Beep Beep Beep
Saturday, March 25th, 8:00am, Kyoyota Arianagi rolled out of bed, and walked over to his desk to shut off his alarm. He went to his closet and got changed into his old junior high school uniform - black shoes, white slacks, a white button-up, red tie, and a red suit jacket. Although he told himself that he was never going to wear this uniform again, after graduating just earlier this month, he had nothing better to wear to his high school entrance exam. Walking out of his room he went to the bathroom to fix his messy black hair, then went downstairs to get breakfast.
The house was eerily quiet, his mother was gone on a business trip, his step-father was at work, and his step-sister was probably still asleep in her room, lastly, the household maid was probably running to get groceries.
Despite knowing that most of the people were gone, he still felt constrained wanting to leave the house already. After opening the fridge, he pulled out leftovers from the night before, chicken and rice with an egg on top. This was his breakfast.
After eating, he brushed his teeth, then left, locking the door behind him. Kyoyota Arianagi then briskly walked over to the train station and left towards Hanabira high school. This private high school was a thirty five minute travel from his home. Five minutes to the station, twenty five minute train ride, and another five minute walk from the station. After arriving, Kyoyota Arianagi walked into the school, found the classroom where he would be taking the test, classroom 2B, went and sat down. Kyoyota sat in the center of the classroom, row 2, seat 8, at 9:55am.
Laying face down on top of his desk was the exam sheet. Kyo closed his eyes trying to remain calm as sweat started pouring from his forehead and his breath became heavier. Doing all that he could to still his nerves, but that did not stop his anxiety from running wild.
At 10:00am, he heard those dreadful words,
"Begin!" The testing instructor said this loud enough that no student in the room could have possibly misheard him.
Kyo flipped the exam over and his eyes quickly scanned every question on the first page to the point that the questions became a blur. He felt as though he could die from how much anxiety was placed on him to pass this test. Taking a deep breath he thought back to two weeks before the exam.
"Kyo! You're late!"
"I know I'm sorry Kimori," he said, feeling a sense of dread as he sat down at his desk coming back from grabbing school lunch. With him he brought over two egg sandwiches and then sat in a square with three of his classmates. Around Kyo were the twins Kimori and Himori Tora, and their middle school's all-around ace Goda Ota. As they ate their lunches they talked about the next chapter of their lives.
"So, we are all applying to Hanabira high huh?" Kimori said shocked that everyone in the group was aiming for the highest school in Tokyo.
"I suppose it's kind of funny that the top four students of this school are going to Hanabira," Himori added with an air of confidence as if having no doubts everyone in the room could get into the school.
"Yeah well, there is no guarantee we will all get in," Goda said bluntly, dampening Himori's confidence.
"We don't want to hear that from someone who got a scholarship and doesn't have to take the exam from hell," Himori retorted back.
"You're the only person I am worried about Kyo, after all, you have the most riding on this and you're the only one of us here with test anxiety." It was Goda who hit the nail on the head, but the other two were secretly thinking the same thing. This memory played in Kyoyota's head as he remembered why he was here and what it means if he fails. Kyo quickly snapped back to his senses and began to furiously answer the questions, barely finishing the exam in time.
"The exam is now over! We will now come around and collect them, once we grab your paper you're free to leave the testing center." The proctor announced.
When Kyo's exam was picked up he closed his eyes and stretched his arms. The moment the test was taken from his desk his anxiety was pretty much gone. I've done all I could, is what he thought to himself.
When Kyo opened his eyes he saw a person standing above him, this person was probably the only person in the whole building to not be in school uniform, in fact, he was as far off as you can get from the school dress code. With his crazy blond almost yellow spiked hair, a diamond earring on his right ear with a dark blue letter "H" within the diamond, wearing a light-blue plaid shirt with dark blue jeans, and a chain connected from a belt loop to his pocket. The person standing before Kyo was Kimori, the eldest of the Tora twins.
"Yo," he said.
"Huh I didn't know you were here Kimori. How do you think you did."
"I aced it, of course, you?"
"I passed by the skin of my teeth, I'd say."
"Well enough about the exam, wanna go get lunch?"
"Oh, uh, sure I guess."
"'I guess' and here I thought we were friends Kyo."
"I didn't mean it like that! I just didn't plan on it, and thought I could go home and sleep."
"Haha sounds like you, speaking of, if you passed, when are you moving?"
"The day I get told I got accepted I am out of there," Kyo said with gusto as he stood from his testing chair and began to walk with Kimori out of the building. They decided to go to a local maid cafe that Kimori frequented. It was a hobby of his, to visit maid cafes after tests and badminton games as a way of destressing.
"Hiii! How can I serve you, masters, today?" A rather cute, long black haired girl in a maid outfit said in what felt like the most anime voice you can think of.
"I would like my usual please, just tell the cook Kimori is here, as for my anxiously tired friend here, a large melon soda with a strawberry crepe please."
The girl looked to Kyo for confirmation to which he just nodded. Kimori and Kyo have known one another for three years now, and he knows Kyo's preferences in food. The two of them sat near the back of the establishment waiting for their food.
"Thank you for ordering for me," Kyo said with a slight bow towards Kimori.
"No problem," Kimori said, dismissing the whole interaction. He then narrowed his eyes and said "now can I ask a serious question?"
"You really like putting your nose where it doesn't belong, but sure go ahead." Kyo said with some reluctance knowing where this conversation was headed.
"What does your mother think of the move?"
This question was referring to the event that occurred three months prior to today. Kyoyota Arianagi got into an argument with his mother over dinner about wanting to quit music. Music is her life's work, her job, the thing she has done for more years than Kyo has been alive.
When she heard that her only son wanted no part in it, she felt like she had been slapped in the face. Kyo announced this in front of his mother, step-father, and aunt. The outcome was reasonable, Kyo got slapped across the face and was called the second most disappointing thing in her life - next to that of his father.
His aunt stopped her sister from going any further and made Kyo an offer. If he can get into Hanabari high he can live in one of her apartment complexes, which would make the commute easier and would get him out of his mother's house.
That is what was riding on passing this exam. Succeed and get to live alone and be free from the shackles of his mother, fail and have the mental abuse and shackles remain. It was a simple choice really. In the end, Kyo told the events that took place that night to three people, Kimori being one of them.
"I… I don't know. Sorry." Kyo said, a little embarrassed.
"What do you mean? Have you not talked to your mom about it any more than that day?" Kimori said this with a puzzled look and the voice of someone who had just been tazed.
"Nope, I haven't really talked to her since that day, I think she is waiting to see my results."
Kimori gave a small sigh and let his immediate surprise turn into a more solemn voice. "To not talk to your own mom for three whole months… I can't even imagine that, but Kyo, I do wish you the best of luck going forward."
"Well, we will see one another in Hanabira, hopefully, so same to you," Kyo said with a slight smile.
Kimori was about to respond to that "hopefully" bit, but was interrupted by the cute maid worker."Uhhh, sorry to interrupt masters, but here is your food," The maid said, feeling bad that she overheard most of this conversation.
Kimori received an omelet, chicken sandwich, a peach crepe, and his own melon soda and the two items Kyo wanted. There was a handful of stuff for her to set down. As she laid out everything, Kimori's attitude instantly switched from sentimental curiosity to pure excitement, less about the food, but mostly because the new cute maid was in his presence.
Kimori tried to get a good look in, but Kyo flicked some whipped cream on his shirt to distract him and said to the maid "sorry about him, he really is a good guy, you're good to get back to work, thank you." She nodded and began to walk away … quickly.
"What the hell man!"
"Hehe, sorry Kimori, hand slipped."
"DUDE!!!"
"Anyway, are you going to continue to play badminton with Himori?"
"Yeah we will try it out at Hanabira, but I am not sure if we will continue to the end of high school or not. According to our teachers, we have to start thinking about the future, and I have no intention of going pro like Hiro does."
"The future huh?" Kyo threw his free career as a musician out the window, but that was all he was ever taught, so he hadn't given anything past high school any thought at all. This weighed on him heavily and it showed as he started to wrinkle his face.
"We still have three years, so don't burst a brain vesicle Kyo."
"I'll try not to."
"A change of subject as I am bored of talking seriously, did you hear they are opening up a new maid cafe close to here?"
"No I haven't."
"Yeah, and to kick things off, they are doing a stamp rally. After your sixth visit, you get a free meal and a photo taken with you and a maid of your choice. I cannot wait!"
Kyo was the only person Kimori could be this open and honest with about stuff like this since not only did he not judge him, but would occasionally go with him. Kyo smiled and asked, "when do they open?
"April 7th, I think"
"I probably won't go since I will be getting used to life in high school, but you have fun Kimori."
"Right I will." Kimori said with a smile. The two finished their meals and then went their separate ways, waving goodbye marching in opposite directions. Kimori turned back and yelled "See you at Hanabira!" Kyo yelled back "same to you."
…
After taking the train for twenty five minutes from Shibuya station back to Shinjuku station Kyo heard a loud voice in the distance slightly muffled by the sound of foot traffic in the station.
"Kyo!!!!" Hiro loudly announced when he saw Kyo walking over to the exit so he could go back home.
Kyo quickly turned and saw Hiro running towards him with his bright pink hair swaying in the station and his blue tracksuit flapping loudly as he ran over. Hiro stopped in front of Kyo, not even breaking a sweat from running, "how did the exam go?"
The two talked over how he felt about the exam and plans for the future as they walked over to Kyo's family's place. The conversation felt eerily similar to Kyo's previous conversation with Kimori.
As they began to approach the house, Kyo asked Hiro a question, "next week would you like to come and see the results with me when they get posted?" What Kyo was really saying was please come with me Hiro, I am terrified to see the results!! Or something to that effect. Hiro smiled and said "of course my man!" The two then parted ways.
Kyo walked into the house, the door was unlocked which meant someone was home, but the house itself felt cold and no lights were on. Kyo took a deep breath and went to the second floor of the house and then went down the hall and to the left into his room.
The moment the door was shut, he dropped his bag, and laid on his bed. Kyo didn't even have time to change into house wear or check his phone before passing out from his exhausting day.