Kirari's final class

So, today was the final class I had for the semester. I did the written part of the Japanese final on Monday and passed with a 98, and we had an oral exam today. All we had to do was make a short speech about a vacation we went on in the past, in Japanese. Of course, I hate talking in public, and even moreso about myself, but since I never really go anywhere I just made up a vacation and talked about it. As expected, most people in the class didn't do so well, but most were understandable, and I won't act high and mighty, because I'm sure I'd be tripping along my words as well if I didn't have prior knowledge of the language before taking the course.

But that's not the highlight of the day. After all, it was just a normal exam. I'd like to be able to leave right after I present, but I couldn't find the right timing to slip out of the class, and my laptop was recharging, so I decided to just stay for a few more presentations. I was almost the last person chosen anyway.

Everyone finishes their presentations, I start packing up my stuff, I'm heading out the door but I hear 

"Kirari*, wait!"

 *Replace Kirari with my real name

So I turn and make eye contact with the person that called me. I saw she was nervous as hell, which says a lot considering she wasn't so nervous at all during the presentation. Then again, she's one of the few people aside from me that take the class to seriously learn the language, or at least it seems that way.

"Did you register for Japanese next semester as well?"

Er...Yeah, I did, but that was surprising. I told her I registered, and she proceeded to ask what time slot I registered for. I honestly didn't know, because I just picked one that would fit into my schedule. I'd like to have the same professor again, but her name wasn't listed, so I assumed she wouldn't be teaching J2 next semester. So she looks down, takes a deep breath and says:

"Because I hope we get in the next class together."

 That really threw me off. It was just surprising to me. I mean, it's not the first time I've been stopped before leaving a class for such a direct approach, it's happened before in high school, but when it's a boy I can easily react with a flat "no" leaving no room for interpretation by just shooting my normal uninterested expression. I was caught by so much surprise from this that I couldn't even react and kinda stuttered my next words out. I can't even remember what I said, it was something along the lines of "Oh, okay, uh. That....okay. Um, I'll see you." and walked off. Really, this is the first time a girl has been so direct to me. It happened a lot in high school with guys, both the subtle ones and the forward ones, but they're easy to keep away, especially if you stop them from trying the second they even try to get close to you (which was easy for me, even the ones that don't care about personality could be scared away with the right methods). 

I thought I was perhaps just so surprised by the whole thing that I was looking too much into what's just her trying to be friendly and that's still entirely possible but if it was a male doing the same exact thing I'd undoubtedly know that what he was trying to do. I haven't had a real life friend since about elementary school, so it's very possible that kind of invitation into friendship is normal, but I've just forgotten how real friends act when trying to know each other.

It's not that I like her, I was just so flustered over the whole thing that I couldn't properly react. If it wasn't for the fact that she seemed so nervous when talking to me, especially since she didn't seem so nervous before and that she specifically stopped me of all people, I don't think it would have surprised me much. 

Of course, I don't talk to people much at all, but there were times in class where we had to converse with one another just because it's a verbal exercise. Since I always sit in a corner in the back, and on the first day she did so too, we always sit next to each other (though we never talk really), so you can imagine we're always paired up for conversations. I never cared really, I just went on with the conversations. In fact, I don't remember much from those conversations other than the fact that she went to an all girls school from grade 1-12. 

She's shorter than me, which says a lot because I'm short, but she always wears heels and reaches about the same size as me. I do envy her sense of fashion a bit. I've never been into fashion, but she always comes in with different outfits that don't have extravagant designs that make her look silly. She wore a frilly dress that seemed very normal, and she always has hair decorations. She hides her powerlevel, making sure to say she just likes "Japanese dramas" when we first had to ask why we took the course (I just followed along with the "drama" thing when she said it and mirrored her answer). But when I brought in Yotsubato, she looked excited while reading through the pages and asked me where I buy my manga after. Since I sit next to her, I also see her doodling stuff, most noticeably a catgirl. At one point she did ask if I was in the school anime club, and frankly I didn't know there was one but didn't care. In my usual "end the conversation before it starts" manner I just told her clubs aren't my thing, and she said she's not in the club either but might join if someone she new was in there. At the time I didn't pay mind to it, but I guess that was her hinting that she'd join the club if I was in it.

What's even more st*range is that her phone number is in my notebook because we had to exchange numbers at the start of the class with someone in case we missed a day and need to contact someone for the assignment or something. She doesn't have mine, because I gave a fake one (kinda mean of me, but I really don't like keeping contact with people). I forgot about ti completely until I was looking through old notes on the bus for a kanji I was practicing before and saw it.

Cool story, I know. It was just odd for me. This kinda stuff happened occasionally before, but it's the first time a girl has done this to me, and frankly I don't even know what to think of it. I hope my next class isn't with her. I'd feel awkward seeing her again, I think, and wouldn't quite know how to react or be able to put up my "don't talk to me" aura. But this whole event will probably just fade out of my memory within a few weeks anyway.

~ Kirari ミ★