Pocky & Oranges

 ‘Why would he eat an orange without peeling it?’

Akutagawa Jirou, a high school senior at Hyotei was walking back home on her own. The sky was getting dark in its color. It was almost sunset and she wasn’t even home yet. Yes, she’s running late and her family might as well be worried.

Why? That’s because… as usual… she dozed off on a park bench after school. However, something unexpected happened. An hour after she dozed off, she woke up and ate some snacks, Pocky for today. Then, she got on a train.

On the train, she spotted a familiar-looking guy standing not far from her. He was tossing an orange to the air and catch it. He kept doing that and she couldn’t help but to follow the orange’s move. It’d look to others that she’s nodding without having someone talking to her, as if she’s a crazed high schooler. Even though the guy has been tossing and catching the orange, his eyes didn’t have to pay attention to it at all. He was looking outside. He wore no emotion. He was just staring outside.

‘This guy is weird.’ Jirou thought.

“We’ll be arriving at our next stop. Please do gather all your belongings.” The announcer announced through the speaker.

‘My stop is the one after this,’ Jirou took note.

Jirou noticed that the guy has walked closer to the door. Now, the guy is wearing a serious expression. As if he’s ready to step in to a battlefield. As the train slows down and more people gather closer to the door, Jirou find herself unable to see the guy as clear as before. She had to move her head around to spot him again. Once she spots him again, she saw that he was biting on the orange. The orange was not peeled. More like, the guy was biting onto its skin. Then suddenly, he pulled the orange away and actually ate a part of it along with the skin. He looked like he enjoyed it, Jirou was surprised.

The train finally stopped and the crowd walked out of the train and another in to the train. She positioned her head closer to the window to look at the guy. The remnants of the orange was even smaller. She guessed that he continued eating it. ‘He sure is weird, but he looks familiar.’

As the train is finally at her stop, she got off the train and walked home. She walked slowly as she was too absorbed in her thoughts. She was deeply concerned over how can someone enjoy eating orange skin.  ‘Doesn’t it taste bitter? I personally would enjoy more sweet fruits.’

She was also thinking how familiar looking he was. ‘Where have I seen him before? I don’t remember.’ She continued to be absorbed in her thoughts until her older brother found her when she was close enough to home.

“Oi, Jirou! What are you doing daydreaming like that? It’s almost dark!” Jirou’s older brother, Akutagawa Keiichi, scolded her.

“Gomen, Keiichi-niisan. I was thinking about someone I just saw on the train,” Jirou bluntly replied.

“Someone?” Keiichi was interested in this. His cute little sister has set her eyes on someone or so he was thinking. Or rather, misunderstanding.

“Yes, Keiichi-niisan. He was eating an orange without peeling it. Don’t you think that’s weird? How can someone enjoy the bitter taste of an orange skin? I’ll never understand,” Jirou babbled.

Hearing Jirou saying all that, his misunderstanding was cleared and he laughed. “Hahahaha Jirou! Of course, you’re right. It taste bitter, right?” and he ruffled Jirou’s shoulder-length orange-ish blonde hair.

“Right, right.” Jirou animatedly said.

“Hahaha let’s get in before Mom explodes. She won’t like the fact that you’re late home,” Keiichi suggested.

“Ah, that’s right… I didn’t notice the time.” Jirou was horrified and hurried. “I’m hooooommee,” Jirou said as she took off her shoes and cautiously looked around for her Mother.

-----------------------THE END?----------------------