[Y/N] didn't know which was funnier, the way her educator tried to use modern terms to explain science or the fact she was playing Pokémon on a DSi while he discussed the theory of evolution. She almost snorted loudly when he said humans could have evolved from a chimpanzee.

    Honestly, she was more ecstatic about her neighbor being the same blue-eyed student from her English class. [Y/N] sneaked a glance to her right and saw him casually writing notes in his notebook, as if not realizing she existed. She turned back to her DSi and clicked A so her Pichu could evolve into a Pikachu.

    "Now we will go over the homework I assigned last night," the teacher said, gathering the answer key in his hands. "I'll go down the rows, so each of you will answer."

    [Y/N] suppressed the most disgusted face she can when she realized she didn't do the assignment. She usually got away with missing assignments, but now that the whole class is expected to answer, she's screwed.

    He started from the opposite side of the classroom, going down the rows and correcting the answers that were said wrong. Some students asked for an explanation, stalling the teacher for a bit before he moved on.

    "Haruka," he said upon coming to [Y/N]'s neighbor.

    Haruka, meaning spring, flower, or fragrance.

    No other name suited him more perfectly to her.

    "H2O," the answered rolled off his tongue. His voice wasn't too deep or high in pitch, but just the way [Y/N] pictured it to be.

    "No, look at the question again." The teacher walked over to his desk and took a look at his paper.

    After skimming through his answers, he sighed deeply. "You answered every question with H2O."

    Haruka looked confused, as if he was certain all of his answers were correct. [Y/N]'s face dropped and a look of disappointment clouded her face. The bell rang before he was able to correct himself.

    She was relieved that she didn't even get to answer a question.

    "[Y/N], Haruka, stay after for a bit."

    Her heart stopped.

    Did something happen?

    Did he figure out she didn't do her homework?

    Haruka casually flipped his bag over his shoulder and strolled over to the teacher's desk.

    How come she can't be that cool?

    [Y/N] quietly followed and stood shyly next to the tall student. He seemed short compared to the teacher, but he was a good half a foot taller than her.

    "Both of you are endanger of failing my class," her educator started.

    She died on the inside.

    [Y/N]'s screwed, her current lifestyle is screwed, her Pokemon are screwed--

    "But I'm willing to allow extra credit."

    She internally felt herself being spared.

    "You two are to collaborate on a project, on any topic relevant to science. This doesn't mean let one do all the work-- no, you both have to provide the necessary information on your topic."

    [Y/N] glanced over at Haruka next to her. She silently squealed.

    "...and it's due two weeks from now."

    The teacher crossed his arms and looked down at his students, "Beware, the person next to you could be the reason you fail or pass."





    [Y/N] drummed her fingers against a wooden surface, the small sound becoming louder due to the endless silence. Haru, the guy whom she had the liberty to call him that, sat across from her during lunch.

    While the usual banter happened around them, the pair were quiet, waiting for the other to speak. [Y/N] fidgeted with the end of her pencil and occasionally chewed on it.

    She constantly glanced over at Haru, but every time she did he would stare at his bento. Strangely, all that was in there was cooked mackerel and white rice- and that ratio was three to one.

    [Y/N] leaned her chin on her fist and looked at him, confused. She knew he was normally a quiet type, but was it really this bad? To the point where even saying hello seemed awkward?

    However, she has seen this before-- yep, several times. Except not in real life of course, because nothing happened in her life up until this moment. Her own true source of knowledge is video games, and what better life simulation is better than otome games? [Y/N] played a ton of these so it should be easy.

Should [Y/N]:

A) Start up a casual conversation

B) Mention their science project

C) Continue to sit there quietly

    She put on a thinking pose, and stared at Haru as he continued to eat silently.

    "So Haru," his name sounded foreign on her tongue. "What did you want to do for the research paper?"

    [Y/N] was proud to hear that her voice didn't shake or stutter-- actually, she was proud she was able to say anything at all.

    He looked at her in response, his eyes dull and lip line straight as a ruler. He looked like he was staring into her soul and plotting for world domination.

    She gulped loudly, "Y-You know, the one w-we were just assigned." She pulled on the collar of her shirt nervously. Oh how she wished she had her legendary Speech Skill in Skyrim.

    "H2O," he said.

    Then, Haru returned to eating his mackerel.

    [Y/N] was dumbfounded by the small talk that occurred in front of her. She had one of the moments where she wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

    The day continued with her having the very same face throughout the remaining hours of the school day. In the classes she had with Haru, she found that he paid no attention to her and focused on his work.

    Right up until that very last ring of the bell, [Y/N] said nothing and did nothing. She even stared blankly at the pair of shoes she put in her locker before exiting the building.

    When she exited the school through the main doors, walking along the path she normally takes to get home. There was a shortcut in between the side of the track course and the tree line that she always took, so she headed in that direction.

    There was a cluster of students outside the school, organizing after school meet-ups or clubs. [Y/N] wasn't a part of any clubs or clique of friends.  

    [Y/N] looked up at the pale blue sky and breathed in a fresh breath of air. It was moments like these where being alone is always better. It was just her and the sky, the one chunk of earth that can see everything she says and does. Not only does it sound creepy, but in reality, that was her.

    She was the person who witnesses and sees a lot of things, but never experiences it personally. Does that mean she is also creepy in a sense? If so, than her and the sky are similar in one way.

    "If only I was way up there, huh?"

    She outstretched her hand towards the sky, but quickly pulled it away.

    [Y/N] shook her head, "Stop, you're being cheesy."

    She continued walking down the beaten path on the other side of the school. A strange smell hit her noise as she neared the track course.

    She stopped for a second. Was that chlorine?

    [Y/N] resumed her pace but distant sounds started appearing along with a strange scent. It sounded like splashing and bodies hitting against water.

    She heard of students petitioning for a swimming team, but did they actually manage to fix the pool and start up the team so quickly?

    "Haru, get out of the pool. The chlorine levels aren't right yet."

    She looked through the fence of the pool and saw a figure stop after pressing his fingers against the wall. He drew himself up to the surface and threw off the cap he wore to conceal his hair.

    [Y/N] almost choked, but managed to hold herself together for a few more seconds.

    Haru threw off his goggles and stared into the water beneath him. His eyes were a lighter shade of blue than the ones she saw earlier today. He looked over across the pool and through the fence at the one girl that was their only audience.

    They locked eyes for a few moments. [Y/N] wanted to see her reflection in this type of blue, a blue that reflected the water and his time of freedom.

    She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she turned away, continuing up the trail.

 

    [Y/N] slammed open the door to her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. She threw her pillow across the room angrily and punched against the mattress. She face-planted into the pillow and stayed there until she calmed down.

    "Hey honey," she heard her dad yell, "Do you want to try out the new recipe I found?"

    "Is it burnt?"

    "Well-- it is a little black."

    "No thanks!" [Y/N] tried replying nicely, but it probably turned into something rude.

    She flipped over and stared at her bedroom ceiling. Her mind replayed the swishing sound of the waves and the figure that glided across the water. Her ceiling fan created a beat that the waves followed as they splashed against the edges of the concrete.

    [Y/N] shook her head, as if dismissing the thought, and then sighed.

    She took out her Nintendo DSi from her bag and opened it up to the screen she left it at. She stared at her avatar for several seconds before exiting to the home screen of the game. [Y/N]'s pointer finger hovered over the reset buttons until she finally clicked it, thus erasing all of her saved data.

    When she restarted the game, a man greeted her on the screen, explaining the world of Pokémon. [Y/N] repeated pressed A until he disappeared, then she entered her gender and the name of her avatar.

    She played all that way until she was forced to select one of three starter Pokémon, a fire one, a grass one, or a water one. The selector was pointing towards one that looked like a lizard with a flame on its tail. The creatures next to it were a walking flower blossom and a blue turtle.

    [Y/N] thought for a little, but then settled with the turtle(which was called Squirtle). The screen asked her if she wanted to nickname the Pokémon or not, and she accepted. The high schooler found out that the Squirtle was a male, and pondered over what to call him.

    Her fingers typed 'Haruka' without her knowing, but she smiled.