A World Without Scars - Chapter One

Instructions

Scratch isnt working well for me right now ! D: I've updated it since I originally released it, so while i fix my issue and attempt to post chapter 2, you can read here :3 i apologize for this issue and i will fix it as soon as i have time ! Chapter 一 I grabbed my keys, bike lock, and backpack, holding a piece of toast in my mouth as I sprinted out the door, met by the crisp November air. Even though I didn’t have to, I liked to arrive at school early, giving myself enough time to relax in the art room, considering I ran the school’s art club. It was always nice to have some time to myself in the art room to mentally prepare myself for another stressful and exhausting day of high school. Today was a Friday, meaning that the day could either feel as long as ever or flash by faster than the speed of light. Whichever way, I definitely needed to relax before the day began. Though it is quite common to take the city bus to the stop near the school here in Japan, biking always felt more appealing to me. I liked being able to bike with my best friend, Sei, whom I was on my way to pick up on the road to school. They didn’t have a bike anymore, so I let them ride with me on the back of mine every day. Sei, like me, was also in the art club and kept me company in the mornings when I chilled in the art room. When Sei came to the art room with me, they didn’t bring noise, but instead a silent, comforting presence. They have always respected how I don’t quite enjoy the effort of conversations, especially early in the morning, or the annoyance of the noises of other classmates, so they always silently drew in their sketchbook next to me, giving me my space and me giving them theirs. They didn’t live that far from me, and their house was on the way to the school, so they usually stood outside and waited for me to arrive, and we then rode to school together. I arrived at their house, but there was no Sei waiting for me outside. I tapped my foot, waiting for a minute, assuming they might be running late or I had arrived a bit too early. But then minutes passed. They weren’t coming. It wasn’t likely, but maybe they went on without me? When I pulled out my phone and called them, they didn’t show up in my contacts. Maybe I had accidentally deleted it? Luckily, I knew their number by heart, and started typing it in. I pressed the call button. Voicemail. The default voicemail. This was quite strange, as Sei had a custom voicemail telling the caller that they were busy but would call back as soon as possible. Despite this, I still left a message: “Hey, Sei. Are you home? I waited outside for you, but you weren’t there. I’m just going to assume you had somewhere to be before school. See you there!” Though this whole situation was extremely confusing, I came to the conclusion that they must have just left without me for some reason, which was weird, since their dad works all the time, making it impossible for him to drive them, and they don’t even own a bike. Sometimes they even had to drop their younger brother off at his school, walking him since the elementary school was so close, when his friend’s mom couldn’t drop them off. Sei must have just not told me. I continued biking towards my school, arriving there today only about 10 minutes early. Not enough time as I usually get (15-20 minutes), but I’d make it work. Begging to arrive near the side of the building near the art room, I jumped off my bike to lock it on the bike stand. It wasn’t used frequently by other students, since it was just outside the art room, far from the main entrance. I unlocked the door from the outside (you could enter the art room one of two ways: 1. The door from within the school, or 2. The door leading outside). I carefully switched my comfortable shoes for my school pair, the itchy ones I have to deal with, despite them always feeling too tight and confining. I placed my regular shoes along with my bag on an empty stool as I flicked on the light switch and began to search for something to do. I headed into the “office” as students liked to call it, a small room containing one work desk and supplies in it. I usually drew in there in the mornings. While I was searching for my sketchbook, I noticed something strange. There was a new closet. And it wasn’t just the presence of a new closet that was confusing, but how could someone create an entire closet in one night where there was previously just a shelf? And where did the shelf go? What about the stuff that was on the shelf? I began to walk towards the closet to see what it contained, but then I suddenly heard the chime of the bell. “Kuso1.,” I said aloud to myself, feeling a bit startled. The sudden noise immediately got my attention, sounding louder than it should. Getting here late really did catch up to me. I’d have to remember this for later. “Kuso” is similar to “Dang it” in English.