The bell was about to ring any minute, and Hanabi was already feeling that familiar itch - that urge to shrink into the background noise of Northgate High. She wanted to be invisible, like a ghost drifting through the hallway. Standing by her locker, she chewed on a fingernail and tried to blend with the sea of faces, but somehow, she always felt like she was sticking out.
Her uncooperative hair didn't help. It was like a tangled brown cloud around her head, no matter how many times she tried to tame it with a brush. Her mom always said it made her look “spirited,” but honestly, it just made her want to wear a paper bag over her whole head.
She pushed her glasses up her nose, the metal frames feeling cold against her skin. A group of girls, all shiny lip gloss and perfectly straightened hair (how did they do it?!), walked by, giggling about some boy band.
Hanabi sighed. She wished she could be like that - carefree and popular. Instead, she was the queen of awkward silences and accidental telekinetic outbursts. Especially when she got flustered. Which was, like, always.
Then, she heard it.
"Did you see the video? Pierceheart totally owned that giant robot spider thing!"
"I know, right? Her costume was killer!"
"She is so badass. My new favorite hero, hands down."
Hanabi’s heart did a weird flip-flop in her chest. Pierceheart. That was… well, that was her.
She considered, for a nanosecond, actually telling them. "Um, actually, I'm Pierceheart." But the thought died before it even reached her lips. She could already picture their faces – a mixture of amusement and pity.
No, better to stay silent. But still… it stung, knowing that her alter ego was out there, kicking robot spider butt and winning hearts, while Hanabi was stuck in the land of lockers and unrequited crushes.
Frustrated, she slammed her locker door shut – a little too hard. There was a terrifying cracking sound, and the metal buckled inward, forming a perfect little crater right where her fist had been.
Oh, crap. Not again.
Hanabi quickly looked around. Had anyone seen?
That’s when she saw him. jij.
He was leaning against the locker next to hers. His jaw dropped a little, and his eyes widened.
He knew.
He totally knew.
Hanabi felt her cheeks burn.
This was not how she planned on getting jij. .
