Farewell,My Artist

Im in the middle of deep sleep right now.Even though Im already heard the alarm clock,Im mean,my phone.Im just turn it off and continue on sleeping.

After an approximately thirty minutes of extra sleep,I decided to get up already on my bed.I stood up and fix the bedsheet even though I didn know how to fix them properly.

I looked at the clock that was hung in the wall.

It was already seven forty-five in the morning.

And it implies two things.First is that Im always setting my alarm clock at seven fifteen.And two is the fact that I will be late AGAIN in class.

Of course,it depends from each people.Some can still manage to attend in school in time even though they only have fifteen minutes left from the clock.Unfortunately,Im not like those people.As I need at least an hour to prepare in going school.Im the slow type afterall.

Anyways,I went towards the table to eat a breakfast.Theres nothing special about here since I only have a couple of bread and a peanut butter.

I opened the bread in half and opened the kid of peanut butter.I get a spoon from the untensil cabinet,scoop a bit from the peanut and put it in the bread.I closed the slice bread then start eating.

After that,I went towards the restroom to finally take a bath.After washing my body,I get my toothbrush,put some toothpaste on it and brush my teeth.After that,I looked to the mirror for a bit to check something.

”They are getting bigger huh. ”

What I mean is the black spots under my eyes.In short,eye bags.

Finally,I came out from the restroom,went to my bedroom and wear my uniform.I got my watch from the table,and put it around my right hand.I also got the keys there.I arranged some papers that was laying on the table.

After grooming myself a little bit,its finally yime to leave my apartment.I get the one- handed bag from the sofa then went out

I unlock the bicycle lock from the back tire and put it in the front basket.Then I used it to come towards the school.

After some time of biking,I finally arrived to the school.I parked my bike at the bicycle parking station and put back its lock on the back tire.

I looked at my watch.It was already eight fifteen.Of course,as expected,there are no more students coming back and forth since they are surely in their respective classroom right now.

I used the stairs near me to went towards my classroom,which was located in the second floor.After walking on the hallway,I finally standing up on the front sliding door.

I knocked on it and the teacher,who is already in the middle in the class,opened it for me.

”You
e late again,Harakiri-kun. ”

”Im sorry,Sensei.I forgot again to set up my alarm clock. ” I said as I bowed my head to him

”Same excuse huh.Anyways,go towards to your seat now.I don want to waste any time here. ”

”I understand. ”

I went towards my seat and sat from it.My classmates was not suprised anymore,as I did this many times more than two years now.

Meanwhile,Sensei continue on his lessons.

Oda Ishida-the teacher who is teaching right now,is slighlty small old man,probably in his forty years of age.His simple cloth is matching his loose-eyes(who is also wearing a glasses)and round-shaped face.His tedious manner is evident on the way how he teach us his major subject,Mathematics.This subject was already boring to most people and it become more boring when Ishida-sensei is the one who is assigned on it.But I didn care though about that fact.

Anyways,he was not our homeroom teacher.If Im not mistaken,our homeroom teacher will be next after this.

After an hour,the Math class finally ended.And

my assumption is correct as our homeroom teacher-Asashi Samejima immediately arrived after Ishida-sensei left,to teach us now English subject.

Unlike to Ishida-sensei,Samejima-sensei is quite young adult,probably ranging from twenty-three to twenty-eight years old.To be honest,he has a handsome face.And the way how he teach us this English subject is showing how he was so dedicated in teaching students.He was a cheerful and concerning teacher.Thats why I would be surprised if he still doesn have a girlfriend at this point.

My classmates attentively listen to this English lesson.While the class is ongoing,let me describe this school,as well as myself quickly.

Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School-the name of the school Im attending.

The name is Satoru Harakiri.Yeah.A surname with a blood smell on it.Im alcoholic but not drug addict.I also smoke.Im one of those people who wouldn mind to accept a cigarette from a stranger and a man who you could get along if you invite me in a bar.

Eighteen years of age which is a little advanced to some students.I often got late in school but the number of it is still less than the number of days I got in time in school.

Handsome?.Cute guy?.I don know.Im not sure.I can answer.My face was hard to describe.I can give you a sketch of it but Im not an ARTIST.That was a work for someone else.

Loner?.Popular?.In between.I have a friend,at least.A very good friend.

A delinquent?.An otaku?.Not really.A hardboiled student in some ways.If you know that word.

Like?.Dislike?.I don have dislikes but I like three things.Alcohol,cigarette

And mystery.

Hobby?.Let talked about it later.

Today is Wednesday.Second day of May.It means that we only have ten months before leaving this school.

The weather today is pleasant,which is already expected since May is not included in rainy season.

After some hours,the morning class already ended and its now time for lunch break.I stood up from my chair,went outside the classroom,heading to the canteen.Yes,unlike to most people,Im buying my lunch in canteen.Afterall I don have someone in my apartment to prepare it to me.And Im not the type of person to do that.

Upon arriving,I chose the cheapest set of lunch out there.After paying for it,I carried the tray and search for a vacant table.After finding one,I went owards it and sat on the chair.

My lunch just contain a cup of rice,some meat and vegetable and soup,which is already enough to fill my stomach.

When Im about to start to eat,someone sat down in front of me and put his lunch tray in the table.

”Why didn you invite me here from the classroom,Satoru?. ”

”I saw that you are still talking to your other friends.I don want to bother you. ”

”But you could just wait for me right?. ”

”You looked so worried about this.But didn we always experience this kind of situation for more than two years now,Izumi?. ”

”Well you have a point. ”

Izumi Kimura is a classmate and friend of mine.I become friends with him since the first month of first year highschool.Theres nothing special to our first meeting.He talked to me first and replied back.As the time goes by,we noticed that we are getting along to each other.

But that was quite a mystery thing.Compared to me,he was a good-looking student.A clean face,good hairstyle,smooth skin and a height a little bit taller to me.With those characteristics,he was the one of the most popular students in the campus.And he was proned to love confessions in all grade level.Although he didn accept any of that.So far,he still doesn have a girlfriend.

Anyways,we started eating togother.And at the middle of that,Izumi spoke up again.

”I wouldn mind that kind of attitude of yours,my friend.But you should enjoy more your highschool life.We still only have ten months remaining.After this,we will part aways and will become busier to our own business. ”

”Don worry.I may not look like enjoying my youth but Im already satisfied with my current situation.But I will be happier if my WORK got accepted. ”

Aside from his stunning appearance,he was also a friendly man.He have so many friends and most of them are also popular on this school,unlike me.Thats why I wonder why he decided to become friends with me.I thought that he has some ulterior motive with.But after experiencing those two years,I realized that his actions are geniune.

”Your work huh.Since we come to that,hows your mystery novel?.Did you already finished writing it?. ”

”Yeah.And I already submitted the whole thing in a online webnovel competition a month ago. ”

”Eh!!?.Why didn you tell me about that?. ”

”Ah.I thought I already talked about it yesterday. ”

”No,no.I thought that you are just about to submit it later. ”

”Is that so?. ”

”Anyways,hows the result?.Did you won?. ”

”Im not sure.The result will be post later in the evening. ”

Thats the hobby.Writing mystery stories.But not just a hobby.Im talking it seriously.

Afterall,Im an aspiring mystery novelist.

I once read a mystery book way back when I still in middle school.The title is And Then They Were None.It was one of the famous works of Agatha Christie.

Then thats when I started reading her other books,as well as the other authors like Dorothy Sayers,John Dickson Carr and others.

They are mostly classics.As classic as eighties song.

But the most important question is did I get any achievement from writing mystery stories?.

None.Not even a yen.

”I see.Is that the reason for that eyebags of yours,my friend?. ”

”Well…..your right. ”

It become a bad habit of mine to write the scripts of my work late in night.Thats why I often attend school late.And the reason for these black spots under my eyes.

”You should fix that habit of yours,my friend.It

may affect your body in the future,you know. ”

”Yeah,yeah.Don worry.Don worry.Im not in a bad shaped right?. ”

He looked at my upper body first then replied.

”That was true.You looked healthy,physically.

But are okay,mentally?. ”

”…. ”

I couldn answer back.It feels like he land a strong punch to me.Mentally huh.I think I made Izumi worried about that.

”Don worry.Im okay,Izumi.Im always talked about you if I have problems right?. ”

”Well,I couldn denied.But it feels like there are some things that you don want to tell or consult to me. ”

As expected,Izumi is sharp.As if he could read my mind.

”Anyways,lets finished eating our lunch. ” I suggested to finally end the conversation there.I don want to make him ask anymore questions about that topic.

He didn talk anymore and follow my suggestion.That was a good thing from Izumi.

He knows when to hold back.

After some time,we finally done eating.We both went towards the canteen to buy a bottle of water and decided to went back in the classroom together.

I went towards my seat.I looked at my watch.We still have thirty minutes to spare before the afternoon class starts.

With that fact,I decided to a read a mystery novel to kill some time.I picked up one from my bag.

The title of the book Im holding right now is called ”The Judas Window ” by John Dickson Carr.For those who didn know,it was locked-room mystery novel he wrote in 1938.

Carr was know for being a master of ”locked-

room mysteries ”-a type of murder mystery where the crime was committed in a way that it was impossible for the culprit to get in or out from the crime scene.Anyways,this book is one of his famous works.A high regard book.

While reading the novel,I heard a couple of conversations.When I looked up where it come from,I saw Izumi,happily chatting to our other classmates.Some boys and some girls are surrounding him.There are taking about so many different topics like ”What did you do yesterday in your home? ” or ”Did you know that blah blah…? ”.Something like that.

Come to think of it,I never been in that kind of situation,where you are having fun to your classmates.I never have a long conversation about something except from Izumi.To tell you the truth,aside from some teachers,he was the only one whom I talked about my goal to become a mystery author in the future.

I don exactly know how much he value our friendship but thanks to him,I somehow manage myself to be motivated on my goal.

Anyways,I went back on reading and after some minutes,the bell rung.The lunch break finally ended and its time for the afternoon class.The students went back to their respective seats to prepare for the next subject.

I put back the novel in my bag.I only manage to read somehow thirty pages with that amount of time.Then I prepare myself for the next class.