As if their stupidity attracted more stupidity, multiple students came buzzing through the doors, seemingly attracted to Keigo’s moronic ramblings like flies to honey. All Etsuko wanted in life was to be left [i]alone[/i] – so, why oh why, was God punishing her? Etsuko sighed through her nose, attempting to remain polite, the only thing holding her resolve in place would be the punishment her parents would wrought on her if word reached their all-hearing ears. And, undoubtedly, it would reach them somehow – probably from the mouth of a certain neighborly peer.

[color=c4df9b]“So, whaddya think, Ueda? Scary, huh?”[/color] Keigo said excitedly, nudging her in the shoulder.

Etsuko stared at him, slightly lost, before remembering what they were talking about. 

[color=7ea7d8]“Oh…yes.”[/color] It was a lie of course, but if she encouraged such friendliness towards her then she would be stuck with them for the rest of her life.

[color=f6989d]“Ha, Etsuko finding that scary?”[/color] Chiasa laughed, slapping her neighbor on the shoulder. [color=f6989d]“I’ve never seen her scared. Name a horror movie and we’ve seen it – she didn’t jump once and she didn’t act scared, either. This girl is made of stone.”[/color]

Etsuko glanced at Chiasa from the corner of her eye, remembering the days over the summer where her parents forced her to watch movies at Chiasa’s house while they were hanging out with her parents. Truthfully, she was utterly terrified after seeing those movies and couldn’t sleep right for days. What Chiasa had taken for stone-faced in all reality had been the face of someone frozen in fear. But Etsuko wouldn’t correct her on this; then it would give Chiasa the impression that she was okay with sharing her vulnerabilities with her, thus meaning they were friends. And they were not friends.  

[color=c4df9b]“Oh, maybe you should go to the old building then.”[/color] Keigo joked and Etsuko felt the intense need to sneer. She hummed in response, not knowing exactly what to say in the situation.