Ueda-kun. Ueda-kun!

Ueda Tatsuya was asleep. Lately, his part-time job at a family restaurant had taken a bad turn when one of the night shift employees came down with a high fever. Tatsuya had taken on the shift as well as keeping his own. This drained the strength out of him. In the corner, a student looked up from his book.

"Tat-chan, your humping your desk~" The man exclaimed loudly across the room.

Tat-chan, your humping your desk~  was what Tatsuya barely heard, but it was indeed heard.

Tatsuya shot up from his chair, nearly falling on top of the empty desk behind him. "I'm sorry sir! It wasn't my fault, I swear, I don't like desks in that way, please..." Tatsuya looked around and stopped at his friend at the corner and glared at him. Tatsuya sweared silently that he'd kill Maru the next time he sees him. Nakamaru merely waved with a huge, idiotic grin on his face.

"Ueda-kun, you've dozed off quite often in my class. I don't know whether other teachers permit this, but I for one do not. Go stand in the hallway if you can not concentrate."

Tatsuya muttered a 'fine' and glared at his friend again, before walking out of the class.

Outside, Tatsuya sat on the floor half crossed-legged. He had his left left extended outward while the other was simply bent. He was looking out the window at the gigantic cloud looming over the city.

Footsteps were heard not far away, and in the empty hallway, it was heard quite easily by Tatsuya. He turned to the direction of the sound, advancing to where his classroom was. At the corner, a figure turned towards Tatsuya. The figure in question had black hair that was below his ears and was slightly curled. The figure, that Tatsuya could see quite clearly as a man, was slender. He was quite... cute, as girls would say. Or maybe hot, Tatsuya couldn't decide. He was looking towards the ground though, kicking the empty juice box that was peacefully laying there, until the man started kicking the poor thing.

As the man walked past Tatsuya, he continued to stare at the ground. However, he wasn't the portraying any emotion, his face was expressionless. Tatsuya continued to watch he back of the man, and abruptly, the man stopped and turned around. Tatsuya averted his gaze from the man, and went back to staring at the cloud, which had moved a bit since the last time he saw it, which wasn't that long ago.

Tatsuya could hear the man advancing towards him, and Tatsuya gulped. His heart beated intensely and he thought that it might explode anytime soon. Tatsuya glanced at the man and the man wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the door to his class.

"Is this class 8-A?" asked the man.

"Y-yes." Tatsuya replied, surprised that the man sounded... normal?

"Alright." With that, the man knocked on the door and waited. The door slid open and the teacher's head popped out.

"Ah, Kamenashi-kun, please come in." She looked over to the side and sighed. "You as well, Ueda-kun."

Tatsuya nodded and followed the so-called Kamenashi in. He returned to his seat and realized that the man was probably going to be seated behind him.

"Class, we have a transfer student. His name is Kamenashi Kazuya, and he comes from an island somewhere to the east." The teacher smiled at Kamenashi. "Your seat will be behind Ueda-kun -- oh, Ueda-kun, please raise your hand! Ueda-kun, please show Kamenashi-kun the PROPER way to get around the school.

Tatsuya knew what she meant. Tatsuya had always had a knack for finding special ways to get to classes. He'd once discovered that below a tile, there was a little tunnel leading to his math class.

"Eh, me?" Tatsuya didn't like the sound of having to lead someone around the school. Tatsuya frowned. Why can't Yuichi do it?" Tatsuya whined, pointing to his friend, who grimaced. He didn't like the idea any more than Tatsuya.

"Tat-chan~ don't put the burden on me!"

"Quiet, the both of you. Now, showing someone our lovely school isn't a burden. Ueda-kun, you will do it."

Tatsuya sighed. "I swear, the teacher hates me." he mumbled.

*Beep* "Attention all students, please report to the nurse's office on your floor for your annual shots. Thank you." *Beep*

The class walked down the hall and into the nurse's room. They each got their shots, and soon, they all went back into the class.The bell rang and everyone either pulled out their bentos or went to the cafeteria. The teacher left to the staff room. 

"You ready?" a voice interrupted Ueda's complaints. He looked up and saw Kamenashi. He seems... small. Very fragile looking, and he was quite pale too, almost as pale as Tatsuya himself, who was supposedly extremely pale.

"Uh, yes, just about." Tatsuya sped up, trying to organize his things while moving fast. It's very difficult you know.

The man beside him giggled. Tatsuya looked up, very surprised, to see the man smiling. He didn't seem like he knew how to smile, yet right in front of him is the man, with a smile on his face! It wasn't a huge grin or anything, but just a small smile.

Tatsuya couldn't help but crack up a little smile himself. He stuffed his things in his desk and left the room with Kamenashi, who had reverted back to staring at the ground with an expressionless face, though there was now a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Tatsuya's eyes looked at all the passing faces, all except for Kamenashi's. He avoided that empty look no matter what.

They parted when they got to the cafeteria. Tatsuya sat with his normal friends after he got an apple, a carton of milk, some rice with vegetables and meat, and a fudge thingie that he could not determine.

Though he spent time chatting with his buddies, he glanced over at the lonely Kamenashi that sat on an empty lunch table with only an apple on his tray.

He looks so lonely... and hungry? I'll bring him some food... he decided. Yes, I'm only going there to give him food, nothing else... he thought, reassuring himself that the feeling in his chest isn't anything important.

He walked up to the lonely character, leaving his friend confused, but he was stopped by a mini spirit creature.

"HUH!?" Tatsuya exclaimed, dumbfounded.

[chapter 1 - end]