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The next day, Zul and Hikaru walked together after returning from the batting center.
"This is so refreshing, and I'm glad I managed to hit more balls than yesterday, but it's still not good enough. I want to improve until I can hit all the balls like you did," Hikaru said.
"Oh, is that a challenge from you to me?" Zul asked.
"Wait, did I say it like I was challenging you?" Hikaru replied.
"No, of course not; I just wanted to tease you," Zul said.
"What's that for, Zul?" Hikaru chuckled. "Do you want to become like Shimizu too?"
"I think so," replied Zul. Both of them laughed at the shared joke.
Meanwhile, in her quiet room, Shimizu sat at her desk writing her novel script when fatigue overtook her.
Geez, this summer break... I was supposed to enjoy it by going on vacation like Mizuha and Eri. But why am I stuck with this work? she complained.
That Editor-san... why does she suddenly want this script so early? Couldn't she have waited until the summer break ended first? she said with a sigh.
"Achoo!" She sneezed.
Am I catching a cold? she thought, pressing her palm against her forehead.
No, I'm not, she confirmed. Maybe it's just dust.
No, it feels like someone is talking about me, right? I think I know who it is, right, Hikaru...she thought, her gaze serious.
Never mind; I'd better finish this before my editor yells at me.
Back with Hikaru and Zul, both of them suddenly felt a chill and got goosebumps.
"What is this? Why do I suddenly feel cold?" Hikaru said.
"Yeah, it's giving me goosebumps," Zul replied.
Both Hikaru and Zul thought, I bet she’s glaring at us right now.
Then Zul spoke up. "By the way, it's the opposite of what you said yesterday. Yesterday you said I should invite you when I go there, but today it's the opposite. Looks like you're starting to get interested in batting."
"Nah, it's not like that; I just enjoyed it. It's so boring there alone, so that's why I invited you today. It's a good activity to pass the time during this break," Hikaru explained.
"Yes, you're right about that," Zul agreed.
As they walked forward, they stopped and turned their gaze to the dead-end alley on their right.
"Zul, do you remember this place?" Hikaru asked.
"Yeah, I remember it; this place holds nostalgic moments for both of us," Zul replied.
"It reminds me of how our friendship began" Hikaru said.
His mind drifted back to his first day of junior high school 3 years ago.
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3 Years Ago...
Hikaru arrived at his junior high school in the family car. The driver stepped out and opened the door for him and his mother.
"We have arrived here, Oku-sama (Mistress), Hikaru-sama," he announced.
Nearby students whispered among themselves.
"Look at them, they must be from a rich family," one said. "Also look at their famous expensive car," added another.
"Mom, why are you here? You should go back home now; people are looking at us," Hikaru said, discomfort evident in his voice.
"Please wait a moment. I want to take a photo with you at the school entrance for your first day," his mother insisted, leading him to the entrance ceremony signboard. The family driver took their photo.
After taking the photo, his mother got back into the car. "Take care of yourself and watch your manners and attitude," she said from inside.
"Yes, I know. There's no need to worry," Hikaru assured her.
The car left, and Hikaru headed into the school grounds.
So this is my junior high school. It's quite bigger than my elementary school, and there are so many students here, he thought.
As he continued walking, he noticed a crowd gathering.
Why are so many students surrounding that area? Looked like they were having an argument, he observed.
"Hey, where are you looking while walking? Look what you did; you made my uniform dirty!" a third-year student shouted.
"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to suddenly bump into you. Please forgive me!" said a chubby girl with round glasses and twin black braids.
"You must pay for making my uniform dirty, or you'll get hurt," the older student threatened.
"Sorry, I don't have enough money. Please don't hurt me!" the girl trembled.
"What did you say?!" The senior raised his fist in anger.
The girl closed her eyes, but the punch never came. Hikaru had stepped in, catching the senior's fist mid-strike.
"Please wait a moment, senpai. Aren't you ashamed of wanting to hit a girl?" Hikaru asked calmly.
"Who are you? How dare you interrupt my business," the senior demanded.
"That's not important. She already apologized, so why are you trying to take her money?" Hikaru responded.
"Tch, this brat. How dare you talk to me like that? Take this!" The senior moved to strike again.
A teacher's voice cut through the tension. "Hey, what are you doing? Are you having a fight?"
"Damn, the teacher is here. This isn't good," the senior said, turning to run.
As he fled, he tripped and fell suddenly.
"Damn it, who did that?" he shouted, but found no culprit among the students walking past.
He left the area, limping slightly.
"Hey Eri, don't do things like that suddenly! What if he had found out?" Zul scolded.
"Sorry, sorry, it was my bad habit," Eri laughed lightly.
"Geez, even though you speak politely and your appearance looks so feminine now, there are some things you haven't changed yet," Zul said.
"Have you forgotten your promise to Arisa?" Eri's expression turned sad as she remembered their promise.
"Yes, that promise... you're right, I shouldn't act like that," said Eri
I’m supposed to act like onee-chan from now on, she thought.
"I'm sorry, Zul. I won't do that again. I'll be more careful," Eri said quietly.
"It's fine if you understand. That's enough. Let's walk into the school building, okay?" Zul said, placing his hand on Eri's head.
Meanwhile, Hikaru turned to the girl he had helped. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Thanks for helping me before," the chubby girl said.
"Don't worry, it's a small matter," Hikaru said, preparing to leave.
As she started walking away, the girl called out, "Um, can you tell me your name?"
"Takamiya Hikaru," he replied with a smile before continuing toward the school building.
After the entrance ceremony, all the students returned to their seats.
Hikaru searched for his assigned seat upon entering the classroom and found his name on the seating chart.
Found it! It's the second seat from the back, right by the window.
Ah, it's right in front of the main character's seat in anime, he thought.
Behind him sat Zul, who was staring out the window, lost in thought. Hikaru turned to face him.
Huh? This guy... is he a foreigner-student? Hikaru thought, noticing that Zul's face didn't look typically Japanese. Curious, Hikaru decided to speak to him in English. "Umm, hello?" he said.
Zul responded, "What is it? Do you need something?" He spoke fluent Japanese.
Huh? Does he just speaks Japanese fluently? Hikaru thought in surprise.
Zul noticed Hikaru's confusion.
" Stop looking at me like that. You must be thinking I'm a foreigner, right? It's fine; I've gotten used to it," he said nonchalantly.
How did he know? Hikaru thought, startled.
After a brief pause, Hikaru chuckled and said, "Haha, you caught me, huh?"
"Anyway, nice to meet you. I'm Hikaru. I hope we get along."
Zul replied flatly, “I’m Zul. Nice to meet you.”
He turned his gaze back to the window, ignoring Hikaru.
Geez, this guy isn't very friendly, Hikaru thought to himself and turned back to face the front.
Hikaru then noticed his female classmates whispering about him.
"Hey, do you see that? Is he the rich guy who came to school in that expensive car earlier?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"I also saw him protecting a girl from a delinquent senior after that."
"He looks cool."
They’re surely talking about me, Hikaru thought.
This is your fault, Mom. That’s why I didn’t want to come in the family car—it makes me stand out. I can walk on my own.
Hikaru looked around, trying to remember his classmates' faces. He noticed the blonde-haired girl sitting at the front.
What beautiful blonde hair, he thought.
Hikaru overheard another group of girls classmate whispering.
"Look at that girl, she's really cute and beautiful, right?"
"Yeah, with that blonde hair and her polite, feminine pose, she looks like a princess."
Then two more girls approached and said, "Hey you guys, don't be fooled by her appearance. Even though she looks cute, she's actually really boyish and used to get into fights."
"How do you know that?" one of the girls asked.
"Well, we went to the same elementary school," they replied. "If you don't believe us, just watch this."
They walked over to Eri.
"Hey, Eri, I mean Sakamoto-san! Looks like we're in the same school again."
"Yeah, I didn't expect to be classmates with you this time," one of them added.
"I'm glad to be in the same class with you guys," Eri said politely with a smile.
These two were in the same elementary school as me last year. I think they were in the class next door, and they were close friends with Kudo, Eri thought.
"By the way, what's up with your new look? Trying to be cute now? Weren't you more boyish before?"
"Yeah, it doesn't really suit you," they chuckled.
Eri tried to defend herself. "Actually, this is..."
These girls! Eri fumed inside.
Zul noticed what was happening. Wait, what did those girls try to do to Eri?
"Also, what's with all this polite talk and feminine behavior? Can you cut it out? It's really irritating."
"Are you trying to act like your late sister? You're not her. You're just faking it!" they laughed again.
How dare they make fun of me for that? I... I want to punch them right now, Eri thought, clenching her fists.
"Oh, you want to punch us? Go ahead. Let's see what our classmates think when you do," one of them provoked.
Eri's anger was bubbling up, but she held back, gripping her arm with both hands to control herself.
Wait, this isn't good. They're provoking Eri. Hold your anger, Eri. Today is just the first day for you to begin your new self. Don't let their provocation ruin it, thought Zul worriedly.
Suddenly, Eri remembered Zul's words from earlier in the morning: "Remember your promise to Arisa."
That's right... my promise to Onee-chan, Eri thought.
She released her fist, took a deep breath, and calmly spoke. "Sorry. I know you don't like me, but could you please stop saying things like that? It's not good, you know?"
"What did you just say?!" "Why aren't you being violent like before? Why don't you want to punch us like you did in elementary?" one of the girls snapped.
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to use violence anymore. It's not the right way to solve problems," Eri replied.
"What did you just say?!" one of the girls exclaimed. "This girl is really getting on our nerves." One of them raised her hand, ready to slap Eri. Eri closed her eyes in response.
A thick textbook flew through the air, causing them to stop in their tracks.
"Hey, what are you doing?! Are you insane?!" they shouted, upset.
Zul walked over to retrieve the book.
"Ah, sorry, my book slipped out of my hands. I was just testing how far it could fly," he said nonchalantly.
Zul... Eri thought, surprised.
"Wait, I know this guy. He used to fight with Kudo and beat him up before," one of the girls said.
" Yeah, he's that foreigner boy... is he in our class?" said another one.
"I see, you've heard about me," Zul said, glaring at them.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to mess with my beloved childhood friend?" he approached them.
"No, we... we didn't mean anything by it," one of the girls said, sounding scared.
"You better leave her alone, or you'll find out what happens next," Zul warned them with a glare.
"This isn't good. He's really strong," one of them whispered. "Let's just go back to our seats."
"Eri, are you alright?" Zul asked.
"I'm fine, but that really surprised me. Thank you, Zul," Eri said.
"Sorry I acted so suddenly. If I had thrown the book wrong, it might have hit you instead," Zul apologized.
"It must be hard for you, running into people from our old school like them," said Zul.
"Yes, I never expected them to be our classmates too," said Eri.
"Anyway, you did well earlier, managing to hold your anger. Good job," he added, putting his hand on Eri's head.
"Zul, stop it! It's so embarrassing; everyone is looking at us," Eri said, her face reddening
"Well, it was thanks to your words this morning. I suddenly remembered them," Eri replied.
"Yes, that was our promise to her," Zul said softly.
From his seat, Hikaru watched them with surprise.
Whoa, is that girl his childhood friend? I never expected that; he was protecting her earlier, Hikaru thought.
Suddenly, Eri remembered what that girl had said to her before: Are you trying to act like your late sister? You're not her. You're just faking it!
What did they mean by 'I'm just faking it'? Eri thought. Am I not good enough to become like Onee-chan was? I must keep working hard from now on to become like Onee-chan.
After Zul returned to his seat, Hikaru turned his chair around to face him.
"Wow, what was that? I never expected you to act like that! And I had no idea she was your childhood friend. You looked really cool back there," Hikaru said, amazed.
Zul stayed silent at Hikaru’s words.
"Hey, say something! Don't ignore me," Hikaru protested.
"No, it's not like that," Zul replied. "I'm not used to talking when I'm around new people. Sorry."
I see, so that’s why he was silent with me earlier—he’s not unfriendly, just not used to talking to new people yet. I misunderstood him," Hikaru thought to himself.
Just then, their homeroom teacher entered the classroom to begin their first session.
"Ah, Sensei is here. We'll talk later, Zul. I hope we can be friends soon,” said Hikaru, smiling as he turned his chair to face the front.
Zul was taken aback. "It's been a while since I heard someone say that to me, besides Arisa and Eri. Everyone usually avoids me because my face doesn't look Japanese, but he's different," he thought.
After a few days passed, Hikaru continued trying to get closer to Zul. Most of the time, he kept quiet, simply smiling and nodding while listening to Hikaru talk. Gradually, Zul began to accept Hikaru as his friend.
This guy isn't so bad, Zul thought to himself.
He's trying so hard to connect with me. I can see he really wants to become friends. Well, I'd better try to get along with him from now on.
"Hey Zul, are you listening? Geez, why are you spacing out all of a sudden?” Hikaru asked.
"Ah, sorry. Please continue" Zul replied.
After a moment, Hikaru asked, "There's something I've been wondering about. Why are you always so concerned about Sakamoto? I can see you really care about her."
Zul replied, "Oh, that. It's because I made a promise to someone to protect her... in their place."
"I see. Is this person really that important to you?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes, it was important," Zul said quietly.
"I see” Hikaru replied.
“Then, can you tell me more about this person later? I'm really curious to know about it," he added.
"Sure... I'll tell you someday," Zul replied.
At the same time, Eri was returning from the toilet and entering the classroom when she tripped and fell.
Hikaru immediately approached her to help. "Sakamoto-san, are you okay? Let me help you," he said.
"Th…ank you… I’m… okay," Eri stammered.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please excuse me," Eri apologized in a shy tone.
She got up on her own without needing Hikaru's help.
"Sakamoto-san...," said Hikaru.
Zul froze, shocked as he watched Eri, then thought,
Did my eyes deceive me? Why is Eri acting like that? She looked more clumsy, shy, and reserved. What actually happened to her?
Zul walked over to Eri’s seat and asked her, "Eri, are you alright? Sorry I didn't help you earlier."
"Don't worry about me, I just tripped, it didn't hurt at all, thanks to Takamiya-kun for helping me earlier," Eri said politely, unlike the way she had spoken to Hikaru just now.
Huh, she can talk normally with me. This is so strange, thought Zul.
"Eri, if something's on your mind, please tell me, okay? I'm ready to help you."
"Thank you, Zul, but don't worry about me.
"There's nothing wrong with me," Eri said, smiling.
Zul then left Eri's seat and returned to his own. As he sat down, Hikaru pushed his chair back to face Zul.
"Hey Zul, does Sakamoto-san seem scared of me? She apologized earlier—did I do something wrong?" Hikaru asked, feeling guilty.
"Don't worry about it, you did nothing wrong to her. Don't feel so down. Anyway, thanks for helping her, I appreciate it," Zul replied.
Eri, what are you actually hiding from me? thought Zul, concerned about her.
After all, I'm not faking being like my sister...right? thought Eri.
Arisa/Onee-chan... What should I do? thought both Zul and Eri at the same time.
As days passed, everyone grew accustomed to junior high.
Hikaru made more friends easily, chatting with others easily due to his good social skills. Everyone often came to him for help with various things.
His good looks and family wealth drew the attention of many female classmates.
Meanwhile, Zul chose to be a lone wolf, mostly staying with Eri because he was concerned about her changes.
He spent most of his time at school with Eri; being with her felt nostalgic and reminded him of his time with the late Arisa during their elementary school years.
Even though Hikaru and Zul had different personalities and social skills, Hikaru still considered Zul his close friend compared to others. He often talked to Zul, sharing interesting things, new experiences, and even personal problems. Zul never got bored of hearing Hikaru's stories.
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To be continued………..Part 2
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