It was the second day of school, the actual beginning, and I felt exhausted. The lack of sleep clung to me like a heavy blanket, making it a challenge to get out of bed.
As I reluctantly made my way out of the house, I checked my phone and was met with a surprise: three missed calls from Ichika, with the most recent one just a couple of minutes ago. I quickly called her back.
"Hello?" I mumbled, my voice laced with grogginess.
"Kenji!" Ichika's voice was filled with urgency.
"W-what?" I stammered.
"Come to the train station, or you'll miss it! You have 10 minutes!" Her words hit me like an adrenaline rush.
I hadn't even realized that I was running late. Normally, I'd be at the station at least five minutes before the train's arrival. "I'll just get a taxi. I can't run that fast," I replied, my sleepiness still lingering.
"You don't want us to sit together?" Ichika's voice took on a sarcastic tone, as if she urged us to sit together.
"Ahhhhhhh, I-I'll try to run," I mumbled, my embarrassment clear in my response.
After ending the call, I took a deep breath and began my morning at a rapid pace. I dashed through the streets, my legs carrying me as fast as they could. People around me gave me strange looks, probably thinking I was some kind of eccentric athlete.
Reaching the train station, I hurried down the stairs and spotted the train doors, wide open. I sprinted towards them, but just as I was about to make it, the doors began to close. "No!" I gasped, realizing that I couldn't make a scene by forcing myself in.
Then, as if in answer to my silent plea, the doors unexpectedly reopened, revealing Ichika standing there.
"Kenji! You made it!" she exclaimed, a hint of relief in her voice.
I panted heavily, trying to catch my breath. "Barely," I replied, my words coming out between breaths.
"It's your fault for waking up late. Do I need to wake you up every morning?" Ichika's voice held a hint of playfulness.
"Of course not," I mumbled, my thoughts momentarily wandering to the idea of Ichika calling me every morning, which would honestly be amazing. But I wasn't about to admit it out loud. We found our seats, and Ichika sat down first. Once again, I became self-conscious, wondering if I should sit next to her or leave a seat between us. However, my determination won, and I chose to sit beside her, my face still flushed with embarrassment.
"Are you tired from all that running?" Ichika asked, her words breaking the awkward silence that had descended between us. I sighed, realizing that the silence was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"Oh, yeah," I replied, rubbing my eyes to hide my embarrassment. "I wasn't ready to run that fast."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ichika's lips, and a light blush colored her cheeks. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on me. "So much for sitting next to me."
My blush deepened, and I couldn't meet her eyes. I had to make a decision – should I be honest or pretend it was a simple favor? After all, we were just friends, right?
"W-well…" I stammered, struggling to find the right words. There was no harm in telling the truth. What could she possibly do with that information? "Yes, I didn't want to be alone."
Ichika's smile grew warmer, and she nodded appreciatively. "Thank you. This was very kind of you to do."
She then shifted her attention to my appearance, focusing on my fatigued expression. I couldn't help but wonder how she noticed – how she saw past my exterior.
"You didn't get many hours of sleep last night… Am I right?" Ichika inquired.
I was taken aback. How had she known? I decided to play it coy. "W-why do you say that?"
"Your eyes," she pointed out, a gentle smile on her face. "Under them… you lacked sleep today. Yesterday, you were fine. So it must have been something today. What have you been doing?"
I hesitated, but she seemed genuinely concerned, so I decided to be more open. "Uh… I was reading the handbook."
"Oh, hey, you're tired, though," she said, stating the obvious.
I reluctantly admitted, "Yeah, just a little."
It was rare for me to confess fatigue. Even as a child, I had always pretended to be fine, refusing to acknowledge exhaustion. Memories of those early years were fuzzy at best, and I couldn't pinpoint the exact reasons for my behavior.
Ichika shifted her gaze around the train, checking if anyone was close enough to overhear. We were relatively alone at the moment, providing a temporary sanctuary for our conversation.
"You can rest right now if you want," she suggested, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. Her offer took me by surprise. Why would she suggest such a thing?
"Huh… where?" I asked, genuinely unsure of where I could rest on the crowded train. My discomfort was palpable.
"K-Kenji, you dummy…"
I remained bewildered, trying to understand her intent. "W-what did I do?"
"I mean… You can rest… On my shoulder…" she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
My face flushed bright red, and my heart pounded in my chest. The mere thought of resting my head on Ichika's shoulder was both thrilling and mortifying. It was an offer I hadn't expected, and my mind was in turmoil. How was I supposed to respond to such a proposal?
"N-n-n-no, I'm okay!" I exclaimed, nervously brushing off her suggestion.
"Just kidding!" Ichika laughed.
Thank god… met her just yesterday and she's already throwing jokes like that.
I decided to lean against a nearby pole, using my arm as a makeshift pillow. It was still somewhat unconventional, but it felt less awkward than Ichika's proposal. I closed my eyes, ready to steal a few moments of rest.
In my exhausted state, I drifted off to sleep, finding a strange comfort in the vibrations of the train and the sounds of our journey.