Outsider Syndrome: Everlasting (Bonus Content)

Chapter 1 - "Crescendo"

Rin Mizota's POV:

I remembered the day I met Shii like it was yesterday.

She never had problems speaking her mind but her sharp tongue was certainly at its peak in grade school.

The majority of our first grade class was afraid to approach her. Unfortunately, even me. Whenever our homeroom teacher requested we pair up to do activities, or we played games as an entire class, she never joined in. The class whispered about how gloomy she was—that she was weird, and rough, and tough. Stories about her punching or kicking our peers and getting in trouble by the teacher was a common occurrence also.

To follow in my late dad's footsteps who was a musician, I sung or danced at every opportunity. Of course, as a boy who should've instead been engaging in sports or 'masculine' pastimes, that wasn't so well-received. I was often picked on by some of the older kids.

One particular day I was, she passed by, and beat the snot out of them.

Needless to say, I was petrified.

The older kids ran off, wailing, and the first thing she said to me was, "You're pathetic."

It stung like knives.

"Why didn't you tell them off?" she asked onward. "It's because you cry they pick on you. Stop crying, dummy."

She said it like it was easy. Somehow, because she did, because she was so cool, the uncontrollable stream of tears did stop flowing in that moment.

"I'm stronger than you," she continued. "Therefore, you have to do as I say."

"N-no—"

"It wasn't a question."

"Y-y-yes."

As if catching on to how scared I was, she smiled then beckoned something for me.

"Here."

"Huh?"

They were animal crackers. Crouching beside me, where my snack had been completely stomped upon earlier, she opened them.

"Those jerks ruined your lunch, right? I'll give these to you." She extended it to me. "Oh, but I want some too so we have to share. My favourite ones are the sheeps 'cause they're cute. Which one do you like?"

She was kind—the exact opposite of the monster who had those older kids wetting their pants in fear; unrecognizable from the girl our peers avoided like the plague.

"By the way, what's your name?" she'd asked while we ate.

"You don't know your own classmate's name?"

"Classmates? We are?"

I jokingly clutched my chest. "Owwie. That hurts."

"That sucks. If you don't make it, I'm eating your share of crackers without you."

Her sarcasm was also brutal.

"So, what is it?"

"Rin—Rinnosuke."

"Rin-Rinnosuke?"

"N-no—"

"That's a weird name."

How could I tell her I messed up saying my own name because I was nervous? She'd call me pathetic again.

"That's too much of a mouthful so I'll call you 'Rin-Rin' for short."

"No. I don't want that. 'Rin-Rin' is embarrassing."

"If you have a problem, give me a nickname too."

An embarrassing nickname. . . ?