Transparent Answer

Transparent Answer

“Nee, Shintarou-kun, what did you got?”

The annoying girl girl sitting next to me asked.

“It’s nothing big…”

I looked at the upper-right of the test paper and a Red colored 100% was seen.

“But you sure are great. Shintarou-kun is so smart~!”

She cheerfully replied and sat down.

I couldn’t see well with her moving the paper around so much, But it was kind of obvious that it was a low grade.

56%...

“You should try studying, you know.” I encouraged.

At the side of my eye, I saw her pout.

“But it’s so boring~… I don’t want to… But then…” She let the sentence hang in the air as she looked mischievously at me.

“You can’t tempt me in tutoring you…” I sighed as she pouted again.

“But-”  “No.”

She sighed and laid her head on her desk.

“You’re such a bully.” She murmured.

I looked at my paper again, staring at the big 100% sign.

“But…”

“Hmm?” This perked her curiosity up.

“I don’t even know how I get this kind of marks…”

With that. She pouted once again. She banged her fists on her desk in protest as I watch her do the action.

“God! You’re so unfair!”

With that, I didn’t know who she was referring to, me or God himself. Which, obviously, confused me.

“I mean… If I tried, I’ll just get better right? But then… Nothing will happen… It was already pushed to the limit…” I said.

Then suddenly, a hand snatched my test paper, and I saw her fold it graciously into a paper crane. Then she flew it towards me.

“HEY!” She told me in a scolding manner.

“If that’s how it is, then that’s really boring!” Then she smiled.

This girl’s smile… I don’t know… It always seems as if something was beneath it. But it would always make me warm…

This girl’s optimistic side… Her cheerfulness… I wonder what was going in her mind.

Then I looked at the origami that I was holding. At one of its wings was a mark of 100%.

“Really…” I muttered as I finally smiled. It seems that she saw it too and she rejoiced.

She did her little happy dance as she chanted ‘Shintarou-kun smiled~! Shintarou-kun smiled~!’ over and over again…

My smile disappeared.

No… No more…

I thought as I grasped the railings of the rooftop. The wind blowing my dark hair back.

I might get influenced… Worse, I’m the one who will influence her…

I looked below and watched people, students, roaming around the campus.  I could see cars go by and the trees swaying to the wind.

All this time… I tried getting myself distant from the others. Making sure I was to never talk with any of them. I, myself, was enough. Yet why…