The Past : A few weeks after...first homeroom

And then, Chris regretted his choice...

Haruka started to pummel him with questions and some of which he didn't know the answer to.

Because he didn't freaking understand Japanese.

That aside, he still wanted her around as she was his only friend for the first few weeks.

That was to change. Just not this soon.

But asking the way, she volunteered to tutor him their ways and their language.

And boy oh boy, was it hard for him.....

*****

"Good mornin! How are you doing, Canner - Kun?" Haruka called out to him.

"Oh, good mornin. I'm fine, thank you." He replied, after he translated it. She immediately hit him with a frown, and he realised his mistake. She was teaching him how to use the Japanese dialect.

"Uh- sorry. I'm fine, Matoka...... Senpai?" He looked confused with this stuff. He never understood where to use the formalities. Yeah, he could just say he's a foreigner and they would excuse him but he wanted to at least try.

Nothing better to do.

"That's right! You're getting good pretty quick!" She complimented him. He noticed that the others were giving him weird looks.

He quickly turned back to class as hometown was about to start. He shooed Haruka back to her seat as she scurried away with an angry look.

"It's Chris!" He hissed at her, before turning back to the board.

"Good morning everyone. Today, we'll be deciding who goes for what in next weeks school festival" Everyone cheered as they knew exactly what they'll participating for.

Chris was just waiting for his teacher to translate it for him

But she didn't turn back. In fact, she had a gloomy look on her.

Everyone had their minds set on what part they would tribute to.

Haruka didn't. She was clumsy and wasn't good at anything that she was aware of.

Maybe being at things was an exception. She didn't know why they put her as class rep in the first place. She was partly invisible to others. They only came to her when they needed help.

Chris was the first to notice her. And it was her who went to help him, by herself.

"I don't like him! He's just- just- my fr- friend?" She asked her conscience.

"What are they talking about?" Chris finally interrupted her thoughts with a straight face of confusion.

And her gloominess dissipated.

Yep, she liked him......

"Sports festival" She whispered in a low tone as Chris realised he was in trouble.

He's fast. And can't stop it...

*****

After choosing all the competitors, the last one left out was Haruka and the teacher didn't even notice her, as she thought.

Everyone knew he was an athlete due to some unknown source and they practically forced him to join the relay.

And he can't refuse. He's a proud idiot.

On top of being an arrogant one.

Multitalented.

"That's all for this class" The teacher, didn't notice her, as he closed his booklet and left.

And that annoyed Chris......

Everyone else had some job to do. Arrangements, designs, ideas, something. Anything.

On an instinct, Chris got up to ask but, Haruka somehow reached and placed a hand on his shirt and pulled him down.

And that was a signal to shut his gob. He realised he wasn't the only one standing differently out in this class.......

And that annoyed him even more. He didn't want anyone else to share his same pain, and his only friend was in that circle.

But he was only treated differently and traumatized in the childhood of his he barely remembered. She wasn't even bothered to be noticed unless they're was work to be done.

*****

At the festival a week later, Chris ran in the relay and it was only because he was the fastest sprinter in his hometown.

He won it with such finesse, his team which was blue by the way, had thrice the number of points they would secure normally.

Which was 3...

He helped his class win by a landslide and from that time on he was known as the 'Flash Canner'.

To be honest, he didn't like the name and he didn't like it how they still didn't notice Haruka. She was calm and collective, at least sometimes; and she was very caring for others.

But now, she was the only one left out......

A third wheel.