Afterschool Chat
Yui springs forward, catching the kid by the hood of his jacket and yanking him safely back. Unfortunately, his ice cream cone doesn't fair as well. The sudden pull causes the dairy-based delicacy to fly from his hand and land uselessly on the road, where it becomes a smear against the asphalt as a car runs it over.
Naturally, what comes next is crying. Lots of crying accompanied by a tongue-lashing from his mother. While she was too busy being hypnotized by her phone to notice her brat wandering into traffic, she quickly recognizes Yui as a small-time villain. Things only escalate from there, reaching the point that she's threatening to call the police.
The terrible twosome had already kept Yui there long enough to guarantee she'd be late for her first class. She didn't need the police involved as well.
"Just buy another one!"
She carefully throws a few yen at the mother as she runs into traffic, the yelling not ceasing until she's too far away to hear it.
"Hold on, Sagara-san. We need to chat for a moment. Don't worry, you aren't in any trouble."
An annoyed groan escapes Yui's lips as sits back down and slumps over her desk. She knew not to get her hopes up that Rosethorn would forget, but with their teacher's eyes glued to a screen, she figured it would be easy enough to slip out unnoticed. Their teacher's assurance doesn't keep other students from muttering and giggling to themselves as they pass by her while filing out. She couldn't be sure it was actually about her with all the noise of movement and normal taking, but every hushed tone followed by a glance her way makes it feel as if something is constricting around her heart.
The final straw is a group of exchange students. Everything about them sets her off in a way that she feels like she already hates them on a personal level. Out of everyone, they seem to be absorbed in their own little world. One where the thought of stealing never even crossed their minds — maybe as a dare, but never because they needed to. No, she was sure they were the type of people who could waste their parents' money on whatever they wanted. They were part of a world of luxury and would scorn her for even thinking she could climb her way up to them.
When her eyes meet those of one of the girls, she's sure they're looking down on her. Yui jolts out of her seat and slams her fist against the desk.
"Get the hell out already!"
Her outburst causes some of her peers to jump and pick up their pace, but it mostly just brings more attention to herself. If those whispers weren't about her before, they were now.
Once everyone else has exited, the only sound left in the room is that of Rosethorn tapping away at her phone. After a few last taps, she puts the phone down on her desk and closes the door before taking a seat next to Yui.
"So, do you mind telling me what kept you from joining us on time?"
Yui crosses her arms and frowns while looking at her feet.
"It- Look, I wasn't doing anything bad, okay? Just got distracted is all."
Rosethorn leans forward to make sure she's in Yui's peripheral and gently places a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl's body to tense up.
"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I just want to make sure you're starting this year off right. You mustn't be held back again."
"Why? Because it makes you look bad?"
Yui side-eyes Rosethorn and fixes her with a grimace, almost snarling. The teacher only sighs and smiles.
"No, because I know you can do better if you just let yourself. You may not have chosen to enroll at Shiketsu but you can choose to make the most of your time here. You might not feel like it at the moment, but this is a chance for you to decide what you really want for yourself. If you don't utilize this opportunity you'll just be leaving your fate up to someone else."
Turmoil is visible in Yui's expression, brows knitting together as she inwardly battles with herself. Her body relaxes as she seems to come to a decision and her mouth slightly, only for Rosethorn's phone to start sounding.
"Excuse me for just a moment."
The teacher gives Yui an apologetic look before going to check her phone. Upon seeing the cause of the interruption she steps outside of the classroom for a few minutes. Yui doesn't bother trying to listen in, but it's clear from Rosethorn's tone and the look on her face when she walks back in that it was far from good news.
"It seems something's come up. We'll have to cut things short, but please, think about what I said. Oh, and try to make some friends."
"Ugh, that an assignment?"
"Just friendly advice."
Yui slings her bag over her shoulder and slowly makes her way out. Even if she wanted to completely disregard their talk, it was already firmly ingrained in her thoughts and the chaos it was causing wouldn't clear up anytime soon. Part of her hated the idea of giving in and playing along with being a hero, but she also knew that Rosethorn was right. She wouldn't be choosing anything if she sat by and flunked out."
"Crap...I'll only worry her if I come home like this."
There were a few detours she could take to sort her thoughts out, but the grumbling of her stomach decides on her destination before she can even consider the others. She rummages through her pocket for change as she heads in the direction of "Thanks a Latte".