(Private) The girl beneath her skin. The guy beneath his mind.

Motozaki sure seemed quite different today. I wonder what she saw in me which changed her mind towards me...

I'm waiting on a bench outside of the school's main building for my new friend. Does she consider me a friend, though? I wish I was a mind reader.

It's likely she'll take a little longer because she must have a little more trouble getting around than I do for obvious reasons.

Sayuri does indeed arrive several minutes after Satoshi. She has changed out of her school uniform, into her usual long black dress. She appears to be hurrying, perhaps being aware that she is late for their meeting.

"Good afternoon, Veach-san." She bows as well as she can within the confines of her wheelchair. "Sorry I'm late."

Ugh, I am so under classed. I would of changed too if I knew she would.

I'm just in my uniform without the suit jacket. Unbuttoned a couple on the top exposing a T-shirt.

"Evening to you. Motozaki-san."

The pause is light but indeed noticeable. Nevertheless, I bow as well and stand.

Should I push her as we walk? No, she may feel deprived if I do that.

"So, are we just going for a short trip through the grounds?" Sayuri had mulled it over while changing and felt that "trip" was suitably appropriate, as it didn't imply a particular method of travel. Sayuri fully intended to wheel herself, with Satoshi walking alongside her.

If he thinks otherwise, he's got another thing coming.

'Trip?' FACK-I could of used that word. I hope she wasn't bothered by my word usage, I couldn't think of anything.

"The intention was just to enjoy the day. Matters not how short or long it is for."

We naturally start to move down the walkway.

"So...Motozaki.."

'Satoshi, uses conversation attempt!'

"Have you joined any clubs since you started here?"

'It's super pathetic!'

Sayuri follows alongside Satoshi as he heads off along the path. He seems nervous. Is it my appearance? It's probably my appearance. For the thousandth time Sayuri cursed her growth spurt.

"No, I haven't. I haven't found any that interest me yet." Sayuri had a sudden thought; she had forgotten to ask about this. "Is it compulsory to join a club?"

I'm releaved that she takes the bate for a conversation.

"No, though it is recommended. Probably to help provide better social skills for use after graduation."

She probably talked to the right person for clubs.

"If your the kind of person that likes getting out often than I'd recommend it too."

"Currently I'm in the band club, choir club, art, cooking, and single sports."

"I've never been an over-achiever with my 2.8 GPA but I like to do quite a lot."

Congratulations, Satoshi. You once again may have proven how mad you've become to an interesting girl. Give yourself a round of applause.

What sounds like 300,000 people in a tackle football statium can be heard clapping throughout my mind.

"That's a lot of clubs. Are you sure you can keep up with all those extra-curricular activities?"

Band club, choir club, art and cooking...none of those really appeal to me. I can't sing, I can't draw...I know how to cook, but it's not really something I want to do recreationally. And of course I can't do single sports...not anymore.

"If any of them overlap they let me go to whichever is more important. If both are just as important then I may choose club event I want."

"Half of that stuff I already do on my own anyway so it's fine."

I'm deep in thought. I want to think of a club she'd like but the only one I could see her doing besides a couple I named off is a sport of some kind. She definitely has limited choice.

"Thought about Book club? I don't know how interested in literature you are."

"I read sometimes, but it's not really a great hobby of mine."

"I can relate to that."

Wow, this girl never must of done much even as a child.

It all makes sense with that kendo stick in her closet. That must of been just about the only thing Sayuri would do and I'll bet she was great at it.

For all I know, hanging out with someone on a day like this may have been a god-send.

Then again she does seem to be a little touchy. I guess that's why its for all I know.

We walk along side eachother and it isn't long before I'm humming with my usual light look on my face.

With the way the sun light feels I find my eyes closed as I walk.

The sun feels great on my face.

*THUD* Pole.

*English* "Shit-that hurt!"

I still feel uncomfortable with using some of the worse foul language in any language a girl I'm not sure even thinks of me as a friend can understand.

My eyes open with me. My bottom to the pavement.

"Great. Why do I keep embarrassing myself infront of you all the time? Could be with anybody else and I end up embarrassing myself infront of you."

I push my hair back and stand back up. The sun suddenly doesn't feel so good on my, now probably red, forehead.

Sayuri, who is also quietly enjoying the afternoon sun, doesn't realize Satoshi is about to walk into the pole until she hears the "thud" as he collides with it. She stops her wheelchair and checks that he's okay. What was that he exclaimed? Something in English? Probably a curse word of some kind.

The final sentence, however, was much more intriguing.

"Why? What's so special about me in particular?" I'd like to see where you're going with this, Veach-san.

The sentence was ment more for me but I'm not surprised she heard since I didn't exactly keep it down.

My voice still reaks of distress. Hardly of pain and more of annoyed at the pole and my stupid actions.

"I don't know. Guess I'm just more comfortable around my other friends."

I sigh and brush off the disturbance.

"And why is that?"

It's because of my height, isn't it? Or my temper? No...I haven't really shown him my temper. That much. So...it must be my height, then.

She's looking at her legs.

"N-no! It's not that-not at all."

She's going to think this is pathetic but now I have to tell her.

"Look. I've never had a female friend before and until recently-..."

My facial expression has lost all of it's light-hearted look to it.

Just spit it out.

"...Until recently I never even had friends. Always alone."

So he's never really had friends before? That's all?

"Not having friends isn't that much of a big deal. Sure, it's nice to have people to talk to, but...friends aren't always all they're cracked up to be. And..."

Should I tell him this? It'll probably make him feel a little better than what I just said.

"...I've never really had a male friend before either."

"That's not true..."

I'm looking back at the times I've had a lot of fun with friends even if that was maybe twice.

"That's...not true at all."

Thinking of when I experienced those moments and how afterward how I felt like I have missed out my entire life.

And what was that? She never had a male friend before?

"How come you've never had a male friend?"

I'm guessing he's never experiences the negative side of friendship. The heartbreak and betrayal. I suppose we won't have done, if he's never had friends before.

"I've never really talked to boys all that much before. I preferred the company of other girls. That's just how we are when we're children, I think. Although I'm not really a child any more."

Now that I think about it I do seem to be able to talk to girls better than guys. I haven't talked to as many but I'm usually more collected.

Sayuri is just an exception to that rule. Maybe it's because I'm probably working harder not to piss her off than actually being her friend.

For a socially forgiving guy like myself she's very different.

Hmmm...something about her statement in general practically paints 'I pretty much stopped being a kid and gave up on people in general soon after my condition appeared' on a white, brick wall. Potential clue to past noted.

Now what was I doing? Ah yes, my responce!

"I myself never seemed to have a young kid mind. It was more like I went from a toddler's mindset to a big kid's mindset and then to my current one."

"If I wasn't so shy, I probably wouldn't of cared if I talked to a boy or a girl."

"To tell you the truth, things like Santa Clause never really existed for me. I still don't know if that's a good or a bad thing."

"I suppose it's really how you look at it."

"I suppose." I'm not really sure how else to respond to that.

I want to ask more about her past to try and actually get her to be able to at least stand me but I fear anything having to do with her past may compromise any good view she has of me.

I touch my head.

"Ugh."

That hit made me feel like I may pass out. My visions a little blurred but I feel like I can continue.

I'm with a girl walking through a nice landscape on a sunny day. I can't abort now.

I find myself wanting to say something but nothing seems fitting to be said without the side effects outweighing the help.

So I just find myself humming 'Choke' as I continue walking.

Sayuri notices Satoshi touching his head.

"Are you okay, Veach-san? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Do I?"

Do I?

I check my pulse which seems to be around normal speed, though my skin is a little more pale than usual.

Perhaps it was a mixture between the pain of slamming my face into a solid, metal object and quickly standing up right after. Conclusion, there indeed is good risk that I could pass out.

No. No-I am much more strong than this!

I am not stopping and nobody's gonna make me.

"I'm fine."

My hand removes itself from my face and I stand up straight. My back arched.

My vision gets a little worse and I feel a little light headed from that move but I still show no sign of wanting to stop even after a stumble.

My humming also stops.

A voice you may hear coming from someone in the middle of the night makes a rare appearance during early evening.

"I can keep going...I-...I'm not weak."

I'm just as strong as any of those kids at my old school. I can be normal.

A quiet mumble escapes my mouth. "I can be normal like them."

Sayuri falls silent as she watches Satoshi quite clearly struggling with...his condition? Concussion? Whatever it was, he was certainly struggling to overcome it.

Sayuri thought back to the day she first arrived at Yamaku. Seeing the accursed kendo blade hung on her wall, and her determination to remove it despite failing miserably in her attempt. Shortly after that she had met Satoshi for the first time, and looking at him now, she couldn't help thinking that he reminded her of herself just a few short days ago. No...it's still me. It's always been me. He's trying to overcome his disability, to push on no matter how painful it is...isn't that precisely what I've been doing ever since the growth spurt?

Sayuri had to admire his determination, even if she was watching him destroy himself in front of her.

It gives me great physical distress but my mental prowess to not become the inevitable keeps me awake.

Focusing all five tracks of my mind at the task at hand.

My focus is broken though when I turn to see if Sayuri is, on the off chance, fooled by my movement into thinking I am completely myself and I see that she actually looks kind of worried in a way.

I hope she isn't worrying about me. My wellness is not nearly as important as anybody else's.

With not all of my mind on keeping myself awake, my thoughts of Sayuri begin to take over all that I see as I unconciously fall on one knee and onto my side.

I'm not important enough to be cared for by anybody. I hope she isn't worried...

Before I even notice I let myself fall, the darkness engulfs my thoughts as I collapse into the arms of dreamless sleep.