Project: Socialize

Like I anticipated, this job is boring. Like very very very boring. That next day during seventh period homeroom, the two class representatives were responsible to hold a vote for the event the class will be doing. That's all fine and all, but I really don't see the point in me being there.

Mura had stepped to the side and took a seat by the front corner of the classroom near the windows, watching Irina and I as we hosted the homeroom period. With a smile on her face, she crossed her arms before her chest and then crossed her legs, watching me. From that countenance of her's, I felt as if she was watching a comedy film playing out before her in real time. Maybe that is all this to her: a comedy film.

My classmates were quite loud and rowdy, talking among themselves and thinking of possible events. However, halfway through their discussion, most of them got off topic. The girls began talking about make up items and the boys talking about sports. Seeing that we're just wasting time, I walked up to the podium, cleared my throat.

"Can we start with the votes?" I said in a raised voice. However, no one responded. I was ignored, almost as if I was never there in the first place.

I sighed and turned towards Irina with a helpless look on my face, seeking for her help. It seemed she understood my intent and started walking towards the podium. I stepped off to the side, giving her space to speak from a spot of authority.

"Alright everyone."

Once she started speaking, everyone quieted down, giving her their undivided attention. This is the difference between Irina and I: the level of respect we demand from others. My classmates don't see much in me, so they don't respect me at all. However, they do respect Irina, which is weird if you get rid of her celebrity status, because at that point, she'll just be a classmate they've only known for a few days. Really, humans are such disgusting creatures. That's why I prefer animals. Animals like cats are so simple to please compared to these ungrateful people.

"Since everybody has finished discussing," Irina continued. "Let's vote on it. Any suggestions for events?"

"Maid cafe!" a male student called out as he raised his hand.

What the hell is with this cliche suggestion?

"No," one of the girls responded to the male student with a look and behavior of obvious disgust. "All you boys wanna see is us girls dressed up like that."

"No one's trying to look at you," that first student responded.

Damn, get roasted.

As the two went back and forth, exchanging words, I wrote down their suggestion on the chalkboard. Come to think of it, can't another student do this job? It's just writing things down on the board. Like in reality, I'm not needed, so can I just go home?

"How about a play?" a female student raised her hand.

"What about a horror house?"

I wrote down what the students called out, not thinking much about what I was doing. I was sort of hypnotized by the sound of the chalk hitting and sliding across the board, making it so that my arm moved almost automatically to write down what the students wrote like a senseless machine. Maybe becoming a machine might be better, because then, I won't have to think at all. My job will be rendered to simply doing what others said, which is bad, but might be better than what I have right now. Really, humans are the saddest creatures alive.

"So the final two are," Irina gestured for me to step aside after erasing the suggestions that didn't pass her judgement, "maid cafe and horror house."

"Maid cafe!" a boy shouted out. "Maid cafe, maid cafe, maid cafe, maid cafe..."

Once this boy started chanting, other boys started following along, chanting out their calls for freedom, for dominance over the feminine influence. Like warriors facing off against their enemies, they didn't back down or cower out of fear to their counterparts. Rather, they gathered even more courage, chanting out in order to boost their morale while also lowering that of the girls. At that moment, they didn't represent the boys in our class. They represented the boys at our school, the boys in Vilheim, and the boys in the world.

I wasn't influenced by it, however. Some might question my sexuality, but I can say with a hundred percent confidence that I'm straight, straighter than concrete and just as unbendable. Like concrete, if you try bending me, I would rather break. However, that doesn't mean I'm against the LGBT community. They can do what they want, just don't try it against me.

"A horror house will take plenty of work," a male student then reasoned with the girls. "Think about it. We have to get the atmosphere right, which is extremely difficult with our budget. If we don't get it right then it won't have the right effect, and fewer people will come. Our work will just be wasted."

"But a maid cafe..."

It seemed that the girls couldn't accept them dressing up for the event. Like I can understand not wanting to be the group that sacrifice the most in an event, so I don't blame them. However, there's a simpler solution to it.

"Just compromise and have the boy's dress up as butlers or something," I whispered into Irina's ear. I wanted her to suggest it because if it was me that did so, I would just be ignored.

Irina nodded and then relayed my message to the class. My suggestion appeared to have succeeded since the two sides were able to agree on this one compromise, thus saving us a lot of time since instead of arguing, we could actually focus on other things.

"So this is what we'll submit to the committee for review today after school," Irina said to the class as she finished filling out the application paper for the event.

It appeared that my presence was completely unnecessary. Irina has done all the work so I just might've not been there at all with my lack of authority over my classmates. I glanced over at Mura, who looked at me with a smile on her face, almost as if mocking me for my inability to interject myself into the home room meeting.

I know exactly why she had chose me to be a representative. No matter how twisted her methods are, she always kept me in mind, meaning that everything she planned is for my benefit. For example, this job is probably her attempt at making me socialize more. However, just because it's for my benefit doesn't mean that I will feel comfortable doing it. That's the main problem. No one asked me if I'm fine doing this job, so obviously I'll lack enthusiasm in this correction process.

"It wasn't that bad," Irina smiled at me as the two of us returned to our desks to wait out the remainder of the home room period.

"I might as well been air," I simply responded as I took a seat, ignoring the gazes Loyd and Muria sent my way.

"Writing things on the board can't be done by air," Muria chuckled with a cold expression on her face.

"Give it enough time and the air will pick up chalk dust and arrange it in words," I sighed. "Just give it time."

"What's the probability of that even happening?" Irina asked.

"Basically zero," Loyd laughed in response.

"So we still have a meeting after school."

I rested my head on my desk and gazed out the window with a slight melancholic aura hovering in the air around me. I was tired already just thinking about how annoying the job will be. It must be particularly bad for the normal students since they do their homework, but for me, homework is an afterthought. As long as I can maintain an average grade in the course, I'm fine. Just listening to it spoken or done in class is enough for me to grasp the concept, so that's the reason why I could pass the tests and quizzes thrown my way.

"Why's he acting all depressed when he could work with Irina?"

I heard some male students talking about me behind my back. Without showing too much of a reaction, I kept my ears open, listening in on what they're saying while shifting my head so that I was looking inwards towards the classroom in order to better decipher their message.

"Like I would kill to have an opportunity like that," the guy's friend muttered.

"Looks like someone has some fans," Loyd smiled at Irina as he, too, heard their words.

I quickly glanced at Irina's face and saw a faint blush. She's probably somewhat embarrassed after hearing that.

"I bet he dreams of her at night," the first male student continued. "The puberty type."

The puberty type... he meant wet dreams. That's not true at all since I haven't fantasized about her. However, since they've mentioned it... For some reason my mind automatically created the image of Irina winking and slowly removing her clothing before me.

"You wanna see more?" I imagined her saying.

"You wanna see more?" I imagined her saying

Stop... Stop before things get weird.

I paid particular attention to my lower body, careful that nothing stands up. However, I believe I must've neglected my facial expression for when I realized, Muria and Irina were both staring at me. Muria's stare was one of disgust, almost as if she had seen the lowliest creature in this world. Irina, however, her's was one of embarrassment. Her face was even redder than before as her eyes darted away from my gaze.