sugawara x reader || never alone

Chapter 1.5: Different

edit: 2/16/21 pls i dont know why yall reading this, i suck at writing 
look away, rn

"H-huh?" I exclaimed quietly, hoping that they'd just turn away. I had been zoning out for only... 5 minutes. I checked my watch, praying that class would start soon. Dammit! I thought hopelessly. I still have 15 minutes! I just sat there, shaking in my seat while murmurs of who-knows-what about me cascaded across the classroom, until someone decided to speak up. His silver hair seemed to shine in response to the sunlight, his slightly awkward, but reassuring smile somehow put me at ease. I took a deep breath as he spoke.

"Hey. You're new here? I'm Sugawara Koushi," He said softly.

"Yeah," I said, my voice so low that it was nearly a whisper. "(L/n), (y/n). It's a pleasure."

"I'm sorry if this seems rude, but this is a third-year class. The first-years' are across the way. I can show them to you if you'd like."

Oh. So that's what it was about. I stopped shaking almost immediately, and gathered up my courage to say something in a normal, nonchalant tone. "No, that's fine. I'd prefer staying in the class that I actually enrolled in."

I winced and realized how rude it sounded. I paused frantically, getting up and bowing profusely, causing everyone to look at me.

"I'm so sorry! That sounded so mean!" I exclaimed, embarrassment causing my ears and cheeks to heat up.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Sugawara said calmly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"Settle down, class is beginning," The teacher said. I sat down again, the silver-haired boy sitting down quickly at the seat beside me. I watched heads turn towards the teacher almost immediately. Sighing in relief, I got out my notebook and pencil, trying the best that I could to forget everything that had just happened.

That was when I realized just how different I was from the rest of the class. I had skipped a couple of grades in elementary, and started school at a younger age than most. This caused me to be around two years younger than most students in my class. Great...! I thought to myself sarcastically. So not only am I different both socially and emotionally, but I  am different in looks, height, and age, too! I stopped as I realized that I was only making myself worse. I mumbled "stop it," a couple of times to keep myself grounded, causing a couple more head turns in my direction.

Agh!! Now they all think that you're insane or something! I scolded myself. Why can't I just be normal...?! I began to get lost in thought once again, occasionally face-palming while revisiting the many times in my life that I had made a fool out of myself. I jolted upright when Sugawara nudged me anxiously.

"Wha..." I looked up in confusion, shivering at the sight of my teacher glaring at me disappointedly. Shoot! She's doing roll!

"I'll say it again before I mark you as absent. (L/n) (y/n)."

"H...here!" I squeaked. Soft laughter erupted from my classmates as I buried my face in my hands. Thankfully, I realized, not everyone laughed. Some just looked completely bewildered at the fact that I actually went to a third-year class. Great job at first impressions, (y/n)...

For the rest of the class, I half-listened as I worried about what I'd do for lunch. It'd be embarrassing to sit by myself...

That's when it hit me! The perfect idea! I remembered reading about the campus once. They mentioned something about a volleyball court. I could probably sit outside of there. I'm not athletic and I don't think I've ever played, but just the sound of the spikes and bounces of the ball and squeaking of the shoes put me at ease. And the thing I needed most at that point was to be calm. But... not only did it calm me. It reminded me of... her.

The bell ringing was music to my ears. As I started to grab my things to head over to the gym, something caught my eye. That one dude... Sugawara? I was sure he's popular or something because he seemed to be followed by a couple of tall, strong guys as soon as class ended. I changed my view from people to the gym and made a beeline for the steps in front of the metal doors.

Once I sat down, I decided I wasn't hungry, so I pulled out my book and read as I walked.

I loved fiction, fantasy, and romance novels. Some may call me a nerd, but I feel like reading books makes you quite the opposite. It made me want to explore possibilities that I never knew existed. It made my brain have a whole different type of adventure-seeking adrenaline. Fiction and romance contained things I would probably never attain in life. Like flying, or... true love. I had no idea that a single page could contain so many emotions on it, that a single mark can change my entire view on life. That a single word can help me build up... or cause me to break down.

Some people may call the way that I think about things "weird," but I know that I am not. That I am just unique. Although my mindset is stable, I know for a fact that it is still penetrable. Like I had said earlier. A single word can change everything.

"Neither of us is weird. It's just the way we are."

I remember that quote clearly. It had meant so much to me when my mom had said it to comfort me when I was being bullied.

Apparently it was from a WEBTOON lol.

Well, anyway, my points were that being different isn't a bad thing.

Because I am different.

And look where I am now.

I was so deep in sappy, cliche, fanfiction-worthy thought, zoning out while sitting on the concrete steps leading to a gym, that I yelped rather loudly when a familiar silver-haired boy with a volleyball squatted to meet my eye level.

"...Sugawara-san?"

a/n: sorry if anything seems cliche or corny or if they seem OOC*,, its my first fanfic so you can give me advice, I don't mind!!

*out of character :P