Chapter 4 – The Beginning of the Story

Ivy's laughter lasted for a moment, until she fell down in her seat during the afternoon break. Adele, her best friend, is talking about how other children like to tease her, especially the treatment that comes from boys. Is it because of puberty, Adele feels that her male friends like to do physically touch while joking, starting from holding  shoulders, pulling  hair or point cheeks carelessly. But what Ivy laughed at was not about that, but the nickname Adele got.

"Your name Adele is good one, why do you want to be called with strange one?" Ivy asked without thinking. laughed so much that she had to wipe the tears.

Adele bent her face. "It seems that my real name is too pious, you know how I am..." can't resist being bullied.

Ivy's face drew closer, her lips pouted. "How are you? Like a school chicken you mean! Huh? So are you aware about that?" Ivy jokes.

"Jeez!" Adele hit Ivy's lips weakly. "Really, this mouth is too aggressive than pious." Adele is too hobbies to talk about other people, aka gossiping friend.

"So? Are you sure? Are you one hundred percent sure?” Ivy quickly changed the subject. 

During recess they don't have to worry about someone hearing the conversation, because most children will leave the classroom to change the atmosphere.

"Sure!! I saw for myself how come Alfred was there. He and his friends register for extracurricular marching troops.” Because Adele-self also enrolled in the same extracurricular.

"Ouh shit." Ivy was disappointed. Lost hope to be able to take same extracurricular with the idol of the heart.

"If that's what you want, to be together, why don't you join as well." For Adele, the matter is simple.

Ivy's index finger was pointed straight in front of Adele's face. "That can't be! Sorry, I also have dreams and plans. Long before I met Alfred, I had wanted to be a cross-red for a long time.” 

Apparently Ivy's reasoning is still functioning normally, Adele thinks Ivy is already in a state of infatuation and blind love for Alfred.

"So what's your next plan?" Adele shouldn't have asked, because after that she regretted it very much but was too late.

Ivy supported her chin with hand on the table. "Well what else if not sending a spy."

"Spy?” Adele didn't understand. Ivy nodded with a strange smile, at that time Adele felt something started to go wrong.

Adele pointed at herself, Ivy nodded. "You want me to be a spy to watch over Alfred?"

"Yup!" Ivy sounded cheerful. "I don't happen to have a spy in extracurricular activities yet."

In other words, if in other places such as the class and student council Ivy had asked someone else to do spy work for her.

"Huh? Seriously?" 

Whatever the spy's job is, Adele's lifetime must have been on a secret mission to keep an eye on someone. Then now that someone is her best friend's crush, goodness. Adele hopes that when the time comes when she likes someone, she won't end up being weird like Ivy. Yes, at least Adele can look ase mirroring and take lessons about this.

***

Debbie Wells on the sidelines of the afternoon break, meditating in the corner of the classroom. Amy went out with other friends to visit the cafeteria. It's not that Debbie isn't hungry, she's already ordered some snacks to Amy, ask for help. While she focused on reading manga. There is one issue during lunchtime, the problem is the school canteen when it's break time, most of all students will definitely be invaded with snaking queues. Besides that, being in a crowd is the most Debbie avoids.

“Oh, read that manga too, huh? I have the full series at home.” 

Hearing the words 'manga' and 'have' distracted Debbie from the sheet of paper in front of her. Sarah, Debbie's classmate, whose name she recently memorized, greeted her with a very friendly attitude that Debbie refused to ignore, or perhaps felt guilty.

"Have?" Debbie thought in mind. Obviously this one friend was on a different level. Either her family is very rich or the parents are very kind. And it could be that both reasons are true.

Debbie has only been able to rent manga for one reason, her pocket money is not that abundant so she can buy it. She must diligently set aside pocket money if wants to have a manga. Two, her mother at home will be very angry if finds out that Debbie used pocket money to buy manga. Once at home, her mother almost burned all manga collection. At that time Debbie cried like a little child begging that her treasures were not burned to.

"You read manga too?" Debbie asked curiously.

"Oh, not really. But if it's a manga with this title, I did read it."

"Seriously, you have another volume at home?" Debbie was very curious, secretly hoping.

“Yeah, Scramble-d right? Do you want me to lend it to you?" 

At that time, in Debbie's eyes, Sarah was like an angel without wings. Debbie nodded vigorously. Sarah smiled thinking Debbie's behavior was funny, she thought all this time Debbie was just a strange girl who was quiet and difficult to approach. 

"Okay, I'll bring it tomorrow." Sarah's promise.

That's right, why did Debbie never think of that idea before. If she have friends who share the same hobbies and interests, it will be easier. They can exchange reading books, borrow each other without spending pocket money. Oh but, how can Debbie find such a friend if her interest in other people and surroundings is zero. For example, Debbie does not take advantage of the afternoon break to socialize nor chit chat with friends. Currently still comfortable in her own world, being a snal in a shell.

"Here is your order." Debbie's lunch has arrived, Amy are back from canteen. "Oh! Hi, Sarah." Saw the combination of Sarah and Debbie, suddenly felt a little happy to find Debbie with someone other than her.

"Hi, by the way, what extracurricular are you taking?" Sarah asked. she had wanted to ask this for a long time but always miss a chance.

"We're both in marching, you?" Amy answered. 

Debbie was busy filling her stomach with snacks from the canteen. There wasn't much time left until the lunch break was over.

"Cross-red. Next Saturday, can we go together there, it's okay?” Sarah asked.

"Oh really, sure! it's more fun when we go in groups." Amy feels happy to make friends. But Debbie didn't seem to really care about that. 

Debbie is busy doing two jobs at once, stuffing food into her mouth and moving her eyes nimbly reading dialogue in manga books. It has been sucked back into its soul in a fantasy world.

Sarah went back to her chair to prepare for the next lesson. Debbie devoured the food that Amy brought from the canteen. like junk food or light snacks that are currently a hit.

"Don't eat it too fast, you'll choke!" Amy said worriedly. Luckily she also bought Debbie a drink besides food.

Only one reason Debbie eats in such an uncivilized way. "There's no time, the bell will rush in."

"Jeez.." Amy shook her head. "But have you done the assignment for the next subject? we have to collect it."

"OH!" Debbie was taken aback. Her face immediately tensed and pale, then panicked.

And sure enough, she must forgot to do assignment. Even though she had deliberately told Amy to copy the assignment. All because the manga story she was reading entered the climax of the story until Debbie was furious with the continuation of the story. If things goes like this, there is only one way for her to overcome the hurdle in taking advantage of opportunities. Do it now and continue to do hidden assignments even though the teacher has entered the class and started teaching during class. If without Amy, somehow what kind of Debbie's fate in school life.