It was around 8:30 a.m. on the following Monday. Everyone had just arrived in the homeroom and was chattering among themselves.
I myself was currently in the middle of a conversation with Luna, who had deep bags under her eyes and was lying face-first on the desk. Yu wasn't in the same homeroom as the two of us, so it was just us.
"Ahhhh. I'm so tired…"
"I can see that," I said flatly, my eyes never leaving my phone screen.
She let out an annoyed, muffled groan. "Arghhhh, say something more helpful! I'm dying over here!"
I sighed and put my phone down. "Okay, fine." I cleared my throat obnoxiously, adopting a pompous tone. "So, tell me, what were you even doing up that late?"
"I was just watching videos, and before I even realized it, it was 3 a.m.! And stop doing that stupid voice!"
"Okay, my bad," I said with a light chuckle.
My smirk vanished, replaced by my default neutral expression. "Anyway, it sounds like it's your fault. Maybe sleep earlier next time."
Luna sank deeper into the wood of the desk. "I mean, I tried… I really did! But I just thought, 'you know what, Hoshino does it all the time. What's the worst that could happen?'"
"And how did that go for you?"
She clicked her tongue. "What does it look like, genius? Do you want me to say–" her voice jumped a pitch higher in a mock-cherry tone. "Oh yeah, I feel great!"
She paused, dropping back into her tired complaint. "No. I'm tired as shit. I don't know how you do it."
I leaned back against my chair, staring at the bright white light that painted the ceiling. "Well, I incorporate my in-class naps into my sleep schedule. If I sleep all day at school, that's basically eight hours."
Luna's shoulders trembled with a soft laugh. "Hahaha. I guess you got me there…"
Her voice slowly trailed off, replaced by the steady, slow breathing of someone who had sunk into a deep slumber.
My gaze lingered on her for a little longer before I shook my head.
God, sleeping during the first few minutes of school… Someone's clearly being a bad influence on you.
I chuckled softly at my own joke as I began fiddling with my phone once more, giving Luna the peace she had earned.
That peace only lasted three seconds, however. In the next three seconds, the teacher marched to the front of the room, her heels clicking loudly against the floor.
The students who had been lingering around or chatting immediately hurried back to their seats. It only took a few moments before silence enveloped the room.
The teacher cleared her throat with absolute authority. "Okay, class, today we will be heading to the auditorium for a school-wide assembly. I won't go into detail right now, as you will hear everything directly from our principal. Before then, I will take attendance. When you hear your name, please raise your hand and say 'here'."
The teacher began to call out our names one by one. I silently counted each name until it was Luna's turn.
"Luna, are you here?" the teacher asked.
I quickly jabbed her in the rib.
"Ack!" Luna jolted upright, her head snapping toward me with wide, panicked eyes. I subtly flicked my gaze toward the teacher. Luna blinked, the gears in her sleep-deprived brain slowly turning.
"Luna, are you okay?" the teacher asked once more, her pen hovering over the clipboard.
Luna flinched and turned to the teacher with an awkward scratch to the back of her head. "Hahaha… yeah. I just had a stomach cramp. You know how it is…"
The teacher's once assertive, serious face grew somewhat forced. "O-oh! No worries! Pardon my intrusion, Luna."
The teacher hurriedly continued with the rest of the attendance.
Luna let out a relieved sigh as she sank back down into her seat, her arms hanging limply on her sides. Even so, her fingers curled together, forming a small thumbs-up.
Even without words, I could practically hear her exaggerated 'thank you' in my head. I simply rolled my eyes, as if helping her was a pain. Instead of getting offended, she flashed me a playful grin.
After the teacher wrapped up the attendance, she gathered us into a line at the front of the class and led us to the auditorium.
The auditorium spanned hundreds of meters wide. Plastic chairs—the ones that Mei and I had spent the whole lunch working on last week—filled the room and were lined up neatly in rows for each class.
The teacher brought us to our assigned row and guided us to our seats.
Since I had been walking beside Luna the whole time, we ended up sitting next to each other. She sat to my left.
Mei, coincidentally, sat to my right.
As if both of us were surprised by this coincidence, we ended up glancing at each other at the same time and made eye contact.
She gave me a soft, cheery smile. It was the way she always looked. I returned the gesture with a small, acknowledging nod. Then, at the same time, we both turned away to our respective friends.
"A school assembly. I'm so excited!" Luna exclaimed, her foot drumming against the floor as she struggled to contain her excitement.
"I don't know about you, but I hate assemblies," I stated monotonously. "They're so long... and boring."
"Really? Well, I think they're boring too. It's better than being in class, though."
Well, when she puts it like that, I'm almost inclined to agree.
Luna and I continued chatting as the rest of the class filed into the auditorium and filled the remaining seats.
Once everyone had arrived, the principal stepped up onto the stage with his hands behind his back.
He stood there for a long time, watching the chatter with a patient, satisfied smile. Gradually, the students began to notice him. The conversations died down one by one. Within seconds, the entire auditorium fell silent.
The principal picked up the microphone, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. "Good morning to you, my wonderful students. I hope you had a wonderful morning today."
He paused, taking a slow, dramatic breath.
"Well, I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I'll get straight to the point. In two weeks—the end of June—we will begin our school's sports festival. So starting from today, we will proceed with our preparations—"
I felt the energy in the room shift. Some were excited, some were dreading it. Meanwhile, I... remained the same.
I'm tired…
The principal's words began to fade in and out as the seconds ticked by.
My eyelids grew heavier until they eventually refused to open.
You know what… It's not that important anyway. It's the same announcement every time.
With that convenient justification in my mind, I crossed my arms, leaned back in my chair, and allowed my consciousness to fade.
And just like that... I drifted off to sleep.