***
When the bell rang for lunch, Noda decided she would give Eiichi a rest for the time being and lay off bugging him. Truth be told, she needed a break herself.
Never, in all her life, had she imagined that she would ever be a part of something like a police bust. Of course, it would be normal to assume that. Sure, she fantasized from time to time about daring situations, adrenaline pumping scenarios, gripping events that could leave someone appreciating the simpler things in life more thoroughly, but of course, what right minded high school student believed something like that would actually happen? The thought of what they had accomplished was so exhilarating, and her getting footage of it just made things even better!
It had always been her dream to capture something, anything, that was exciting, bizarre, suspicious, or just plain out of the ordinary, and to do it again, and again, and again! She just loved photography in and of itself, as an art and a passion. The idea of having something immortalized, frozen in time, to always be remembered, brought her a thrill and a sentiment she could not fully explain.
Eiichi did get rather annoyed with her coercing, which she found entertaining, but he could probably only take so much. He seemed to be the kind of guy that was just serious, all the time, which made him a lot of fun to pick at, but that seriousness had to get boring after a while.
Something that threw her off though, was that he seemed to pick up on things rather quickly. Like, when she had a thought to express, it was as if he already knew what it was and had already decided whether he agreed or not. She had been afraid of Eiichi before, she was willing to admit, but that was just fear of the unknown. After spending time around him, granted, not knowing who he was, she’d learned he was just a harmless, yet irritable, stick in the mud. She couldn’t help wondering about his behavior though. He wasn’t exactly normal, that was for sure. There was a reason people kept their distance from him, even if he wasn’t as dangerous as they claimed. It could be a fluke, and she was putting too much thought into it. It definitely wasn’t something she felt could be harmful, it just seemed like he needed a friend more than anything.
With her bento in hand, Noda stepped into Hisako and Kimi’s class, the classroom just across the hall and down one space from hers. She didn’t have to look because she was headed for the same place they usually convened for lunch. Hisako and Kimi had already pushed the desks together.
“Not doing pictures today?” Kimi smiled.
“Hey Noda, you haven’t been joining us for lunch lately, what gives?” Hisako leaned back, hands on her hips.
Kimi, a girl with fairly short, shoulder length hair, with the front bangs pulled back and pinned down in a mess of many fanned locks, was a kind and quiet girl who had been Noda’s best friend since they were in grade school together. Hisako, a rather goofy girl whom they had known since junior high, had short hair as well, with her bangs cut into a swoop curving in one direction across her forehead. Hisako had the most athletic figure of all of them, a good fit for a member of the girl’s baseball team, and in the past year, Noda had developed some envy over her bust size. Kimi and Noda both shared a passion for photography, and Kimi had been Noda’s right hand girl since their photo club years in junior high.
“Ah jeez, sorry guys.” Noda sat and clapped her hands together, bowing her head earnestly. “You’re right, it’s been all work and no play.”
“All work and some play is more like it,” Hisako remarked, while waving a bit of fried chicken at Noda. “I know what I saw this morning, and I had to figure out if I was hallucinating or not.”
“You what...” Noda gawked up from her bento.
“Well...” Kimi called her attention with a sideways nod and polite smile. “She already told me about it, so I suppose you might as well explain, Noda-chan.”
“Wait, wait, what are you two talking about?”
Hisako began, “I’m on my way to school, just another ordinary day, when what do I see, but our girl Noda here walking to school with none other than Eiichi Kozuka. Eiichi-friggin’-Kozuka!”
“Okay, you don’t have to broadcast it!” Noda kept her voice low, but was nearly out of her seat, eyes shifting from left to right.
“I don’t have to, most of the school saw it. I seriously thought my sister put something in my omelet.”
Noda looked at Hisako with wide eyes. “For starters, I’d be more concerned about your sister putting things in your food.”
“It’s an expression, Noda! Don’t take it so seriously!”
Kimi sat by, still with her polite smile, but looking just a little uncomfortable. “Now, now...I think what Hisako is trying to convey is, it’s a little strange seeing you with him out of the blue like that.”
“More like watching a nightmare unfold,” Hisako shook her head, sounding somber. “Our kind, energetic Noda, with the biggest creep in school. And you looked pretty lively too. I know we’re all single here, but you don’t have to be so desperate. There are better picks out there, Noda.”
“Wait, Hisako...”
“She’s going to change before we know it. She’ll start skipping class, tagging up the girl’s bathroom, mouthing off at the sensei. She’ll quit all her clubs and her grades will drop. Our sweet, adorable Noda will be changed forever.”
“Just a sec...”
Suddenly, Hisako clasped both Noda’s hands in hers, with wide, pleading eyes gazing back.
“Please, you don’t have to go fishing at the bottom of the barrel like that! We may not be popular, but that doesn’t mean we must lower our standards! You can do better, I know you can!”
“You two have got it all wrong!” Noda shook her grievous friend off. “Kozuka and I were just...talking...”
It was here she remembered, she couldn’t say exactly what they had been talking about. She had no idea what Eiichi’s strategy had been, if he was going to tell a story or not. He seemed like he just wanted to shrug it off and forget all about it, while she had something else in mind. She definitely couldn’t tell her family she had snuck out to help the school delinquent thwart a robbery. Of all the ironic stories possible, that had to be the least believable, next to helping the principal communicate with extra-terrestrials. And if her family wouldn’t believe it, her friends would definitely start looking at her like they were going to call the men in white coats.
What did Eiichi want to do with his version of the story anyway? Did he already tell someone? They had never really discussed it, come to think.
“My, such a suspicious way of putting it,” Kimi said, placing a hand over her devious smile.
“I’m serious! I, uh...”
‘Come on! Think fast, Noda!’
“I was just thinking about doing an article on him for the paper, is all...”
Her friends gawked at her with wide disbelief.
Kimi spoke first. “Um, I suppose that’s a good reas—”
“It’s all over!” Hisako blurted in premature despair, placing her face in her hands. “It’s too late Kimi-chan! Game over, girl! Who does an article on the school delinquent? It only took a day and she’s already drifted beyond our grasp…”
Kimi chuckled.
“It’s called constructive journalism!” Noda retorted. “Ya know, a gaze into the life of our lesser known peers. And besides...”
There was something she could tell them.
“...He helped me...”
Hisako looked up. “Please don’t tell me he held a door open for you, or grabbed a book from the top shelf...”
Noda couldn’t help glancing shyly down at her hands clasped in her lap. “H-He saved me...”
‘More than once.’
“...from a guy that tried to steal my camera.”
There was another pause from the two.
“What a noble thing to do.” Kimi touched her chest.
Hisako smacked her hands on the desk, causing Noda’s shoulders to jump and a few heads to turn.
“And why didn’t you tell us
about this!?”
She clammed up, feeling backed into a corner. “I didn’t want to worry you guys, it was only two days ago. I’ve just kind of been getting his story ever since.”
“Yeah, sounds like you’ve hooked up with prince charming there.” Hisako sat back down and placed her chin in her hand, looking unconvinced. “I guess that would explain why you up and disappeared yesterday.”
“I’m telling the truth! First of all, there’s nothing between Kozuka and me. If anything, we’re...friends! That’s right! We haven’t been together that long, and we barely see each other. He actually gets kind of annoyed with me sometimes.”
“Like all good friends do,” Hisako remarked. “And what was your second point?”
“Um...” Noda tapped her lips with the hashi. “He’s more like a business venture.”
“Uh-huh, according to all drama series, isn’t that how they all start out?”
“Oh, be nice,” Kimi inserted, finally. “She said they’re not going out, so we have nothing to worry about.”
Hisako sat up and continued eating. “I’m just saying Noda, watch yourself with him. Nothing good can come from being around Eiichi Kozuka.”
Noda grumbled while poking at her sushi, “Yes, I know the rumors about him, and so does he. Seriously, he’s nicer than you give him credit for.”
“Well, I’ll believe that when I see it. Anyone who’s a hypochondriac has some serious needy issues. Whether he knows about the rumors or not, I don’t see him making much of an effort to change.”
Noda let that one hang in the air.
To clear it up, Kimi clasped her hands together. “Oh! Speaking of drama series, did either of you catch the episode of ‘Hunters of the Stars’ last night?”
“Oh yeah!” Hisako seemed to brighten up. “Can you believe Bairei betrayed Mayuko like that?”
“So terrible! I can’t wait to see what Nahoko does.”
Noda spoke up. “I kinda’ missed it, I had some errands to run...”
Eiichi P.I., Vol. 1 Page 12
