"Aghhh the holiday's over already? It felt like it was just half the day yesterday!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, fret it out Ala-chan."

A whiny Ala-chan at morning. Surprisingly, we met part way on the way to school. As usual, just around the third railway crossing.

I actually planned to walk off the apartments at an earlier time. I'm always on-time or almost late on the way, so I figured about going to uni at an early time just to know what it feels like.

While Ala-chan and I met at the intersection on the way, she looked like she rushed her necessities before heading out. Her short and wavy hair became a "not-so" colossal bed hair, and her face looks haggard, like someone just stayed up late to finish their thesis or something.

"Aghhh!" She scratched her hair so badly, "Why school's a thing? I'm an accountant, not a scientist!"

"Erm.. haven't we been questioning that since we were in grade school?"

"Yeah right-but hey, did you know that progressive and compulsory education became prevalent around the 1900s? That's just a century ago!"

A hundred years doesn't sound like a lot of years ago, but a hundred dollars does. I'm stunned, even Math is as perplexing as English with all the irregular rules, darn it.

"Wait, so we were all dumb before the 1900s?"

"Silly Akko!" She smacked my right shoulder, "There's the Industrial Revolution before that, where kids are into labor, and I mean really young kids! They weren't straight out studying Math or Science back then."

"Oh right, not good at history. My bad."

Speaking of the Industrial Revolution, something just occurred to me.

Imagine, humans emerged on the surface for the last two million years, yet it took the next five hundred thousand or 0.5 million years (the earliest findings) for us to discover fire. Advance that to the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a gap of some hundreds of thousands of years, for us to advance healthcare and industry to what we have today. The entire twentieth century had a slew of human achievements than any century imaginable.

Let that sink in for a moment, the time frame we're currently in has a million times more achievements than in the far past.

Does that mean we just wasted less than two million years being stupid and living in a slice-of-life television series?

Don't worry, I still call humans the most intelligent species the universe has.

But I still can't forgive how unjustifiable and unequal humans are.

"Oh Akkochii, how was the hangout yesterday, had fun?"

"Yeah, as you can see, I had a lot of firsts yesterday with you guys."

Yawn.. she covered her mouth, "Hoooo... I'm glad, I'll let 'ya know if we have any plans to hangout or something like that⎯by the way have you seen the group convo? Miko sent some pictures of her family lunchtime at Seiru! The food there is good, she said."

I opened my cellphone, then navigated to the group conversation, "Huh you're right. Man, these pictures she sent are making me hungry."

"Speaking of convos, HEY! We didn't have our primetime podcast yesterday! I kept messaging you last night yet you haven't budged a read receipt!"

"Oh give me a break! I was real tired yesterday because I had too much fun with you guys!"

"Awhh that's sweet of you Akkochii," Ala-chan suddenly shifted her mood into a cutesy one, "Alriiight~ I'll take that excuse, that's why I just slept early tonight because there's nothing to do."

Oh, so that's why she's early now?

Man, the thought that Tomo was somewhat suspiciously cold yesterday is still bothering me. I don't know if I should talk about it to Ala-chan since I figured she's the closest to her of their group. But at the same time, I wouldn't want to ask because she had a flair of fun conversing with me when we met at the arcade.

Isn't it frustrating when things abruptly change without reason or explanation? Honestly that bugs me. When it involves people, I hate it. Like what Tomo's been to me during our hangout, I just can't tolerate my irritation on why it looks as if I've done something wrong to her.

"U-uhm.. A-Ala... something's been bothering me lately..." I kept stuttering, fighting the elements that nerve me.

"Yeah? Go ahead." Ala and I made eye contact, as if the situation is really bad.

"You know Tomo yesterday right? I'm sorry, it's just that she's giving me the nerve yesterday."

. . . .

Ala-chan looked back on the concrete with a serious demeanor, one hand on her chin.

Shoot, did I trigger something between their friend group?

"Akko," She faced back to me, "Let's take the talk to the cafeteria."

We walked to university, and by the time we stumbled on the cafeteria, it's eerily empty, except for that one group that's sitting at the opposite corner of the premises. Granted, we did arrive here by six o'clock, so that's plenty early. No idea how Ala-chan and I had some connection in mind to wake up at around five o'clock then arrive at university at this time around.

Sitting at the same table as we usually do (the table we sat in our vacant time the day before yesterday), we sat beside each other this time.

"Okay, let's take this to the top, like what now? What has Tomo been doing to 'ya?"

"Hmmm..." I looked up into the ceiling, trying to ponder and collect what Tomo was like yesterday. "For starters, I just don't get it why she has some sort of frustration against me, like I can see it in her eyes and whenever we talk together."

Frick, I can't seem to explain it really well, doesn't it suck when you already thought of what you want to say, but it just flies into oblivion when you start speaking?

"...Like, we literally only had really small talks that day⎯not sure, she definitely has some kind of vengeance on me, but not to you and Miko. It bothers me because this is our first meeting, and yet she's already like that to me⎯"I added, but Ala-chan suddenly covered my mouth with her hand.

"Take the breaks Akkochii, it already sounded like you ranted about Tomo..." Ala-chan expressed a worried frown towards me.

I slid her hand off my mouth. "Sorry, but it's really killing me right now..."I'm not sorry is what I wanted to say because it's really concerning. I fisted both of my hands on my lap.

"Hmmm... I really can't justify nor resonate with you, that's a completely opposite Tomochii from your account."

. . . .

For some reason, I'll not talk about what happened in the arcade afterwards, I felt like I'll be accused of defaming someone. Because just like she said, that's a completely opposite Tomo.

"Well..." Ala-chan stretched her arms up, then laid her hand on the table whilst facing me. "Tomo is a really happy-going person, she's the 'mitochondria' of us three, heh, but jokes aside... Whenever one of us is down in our hangouts, she usually just laughs it out, then either Miko, me, or both of us would also laugh it out. Heck, she'd happily help us with our stumbling Math brains back in the day, and now she'd happily help me whenever I stumbled in Accounting!"

Okay, this is the version of Tomo that I experienced yesterday evening.

"But, have you noticed that she's unusually quiet when we hung out yesterday? Unusual for the both of you I mean."

"That I can see, but eh—maybe she's just really shy and nervous yesterday. Forgive me," she sort of covered her mouth at one side so as to not make people read her lips. "I actually haven't told both of them you were coming."

"Huh, but how about Miko? She gave off the impression that she's somewhat familiar with me."

"Ohh, I sometimes talk about you when we talk, whoopsies I need twice the forgiveness now please! Repent for my sins, o father!" she looked down, while she put her hands together in a prayer.

"Er, whatever."

"Teehee~ but on a serious note, Tomo is a really outgoing person aye! She's hell of a talkative brat when we hang out. Don't worry about it, maybe she's just too shy or something. You're probably overthinking 'bout it. Maybe it's the first meeting that's killing her, that'll change when you get more attached with us!"

Poke! She tapped my cheek with her finger.

I just simply nodded on the notion.

"Fuuuuu~" she yawned, facing back to the table. "Hope that clears your mind Akkochii! Oh by the way..."

She handed out some paper bills to me.

You know the drill.

"Get us some Belgian waffles, well one per each this time 'cause I want to eat quick. Caramel ones!" She smiled towards me, like giving a tip to a waiter.

Without a word, I took the bills, then walked my way in the cafeteria to the waffle stall.

"Don't worry about it, huh?"

I mumbled to myself, because while the bother has been minimized, it's still bother nonetheless.

It's like global warming, we can't completely and abruptly clear greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, we're just going to significantly reduce it.

I lied when I felt that I moved on from our talk, it's still is bothering me (I didn't talk about it, so is that considering lying when you're silent about it?). What's bothering me just now is the fact that Ala-chan just loosely gave me a suggestion or remedy. Like are they going to do about the fact that Tomo suddenly became like that, or are they defending a queen still hibernating to conquer the world tomorrow?

Why can't they address it immediately? is what's been running on my mind now.

It's like reporting bullies to your adviser back in middle school, all they do is console you and couple that with the bestest yet most generic advice: Leave them be, they'll get tired of you not noticing them. But hey, we were kids back then where we weren't that emotionally aware of our conscience and people in your life. However, does that mean that teachers are using that vantage point to be laid-back about the fiasco and just care about their work and salary?

Actually on a second note, if I do become a lawyer, remind me to implement a law that punishes people who emotionally destroys or severs another.

Going back, of course I didn't push it further to Ala-chan because again, it would plainly sound like I'm defaming someone, or be accused of trying to delusion both Ala-chan and Miko that Tomo is bad (also because I, or we really don't know the reason behind that until she'll spill the beans about it). Yeah I know I sound like a broken record, but I pursue life in an orderly and somewhat systematic manner. It's as if I have everything scheduled, that's why I don't execute the plan the soonest I have it crafted in mind. I have to give it time somehow.

After I ordered a pair of caramel Belgian waffles to the lady clerk (which by the way, I didn't know she's also early into getting here), she finally handed me over a plate of them. She greeted me as usual and thanked her. To top it all off, damn these waffles are fresh from the oven!

Going back to our table, I placed the pair of Caramel waffles dead center on the table.

"Whoahh! Thankies as usual Akkochii!" She clapped her hands, and immediately munched on one.

"No problem." I sat on the opposite side of the table this time, also munching on the waffle, albeit not as rough and hasty as Ala-chan is doing it right now. Well actually, I ate it in one go because I ate very little of some toasted bread spread with white cheese earlier.

"Ala-chan I have a question, were you bullied before in middle school then you tried to report it to your teachers about it?"

"Mmmf?" she hastily chewed on her waffle and gulped it down, "Uhm, yeah I did experience such."

"How was it taken back then for you?"

"Hmm..." She folded her hands in a way that she's pondering her memories about it. "Well, when I reported it to the teacher, she just plainly said to leave him alone and that she'll take care of the matter with her best."

"Okay, okay..." I nodded and nodded with one finger at my chin, exaggerating that to a detective collecting information on a scene.

"But... I think the bullying on me still persisted? It just calmed down after a month, though I commend my old friends for intervening and alleviating what I was going with at the time."

I snapped my fingers. "Exactly, don't you think they're too mundane to do anything about the situation? Not just that, but even when world leaders plan in regards to climate change. Even with dozens of treaties and initiatives, there's like no effect at all right?"

Ala-chan froze for a second—a little twitch but no budge.

Maybe she was conscious of our conversation about Tomo earlier?

Truth be told, this is not one of my evil intentions, not even close. I mean I hate society for what it is, so what's the use of fighting brutally against it?

"Ala-chan, come back to earth~" I leaned forward from my seat, poking her forehead.

"O-oh sorry," she shook her head sideways like a puppy just finished dancing in the rain. "I was in a rabbit hole of what you said, it's everywhere like wow!" Ala-chan twinkled both of her hands to emphasize just how my theory is everywhere.

"It's everywhere, from suggestion boxes, complaining how slow your internet is, to rallying about the government."

"I'll agree with you there for a bit because, how come there are rallies that actually succeed like the Berlin Wall and the revolution in the Philippines around the 1980s in what they call 'the most peaceful coup d'état' ever held?"

"First of all, I'm not good at History. Second of all, what's probably common among them is that the entire population just abruptly became one family, one soul. I say abruptly because even though those rallies were successful by the masses, how come the people who fought for those ideologies are still stuck with a cumbersome environment—or better yet, why is the Philippines still in shambles of corruption and inconsistencies despite they've fought for their freedom?" subjectively speaking, I have nothing against any nation. Every nation is beautiful on its own.

"Huh..." She looked up to the ceiling, folded one of her arms to gesture her skepticism. "You're right, why did a solution to a problem become a problem?"

I could use some lesson in Statistics to support her claim since Math is understood universally, but I digress. Maybe you people are tired of reading this like a book from school. Just remember, it's a key lesson in logical operators.

"It's the same as a lie for a lie will turn it inside out to not make it a lie."

A lie of a lie so that the initial claim will be true.

Ala-chan instantly stood up, banging the table by hitting it with both of her palms, her face akin to someone who just won a jackpot at the lottery with a mouth wide open.

"WHOAH! SO IT MAKES SENSE!"

You know in philosophy, you're somehow getting there when both theories are connected and subjectively evaluated. It's that feeling Ala-chan feels like right now. Or to put it to better terms, it's like her thesis defense went well.

"Oh wait, I gotta return the plate because you did it last time, be right backy!"

While she's standing, she picked up the plate that we had and walked away from the table to place it somewhere for washing.

But she didn't even take a minute as she went back in a flash. She literally sprinted through the whole cafeteria. Good thing there's still not that many people yet, despite nearing assembly hours.

She panted by the time she came back here and sat.

"Hold on, what's this? Did Akkochii just validate not one, but two of my theories? Holy hell! This is an evolution of humanity! Can't believe nonsense brain candy talks could actually improvise the world!" she exclaimed heavily, gesturing her hands back and forth and onto her chest.

"Out of almost eight billion humans, we can't improvise that well, let alone the two of us."

"Still, can't believe it's somewhat valid though! I'm underwhelmed because you didn't connect it to some universal concept or something, but connecting it to our talks the other day? You have a sharp memory!"

There goes Hypermaniac Ala. Frick, I should've told the whole Statistics thing, but more importantly,

"Ah shut it, my memory is no better than a goldfish."

"Listen, not that many people vividly remember conversations that sharp, that's a talent!" She leaned her palm forward, like the painting The Creation where God reaches out to Adam with his hand.

. . . .

A bug or a feature? That's every hunch of an I.T.

"Oh Akko!" she was looking at her phone. "It's quarter to seven now, wanna call it for the morning?"

"Yeah, I feel like heading to class right now."

"By the way, what's 'yer sched' today? It's Wednesday."

"Calculus, Vacant, Japanese, Religious Studies."

"Accounting, Spanish, Vacant, Business Management—Awh man we can't meet along the day!" Ala-chan stomped the floor in frustration upon realizing that.

"Oh noo, that's sad..." I said monotonously.

She stood up, walked to my side, and kept hitting on my shoulders. "Crazy Akko, at least be worried or something, you monster! I'll miss you in just a short amount of time."

"Ah." I also stood up to the opposite side of the table. "Studies first, then you can tease me anytime."

"Deal."

We jokingly shook hands.

"Anyway, see 'ya Akkochii when I see 'ya!"

She waved goodbye while walking towards the East Building, while I just gave a small wave while heading to the West Building.

Even the corridors are eerie without people walking around the campus.

"I bet things are going boom when it hits seven sharp."

After some horrendous hiking with the stairs and some tiring treadmilling in walking along the corridor, I stumbled upon the Calculus classroom.

There's like one person in the center aisle, while two in the right aisle of the room.

Walking down the classroom, my eyes darted on that one person at the center.

Twintails with grayish hair? Yeah I told you, my memory is worse than a goldfish.

While trying to remember who this is, I took the risk of just sitting right beside her. From the side, she's scanning her phone on top of some paperwork that she placed on the desk. Her head leaning to the right whilst looking down, supported by her right arm folded upward on the table.

Gosh, her eyes are really stuck to her phone.

With nothing to do, I just looked at her going about in her own bubble.

Her purple eyes were calm and collected as she does a couple swippity-swipes on her phone, probably checking social media.

"Mmhm, uhuh.., hmm.. er.. eh? EH?!" It was until she started darting her eyes between me and her phone. Like there was a delay of her realization that someone's been watching beside her the whole time.

Speak of the devil, it's Tomo all along.

"O-oh, why good morning Akko..." She greeted with a lowly shy tone, facing back to her phone and somewhat concealing herself with her side bangs.

"Yeah, 'morning to you."

Finally, she turned off her phone and placed it aggressively on the table, looking in this direction with a sassy face. "S-so.. didn't expect for you to meet you here of all the places, eh? Ehe.."

"Right..." I chuckled with sarcasm. "But wait—you take Accounting just like Ala right? How come you attend Calculus?"