Random Rambles: Hi guys! Sorry, it took me a little longer to update, life got in the way ^^; I generally try to do my best to update as regularly as possible, but I'm going to be busy the upcoming days, so upcoming chapters may take a little time... Please do comment, I'd love to hear what you guys think! Kamsahamida​, lovelies (^-^)~

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I look like an old lady...

I stared into the full-length mirror in my new room, picking at the obligatory school uniform that I am henceforth forced to wear as a student of the only high school in the town of Hanwol. If I'd been the only student around, I probably wouldn't be internally screaming right now, seeing as this particular school uniform was at least two sizes too big. Not only did it look like I was actively shrinking within the oversized blazer and white collar shirt, the skirt was so loose around my waist it slid off my with very little movement. Not that it would matter much. Since I was drowning in my clothes to begin with, the shirt and blazer would become a dress, should the skirt decide to droop off. And with the way my luck has been the last couple of weeks, I would not be surprised at all if I find myself walking through the schoolhalls with my skirt around my ankles- its length was halfway there anyway. Seriously, the only advantage to this wardrobe catastrophe was the fact that I looked like a poorly dressed senior citizen. 

Yay! Guess that means that I'll fit in just fine on this island!

Seriously, don't even mention the knee-high socks that came with it. I couldn't keep them up with duct tape to save my life.

I huffed out of exasperation, feeling a very strong urge to take the uniform off and just wear something casual instead. There are literally no perks about being a transfer student when school had already started. That was one of the reasons that I was stuck with this uniform to begin with. Since they didn't have my size in stock at such short notice, I was given this soupy mess of cloth instead, along with an apology and a promise that a good uniform will be sent as soon as possible. Of course, since we arrived on a Sunday, and I started school mercilessly on Monday (yes, that's today, someone shoot me), I was told to be "lucky" to even have a uniform. If this is what the people in Hanwol see as being lucky, I really wouldn't want to see what they understand under bad luck. 

The day hadn't even properly started and I already felt like crawling back to bed to sleep. It didn't help that I was restless last night and barely slept at all. I missed my meadow. I missed my stars. It hurt like hell to have realized that the sky above Ookami Shinro was not at all like I was used to. Everything seemed out of order when night came. Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous to see the starry milky way light up the sky, as though it was some kind of road that beckoned people to follow it, but my stars were nowhere to be found. It was stupid to think it, but I kind of felt abandoned then. No, worse, I felt like I was the one that abandoned them...which was technically true. 

Oh man, what was I doing? Worrying about heavenly bodies that aren't even alive while I've other, more important things to worry about, like whether I was going to set the school uniform on fire separately or with me still in it (I'm nothing if I'm not at least a bit dramatic). 

This really wasn't what I had in mind for my first day of school in Hanwol. I could call in sick, but Mom would undoubtedly fuss over it. If I went anyway, I'd be the laughingstock of the school and this island was so small there would be no place for me to hide.

I sighed deeply. Was it too late to take back what I said about being average and bland? Because, I'm starting to think that a regular, boring, everyday routine life will suit me just fine. Excitement, novelty, new adventures? Who needs 'em? I'll just stay unexceptional for the rest of my life, thank you. No need to stay in the spotlight. 

Groaning loudly at seeing the ridiculous uniform in my reflection, I started pacing around. There was no way I could allow anyone to see me like this. 

"That's it. I'm not going," I said to myself in the mirror. 

"Well, what do you really have to lose here?" the me in the mirror asked. 

"How about everything? I could get picked on, bullied, become more of an outsider than I already was since I just arrived here since yesterday- oh, I could also lose my dignity if I showed up in this," I said, fiercely talking to myself. 

"So what? Who are you planning on impressing?" 

"Well, no one, but that's not the point."

"You make it sound like there are actually people on this forgotten spit of land worth of impressing. Did you forget that the only people you saw since arriving here, were either wrinkled, gray and/or missed teeth?" 

I plopped down on the ground in protest, the blazer sliding off on one side of my shoulder. Slumped within my oversized clothes, I realized that Dopey and I had a lot in common. It didn't help that I wasn't very tall to begin with, but now I could definitely audition to become one of Snow White's dwarves. 

"This isn't happening," I grunted as I stared at the clock. Since I was new, I was allowed to come in a little later than the other students, but with each passing second I wanted to hide under my bed instead and not show up at all. I cringed when I heard my mom call my name, followed by soft footsteps that grew louder as they came nearer. 

"Jae, honey, are you ready? You're going to be late if you don't- oh...my..." she trailed off and covered with her hand, a look of sympathy in her eyes. 

"Yeah, I know, I look like Auntie Jiji after her gastric bypass surgery," I commented dryly, pulling a face when I saw in the mirror that I really wasn't that wrong when I made the comparison. After morbidly obese Auntie Jiji had her operation, none of her clothes fit. She always ended up wearing 'dresses', which were basically her old t-shirts that she neglected to throw out.

"Oh God...I'm Auntie Jiji!" I shrieked, covering my face as my mom rushed over.

"There, there, honey, don't be so dramatic. It's really-, uh, it's really not that bad," she muttered unconvincingly, helping me get to my feet. "S-see? If you just adjust this a bit...Like this, and then pull this up here...there," she mused, as the both of us looked in the mirror. She cocked her head to the side, a look of worry on her face when she said, "That's not so bad, is it?" she tried. I rolled my eyes and gave her my most judgmental look. She sighed.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she conceded, caressing my hair. "I mean, if you squint your eyes really hard, it's not that bad," she assured instead, though it looked more like she was simply closing her eyes altogether. 

"Alright, if you think it's not so bad, why don't you wear it to school for me?" I shot back, to which she gave a weary chuckle. 

"I know this , baby, but we'll have to make do with it. At least until the school will send you a uniform that fits, okay?"

"Mom, have you taken a good look at this?" I asked her and wiggled my hips. There was a brief pause when I stopped and exactly three seconds later, the skirt fell mercilessly from my waist and landed on the floor with a soft thud. My eyes widened in disbelief when my mom blasted out a laugh before she was able to stop herself. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jae! But, I can't help it, you look so ridiculous! My poor baby," she cooed, trying her best to suppress her laughter. 

"Well, I'm happy to see that at least one of us is amused by this," I retorted sarcastically, pulling the skirt back up.

"Aw, come on, Jae, don't be like that. You know that I don't mean to laugh, but you have to admit that it's a little bit funny," she argued, letting out a few more chuckles before she recovered. She tugged at the skirt again after I had just managed to adjust it properly on my hips and it fell back down. 

"Mom!" I exclaimed, not in the best of moods to handle her playfulness. 

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry," she giggled. "I'll stop," she promised. "My poor baby is having a crisis, unbelievable!"

"And her mother is making it worse," I added in a similar fashion, taking a deep breath. "Look at me. I can't go to school like this! People will laugh at me!"

"I know, sweetie, I know," Mom finally seemed to realize the gravity of the situation and bore a thoughtful look on her face. She watched the skirt as I lifted it again, but as soon as it was around my waist, she tugged at it- again!

"Mom!" I whined. "If you're not going to be helpful then go away," I complained, bending over to grab the skirt. Mom stopped me. 

"Leave it. That skirt is far too big for you and I wouldn't want you showing the whole world your undies, especially since you've only been here hardly two days," she mused. "Why don't you just wear your black pants, instead? I don't think we can do anything about the shirt and blazer, but at least skinny jeans might make it appear more cool," she suggested, pulling out one of my favorite jeans from my closet. 

"But the school guidebook said that if a student didn't keep to wearing the uniform properly, he'd be reprimanded," I told her, worrying about making a bad impression on the teachers. 

"Then they should've given you the proper size to wear," was my mother's casual reply. "Now, you wear those jeans and if people are making a fuss over it, have them call me," she instructed and pecked me on the forehead. "So, get to it already and hurry up! I'll drop you off at school before I head over to town to get some groceries." 

"Okay," I nodded, grabbing my jeans. "Hey, Mom?" I called out when she was about to leave my room. "Thanks," I said, to which she smiled. 

"I was young once, too, baby. New country, new town, new school, new people- it's hard. So, I'm proud of you for making an effort and I see no reason why I should punish you by making you wear that terrible skirt," she elaborated, winking at me. "I got your back, honey. Now, get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs." 

Smiling, I quickly kicked the skirt to the other side of the room and nearly tore off the knee-high socks before putting on the pair of jeans with ease. The uniform looked a little more 'street' than intended, but what could you expect from a shirt and blazer that was too big? When I tied my hair back, I suddenly realized that I had a very tomboyish vibe going on. Maybe it was because girls were always associated with having to wear skirts when at school, that it gave me the feeling like I looked like a boy. No matter. I'd rather look like a dude than my Auntie Jiji or a senior dwarf citizen.

Feeling a lot better and more at ease, I checked my reflection one last time, and after deciding that I looked far better than I had before, I headed downstairs. I wasn't sure what was awaiting me at my new high school, but it couldn't be any different than my old one. Maybe it had a smaller student population, but I doubt there would be anything exceptional going on there. 

"One way to find out," I huffed, grabbing my bag and getting in my mother's car. I only hoped that the day was going to be over soon.