[i][b]I am thou… [/b]
[/i]

Asuka ignored the voice, seeking the silent oblivion of sleep. It was that one dream again — the one where the voice kept muttering the same phrases, over and over again. 

[i][b]Thou art I… [/b]
[/i]

[i]Then you’d know I need to sleep,[/i] Asuka thought irritably, refusing to open her eyes and acknowledge the voice in her dream. As a person often pressed for time between club activities and schoolwork during the school year, Asuka didn’t really feel like letting her sleep get interrupted by some stray dream that had wandered into her unconscious mind. Although this particular dream seemed more persistent than most — she’d lost track of how many times the soft voice had whispered the same words to her in the dark — Asuka refused to hear them out. [i]I’m sleeping for exactly six hours. No more, no less. So go away.[/i]

The voice quieted, leaving a silence that stretched on forever until Asuka’s alarm jolted her awake, Stretching and standing up from her bed, she quickly slid on her uniform, adjusting it in the mirror. “Good morning, Asuka-chan,” Asuka’s grandmother called from the kitchen when the girl exited her room. “You didn’t tell me you were getting up so early today — even earlier than your Ojii-san.”

[color=plum]“You’re up early too, Obaa-san,”[/color] Asuka said, slippers sliding against the floor as she walked into the kitchen. [color=plum]“You should rest — I can prepare my own breakfast.”[/color]

“Nonsense. It’s a grandmother’s job to do so,” the gray-haired lady said, opening the faucet to wash her hands. “Porridge is already heated in the pot. Would you like some miso?”

Asuka opened her mouth to protest again before closing it. [color=plum]“Yes please, Obaa-san. Arigato.”[/color] Walking over to the cupboard, the girl got herself a bowl and scooped a few spoonfuls of steaming porridge into it. Her grandmother was there in an instant with some pickled vegetables and dried bonito, and Asuka waited silently the two were sprinkled onto her rice. [color=plum]“Doumo arigato,”[/color] she told the silver-haired lady. Asuka’s grandmother smiled, wrinkles crinkling as she hurried back to the stove. 

[i]This’ll be the last year Obaa-san will be able to cook breakfast for me on a daily basis,[/i] Asuka thought, spooning a spoon of warm porridge and a chunk of pickled daikon into her mouth. [i]After this, it’s off to Tokyo where I’ll have to make my own way in the world.[/i] She paused, looking over at her grandmother who was currently stirring a pot of miso with a faint smile on her face. [i]It’d be too selfish to insist on doing everything myself right now. Let’s work up to it.[/i]

[hr]
Asuka arrived at the school a little under thirty minutes before the student body would begin arriving. Helping to set up the last of the chairs, the girl grinned when she spotted a familiar figure greeting teachers by the door. 

[color=plum]“Tomio! There you are!”[/color] Asuka called, jogging over to the boy who turned around with a broad grin.

“Asuka! How was your summer?” he asked, waving to some of the other students around the gym. “Everyone looks so energetic today, it’s getting me all excited as well.”

[color=plum]“Well that’s good to hear. Say, we’re in different classes this year,”[/color] Asuka said, frowning. [color=plum]“After two years of sharing classes, the school decides to split us up?”[/color]

“I guess having both the leaders of student council in one class didn’t allow for enough inter-class competition,” Tomio joked. “Let’s see who’s the better council member during the school spirit week.”

[color=plum]“You’re on, president Ogami,”[/color] Asuka said with a grin. Looking around, she noticed that the students were just about done filing in. [color=plum]“I think we’re almost ready to start. Let’s head to the stage.”[/color]

“Good call,” Tomio said, leading the way. The vice-principal spoke first, sharing a few well-wishes for the new year and encouraging everyone to do their best. Tomio followed, taking the stage with with Asuka. “Well I for one am glad to be back at school,” he said, looking out into the crowd. “After taking a vacation and working a job, it becomes clear that there’s still much we have to learn about the world. Hello, everyone. My name is Ogami Tomio, and I’ll be serving as your student council president this year.”

[color=plum]“And I’m your vice-president, Takeya Asuka,”[/color] Asuka said into her mike, looking over the seated students. In the crowd, she made out both friends and classmates, familiar faces and new recruits. In the front row, for example, there was a boy that seemed to have been in a rush that morning. He was currently adjusting his tie — and doing a rather poor job of it — but Asuka continued on. [color=plum]“As the representitives of the student body, we’re in charge of coordinating activities and delivering announcements. But most importantly, we’re in charge of representing each and every one of you.”[/color]

“Yes. And that means that each and every one of you are important,” Tomio said, “whether you’re involved in every club or none at all. If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to talk to us about them. The student council was founded to help you, and we’d be glad if you could help us do just that. We meet Wednesdays and Fridays in the staff lounge, and everyone’s welcome to sit in for our meetings. Now, a word from our principal.”

It had been Tomio’s idea to open up student council meetings to everyone this year, arguing that the council “had nothing to hide, and everything to benefit” from greater attendance and understanding of what they do. Asuka had supported the idea, although initially a little reluctant since the staff lounge was a bit small, but she’d been willing to give it a try. She didn’t see why they couldn’t open up meetings to whoever was interested, and the school staff had liked the idea as well.

After the principal spoke, Tomio took the stage again to read some announcements before the vice-principal released everyone to homeroom. Staying behind a bit to help put away chairs, Asuka found herself entering her homeroom class — 3-B — two minutes after the bell rang to signal the beginning of class.

“Oh, Takeya-san. Take a seat — I’m just in the middle of taking roll,” the teacher — Inoue-sensei — informed her. Takeya nodded scanning the student-packed room for an empty spot. Spotting one near the windows on the left side of the classroom, Takeya walked over and sat down, leaning her bag against a leg of her chair. “All right. Now before I forget, let’s have our newest student introduce himself,” the woman in the front said, looking in Asuka’s direction. 

Asuka paused for a moment before realizing that the teacher was looking beyond her, so she turned in her seat to see the tall brown-haired boy who’d been adjusting his tie earlier at the assembly. [i]So his name is Itsuji?[/i] Asuka thought, listening as the boy introduced himself. [i]His tie-tying skills still need some work, but that’ll pass. He looks like an athlete,[/i] she thought as he spoke. [i]The sports clubs will snatch him up quick.[/i]

“Well, I trust that everyone else knows everyone?” Inoue-sensei said, taking out a stack of packets from her bag. “Takeya-san, please give Tamura-san a tour around the school after class. As for these packets, they are your first notes of the year,” she said as she plopped stacks of notes on the desks of the students in the first row. “Luckily for all of you, we’ll be starting tomorrow since today’s reserved for greetings and formalities and whatnot, so let’s do that. My name is Inoue Kasumi, and I’ll be your language and homeroom teacher for this year.”

A chorus of “hi”’s and “hello”’s echoed through the room. “Well that’s the typical first day of school greeting,” the woman said, a smile on her lips. “But sit up, all of you. Just because we can’t start the course content yet doesn’t mean that we can’t do some review. Who can tell me one thing you remember from last year?”

Asuka’s hand was the only one to go up, and the snowball of first day energy snowballed from there all the way until the bell rang and the teacher wished everyone a good afternoon even though half of them were already out the door. After exchanging a few words with friends and classmates, Asuka walked over to the desk behind hers. [color=plum]“Tamura-san, right?”[/color] she asked the boy there. [color=plum]“My name is Takeya Asuka. Nice to meet you,”[/color] she said with a polite bow.

[hr][@sekritter]