Inside a beautiful city of Japan filled with trees, mountains, and beautiful skies, there resides an all-girls high school. There, the final class bell rings and four girls react differently than the others. On this beautiful Friday, these four girls will pile themselves inside and spend their time playing video games. In a great rush, they run out of the classroom and squish themselves through the doorway.
One is engrossed reading one of those mangas that all of those otakus are raving about these days. A smaller one calmly twiddling her fingers on her DS. Another wearing her skirt rolled up to the max devoid of the school’s rules. Her shirt two buttons away from exposing her collarbone in a promiscuous sense. The last is scowling at her friend's scandalous appearance behind her bold black glasses. Her long hair and slender figure exhibiting the image of a young and perfect school girl. Despite their differences, all of them are weirdos. All of them hold a momentous significance compared to everyone. All of the tiny individuals exist to take up space.
Watching them enter the room is Student number#79, she's an extra. She replaces her indoor shoes with her outdoor and stares at the ceiling. Not for long. Soon she can hear her friend's shoes slapping the hardwood.
She waves her hand in the air, "Hey, over here," she says.
Her friend, Student #82, stops her gleeful run in front of #79. Opens the locker next to hers and switches out her shoes.
While watching her #79 asks, "What should we do today?"
“Do you want to go to karaoke today?” says her friend .
“Yeah, let's go!”
The two of them walk side by side walking out of the school. The sun greets them when the fresh smell of Japan hits their noses.
“Ah, the weather is so nice today!" #79 says.
Her friend agrees, “Mhm! Ah! Did you see Takashi on tv? Last night?”
“Uh-huh, he so good looking."
"He's like an angel sent from God himself," she gleams.
"That! That's exactly it!"
They laugh in unison. Two main characters dash past them. The blonde one, Hamasaki Kiiriko, runs out of the school. Her running is sloppy. Her arms flail as she runs. It’s like her limbs are made of jelly. Her fist holds something small in her hands with an iron grip. The purple-haired classy school girl, Watanabe Murasaki , chases her with a frightful amount of rage put into each stride. She easily catches up to Hamasaki with her speed.
Hamasaki flops onto the concrete and starts wailing, "Murayo! Don't do this! I'm innocent! I'm innocent, innocent, innocent. Don't hurt me!"
Despite her begging, Watanabe prepares to hit Hamasaki with a rolled-up stack of papers, "If you don't want me to hit you then give it back, Kiiriko!"
"No! I'm innocent!" Hamasaki whines.
Watanabe begins to smack her ruthlessly with the paper while Hamasaki whines on the ground kicking the air frantically like a bratty kid in a department store. Watanabe, now on her knees, continues to scream at Hamasaki to give whatever she stole back. This is when Hamasaki smacks the rolled papers out of Watanabe's hand and tries to hit her back only to be blocked by Watanabe. This turns into the two of them arguing and squealing while having a catfight right in the dead middle of the school's entrance. #79 jumps back and gasps; hand over mouth. Yes, the two of them are making quite a scene.
"I didn't know the two of them are on a first-name basis," #82 gasps with one hand over her mouth. The other extras around them share the same reaction.
"Yeah," #79 reply, "I'm in class with them this year and the two of them address each other by their first name all of the time. They act like childhood friends."
"Are they childhood friends?"
"I'm not sure."
A white-haired girl, Hino Shiro, walks up to the two of them holding her nintendo switch in hand. She looks down at the two of them devoid of expression or impression of any kind. She removes her headphones off her head and places them on her shoulders while her eyes study the two oblivious arguing girls. She gazes at them for a little bit longer before speaking up.
"Hey."
The two of them perk up and their heads instantly turn to Hino glowering down at them. They look terrified in contrast to Hino's microscopic stature.
"Shiro?" Hamasaki's voice is almost as small as Hino. She gains an instant smack on the arm from Watanabe.
"Hino not Shiro to you,” she replies.
Hamasaki laughs but it comes out forced and jittery instead. "Ah! My bad. Hi--"
"Shush." She has had enough of their pointless bickering.
The two girls flinch. Watanabe smacks Hamasaki's arm again in a "see what you've done!" kind of way.
"Stop. Or I won't let you inside."
"You mean you won't let us in your arcade room!" Watanabe says.
"I Won't even let you in my house. I’ll leave you at the front porch, and you’ll have to wait for the limo to arrive."
Watanabe shrinks back wary, "When will they come?!"
"Not for a couple of hours."
"No way!" Hamasaki whines, "I don't want to wait that long to ride in a limo!"
"Then walk."
"Noooo! I wanna ride a limo!" She cries and starts to shake Watanabe back and forth, "Murayo, this is all your fault! If you didn't try to hurt me this wouldn't have happened! Now we won't be able to see Hino’s arcade!"
Watanabe just sighs and holds out her hand, "Then give me my earring back."
"Oh. Okay."
She places a broken clip-in earring to Watanabe's hand. Watanabe sighs placing the stray earring into the pocket of her bag.
“Why'd you even steal it in the first place?" she asks.
"Because if you wear earrings you gotta' go all in and get your ears pierced," She wears a cheeky smile and points both fingers at herself, "Like me! Clip-ins are a no-no!"
"I was just trying something new," Watanabe says.
A girl with cotton candy pink hair, Mori Sakura, places her hand on Hino's shoulders, "Hey guys, you should get off the ground everyone is staring."
The two foolish girls look around them frantically before picking themselves off the ground. The two of them brush themselves off straightening their clothes. Hamasaki makes sure to roll her skirt back up before the two girls look at each other.
"Shall we go, Kiiroko?"
"Yes, we shall, Murayo!"
They both march out the school gates as if nothing had happened. As if the embarrassment wouldn't follow them out. Mori and Hino stare at the school gates where the two girls had just walked out before turning to each other.
"Shiro you shouldn't scare them so much."
Hino ignores her comment and takes hold of Mori's hand, "Let's go Momo. I told the maid to make cookies."
Mori is pulled to the gate gently stuttering and stammering for Hino "To wait just a second!"
They walk through the gate leaving the rest in a slumbering hush.
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The four protagonists referred to as the "FRC," four rich colors, are wealthy. Their families have amounted to a great amount of wealth through generations. Unlike the extras, they are special. However, an extra’s life continues on even when the FRC isn't around. After the protagonist left, the two of them left for karaoke. #79 observes the sky, having the urge to speak she says, “Ah, the weather is so nice today!”
#82 agrees, “Mhm! Ah! Did you see Takashi on tv? Last night?”
“Uh Huh, he’s so good looking."
"He's like an angel sent from God himself," she gleams.
"That! That's exactly it!"
Once again the two laugh in unison and arrive at the Karaoke place. They walk in and the staff greets them. They walk to the front counter.
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Sitting in the Karaoke room the two of them spring into action. #79 grabs an instrument off the shelf and looks at the song catalog.
"I'll sing this, It's one of Takashi's songs," her friend says.
"Okay, I'll go after you then.
She watches her friend select her song at the machine and starts the song. She plays her instrument alongside her swaying back and forth to the beat. Soon she feels the need to order, so she pushes the button to order. After waiting, a server comes in with her food. It looks to be a girl her age. The server smiles and places her food on the table. After a food break, they continue singing together. Two hours or so go by before their time runs out. After that, they part ways since #82 lives a bit closer to the karaoke place.
Extras live lives independently from the protagonist, but it doesn't mean it's interesting in any way shape or form.
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After taking off her shoes #79 says, "I'm home!" to her family.
This home is a clone of all the others in the neighborhood. Not a single poster or decoration, same chairs, tables, dishes, utensils, floor plans, and the furniture is placed identically to the others too. Yes. It's very boring. But, that doesn't bother #79 at all. No, not at all. It's nice and simple to her and the others. There's no need for anything more to it.
Her mom, a nice caring woman, greets her from the front door. Wiping her hand with a towel she says, "Welcome home, your fathers watching tv. Come get him will you, I'm finished with dinner."
"Yes mam," she says and walks to the living room. There her father sits watching tv. Despite the bleak and stale sight, #79 greets him enthusiastically. When he hears her feet approaching, he turns to her.
"Hey Dad, how was work today?" she says.
"It went well."
"Mom said it's time for dinner.”
Watching her father pick himself up, she figures her job is done and heads to her room for some casual clothes. When she's finished changing, she leaves her room to find her parents waiting for her. All of them sit and eat together. For what seems like a while, the only thing that can be heard is chewing, the shuffling of chairs, and cups being lifted from and placed on tables. After a while, discussion arises.
"How was school today?" asks her father.
"It was good. The protagonists were fun today."
"Oh, that's right. You're in the same class as them," her mom says.
They all go back to eating. Then after more chair shuffles, chewing lifted cups, conversation makes a comeback.
This time it's her mom that speaks up, "Are you going to join any clubs?"
"No, I'm a ‘going home club’ student.”
It's the space #79 has to fill. If too many students were in clubs there wouldn't be enough students when the protagonists go home. It would be too desolate. #79 knows this and desires nothing else. It's innate.
After eating dinner she heads up to her bedroom. Her bare bedroom with its beige walls, standard flooring, and conventual layout sits greets her when she opens the door. She lays down in bed, and studies her notes for only a little and then goes to sleep.
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Our lady, #79, is eating breakfast before she leaves. It's Saturday and our delightful (totally not boring) extra feels compelled to wander through the shopping district. Once finished with her meal. She slips on her shoes and heads outside.
Bright warming sunlight scatters through trees and paints her face with patches of shadow and light. Among the abundance of trees, she passes houses as she wanders through the walkway. Cats sit lazing about without a care. Persuaded, #79 pets a cat that couldn't take their eyes off of her. In this peaceful neighborhood, she strides with ease. She likes her life like this. The similarity, the indifference, the habitual urges. She's fine with it all.
Making it out of her neighborhood she takes a turn and sees a convenience store up ahead. Inside, something interesting is taking place. If she were to look through the window she could see four colored haired girls causing a commotion. Unlike a few others who stopped and inspected, she walks past the convenience store oblivious. An extra stare is unneeded in this scene.
When she's arrived at her designation she walks around. She buys some groceries, some mochi, some snacks, and heads home. The place was filled with extras. Someone has to keep the place afloat.
With this said. Extras, the blobs in the background, are a very necessary part of an animated world. With so little expression and personality they fulfill the roles needed of them. They enjoy their lives. Even if they are the most uninteresting beings to watch, they are necessary. They carry on content in their emptiness. It's a difficult sight to bear. Poor things.
The next day she stays at home. She's not needed anywhere else.
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