You know how some stories start with a line pertaining to life? Well, that's probably because it's the only way the author knew to begin the story.

  I mean, I don’t fault them for it. Intros are always the toughest.

  Anyways, today was the first day of the Fall semester. A new school year. I’m currently a second-year, having passed my first year with flying colors. Yippee.

  Next year will be my last– not on the planet– but in high school. Thank the lord above for that.

  Since it was the end of the school day, I had to do some work pertaining to my student council duties.

  Currently, I stood outside the school shed that contained supplies relating to sports equipment and many other things. It was quite large, showcasing the budget that was available to the school.

  I reached my hand out to the handle of the door, and as soon as I was about to open it, I heard a loud thud from within.

  Huh?

  Was the thought that ran through my head.

  Did something fall inside the shed?

  To answer my question, a muffled groan filled the silence.

  Oh, there was someone in there. What should I do? What if it’s an intruder on school premises? On the other hand, it could also be a student who just happened to be snooping around for whatever reason.

  Though, the groan sounded a bit feminine…

  If it was a female, I could defend myself without issue. However, if it was a fellow male–

  I looked down at the clipboard and pen I was holding.

  If it comes down to it, I’ll just swing this until it’s shattered along with kicking out my legs. Then I’ll use the sharp end of the pen.

  Nodding my head in affirmation, I gripped the handle of the door tightly and swung the door open.

  “Who’s in here?” I inquired without a tremor in my voice.

  A single glance at the interior of the shed was enough to tell that it was messier than before, but thankfully it wasn’t too bad.

  Balls were slowly rolling across the floor along with baseball bats, and in the center of all of them was a silver-haired beauty who looked like she had all of her life zapped away.

  She wore the school’s uniform which was a blouse with a sailor collar and a pleated skirt that ended a few inches above her knees.

  Her uniform was white and red, showcasing that she was a first-year.

  “Uh, you okay?” I asked her, feeling the tension leave my body that was quickly replaced by a tinge of exhaustion.

  Her golden eyes looked up and pierced straight through me. I saw her mouth open and close, but not a single sound came out.

  “Do you need help?” I offered, unsure if she was okay or not.

  Once again, her mouth opened and closed. Okay, maybe she was trying to say something.

  I walked over to her and knelt down, bringing my ear close to figure out if she was actually talking.

  “Y...es…”

  It was so quiet that even the buzzing of a fly would make it difficult to piece together.

  “Need… sustenance.”

  Sustenance? What kind of high schooler uses that word? Besides that, why hasn’t she eaten anything at all? Furthermore… WHY IS SHE IN THE SHED?!

  To make sure that I didn’t start blasting questions, I took a deep breath and grabbed the girl’s hand, pulling her to her feet as if she possessed the weight of a feather.

  However, as soon as she got onto her feet, I saw her begin to stumble forward. I wrapped an arm around her waist to stabilize her as she used her arm to grab onto my shoulder, albeit with a weak grip.

  “Thank… you…”

  “No problem.”

  I then looked around at the mess and quietly sighed. I suppose I’ll have to come back to clean it up after I get this girl some food and water.

  “Is there anything in mind that you wanna eat?” I asked her as we slowly made our way out of the shed.

  “...Karaage.”

  I shut the door behind me as I responded with a nod.

  Let’s get her some karaage then.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  I now stood in front of a vending machine on the schoolyard as the girl was sprawled out on a bench off to the side.

  Yes, I still haven’t caught her name.

  Selecting the karaage, I waited a minute for the machine to heat it up before dispensing it onto a tray with a pair of chopsticks.

  Grabbing the tray, I brought it over to the girl who looked at it full of hunger– the most emotion I’ve seen displayed by her so far.

  I held the tray for her as she shakily moved her arm to grab the chopsticks that were stuck together.

  She stared at the chopsticks for a second before she looked up and held them out towards me.

  I quickly caught onto what she wanted and placed the tray beside her to grab the chopsticks and split them apart.

  She nodded as a sign of gratitude to which I returned with a smile.

  Using her chopsticks, she shakily picked up a piece of her karaage and brought it to her mouth.

  However, before it could even touch her lips, she dropped her chopsticks and slumped back in exhaustion. Luckily, the chopsticks landed on the tray, but the same couldn’t be said for the single piece of karaage.

  I watched as it bounced off her uniform onto the concrete.

  Her eyes drifted up towards me.

  “Feed… me… please…”

  I scratched the back of my head, slightly flustered at her request, but I suppose I’ll humor her.

  Picking up the tray with the chopsticks still on it, I sat beside her and picked another piece of karaage and brought it to her mouth.

  Before I could even blink, the piece was already gone, chewed, and swallowed.

  I couldn’t help but slightly chuckle at the goofiness of it all as I grabbed another piece and brought it to her mouth.

  This time, the piece lasted longer than the last as she slowly chewed it and savored the flavor.

  I went to grab a third piece whilst asking her a much needed question.

  “What’s your name?” I asked as I brought another piece to her mouth.

  Her eyes glanced at me for a second before refocusing on the piece of karaage in front of her.

  “Kaneko Haruna…”

  She then proceeded to devour the piece.

  I nodded and picked up another before bringing it to her mouth.

  “Lawrence Arthur.”

  Her eyes locked onto me whilst chewing.

  I smiled and chuckled, “No, I’m not a foreigner. I’m a citizen of the country, but my parents were.”

  Her eyes then moved to my hair.

  “My black hair and brown eyes, I got from my mom. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my dad’s blonde hair and blue eyes.” I explained, having experienced the same types of questions in the past.

  Kaneko nodded her head.

  “Your name… is nice.”

  “Thank you.”

  It was then that I realized now was a good time to question her why she was in the school’s shed.

  “Kaneko…-san, can I ask why you were in the school’s shed? After school nonetheless?”

  Her eyes moved down to her feet.

  “...Lost… trying to get… home…”

  I nearly snapped the chopsticks in half from the shock I received after hearing her answer.

  How did she get this lost on campus trying to get home?! I mean, I get that this school is quite extravagant– which the size and modernity show– but to get lost to the point that you can’t even get home?

  Is she just an airhead?

  “Wait, aren’t your parents worried about you then?”

  If they are, I should probably get her home.

  Kaneko slowly shook her head.

  “Not… home yet… still working… so they… don’t know.”

  I nodded.

  That’s good then, that means there’s still time.

  “I’m a part of the student council, so I’ll have to go back to clean up the shed after I finish feeding you your food. Afterwards, do you want me to guide you off campus?”

  Her eyes shot towards me.

  “Yes… please… the tour was… confusing…”

  Judging by how she is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ran out of energy during the tour all new first-years received before the semester began, which led to her forgetting and getting lost like this.

  “Then let’s finish up your food.”

  She nodded as I fed her the last few bites.

  After feeding Kaneko the rest of her meal, I quickly made my way back to the shed to pick up all the balls and bats.

  I made quick work of the job, swiftly placing them back in their respective spots then quickly checking to make sure there wasn’t any dust anywhere along with damages to the shed.

  Once I did so, I marked it off as a job complete and exited the shed before locking the door with a passcode.

  Off in the distance, I could hear the athletic clubs practicing their respective sports as I made my way back to Kaneko.

  As I approached Kaneko, I saw that she was now sitting up slightly, watching the football club practice. I glanced in the same direction just in time to see a goalkeeper block a shot by one of the players.

  Cheers echoed as I looked away to see Kaneko’s silver hair flutter in the breeze. For a second, I felt my breath hitch as she brushed a strand behind her ear and turned her head in my direction.

  The slowly setting sun seemed to enhance her beauty as her shining golden eyes met mine.

  “Welcome… back… senpai…”

  As if time resumed, I drew a deep breath, and smiled.

  “I’m back.”

  I walked over to her and she held out her hand. I raised a brow, but then shook my head with the same smile still plastered on my face.

  I reached out and grabbed her hand, bringing her to her feet.

  “Let’s get you home.”

  For some reason, I felt a strong connection with Kaneko.

  NAME MEANING(S):

  Kaneko Haruna: Kaneko = golden child, Haruna = bright, successful (lol)