Read Written - Discontinued :: Chapter Eight: To The Homeroom (II)

I look deep into the crowd, seeing Ayano has already made her way into the front. Reaching for the board, she tries to look for our names in the long list.

Will she be able to find them? I honestly don't know, considering how Ayano is pretty much blind and dumb most of the time.

"Hmm, well..." I briefly think. "I shouldn't underestimate my own best friend."

I have high hopes for you, Ayano. If you succeed in finding our names quickly, I'll give you a bite of my mom's amazing tamagoyaki!

Although all I can see of Ayano is her back, I can tell that she's on her tip-toes, with her finger pointing and slightly touching the names in the board's list, all while carrying her school bag on her left shoulder. Seems that she's quite focused.

The crowd is nudging so much against her, and yet she's still able to hold her position without tripping or stumbling about. What kind of sorcery is this? My anxious self could never...

"Uwoh!" I faintly hear Ayano's voice, her messy side ponytail vaguely swaying as she shakes her head from what seems to be an "aha!" moment.

She then turns back to me, now making her way out of the crowd, which was already decreasing as well.

"Yumi-chan! Yumi-chan! I found which section we'll be in!" She happily waves at me.

Ahh, she did it! I'll be giving her a piece of my tamagoyaki, then. She proved that she is deserving. Salute to your hard work, Ayano.

"We're in the same homeroom, Class 1-A!"

"Awesome!" I smile in response. "Well then, let's go!"

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Haa... Haa...

Haaaa...

We...

We can't find our respective homeroom!

"Where the heck is it!?" I exclaim while being in a very big panic, nearly dropping my bag down to the floor.

"I'm... wait— give me a break first!" Ayano pants out.

"No way! We have no time for breaks!" I immediately reply, standing straight in the blink of an eye.

"But Yumi-chan! We've literally been running through the hallways for... for like... an eternity!"

"It's not my fault that Yasutake is such a big school, alright!?" I yell.

No, no, no! This can't be! We can't— We musn't be late!

"Ayano!" I put my hands on her two shoulders, staring at her with a blazing flame in my eyes.

Okay, I know I can't see my own eyes, but I can feel that they're absolutely on fire right now.

"Uhh... what is it, Yumi-chan?" She sweats.

I take a very long inhale.

"Ha..." I exhale.

"Yumi-chan, what's—"

"Ayano, we can't be late! I just can't imagine what would happen to us if we end up being late! Imagine walking into the homeroom, with the eyes of our teacher and classmates all directed to us! The shame! The shame!!! Ayano, this is like... a living nightmare to me! I'd rather bury myself and just die rather than experience this! I don't want to be late, at least not today! That would be a very bad start to our schoolyear, and to our new life here in Yasutake! Ayano, I, I—!"

"Yumi-chan, you're having an existensial crisis."

"Do you think I don't know that!?"

"You should calm donw!" Ayano yells. "You won't be able to focus when you're panicking!"

"But—"

"No buts!" She cuts me off, using her forefinger to quickly brush my lip, shushing me up. "Calm down and breathe!"

I let out a defeated and tired sigh, and so, I slowly start breathing in and out, trying to relieve myself.

"Yup, that's right, Yumi-chan. You gotta chill. If you don't, we'll just keep panicking, and we'd get nowhere. And that would make the situation even worse, right?"

"...Yeah." I take my hands off of Ayano's shoulders. "You're exactly right, Ayano."

"Mhm." She nods, simply responding to me. "Now, let's keep looking!"

It's funny how Ayano can be both my stress reliever and my cause of stress.

So then on, we take long strides through the huge hallway, trying to find our lost homeroom.

..........

.....

...But to no avail.

"We need help..." I let out in a nervous manner. "It's already 7:30, we only have a few minutes left before homeroom starts!" I anxiously say as I briefly check my phone, turning it off soon after.

"Ah... this is bad, isn't it?" Ayano mutters. "Today is our first day in school, and right now, we've been put in a bad situation."

"There should be some seniors around here... let's try asking them."

"Yup, desperate times call for desperate measures, after all, Yumi-chan!"

Please, please, please... I don't want to be late, at least not today! Please tell me there's a senior somewhere around here who will be willing to help us... please please—

Just then, Ayano and I stop walking as we see a student passing by in front of us. This person has an armband on, which means..!

"Oh, thank the heavens!" I exclaim in total telief as I dash to the senior, jumping right in front of her.

"I'm so sorry, but my friend and I are in desperate need of your help!"