Ayano Aishi, the Emotionless Lover

Week One, Friday

Week One, Friday

   

    The day starts like her new usual. Ayano gets up, gets ready, and heads outside to find Osano already at her door. They walk to school, and Taro runs up to them when they’re five minutes away. Kokona, once again, is at the gates. She waves to Ayano excitedly, but joins the group instead of pulling Ayano away. The four decide to sit at the fountain to talk, and watch people slowly arrive.

    It’s peaceful. Ayano takes a moment to watch her friends interact, talking and laughing together. She allows herself to be content.

    Then she remembers that it’s Friday. And with the weekend, she’ll be alone in her house. It’s become too quiet for her. But she doesn’t know how to change it.

    Suddenly, Kokona’s phone begins to ring. Her smile drops, but she quickly forces it back on. It’s too quick of a change for Osano and Taro to notice, but Ayano sees it.

    “Oh, shoot, guys I should probably take this. I’ll be right back!” Kokona says, and she walks away from the fountain, through the shoe locker area and out of the front door.

    Ayano is tempted to follow Kokona and see who is calling her, but Taro speaks before she can excuse herself.

    “Hey Ayano, have you heard the myth about the cherry tree behind the school?” He asks, and Osano stops complaining about his math homework to listen.

    “The one on the hill?” Ayano responds. Despite being new, Ayano knows about the tree.

    After all, her mom went to Akademi High. It’s where she met Ayano’s father.

    “I think I’ve heard a bit,” Ayano continues, and Taro gestures for her to continue. “Isn’t it said that, if you confess under the tree, the other person will accept your declaration of love?”

    “Yeah, that’s the one. Specifically Friday afternoons, though.”

    “Why that time? Why not another day?”

    Taro shrugs. “Honestly, I have no clue. But no one has ever been rejected at Akademi if they confessed on a Friday afternoon under that tree. Nobody.”

    Ayano stores that away for later. She hopes that she’ll meet her love here, and any myth or luck will help her win her love’s heart. “So, you believe in it?”

    Taro nods. “If no one has been proven it to be wrong, then how can I say otherwise? What about you, what do you think?”

    Ayano smiles. “It sounds sweet. It seems like a great way to find the confidence to confess, if you know you won’t be rejected.” Then she looks at Osano, who’s been quiet the whole time. “What do you think?”

    He blushes. “Well, it probably works. I mean, it’s stupid though. Some dumb fairytale about a magical love tree? It doesn’t make sense.” Then he looks at the ground and mutters, “I hope it’s true, though.”

    That piques Ayano’s curiosity, but she doesn’t ask, because Kokona comes walking back in right then.

    Kokona is smiling, but it’s fake. Ayano knows a fake smile a mile away, because she always has to fake hers. But Ayano is...annoyed to see that Kokona is upset. She decides to boost her friend’s mood.