smile!

chapter 3 : accident

Seki was true to her words to the student council president. When she reassured her that she'll be fine the following days thanks to Akane's orientation, she was actually doing quite well. She dropped off the needed papers that the student council member asked her to fill up but she didn't join them for lunch and she had multiple reasons for that.

Yuuka and Akane had been nice to her but of course she didn't want to disturb and trouble them just for food. Seki could buy herself her own lunch and she's fine with that. Days passed by and there were times that she would cross paths with Yuuka, and aside from the fact that she was also a 3rd year, her classroom was near Seki's. They would exchange friendly greetings and ask a bit about each other's day or week, then part ways.

Sometimes Seki also sees Akane either on the hallways or near Yuuka's classroom. Akane also uses this opportunity to check on her, to ask if she needed help with anything at all. Knowing how they really wanted to help her feel comfortable in the school, Seki relied on them for some things like activities and random other stuff. She didn't really interact with her classmates so all she had was Yuuka and Akane.

Or that's what she thought.

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Seki had just arrived at school. It was supposed to be a normal day so there was no reason to be excited, but she wasn't also moody. She just hoped that nothing bad or embarrassing would happen to her like getting called on by sensei and blurting out a wrong answer. Her classmates wouldn't really laugh at her but then they'll think that she's dumb.

As much as she tries not to care of what others might think, because of what happened to her in her previous schools, she feels like she still has to live up to other's expectations and let them take advantage of it.

Walking mindlessly, avoiding eye contact with anyone near her. She just wants to reach her classroom as soon as possible and study whatever notes she had taken down the day before. She hoped that everything would go smoothly today, as usual.

Yeah, as usual.

Well, she certainly did not expect that a flying object would hit her right on the head out of nowhere.

Letting out a gasp as she fell to the ground, she could hear mumbles of her schoolmates around her. She could also hear faint chuckles that's why she didn't dare to look at anyone, making sure to keep her head down. Seki had to be strong because it was so embarrassing. She was scared that history would repeat itself, her mind already filled with nothing but negative thoughts.

She tried to hold herself by grasping her own head strongly while covering her face with her arms, her body felt so weak that it made her gradually fall to the ground.

She was about to cry as the feelings were getting to her and that's why she chose to block out the voices of the others. She doesn't want to know about what they thought of her. She doesn't know how to get herself out of this situation because she thinks that she's too weak to stand up for herself. Maybe that's why her so-called friends had a great time picking on her.

In the midst of every single thing that was going through her mind, somehow a voice stood out to Seki. Someone was calling out to her but she didn't bother to look up and see who it was. No, she was still too ashamed to do that. However, this voice seemed to calm her down because it was familiar.

"Yumi-chan?"

That's when Seki removed her hands from her face and looked at the owner of the voice. All her worries were washed away when she just realized who that voice belonged to.

Of course, it was her.

Inoue Rina.

"Ehh, I-I'm sorry..! Are you okay?" Inoue screamed, immediately running towards Seki who was still crouched on the ground, she couldn't stop showing her worried face since it was completely her mistake.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't expecting that I would hit someone. I just kept swinging and swinging and the tennis balls must've been everywhere. One flew over here and hit you, i'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Inoue quickly said her piece, kneeling like a child who has done their parents wrong and was being punished. She was there like that beside Seki. She didn't mind how dirty the ground as she purposely kneeled like that.

Her expression was different from her usual and playful one. She was worried. Really worried. This must've been new to Seki because her previous schoolmates didn't really care or do anything when she was getting bullied.

Yeah, bullied.

"N-no, I-I'm okay.."

Seki quietly responded, still insecure of how stupid she must've looked right now since there were still a lot of eyes on them. Of course, Inoue didn't care one bit because she was obviously used to the attention.

Seki expected Inoue to just laugh it off until the girl brought a hand up on her head, patting it softly in hopes of soothing the pain, making the 3rd year student surprised, even without realizing it, madly blush.

"I hit your head right? I'm sorry.. Does it still hurt?" Inoue pouted and Seki had to calm herself down before answering.

"U-umm, yeah-"

"Yeah?! It still hurts? Oh no, hang on there Yumi-chan! Let's go to the clinic!" Inoue panicked in a flash, not letting Seki finish her statement as she stood up, patting her knees clean before assisting Seki to stand up.

"Eh? I mean I'm fine, we don't need to go to the—"

"We need to! Look at how red you are" Inoue must've mistook Seki's face reddening because of the impact of the ball that hit her on the head but we know the real reason why she blushed.

Inoue didn't take any word from the other girl again and surprised her by holding her hand. She kept dragging her all the way to the infirmary to make sure that her senior was okay.