5 Another Meeting with the Wild Bunny

I woke up with a yawn, made my daily coffee, and got ready for school. One hour later I was out the door. I went down and didn't see Sakuta.

'That dumbass is probably asleep.' I thought and went up to his apartment to see what the deal was. I rang the bell and he opened the door with a blanket wrapped around him and a tissue wiping his runny nose.

"Well, you seem like you're dying," I said

"Yeah, I won't be able to go to school today. I already called in you don't need to worry senpai."

"Alright cool, Take care of yourself and take care of Kaede too. I don't want you getting her sick. Especially with her sticking to you all the time."

"Senpai, sometimes I think you care more about Kaede than me. Did you become friends with me just so you could be with her?"

"You're damn right I did. Alright take care, I'm leaving. I don't want to be late"

"Bye senpai."

On the way, I got one of those cream buns from the bread lady at the train station. Seriously, best breakfast ever.

I got on the train and ran into Futaba of all people.

We greet each other, and I asked her, "What's the deal? You live on the other side of the school. How are you here?"

I get an exasperated sigh from her, "I had to get some supplies for the project that I'm working on. The school doesn't have that stuff."

"Damn, you're working pretty hard on that project there, huh?"

"Yeah, it's important to me."

After some time of riding the train, I ask her, "Hey what do you think about bunny girls?"

I get a disgusted look from her, "I didn't take you as a pervert too Masashi. Azusagawa rubbing off on you?"

"Next you're going to ask me to wear one, aren't you?"

"If you're offering I would be a fool to refuse. But no, I wasn't planning to do that. I just want your opinion on the topic."

She gives me a suspicious look and tells me, "Well off the top of my head I see two main reasons. either it's a fetish or they're just desperate. Let's take person A, she's wearing a bunny girl suit and getting attention from all kinds of people. This kind of attention isn't really satisfying in any way. Hell, it's actually detrimental to their mind. So it's a type of self-harm this 'Person A' does to cope with whatever she's dealing with. These are very basic signs of depression. Person B is just an exhibitionist. She gets off on this stuff so I don't think we need to talk about it."

"That's a very thorough analysis. you appear to have taken my advice and read through those psychology books, huh?" I tell her, impressed with the analysis that I just got.

"Well, understanding how the human mind works is actually fascinating. I'm grateful that you got me into learning about psychology."

I suggested to her one day while doing my daily study routine in her club room that she should check out books about human psychology. She seems more into it than I thought she would be. At least she liked my suggestion enough to check it out.

The train stopped at our station and we went off to school. There was a crowd of students going into school. We started walking with them.

Then saw that signature bunny hairpin ahead of me and instantly realized who it was.

"Hey Futaba do you see Mai Sakurajima over there?" I said to Futaba while subtly gesturing toward Mai.

"Clearly."

"What do you think about her? Tell me the first thought that comes to your mind."

"Well... She's a big celebrity. She may have been on hiatus for two years now but that doesn't mean she's not associated with showbiz."

"You're right. I was shocked when I found out that she goes to our school."

"What's the deal? Are you finally taking an interest in a girl? I've seen you heartlessly reject anyone shallow enough to confess to you due to your pretty boy face."

"Hey, I'm very handsome. I'm not a pretty boy." I said while lightly jabbing her side.

"Sure. Sure."

"You could try though, She's actually completely in your league. Especially in the looks department."

"I never said that I'm interested in her or that I'm asking her out."

"You're finally showing interest in a girl. It's a big deal. Maybe you'll get busy with her and stop bothering me in my club room every day."

"I am hurt, I am very deeply hurt," I said making a serious face.

To which she laughed, "Haha, sure you are."

"That's not what I'm talking about though. I noticed that I'd never seen her with anyone at school. She's always alone."

"Well as interesting as this topic is I have to leave. I have to meet with the club in charge to talk about the stuff I just bought."

"It's fine, you do your thing. Have fun."

I walk to my homeroom deep in thought about this.

She announced her retirement from showbiz at the end of her middle school. But she still wasn't able to join the high school on time due to the previous commitments and contracts that she had to fulfill.

She joined after the summer break. By then all the cliques were formed and most of the students had their groups. She was isolated. People were also somewhat jealous of her looks and how she was so successful. People weren't really welcoming of her.

It's ironic how such a successful celebrity came to our school and became an outcast.

I never really got a chance to interact with her in my first and second years. I was also something of a pseudo-loner. I may have gotten my memories from another life. But my personality is still the same. Now that I have my memories though, I can see things from a different perspective.

'It also doesn't help that I'm a bit of a yandere and simp for her.' I thought while snickering to myself.

Since the social structures have already been set up, nobody can really bring themselves to talk to her. If they do talk they stick out like a sore thumb, and who really wants that, right? She herself probably started to act invisible as a defense mechanism.

'When you pretend something long enough, it eventually starts becoming real.' This line from Bojack Horseman always gets to me. Although, it's more about the feelings that a person has. With Puberty Syndrome intervening though, things got a lot more real.

People say that they embrace change and claim to have an adventurous spirit, but that's only fun and games while they say it. They'll whine about how life is boring and wish for something fun to happen, but when it actually does, everyone starts resisting that change. Most people are actually hypocrites. They just don't admit it.

Hell, even I'm something of a hypocrite. I'm preaching about how people suck, but I'm also a part of those people. I haven't done anything to make some big changes. And I don't really plan to either. I'm comfortable with this dynamic.

I have close friends with whom I can share anything I want. I have an Imoto who's just a bundle of unpreceded joy for me. Other people's opinions don't exactly impact my life in any way. Even if there are rumors about me, there are no real consequences. The people I'm friends with will first ask me what actually happened before believing those rumors.

Deep in my thoughts I reached my class and went to sit at my seat. After a while, Mai showed up with the homeroom teacher and went to sit at the seat behind mine, which is basically the only empty seat in the classroom.

While she was walking toward me I looked at her and gave her a small smile.

She completely ignored me and sat on her seat with an expressionless face.

Damn, that hurt. But it's fine I'm a patient man. I can take my time.

During lunch, I went to meet Futaba with her lunch and annoy her a little.

The day went by without any noteworthy thing happening. Mai kept ignoring my attempts to make conversation and after the third try I gave up. I don't want to come off as needy.

When the day ended, I went to Futaba's clubroom to say goodbye to her and tell her that I won't be staying today.

"Masashi, tell me something serious. Are you stalking Sakurajima senpai? If you are I will be calling the police."

"Woah, no. I just decided that I want to go home early today. What's the deal?"

"I'm suspicious. Who knows what you have going on in your mind."

"Alright bye, I'm leaving." I ended the conversation and went on my merry way.

Reaching the train station, I swiped my pass and went to the waiting area to wait for the train.

There I saw the black-haired, bunny-loving beauty, standing there with earphones in looking all too beautiful for this world.

Then I noticed something that made me annoyed. Someone was about to take a photo of her. It was actually two people, a guy, and a girl, probably his girlfriend. They were both a random insensitive couple who just wanted to take a photo of a celebrity. I could see Mai was uncomfortable with the situation.

I walked in front of the guy, blocking the camera, "Who the fuck are you?" He asks.

I said to him, "Dude you should know that taking unsolicited pictures of someone without their permission is creepy and stalker-like behavior. Seriously the nerve of some people. I can call the police and get you arrested for this right now. It won't be anything major but you'll probably spend the night in jail."

The guy who seemed too hot-tempered for his own good was about to shout at me, but all the police talk frightened him to which he just 'Tsk'ed' while his girlfriend brought him away. All the while he mumbled something to her.

I know what I did was hypocritical but I couldn't help it. And she didn't know about me taking her photos in the bunny suit. Only I can take stalkerish photos of her.

'God I'm acting more and more like a yandere.'

I walked up to Mai and stood beside her.