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    Those words Mai spoke while skipping class with  me,

"let's go play ping-pong", would eventually turn into a small-scale table tennis craze between us two. A table and all the necessary equipment-rarely used these days had been stored on the second floor of the gym. As we obviously couldn't open the large window, it was a little hot and stuffy up there.

A green net was stretched across the side that over looked the first floor. It was there to stop any stray balls from falling down, likely something from a time when this school still used to have a table tennis club. Sitting on its edge, chatting with Mai in hushed voices, had been starting to get a little boring, which is why I had agreed to her suggestion.

It was the end of October, a time when winter uniforms had already replaced the summer ones, but the weather was still slightly too hot for their long sleeves. The sky was clear and blue without a single cloud, and gym classes were being held outside. Mai and I were the only ones using the gym, although without permis sion. After taking a peek down into the first floor and confirming that that really was the case, we began setting up the table.

"Were you in any clubs in middle school?" Mai asked me while struggling to install the net onto the table. Though the two of us had been skipping class together for a month now, I suppose that school clubs just were something that had never come up.

"Yeah, I played basketball. I was pretty into it, actually,and often stayed late practising shots."

"Wouldn't have thought", Mai replied, probably because I was shorter than her.

"So, should we play basketball then?"

"It's no fun playing against an amateur."

"Yeah, yeah", she smirked back. Bouncing balls around on the court below was a quick way to draw the teachers' attention. Not that Mai had meant it seriously, of course. Besides, as we naturally were both wearing school uniforms, I had a feeling we would have been way too bothered by our skirts riding up to focus on anything else.

Ping-pong had just enough movement for an amateur to handle.

In the small, quiet space on the second floor... Mai and I were first year high school students, though both far from what you'd call a model one. We hadn't known each other forever or anything like that, but rather, had met for the first time after starting here. What I knew about her was a puddle compared to the ocean of what I didn't. Most of those were things that I had no need to know.

There wasn't really anything all that adventurous about Mai's looks. Her hair-a bit on the longer side had been dyed light brown, but it barely stood out, to the point that you could easily have mistaken it as her real hair colour. Her body was slender and generally curveless.Her shoulders were also heavily sloped, leading one to wonder if she even had any. At the same time, as her eyes were confident and her lips thin, the expressions on her face oftentimes looked cold. In truth, however, she was calm; or rather, quiet.

Though she got angry and laughed like anyone else, not once had I seen her raise her voice.She often wore a silver bracelet around her left wrist. It was perhaps a little too big, and the way it rested on her wrist made it look like she was wearing a thin handcuff on just one of her hands.

As for me, my hair was dark brown, and anyone could have seen that it was dyed. I also spent longer putting on makeup than Mai. Though it was pretty ridiculous that a single small earring was all it took for people to treat me like a delinquent, Mai was still far more popular with the teachers. Probably because she was the prettier one and rarely if ever acted defiant.

Don't let yourself deceiv however that girl was at least three times the troublemaker I was. If you wanted proof, all you had to do was look at the number of days she had actually attended school. Even so, being three times as diligent as Mai wasn't enough to make me an honours student, unfortunately. Our test scores were also in the same range, curiously enough.

Mai had taken off her uniform jacket and tied it around her waist. Once the table was fully set up, I fol lowed her lead and took mine off too. I'd be moving my body all over and didn't want it to tear. Of course, the main reason was how hot it was in here.

I took off the makeup I was wearing since I was going to get sweaty anyway and held out the racket, which, from the looks of it, had mould growing on it. The pink, spotted ping-pong ball rested on my palm. Mai stood facing me, in her left hand holding a racket of her own. Looking at her, I noticed something I had never noticed before: she was left-handed.

"When did you last play table tennis?"

"Hmm... Not since 6th grade."

We talked while hitting the ball back and forth. This was the kind of vocabulary I hadn't used in ages, and a grin soon formed on my face.

"6th grade? That's like, forever ago!"

Being right-handed made it easy for me to aim for her right side. I mercilessly shot the ball towards that area, only for Mai to skilfully hit it back with the back of her racket, barely moving from where she stood.

"You're pretty fast."

"I can do this too."

In the blink of an eye, she switched the racket over to her right hand and swiftly shot the ball back, hitting it with much more strength than I had. I was left star ing in awe. Well, the ball did end up missing the table completely and landed in the net behind me, but still, impressive nonetheless.

We killed some time like that, playing casual ping pong with some occasional serious back-and-forths. Meanwhile in the classroom, the third-period class was taking place. What was it on Mondays again? Maths? Maybe history? Either way, I was far too busy chasing the ball to try to remember; classes and such had become a secondary issue in my mind.

Mai and I hadn't always skipped class together. She had her own places, and I had mine. Not that she even used to come to school all that much anyway.

Reading Comic and stuff, you often see students hang ing around on their school's roof. In reality, however, most schools have their roofs closed off. Besides, you'd probably get sunburnt if you took a nap or something up there. That's why I chose the second floor of the gym, because it was safe from both people and the sun. Coincidentally, Mai too had taken notice of it.

The second term had barely started back then, and it was still quite hot. Perhaps that's why she had been sitting around lazily with her shoes-and even her socks off. I still remember the way she sprang up in panic as I walked in, probably thinking that I was a teacher making the rounds or something, as well as her cute, little toes which she had been wiggling around.

Ever since then, we had often found ourselves doing the same thing by a complete fluke. That also went for skipping class; we'd get a hunch that the other might have come here, and when we went to check, there they were. As for after-school stuff, well, Mai rarely ended up staying the whole day, and as such, I usually went with my other two friends. Those two were the complete op posites of delinquents, though, and had probably never failed to copy a single  letter off the blackboard, much less skip a class.

Two diligent students and two not so diligent. Well balanced, or maybe just halfway done. The ping-pong ball travelled between us, slowly enough to cause my mind to wander off to such thoughts.

I got to take some time off the things that usuallybothered me, and it felt great.

"Too hot. I can't keep going."

Undoing the top button of her shirt, Mai declared that she had had enough. She placed the racket on the table and waved her hands sideways, as if to further rein force her statement. She wasn't the only one exhausted. I rolled up my sleeves-now sticking to my arms with sweat and left the table as well. The ping-pong ball re mained in my hand, though. I could have tried tossing it on the table, but since I didn't feel confident in my ability to land the throw, I decided against it.

Whoever was in charge of cleaning this place must have been pretty careless. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, sticking to it like wax. Neither I nor Mai really wanted to sit on it, but thankfully, the net that stopped balls from falling down to the first floor also doubled as a bench. On it we sat, quietly.

"I want some wind", Mai muttered, her face flushed and her cheeks burning. Feeling the exact same way, I gave the window we weren't able to open a bitter look. It wasn't that the window was locked or anything, of course, and if we tried, we could probably have opened it with ease. No, the problem was more that if we did that, people outside might see and realize that someone was up here.

"Should we go out? The lunch break's soon."

Mai had rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and even pulled its tail out of her skirt. No way could I ever wear my uniform that casually. If left alone, she'd probably roll up her skirt too; another thing that I wasn't able to imitate. Even if no one was watching, it was still kinda embarrassing. Just as I thought that, however, Mai actually began doing it. She grabbed her skirt and waved it.

"My, how immodest. Our school's- um, what's the word? Umm..." "Dignity?"

"Yeah, that's it. 'Tis being degraded."

"Anyway, lunch, huh? What to do..."

Mai glanced at me as she said this. I decided to let the abrupt change of topic slide.

Considering that all it took for me to go back to my regular uniform was to put on my jacket, I was inevitably chosen as the one to go do the shopping. If Adachi were to go, she would have to first tug her shirt, roll down her sleeves, redo her buttons, and then put on her jacket. And that was just way too much work. She probably also wanted to fix her hair, seeing how it had fluffed up slightly.

"Fine, fine. I'll go."

"I promise I'll go next time."

"I don't think your 'next time' and mine are the same thing."

This must have been her fifth next time already. And yet, Mai simply laughed

"A danish, and... water's fine. That'll be all."

"Got it. If they're sold out, I'll just grab something."

Mai always drank mineral water. It kinda made me jealous thinking that that might be why her skin was so clear and without any spots. Maybe instead of blood, she had water running in her veins.

"You're going to class after lunch?"

"I might. What about you? Going home?" "Hmm, well... Not to class anyway."

After a second of thought, she uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the floor. The air of nonchalance was already back on her face.

Never had I tried seriously asking Mai why she didn't go to class. The reverse was also true. We had simply happened to both come here at the same time and, feeling a little bored nevertheless, tried playing table tennis to see if that would help.

I flicked away the ping-pong ball I had kept in my hand. It made soft clacks as it bounced on the floor before hitting a wall and stopping. Those sounds resem bled the sound of knocking on the door of another's heart.

Mai took off her shoes and, dangling them off her fingertips, spoke. She was completely focused on that activity, and the look on her face was really stern. Her lower lip was curled and pushed forward, like she was really giving it her all.

"Ping-pong is pretty fun, huh?" "True that. Individual sports might be a better fit for me after all."

While I did enjoy basketball too, I had realized in my third year in middle school that I just wasn't suited for it. I was the kind of person who, when it came to competitions, always wanted to test how far they could get with their own strength alone, and I knew well that that would just end up ruining the dynamic in team sports. I also regularly got told off for hogging the ball.

"But, you know. If they said we were having ping pong in gym class, I still probably wouldn't go."

"Same here. I'll be hiding somewhere else if that happens."

Mai agreed while stretching her hand up. She waved it in the air before cracking her elbow and let ting out a yawn. I hear that's just how her body was. Apparently, it always made that kinda sound when she stretched her elbow. Strange.

"We sure agree on the weirdest things, Shina."

Mai had said my name, and though she probably was unaware, just hearing it annoyed me. I really hated my last name: "Shina". The first thing that came to anyone's mind when they thought about "Shina" was the fashion store by the same name, and I couldn't help but to feel that whenever people referred to me, that's what they were imagining. Being something would've be much better.

As we sat there relaxed, our legs stretched out, the chime indicating the end of class played. It echoed through the gym which should have been empty, and soon enough, my stomach joined in on its melody with a growl.

"There's the chime."

"Yep."

"Off you go now."

 Mai waved goodbye at me, and so, I reluctantly stood up. I put on the jacket that I had taken off, as well as my shoes. Then, after checking that I had my wallet, I headed to the stairs. Before I got there, I took a look back and saw Mai stretching for her bag to grab her phone and, not quite reaching it, flopping back down into her original position. Though I could totally sympathize, I still decided to taunt her with a quick, "Heh, sloth". She protested a little by drumming the floor with her heels, but I simply shook my shoulders and walked down the stairs.

Just who Mai had registered in her phone was yet another in the endless pile of mysteries that surrounded her. I had never seen her talking with anyone in school, besides me of course. Well, I guess that made sense, seeing how she barely came to school in the first place.

We had been meeting here a lot lately, though, so maybe she was coming to see me. Realizing that could actually be the reason made me feel a little uneasy. And for some reason, it felt like if I were to bring that up with her, Mai would never come to the second floor of the gym again.

         The next day, Mai once again asked me if I was up for some table tennis. She seemed slightly more enthusiastic than yesterday, and I pondered why that might be while setting up the table and the net. Having already done it once, we managed to get everything ready a little faster than the last time.

      "Can I serve first?"

      "Sure?

          She readied the ball-orange this time-and served. It wasn't any normal shot, however. She shook the racket sharply, as if cutting the underside of the ball, which made it spin and caused it bounce back to her side after hitting the table in front of me.

           I was far too confused, more so by Mai's exagger ated motions than the trajectory of the ball, to hit it back.

       "Hum.

          Mai returned my look of suspicion with a wide,childish smile, the like of which was rarely seen on her face. It really left an impression.

        "I looked this up online yesterday. I didn't have a racket, though, so I practised with a spoon."

           She spun the racket in her hand as she bragged, proud that the unveiling of her new technique had gone suc cessfully. It was honestly more surprising to me that Mai was this into ping-pong, but as the chagrin I felt was strong, I decided to act like that didn't interest me.

        "You're using curve balls against an amateur? That's low."

        "It's your fault for having no ambition, Shina. Here comes another one!"

             Mai took another weird pose and began serving. She hit it a little too low this time, however, and the ball ended up flying backwards towards her direction instead. It hit the wall and bounced back. After having picked it up, Mai scratched her forehead. Then, bouncing the ball on her racket, she explained.

         "You see, I'm still only good enough to send one out of every ten flying straight forward..."

         "So, you got worse after learning a new technique?" Was I really going to win just by standing still?

              Well, as it turned out, yes. Just like the previous one, her next attempt failed too, and the ball flew off in the distance, bouncing off the floor and the other tables. It ended up landing on my side of the net, and as such, I went to pick it up, even if it had ultimately been Mai's fault. Just then, however, I heard a voice coming from downstairs.

              The shock I felt was comparable to a needle being stuck into my heart. My body came to a sudden halt, and the ball I had been chasing rolled away. Mai reacted similarly. Someone was speaking: a girl. Mai quickly circled around the table and walked over to where I was, and we took a peek down below together. If there was someone on the stage, they'd only need to look up and they'd see us. While the piercing sensation in my heart had already passed, I could still feel my skin tingle nervously.                 It seemed that we were having gym this period. Girls from our class had begun setting up to play volleyball. The reason why I realised this-that they were my classmates-was due to spotting the familiar faces of my friends. Ina and Lily, to be precise. They were currently carrying the net and its supports. We had only ever sat down and talked before, so it hadn't been that much of a shock even when someone did walk into the gym. As such, I had never taken the time to actually learn the class schedule.

             We sat there, crouched, our hands on our mouths. The ping-pong ball still bounced lightly on the floor, and we waited nervously to see if anyone would react to its noise.

         "Oh damn, my heart's pounding", Mai whispered to me. It almost sounded like she was enjoying the thrill. "Why are you getting a kick out of this?" I laughed back, poking her with my elbow.

         "What are we gonna do if they walk up here?" As I asked her this, Mai with her hands still on her mouth-laughed and turned her eyes upwards. "Let's open the window and jump out." "Huh? But, this is the second floor. Won't we break our legs?"

               I voiced my disapproval towards Mai's proposal. Jumping out of any window was scary, but even more so this one since I had never taken a look at what was below it. Although, it did kinda feel like I was taking what was meant as a joke seriously. With a short "hmm", Mai nodded.

          "So, you're saying you don't get enough calcium?"

          "How is that the conclusion you came to?!"

              Me getting angry might have just proven her point.

              Through the wall I leant against, I could feel the chat ter of my classmates. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, it seemed, and there was nothing to stop them from talking. Ina and Lily had no clue where I went when I skipped class, and the thought of me being in the same building as them probably didn't even cross their minds. It was pretty funny to think about.