Breaking Point

Early in the morning, maybe at around four-thirty in the morning, Yasu woke up to the sound of his alarm and rapidly got up. While he was still asleep, that didn’t matter as he had to prepare for yet another day in the mental asylum that was school.

Yasu opened the door to his room and went downstairs to the kitchen, his father will be up in about half an hour, this was something that Yasu has normally picked up. Both men in the house were early-risers. In the meantime, he made some coffee and sat at the stool in the kitchen counter watching videos with his phone.

These times of complete silence felt pleasant, yet lonely. While he normally preferred it this way, Yasu couldn’t deny that some excitement was something he really needed.

He yawned and poured himself some coffee, he took his phone and went upstairs again to his house’s balcony, where he sat in peace drinking from time to time before he prepared to head to school.

Six hours and fifty minutes into the morning, as Yasu arrived at school he went over to his class and went to his seat. However, he noticed that Hajime was nowhere to be seen, which was odd, because due to the distance of his commute, he arrives earlier than anyone else. At least an hour before school starts.

“Hatsue~ Hisui~ Can I ask you something?” Yasu went over to two classmates, Hatsue Shiratori and Hisui Shimizu. “Has Hajime arrived yet?”

“Never saw him.” Hisui said, her demeanor as gentle as always.

“I’ve only arrived here, so I don’t know…” Hatsue also said.

“Ugh… Maybe Souta did come. I’ll go check.” Yasu prepared himself to leave. “Haven’t seen him either.” Hatsue said, which caught Yasu by surprise. “Huh? How do you know?”

She didn’t respond immediately but she finally said, “I was speaking with Miyuki about seven minutes ago and never saw him arrive.”

“No way!” Yasu cried.

“Sorry Ito, looks like you’re alone today.” Hatsue patted his shoulder. “Do your… best?” Hisui added.

“Why was that a question?!” Yasu cried in agony as the other two left. He picked his bag, collected the books for his first three periods and waited idly for classes to start at a corner of a classroom.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Eight hours and forty-five minutes into the day, Yasu sat down at his spot in his English class. The class had no seating roster, though the arrangement was on a four people per table arrangement. He sat there, in front of him there was an empty seat.

Noticing, Hatsue, who also sat beside him, spoke.

“You look like an abandoned puppy.”

“No I don’t?!”

“Hajime and you really are close, huh?” Hisui, sitting across Hatsue, said. “The way you say it scares me!” Yasu point.

“In all seriousness, you two are almost a set at this point.”

“Huh? Do you think so? Gross.” Yasu quivered, producing a soft giggle on Hisui. “Plus, aren’t you and Hisui on the same boat? Since you two met, I haven’t seen you guys apart. Only during lunch that is.” Yasu said, remembering their time during middle school. Ever since Hatsue came, she and Hisui quickly became good friends, something that could be told by their interactions.

“Hm, that is true, We truly are the best of friends!” Hatsue said, leaving Yasu in surprise by the difference between male and female friendships.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Nine thirty in the morning, Yasu went ahead for lunch but didn’t feel like heading to his usual spot, since none of his two friends were present. He didn’t really know what to do, as he made a line in the cafeteria, he thought of something.

After his turn came, Yasu walked over to a certain someone, he smiled and sat in front of the two girls. There, Yasu saw that Hatsue was already seated together with another girl beside her.

Similar to Hatsue’s semi-long hair, Miyuki Takahashi’s hair was also semi-long, yet a little longer than Hatsue’s. The main difference was that while Hatsue’s hair was curly, Miyuki’s was straight laced, and jet-black.

The two were on the short side, maybe about fourty or thirty centimeters shorter than Yasu, who was a little over one-eighty three. As he sat down, he said with a smile, “Sorry, I’m intruding now!” He smiled.

“Huh? Yasu?”

“Yup, sorry to intrude Miyuki. It’s just that those two didn’t come to school today, so Hatsue is the second choice!”

“What do you mean by second choice?!”

“Well, I don’t really mind… get comfortable…” Miyuki said. “So, Miyuki… We haven’t really spoken before, have we? How ‘s life? munch… All good? munch.” Yasu said.

“So-so. Well, everything’s normal.”

“Of course everything will be normal for you, Miyuki…” Hatsue sighed. “?”

This was Yasu’s first time approaching someone on his own volition. He didn’t really feel like eating in the courtyard alone. After all, other people also ate there and he didn’t want them to judge him for eating alone. So as a last course of action he went to Hatsue, in an attempt to have some company just for today.

“So, for now, please let me eat here whenever the two don’t come!”

“Uh, sure?”
“Okay?”

“Thank you!”

Yasu clasped his hands in gratitude. This was just one small act that wasn’t supposed to hold any significance. Their paths weren’t really meant to cross. Five… seven… eleven… None of them were meant to be there.

None of them were meant to change so drastically… at least not yet. Adolescence was nothing but a trial period, a period of joys and cries, of falls and lifts. And endless abyss where truth laid undiscovered underneath multiple layers of white lies meant to protect them from harm.

The encaged butterfly wasn’t meant to leave its cage. However, in a sympathetic attempt to ease the butterfly’s loneliness, the butterfly cracked leaving a fragmented space behind.

This wasn’t a supernatural tale by any means. This was just a small lake, full of cries of pain. A small lake full of camaraderie and understanding, where the weak cry but stand up.Were the strong are humbled but don’t look back. This is nothing but a lake where only one abnormality lies.

A small lake, were Ito Yasu laid.

In the hush of dawn, a butterfly wakes, Its wings unfurl, the morning quakes.

A gentle flutter, a silent breath, Echoes through time, defying death.

A storm brews on a distant shore, Seeds of change in its core.

From a delicate dance, a tempest grows, A mystery the universe bestows.

So cherish each moment, choice, and chance, In the butterfly’s wake, life’s great dance.

For in each flutter, small or grand, Lies the power to shape the land.