

—What grade are you in?

—I don't know.

The situation makes me very uncomfortable, probably because I'm a loner at heart. Talking to a girl isn't like me.

She points to the bulletin board and stutters.

—Your name is here, Yamazaki-kun.

I notice her cheeks flush before she hides them under her scarf. Probably to escape the embarrassment of being examined like this.

—We're in the same class!

Great.

—Yeah.

—Well, we've got to go,' she exclaims, pushing me towards the gym.

The famous back-to-school speech, I love it.

In a heavy silence, we both walk. From time to time, I turn my head towards her to observe her. She seems happy and smiling. No doubt, she's my opposite. That's probably what attracts my attention so much. I have a real gift for discerning this kind of thing. When I see someone's face, I automatically guess what kind of person it is.

On the way, we met Ono Sayu, a childhood friend of Shimizu. Assigned to a different class from ours, she's small and quite discreet. Her bow tie has no defect.

A perfectionist.

Shimizu greets her classmate and we go to the gym where we're divided by row. The heroine of the normies is in front of me. The principal of the high school crosses the stage. Before I fell asleep on the spot, I thought I heard him cough. When I woke up, I realised that I hadn't followed any of the principal's speech at all. Honestly, I don't know if it was my fatigue from the night before or his speech, but I felt really exhausted.

When I went out to look for my classroom, I discovered that the door was already open. I walked in, then scanned the room to find a place to sit. The one at the back of the classroom by the window interested me. The horizon relaxes me. According to Chizu, it's the perfect place not to be noticed, so I settled there.

No trace of Shimizu.

I'm daydreaming, the view on the clouds, while wondering why she wears such a big scarf when the heat is unbearable.

An impact at the level of the forehead exited me an exclamation of pain.

—Ouch!

I look up, rubbing my eyes, and then sweep my gaze around the classroom. My classmates laugh out loud. The wound radiates my skull and probably comes from the chalk that is lying on the floor. Our teacher must have thrown it at me to wake me up.

I fell asleep during the first hour of class.

To think I didn't want to be noticed, I'm off to a good start. Apologise, I have to apologise.

—Sorry, sensei, it won't happen again.

—Well, let's continue,' she exclaimed, stifling a laugh.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Shimizu was my neighbour. She must surely be laughing at me from the first day.

The shame.

Embarrassed, I can't find my words, just blush and look away.

The bell rings. We can finally lunch. I had noticed a vending machine on the way to the gym, so I went there. I choose a lemonade and go to my classroom to taste the bento prepared by Chizu. I eat alone. Nothing more normal for a loner.

The classes started again quickly, during one of them, I had an urge. When I came back from the toilet, a piece of paper placed next to my bag caught my attention. I briefly read its contents.

Let's go home together tonight, signed Shimizu.

It's the first time that someone wants to be in my company. I decide to put it in my pocket. The girl monopolises all my concentration, my glance can't detach itself from her. I examine her from every angle, before realising that I'm spying on her shamefully. According to my little sister, it's not polite and I risk making her uncomfortable. Not without effort, I then look away towards the window.

In deep thought, I wonder if I'm really the recipient of this note. If so, why does Shimizu want to go back with me? Something is wrong. This question is going round and round in my mind.

The hours pass and I don't count the number of times Shimizu had look me a cold look. It makes me anxious. I don't know what to say to him. Anyway, I don't know his passions, nor his tastes and even less of his interests.

What am I supposed to do!

The ringing finally delivers me from my ordeal. Lost, I get ready to go away, but Shimizu blocks my way.

—When were you going to answer me?' she exclaims, lowering her head in disappointment.

The class turns to us, and observes the scene.

—Did she declare herself to that otaku?

—It's impossible, I can't believe it!

They all misunderstand. I have to straighten this out.

Think, think, think.

If I answer him on a piece of paper right now, the misunderstanding will be removed, and I'll score some friendly points.

I hope so.

I take out a sheet of paper from my bag, on which I write yes. Signed Yamazaki.

Then I bow to her and hold out my arms.

—Here you are!

When she note of it, she opened big happy eyes and blushed again. Her curly brown hair left me dreamy.

Was she that pretty the first time I saw her?

Get a grip!

She grabs her bag and flashes a smile.

—Are they dated now?

—Impossible, otakus like 2D girls.

I left those rumours behind and left school with Shimizu.

—Have you chosen a club yet? She hesitates.

—No, not yet. Maybe I'll join the reading club. What about you?

—Me too, I think.

—I see. Well, we'll go sign up tomorrow.

—Yeah, but wouldn't you rather we went to the clubs before choosing?

—If you want.

The wind waves his hair.

The image seems almost unreal, straight out of my dreams … or my manga.

She intrigues me. Her gestures, her reactions, this walk, nothing seems normal to me. Why is she interested in me? It's stupid!

—Tell me, why did you want us to go back together?

—To make up for it.

Make it up to you? What are you talking about?

She keeps smiling, this one was strangely out of the ordinary.

—I see.

Arrived at the corner of my avenue, our ways separated.

—Well, me, I go from there, I live on this side, I say to her by pointing the street on my left.

—I'll see you tomorrow, Yamazaki. See you tomorrow, Yamazaki-kun.

—See you tomorrow, Shimizu-chan.

How long has it been since I've talked to anyone but my sister? Five, ten years?

Holding a conversation with a person in 3D is strange.

She waves at me and smile. I imitate her and greet her in turn before running home, ashamed of my attitude.

What's wrong with me? I'm completely off the rails.

When I cross the threshold of the house, Chizu embraces me with force.

—Big Brother, you take me to make the swing?

—Not today. I am tired, Chizu.

She crosses her arms, disappointed. From my room to the kitchen, passing in the toilets and the bathroom, this pot of glue does not cease following me.

Fourteen years old, you're grown up now. So you're kind of sulking?

She comes back to me.

—Tell me about your day, I'm your sister! Please, Big Brother,' she coaxes me with her air of a beaten dog.

—I think I had fun.

—Did you have fun? But it's the first time I've heard that from you,' she exclaims happily.

—You're right… That's the whole problem.

—What do you mean?' she asks me curiously.

—I feel like I've changed all of a sudden, everything seems so strange.

*Teto, God of a parallel universe (No Game No Life)