Withering away with you

III) "Falling for you"

20 years ago...

Kanazawa High School, Northwest Japan

It was cold outside. Yurika was trying to take a nap on the desk. It was the first week of November. The history class just ended. It was extremely boring & tiring, she was yawning consistently.

"Sir! Can you pass our ball please?," Suddenly she heard a loud voice and looked outside. A tall and handsome man wearing an oversize coat was standing on the ground with a football near him. The man bent down and took the ball, some of the boys from of junior class came running to him-

"Sir, can you pass the ball?" They pleaded.

"I see you all are playing! But be careful while playing, the ball can hit others!" He gave the ball to them with a kind smile on his face.

Yurika was watching the entire scenario from the window. "Yuri!" A girl's voice came beside her desk. She flinched with the sudden call, she looked and it was Taki, her only friend in the school who has been kind to her...

"Hey! What are you watching outside?" Taki asked her. Yuri didn't answer and put her head down again.

"Hey girl! I am asking you!" Taki started nagging.

"Taki you are annoying me now," Yuri warned her in a cold voice.

"Huh, why don't you admit you were watching Hiro-Sensei, aren't you! Well, it's not your fault! He is really handsome and all the girls in our class already have a crush on him!" Taki started teasing her.

(Sensei means Teacher in Japanese)

Yuri looked up, "Who is Hiro-Sensei?", She asked curiously.

"Yeah!Yeah!How could you know when you are irregular in school. Yuri, you even don't attend his class! Hiro-Sensei is our new Psychology teacher. He just joined 5 days ago and already took three classes for us, but you didn't even attend once. In the last class, he was asking about you. Today also he has a class," Taki replied while arranging her books on the desk.

"Oh shit! I am in trouble then! Okay, I am leaving!", Yuri stood up promptly.

"Hey! You will miss his class again! Why can't you just attend his class?" Taki scolded her quite loudly.

"Ah but..."

"Sit down and attend his class today! If he scolds you just admit your mistake and say sorry!!" Taki advised her and grabbed her hand to convince her.

Yuri sat down again.

"Hey, Yuri! We will go home together today, just wait for me after school," she said.

"Sorry, Taki! I have my part-time jobs. I can't wait for you!"

"Yeah yeah, I know, you never wait for anyone Huh! I hope you get someone in life who wouldn't make you wait always!", Taki said while pouting.

"That's not going to happen Taki. I won't wait for anyone", Yurika said while looking outside.

"Hey, Yuri! Haven't you been too hard on your life? You have been working in different part-time jobs like crazy, you don't even have some time for school, if you continue to be like this you'll collapse someday!" Taki sounded a bit worried.

Yuri looked outside the window and said, "I don't have an option. Every person wants to live their life happily, but for me, it's different. I have a sick grandma, whose medical expenses are to be taken care of. I need money desperately. That's why I work without studying properly. Once I graduate, I will work hard more."