Little Hearts in Your Heart

Chapters 8. Uniform

At six in the morning, Miki woke up. Make her bed. Bathing. And wearing a uniform with a dark blue suit, a plaid skirt. Staring in the mirror. He laughed, ashamed to see his reflection. Then he lifted his chin. “Nobody will know that you are not a student anymore,” he said trying to gather his confidence.

Before long, Miki squinted her eyes. He felt strange with his hair breaking. “Seeing too mature,” she said with pursed lips. He took off his bag, looking for something in his desk drawer. He exclaimed happily when he found a small hairpin and rubber.

Miki halved her hair and tied up. “Too childish,” he said and immediately untied the hair. He then turned his bangs, pinning them with black clasps. “My face looks very clear. Ah, never mind,” said he and pigtail his hair. He took a deep breath, throwing it hard.

Miki came out of her apartment, but she stood there, looking at the man who was opening the door next door.

“Eh...” Daiki bending, “good morning. You... Miki-chan's sister?”

“Ah?” miki's forehead is wrinkled. He was just about to nod, if Daiki did not remember about his profile.

“But Miki-chan has no sister. So, you... Miki?” yells. “What are you doing?”

Miki smiled, wide. “I'll explain later, Senpai. But now I'm late, see you,” said Miki and ran down the stairs. He must reach a stop, soon, otherwise he will be late. “Wait,” he said and running slower, “have I ever done this?”

*

Miki stood looking at the school gate in front of her. It bites the lips. In his heart, there was still a quarrel. He growled in his heart, so far, now he must…

Miki felt her hands being attracted, she saw the man pulling her.

“I thought who was,” said Reki stopped walking. He held back a laugh as he looked at Miki from top to bottom. “Wah, Miki-chan, you look different.”

“Miki-chan?” exclaiming Miki.

Reki put an index finger in front of her lips. “Do not get caught, said the father,” he said and blinked one eye. “Only the vice principal knows, so you don't have to worry.”

Miki continued to follow Reki stepping up the stairs towards the teacher room, while continuing to hear Reki's chatter acting like a senior.

“This is the headmaster's room,” said Reki and pushed the door. Miki entered to find Hiroshi sitting on a large chair. “Dad…. I mean, principal, I brought my new friend.”

Miki bent. He smiled, “aku Arai Miki.”

Hiroshi fixed the location of his glasses. “You Miki?”

“Do I look weird?”

Hiroshi shook his head. “What do your parents know about this?”

“Where might they know, dad. Enough introduction, I'll take Miki to class. The bell rang too. See you,” said Reki and pushed Miki out.

They came out of the teacher's room.

“You in which class?” miki asked, but there was no answer from Reki who kept going. “Aah, I know, you're class F, right?” he guessed, considering the class rankings in this school sorted.

“Kita,” Reki turned around, made Miki run him over. “Need to emphasize to Miki-neechan, uh, Miki, class F is not a stupid class here.”

Miki smiled, mocking. They stepped back, towards class F.

Reki sneered and stepped quickly ahead of Miki. “You don't believe it? My friends, including me, are all smart.”

“Then, why are you guys in class F?”

“It was because we were lazy,” Reki replied casually, making Miki's laughter break. Reki hissed, telling him to shut up. He pointed at the classroom door.

Miki looked up, reading the hanging board, 2F.  He looked into the class. His heart is pounding. He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm.

Reki pushed the door. “Come in. Good morning,” he said hello to his homeroom and friends.

Miki nodded and just a step, she stopped. Her eyes are enlarged, “eh?”

*

“Standing,” the voice of Ishibashi Hide, the class president sitting in the middle seat, is heard. Make all the students stand up. “Bending,” he added.

A woman stood in front of the F class students, bowing for a while. She smiled “Sugawara-sensei took a leave of absence during pregnancy, so I will replace her as your homeroom teacher. I am Yamada Kurumi, please cooperate with her,” Kurumi said, once again bowing to introduce yourself. “I heard from the vice principal, there will be transfer students will also be entering today. And..” Kurumi stopped, turning to the open door. “Good morning,” reply greet the freshly entered students. “Come in... eh?” kurumi's index finger is raised.

Miki stood sculpting. Why are you here? He laughed, strange.

“What's up, Miki?” reki asked and pulled her closer to Kurumi's side. He then moved to the row of seats in the back. And sit.

“Ah?” Kurumi tried to understand the situation, but she hesitated.

“I'm a transfer student,” Miki said, in a robotic tone.

“Oh, so you're a transfer student?” Kurumi laughed, strange. “Mi.. I mean, you can introduce yourself to your friends.”

Miki nodded. “I Arai Miki.” His eyes widened, circulating his gaze, looking at the student who was sitting quietly. No one responded.

Reki looked at her friend who was looking at the strange transfer student in front of the class. “Ah, Arai Miki-san, where did you move from?”

“Move? Ah, that, I moved from New York,” Miki replied, at least he didn't lie. In the second grade, he moved.

“Oh...” the students exclaimed, “nice to meet you,” they said, with a less obvious mention.

“It's nice to meet you guys. Please help,” Miki said and glanced at Kurumi.

“Oh, Arai-san, you can sit in..”.

Reki pointed at the back seat in the corner.

“There. Please sit.”

“Thank you, Yamada-sensei,” said Miki bowed. Walk slowly to the chair.

“Not there,” exclaims Reki when Miki will sit in the fourth seat. “After him.”

Miki immediately understood and sat down.

The student sitting at the table stood up. “My name is Akino Yoko, nice to meet you,” said the girl with the ginsul that made her look so sweet.

“Ah, Akino-san,” the Kurumi. “Your other friends still hear your voice,” he said and followed by another student nod, “say more, Sensei wants to know more.”

“Ano, Sensei, what else should I say?” yoko said in Japanese.

“Home, uh, favorite food, everything. After all, we spend English lessons with introductions.”

“Eh, but friends already know all about me. I was one of the most popular in the class,” said Yoko with high confidence.

“Eh...” Kurumi circulated her gaze, all her students seemed to approve Yoko's sentence. “That, then, just mention your names, so I can know. Then we can talk further. You can ask someone you want to know.” Kurumi's sentence made all the students turn around and look at the transfer student sitting at the very back seat.

Miki sighed.

“Woe, Minna, you scared Miki,” shouted Reki, standing up. “Continue, only Megumi,” said Reki to the student sitting at the table next to Yoko.

“He was right,” Kurumi confirmed, “you continue.”

A student named Megumi stood up. “My name is Kobayashi Megumi,” Megumi's voice is broken, “I am girl friend Reki,” said Megumi turned and formed a heart with her hand.

Reki grunting. “Stop, Megumi.”

Kurumi laughs. “So, Megumi is Reki’s girl friend?”

Megumi nodded and followed with the cry of her friends.

Reki waved to the right and to the left. “Kaori would be angry if he heard it,” muttered Reki and got a call of disapproval from another male student.

“Kaori-chan doesn't like Reki, she just uses you.”

“Woe, Eiji, watch your mouth.” Reki switched on her homeroom, “Yamada-sensei, Kaori is my soul mate. Soulmate,” he said, his eyes looking at Kurumi. Don't want to be told a lie.

Miki sneered at Kurumi's smile, she must love the stories of High School kids.

“So, Kaori-san,” Kurumi circulated her gaze, “which one?”

Everyone look at each other, “can't we not say he's not here yet,” they whisper to each other.

“This is because Reki discussed about Kaori.”

Reki's eyes grew. “Eh..” he straightens his back. “Wire,” murmur. He looked back as the back door of the class shifted, slowly. All eyes look in the same direction.

“Kaori-chan,” hiss male students who sit in the back seat near the door, “you don't need to snuggle like that, teacher knows you're not here yet.”

“Don't turn around,” the pretty-faced schoolgirl looked up, “shut your mouth Soichi, sensei will... uh,” he was silent, absorbing the words of his classmate.

“Akagi-san.

Kaori looked up, after seeing the shoes with high heels in front of her. “Sensei?”

“Stand,” says Kurumi. “You can sit now.”

Kaori stood up and nodded, embarrassed. He walked quickly to his chair.

“How about we hear a self-introduction, Akagi.” Kurumi approached Kaori's chair, standing beside her. “Introduce yourself, please.”

“Include myself? English?” Kaori smiled, “I've learned about this.”

“We have indeed learned this since elementary school,” said Reki.

“Really?” Kaori turned her head, upon hearing Reki's voice, “but, I recently learned it.”

“Then, let's listen.”

“Outside people introduce the surname behind the given name, right, Sensei? So, I am Kaori Akagi. I’m sixty years old. Uh, ninety? Sixty's? Ah, I..” Kaori turned around, looking at the chair behind her. It

the student who covered his face with a book. “Sixteen, that's sixty? Nineteen?” But Kaori got no answer from him. “Sensei, I introduce next time,” Kaori said.

Kurumi frowned. “You don't know counting in english yet?”

“I know, Sensei. But I forgot. My teacher at home assigned to memorize.” Kaori sighed, “if my teacher knew, she would be furious.”

Miki who had been holding her breath, growled with her heart. Why is this kid here? Nose fireworks. I have to request a transfer from this class.

“It's enough, you'll tell me your grievances, Kaori-chan,” Hide shouted. “Now, let's listen to our new friend.”

“New friends?” Kaori turned around, realizing the empty seat behind her had filled up. “Yes well?” Kaori smiled, wide. Her cry lifted, pulling the book the students were wearing behind her covered the face. “Eh?”

Miki smiled, wide. He laughed, strange.

“Miki-neesan?” kaori's eyes widened.

Reki was shocked when she heard Kaori's voice. “What do you mean, Kaori? Miki new friend, transfer.”

“Really?” Kaori's eyes, look. Looking at Miki with eyes that opened wide.

Oh, God, Miki held her breath. Surrounding the uniformed students who were looking at him. Will his disguise end in a day?

Kurumi's eyes, also swaying right-to-left, This child knows Miki.

Kaori frowned, then glanced at Reki who looked unsettled. “True. You look a lot like the people I know. So what's your name?”

“Arai Miki,” said Miki, sighing, heavy.

*

Uniform, after graduation I never thought about wearing it again. Sometimes seeing artists who can go back to school in the dorama, makes me jealous. But now, I was wearing a uniform, along with the children who were also in uniform. I realized the confusion that was arising inside me. What are you gonna do, Miki?