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Machi waited in the hallway, eyes fixed on the floor. She quietly observed her panicked classmates as they bunched together and whispered among themselves, occasionally shrieking when a particularly loud crash rang from the classroom.
She was used to watching. Never participating, never at the center of the action. She was a void; sometimes, she thought the world might be more interesting if she just disappeared.
“It’s all right.”
Her head snapped up. I know that voice.
“Everyone, including Sensei, please move away from the classroom.”
She stared as Student Council President Yuki Sohma strode confidently into the classroom, followed by three other students, including the little blonde boy from her class.
That’s right, she thought. He’s a Sohma, just like the President and Hatsuharu. What was his name again? Something like... Momiji, was it?
She noticed one of the strangers accompanying the president had bright orange hair. He must also be a Sohma. I wonder if that girl is also in the family.
She wondered what had happened to make Hatsuharu fly into a rage. Did his family also expect perfection? The Sohmas were certainly a large and elite family. Maybe he was just at his limit, like Kakeru when he rebelled against their mom all those years ago. She could understand that.
She saw several pairs of feet running past her, away from the classroom.
“Did you see that? He just punched him!”
“I can’t believe Hatsuharu-kun tried to hurt that girl!”
Machi was worth as much notice as a fly on the wall. She doubted her classmates even realized she was listening.
It’s my fault for being so dull, she thought. Isn’t that what Mother said?
Her hands balled into fists as she watched another set of feet run past her, into the classroom. She may as well have not even been there. All I ever did was try to live up to her impossible demands, and she thinks I’m boring and plain.
She heard a shriek from the classroom, and watched as Hatsuharu calmly walked out, soaked from head to toe, and casually strolled toward the faculty room. A teacher she didn’t recognize came next, carrying a bucket. She was followed by the President, the girl, and the orange-haired boy, who was also dripping wet, grumbling to himself about his crazy teacher.
“Careful, Sohma. You know I’ve been itching to get my hands on that hair of yours.”
He glared back at her, but he stopped muttering after that.
“ Nun , Dark Haru has left!” The boy she thought was called Momiji was leaning his head out of the classroom, cheerfully updating anyone who remained after Hatsuharu’s episode. “Sensei, what should we do now? Das Klassenzimmer wird zerstört!”
“Momiji, if you’re not going to speak Japanese, at least use English,” Horiguchi-sensei chided him.
“Hoppla, Sensei!”
Horiguchi-sensei rolled her eyes. “Thank you for getting help, Momiji. Class, you will need to clean up the debris before we can resume our lesson. I will go find the students who ran off during the incident. They will also be expected to do their part. Be ready by the beginning of literature block.”
Machi heard the students around her call out, “Hai!” to their teacher’s instructions and begin filing back into the classroom.
Machi followed behind, wondering if she might actually be invisible. She surveyed the classroom from a spot near the door. Pens were thrown on the floor. Desks toppled over. Books and papers were littered around the room. A few shards of broken glass lay in the middle of a large puddle of water.
Her classmates immediately got to work, grabbing brooms and towels to clear the mess, turning desks back over, gathering the scattered school supplies. Machi wished they could let it be, just for a bit longer.
But as she stood on the sidelines of the wreckage, she noticed the relief that had washed over her. Watching her peers scratch their heads at the cracked and chipped furniture, she realized it would be a long time before her classroom would be perfect again.
She’d have to remember to thank Hatsuharu for that one day.