Fri. 01/09, 8:01
The house was filled with a fresh scent, and the sunlight beautifully lit the living room, creating an atmosphere of almost unreal clarity. There was someone sitting on the couch, and aside from her, the house was empty, devoid of any presence.
Tora rushed down the stairs, and upon seeing this person who greeted him with a warm smile, he immediately jumped into her arms, both tumbling onto the couch. He hugged her as tightly as possible, a smile on his lips, while she returned the gesture with a gentle caress on his head. Tora leaned in to kiss her, his heart racing.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 seconds.
The alarm rang sharply, pulling Tora from his peaceful dream and turning his smile into a grimace devoid of emotion. He quickly turned off that horrible alarm he couldn't stand. The screen of his phone showed 8:01. One hour later than the time he should have woken up.
"I still need at least 5 more hours of sleep…" He complained.
He rubbed his eyes and wiped away the crusts that had formed in the corners of them. His dark circles looked like shadows, resembling the contours of a panda's eyes. This was mostly due to the fact that he had spent most of his time sleeping during the day over the summer holidays, which left him unable to fall asleep at night.
"Anyway, the first day is pointless, and I don't have the energy for this nonsense right now."
Arriving late was the least of his problems, especially since, at university, punctuality was no longer a rule so strictly observed. It wasn't so much confidence as indifference that drove him. In the past, he would have rushed frantically, afraid of giving a bad impression of himself, but now, such behaviour seemed simply unimaginable to him.
He got up painfully from his bed and made his way to the bathroom, where he spent ten minutes getting ready. The real challenge was taming his hair to avoid looking ridiculous. However, despite all his efforts, the result didn't meet his expectations.
— At least it looks like I made an effort... he sighed.
He hurried downstairs to the kitchen, carefully avoiding making any noise out of habit. He made a buttered toast with jam and black tea, no sugar, letting the tea bag steep. As he ate in silence, his thoughts scattered.
"Ugh, I really don't want to go to school. After all, I could skip today, right ? On the first day, we only talk anyway…"
He shook his head to clear away his negative thoughts.
"No, I must not start giving in this quickly. I'm scared of going out, but I'm even more scared of being stuck here."
"I hope that this time, I can make some friends or at least get along with others."
By the time he finished, it was 8:25, meaning the bus had already left, adding 20 more minutes to his delay, not to mention that he would have to take the train afterward, which would take an hour in total. He put on black sneakers and quickly glanced at his reflection in the entrance window. He was 1.75 meters tall, weighed 65 kg, and had a slightly unusual appearance compared to typical Japanese features and looked more like a European.
His skin was fair with almost pinkish undertones, and his large almond-shaped eyes were dark brown. His hair, light brown and slightly wavy rather than straight, was styled forward. A part in the middle of his forehead split his hair into two sections, with the right side shorter than the left. The middle of his forehead was exposed, while strands of hair fell forward at the level of his eyebrows. His hair was somewhat long, reaching almost to his ears. On the sides, he had a fade that he had done himself and it was rather well-executed. It was clear he was used to it.
He had a fairly large and smooth nose. The shape of the inside of his ear seemed to form a little heart
Finally, he wore black jeans and an oversized beige sweater, topped with a simple black jacket that seemed a bit too big for him.
« When you don't know what to wear, you might as well choose black clothes, they go along with everything », he often repeated to himself. That's why most of his clothes were this colour, but in reality, it was more of an excuse to avoid admitting his laziness.
On his way, he put in his earbuds and spent his time observing everyone he passed, quickly averting his gaze as soon as he caught theirs, only to start the cycle again. He also took the opportunity to sing along to the parts of songs he knew, immediately murmuring quietly whenever he passed by someone.
He spent most of his time listening to music at home, which had led him to associate it with his room. Music was his refuge, a way to feel more at ease when he ventured outside. It helped him forget, even if just for a moment, that he had left the safety of his cocoon.
On his way, he held his phone firmly in his right hand, fearing it might fall or that someone might steal it, with the "Maps" app open. He had entered the address of the school and his home, and the app had mapped out a route for him to follow. Even though he had been taking this path to the station for about ten years, he couldn't help but check if he was still on the right track.
Once on the bus, he knew he had to get off at the 16th stop, but even though he was familiar with his destination, he couldn't help but count each stop. You never know ! He would sometimes get confused at the second-to-last stop, mixing things up and wondering whether he had to get off at the 16th stop or after 16 stops, meaning the 17th. (In the end, he would recognize the place visually anyway, making all these worries pointless.)
He forced his way through the passengers, pushing with all his strength while frantically apologizing as he rushed to get off the bus. Once his ordeal was over, he let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he dashed up endless stairs, fearing he might miss his train, even though it wasn't arriving for another five minutes. He reached an open-air station with four tracks, and the moment he spotted a train standing still, all his senses went on high alert.
Driven by a surge of urgency, he hurried down a small flight of stairs to move from track 4 to track 2, trying to reach the train that might be his. Perhaps it had arrived early and was simply waiting for departure. But as soon as he stood before it, a sudden doubt seized him, and he froze.
What if this isn't the right train and I end up somewhere completely different ? That would be humiliating. I should turn back and wait on my usual platform. Yes, I must be mistaken !
At that moment, a man in a blue coat stepped out of the train and called out to him.
— So, aren't you getting on ? the man asked kindly.
— Ah… It's just that… actually, I'm not sure if this is the right train.
— And which train are you supposed to take ?
— The… uh… the one going to… Artone Station, he finally managed to remember.
— Well, this train goes there. Actually, all the trains here pass through Artone, unless you take the one going in the opposite direction ! This one is heading left. If you're unsure, just check the track it stopped at : even-numbered tracks go toward Artone, and odd-numbered ones head right, toward Belin, Curron, and so on. Though that's usually the case better stay alert just in case.
"All that advice… only for it to end up being useless."
— Thank you very much, sir, Tora said, bowing slightly forward in a Japanese manner. I'll get on, then.