Outsider Syndrome | ✓

Chapter 36 - "The Only One For Me"

This treatment was unnerving.

"Shiina walked along the same hallway as me! I'm never washing my feet!"

"Shiina, let me polish your shoes!"

"Look at me!"

"Talk to me!"

. . .I became an overnight sensation.

Rin-Rin visited this school on Friday, making it known throughout the lands (of Hoshizaki Academy, at least) that I, Shiina Kisaragi, was his childhood friend—aka someone in close contact with Japan's unofficial "prince". Throughout the rest of the day on Friday, all I'd received were stares from afar and disbelieving whispers but nothing concrete. Now that Monday had swung around and the entire population had done their talking, this was the outcome I was left with.

I'd become something akin to royalty. Me, the outcast. The beanstalk they ridiculed daily.

They followed me like homeless puppies. Miss Akagi—yes, that demon troll—smiled at me during class. The cafeteria ladies offered me free lunches.

I'd always wanted to be accepted, sure, but this behaviour gave me literal goosebumps.

"Stay back," Kiharu ordered. "Shiina has lunch to eat."

"Give her space to breathe," Tsumugi insisted.

Posted by my sides, they shooed off the incessant crowd to the best of their ability. After centuries of constantly screaming for my attention, the students conceded and backed away. I could still feel their gazes boring holes into my back from afar, but it was definitely better than before.

"Damn hypocrites," Kiharu spat, since they were out of earshot. "All they did was mock you relentlessly and now they're tryin' to get chummy with you because of yer connections? Nobody needs that superficial adoration, losers!"

"Yeah. Shiina's way more than that. They should've taken the time to get to know her ages ago," Tsumugi agreed.

"So?" I asked them, expression flat. "What is it this time?"

"Rin asked us out to dinner after school today!" Tsumugi spilled her intentions instantly. Hands clasped together, she invaded my personal space, eyes sparkling.

Ensuring her voice couldn't be picked up by the surrounding ears, Kiharu followed suit. "It's okay if we go, right? Pretty please?"

I gritted my teeth.

My friends sweatdropped. Expectedly. I wasn't hiding my vexation in the least.

I was going over soon to personally whoop Rin-Rin's butt. This was the third time he invited Kiharu and Tsumugi without so much as telling me beforehand, knowing full well they wouldn't turn him down. Yeah right I'd let him steal my friends from me any longer. He was getting way too comfortable shaking up my life.

"So. . . no?" Tsumugi fearfully asked.

I spared them a look over. "Why not?" I deadpanned. "I wasn't invited so what does my opinion matter?"

"Shiina, are you mad?" Kiharu whispered.

"What for? The Rin Mizota asked you to dinner, right? I'm literally jumping for joy for you. Ask him to go to a cafe tomorrow while you're at it. Back-to-back dates."