Hiro stared blankly out the classroom window, his seat was at the very back of the class and closest to the window ( The proverbial anime main character seat).

“Tanaka san? Tanaka san?” The teacher, exasperated, threw a piece of chalk that landed smack dab on his forehead.

Hiro jerked violently and fell backwards with his chair. He groaned and the teacher frowned at his reaction, some classmates snickered but Hiro didn’t pay them any mind, they had to find their fun some way.

“Tanaka san, your grades may be exemplary but that’s no excuse to not pay attention in my class.”

Hiro forgot he was in mathematics class, the old man who taught it sounded like a train rattling along the railroad, it was monotone and drall. Hiro didn’t find mathematics difficult at all so he didn’t see the reason to pay such close attention.

“Come up here and solve this problem, since you know so much.” The teacher told him.

Hiro stood up, he wanted to put the hood over his head, the eyes of his classmates trailing on him made his palms sweat. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to the front.

He wasn’t really thinking when he stood up and walked to the front, he hadn’t even looked at the problem, it was almost out of a hope that the snickering would stop but it hadn’t.

He looked at the problem on the board and then at Otoga san the stern old man.

Hiro took the chalk from his hand and quickly solved the problem. Then he went back to his seat as though nothing had happened, looking out the window once more.

Otoga san let out a sharp disappointed exhale, “That’s correct.” Then he added, “You will still be punished for not paying attention. Cleaning duty after class.”

Hiro didn’t reply and Otoga san returned to teaching.

A few students chortled next to him.

“So cocky just cause he solved a stupid problem.” One of the boys said, Hiro had never bothered to learn their names. In fact, in his whole class, the only person that treated him with a bit of kindness was Yukimura Maya.

“Yeah,” Another one laughed, “He thinks just cause he's got a pretty good face, a nice build and is insanely smart, topping the whole school in just a month of being here, he’s all that.” The boy sneered. 

The group went quiet, “Yo, dude, are you in love with him or something? Those all sounded like compliments.”  The boy backtracked, “What? he’s a jerk, I’m just saying all that stuff’s wasted on him.”

“Also look at his weird hair, even my grandpa’s hair isn’t that white yet.” They all laugh.

“Quiet in the back there, or else you’ll join him for his punishment.” Otoga san shouted without turning from the blackboard.

Hiro found himself staring back out the window, somehow his mind drifted to thoughts of Shizuko, he felt electricity thrumming through his skin, but he didn’t know why. 

Why was it that when he looked at her he could swear he knew who she was, he could swear he’d met her before, yet no memory of it came to mind. He shrugged off the thoughts every time they came, but the feeling kept nagging at him for the rest of the day.