Ayano Aishi, the Emotionless Lover

Week Zero, Friday

Week Zero, Friday

Ayano wakes up early the next morning, just like usual. She eats, puts on her uniform, and grabs her bag to leave. She does not say goodbye to her parents, because they are not home. They have gone to North America, off to "meet an old friend," as her mother had put it. Her father had not said a word, but the look on his face told Ayano enough. Her father hopes, for this 'friend's' sake, that they will not meet.

Ayano pushes the thought out of her mind, just in time to notice that she will be late for the first day. She begins to rush, knowing it'd be unwise to miss the first day. After all, today is the opening ceremony for Akademi High. All of the students will be checking out clubs, and Ayano will be able to find her classes, and hopefully start gaining a positive reputation. Her mother always told her that a good reputation goes a long way. For Ayano, she just wants normalcy. Having friends and good grades help, and make other students like her. Hopefully, once she has her emotions, having friends will bring much better emotions than the current contentment Ayano feels.

Ayano runs out of her house and down the street, knowing that if she keeps at her current pace, she will make it to school with a couple of minutes to spare.

She turns a corner, and she can see the school. Ayano checks her phone, and has ten minutes before the ceremony. She turns off her phone and looks up-

-And runs into another person.

They're both on the ground now, the other one groaning in pain. It's a boy, and he wears the Akademi uniform, just like her. So they go to the same school.

The boy jumps up, apologizing. He holds out his hand for her.

She takes it.

She stands up.

"Thank you," Ayano says, and the boy smiles, cheeks red from embarrassment.

"It's my fault. I ran into you," he says.

"And I ran into you as well," Ayano points out.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Taro Yamada!"

"Ayano Aishi."

The boy, Taro, takes a moment to register her uniform. "Hey, you go to Akademi too? I didn't even recognize you."

"I'm new here."

Taro nods at that, and opens his mouth, but the voice that comes next isn't his.

"Taro! We're going to be late if you don't hurry up!" The voice is angry, and the speaker looks just as mad. He glares as he shoves some of his orange-red hair out of his face.

"Right, sorry!" Taro looks back to Ayano. "Oh! Want to walk with us, Ayano?"

"Sure." Ayano sees a chance to make friends. Well, at least one. The other one just looks at her funny, before looking away.

The rest of the walk is filled with complaints, and when they get to the school, Ayano says goodbye quickly before heading off. The second boy complains more as she walks away, what about she has no clue.

It's an interesting start to a new day, and an odd one for what will be an odd year in comparison to her past.

It'll be a year that Ayano will love.

And it's just beginning.