Somewhere in the Middle - An Ayushiki Fanfiction

Chapter 6 - While you were out...

{Ayumi}
It was my duty as class rep to make sure the class and everyone in it were doing well. I had seen Kishinuma walk in sort of like a zombie today. Maybe school, his work and karaoke all at once wasn't such a good idea for him. He eventually got up and left. I wondered if he was ok. I raised my hand and asked the teacher if I could go check on him; since it's my job. She agreed and let me go after him. Thank god I did! He was practically about to collapse! I caught him right before he hit the ground and dragged him to the nurse's office. If this was all too much then why didn't he just stay home for the day?

After setting him down on the couch, I subconsciously started humming a tune. Whenever I couldn't sleep, Hinoe would come into my room and hum it for me. I was surprised to see that he was out for the count within seconds! Damn he must've been really tired to fall asleep that quickly. I just sat there, watching him. I planned to just bring him to the nurse and leave him with her, but she wasn't here. Where was she avoiding her job? I couldn't just leave him there alone so I waited for the nurse to return. I took out my phone, not knowing what else to do and just browsed through social media while waiting. From time to time, I looked up and at Yoshiki. He was such a peaceful sleeper. In a way, he even looked kind of cute... I immediately shot up. "What am I thinking?" I whisper-shouted to myself, slapping my hands to my face. I gathered my things and turned away. I quickly exited the door and rushed back to class. Yoshiki? Cute? Those two words shouldn't have been used in the same sentence; I made a mistake. Getting back to class, I took my seat. Everyone had stopped and watched me take my seat; even Satoshi. Seeing him made me forget what I had just thought about Kishinuma. I just smiled and stared at him from my desk as the teacher continued on with her lesson. I wondered why I had even been thinking about Kishinuma in the first place. Maybe Satoshi and Naomi really WERE trying to brainwash me into liking him. Ugh, note to self: Stay away from Kishinuma as much as possible so as not to get brainwashed further.

"So how was Kishinuma-kun~" Naomi asked all too curiously after class. I shrugged and just said he fell asleep quickly. I left out the part where I caught him in the hallway, and left out all my inner thoughts. I couldn't let her think her stupid conditioning me to like Kishinuma plan was working. Next week was the dance and my goal was to get closer with Mochida-kun! I needed to keep that goal in mind from now on.

"So you left him with the nurse?" Satoshi asked me. I told him that she wasn't there; no use in lying. He suggested the three of us pass by to see if the nurse came back. She didn't. I don't even know how she gets paid; I never see her actually doing her job. Yoshiki was still laying there, peacefully sleeping. Looking at him now, I don't understand how the word 'cute' even crossed my mind as a description for him. I gazed at Satoshi; now he WAS cute! It was cute how he was always scared by my ghost stories before Heavenly Host! I loved seeing him get super scared. It was an interesting side of him in my opinion; you could call it his cute and vulnerable side. I wanted to see him make those expressions again! I wanted to go back to those times....but I gave up charms and ghost stories since the 'Sachiko Ever After' horrors. I didn't dare even look up anymore just for myself.

The bell rang for the next period and we were off. I stood extra close to Mochida, smiling. I don't know what it was, but just being near him was comforting. I then got another flash; hearing Suzume go splat from the infirmary. I felt like screaming, but I was in school. My breathing sped up; why now? Why did I have to get one of these stupid flashes now? When would they stop? I stopped and fell to the floor. I could here Nakashima and Mochida calling my name, but I felt far away. The memories were so vivid; as if I were still actually in Heavenly Host. I came back to within a few minutes and finally had to tell those two the truth about my random flashes.

{Satoshi}
As we headed to our next period, Shinozaki stopped. Naomi and I turned back to see what was wrong and saw her start to breathe heavy and quickly. She fell to the ground and started screaming.

"Shinozaki! Wake up! Shinozaki!" I bent down and shook her, but she looked at us as if we were insane. Naomi put her hand on Shinozaki's shoulder, but she pushed it off and closed her eyes screaming again.

Teachers came over, but none of us could get a response out of her. What was happening? Was she having some sort of mental breakdown or could it be....? I hoped that's not was she was thinking of! "SHINOZAKI!" I yelled at her, trying again to wake her up from her thoughts. She stopped screaming and looked up at me. A terrified expression remained on her face, but I knew she was back. I stood up and helped her to her feet.

"What happened class rep?" Naomi asked, concerned. Ayumi grabbed our hands and I could feel her trembling. She looked around, seeing all the concerned teachers and looked really embarrassed and uncomfortable, yet her fear was all I could sense.
"Would you like to talk about it Shinozaki-san?" I heard the guidance counselor ask. Ayumi nodded, but didn't look at her.

"But only with Mochida-kun and Nakashima-san." Everyone backed away from us. We went outside to get more privacy. We found a nice spot in the school gardens and talked. Ayumi explained her flashes and loss of control when they happened. Why hadn't she told us this sooner? Things must've been so much harder with those flashes randomly coming on when she least expected it. I also wondered why she had to be the only one to experience these flashes. I couldn't see inside her head so it was hard to level with her.

"Did you see Seiko in any of them....?" Naomi asked with glossy eyes. She really missed Seiko. Naomi had come to school the week after Heavenly Host, but then stopped coming for a while. It hurt to see her in so much pain as she tried explaining to people how Seiko was real. They all thought she was crazy and her mom was trying to force what Naomi described as 'anti-insanity' pills down her throat. Naomi eventually just gave up and admitted that Seiko wasn't real to everyone, everyone except those who knew of her existence. When she was with us few, she let out the tears she had been holding back from everyone who didn't remember. Naomi may only have taken about 4 weeks off from school, but it felt like an eternity. I missed her so much while she was gone....but whenever I'd go by to visit her, I'd hear yelling, then turn away and just go home.

"A few...." Shinozaki responded, looking down. A few tears rolled down Naomi's cheeks. She grabbed the class rep and the two held each other crying.

After a while, we headed back inside. I wondered how we'd explain this all to Yoshiki, who was probably still out cold. All I knew is that it wouldn't be summarized in a sentence.

Kishinuma hadn't attended any classes since the morning. The last bell rang and I headed to see if he was awake yet. He couldn't sleep at school at night! I gathered my things and headed over to see he was awake, but groggy. He probably just woke up.
"Satoshi?" He faced me, wiping his eyes and looking a little more alert.
"Did you have a good nap?" I asked. Still dazed, he looked at his phone to see the time.
"I've been out a while... What happened?" Yoshiki asked, his eyes glued to his phone screen.

"Well, while you were out..."

A/N: First off, I do NOT own Corpse Party or any of its characters and this work is purely fictional. Any events similar to actual events (or other fanfics) are only coincidental. Other than that sorry it took so long to upload this chapter; school, tests, projects ugh. And then I had writer's block for the longest time but inspiration is back ^.^ other than that, mid terms and finals finished this week so woop! I'll work on the next part A.S.A.P. Oh and lastly, ALMOST 1K READS? :O That's awesome!