《The Promise of Yuuko Asahino: Volume 4》 Prologue Part 1 She stood above the ethereal water, the light from the flowing river causing her reflection to ripple and sway¡ª but she didn¡¯t need to see herself. She already had. The only difference was that the girl behind the glass was now behind the water. ¡°This is a nice place, it¡¯s peaceful.¡± The words behind her came suddenly, but it was the familiar voice that made her heart start beating faster. ¡°And so that¡¯s our first order of business,¡± she pivoted on one foot, practically jumping in front of the boy who¡¯d just walked down the hidden concrete steps. ¡°This place has to be a secret; that means no-one-has-to-know~!¡± She poked his chest after every word, pushing a little further each time. She liked feeling the way his muscles tensed after each touch. ¡°¡­¡­!¡­¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Ai?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± she said, quickly stepping backwards. With a quick sway of her head, her mind became clear again. ¡°Anyway, I know it¡¯s a school night, so while I¡¯m happy you came¡­¡­part of me can¡¯t help but wonder why~¡± her last few words became glazed in a sultry tone, pushing for a reaction. And to her shock, she didn¡¯t receive one. ¡°I¡¯m wondering the same thing.¡± he said as though he were speaking with a friend about some mundane topic. ¡°Your note only mentioned meeting here a quarter past nine. Did you want to talk about something?¡± She almost couldn¡¯t believe it; yet the smile on her face betrayed the fact that what she was hearing was absolutely reality. The nerves in the palm of her hand tickled. ¡°I did.¡± She circled on her heels, walking back towards the shade offered in the middle of the bridge. The glowing water lit the area around them, and while it had her full attention, she could also make out the sounds of the boy¡¯s footsteps coming closer. ¡°Say, Yuuko¡­¡± The night air became still, as if just for her, it would quiet the sounds of the world. With both arms behind her back, Ai Hirawa tilted her head and body backwards to meet his eyes. ¡°Would you like to be my boyfriend?¡± Chapter 1 - Late Nights, Early Mornings Part 1 ¡°Everything looks so much more different at night, kind of futuristic-y!¡± The boy next to her took in the surroundings, considering her comment. ¡°Mhm; it¡¯s¡­¡­¡­quirky.¡± Yui stifled her laughter. ¡°Quirky? I know you¡¯re not a fan, but the best compliment you can come up with is ¡®quirky¡¯?¡± ¡°Ahah, yeah it wasn¡¯t very convincing but you¡¯re right; I don¡¯t really like it much.¡± ¡°Hmmmm,¡± she said, leaning towards him with a mischievous smile. ¡°Because of all the people or because it¡¯s night~?¡± He closed his eyes with an amused sigh. ¡°Probably both.¡± Of course she already knew he didn¡¯t like it, but what surprised her was how he hadn¡¯t really disagreed with her. The city around them was different, ablaze with neon signs, the humming of conversation from restaurants, cafes, and lounges all around; cars rushed by, bringing with them the smell of asphalt and exhaust, though she didn¡¯t bear the brunt of it due to being further from the source. This also wasn¡¯t mentioning the sea of people around them, though the boy in front of her always walked just one step ahead to clear a path. She always silently thanked him for those unspoken actions. Though, if it was this busy on the outer edges of the city, she could only imagine what it must be like near the center. ¡°You know,¡± she said, speeding up to walk alongside him since there were less people. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come with me, I know you¡¯re not a fan of crowds.¡± ¡°Yui,¡± he said, offering that gentle smile, ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you walk home at night.¡±. It was her fault it got so late in the first place; stalling for time and huffing when he refused to let her stay the night. She tried to argue that she¡¯d already done it once before, but he rebutled with the fact that neither of them knew the city¡¯s routes back then, she¡¯d hidden in his dorm via her spare key until it was late, and that she had no nightwear. He didn¡¯t know the last one wasn¡¯t true, but it didn¡¯t matter since she couldn¡¯t debate the others. She pouted when he refused her and began for the door, but was forced to stop when he cut her off, outright telling her he was going along¡ª she didn¡¯t dislike it when he became like that. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you walk alone at night.¡± She knew he would say that, she just wanted to hear it. Again. How spoiled of her. ¡°You know, you were so adamant about coming along, you got so assertive~,¡± she said, putting a hand to cheek. ¡°Yui.¡± he sighed. ¡°It almost makes me think¡ª h-hey, Yuu!¡± The next wave of people crashed into them, pushing the boy, who was normally ahead of her, back. He tried to politely excuse himself, but so many of them appeared so quickly, there was no use getting past. She, too, felt the steady impacts that came from the hoard¡ª bags and bodies struck her shoulders, back, and legs. She, however, at least knew how to navigate them to avoid touching the majority, but it was astoundingly obvious the boy behind her lacked such grace. ¡°Yui!¡± he called out over the noise of conversation growing around them. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Judging from his tone and the way he was being carried down the sidewalk, he¡¯d lost sight of her. But she didn¡¯t. With practised grace, she miraculously avoided touching the masses and maneuvered her way downstream. * * * * * He was never very good with crowds, always avoiding them where he could. In fact, he was partially thankful they missed the first day¡ª entrance ceremonies were long and wore him out. All the more reason he cursed himself now for losing sight of the girl he tasked himself with escorting. Wasn¡¯t it a man¡¯s job to make sure a woman got where she needed to go safely? Especially if that girl was one like Yui¡­¡­ He felt pathetic, caught off guard by people of all things. That¡¯s when an unexpected hand reached out and took hold of his own. He recognized the feeling of slender fingers, the size difference compared to his own, and the surprisingly strong grip it offered. He knew that touch in an instant. They stayed like for a few minutes, hand in hand, letting the swarm around them trickle away one by one. Before long, he was able to see the face belonging to such a graceful hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he offered. She smiled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you?¡± With his free hand, he scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡­I left you alone back there.¡± ¡°But I found you.¡± ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Again.¡± she agreed. They both knew the weight those words carried, and might¡¯ve dwelled on it for a little longer had Yuuko not gripped her hand just a little tighter and began tugging her along. ¡°H-Huh? Yuu?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make a habit of it¡­¡­¡­so let me walk you the rest of the way home.¡± He stopped a bit after saying those words, turning to meet the girl¡¯s eyes with what was clearly a flushed face. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with someone like me.¡± She paused for a moment, savoring the taste of the uncommon sight that was Yuuko¡¯s blushing face before walking up to his side and returning his grip with a squeeze of her own. ¡°I¡¯m in your care then.¡± She definitely wouldn¡¯t have blushed so much if she didn¡¯t meet his eyes - but she wanted to. Hand in hand, the two wordlessly walked the rest of the way home. Yuuko kept his head held slightly upward, looking at the cloudy night, while Yui took in the surroundings. Neither looked at their interlocked hands the entire walk home. And yet, their thumbs wouldn¡¯t stop brushing against the other; both constantly readjusting their grip, almost greedily latching on. Proof they acknowledged the person closest to them. They arrived at the ornate iron gates, but went further downward, towards an extension of a concrete barrier that held the girl¡¯s freshman dormitories just behind it. Neither was quick to let go, opting to face one another despite their eyes still not meeting. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, umm-¡± ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± ¡°A-¡± the boy choked at his words, starting over after clearing his throat to the amusement of the girl. ¡°Are you stopping by for dinner tomorrow?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± the girl was looking at the ground, her hand in her peripheral vision. To her horror, her nervousness translated to her rubbing her thumb on the back of the boy¡¯s hand. She internally screamed at her carelessness, which translated to her face burning visibly red. ¡°I- I don¡¯t think I can do tomorrow, there¡¯s a test I need to study for.¡± she stammered. ¡°B-But I could stop by for dinner?¡± ¡°But¡­¡­I said dinner?¡± AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Had a sliver of self-control not reigned her back, the scream would¡¯ve been audible. HOW CAN I TEASE HIM SO MUCH AND BREAK AT A TIME LIKE THIS!!!!! ¡°I-I meant breakfast!¡± she huffed. ¡°Oh¡­¡­sorry, I¡¯m still running with Luka so I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°Still?¡± she asked. The topic was actually one they¡¯d talked about before, and was relatively normal, helping somewhat ease her excitement. ¡°I thought you were going to stop.¡± ¡°I plan to, he¡¯s at the point where he really doesn''t need a partner anymore.¡± he said, meeting her eyes. ¡°I need to go back to my regular routine, I just wanted¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªto move.¡± she finished. ¡°You¡¯re still looking, I know.¡± She smiled, knowing that at the very least, she still understood the boy in front of her. ¡°Mhm,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°But either way I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡­I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± she nodded. ¡°See you t-tomorrow.¡± They had arrived at their destination, said their goodbyes, yet neither was letting go of the other. And both knew this very well. Shivers went up her spine when she felt his short nails graze the surface of her palm. It felt nice, uncomfortably so. No. It¡¯d be far more accurate to say that she was uncomfortable with how comfortable it made her. ¡°Yuu¡ª¡± ¡°Yui¡ª¡± Both were interrupted by a vibration from Yui¡¯s blazer pocket; with her free hand she unlocked her phone and read the notification. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A message from¡­¡­¡­huh.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, squeezing his hand, ¡°everything¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow?¡± The boy across from her nodded. Hesitantly, she slipped her hand out from his grip, and his thumb slowly retreated into his pocket as she made a small vault over the concrete towards the dorms. Even when she arrived at her door she could see him¡ª still standing where they parted. She knew why, of course, it was just one of the many reasons she had feelings for him. Subtle acts, like walking in front of her so she¡¯d have a clear path, making sure she was on the side furthest from the road in case a car came too close, or walking her home, standing to one side until he knew she was safely inside. She waved goodbye, and so did he. And, with a warm feeling nestled in her heart, both parted for the night. * * * * * She was greeted with a sight that took her a few moments to comprehend. One side of the room was such a disaster, it was almost like someone had aimed to make it as chaotic as possible; clothes were strewn across the bed and floors, exercise mats and small dumbbells were scattered alongside water bottles, hygiene products, and various personal belongings. Yui looked to the far end of the room, where schoolwork lay haphazardly balanced against a closed window, though still in danger of falling. Papers stuck out from the binders like fly away hairs, and in the midst of all the disorder, a girl was laying on the floor between their beds doing bicycle kicks. ¡°Rea¡­¡­¡­hello!¡± said Yui, doing her best to put forth a positive tone. ¡°I received your text¡­¡­I haven¡¯t seen you since last week, is everything alright? May I ask where you¡¯ve been?¡± The girl held out a single finger, signalling her to wait as she finished another thirty repetitions and rose from the floor. Beneath her green tank top and shorts, Yui could see a fine layer of sweat glisten on her body, moreover, her shirt failed to cover her stomach, showing a well toned, muscular stomach. ¡°Around,¡± she said, wiping her brow. ¡°Sorry about the mess, had to come back on short notice. I¡¯m going to be staying here every night from now on.¡± ¡°Not at all it¡¯s¡­no¡­¡­trouble¡­¡­¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as the girl continued her exercises, this time with planks. ¡°Um¡­¡­Rea, I know you just returned, but are you doing okay? I was quite worried since you frequently didn¡¯t return.¡± Yui had to wait for another minute before the girl¡¯s pose relaxed and she answered her question. ¡°I was gone most nights, but I got caught so if I don¡¯t want to leave I¡¯m forced to stay here now, damned redhead.¡± ¡°Redhead?¡± Rea waved aside the question. ¡°Doesn''t matter. Point is that I¡¯ll be here and I wanted to give you a heads up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful Rea! We haven¡¯t had a proper chance to talk, so I really¡ª¡± She stopped her words upon realizing the girl was tuning her out. More specifically, she pulled out a pair of headphones from somewhere within the noise that was her side of the dorm; she was purposefully drowning the girl out. Part of Yui was unsurprised; a girl who nearly got expelled from the school for staying away from it, of course she wouldn¡¯t be interested in speaking to people. But that begged the question¡ª if not here, where did a high school girl like her sleep at night? * * * * * Yuuko¡¯s palm felt warm as he returned home. It was a burning sensation, indescribably hot, yet so incredibly warm¡ª blazing warmth? Was it possible for both to exist at the same time? ¡°You¡¯d¡­¡­wait for me?¡± Those were the words he¡¯d said back then, before they entered high school; that memory was etched so clearly into his mind it was almost frightening. And at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. He knew that from the outside, it was clear to anyone that he and Yuya were more than friends, but weren¡¯t quite at the level people assumed. It was a relief to him they weren¡¯t in the same class, because Heaven knows he¡¯d avoided the topic with Luka enough times. Not out of malice, but out of a sense that defining the relationship they had now was¡­¡­difficult. How did he feel about her? Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He liked her of course. So why not date? Because if what happened the previous summer¡ª no¡ª what happened the past three years of his life was any indication, he wasn¡¯t ready. He needed time to create the person he wanted to be, the person Yui deserved if they ever did create something tangible. Something with a title. He sighed as he walked past busy intersections and late night bars; that sort of scene never caught his attention, he¡¯d rather spend a night reading, writing, or thinking on top of a roof while waiting for the sunrise. A pang of guilt poked at his chest again. He was making her wait, even more than she already had. And that very thought caused him to freeze, right in the middle of a four-way intersection. He¡¯d only helped Luka for his own selfish reasons, he was cruelly making Yui wait for him, and he was still struggling to move towards the ideal of Yuuko Asahino¡ª one that may very well not exist. Did such a selfish person deserve the blessings he has? He clutched at his chest. This guilt¡­¡­was probably the same one his father felt, wasn¡¯t it? His thoughts were interrupted by laughter carried by the wind. He turned around, and with one arm wrapped around a man¡¯s bicep, a young girl leaned her body into the chest of an older man. His thoughts crashed together, creating a mosaic of messy memories that all showed the same thing¡ª that girl. A meek, yet attractive presence in their class, the whispers as their classmates theorized the purpose behind the gifts she gave. An attractive, yet meek presence she radiated in the mall, the same scenery of being side by side with a man clearly much older than herself. He remembered leaving Yui and Luka, following them around to the stores they visited; he remembered being revolted at the man who wouldn¡¯t keep his hands still, especially in public. The fake laughter coming from the girl after every word, desperate to convince him she was interested. No. It wasn¡¯t the man she was trying to convince. He remembered it all so vividly, because since he first arrived at the school, she¡¯s been the one who had the most notes. Pages of them, below the name he¡¯d written down. Which brought him his last and most recent memory, the words she¡¯d told his friend. ¡°You¡¯re Luka Shafer, right?¡± Silence emanated from his friend, until she said those next words with a bright smile. ¡°This is for you.¡± There was no mistaking the girl, famous in their class for her beauty and unusual habit. ¡°Ai Hirawa.¡± he whispered. ¡°Why are you smiling like that?¡± He circled around them, careful not to lose sight of where they were going, and followed until an opportunity presented itself. They stopped across the street from him, ready to cross¡ª this would be his only chance. Setting his hands in his pockets, he looked to the clouded sky above him. Not a single star could be seen, but that didn¡¯t matter, because he could still see the road in front of him. Slowly, people began to gather around him, office workers chatted alongside colleagues and friends; a sea of people would be difficult for him to move through, but he didn¡¯t need to be precise. With a soft *beep* the light turned green, and Yuuko allowed himself to be carried along by the footsteps of those behind him. He could see the girl slowly approach, clinging tightly to the man next to her, but she was too far to his side. Adjusting his footsteps, he let the crowd sway him left, aiming for the interlocked arms; they came closer, and he could see the expensive looking clothes she wore¡ª a light jacket and skirt that barely reached her upper thigh. It was none of his business, so why do this? Subconsciously, he thought he knew. The two were less than a few meters away, and as they approached, he stopped dead in his tracks. Angry voices resonated behind him as his body was shoved forwards, causing him to stumble¡ª right against the shoulder of the girl in his class. ¡°Oh, hey hey, be careful!¡± the man howled, speaking over the noise of the crowd and gripping the girl¡¯s arm tighter. She touched his chest in reassurance. ¡°Aaahh, I¡¯m sorry about that!¡± Yuuko apologized. ¡°No no, it¡¯s al¡ª¡± She turned around, and he was shocked at how well she hid her surprise, or rather, at the fact her composure never broke. But it wasn¡¯t perfect. She couldn¡¯t control just how far her pupils dilated; in those brief seconds, he tried to see what lay behind her large eyes¡ª behind that beguiling, innocent smile¡ª but he didn¡¯t have enough time. Within a moment she spun around, resuming her walk and leaving him to do the same. He stood still on the other side of the street for a few moments. The pedestrian light switched to red, giving the cars on the road the green-light to begin their commute again; when the exhaust struck his nose, he too, resumed his walk home. ¡°Rumors are for fools.¡± his mother had once said. What happens, then, when the rumors end up being true? Part 2 The two friends walked side by side as they returned to the school grounds for a shower before class started; well, Luka would be using the gym¡¯s locker room while Yuuko would be showering in his ¡°dorm.¡± It still boggled him how his friend managed to get what was basically a small apartment building all to himself, and he always forgot to ask. Of course, he could do it right now, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood¡ª the weather, while mostly cloudy and cool, still had a high amount of humidity that clung to them, drenching their already wet clothes. It was enough to sweat from their morning run, so the humidity didn¡¯t make things any better. As for his other reason¡ª ¡°¡ªare you sure¡­you can¡¯t?¡± His friend grimaced, like the question physically pained him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Luka, honest, but I really should start getting back into my routine. It¡¯s no lie that I wanted to join in on your morning runs, but it just isn¡¯t my routine.¡± ¡°So¡­¡­what is it you plan to do?¡± ¡°For right now?¡± he said, stretching out his arms above him. ¡°Probably think about what it is I have to do.¡± Luka opened his mouth to remark on how vague that sounded, he was going to remark over how that was the least organized answer he¡¯d ever heard, he was going to insist his friend continue with him. But he didn¡¯t. From the way Yuuko spoke, it sounded genuine, as though he truly needed an entire morning to think about¡­¡­¡­what does he think about? He never shares his thoughts, that¡¯s the problem. ¡°He has to get all those philosophical sounding phrases from somewhere.¡± Still, I still feel like¡­¡­ ¡°Like?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± That¡¯s it! ¡°What?¡± THAT¡¯S WHAT I¡¯LL DO! ¡°WHAT?¡± Hah! You¡¯re me and yet you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do! ¡°Will you QUIT being an INSUFFERABLE brat again?¡± ¡­¡­fine. Listen to this, if Yuuko won¡¯t tell me what¡¯s wrong, then I¡¯ll force him to! ¡°Isn¡¯t that morally questionable?¡± I TOLD HIM, WARNED HIM, THAT HE HAD BEST FEAR THOSE WALLS OF HIS COMING DOWN¡ª ¡°¡ªAND I¡¯M GOING TO MAKE GOOD ON THAT!¡± ¡°W-Hey, you alright?¡± his friend said, stepping back at his sudden outburst. ¡°YUU-BOY!¡± ¡°Again with the nicknames,¡± he sighed. ¡°Yuu-Boy, you shall tell me what is bringing you such woe!¡± ¡°Woe? Luka, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°For you to leave the very torment you thrust upon me, something clearly weighs heavy in your heart and in your mind!¡± he said, striking somewhat dramatic poses as he pointed to his heart and head. ¡°Therefore, you shall tell me, or so help me, I shall make you!¡± ¡°Make¡­me?¡± His blonde friend spun around, one arm across his chest while the other menacingly held the frame of his glasses¡ª all while speaking in a voice much lower than normal. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate how insufferable I can be, Yuu-Boy.¡± Yuuko simply stood still, unsure of how to react. Before long, however, an exhausted, but truly thankful smile spread across his face. ¡°I feel like this might be revenge for making you go running in the first place.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± he said, pulling the glasses up the bridge of his nose. He soon broke his stance, however, and began walking towards their original destination. He turned around, motioning for Yuuko to follow. ¡°In that case,¡± his friend said, catching up to him. ¡°I¡¯d like to get your help with something.¡± ¡°And pray tell, what shall this be?¡± ¡°Can you tell me what kind of gift Ai Hirawa gave you?¡± Luka gave him a curious look, one that soon had his entire face tinted red. ¡°T-The gift she¡­¡­¡­a few days ago?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°W-Well it¡¯s not¡­¡­really¡­¡­¡­¡± He shifted uncomfortably before sighing and speaking normally. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure you know this already, but she¡¯s been handing out gifts to everyone in our class; almost every morning a different person gets one from her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard not to notice.¡± ¡°Right, so, I mean, it¡¯s not like getting one from her means something special like¡­like a confession! Or anything. Oh! Actually there were a few people in class that thought otherwise, but she turned them down from what I¡¯ve heard people say.¡± ¡°But you also got one from her, right? What was it?¡± he pressed. ¡°A-Aahh, nothing really¡­¡­just a phone charm from this popular gacha game. I still play it every once in a while.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked, taking a deep breath and scratching the back of his head. ¡°Do you know about any of the other gifts in our class?¡± ¡°Not really, since I still don¡¯t talk much with our classmates¡­oh! But Hana mentioned yesterday that one of the gifts was a really expensive gift card, she gave it to one of the boys in the class.¡± ¡°Hana? The redheaded girl with the camera you helped?¡± ¡°R-Right¡­her¡­¡­¡± Yuuko squinted his eyes in suspicion. ¡°So you¡¯re both talking now?¡± ¡°NO! No no no, don¡¯t make any misunderstandings!¡± he said, flailing his arms wildly. ¡°I-I asked her about a new SD card for her camera!¡± ¡°SD card?¡± ¡°She needed one since¡­¡­¡± The fresh memories of confronting his bully¡¯s friend resurfaced. Hana had pictures of the abuse, of him and Ryu breaking the rules, but since his own fighting was on camera, she broke the evidence with her own two hands. All so he wouldn¡¯t be expelled. ¡°¡­¡­I really owe her.¡± he said, lifting his glasses to rub his eyes. ¡°Looks like I owe a lot of people.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve apologized and started talking to her.¡± ¡°Agghhh! That reminds me, since this is your last time running with me, I should probably mention that too.¡± ¡°Mention¡­?¡± ¡°The day you first tried to help me¡­¡­I never did apologize for blowing up at you back then¡­¡­¡­¡± His friend awkwardly looked away, but Yuuko could still hear his words as clear as day. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­really sorry about that.¡± There was a brief, torturous moment of silence between his words and Yuuko¡¯s response. Realistically it didn¡¯t last longer than a handful of seconds, but in Luka¡¯s mind it felt agonizingly long. Eventually his friend spoke, and along with his words came a pat on the back. ¡°So long as you don¡¯t beat yourself up about anything that¡¯s happened anymore,¡± he said with a reassuring smile, ¡°I forgive you.¡± Returning his smile with newfound optimism, the two resumed their walk as Yuuko asked what an SD card was; it seemed that a clean slate came with the now brightening morning, and even though his body ached, Luka never felt better. Part 3 Every night she worked late, the next morning would greet her with a headache and sore body. It made sense why¡ª anybody sleeping four hours, even just a few days a week, would see the consequences reflected onto their body. Thankfully, Ai was getting used to it. She slid out of the sheets in a daze and, while rubbing her unusually itchy eye, started making her bed while picking up her strewn clothes, the messy result of carelessly throwing them aside after a long night. Picking it up would finally give her the peace of mind of leaving her dorm in a somewhat clean state. It didn¡¯t take as long as she thought it would, something she was thankful for as it¡¯d give her more time in the bathroom. And as she entered, she was greeted by a girl who looked exactly like her. But this girl had a different air about her. Early signs of bags revealed themselves beneath her eyes, her light brown hair was a mess of tangles and curls, and her underwear? A year ago she couldn¡¯t have imagined wearing something so¡­adult. That¡¯s right¡­I was so tired I didn¡¯t change. She considered applying to a dorm that would allow her to have a roommate, who could at least help her clean, but quickly disregarded the idea¡ª the benefits didn¡¯t nearly outweigh the cost it would come with. Walking closer to the mirror allowed her to see the result of the irritation in her right eye: it was heavily bloodshot, and stung every time she blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve been overdoing it, taking on so many light night calls,¡± she said amusingly to no one. Soaking a soft piece of cloth in warm water, she uncapped a bottle of eyedrops and began pouring out its contents. The relief was instant and immensely soothing, every time she blinked she could feel the cold liquid run down the side of her eye, falling across her cheek, only to finally stop at her mou¡ª ¡°GuEEUGHH!!¡± Her body retched forward, and by instinct she grabbed the toilet bowl. Hacking into the stagnant ceramic, her breaths soon became shallow pants as she spread her arms across the cold material to steady herself. ¡°HMG¡ªGLEuUUgHh! She could feel her breath bouncing off the bowl and back into her face; she didn¡¯t want to throw up, she didn¡¯t have anything in her stomach to do so, but that didn¡¯t stop her body from reacting with volatile shudders. It was only after an agonizing amount of retching that, a few minutes later, the sudden nausea that came over her began to fade. Still, even after the sounds stopped, she had to lean against the wall to center herself; the firmness of the object behind her let her work through the dizziness. For a frightening moment she felt the urge return, but quickly downed it with a forceful swallow. In a deep, stable breath, she stood up, not letting the sudden reaction from her body prevent her from completing her morning routine; removing the cloth, she washed her face and changed into the clothes laid out the night before. It was¡­familiar, it was simple. She found that the further her morning progressed, the more she calmed down, actually looking forward to the day in class. The way she moved about preparing everything reminded her of her elementary and middle school years, where she¡¯d still wake up early, but out of necessity rather than habit. And she never minded that at all. With everything set for the day ahead, she walked up to the mirror on her nightstand. With both hands and a determined face, she *hmph hmph* slapped the top of her head and a smile appeared on her now youthful face, though it quickly shifted to surprise as she noticed the object behind her. ¡°Aaah, that¡¯s right,¡± she said, walking to her bed, ¡°it¡¯s his turn today. It¡¯d be a shame not to give it to him, I think it¡¯s one of the better ones I¡¯ve picked.¡± She turned the lengthy, rectangular box around in her hands. She got the gift yesterday night on her way back to her dorm; normally she would¡¯ve waited at least another day to wrap it, but she¡¯d given away so many at this point that she now had the skills to prepare any gift in just a few short minutes. Giving it to the boy would also mean breaking her system of going from the front of the class to the back¡ª ¡°¡ªbut I don¡¯t really mind. Besides, I think he¡¯ll like it.¡± she continued to herself. ¡°He¡¯s always writing in that notebook after all.¡± * * * * * The concrete was still wet from the showers of early morning rain, but since the sun began peeking out from behind puffy gray clouds, promising a brighter day, she decided to forgive the weather for its current, inconvenient humidity. It wasn¡¯t a very long walk from her dorm to the first year¡¯s building either, and hardly anyone was out this early in¡ª ¡°You¡¯re awfully chipper for a girl who hasn¡¯t slept!¡± observed a voice behind her. ¡°Wha¡ªRea!¡± Ai uttered in shock. ¡°HAH!? What¡¯s with that tone?¡± reciprocated Rea as she approached. It was difficult to believe at first, but there was no mistaking her friend; if her trademark messy dark hair and tan skin didn¡¯t give it away, then the pointed teeth that appeared every time she flashed her confident smile definitely did. And it was that exact smile Ai saw before being flicked in the forehead. ¡°Owwu,¡± she childishly moaned, rubbing the red mark with both hands. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°For that tone, you sound like you saw a ghost!¡± ¡°Hmmmph, I wouldn¡¯t be wrong,¡± she teased, as the two began walking together. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever even seen you on campus aside from the first day.¡± ¡°Hah! That¡¯s true, but it should be fine since I saw the teacher after class that day¡­¡­¡­I think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too reckless,¡± she said before quickly faking a gasp. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you want to get away from me that badly? Oh woah is me, woah is¡ª!¡± ¡°Chill out,¡± her friend said with an unamused eyeroll, ¡°why do you think I¡¯m here today?¡± Her friend seemed like she hit an invisible wall, tilting her head to the side in such a way Rea could almost see the question mark above her head. ¡°Wait¡­why are you here?¡± ¡°To go to my classes, you regal dullard!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡­you don¡¯t go to class?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s sleep deprivation, your teasing, or if you¡¯re genuinely that airheaded.¡± she groaned, putting a fist to her forehead. ¡°Whatever, doesn''t matter. As it turns out her majesty, the council president, has a rat with a talent for spotting people. I¡¯m now given the forgiving choice of attending class or leaving the school, and I like the scenery here, so here I am.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Ai said, gently clapping for her friend. ¡°Rea I¡¯m so glad to hear you¡¯re taking on more responsibility!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re teasing me,¡± she said with a frustrated smile. ¡°Well, not to sound rude, but why would they give you the choice? I thought the school was strict on scholarship students.¡± ¡°HAH!¡± Rea spat with a voice that surprised Ai. ¡°The president TRIED to have me kicked out, but at the end of the day she got shut down¡ª and you know why?¡± She continued without waiting for a response. ¡°Because the administration here doesn''t give a damn, they don¡¯t want to lose their number one freshman in athletics and academics; they¡¯d rather give me a third or even a fourth chance then stick to their own rules, two-faced hypocritical little¡ª¡± She heard a small laugh coming from beside her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be mad for my sake.¡± ¡°Even if they¡¯re being unfair? Offering me twice as much in scholarship when there are people that need the money?¡± Rea spoke directly to her face. Ai was a good six or seven centimeters shorter than her, but even like that, she carried as much presence as she did; nearly untouchable¡ª ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t need the money then.¡± ¡ªperhaps that¡¯s why those words carried so much weight. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡± Rea stopped herself before turning her head. ¡°Whatever.¡± And just like that, Ai¡¯s presence returned to the mischievous, caring version of herself. ¡°Ah, that reminds me; do you need any more money for rent in the place you¡¯re staying?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think so. Since I gotta stay here, I¡¯ve no need for the place anymore.¡± she spoke while stretching one of her arms upward before returning it to place. ¡°Ah¡ª but thanks for helping me out with that. The scholarship only covers school stuff, so there was no way I¡¯d have been able to rent it on my own.¡± ¡°No no,¡± she said, laughing, ¡° I should be the one thanking you. You were the one who helped me out after all.¡± Her friend brushed aside the comment. ¡°It was nothing. More importantly,¡± she said, looking at the box the girl held, ¡°who¡¯s that for?¡± ¡°Oh? Were you perhaps wanting another one from me?¡± Ai said with a smile while narrowing her eyes and turning her head. ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s a boy in our class I¡¯d like to give this to.¡± ¡°Hmph, I never knew whether to peg you as the ¡®wait-for-his-confession¡¯ type, or the ¡®make-the-first-move¡¯ type; guess that answers that question.¡± Her friend puffed up her cheeks, trying for a mean look. ¡°I¡¯m actually giving a gift to everyone in class! About half of them have one now, and today is this boy¡¯s turn.¡± ¡°AHAHAHAHA!¡± Rea burst into jovial laughter, startling the shorter girl beside her. ¡°T-That¡¯s right, you did that after we first met! That means I was technically the first one in our class to get one; wow, I thought it was out of gratitude, but no.¡± She said to the shorter, smiling girl beside her. ¡°Turns out you just like seeing people happy.¡± Ai clutched the gift a little tighter to her chest. ¡°Well, happiness is supposed to come from other people.¡± She became lost in her thoughts as Rea opened the class door for them. ¡°Yes.¡± she mentally said to herself. ¡°Happiness is supposed to come from others.¡± That¡¯s why she recognizes every face, knows every name, recalls every fact spoken about them, and even remembers the gifts she¡¯d gotten for each one. But they didn¡¯t make her happy. Because happiness wasn¡¯t what she was looking for. As she approached the boy sitting alone at his desk, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why, having been out so late at night, he was present so early in the morning. Not just today, but every day. Her heart raced as she got closer. Would he recognize her? They bumped into each other, and for a moment she thought she saw a hint of curiosity on his face, and if that were the case would he let others know? No, more than that, why was he out in the first place? It was the first time that happened¡ª maybe then, something will change this time. Her introduction was the same as it always was, she asked the boy in front of her if he was the one she wanted, and he nodded in confirmation. Then the most important part, the part that would either confirm or deny her desires. As his hands stretched outward to accept her gift, as with everyone, she lightly brushed her fingers against his own. And felt nothing. The dull sensation passed, and with a bow, she returned to her seat. Of course, he probably said something along the lines of ¡°thank you,¡± or ¡°I appreciate the gift,¡± but she never paid attention to those words; why would she? People like her didn¡¯t deserve a second chance; the one who steals from others in hopes of finding again what she lost. Forgiveness only goes so far. Flipping open the pages of her notebook, it didn¡¯t take her long to find the boy¡¯s name since it was the only one with a question mark beside it. And with a twinge of disappointment in her heart, she scratched out the name. And as with every morning, the day continued. There was a brief respite of silence in which the class was still not used to Rea, but aside from that, it was another disappointment. The bell rang, papers shuffled, people spoke, and her phone vibrated. ¡¸Available for me gorgeous?¡¹ She could respond with just one hand. ¡¸Of course I¡¯m available for you~ aaah, but asking me means you already know it¡¯s a school night¡­I hope you have enough for me~¡¹ Her heart felt static sending the message. She shut off her phone, and continued paying attention to Miss Wakako¡¯s lecture. It seems that her grades are going to suffer yet again. Chapter 2 - Red Tint Part 1 She took in the extraordinary view of the ethereal river before her, it never failed to calm her down. Glowing white and teal waters clashed with the hue of a crimson dyed world around her; everything appeared in a more vivid shade of scarlet and orange due entirely to the sun that was setting on a horizon she couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Tint,¡± she called it, when the world was dyed in a particular color. It happened rarely, and always varied. Some days it was scarlet, others, like on rainy days, the world looked a pale shade of gray-blue; her favorite was golden yellow because of how much brighter everything looked. But it was difficult to beat the scenery around her now. The lights beneath the river normally started glowing around this hour, and because its teal and white colors contrasted so strongly with the tint of the evening, she felt a particular kind of harmony¡ª perhaps an amplified version of the calm the shimmering stream normally gave her. The vibrancy of the colors around her also brought out her second favorite thing about tinted evenings, the fact she could wonder what the light tasted like. Ruby-red skies were easy; they tasted like a warm, barely sweetened dessert. Blue tints tended to taste like silky fruit smoothies, and yellow tints¡­¡­she wasn¡¯t sure. It was hard to pin down exactly what the fine bands of golden light, piercing through baby blue skies, tasted like, more so when those bands of light painted the world around her in that brilliant, illuminating color. She lifted her head up, covering one of her eyes as if in embarrassment, but the faint smile on her face revealed she wasn¡¯t feeling that way in the slightest. ¡°What a childish thought¡­¡­wondering about the flavors of the sky¡­¡­¡­¡± Maybe it was fine for her to have childish thoughts normally, but now certainly wasn¡¯t the time. It was a miracle in and of itself she was permitted the freedom she has, there was no way a scholarship student would be able to do what she did. Yes; perhaps it was a good thing she didn¡¯t have a scholarship. She noticed how long those students had to study, and the difficulty at which they did it. Had she a scholarship, she most likely would¡¯ve been in the library or in her dorm studying, stressing about whether or not she¡¯d be able to pass her exams to keep it. Even the single dorm room of hers was a miracle to have¡ª she applied for one originally, but never imagined she¡¯d be one of the few to have it. Perhaps it was due to her middling grades, perhaps due to barely passing the entrance exam; in those cases, the school might¡¯ve not wanted her to pass along her bad study habits to others. Or what appeared to be bad study habits. It was ironic to think that at an academy specifically designed for students with fantastic potential, she is able to do what she¡¯s doing because she¡¯s average in every aspect. ¡°Of course, if I had a scholarship I might not be here in the first place¡­¡­¡± No. That was a lie. She sighed and unlocked her phone, opening the bank app and entering her login information to see that her most recent deposit had finally made its way in. ¡°This is great,¡± she found herself whispering with a smile, ¡° it¡¯s enough that I¡¯ll be able to send a little extra home.¡± But her parents would worry, almost certainly insisting that she should keep the money. In that case, she¡¯d have to lie about her expenses for the month being lower than usual due to all her studying. Yes. Another lie. Even before hearing about her placement in Mirror, she¡¯d already started compensated dating. It was a frightening world to enter, and she had more than one bad experience with a client¡ª yet she always returned. ¡°Even though I thanked her, she never mentioned why she decided to help me out.¡± she said, mildly annoyed at the lack of information. Even so, she had an idea of why Rea did it; peoples¡¯ intentions were surprisingly simple to understand, especially in the case where one knows them as a person. She powered down the screen, and the dark glass reflected a girl who she¡¯d also come to know. Mirror offered her an exceptional opportunity. Not only was it a new, bustling, technologically advancing city, but it was a school where, in no less than ten minutes, she could be at the center of a bustling hub of excitement. Not excitement for her¡­¡­but for her clients. And excitement for them meant more money to send home. Naturally, the problem came in the severe consequences that would unfold if she were ever recognized. At first, she entirely avoided the downtown area of Mirror City since a huge amount of students went there, even on weekdays to her surprise. And as naturally as the problem unfolded, so too, did the solution. The girl staring back through the black screen had a sharper nose than she did. Her eyelashes were longer, her hair was curlier, her eyes were larger. The paleness of her face complimented faintly blushed cheeks and the sensual glow to her naturally pink lips. Her cheekbones were prominent and soft, while not a single blemish could be found anywhere on her person. It was almost unreal in that it looked natural. Her gaze moved towards her fingers which were lightly adorned with a ring and painted nails. Her wrists had cuffs which became all the more erotic when combined with her sleevless dress and heart-shaped pendant that couldn¡¯t help but make one stare at her collarbones. More and more, as she improved her fashion sense, her ability with makeup, her conversation skills and even the presence she carried herself with; as her ability grew, so too, did her confidence. Night by night, little by little, she started going more and more to the city center until, one night, she saw a student. Then another. Then three more. Then some she recognized by name¡ª and none of them ever saw the girl holding the black screen. Some would stare, but not in shock of recognition; it was the way a boy stared at a girl, a man to a woman, a jealous girl to the one who appeared blessed at birth. The girl in the black screen was her airtight defense, her immutable veil. ¡°So if he knows,¡± she said, clutching her screen, ¡°why doesn''t he say anything?¡± Her phone lit up with a notification: ¡¸Are you going to keep me waiting, angel?¡¹ Her hands moved to respond, but stopped midway. Smiling, she put the device in a small purse strapped to her shoulder and stood up. A bit of dust clung to her form-fitting skirt, and removing it caused her eyes to wander to the engraving in the middle of the wooden bench that had been generously holding her. ¡°I bet they had it,¡± she said in a smile that didn¡¯t match her tone. Brushing herself down, she quickly made her way towards the stairs on her left, and after making sure no one was watching, climbed out. It wasn¡¯t crucial that no one see her climb the steps below the bridge, but it was an isolated place, and she wanted it for herself. ¡°I think he mentioned meeting at the cafe near the station,¡± she mused while scrolling through the earlier conversation. Though her attention was mostly focused on finding the area, a particular scene at the crosswalk made her look up. It was the tint. It was the time of evening where the colored light was deepest, the sun now being an iridescent shade of deep crimson. Yet, it was one of the rare occasions where the sun itself was weak enough that one could briefly see it¡ª a rose-red orb in the sky. The sound of clicking shutters echoed as the people around her took photos, and with a smile, she joined them. She was no photographer, but the image of the sun laying just above a skyscraper made her understand those who pursued it as a hobby. She didn¡¯t notice when she arrived at her destination; her legs simply moved her forward as she played with various settings and filters on her new wallpaper. The familiar scene eventually returned her to her senses, however, and putting her phone in her purse, she strolled up to the man waiting outside the door. ¡°Say there mister, buy a girl a drink?¡± ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he mildly chided. Ai¡¯s posture changed immediately; with her head hung low, she angled her body and leg in such a way they conveyed the same expression of her downward glance. ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡± She could hear the man¡¯s sudden reaction, and continued. She pressed both her fingers together in small, nervous bounces, and while she was certain he was already feeling guilty, she struck the nail in the coffin. ¡°Mister I¡­¡­¡­I was nervous. You can¡¯t expect a girl not to be, especially when¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­when?¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­when she knows what to expect.¡± Her voice quivered ever so slightly, but it wasn¡¯t enough to overpower the sultry attraction her tone conveyed. Looking up through batted eyelashes, she addressed the baffled man directly. ¡°Are¡­you mad at me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­come on, this is¡ª¡± She hurriedly rushed to press her body against his, before he could utter another word. ¡°Please mister¡­¡­¡­please, don¡¯t be mad at me?¡± She could feel his heart racing against her chest; it was a good thing his own heart was pounding so strongly, otherwise her own would give away her true feelings. After taking a moment to calm down, the man addressed her. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you¡­¡­¡­but you¡¯re still going to be punished.¡± He tried for a smirk. Yes, she knew how she had to respond now that she had him. ¡°I¡¯ll accept it but¡­if you can¡­¡­please be gentle¡­¡­¡­¡± She could feel something pressed against her upper thigh; a sign her words had their intended effect. She knew she¡¯d been late, but the clear waters from earlier were so peaceful that she didn¡¯t want to move. The consequences, of course, would come in the form of an upset client¡ª unless she could do something about it. The amount of trial and error it took was worrying, but in her year of compensated dating, she¡¯d finally found the quickest way to earn affection. Whether it was calming a client¡¯s anger, making them comfortable if it was their first time meeting, or most importantly to arouse them, she found out that what these men truly wanted was something she called, ¡°experiencedly inexperienced.¡± It was attractive in name only to take a girl out for a first date, for a first kiss, for her first time. And yet, ironically, first times are important for people. The first people to climb a mountain are remembered, the first people to reach an unknown place, or a new land. A first kiss, a first job, a first for everything and anything¡ª it was important. But the trial and error it takes when it comes to human relationships aren¡¯t attractive, the slip-ups, the uncertainty, it was like walking on ice. There had to be a balance, so in a year, she had learned to veil her experience with inexperience. And it worked beautifully. He moved to put his arm around her, but she quickly slipped back before he could complete his grip. ¡°Nuh-uh.¡± she said, bending forward and winking at him. ¡°You still owe me a drink, mister. And besides,¡± she said, rushing back to wrap her arm around his, ¡°I have our evening date planned out¡ª we¡¯ll go to so many places, it¡¯ll be fun!¡± ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll buy your drink,¡± he said, slipping his arm out of her grasp to wrap it around her shoulder as they walked. ¡°But we¡¯re short on time today Mio.¡± Her brilliant smile didn¡¯t fade even as he said those words, she only pouted as she playfully hit the side of his chest. ¡°You¡¯re so cruel mister! Making a girl plan out a date only to deny her at the last second!¡± She said that, but she expected this. It happened with the overwhelming majority of her clients, but she still had to feign. For their sake. Maybe even for her own. ¡°Come on now,¡± he said, pulling her closer. ¡°I¡¯m not that bad. But look, my wife is going to be coming home early from work, so I don¡¯t have a lot of time.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± she purred, putting a finger to her lips. ¡°You like to live dangerously, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Does that excite you?¡± She could feel his hand going lower and lower until a firm grasp took hold of her buttox, and using that grip, he pulled her in closer. She could feel the slight pudge from his gut squishing into her side as the eyes of bystanders drew near them. ¡°Mister,¡± she said, looking up at him as they arrived at a large building with a neon sign. ¡°You always go right to the finale.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s alright isn¡¯t it,¡± he said, bringing her face closer to his. ¡°We¡¯ve always had a good time at the end, so we don¡¯t need to waste our time with any distractions.¡± At his words, she flashed him an alluring, yet partial, smile. The type of smile that would lead him to believe his words to be true. As they stepped inside, she took out her phone and erased the folder titled: ¡°Date Plans¡±. And oddly enough, those thoughts consumed her as he led her up to their room. Why was it that she still created it? Because she was supposed to? She only noticed they entered the room when the man yanked the entirety of her blouse down; she faintly heard herself telling him to be careful or there¡¯d be unexpected charges, but she was more focused on the name. It was called ¡°compensated dating¡± was it not? Did she create plans for a date because she was supposed to? A strange scent filled the room, leading her to believe he must¡¯ve now taken his clothes off. There was also such a thing as rental girlfriends. She¡¯d looked into it of course, but even they couldn¡¯t make anywhere near the amount she could. Yet, they planned out dates, did they not? And those dates are carried out by both the man and the woman¡ª which begs the question she¡¯d wondered about since understanding that almost all of her plans with her clients never follow through: why still create plans for a date? A warm feeling spread throughout her body as it bounced in irregular rhythms. Ah, she¡¯d arrived at that part already. But she knew. She knew very well why she still created date plans; it was the same reason she was giving gifts to all of her classmates¡­¡­¡­speaking of which, who was next? Actually, should she continue going in her chronological order, the way she was originally doing it? Or should she continue with the student who came after that boy? The one who noticed. The one whose name was scratched out. She made sure to control the volume and pitch of her voice as it released: too loud and the client would believe it to be fake, like they hear in the videos they see behind locked doors. Too quiet or subdued, and they¡¯d question their own performance, or worse perhaps, the sensitivity of the girl they were with. The man roared as he finished, she felt traces of his sweat fall onto her stomach. ¡­¡­it¡¯s still numb. The man practically collapsed on top of her, and she put her arm over her eyes as he did. She didn¡¯t want to see him, but thankfully didn¡¯t need to during this part. ¡°M-Mister tha¡­¡­amazing¡­¡­¡­¡± He rose with a satisfied sigh which was quickly extinguished with a flurry of curses. ¡°She¡¯s already on the train home dammit!¡± he said, checking the glowing screen in his hand, ¡°¡­soon, this is too soon!¡± Lifting up her arm, he could see the man quickly count the amount he owed, muttering curses about having wanted more. ¡°I left a little extra in there for your drink,¡± he winked. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m free next.¡± She stayed on the bed until hearing the door shut with a relieving *click*. It was quick if she put her mind to other things, that was the good part at least. Most didn¡¯t have the stamina to continue on for very long, but it didn¡¯t take very long to ruin something. That thought reminded her of something she read once when she had only recently started; on the topic of trust, it takes people months or even years to build it up, yet can be destroyed in only a handful of minutes. ¡°I wonder if your wife knows you do this,¡± she said to the open air. She let out a laugh¡ª of course she wasn¡¯t one to talk. She stood up, grimacing at the feeling of something sticky and warm running down the side of her thigh. Without looking, she grabbed a towel and wiped herself clean. The first few times, she had trouble walking after all was said and done. Walking over to her bag that was carelessly tossed to the side of the room, she rummaged through and took out a small, white pill. With it in hand, she filled a cup in the bathroom with water and swallowed it whole until¡ª ¡°NO!¡± she thought to herself. ¡°Get a grip, don¡¯t spit it out!¡± Her eyes went wide as the thought of the warm fluid shooting into her bludgeoned its way into her mind. In her body, down her throat, in every conceivable method in only a year! She panicked, holding an open palm beneath her jaw as clear liquid flowed down, making her want to expel it even more. What¡¯s more, the numb feeling that followed immediately after they¡¯d finished. It was proof she was straying¡ª ¡°¡ªNO!¡± she yelled to her mind. ¡°I¡¯m human! Even my clients can see me as¡­m-my classmates! THE GIFTS! T-THE GIFTS THEY¡­¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t remember a single person in which, after handing them their gift, she continued smiling when she returned to her seat. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°PPPLYyAAaA!¡± Water scattered across the bathroom mirror as the contents of her mouth were spat back out. The pill spun around in the sink, not being able to fit through the drain. Remnants of water continued falling onto the clean, beautifully designed beige ceramic. She noticed the drops falling from her mouth, but then noticed clearer, more transparent dots of water above the spots her saliva was hitting. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Her arms were rigid, suspending her upright, but the tears continued to fall. ¡°If I keep going, I won¡¯t be able to¡­¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish the thought, she knew exactly what it meant. Grabbing a hand towel, she lightly wiped her eyes before wiping the water off the mirror. Refilling the cup, she collected the pill from the sink before quickly downing it before her body could react. ¡°That takes care of one problem, at least¡­¡± She looked in the mirror, the mole on the side of her hips was a favorite of her clients,¡¯ but that wasn¡¯t what she was worried about. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s because of all this.¡± Lately her clothes had felt a bit tighter, and taking a good look at herself in the mirror showed why. Her bust was definitely larger, and even her hips seemed slightly wider; it wasn¡¯t the development she had hoped for. Having calmed down somewhat, she turned on the shower as she prepared her things to leave afterward. Peeking through the window, she couldn¡¯t help but notice how the iridescent tint of the evening was gone, replaced with the color of a cloudy night. * * * * * The nighttime air relieved her sense of fatigue, but not by very much. But that was only to be expected when everywhere she walked, she felt at least one pair of eyes on her. ¡°I get why,¡± she whispered, ¡°but still, you don¡¯t have to stare that hard.¡± The attention reminded her of the faint rumors concerning her, floating about her class. She was surprised, and extremely thankful, that they never seemed to gain traction; upon first hearing about it she had definitely worried, but part of the reason she had so much confidence in her veil was the fact the rumors seemed too outlandish to be true. She was polite, friendly, but she wasn¡¯t¡ª A slut? Maybe. Maybe that was the word they looked for. Maybe it was the word that fit her best. She stopped at a crosswalk, the red pixelated person on the screen letting her know to wait. She tugged at her skirt, lowering it in an attempt to cover what little didn¡¯t show. ¡°Heeeyy!¡± shouted a group of men at the other side of the intersection to her right. ¡°Hey, you, over there, the hot one!¡± And wait she would. ¡°Ahaahah, she¡¯s ignoring you!¡± ¡°Ahhh?! She¡¯s not deaf!¡± ¡°Yell harder!¡± She could hear the unknown man take a deep breath. ¡°OOOOOIII!!!! YOU IN THE SHORT SKIRT!!¡± Her mind started racing. She always hated it when this happened. ¡°Sounds like a group of what¡­five? Six maybe?¡± she thought to herself. ¡°HEY, COME ON DON¡¯T BE LIKE THAT!¡± ¡°EY HOW MUCH FOR A NIGHT!?¡± ¡°More than you can afford hahahah!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± he said in a slight slur. Ah, right. They¡¯re not sober most times. ¡°EY COME ON, DON¡¯T BE LIKE THAT, I¡¯LL PAY DOUBLE YOUR RATE!¡± ¡°YOU TAKE MULTIPLE CLIENTS?!¡± That question made the group burst out with howling laughter, and the green light showed itself not a second after his remark. She hurried across the street, relieved at the fact their laughter was getting further and further away. It wasn¡¯t the first time that happened. In fact, after the first few times, she considered carrying a larger bag whenever she met with clients so she could change clothes afterwards and return without worry. But the idea never panned out since the clothes were too bulky and a larger bag would look unattractive and suspicious at her side. With that idea having failed, she simply accepted the reality that it wouldn¡¯t be the last time such a thing happened. Most men who called out to her weren¡¯t often sober, though on occasion it would happen, but the result would always be the same. She¡¯d ignore them, and they¡¯d either respond angrily or vent their frustration and leave. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re out in the middle of the night getting wasted.¡± She winced at the words that escaped her mouth, and internally took them back. Of course she didn¡¯t want to be bothered like that, but she wasn¡¯t one to talk. ¡°The only difference between us is that I¡¯m not getting drunk.¡± she acknowledged. The scenery around her became brighter, signs she was approaching her dorm. She always liked the way the city appeared during the night; the way neon and street lights lit up her path, the way the buildings towered over her, it all made her feel small. Yes. Small was the word. Some people might¡¯ve hated how the world around them was so big since it made them feel smaller in comparison, like their lives were a wisp of vapor. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard that phrase somewhere¡­¡± It gave her comfort to know she was simply a small fish in a vast ocean. And she knew very well the reason why she enjoyed the feeling so much. ¡°Excuse us.¡± She jumped a little at the sudden voice from behind her. Spinning around, she was relieved to see it was a man holding onto the hand of a woman. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, sorry to startle you; we¡¯re looking for the museum but got a bit lost. If you don¡¯t mind, could you point us in the right direction?¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± interrupted the girl, playfully hitting the man¡¯s chest as she spoke. ¡°He¡¯s bad with directions and my eyesight isn¡¯t the best.¡± she said, shyly scratching her cheek with her finger. As she raised her hand to her face, Ai could see the walking stick she carried. Embarrassment filled every vein in her body at not noticing sooner. ¡°No no, it¡¯s no trouble at all!¡± she said, stumbling over her words. ¡°You¡¯re actually not very far¡ª just backtrack two blocks and head towards the mall, it¡¯s on the way there. It closes in another hour or two though, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have much time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± laughed the woman. ¡°We don¡¯t plan to stay long anyway, but thank you for letting us know.¡± ¡°And for the directions,¡± said the man, bowing slightly. ¡°Have a nice rest of your night!¡± She watched the two as they left, and noticed something odd. The woman wasn¡¯t using her walking stick, but instead was holding tight to her husband¡¯s hand. She looked¡­¡­¡­so secure. She completely trusted her husband, even after acknowledging his weakness in directions. So¡­¡­¡­safe. She turned around, resuming her path with a smile on her face. ¡°Must be nice,¡± she said in a tone that didn¡¯t match her grin. ¡°To have that. To have someone like that.¡± Mirror high school slowly came into view, and as it did, she walked around the concrete barrier until reaching the girl¡¯s section of the dormitories. Of course the front gate would be locked because students are expected to maintain a strict curfew¡ª ¡°¡ªbut that¡¯d just get in the way.¡± she sighed, slowly climbing over the concrete. As she made her way up the steps to her specific room, she felt a vibration coming from inside her bag. Opening her phone, she could tell right away this new client was so inexperienced it wasn¡¯t even funny. ¡°This would definitely be his first time.¡± she said, eyes narrowing at the phone. People leave traces of themselves in everything¡ª in the way they speak and in the way they act. Actions are entirely defined by a person¡¯s character, which means that you can tell the personality of a person from the smallest things. A confident person riding a bike, for example, would wear a smile as he rode, he¡¯d move his entire body along with his legs, and generally act differently from a timid person who would most definitely have their eyes locked in front of them, as unmoving as the linear path they take. ¡°And this man¡­¡­there¡¯s not a hint of confidence in the way he types.¡± She was going to simply refuse his request, but this was an opportunity. ¡°His kind¡­¡­normally¡­¡­¡­¡± With a defeated sigh, she pocketed her phone and inserted the key. The door swung open with lazy haste. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± she said into the empty air of an empty apartment. Her thoughts returned to the engraving on the bench in front of the turquoise waters. ¡°Please, someday.¡± she pleaded. ¡°Someday soon.¡± Part 2 As her hand slid across the myriad of book covers, she found a copy titled: ¡°Cameras, For Dummies.¡± Though it was fitting, she didn¡¯t pick it up, instead allowing her arms to drop to her sides as her forehead inelegantly bonked against the title. Finding it wasn¡¯t enough, she lifted and dropped it once more, this time producing a much more satisfying *bonk* sound. ¡°¡ª!¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± With tears in her eyes, her legs immediately bent forward as she furiously rubbed the top of her forehead; it seemed the more satisfying something sounded, the more painful it was to produce. Readjusting her glasses, she stood back up and solemnly slid the title into her arms. The four books in her hands didn¡¯t weigh very much, but adding the fifth somehow made her more aware of the weight. Of course, she understood it was her own fault for volunteering for something that she wasn¡¯t qualified for. ¡°If only we had cameras to monitor the activity that goes on around the school, then at least we¡¯d be able to know if she¡¯s doing something with serious consequences or is just a night owl.¡± ¡¸Oh, if it¡¯s a camera you need, I¡¯ve done installations before; I could probably put one in by the front gate if that¡¯ll help?¡¹ The president had told her not to trouble herself, but of course, she insisted. She felt she had to, and it wasn¡¯t technically a lie she¡¯d installed a camera before¡ª but she very clearly neglected to mention it was a wireless camera for her neighbor¡¯s front door, back when she still lived with her parents. ¡°Installing¡± meant nothing more than placing the camera, downloading an application to control it, and connecting the two via internet. Her head tilted to the side in her disappointment at her lack of ability to explain things. She continued walking through the aisles, no longer able to feel the spines of the books due to the now sizable weight in her arms.And yet, her lips pursed as the thoughts in her mind persisted. Though she didn¡¯t type it outright, she agreed with the president. Fences and guards were perhaps one thing, but for a school of this caliber to not have functioning security cameras is odd at best, and eerie at worst. Maybe there was an issue she was unaware of, but from the way the president talked about it, she wasn¡¯t sure. Helping Fuyumi with something like that. Of course she normally understood what she was, and wasn¡¯t, able to do¡ª but the president was the first person who openly extended a hand to her. The rest of her class, and by extension her classmates in the school itself, found her lack of speech odd. Seeing the person who¡¯d called her ¡°friend¡± need help, especially when she was the only member of a virtually nonexistent student council, even if something was out of her ability, she had to try and help. Well¡­¡­¡­everyone except Fuyumi, and one other person, were put off by her lack of speech. Finding a lone table near the back end of the library, she sat down and perused the stack. Skimming through pages and chapters, she found there was plenty of information she already knew, but very little about things like manual installation of cameras themselves. A huff of air escaped her lips as she sat back, mentally berating herself for looking for such a specific situation in books ¡°For Dummies¡±. Unlocking her phone and opening up her browser, she spent tens of minutes glancing through different links, forums, and videos before finding a guide she thought could help; it even had a printable, step-by-step manual. She gave herself small nods, as if reaffirming the fact this was what she needed; rising from her seat, she made her way through the labyrinth of shelves and pages once more before finally finding the printers¡ª ¡°Huh?¡± ¡ªfinding the printers. To her left, reading a book with a complicated cover, was a slightly rotund boy with bright blonde hair, glasses taped at the frame, and eyes as blue as glaciers. And it seems they noticed each other at the exact same time. ¡°OOh, h-hey¡ª¡± ¡ªHana was impressed with how quickly she¡¯d dodged behind the hard wooden shelf. Her eyes were wide with adrenaline, and her hand instantaneously covered her mouth to muffle the breaths that escaped; maybe he hadn¡¯t said hello to her specifically? Right, he probably hadn¡¯t even noticed her yet! And if not then she still might be able¡­¡­to¡­ ¡­no¡­¡­wait¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­what in the world was she doing? Why was she hiding? Was he not the one who came to help her late last week? Was he not the one who she saw in the early morning desperately trying to improve himself? Was he not the one who refused to stay silent, even if no one else heard him? Then¡­it might be a good thing he hasn¡¯t yet noticed her, she can properly greet him once she calms down. ¡°¡ª!¡ª!!¡ª¡ª!!!¡± Calming down would be easier said than done, however, because it was at that moment she realized he actually said hello to her. * * * * * AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! ¡°Calm down.¡± SHE SAW ME AND HID I DIDN¡¯T KNOW I¡¯D LEFT SO BAD OF AN IMPRESSION AAAAHHHHHHHH!!! ¡°Calm down. Maybe you scared her.¡± THAT¡¯S EVEN WORSE SHE¡¯S LITERALLY HIDING BEHIND THE SHEEEELF!! WHAT DO I DO I ALL I DID WAS SAY HELLO!! ¡°Can you seriously calm down? You¡¯re being embarrassing, and acting like this will only make it wors¡ª¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªI WANT TO DIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! * * * * * She took a deep breath and peeked through the side of the shelf¡ª he was still reading, but his eyes were unnaturally wide and weren¡¯t blinking. And was he¡­sweating? With a trembling hand, she grabbed one edge of the shelf to support herself as her head, arm, shoulder, and leg popped into view. The boy immediately turned her way, at which point they made eye contact, and she blinked her gaze away before promptly blinking back, but the boy was already back to reading until he, too, returned his gaze towards her. With a wavering smile, his body turned towards her at an odd angle. ¡°G-Greetings¡­!¡± His hand lifted halfway up his chest, and most of his fingers were curled inward. She felt a whirlpool of emotions inside her that made it hard to move, but concentrating all her focus on her free arm, she lifted it, as well as her head. With a face that conveyed a difficult emotion, she straightened her trembling fingers and waved hello to the boy. They had both said hello to each other now, and yet, both continued to stand there. Their gazes shifted and turned, like stiff waves of water. What was realistically less than a minute felt like agonizing hours, until Luka broke the long drawn silence. ¡°So¡­¡­p-pray tell! What brings you to the li-brary?!¡± It was a genuine question¡ª an innocent one. And yet, somehow, he managed to choke on his own voice at the end of his question. The result was Luka¡¯s normal-pitched, somewhat low voice to sound broken and briefly childlike. He internally panicked, berating himself and his body for such a reaction; in any situation it would''ve been a memory involuntarily scarred into his mind. But when he looked in front of him, he remembered his friend¡¯s words, that there was a first for everything. He didn¡¯t mind the mistake his body made just now. Because it caused the girl in front of him to give a very faint smile. Pulling the rest of her body out from behind the shelf, she slowly approached the boy, like a deer seeing a human for the first time. Fidgeting with her fingers, she silently stood in front of him before pointing to the stack of complicated looking books in his hands. ¡°O-Oh, myself? Indeed I am!¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡­gathering knowledge! Yes! For a project!¡­of sorts¡­¡­¡± Her eyes went frantic at the words, and she quickly drew out her phone. ¡¸Oh no! Did we have a project in class? I thought I wrote all the work down, is there something due?!¡¹ ¡°Oh, no no no! I¡¯m sorry, no, not like that¡ª I mean, it¡¯s like a¡­¡­a personal project! To work on, in my spare time, I guess¡­¡± ¡¸Oh!¡¹Hana¡¯s eyes remained wide, but the anxiety in them became replaced with curiosity. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing! What are you working on?¡¹ ¡°Ahah¡­that¡¯s¡­¡­well, have you seen those videos of people making things out of cardboard, and paper, and all?¡± She nodded. ¡°I wanted to try something like that, and then I saw the library had a ¡®Do It Yourself¡¯ section¡­so here I am! Aha¡­¡± Hana looked above her, and it was true. A ¡°DIY¡± label hung between the tall wooden shelves, and the books themselves were full of titles from origami, woodworking, and even masonry. Her mouth went slightly agape before she turned her attention to her phone. ¡¸Schafer, I¡¯m really very sorry, but would it be okay if I could bother you with a question?¡¹ ¡°A-Absolutely!¡± said the boy, staggering back with a blush on his face. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bother at all!¡± Even if her face was burning hot, she tried her best for a grateful smile. ¡¸Would you know of any books that allow for simple camera installations? I have a guide I meant to print out, but it seems a little too complicated for me to confidently try it¡­¡¹ ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said, reading the text with intrigue. ¡°Camera installations, like for computers?¡± Hana shook her head. ¡¸For buildings, like security cameras¡­¡¹ Luka scratched the back of his head, but the instant he did he removed his hand and looked at it in confusion. Shaking his head, his attention returned to the girl. ¡°Security cameras¡­¡­¡­um, that sounds serious. Is everything okay?¡± The girl went red, shaking her head in affirmation as she fumbled with her phone. ¡¸Yes, everything is alright! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to worry you¡­¡¹ ¡°No no, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have pried!¡± he said, frantically waving his arms. ¡°A-Anyway if it¡¯s security cameras we¡¯re talking about, installing them depends on a lot actually.¡± Hana turned her head to the side, causing Luka to continue. ¡°W-Well, for example, you could have manual cameras, wireless ones. If you want to install motion sensors around them then it¡¯d take even more work. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible, but you probably won¡¯t find a book on it here.¡± The girl¡¯s lips pursed to the side before she responded on her phone. ¡¸It¡¯s more complicated than I thought. But I¡¯m really thankful you took the time to explain, it seems like you know a lot!¡¹ ¡°Oh¡­um, yeah sure thing! And well¡­I know a thing or two just cause I helped my family with it back home.¡± Stars immediately formed in the girl¡¯s eyes as she took heed of the boy¡¯s interesting words. She held up the bold text on her phone beside her intrigued face. ¡¸You¡¯re family installed security cameras before?¡¹ ¡°Ye-Yeah, I mean, we kind of had to since the horses would sometimes roam around and¡ª¡± ¡¸HORSES?!¡¹ He could feel himself getting red in the face. ¡°Ahaha, yeah¡ª but if you want, I mean, if you want, if it¡¯s okay, I could try and help out¡­I mean, I¡¯m no expert, but if you need any help¡­¡­¡± He looked away as he said that, not noticing his hands automatically going into his pockets. But when he saw he looked in front of him to find the red headed girl¡¯s finger hovering above the bright screen of her unusually thin phone. ¡¸Thank you Schafer, but I couldn¡¯t bother you with something troublesome like that¡­¡¹ She couldn¡¯t fool herself; she knew what she wanted, but at the same time knew she couldn¡¯t bother him with such a burden. That¡¯s why it was all the more confusing to her when his eyes brightened like a historian who¡¯d just discovered a lost civilization. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bother at all! Besides, with the t-two of us, it might go a little faster, right?¡± His face was dyed red, and she could tell hers was too. He had a point¡ª she hadn¡¯t the knowledge he did, and there¡¯d be less of a chance of messing up if he were with her¡­ ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ ¡°A-Absolutely! Just tell me when and where and I¡¯ll be there!¡± She couldn¡¯t meet his eyes. Looking down on her phone, she fiddled with the screen¡ª ¡¸¡­¡­it would be nice to be around his happiness a little more¡­¡­¡¹ ¡ªbefore quickly erasing her visible thoughts. Part 3 Ai stood alone in the cool shade of a large awning, just outside of the pseudo-aquarium. The moisture of the chilled coffee in her hands ran down her fingers as she watched both children and adults awe at the odd-looking fish visible through the spotless glass pane. The giant panel of glass was meant as an advertisement for the actual aquarium some blocks away. In exchange for having an attraction in an area where the majority of people would find themselves eventually, the stores and cafes nearby would see an even higher increase in foot traffic, leading to higher sales for both parties. She took a sip of the cold, soothingly bitter liquid. The drops of water ran down the inside of her left palm, making the journey all the way to her elbow before falling onto the concrete below. She tried paying attention to it, to the fish, even the people, but none of it could detract even a little from the feeling still lingering in that spot. It was unreal. Even being the weekend, a Saturday at noon, she still felt the touch of warmth in the spot they brushed hands¡ª nearly thirty hours ago. Of course, she considered bringing along the gift she¡¯d received, but¡­¡­ She put her cup on an empty table beside her, and brought her hand close to her chest. Yesterday morning, when she received that gift wrapped amaturely in low quality paper¡ª She traced the lines of her palm, recalling the feeling. ¡ªwhy didn¡¯t she feel that before? Why didn¡¯t she feel it the first time? Or¡­maybe she couldn¡¯t have. ¡°Eeexcuse me?¡± The small voice in front of her interrupted her thoughts, and with a closed palm still to her chest, she lifted her head to spot a relatively thin university student. ¡°Are¡­you Mio Satsuki?¡± ¡°Hi~!¡± she said, lunging in front of him and grasping his hands into her own with a desperate grip. ¡°You must be the one I¡¯ve been waiting for¡ª how cruel of you, making a young girl wait all by her lonesome~! What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°A-Aaahh,¡± he said, avoiding her teasing glare. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She immediately thought of how well his voice matched his appearance. His clothes, while not exactly baggy, emphasized just how thin the man was; moreover, his style was¡­¡­bland. A simple button down shirt with jeans and sandals. His hair was on the shorter side and a bit messy, he definitely seemed like the type to message people with hesitancy. Definitely an herbivore man. She blinked as she noticed him doing the same, and after a moment of panic, realized her mistake. ¡°Ahh~ I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t catch that; could you mention your name again~?¡± ¡°But¡­I¡¯ve already said it twice? Once over the phone and just now¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said, squirming her body purposefully, ¡°but I¡¯m sorry~! I was so busy thinking of how nice our day was going to be that I got lost in thought¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­well, in that case¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll call you my ¡®mister¡¯!¡± she thundered, causing the people around them to look. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah it¡¯s fine, but please keep your voice down!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± she bubbled. ¡°We¡¯re going to have such a wonderful time, come on come on!¡± She tugged at his baggy sleeve before gripping his hand as she frolicked away, seemingly without a care in the world. But to Ai, there lingered still a single thought. In both her mind and heart, all she could think about was how the hand in her own felt completely different. It didn¡¯t feel warm like the boy¡¯s. ¡°Now then,¡± she said to him, ¡°let¡¯s begin our ravishing little date~!¡± Chapter 3 - 92.100000 cm/s Part 1 His arms began to hurt after having held the journal high above his face for so long. A numb, prickling sensation crawled its way through his muscles, and eventually, he brought them down with a sigh. ¡°This side of the roof was fine this morning but¡­it¡¯s noon now.¡± The soothing morning air from a few hours ago held no humidity, and the temperature felt just right. Even as the sun climbed higher, and the day became warmer, he could hide in the shade provided by the angled roof. But with the blazing yellow orb now directly above him, the only shade he could get was by the one he created by holding his journal above his eyes. It wasn¡¯t so bad at first, but in time his blood stopped properly circulating and he couldn¡¯t feel his fingers. ¡°Well, it was annoying to write like that anyway,¡± he said, sitting upright, ¡°and Yui should be here in a few minutes.¡± Neither of them noticed when she started visiting every weekend, but that was hardly a surprise since she came over every other day. Earlier she¡¯d sent him a text, wanting to show him something, and couldn¡¯t help but smile in defeat, bracing for whatever she had planned for the two of them. He sat forwards, giving the journal in his hands shade with his upper body while flipping to the most recent page. His notes were visibly ragged in appearance because the ink that created them was worn and dry; much of it was due to his sloppy handwriting, but it was also the result of his supplies. He never bothered replacing something until it completely broke down, but even he had to admit the difference was remarkable. Holding his new pen to the journal, he made intricate traces along the edges of the paper; it flowed seamlessly down the page¡ª having neither so much ink that it bled through, or so little it felt choppy and dry. Even the design itself was just his style¡ª the body being a smooth, faint silver with the exception of the trim that separated its mechanical parts, which were a deep, onyx black. It was an incredibly thoughtful gift, one that wouldn¡¯t just be handed out at random. And it was this thought process that led him to return the favor. He covered his eyes as he observed the clouds dotting the noon blue sky. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll like it?¡± He remembered thinking for a long time about what to get her before finally asking that question to Yui, and her aura absolutely terrified him before he explained that he was simply returning her kindness. Of course, Yui wouldn¡¯t help him gift something a person wouldn¡¯t enjoy, and because it was his first time truly giving someone a gift, he wanted to give Ai something that would be as useful to her as this pen was to him. Or at the very least, something she would enjoy just as much. He gently held open the most recent page in his journal while spinning the metal object with his hand. The pages were filled to the brim, but the conclusion was obvious. Luka received a phone charm from their classmate. At first, Yuuko thought it might¡¯ve been luck she gave his friend a trinket from a mobile gacha he actively plays; after all it was popular, so she would have a good shot at giving it to anyone who fits the stereotypical appearance of someone who plays those types of games. But then he received his own gift. A pen is practical for any student since they¡¯d use it nearly everyday, but a pen of this quality would only be maintained by somebody who frequently, and habitually, writes. Upon asking Luka, he found that the rest of the gifts his classmates received matched shockingly well with what he¡¯s written about each of their hobbies and preferences; that begged the question he still hadn¡¯t figured out the answer to. The question about the girl who gives everyone a present. ¡°Ai,¡± he whispered, closing the pages of his journal and shielding his eyes. ¡°How in the world do you understand them so well?¡± Part 2 Ai never had a ¡°bad¡± date before, since a date is largely based on how a person views and experiences it. A person can choose whether or not they want to have a good time by focusing on the positives as much as possible; having fun, then, is mostly a matter of choice. Not everyone thought like that, but it¡¯s something that¡¯s helped with her work, especially so when she had clients that were less than chivalrous. ¡°But right now might just be the closest I¡¯ve ever had to one.¡± she whispered with a sigh. Their surroundings couldn¡¯t have been better for a date; following the giant glass advertisement outside the cafe down the street, they had made their way inside the aquarium after a surprisingly short queue. ¡°Will you be paying together or separate?¡± smiled the kind receptionist. Ai was no fool, for a person with as little experience as the boy standing behind her, she knew she¡¯d be paying for her own ticket. But genuine surprise struck her face for a brief moment when he just stood there, a mildly panicked expression plastered on his face. In less than a second, her thoughts ran through several stages before a solution hurriedly thrust itself to the front of her mind. ¡°Ahhh,¡± she said, tapping the top of her head with her knuckles and sticking her tongue out. ¡°I just remembered that we agreed I would pay this time; he¡¯s going to get our lunch!¡± she said, laughing and wrapping her arms around the boy staring at the ground with hands in his pockets. ¡°Ohh, I see,¡± beamed the woman in front of her. A stray flash of light striking the glass let her notice the ring on the woman¡¯s finger. She looked young for a wife, around early-twenties at most. ¡°What a wonderful date idea, I should try it with my husband!¡± ¡°Awwh that sounds so romantic, I¡¯m know he¡¯d love it!¡± ¡°Aaah, I hope so! He¡¯s an introvert, but likes surprises every once in a while.¡± ¡°Men won¡¯t admit it, but most of them do!¡± They laughed as Ai paid the nearly forty dollar fee for their entrance. ¡°What a nice lady,¡± she said, waving goodbye to the receptionist as they walked inside. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, looking at a small tank to his left. ¡°She is.¡± Another hour after that moment passed and she could count the amount of complete sentences he¡¯d spoken on one hand. Every time she tried to strike up conversation, he responded with one word answers, or in the bluntest way possible; she was surprised at the amount of annoyance she felt. Yet at the same time, she didn¡¯t blame him. To Ai, understanding people was a part of her work¡ª the better she is at it, the more she can support those she cares for. She was always one to look for ways to comfort and support those around her, it was practically a necessity when she lived at home, but her skills became refined tenfold through her work. She found herself paying more attention to what people say, but more so to what they didn¡¯t. She learned it was referred to as ¡°body language¡± a few months ago. A sting-ray lazily floated past the glass in front of her as she wandered a few dozen feet from her client. She didn¡¯t remember where she read it, but the site had mentioned around seventy percent or more of the way people expressed themselves was through their body¡ª through their actions and the way they move. Given the way the boy acted around her, it was hardly a surprise this was her most difficult date. His hands were in his pockets, and while his shoulders weren¡¯t necessarily slumped or his back arched, he didn¡¯t walk with his legs; if she had to describe it, it was as if an imaginary weight were tied to his back. Moreover, he hardly looked at her. When she asked him direct questions, he chose to instead look at her blouse, and she could even feel him leering at her skirt whenever she walked ahead. Normally she wouldn¡¯t pay it any mind, but it irked her because he hadn¡¯t bothered to compliment her outfit, yet devoured it with his eyes. All this, and that he always hovered some meters around her general vicinity, let her know that he clearly wanted to be there, but had trouble knowing what to do or say. ¡°And here I thought I was easy to talk to.¡± she internally chastised. ¡°I wonder if¡­!!¡± Her eyes, which were glued to her hand, interrupted her words. She had no idea when, but she had begun tracing patterns on the skin of her left palm, right where she¡¯d touched the boy¡¯s hands yesterday. ¡°I..didn¡¯t even notice I¡­¡± she fervently shook her head, knocking the thoughts away. She was working, it wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about another boy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡­¡± Another boy? ¡­¡­when was the last time that happened? ¡°No no! Focus¡ªFocus!¡± she said, hitting her cheeks with both hands. ¡°Fine! If he doesn''t want to approach me, then fine¡ªI¡¯ll do it!¡± Though she was ahead of him, she spun around on her heel, practically thrusting her body into his arm. ¡°Say mister~¡± she began, ¡°can you take me to pet the manta rays?¡± Ai thought his blush must¡¯ve been deep if she could see it so clearly through the filtered blue light around them; though she was also incredibly close to his face. From the little distance separating them, she could see small patches of acne on his upper cheeks and temples; it perhaps would¡¯ve made her recoil in the early days of her career, but by now she¡¯d seen worse. She wasn¡¯t a fan of clients who didn¡¯t take care of their hygiene, but it wasn¡¯t as if the boy was gruesome. Aside from scarce amounts of acne and oil, there wasn¡¯t anything particularly dirty about him. His hair wasn¡¯t messy, albeit because it was short, and while he didn¡¯t have a strong fashion sense, his clothes smelled surprisingly clean. ¡°Mhm,¡± she thought. ¡°It might not be so bad this time.¡± ¡°M-Mio?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± she said, looking up at him. ¡°Oh! Ohh I¡¯m sorry~! I got distracted again ehehe~¡± The boy gave a nervous laugh as the two headed towards their destination; the hallways were crowded, but still large enough to where they could walk unhindered. All around her, Ai could see children, families, and couples with glad expressions, as if they were happy to simply be there. If one of the many people around her didn¡¯t wear a smile, then it was an expression of astonishment, and if not that, then a calm, serene face¡ª one that told her they were reflecting on the wonders around them. And though the guests far outnumbered them, the workers still milled about cleaning tanks, directing tourists, and completing whatever tasks needed to be done in order for such a beautiful place to continue running. It gave her a difficult feeling when she saw the exasperated, yet eager faces of many of them. It was an expression of being needed. ¡°Happiness is supposed to come from other people.¡± She said that to Rea, but happiness wasn¡¯t what she was searching for. People need other people. Humans need other humans. If she offered herself to others¡­would that make her¡ª ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Before them was a giant room with bright, clear lights, illuminating every fish in the multiple see-through tanks. Some were enormous vertical rectangles, having stairs built into the sides for visitors to see the entirety of the tank, however most were lengthy and shallow enough that one could reach over and put their hand inside. She pushed the weighty feeling deeper inside herself before wearing a smile and excitedly bouncing on the tips of her toes. ¡°Ohhh!¡± she exclaimed, rapidly clapping her hands and dashing over to join a group of young children petting a rather large manta ray. ¡°Eheheh,¡± she said, pulling her wet hand out and drying it in the air. ¡°It feels like slimy muscle; here, try it, try it!¡± Before the boy could protest, she grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the long, low tank that held the strange looking fish, like little kites floating along the water. It made them look sluggish, but Ai thought that just made them cuter. ¡°It¡­feels weird.¡± ¡°Ahahaha, doesn''t it?!¡± Yanking him out of the water with surprising force, she took them to each of the exhibits around them. A handful had fish they could only see, mostly those in the giant vertical tanks, but that was alright with her since most were able to be touched¡ª assuming one was brave enough. And even as she enjoyed herself, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the people around her. Glancing around her, mothers were looking over their children with their fathers; groups of friends laughing playfully as they remarked to one another about the strangeness of the creatures. The people surrounding her all had some type of relationship, a bond forged that made them feel alive and¡­¡­real. A bond. Was that something she offered people? She thought about that question a lot as she gained experience, it nearly always happened after comforting a client. And, in time, she reached an answer. She wanted to say that she offered people a bond, an intimate time, perhaps even¡­an escape. But she would be lying. But it was human to lie. If she offered people an intimate time, a bond they could have, even if temporary, she would be qualified to call herself human. But if the opposite was true¡­then¡­¡­ ¡°So~ have you ever been to an aquarium before?¡± ¡°A few times.¡± ¡°Ohh! I used to come all the time when I was little, my favorite part was petting all the fishies, in case you couldn¡¯t tell eheheh~¡± She reached down, petting yet another manta ray before turning. ¡°Say mister, do¡ª¡± He looked away. She saw him look away. But it was far too late to hide the fact his gaze had been fixed, glued onto the skirt that managed to show what she was wearing underneath. Her eyes narrowed as she stood and approached him, his face a deep crimson. ¡°Mister, I didn¡¯t know you were so le~cher~ous.¡± she emphasized, poking his chest after every syllable. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it looked to me~¡± ¡°L-Look, can we just¡ª!¡± He stopped himself. Maybe out of embarrassment, maybe out of shame¡ª either way, like his gaze, she knew exactly where he was going. ¡°Hmm~hm, that time already huh?¡± Without waiting for his reply, she took his arm and led them both out of the brightly lit room. Children scurried past them in search of their next big adventure, hand in hand with friends or family. It made her think that, certainly, she was right. She couldn¡¯t offer anything as treasured as a bond. A real relationship. The red neon sign read ¡°Exit,¡± and she followed it to the outside world. Part 3 ¡°Oh, Yuuko, good morning! You mentioned it¡¯s okay to call you by your first name right? Do you need help with something?¡± She tried to rip her mind away from that memory¡ª she was with a client right now, she needed to focus. But to her body, this was routine. It acted on its own¡ª removing clothes from her thin, shapely body was an automatic response, it didn¡¯t matter how Ai felt about it. At the very least, it allowed for her mind to wander. ¡°Sorry for the bother, especially before class.¡± ¡°Oh my, how polite~!¡± she laughed. ¡°But no need to apologize since it¡¯s only the two of us here; I¡¯m trying to come in earlier since Miss Wakako said I¡¯ve been tardy as of late, so it¡¯s nice to be able to talk to someone and break all this silence ehehe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons I like the morning so much actually, the quiet almost gives the school a different atmosphere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible the difference a little peace and quiet makes, especially if you compare how lively things are after school.¡± ¡°Speaking of, I was originally planning to give you this after classes were over, but I think the timing might be better now.¡± She could hear the faint *tap* sound of her bra hitting the floor. She used to feel so exposed, vulnerable even, but that feeling had long since dulled. This was her work. This was her choice. ¡­¡­it was for the best. ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°A way to say thank you. I can tell you put a lot of thought into the pen you gave me and I¡­¡­wanted to thank you for it.¡± She felt the covers of the bed around her, the familiar feeling would normally make her skin crawl, but¡ª ¡°Y-You didn¡¯t really¡­ahaha, gosh umm, you didn¡¯t need to!¡± ¡°I wanted to.¡± ¡ªright now, the feeling wasn¡¯t there. ¡°I¡­¡­aahaaha my oh my~! I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what to say. Thank you, Yuuko, I¡¯ll happily accept it.¡± The scene was engraved into her mind; the morning sun filtered into the classroom, tinting everything a glowing white as the birds outside chirped three to four times each. And most of all, when she reached out to receive it, their hands¡ª She opened and closed the palm of her left hand. ¡°¡ªthis warmth¡­¡­¡­why couldn¡¯t I feel it the first time I touched him?¡± ¡°I-I¡ªI can¡¯t! I¡¯m so sorry but I just can¡¯t!¡± A deafening screech pierced her ears, causing Ai¡¯s mind to crash into the moment so quickly she felt vertigo. ¡°H-Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The boy in front of her didn¡¯t have any clothes on, revealing his thin, almost gaunt figure. Maybe that¡¯s why, seeing him crying into the sheets clutched into his hands, Ai thought he looked more like a newborn child than a university student. He looked so vulnerable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he cried in snivels. ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª I can-I can¡¯t cheat on her, I can¡¯t!¡± With those simple words, everything settled into place. The boy had his back in an arch, as though pleading before the woman laid bare in front of him. And hearing the sound of his request, Ai smiled; sitting upright, she closed the distance between them, putting a hand on his knee and speaking as she would to a child. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± With only two words, the boy broke down even more. She heard the sounds of him biting into the blanket, trying to muffle the crying, along with the surprised gasp that escaped his throat at feeling a pair of arms tenderly wrap themselves around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Using what little strength her body afforded her, she lifted him up, nuzzling him into the upper area of her chest. Her tone was so gentle, so warm, that he couldn¡¯t help but accept her, clutching her body as though it were his only path towards forgiveness. ¡°The girl you¡¯re talking about¡­¡­is she your girlfriend?¡± With an eruption of sniffles that resembled words, the boy began to confess. ¡°N¡ªN-No, but I, I really l-like her¡­¡± ¡°I see. But if you really like her, why did you come to see me?¡± Ai felt the grip around her shoulders tighten¡ª his uncut fingernails digging into the skin. She lost track of how long he held onto her before talking. Maybe tens of minutes, maybe only a few. ¡°I-I wanted¡­¡­practice¡­¡± He said, having calmed down enough to speak clearly. ¡°Practice?¡± The strength gradually faded from his arms, and in turn, she let her own arms slip down his sides onto the sheets beneath her. Looking at him again, the boy was still incredibly thin with patches of uneven hair across his body, but his face looked much more relieved, if drowned in guilt. ¡°I¡­asked her out¡­¡­a little more than a week ago.¡± he began. ¡°I¡¯ve known her for a long time so¡­¡­I wasn¡¯t expecting her to say yes.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s wonderful she accepted, then you two¡ª¡± she paused after holding her tongue. Lightly tilting her head to the side, her bangs fell in front of her eyes but she didn¡¯t bother brushing them aside. ¡°¡ªI see. A practice date. And practice for what happens when the date doesn''t end with ¡®goodbye¡¯.¡± The boy scrubbed away the stray moisture around his eyes with his arm; it was a good way to avoid her gaze. ¡°I wanted to know how to do it correctly,¡± he explained. ¡°I thought I could, but during the date I¡ª¡± His voice broke. She shifted her body closer, but didn¡¯t embrace him this time; instead delicately touching the front of his knee. Clearing his quivering voice with a deep breath, he continued. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Even though it was practice, I felt like I was cheating on her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already on the train home dammit!¡± Ai felt a curly strand of hair behind her ear slip forward, grazing her cheek. ¡°You like her so much you would practice for her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known her for five years,¡± he said. ¡°And I never stopped thinking about her I¡­¡­even now, I want my first time to be with her¡­¡± ¡°So you stopped.¡± He scrunched his body inward, causing his meek appearance to look even smaller. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m really, truly sorry¡­everything about today is my fault¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you think so?¡± The boy looked as if Ai had spoken a foreign language. Another strand of hair fell in front of her face, but this time, Ai swept the entirety of her bangs backwards. There was nothing in the way anymore; nothing to impede the view of the calm, almost regal expression Ai showed the boy. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re at fault?¡± The smile she wore¡­ he felt a sense of comfort from it. Like an elder sister. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with wanting to save yourself for the person you love.¡± she said, moving her face closer to him. ¡°Do you love her?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡­¡­¡­¡­I think I really do.¡± She closed her eyes with a nod, satisfied with his answer. ¡°Then there¡¯s no fault, and nothing to worry about.¡± she said to the boy who¡¯d leaned in, ingraining her every word to memory. ¡°Practice is overrated anyway. Two people can learn and grow together, something most tend to forget.¡± A smile grew on the boy¡¯s face, stretching wider and wider like a time-lapsed night. But he paused at seeing Ai. Her smile lost its aura of a wise elder sister, now appearing¡­¡­simpler. ¡°Besides,¡± she laughed, surprising him. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun to remember all the silly mistakes and moments you two will first make together~!¡± ¡°Aha¡­haha¡­¡­¡± he said, joining her small giggles with bellows of his own. ¡°Ahahaha! N-Now I¡¯m going to be even more nervous about it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a natural thing to feel when it comes to that person.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Even if I¡¯ve known her for years, I¡¯ve never felt a connection like her with anyone else. I guess¡­thinking about it, I guess it is a normal feeling¡­¡­.if it¡¯s with the person you love.¡± He had been looking at the sheets under him, but lifted his sight just in time to question whether or not her expression had changed. He didn¡¯t know if, just for a moment, her eyes went wide¡ª like she heard something saddening¡­¡­or something painful. But the face she wore now was so calm, he surely thought he imagined it. ¡°Alrighty then.¡± she said, approaching the boy. ¡°W-Wait, M-Mio I thought we just said¡ª¡± He stopped. It was his misunderstanding. ¡°For you,¡± she said, whispering into his ear. It was easy to do when the hug she was giving him allowed her to be close enough to do so. ¡°Just for you, just for today, I won¡¯t charge you. Get dressed, and go to the girl who¡¯s enraptured your soul.¡± He stood still¡ª his heart wasn¡¯t beating quickly, but powerfully; like a drum playing against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warm sensation of her palms on his back. ¡°Thank you¡­so much¡­¡­¡± She giggled. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome.¡± She leaned back, covering herself with a blanket as the boy hastily put on his clothes. Maybe it was the sensation of him being watched that caused him to be so clumsy¡ª wearing his shirt backwards, having trouble putting his legs through his pants; Ai found it a childish amusement to it. Eventually he was all set, and bidding her goodbye and thanking her once more, he made for the door. ¡°Mister.¡± ¡°A-Ah, yeah?¡± She gave him a smile, that warm aura returned¡ª where did such a thing come from? ¡°This time, don¡¯t let your girlfriend pay for the first date.¡± With a flushed face, he mumbled something about her being right, and an apology, before thanking her once more and shutting the door behind him. It seems that lately, she¡¯d been seeing a lot of closed doors. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt a connection like her with anyone else¡­¡± No. Not all of them. Absentmindedly putting on her clothes, she stopped after a small part of her blouse grazed the skin of her left palm. ¡°I wanted to thank you for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She held the hand gingerly against the warmth of her body, afraid that if she let go, the feeling would disappear. ¡°¡­¡­¡­why¡­?¡± ¡°I wanted to.¡± She traced the lines on the inside of her hand with her thumb. She still hadn¡¯t worn the gift he¡¯d gotten her, but a new week would be starting soon. Maybe she could start? She closed her eyes, savoring the tingling sensation that made her heart feel warm. ¡°I wonder¡­if I can do something else for him.¡± Part 4 ¡°This¡­¡± he said, walking side by side with his friend, ¡°feels like a difficult situation.¡± ¡°Hmmmmmmm,¡± thrummed a pouting Luka. ¡°I knew not that receiving two boons from one of the most physically desirable females of our classmates was ¡®difficult¡¯, Yuu-Boy.¡± ¡°Not you too,¡± he bemoaned. Thankfully the piercing stares stopped after having walked some distance away from his classroom, where the rest of the first years didn¡¯t know him. In fact, the only person left who knew about what happened only seconds after the lunch bell rang was the boy walking to his right; even though he teased him in such a way, Yuuko knew Luka¡¯s heart didn¡¯t really harbor any jealousy. ¡°I didn¡¯t get two presents.¡± he heard him whisper to himself. ¡°Could¡¯ve gotten another gacha gift, maybe some credits for a few rolls on the next banner, but no.¡± Yuuko scratched the back of his head. ¡°Maybe¡­there¡¯s just a little.¡± ¡°And how shall you explain this to Yui?¡± asked the boy after his hushed rant had ended. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The question was innocent enough, but the look on his friend¡¯s face suggested otherwise. As the two reached the end of the hallway and climbed the stairs to the second floor, Yuuko couldn¡¯t help but notice his friend tug at his clothes and, oddly enough, scratch the back of his neck. ¡°W-Well¡­she gave you another present,¡± he said, putting down a small plastic box that held his lunch. It was a drastic improvement to the large quantities he¡¯d been carrying not two weeks before. ¡°Hirawa doesn''t really talk much to the people in our class, and she doesn''t really talk to people after having given them a present.¡± ¡°I noticed,¡± his friend agreed, also setting down his lunch beside a small indention in the wall both recognized as the entrance to the roof. ¡°She doesn''t speak much for how popular she is, but it¡¯s not like that¡¯s something uncommon.¡± ¡°No, I meant¡ª¡± Luke sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some people say that she looks at you an awful lot in class.¡± ¡°She sits just a few seats behind me.¡± ¡°Yuu-Boy¡ªthat present has a bow that is literally wrapped in the shape of a heart!¡± He looked down at the small box in his hands. Unlike the previous gift, which was a lengthy but handheld rectangle, this one was more standard. A relatively thin, square box, with a lid that could be opened had it not been for the unusual decoration his friend pointed out. The box was wrapped with the red ribbon that prevented its opening, and while someone from a distance might pass it off as an oddly shaped loop, there was no doubt that the shape was that of a bright red heart. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t that weird?!¡± his friend continued. ¡°Like, she gives people gifts for no reason, it¡¯s weird, but maybe that¡¯s just her being nice. But she¡¯s never given anyone two of them before, and I don¡¯t even think a full week has passed since she gave you the first one!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t. If I remember correctly, she gave me a gift on Wednesday of last week,¡± Yuuko commented, causing Luka to throw his hands onto his face in a backwards arch, ¡°I gave her one that Friday.¡± ¡°Yuuko you¡¯re not making things sound any beterrrrrrr!!¡± ¡°Who gave what on Friday?¡± interrupted a feminine voice. ¡°A-AhaHhh! Miss Yui, nothing at all!¡± ¡°¡®Miss Yui,¡¯?¡± repeated the girl with an odd smile. ¡°Just Yui is fine, honest. And what¡¯s this about a gift?¡± ¡°The gift you helped me find for Ai, I gave it to her last Friday.¡± said the boy with bright golden eyes and messy hair. ¡°I really should be thanking you again, she seemed to like it considering she gave me another gift.¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S why she gave you a second one?¡± the blonde didn¡¯t ask, so much as scream it to himself. ¡°Wait wait wait,¡± he continued, holding a time out pose. ¡°Yui, you helped him get her a gift?¡± ¡°Ara, you sound surprised.¡± said the girl, hands mischievously at her chin. The girl spoke from experience. Yuuko knew that it was rare the day she didn¡¯t have at least some type of ribbon in her hair, and so seeing the way Ai dressed, he figured it was a good idea to consult her about accessories¡ª the gift he¡¯d sought to get her. Today, Yui wore an amber colored one that was tied in synchrony with the braid dancing horizontally around her hair. It was long enough that she could wear a double braid and leave the rest of her wavy, slightly undulating hair untouched¡ª including some that fell around her cheeks, framing her face incredibly well. The contrast of the yellow with the blue on her uniform would¡¯ve seemed hard on the eyes, but the pale amber color was faint enough that it was somehow complimentary. Had it not been for his friend¡¯s comment, Yuuko would¡¯ve continued staring. ¡°I-I mean a little¡­I guess I just thought¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well like you mentioned,¡± Yuuko said, ¡°no one really knows her. She¡¯s friendly and kind, if a little reserved, but I¡¯ve never heard her mention any of her hobbies. So, I went off of what I could tell about her¡ª appearances.¡± ¡°Not that I think anyone else knows about her job,¡± he thought, but kept that to himself. ¡°She¡¯s well dressed and tries to take care of herself, so I thought a small accessory she could wear, something casual enough to be worn at school, might suit her best. And no one knows more about that than Yui.¡± Yuuko could see her face flush a bit from the direct complement. ¡°So the gift you got her was some kind of accessory?¡± ¡°Umu,¡± the girl nodded, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Accessories are a girl¡¯s best friend, so it¡¯s important to know how to dress. As a wise woman once told me, ¡®us ladies need to do our best to look sharp¡¯.¡± Luka remembered in that instant. ¡°That¡¯s what you told me when you were helping me shop,¡± he said, eyes wide behind the thick red frames. ¡°Yui, how¡¯d you get so good at getting things for other people.¡± ¡°It took some time, but I¡¯d like to think I had a good teacher ehehe.¡± she said, turning to meet the boy behind her. ¡°And I can¡¯t take all the credit. Getting her an actual ribbon was Yuu¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°But you did the detail work, and all of the analysis,¡± he said, approaching her. ¡°I can¡¯t take credit for the hard work you did just to help me.¡± The girl turned away, fiddling with a stray lock of her tress; her body couldn¡¯t hide its own joy as she bounced on her toes. ¡°Amazing¡­that¡¯s amazing! T-Then it¡¯s no wonder Hirawa got Yuu-Boy another present! Hearing all about it, I¡¯d actually be surprised if she didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Aah, that reminds me¡ª¡± In an instant, from simply hearing her tone, Luka teleported behind Yuuko who¡¯d put a thumb to the bridge of his nose. ¡°¡ªYuu?¡± she said, approaching the boy. ¡°What¡¯s this I heard about since the beginning of our conversation about her giving you another gift?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± his friend squeaked from behind him. ¡°Probably shouldn¡¯t have mentioned.¡± ¡°Yuu~?¡± With a sigh, he lifted the box located beneath his bag, and for good reason the trembling of the boy behind him became more severe. She took the box in her hand, carefully examining even the texture of the box itself¡ª but all that paled in comparison to her eyes upon seeing the wrapping. ¡°A heart.¡± she stated. ¡°Ah. What a professionally crafted knot. This takes time. Yuu. Why did she give you another gift? One with a heart on it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know too,¡± he said, taking the box and laying it on the floor again. ¡°Yuu~?¡± said the girl, approaching with haunting steps. ¡°I need more than that Yuuuu~¡± ¡°Yuu-Boy I apologize! L-Let¡¯s make haste while we still can!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a confession,¡± he sighed. Fortunately, a loud vibration interrupted the dramatic interrogation. They, especially Yui, ignored it at first, however it happened again, then once more. Checking their pockets, they found it originated from the boy clinging to Yuuko¡¯s shoulder. And a sudden, joyful smile spread across his face. ¡°Ah-ahahah, h-hey guys, I¡¯ve gotta go!¡± The atmosphere returned to normal as Yui stood by Yuuko¡¯s side, both staring in confusion at the abrupt end to the conversation Luka gave by rushing to collect his items. ¡°Is¡­everything okay?¡± asked the girl who¡¯s tone had been frightening not a minute before. ¡°Hahaha, indeed, all is splendid!¡± he exclaimed, pointing a finger to the roof while standing in silence. ¡°Well, bye now¡ª¡± His escape was cut off, however, by his friend who¡¯s golden eyes narrowed into slits; even Luka could tell that some sort of an answer was necessary. ¡°Luka,¡± said a voice behind him. ¡°We can do this the easy way, or the hard, slightly painful, way.¡± He craned his neck to see her and almost wished he hadn¡¯t. She was pacing back and forth with her arms behind her back, he couldn¡¯t see her expression. ¡°W-We¡¯re interrogating me now?¡± ¡°We are¡ª¡± When she spoke, he could feel the danger. ¡°¡ªbecause you interrupted something very important to me just now.¡± The boy in front of him was far less threatening, in fact, knowing Yuuko, he would probably let him leave if he made a run for it, but¡­¡­they were the friends who¡¯d helped him get this far in the first place. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to¡­¡± He coughed in a vain attempt to distract himself from the color he could feel rushing to his cheeks, and after a few minutes stalling, he confessed. ¡°I¡¯m meeting Hana¡­she, ah, needs help installing a camera by the front gate of the school, apparently an order from the student coun¡ª¡± ¡°Hana!? The redheaded girl?!¡± ¡°Yui, it¡¯s rude to interrupt.¡± ¡°Right, sorry,¡± she said, reigning in the curiosity from her eyes. ¡°But still, you¡¯re meeting her? Just her?¡± ¡°W-Well, yeah; she was asked to install some cameras by the front gates. We ran into each other at the library, she said she got asked to do it and I mentioned I¡¯d done it back home. After that she asked if I could help since it might go smoother that way.¡± He looked from the boy in front of him, to the girl behind him¡ª he didn¡¯t know whose expression bothered him more. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Ara~¡± teased the girl. ¡°Already making progress are we?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not ¡®progress¡¯!¡± ¡°But it. could~! be~~!¡± He could feel his face heating up. Stutters and noises escaped his mouth until a finger flicked the back of his head. ¡°Look up.¡± said his friend, wearing a soft smile. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find her if you¡¯re looking anywhere else.¡± ¡°I-I was¡­off guard¡­¡­¡± he said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Are you helping her for the rest of our lunch break?¡± he asked, walking next to the girl. ¡°Umm, it depends on what equipment she has, what she has to do exactly, a lot of stuff I guess¡­¡± ¡°Ahh~? But in that case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to do all this after school? Seems like it could take a while.¡± ¡°I asked about that, she mentioned the president wants the least amount of students to see, though I¡¯m not sure why.¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± the boy asked with his eyes narrowed to the window beside them. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be cameras there already? Are you replacing one?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­I¡¯m not really sure¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not here or there!¡± she said, lightly punching the boy¡¯s arm. ¡°Go do your best Luka! Let us know how it goes, and if there¡¯s any¡­development.¡± Her eyebrows rose and fell in emphasis at the last word, and though her words were playful, he knew they were also sincere. Because the two in front of him were¡ª are¡ª the first friends he¡¯s made at Mirror. It still didn¡¯t take away from the fact he was amazed at her ability to switch from teasing, to supportive. Even Yuuko was more expressive than usual during their short time together. Maybe¡­this is what happens when you find someone you care for. ¡°Kind of reminds you of home, doesn''t it?¡± ¡­yeah¡­¡­it really does. ¡°I definitely will!¡± With a wave and a smile, he hurried back down the stairs and disappeared from sight. Soon, the echoing sound of his footsteps were lost among the barely audible hum of conversation on the lower levels. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see them getting along so well,¡± said the girl next to him as they watched their friend disappear from sight, ¡°But I¡¯m a little surprised. You mentioned they don¡¯t speak much right?¡± ¡°Not in class, since she¡¯s not big on talking. Our teacher even made an exception for her, apparently. She doesn''t need to answer questions out loud or take part in assignments that require us to present; I¡¯m sure she has to complete substitution work to make up for it, but it is odd.¡± ¡°Ohhh, I remember now¡ª she uses her phone to type instead of talk.¡± she said, pacing back and forth to jog her memory. ¡°Hmhm, she didn¡¯t say a word back when Luka fought off that old friend of his.¡± ¡°Ryu is his name, he¡¯s stayed away since then,¡± he said, crossing his arms and looking out the window to see if he could spot his blonde haired friend. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯ll stay that way, but I¡¯m happy for Luka.¡± ¡°Ara Yuu, you shouldn¡¯t be happy people get beat up~¡± ¡°I mean that he¡¯s making progress,¡± his voice reflected the fact he knew she was teasing, and he turned to meet her eyes, ¡°After all, relationships are built in stages.¡± He could see the tips of her ears dyed slightly red before breaking eye contact and looking at the scenery he did not moments before. ¡°I suppose they are, and some are in stages further than others.¡± ¡°Like the stage of visiting everyday.¡± ¡°Like the stage of you being popular in class, especially with so many girls,¡± she said, prodding a finger to his chest and pouting with puffed cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m hardly popular,¡± he sighed, removing her finger. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure you draw more eyes than I ever do.¡± ¡°That doesn''t matter because there¡¯s only one person I¡¯m interested in.¡± she said, her expression softer yet still somehow pouting. He felt his face warm up at her comment. ¡°Yui,¡± he began, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect to get a gift in return. I just¡­I guess I wanted to return the kindness.¡± Her cheeks gradually unpuffed as he spoke, until they deflated completely. ¡°I know it¡¯s just¡­¡­still¡­¡± ¡°She might¡¯ve done it because of how much she liked it you know,¡± he said, moving in front of her to greet her eyes. ¡°Like I mentioned, you¡¯re really good at getting things for other people.¡± She perked up at his words before moving her head to the side, avoiding his gaze once more. ¡°It¡¯s still a heart! I don¡¯t like the fact she might¡¯ve taken it as something else.¡± ¡°Then I guess that¡¯s my fault she liked it so much,¡± he confessed. ¡°What? How!?¡± ¡°Since I wanted to return the favor, it¡¯s obvious I¡¯d want to give her something equally as nice as what she got me. In that case, of course my first reaction would be to ask the prettiest girl I¡ª¡± He froze, immediately comprehending what had just left his mouth, but it was too late. Even so, his reaction was nothing compared to the girl in front of him. He¡¯d never seen someone pivot so quickly, yet remain so still afterwards. Her mouth was slightly agape as she held an arm in front of her, like she could somehow block the comment, but it was far too late for something like that. Blood rushed to the sides of her face, covering even her forehead and leaving her ears a deep shade of crimson. Her head moved first, then her eyes as she blinked a few times before regaining her posture and hugging her chest in a pout. ¡°Where did¡­I would¡¯ve hit you for saying something like that if we were younger¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡­that probably would¡¯ve hurt.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve made sure of it,¡± she said, grinning through the red covering her face. Seeing her smile, he became aware of just how hot his own face felt. ¡°Sorry, I-I just kind of said the first thing that came to my mind¡­¡± He instinctively looked away. What didn¡¯t help was the fact the night he walked her home still resonated in his mind¡ª over and over and over and over again; the way her thumb danced across the back of his hand¡­ It felt¡­so human. ¡°W-Well¡­maybe you have a point about this Ai girl liking it so much she wanted to give you another one.¡± she seemed to be talking more to herself, given that her hands fiddled with each other before curling into fists filled with resolve. ¡°Mhm. Alright, fine. I¡ªI¡¯ll overlook it this one time. Besides¡­you still owe me, and if you do it, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do¡­¡­¡­wait¡ª here?¡± ¡°We normally do it here anyway¡­¡­is¡­that a no?¡± They both stood in silence for the briefest moment, neither looking at each other. Yuuko peered down the hall behind him, and finding no one there, turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. ¡°We can since we¡¯re alone, and it doesn''t sound like anyone is coming up the stairs but¡­¡± He swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°Are you sure you want to do it now? With what I just¡ª¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Turn around,¡± she said, her bangs covering her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just turn around.¡± With a difficult expression he obliged, wryly scratching the back of his head. He could hear the distant sounds of students below them as silence filled the space between them. It wasn¡¯t a distant silence, no, it was as if they had their own little bubble. And as Yui began to speak, the sounds of the outside world faded behind her words. ¡°Ever since last week,¡± she began to confess. ¡°Ever since we¡­I-I¡¯ve been more jittery.¡± ¡°Jittery?¡± ¡°My palm¡­¡± ¡°What about-¡± ¡°There¡¯s a tingling feeling that doesn''t go away and¡­¡­it¡¯s made me want more.¡± ¡°More? We already do it every few days though¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask cause it¡¯s embarrassing!¡± she said, aware of the surprise in his tone. ¡°But you know I only ever call you here, that we only meet by the stairs to the roof, if I really need it¡­¡± He could feel the honestly in her voice, his heart felt like it was beating hundreds of times a minute. ¡°¡­so even if I¡¯ve been wanting it more, I don¡¯t ask¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to be greedy.¡± He knew what she was talking about. As she talked, a warm sensation climbed up into his right hand, spreading throughout the tips of his fingers. He closed his eyes. For someone like Yui, who¡¯d need it at least once a week, once every few days at most, to be asking for more¡­ ¡°Then let me do it.¡± ¡°D-Do what?¡± ¡°Ask.¡± he said, taking a deep breath, ¡°Yui, can I pat your head?¡± Silence rang in his ears, causing the sound of his beating heart to become that much stronger¡ª ¡°pfu¡­.pfheheheh¡± ¡ªuntil giggling radiated inside the bubble around them. ¡°On one condition,¡± she said, keeping him in place at seeing him try to turn around. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°First turning around, now closing my eyes,¡± he said in a defeated sigh. ¡°Why are you so insistent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing for you to see my face this red.¡± His racing heart seemed to have tripped, skipping a few beats before resuming. ¡°Alright.¡± he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll keep my eyes closed.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Want me to promise?¡± He heard a faint laugh escape her lips. True to his word, he slowly turned around with eyes gently closed, until he felt her shadow in front of him. ¡°I can¡¯t see so¡­you need to guide my hand,¡± he said, stretching out his limb. ¡°Ara~? Yuu, most guys would use this as an opportunity to do some very lewd things to a poor, unsuspecting maiden you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not have one of my fingers broken.¡± With a giggle, he could feel a small hand gently wrap around his wrist. The trembling of the hand holding him became more pronounced as his arm moved further and further away, eventually settling on an incredibly smooth, opulent, and messy set of hair. She slowly let go, and he could hear her gasp as he gently began rubbing his palm and fingers back and forth through her hair. The outer layer was so silky that his hands caressed every strand with ease, but even when he closed his palm to pressure his fingers into the deepest parts of the hair, he could feel the inner layer was just as smooth. In fact, it might¡¯ve been even more plush. ¡°A-aAh-Ahh~¡± ¡°Yui?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she quickly reassured. Yuuko took a deep breath as he continued. ¡°I never apologized for doing this by the way. It¡¯s my fault you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± she touted with surprising force. It wasn¡¯t angry, no¡­¡­more like¡­ ¡°Only apologize when you do a bad thing.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s my fault you need this in the first place.¡± ¡°It is,¡± she agreed. ¡°But that doesn''t mean you need to apologize¡­because this isn¡¯t something bad¡­¡± A small breath escaped his lips. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell that the look she was giving him was one in which she knew she was right. ¡°I just never thought it would affect you this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not complaining.¡± ¡°Yui I¡ª¡± ¡°Open your eyes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to make a girl repeat herself Yuu¡­¡± He was amazed at the fact he could picture her expression even in the dark his eyes were covered in. A small whimper reached his ears as he put his hand back to his side, and his eyes fluttered open; maybe it was the sun shining through the window, or the bright metal of the hallways reflecting its rays, but he opened his eyes to someone that brought back the warm feeling in his right hand. Even through the anxious, yet strong eyes she held, he found it hard to believe someone could look like she did. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t need to say a word. ¡°You opened them, and saw me, right?¡± He nodded, sensing she wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°Then I don¡¯t mind. Even if everyone in the world gives you a gift, even if you get a hundred confessions, even if you aren¡¯t looking for anyone right now¡­¡± small tears formed at the edges of her turquoise eyes¡ª but not of sadness. ¡°Even if all that happens, so long as you don¡¯t look at anyone else, so long as I¡¯m the only one¡­that¡¯s enough for me.¡± The breath that caught in his throat had long since disappeared, but he still didn¡¯t have any words. What could he say to something like that? And just as he asked himself that question, the answer shot to the front of his mind¡ª what he¡¯d always said. ¡°If I don¡¯t look at anyone else, how am I going to make their notes in my journal?¡± with a hand on his side, he said that with a soft smile, which grew ever so slightly at the way she gently hit his chest with balled hands. ¡°Don¡¯t bully an innocent maiden that just said something serious to you!¡± she said, relentlessly attacking. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Catching one of her hands, he could see her blush hadn¡¯t yet vanished, just like his own. ¡°I already promised you, remember?¡± ¡°¡­I do.¡± He felt her nails gently glide across his skin¡ª it was so natural, it somehow felt like Yui. ¡°Give me a break though,¡± she said, puffing up one side of her cheek. ¡°Even I can get jealous, you know.¡± ¡°It kind of looks cute on you.¡± She puffed up her cheeks even more. *ding* *ding**dong* *dong* ¡°Already?¡± Yuuko said in surprise. ¡°Has that much time already passed?¡± Her arm slowly fell out of her grip as she smiled wide at him. ¡°It has.¡± He didn¡¯t get a chance to say goodbye before she swept up her things and fled towards the stairs at the end of the hall. And before she could disappear from his sight, she stopped, hugging her supplies close to her chest as a small palm protruded from the messily gathered necessities. ¡°See you later.¡± she barely waved before flying down the stairs, into the schedule of their daily lives once more. He stood still for a time, aware that every passing minute made him more likely to be late, but it didn¡¯t matter to him as much as what she did. What she said. ¡°She must¡¯ve been really embarrassed if she left that fast¡ª¡± He put a hand to his cheek, feeling the blood slowly recede, but not enough that his face wasn¡¯t still warm. ¡°¡ªsaid the pot to the kettle.¡± The bell sounded throughout the halls once more, signalling his tardiness. With a sigh, he put away his uneaten lunch and gathered his bag before reaching for the square box. ¡°Huh?¡± His body reacted with confusion at not finding the distinctive gift where he left it, but it was only a moment later when the edges of his eyes caught a lid flipped open on the floor, the ribbon in tangles as a crumpled piece of paper lay beside it. ¡°Yui¡­she must¡¯ve not noticed she kicked it open in her rush,¡± he said, collecting the box and lid. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my fault she was in a rush, so¡ª¡± Empty. A part of him expected to see the new present she¡¯d gotten him, kicked out into the open because of carelessness, but the inside of the box was empty aside from soft velvet coating the inside of the container. Narrowing his eyes, he reached for the paper that lay beside it. It was horribly wrinkled, and a small piece at the top was cut, though the sheet itself was surprisingly clean. Part of him realized this was something to be read at a later time, but curiosity got the better of him as his eyes began at the top of the page, widening more and more the further down they went. The lid in his hands fell with an audible *thud* resounding through the hall much louder than it should¡¯ve. ¡°Ai, why would you¡­?¡± he whispered to the air, reading and re-reading the note to make sure he wasn¡¯t misunderstanding. Standing up, he rushed towards the window, barely making out the details of the city itself. ¡°Ai,¡± he no longer whispered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you only¡­returning the favor?¡± Part 5 She stood above the ethereal water, the light from the flowing river causing her reflection to ripple and sway¡ª but she didn¡¯t need to see herself. She already had. The only difference was that the girl behind the glass was now behind the water. ¡°This is a nice place, it¡¯s peaceful.¡± The words behind her came suddenly, but it was the familiar voice that made her heart start beating faster. ¡°And so that¡¯s our first order of business,¡± she pivoted on one foot, practically jumping in front of the boy who¡¯d just walked down the hidden concrete steps. ¡°This place has to be a secret; that means no-one-has-to-know~!¡± She poked his chest after every word, pushing a little further each time. She liked feeling the way his muscles tensed after each touch. ¡°¡­¡­!¡­¡± ¡°Ai?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± she said, quickly stepping backwards. With a quick sway of her head, her mind became clear again. ¡°Anyway, I know it¡¯s a school night, so while I¡¯m happy you came¡­¡­part of me can¡¯t help but wonder why~¡± her last few words became glazed in a sultry tone, pushing for a reaction. And to her shock, she didn¡¯t receive one. ¡°I¡¯m wondering the same thing.¡± he said as though he were speaking with a friend about some mundane topic. ¡°Your note only mentioned meeting here a quarter past nine. Did you want to talk about something?¡± She almost couldn¡¯t believe it; yet the smile on her face betrayed the fact that what she was hearing was absolutely reality. The nerves in the palm of her hand tickled. ¡°I did.¡± She circled on her heels, walking back towards the shade offered in the middle of the bridge. The glowing water lit the area around them, and while it had her full attention, she could also make out the sounds of the boy¡¯s footsteps coming closer. ¡°Say, Yuuko¡­¡± The night air became still, as if just for Ai, it would quiet the sounds of the world. With both arms behind her back, she tilted her head and body backwards to meet his eyes. ¡°Would you like to be my boyfriend?¡± Intermission Part 1 A month ago, he couldn¡¯t have imagined climbing up so many stairs without becoming short of breath. Having gone all the way down to the first floor from the fourth still winded him, but it was nowhere near as bad as he remembered it being. ¡°It took time,¡± he said, remembering a certain plant he hung next to the window in his dorm, ¡°but I¡¯m finally seeing some results.¡± Reaching the bottom of the steps, he took a moment to catch his breath, not wanting to appear unsightly in front of the girl who¡¯d asked for his help yesterday afternoon. He took out his phone, taking the time to read over the directions she¡¯d given him while he regained his composure. After requesting his help, she asked if it¡¯d be okay for them to meet during lunch by the front doors of the first year building. He was more than happy to oblige, but¡ª WHY DIDN¡¯T I ASK FOR HER NUMBERRAGHHH! IT WOULD¡¯VE BEEN THE PERFECT EXCUSE TOO, WHY DIDN¡¯T I SAY ANYTHING!?!!? ¡°You choked before the words could come out.¡± I remember, THANK YOU for reminding me. ¡°You kept trying to talk,¡± his inner voice continued. ¡°But a plethora of strange sounds left your throat; it was embarrassing to go any further since you passed the point of no return.¡± Luka sighed. He was just glad Hana either hadn¡¯t heard him or paid it no mind. Needless to say, he intended to show her his reliable side today. ¡°That¡¯ll definitely make up for that embarrassment; I¡¯ve gotta show her she can count on me for anything!¡± A few students gave him strange looks as they passed him by¡ª he awkwardly laughed and gave a quick apology before continuing down the hall. ¡°You should probably stop talking and focus on finding her.¡± ¡°Right,¡± he enthused, trying his best to sound upbeat. He wouldn¡¯t admit it to Yuu-Boy or Yui, but the buzzing from his phone that interrupted their conversation wasn¡¯t a text notification like they thought it was. Rather, they were a series of reminders he set so he absolutely wouldn¡¯t forget about agreeing to help install the cameras; not that he thought he could forget anyway since it hardly let him sleep last night. A shiver suddenly went up his spine. ¡°They saved me from Yui too¡­¡± he said, remembering how she looked when she said he interrupted something important. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Yuu-Boy does it¡­¡± ¡°YOU DON¡¯T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU¡¯RE GOING TO DO IT!¡± his inner voice. ¡°FOCUS ON FINDING HER, THE SOONER THE BETTER!¡± I¡¯m nervous, okay?! Just give me a second, I got it- I got it! The large, polished hallways converged into one open area before him, with a multitude of lockers that held individual pairs of shoes in each. They agreed to meet by the front doors, yet the girl was nowhere to be found. ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± he said,pacing back and forth to peer between the narrow rows of space between each row of lockers. Behind him, he could hear faint whispers as students who ate away at their lunch discretely pointed at him and snickered; he couldn¡¯t blame them, no doubt he looked like an idiot right now. ¡°Still,¡± he said, stiffening his neck to keep it from going downward, ¡°I told her I¡¯d be here and I am. I¡¯ll stay here for as long¡ª¡± Behind his square red glasses, ice blue eyes widened at the realization of what his own words meant. Backtracking as quickly as his ungraceful body would allow him, he found the locker with his shoes and threw them on only to ram through the door into the open campus before him. And there, hidden a small distance to his right, was a girl with vivid blue eyes and hair as brilliant as the setting sun. ¡°H-Hey there!¡± he accidentally shouted from nearly falling over. He hadn¡¯t expected his body to carry so much momentum going through the door. The short statured girl looked down before quickly raising her gaze and waving the tiniest ¡°hello¡± to Luka from behind the stack of books she clutched to her chest. ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡± Really cute. ¡°So cute it should be illegal.¡± Agreed. He approached her, casually looking at the scenery so as to avoid the awkward moments that exist between him having spotted her and walking to her side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overanalyzing this!?¡± He ignored his thoughts, trying instead to focus on the task they¡¯d shortly begin, but it wasn¡¯t much use. ¡°Er, what¡¯s up Ha¡ª oh! Sorry, um, is it alright to call you ¡®Hana¡¯? I heard Miss Wakako mention in class that you prefer it¡­¡± The girl nodded with a bit more enthusiasm than she did her wave. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡¸That¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind it! And thank you again so much for agreeing to help me with this¡¹ ¡°No need to thank me, I¡¯m happy to help¡ª more than happy to help!¡± he said with an embarrassed laugh. The girl gave a small smile and a nod that ended with her covering her chin with the frighteningly thick books in her arms. And silence covered them like a blanket once more. ¡°S-So!¡± Luka asked, louder than he intended. ¡°What do you have there?¡± He motioned towards the books that were full of sticky notes coming out of the pages; thin strips of purple, green, blue, pink, and yellow paper erupted from the top, side, and bottom of each book. Luka didn¡¯t admit it, but it looked intimidating. Just what kind of camera are we dealing with here? The girl held up her phone. ¡¸I brought these with me in case there was anything you wanted me to do! I know you¡¯ve done this before, but it¡¯s my first time so I wanted to be helpful¡­¡¹ ¡°F-First time..?¡± ¡¸Well, technically second¡­but shall we get started?¡¹ ¡°Oh, r-right ahahaha, right.¡± he cleared his throat as Hana began leading the way towards the front gates of the school. That¡­could¡¯ve gone worse, actually. ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®reliability¡¯ when you nearly tripped pushing the door open¡­¡± Could you¡ª ¡°¡­but you¡¯re right. As far as first impressions go, you¡¯re not doing a bad job at keeping up your image. Probably.¡± First impressions? Though the last addition of his inner voice¡¯s words wasn¡¯t necessary, it made him think over what exactly the first impression he¡¯d made on her was. ¡°If I remember right,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°I think it was when I bumped into her at the mall, she dropped a bunch of cards.¡± Thinking about it, they bore a striking resemblance to the one she gave him after the incident with Ryu¡¯s friend; maybe she wanted to give them to people like Ai Hirawa is doing? But then she would¡¯ve started doing so. He shook the thoughts out of his head. ¡°Either way this can¡¯t be a bad start right? I¡¯m feeling the route¡¯s going pretty good so far!¡± ¡¸The route?¡¹ asked a bold screen of text in front of him. ¡°Ohhuuh, nothing! Sorry ahahaha, just talking to myself I guess¡­¡± ¡¸Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡­¡¹ He looked at the screen in confusion for a moment before holding his arms forward and violently waving them side to side. ¡°N-NO! Nononononono I didn¡¯t mean it like that! I-I just have, sometimes, a bad habit of talking to myself? I guess? Mostly when there¡¯s something big going on or like I have someone climbing through my window or something!¡± Her eyes widened as his last comment, but he had no time to acknowledge it. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t mind that you use a p-phone¡ª! To talk! That¡¯s pretty neat, like you can talk to people! You have your own unique way of talking! You¡¯re very you and I thinkit¡¯skindofcool thatyoudo!¡± He wasn¡¯t sure he understood the metaphorical waterfall of words that poured out of his mouth, he didn¡¯t even think about half of it. The only thing on his mind was the relief that washed over every cell in his body at seeing Hana put a small palm to her mouth and see her body pivot back and forth. His subconscious mind must¡¯ve been the first to realize, and told his body first so he could relax, because it was only after a solid few seconds had passed that he understood she was laughing. She was laughing¡­without making a single sound. ¡¸Thank you Schafer,¡¹she typed with difficulty,¡¸I appreciate your explanation.¡¹ ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call that an explanation,¡± he said, awkwardly scratching the side of his burning cheek. It wasn¡¯t until he felt the outline of his face that he noticed he, too, was smiling. With a wave of her arm, she motioned for him to follow her. He did so, and as they walked she held out the screen for him. ¡¸The president gave us permission to be a little late for class, but we¡¯re still not sure how long it¡¯s going to take so we should hurry.¡¹ ¡°Hmmm,¡± he said, taking an exaggerated pose of holding his hand beneath his chin as they walked. ¡°If she gave us permission to be tardy, I may just take her up on the offer!¡± Soundless laughter rippled across her body once more before she held up the screen, having typed the message with a single hand yet again. ¡¸Don¡¯t abuse our permission, then we¡¯ll get in trouble!¡¹ ¡°Ufufu, we only get into trouble if we¡¯re caught!¡± he emphasized by holding his arms above his head in a way that didn¡¯t look unsimilar to a spy or ninja, causing another jostle through the girl¡¯s body. Seeing her laugh, he couldn¡¯t help but do it himself, scratching the back of his head with a bit more comfort. What¡¯s¡­with this atmosphere?¡­somehow¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­somehow¡­it feels lighter. He found that, as he walked, it was easier to turn and face her. He felt less pressure built up in his legs and back. It was¡­a nice feeling. As the front gate came into view, they settled their bags and books to one side of it. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± he said, hitting a fist to his palm. ¡°You mentioned this was a request from the president, right Hana?¡± He thought he saw her jump at him mentioning her name, though even if it did happen, it was most likely the remaining laughter leaving her system. Still, she quickly acknowledged his question and shook her head in affirmation. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, inspecting the ornate iron gates, ¡°did she mention if she¡¯s going to join us?¡± Hana shook her head, causing her hair to sway and bounce. ¡¸I know she¡¯s had a lot to do lately; she¡¯s even spending lunch in the council office¡¹ ¡°The council office? Is that far?¡± She pointed behind her, to the second and third years¡¯ building. Luka already knew that the second and third years shared one, rather enormous, building, but he had no idea that the council office was also there; though thinking about it, it makes sense. ¡°Being the president of a school like this must be rough.¡± ¡¸That¡¯s part of the reason I wanted to help her,¡¹ Luka read from the far end of the gate, ¡¸she wanted to do it herself but¡­¡¹ She didn¡¯t need to finish her thought, he already knew. He¡¯d never gotten into student body extracurricular stuff in his middle school days, though from just seeing them be the first to arrive and last to leave he could only imagine how much work they went through, let alone for a school like Mirror. His eyes narrowed suddenly as he allowed one of his hands to slip down one of the shining, thin silver bars. Shouldn¡¯t a place like this already have security measures in place? He remembered the day he was confronted by Ryu and his friends, they¡¯d escaped from where they could easily be seen by one of the nearby cameras; still, shouldn¡¯t there be one by the front entrance? And why rely on two students to do so¡ª wouldn¡¯t it be better to hire professionals and cover other areas that may be lacking in security? A hand motioning in his peripheral vision returned his attention to the present. ¡¸Schafer, is everything okay?¡¹ ¡°Oh, ye-yeah! Sorry, I spaced out for a bit. Umm, do you have the camera?¡± With a nod of her head she reached inside her back and produced a large, circular case. Opening it, Luka could see a half circle with glass as black as night. ¡°A wireless camera¡­for a school?¡± His tone betrayed his true, doubtful thoughts; the way the girl, whose freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, looked at him, made that quite clear. ¡°Say¡­Hana, did the president mention why exactly she wants a camera installed at the front gates?¡± The girl¡¯s fingers already began typing away before they suddenly snapped into the air. He couldn¡¯t blame her since he, too, jumped in surprise¡ª nearly crashing into the iron fence because of the girl that spoke from directly behind them. ¡°I¡¯m in need of it.¡± said the unusually high toned yet deadly serious voice. With his hands against the bars, he met the narrow gaze of a girl with snow white hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. But that wasn¡¯t what caught his attention most¡ª it was her pupils. ¡°In order to see what best to do with a certain first year student.¡± Chapter 4 - Rabbits and Ribbons Part 1 Fairytales and storybooks didn¡¯t often have confessions, which both intrigued and puzzled Yuuko. It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t talk about the feeling attached to the act, but the feelings his books spoke on were different from what most people had, at least beyond a surface level. He did, however, imagine that if they did have confessions, the scene would look much like what appeared before him. Distant hum of background noise¡ª cars, people, crickets, footsteps, murmurs, advertisements¡ª played quietly in a world he wasn¡¯t a part of at the moment. The exception might¡¯ve been the soft lapping sound of water bouncing against the thick concrete beside them. The river itself gave off a certain glow he couldn¡¯t help but stare at ever since he arrived, an almost ethereal blend of soft white and vivid turquoise. It beautifully matched the lights of the city standing behind the girl, who bathed in its colors made all the more lucid against the darkness of the night. The girl. Ai Hirawa. Long coffee brown hair flowed in waves down her cheeks and neck, stopping only when reaching her upper back. What little he understood about fashion from having spent so much time around Yui was that her outfit was made to emphasis her natural features: loose hair that framed a thin face, a large bust made prominent by a sleeveless tucked in shirt, and slender legs laid bare against the fabric of her skirt that swayed with what little wind could reach beneath the bridge. ¡°Yuuko¡ª¡± she repeated once more, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a useless gesture, since it fell right back again in front of eyes that sought an answer. ¡°¡ªwould you like to go out with me?¡± His storybooks didn¡¯t have confessions. But they did talk about love. To his surprise, he found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other, but if Ai had noticed, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°This really is a nice place,¡± he said, standing beside her to look at his oddly clear reflection in the water. ¡°How¡¯d you find it?¡± ¡°What a sadistic man, changing the topic like that~!¡± she said with a playful grin. Yuuko¡¯s eyes followed her as strode behind him to sit on the wooden bench leaning against the stone. Crossing one leg over the other, she spoke. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the first one to find this place, believe it or not.¡± ¡°Someone told you about it?¡± ¡°No. But if the engraving here is anything to go by, a couple had long since used the place for themselves~¡± ¡°Engraving?¡± Ai motioned next to her, and Yuuko followed to inspect. ¡°Yu¡­Hi?¡± he said, reading the long since worn vandalism with some confusion. ¡°The first part of the names of a couple it sounds like.¡± ¡°Ufufu, I think so too.¡± ¡°Is that why you chose this place?¡± he said, taking a seat beside her. ¡°You felt a connection to these people?¡± Yuuko thought it was incredible how little her expression changed at hearing his words; exactly like the day he purposely crashed into her on the street, her face changed by millimeters, if even that much. No one could have noticed such minute changes. Except for the one who looks for them in people everyday. Though it only served to raise the question¡ªwhy would such a young girl have so much experience in masking herself? ¡°A connection, huh¡­¡± she stood up, taking long strides towards the river with arms behind her back. Her dampened expression was quickly overwritten with one that looked more like curiosity. ¡°I knew there was a reason it was you¡­to ask a question like that¡­¡­¡± He stood up, staying a few arms length away from the girl, but his words approached her without such hesitation. ¡°Ai,¡± he said with a cautious tone, ¡°why are you confessing to me?¡± ¡°Ufufu, what a cruel way to phrase it~¡± ¡°O-Oh, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean it to sound¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, turning to meet his eyes. ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve had a proper conversation; it¡¯s natural you¡¯d be curious.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s a reason.¡± ¡°Do you need a reason to like someone?¡± The question caught him off guard. Of course, fundamentally speaking there¡¯s no need for a person to have a reason to love someone else. Or rather, there can be so many that one can label it as loving the person themselves¡ª was that what she meant? Yuuko scratched the back of his head. ¡°Maybe not. I guess I was just wondering since I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything noteworthy, especially to get your attention.¡± As he spoke, the girl reached for a small box inside a crevice by the river¡¯s side; he recognized it immediately. Ai clutched the gift tightly to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s the first time anyone¡¯s given me anything in return.¡± she spoke in a lulling voice. ¡°Everyone always accepts it with gratitude, but no one has ever taken the time to get me something.¡± ¡°I wanted to show you the same kindness you showed me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to show it.¡± Yuuko¡¯s eyes widened, he hadn¡¯t even finished processing what Ai said until after she was pressed tight against his body. He felt her breath melt through the fabric of his shirt, warming his chest. Her arms latched tightly around him as she buried herself in his chest. ¡°Ai¡­?¡± They stayed that way for many moments¡ª Yuuko could feel the study beats of her heart against himself. Has she really confessed just because he gave her something as simple as a gift? ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± the words were heavy leaving his throat, ¡°but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to go out with you.¡± He could feel the words clinging to his body, to the very air around him, with palpable weight. He hadn¡¯t expected something like this, and yet as the silence continued, he was surprised to feel that weight disappear. As if he¡¯d never spoken in the first place. They faded into the quiet that had already covered them. ¡°Say.¡± Yuuko let out a small gasp of surprise as the fabric of his clothes were tugged upwards, letting him meet the eyes of the girl who now stared up at him. ¡°Can you tie this gift around the cuff on my wrist?¡± ¡°Your¡­ribbon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never worn one before.¡± ¡°They¡­usually go in your hair.¡± Even in the situation he was in, he couldn¡¯t help but note that Ai¡¯s pouting face looked much like someone he knew, it was cute. ¡°Is there a rule over where ribbons need to go?¡± ¡°Well, no, but normally¡ª¡± He was interrupted by the girl shifting her weight away from him. Opening the box, a small, peach-pink ribbon could be seen inside. It wasn¡¯t long before the girl gently folded it over her pale skin, presenting the thin cloth to Yuuko. Her face didn¡¯t have any traces of registering what he just said; had she not heard him? Did he simply imagine telling her? He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it; it wouldn¡¯t do him much good to repeat himself right now. She would return to the question again, and his answer would be the same. He reached out, tugging on her delicate arm to bring it closer as a small yet audible gasp escaped her lips. ¡°S-Sorry, did it hurt?¡± ¡°No, just¡­¡± When she didn¡¯t say anything more, he took it as a sign to continue. The small cuff matched her outfit flawlessly, complimenting the pink of her blouse that hugged her frame so well; he did his best to focus solely on the bare skin touching his fingers. ¡°All done,¡± he said, tying the final knot. The ends were a bit lengthy, but the excess fabric gave a certain charm to her already appealing figure. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡ª!¡± His voice caught in his throat as a warm sensation suddenly and forcefully wrapped itself around his hand; on instinct his fingers curled inward, almost forcibly fitting into the smaller hand of the one who reached for them first. He said nothing as she strode within centimeters of him, bringing both their hands to the sides of their faces. ¡°Ai what are you¡ª¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± she nodded, eyes fixed to their fingers. And yet, her gaze was distant, speaking almost as if to herself. ¡°I knew I felt something here.¡± Her glowing coffee eyes traced their way to Yuuko¡¯s and back again, flipping his hand around and spreading it to have an unobstructed view of his open palm. ¡°I wonder why I couldn¡¯t feel these the first time.¡± He didn¡¯t need to ask what she was referring to. Even in the faded turquoise light, the thin bands of white were visible to both their eyes¡ª it was the first time in years someone noticed. Under normal circumstances, the scars lining the inside of his palms would blend into the natural creases every person had, moreover, the scars faded with time. They were still visible to a discerning eye, but no one would notice such a thing in the first place. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you were able to catch that.¡± he said, genuine in his compliment. ¡°How¡¯d you notice?¡± ¡°Your hands gave off a different feeling than others.¡± ¡°A different¡­feeling?¡± ¡°How did you get them?¡± He faintly smiled to himself, recalling the decade old memory. ¡°I was in kindergarten..or was it first grade?¡± he began, the timeframe of the memory having become fuzzy with time. ¡°Either way, I was with a group of boys in an alley and we found a dog there. It was aggressive, but didn¡¯t attack us, not that it stopped one of the boys from attacking it with a stick.¡± ¡°Poor thing¡­¡± ¡°It was a happy ending,¡± he said reassuringly. ¡°I got in between them, so the kid that was attacking the dog turned his attention to me.¡± he tugged his hand inward, inspecting the faint silver lines covering the skin. ¡°I did my best to cover my body but still held my hands out. I guess some of the wounds went deeper than I thought.¡± ¡°And the dog?¡± He closed his hand with a fist, returning it to his side as he gave her a faint smile. ¡°I ended up adopting him.¡± ¡°That is a happy ending!¡± she said, putting her hands together and pressing them against her cheek. ¡°What a hero~!¡± Yuuko scratched the back of his head at hearing her words. ¡°He started following me, I didn¡¯t have much of a choice¡ª¡± ¡°Little Yuuko was a hometown hero~! Ahahah!¡± Even as his embarrassment and her laughter faded with the echoes that stretched out to either side of them, he couldn¡¯t help but smile at seeing her laugh at his story. He looked at the inside of his palms once more. Having had the scars for years, they were easily noticeable to him¡ª ¡°What a hero~!¡± ¡ªand now, she took notice of them as well. ¡°Ai, what did you mean by my hands feeling different?¡± As she moved to stand above the reflective waters, a strand of curly hair slipped from behind her ear, adding to the ones that delicately covered her pupils. ¡°Did you know people have different tints to them?¡± He was about to respond, but her tone made it feel like one wasn¡¯t needed; sure enough, she continued. ¡°Your hands don¡¯t match your tint. In class you¡¯re quiet, but not shy. You¡¯re right in some questions, wrong in others.¡± She turned to face him. ¡°Your hands shouldn¡¯t feel as burdened as they do, with scars and semi-coarse skin beneath your fingers. Your life doesn''t reflect it.¡± ¡°My life?¡± She returned to face the water, though still spoke loud enough to where he knew she was referring to him. ¡°What¡¯s most important is that you really understand people, don¡¯t you?¡± Yuuko too began staring at the waters, though stopped after only a moment. ¡°I guess that answers my question as to whether or not you¡¯ve seen me writing in my journal,¡± he said with an amused sigh. ¡°That must mean you really understand them too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And even knowing that about me, you decided to come here.¡± Yuuko¡¯s eyes widened at hearing her voice, at the implication it carried. Before he knew it, she was close to him again¡ª it was the second time she managed to close the distance without him even having registered it. This time, however, she kept her arms behind her back. ¡°I learned something recently,¡± smiling at him with an expression that was difficult to discern, ¡°when a person becomes excited, their blood becomes faster. At its peak, it can travel ninety-two point one centimeters per second.¡± Her face inched closer to his own. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s why I feel so warm around you. I wonder if that¡¯s why I confessed to you.¡± She was close enough that her breath tickled his neck, and close enough that he could smell the fragrance of flowers in her hair. Even so¡­ ¡°Ai, I¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± she interrupted with a whisper, ¡°but that wasn¡¯t what I was going to ask~¡± For the third time Yuuko was caught off guard. Ai put some distance between them before speaking, though not as much as before. ¡°Yuuko¡­you feel different from others¡­¡­so if I asked you, would you come with me?¡± ¡°¡­Ai¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of the reason I confessed¡­¡­if I asked you to come with me, would you?¡± ¡°Go where¡­?¡± ¡°A place without the world¡­¡± she admitted with a wistful, melancholic smile. ¡°¡­somewhere far away.¡± With those words, he understood. ¡°This is about your work¡­isn¡¯t it?¡± Her same forlorn smile answered his question, but there was a tint of something different behind her eyes. One that didn¡¯t match the expression she wore. ¡°If it¡¯s with you, I think I can find it again. I thought I could get it by doing something as simple as giving gifts to others, but now I think the way I feel about you is how I can find it again!¡± The desperation in her voice translated through her body, as she pushed against him, desperate to be even a centimeter closer to the boy in front of her. ¡°H-Hey, Ai, hold on!¡± ¡°Please, please say yes! You don¡¯t even need to respond right now, and we don¡¯t even need to start off as lovers!¡± ¡°Ai-you¡¯re pushing me too much!¡± ¡°So long as we can be alone, so long as you let me go somewhere with you to find what I¡ª!¡± ¡°Ai!¡± With a surprising amount of force, Yuuko held Ai by her shoulders firmly in front of him; her eyes were wide, though whether from shock or another feeling he didn¡¯t know. ¡°We almost fell.¡± he said, lowering his arms and motioning behind him; to her lack of surprise, he was right. Had she kept pushing, they¡¯d have undoubtedly fallen. ¡°O-Oh, Yuuko, I-I¡¯m sorry I- hmph¡ª!¡± Even in the brightness of the turquoise and white waters, a scarlet red color spread through Ai¡¯s cheeks, and across her nose. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, removing the finger he placed over her lips, ¡°we¡¯re both okay, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°If¡­you say so~¡± she said, trying for her normal, teasing tone. Yuuko simply nodded in response as the two stood centimeters away from the still water. The world felt unnaturally still to Ai, a result that came from letting the lingering feelings in her body speak to the boy in front of her. In a way, it was embarrassing; it was the first time she¡¯d acted in such a way, even amongst her clients. And it made her smile. She pulled a closed fist to her chest, feeling the blood pulse throughout her heart and body¡ª to be embarrassed is a symptom. And if she has symptoms, perhaps then, she wasn¡¯t wrong in believing the boy in front of her to be her answer. ¡°U-Umm, sorry again.¡± she said, speaking more to the bricks beneath her than the boy. ¡°Like I mentioned, you don¡¯t need to give me your answer right now but¡­I would really like for you to think about it.¡± She didn¡¯t dare meet his eyes, but her curiosity got the better of her. She blinked her gaze up towards Yuuko, moving by a fraction of centimeter each time before finally seeing his face. And to her surprise and admitted disappointment, he wasn¡¯t looking at her. ¡°This really is a beautiful place,¡± he said with his eyes on the stone bridge above them, ¡°but I don¡¯t really like it.¡± She tried blinking the confusion away. ¡°Why¡­is that?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t see the sky.¡± He said, golden eyes finally fixed on her own. ¡°Somehow it makes it feel like you can¡¯t connect to the world around you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ai?¡± ¡°¡­¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡­¡­um, I should get going.¡± She made her way towards the stone stairs, tucked away against the wall, before something reached out and took hold of her arm. ¡°Oh my; Yuuko if you wanted me to stay all you had to do was ask nicely~¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Back to my dorm, silly~¡± though she tried, it was the first time since she began compensated dating that her words and tone didn¡¯t match up in the slightest. ¡°Before you go, do you have some time to spare?¡± Her expression spoke for itself, downcast eyes telling him he was allowed to continue¡ª ¡°You said you wanted to go someplace, so let me take you there.¡± ¡ªuntil her gaze was wide in disbelief. ¡°Let me take you somewhere far away.¡± Part 2 ¡°Are we almost there?¡± ¡°We are,¡± he said, pocketing his phone after touching the screen a few more times. ¡°Sorry about that, I honestly haven¡¯t had a great track record with directions.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh my, the type that gets lost easily, how cute~¡± He let out an amused sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not bad with directions, but finding things isn¡¯t my speciality.¡± ¡°No, that would be people wouldn¡¯t it?¡± The silence answered her question as the boy walking next to her grew another one of his smiles. Yes, that¡¯s something she¡¯d always observed about him¡ª he wouldn¡¯t ever smile the way others did. Smiles are an expression of joy, of happiness. But those weren¡¯t the kind he wore. If anything, it seemed like his was simply a response to show feeling, empathy maybe? When she saw it, it didn¡¯t feel like the tint of a bright summer noon like most people wore. Instead, it was more like an early autumn sunrise, where the world was tinted in a color between the fading blue and dawning yellow. ¡°Ai, could you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Of course I can!¡± she said louder than she intended. She bit her lip, embarrassed at having been caught off guard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just thinking about something.¡± He smiled in response. ¡°Could you walk over on this side please?¡± He gestured to his left, the area between himself on the many shops that lined the shopping district they were walking through. Though it was nearly ten at night, a large number of people were still roaming about the area, coming and going from restaurants, stores, or like them, heading towards a destination. Ai was shocked at first to see such a thing, but with time it became a natural state to her, and though the street they were cutting across wasn¡¯t particularly heavy with foot traffic, keeping to the sidewalk could still prove a small challenge. ¡°Hmm~? Could it be you¡¯re afraid of losing me in this crowd?¡± ¡°Aah, I actually hadn¡¯t thought of that, but that side is closer to the street so¡­¡± he trailed off, scratching the back of his head with a wry smile. She didn¡¯t understand his meaning, but obliged, happy that it at least sounded like he cared for her well-being. ¡°Is there something bad about being closer to the street?¡± ¡°Not exactly, it¡¯s just something I was taught when I was young.¡± Soon, as with their small conversation, the crowd around them faded away, leaving nothing but small brickwork and quaint homes to replace the bustling stores and bright advertisements. ¡°Say, you still haven¡¯t told me exactly where we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be easier to show you, since calling it my dorm might be confusing.¡± ¡°Your¡­dorm?¡± Her steps slowed to a halt as Yuuko approached a rustic two story apartment building; though calling it a building might¡¯ve been too generous. It looked as though it were only recently renovated to a bare minimum standard; how long had this been here? ¡°You live here?¡± she asked, following the boy inside. To her relief, the inside proved to be in much better shape, not to mention how everything looked cleaner and more organized. Soon, however, she found herself frowning at her thoughts. She didn¡¯t particularly mind dirtier places, she cleaned quite a bit at home after all, so maybe it was the shock of seeing him live so far away from school? ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long story, but I was accepted into Mirror kind of late and in an odd way.¡± he said, taking off his shoes. ¡°All the first year dorms were already taken, and this was the only place they had left.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ooohhhhh!¡± Ai said, bringing her hands together and rushing towards the unprepared boy. ¡°Yuuko, you must be pretty amazing for the school to have made an exception this big, that¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°N-No, it was more¡­¡± ¡°What did you do?! Are you like some kind of super genius? HUA!¡± ¡°Are you alright!?¡± he said, panicking from her sudden and loud gasp. ¡°Th-That makes sense! When I read about body language, I also read that super geniuses are observant of their surroundings¡ª that must be why you¡¯re always writing in your notebook!¡± ¡°Ai, I think you¡¯re convincing yourself of that more than anything.¡± he said with a defeated expression. ¡°Ehhhh?¡± she cried, waving her fists up and down at dangerous speeds. ¡°But you being a super genius sounds so much cooler! Can¡¯t you pretend to be?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t think I could pull that off.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­be a lot more fun if you could~~¡± she pouted, following him into what looked like a bedroom. He offered a dry smile, unsure if she was complimenting or teasing him. ¡°Everyone here attends through some sort of scholarship right? You have to do pretty well academically to get one, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to pull it off.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­you too?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°No-Nothing! Nothing at all, ehehehe~¡± She quickly rose, ignoring the studious eyes that followed her as she walked around his room. She didn¡¯t know what to expect from someone like Yuuko, but somehow his room didn¡¯t surprise her in the least. A small wooden desk sat in front of the unusually large window, letting in faint traces of the lights from across the street. The walls were hung with nothing but the paint left from its original creation, and besides the twin-sized bed and dark wooden wardrobe, there was almost nothing left to call her attention. Almost. ¡°Your ¡®dorm¡¯ is more than a ways from campus, Yuuko.¡± Although she said his name, it felt more like she was speaking to the air, or more accurately, to the single bookshelf that lined the entire wall in front of her. ¡°Is it possible this is where you wanted to take me~?¡± Her eyes narrowed dangerously as they met his own, and for the first time since he met her, for a single moment he felt it impossible to meet her gaze. He walked to her side, tracing his finger along the spines of the worn books nestled comfortably in the chipped bookshelf. ¡°You read a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± He was thankful he was able to catch her off guard enough that her lulling gaze broke, replaced by surprised eyebrows that soon turned into a defeated smile, finally paving the way for legitimate laughter. ¡°If you were to tell anybody else about their habits, you¡¯d be accused of being a stalker little Yuu~¡± ¡°Little Yuu?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­you¡¯re right, it doesn''t fit well. I¡¯ll keep thinking of something else to call you~¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t,¡± he sighed, ¡°but more importantly, you mentioned it earlier; about body language, and about heart rate.¡± The lack of an answer caused him to turn towards her. ¡°Oh my,¡± she said, hands to her cheeks, ¡°to think you were paying that much attention¡­¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s all in the observation.¡± ¡°Should I call you my stalker~?¡± she said, poking him in the ribs, ¡°that seems much more appropriate.¡± ¡°That¡¯d cause more than a handful of problems so I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t.¡± She covered her mouth with both hands, furiously giggling into them. ¡°Th-Then why do you read so much Mister Not My Stalker?¡± Her spouts of laughter gradually disappeared upon seeing the warmth coming from Yuuko¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t sympathy, nor pity, no. Longing? ¡°I wanted to ask you the same thing.¡± But longing for what? ¡°Oh¡­¡­I see¡­¡­¡­¡± The same thing she does? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t¡­¡­¡­you already have an idea though?¡± ¡°I need to hear you say it¡­I think.¡± She couldn¡¯t meet his eyes, or look anywhere else in the room. She already admitted it by the river, what was the point of him hearing it again? To remind himself of what it is she actually does at these hours? She felt something warm trickle down the side of her lips, but in trying to wipe it away, the only thing she felt was dry skin. She felt an urge in her stomach that wanted to make her heave. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Yuuko¡ª¡± she said, brushing past him, ¡°I should go after all. I don¡¯t belong¡ª!¡± Warmth. Burning warmth spread throughout her left hand, travelling up her arm and calming the senses in her that wanted to make her spastic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m keeping you,¡± he said with that same warm look. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish, but if you don¡¯t mind I want to show you the reason I brought you here.¡± Her brown eyes revealed the discomposure she felt when, after some tens of seconds had passed, she realized he was waiting for her response. ¡°T-That¡¯s okay I¡­¡­I don¡¯t need to be anywhere else.¡± ¡°So you agreed to come on one of your only days off?¡± he said, slightly tilting his head. ¡°I see, it means a lot to me you¡¯d do something like that. Thank you Ai.¡± Her face burned at the sight of his gently smiling face, on top of stumbled through a retort while being led away, back to the bookshelf. ¡°Do you know what all these are?¡± he asked, finally releasing her hand. ¡°O-Of course not,¡± she said, crossing her arms and refusing to meet the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any of the covers, and the titles on the spines are too small.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your favorite fairytale?¡± She blinked once to process the sudden words, then twice more as she met his gaze¡ª face still flushed with color. Her tone in asking, however, was sincere. ¡°Fairytale?¡± Yuuko nodded. ¡°Did you ever read any as a child?¡± ¡°Fairytales¡­¡­actually I¡­¡­¡­I remember reading a few as a kid, but most of the ones I know come from reading them to my siblings.¡± ¡°Like bedtime stories?¡± ¡°They¡¯d sometimes want me to read them the same story twice in a row,¡± she said, recalling the memory with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s funny to talk about now, but so frustrating back then.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see,¡± he said, leaning his head to one side. ¡°What a kind older sister.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me!?¡± she said, straightening her arms beneath her. ¡°Is this payback?! Is this payback for calling you a stalker?!¡± ¡°More so the ¡®Little Yuu¡¯ part.¡± ¡°Why do you remember everything I say!?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m your stalker.¡± She reached out, standing on her toes to verbally berate him, close to his face. He raised his hands in defeat, repeating an apology that didn¡¯t quite register within her. He feels¡­¡­so warm. The closeness the two of them had in that moment¡­she felt a spring of lightness in her chest¡­¡­joy? But beneath that, for the first time in years, she felt instinct claw its way through her muscles. She was close, terribly close to him already. She wanted to be even closer. ¡°¡­¡­Ai?¡± ¡°HUah! N-Nothing, umm¡­sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°No no, I should be apologizing, I didn¡¯t mean to tease you so much.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s¡­¡­¡­don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°So..what was it?¡± ¡°Hmm? What was what?¡± He smiled awkwardly, as if expecting her confusion. ¡°Sorry, I guess you didn¡¯t hear me with all the teasing. I asked about your siblings,¡± he said, putting a palm to the spine of the books. ¡°Did they have a favorite story?¡± ¡°Oh, right right,¡± she said, breathing in to regain her composure. ¡°Umm¡­between the three of them, they all liked different things so it¡¯s a little hard to tell¡­¡± ¡°Aah, that makes sense. In that case, were there any that all three enjoyed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡­actually, thinking about it¡­¡± She stared at the ceiling with a finger to her lips, blinking slowly, as if afraid to interrupt her thought process. ¡°Hmmm¡­they all really seemed to like the story about the Ugly Duckling.¡± Yuuko couldn''t help a faint smile. ¡°I can¡¯t say I expected that. How come?¡± A familiar red began tinting her face as she ran her finger across the wooden shelf. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to say out loud, but¡ª¡± Turning to meet him, Yuuko could see her downturned eyes. It didn¡¯t match the smile or blush on her expressional face. ¡°¡ªthey said it¡¯s because they want to grow up pretty like ¡®their big sister¡¯.¡± He crossed his arms, the faint smile on his face growing just a little clearer. ¡°You don¡¯t seem that embarrassed about it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying about appearances being misleading?¡± ¡°Adages¡ª and there are quite a few.¡± Whereas the air between them was heavy with feeling not a few minutes prior, it settled into a warmth Ai couldn''t quite place. It was as if they¡¯d been together for a long time. Familiar with one another¡¯s company. With her clients, it took her the better part of six months to properly learn how to create an atmosphere¡ª whether seductive, peaceful, or professional. Just as there exists tints created by the sun, so too, are there different atmospheres, tints, people could feel. While there wasn¡¯t any worrying tension between the two, it was still their first time having a proper conversation. And because of that, the fact this boy knew how to create such an aura, such an environment, such a tint, despite the two never having properly spoken before¡­¡­how did he learn such a skill? ¡°Do you have a favorite?¡± ¡°A favorite story?¡± he asked, browsing the myriad of books. ¡°There are a lot I really like, but if I had to pick one¡­¡­¡± He pulled on the spine of a book thicker than all the others. Turning it around and handing it to her, she was immediately struck by how old it looked. The pages were soft on the sides, the years having caught up with them, while the art on the cover appeared faded, especially near the borders. Yet, she could still clearly make out the art, children on a snowy landscape, a witch behind them, and a lion overlooking them all. ¡°It¡¯s about a group of siblings sent to another world to save it,¡± he said, having seen the puzzled expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve had it since I was young, so I¡¯ve read it a few times.¡± ¡°Only a few~?¡± she said, raising a suspicious eyebrow at a tear that went down at least half a page. ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± he said, raising his hands in defeat, causing a laugh to escape Ai¡¯s lips. ¡°When I was little, if I was having a bad day, I¡¯d try reading the story.¡± ¡°And it made you feel better?¡± ¡°It made me feel like I was somewhere far away,¡± he explained to the girl whose mouth was slightly agape from his response. ¡°Somewhere I could be better. Somewhere the world didn¡¯t hurt so much.¡± Ai was silent for some time, hugging the book to her chest while looking at the hardwood floor; Yuuko was surprised to see she didn¡¯t break her silence with words. But with a smile towards. ¡°I see.¡± she nearly whispered. ¡°What a wonderful way to confront the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ai¡­?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why¡­¡­are you always smiling?¡± Her eyes strained to match the smile on her lips. And they just couldn¡¯t seem to reach. ¡°One day, about six months after I started seeing people, I broke down crying¡± she began while moving towards the bed, taking a seat on the very edge. ¡°It was a¡­difficult day. So I did the only other thing I knew how to do well¡ª reading up on fun little facts.¡± As she spoke, Yuuko took a seat next to her, careful not to take up much room on the already small frame. ¡°Yuuko, did you know that physical reactions can have an effect on your mental and emotional reactions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure I understand.¡± ¡°For example,¡± she said, slowly placing the fantasy story still in her arms onto the floor below. Her hands were now free to point to either side of her face. Specifically, her lips. ¡°Did you know that by smiling, even if you¡¯re angry or sad, you can trick your brain into thinking you¡¯re happy?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Your brain feels your body smiling, so it thinks you must be happy. Because you¡¯re smiling.¡± Using the pinkies on both her hands, Ai slowly lifted up the corners of her mouth. ¡°Is there any reason I shouldn¡¯t smile, Yuu~?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not looking for happiness¡­¡­there is.¡± For a moment, she did nothing, her posture unmoving alongside her gaze. And slowly, unlike the corners of her lips, her fingers fell to her side. ¡°There you go again, saying things like that¡± she said, eyes narrowing dangerously. ¡°I must be a very lucky girl if you¡¯ve watched over me enough to tell I¡¯m always smiling~¡± She inched closer to him, which on the already small frame of the bed, was a dangerous amount of distance. ¡°Ai, I¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t finish speaking before a small gasp forced its way out of her, not a surprised or painful one, but one that came as a result of her hand colliding with the plastic cover of a tall rectangle. ¡°A book?¡± ¡°Aah, sorry about that. I was reading it earlier and forgot to put it up.¡± ¡°Is this¡­a rabbit?¡± A sigh of relief escaped Yuuko, which he hoped the girl examining the book didn¡¯t hear. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®The Velveteen Rabbit¡¯. It¡¯s not a popular story in Japan, but the more I¡¯ve read it, the more I¡¯ve come to like it.¡± ¡°What¡­is it about?¡± ¡°A boy who receives a velveteen rabbit as a gift.¡± He slipped the book out of her hands and into his own, more than aware of the girl clinging to his side as she peered into the pages of the story opening before them. Sounds of turning pages filled the room with Yuuko¡¯s voice, adding detail and life to the pictures drawn along one side of the printed words. In a way it was soothing; somehow Yuuko could tell the girl was absorbing every word from the page, spoken through his voice. And it was that very same reason he was unnerved¡ª she was silent, not making a single comment, not letting a single breath of laughter escape her lips. He could only feel the warm and delicate skin that touched his arm, moving with the rise and fall of her chest. As he read, Yuuko¡¯s head filled with thoughts that it must¡¯ve been because of her distaste for the story. He¡¯d only begun reading, not asking her whether or not she wanted to listen: his habit of reading fairy tales, his lack of sharing with all but one person, backfired. They¡¯d reached the point in the story where the rabbit¡¯s tear struck the ground before he considered stopping. Until she told him too first. ¡°Ai¡­?¡± ¡°Yuu¡­¡± she spoke, barely audible. While her body clung tightly to his own, her eyes remained unmoving from the pages. ¡°Why did the rabbit cry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡° ¡­Yuu¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I think he loved the boy. His owner. I think the rabbit wanted to stay beside him for as long as he could.¡± ¡°As a toy?¡± she asked, still staring at the book. ¡°Or as a real rabbit?¡± ¡°Even if he was a toy, the velveteen rabbit was real.¡± ¡°Only to the boy. Because the boy was the only person who loved him.¡± Yuuko could feel his body react with volatile calm. He could feel his pupils dilate, letting in as much light as possible to react to the girl who¡¯d lifted her gaze, brushing her cheek past his own to speak directly into his ear. ¡°Yuu¡­why is it that you¡¯ve been watching me?¡± Showers of cold swept up his stomach in waves. ¡°I-I wanted¡­I wanted to¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why is it that I feel so warm around you? Why do we know so much about each other despite never having spoken?¡± His breath quickened as a small amount of force tugged at his arm, receding only for a moment when Ai pulled back to stare at him. ¡°Say, Yuu¡­¡­¡± He couldn''t form any words. He felt the words drill into his mind, wrapping themselves around his throat. ¡°Am I real to you?¡± Real? The only reason she would ask such a thing¡­¡­for the past two years, she hasn¡¯t felt human. To feel that way¡­something precious must have been taken from her. But he couldn''t focus on that, not for the moment. Because that wasn¡¯t what her tone implied. ¡°Ai¡­I have¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why is it that you¡¯ve been watching me, Yuu~?¡± Her hands crept up his arm, gripping tighter as she spoke with lulled words. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a people watcher, there must¡¯ve been something about me that called your attention. Tell me, what was it~?¡± ¡°More than once I saw you¡ª¡± ¡°With men?¡± she said, momentarily stopping her body. ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re absolutely right. I let them take me for money. But you already knew that¡­¡± ¡°Ai¡­¡± ¡°And even so, you watched me. Made notes. You didn¡¯t advance on me nor did you spread rumors. You didn¡¯t even report me to the teachers or the student council~¡± He took a sharp breath inward as she hugged his arm tight enough to slow his circulation. His arm sank into the warmth of her soft chest, forming a noticeable impression. ¡°Why did you decide to meet me tonight, beneath the bridge?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me¡­¡± ¡°Could it be you though I would reward you the same way I do others~? Beg you to keep staying quiet in exchange for as many nights as you wanted?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± he said, trying to pry his arm away from her. But that only made her cling tighter. ¡°No,¡± she said, forming a distant smile he recognized all too well, ¡°I didn¡¯t think so either.¡± ¡°Then why¡ª?¡± ¡°Did you want to make me pure again¡ª change me from my unclean ways?¡± He didn¡¯t have a chance to respond before a sudden force to his arm yanked him backwards onto the bed. His head hit the thin wall, but it didn¡¯t hurt in the slightest. No. Instead, he blinked away the daze, clearing his vision until his eyes fluttered open to see a girl in a skin tight blouse standing at the foot of his bed, looking into his eyes. ¡°Did you want to save me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡­don¡¯t know¡­¡­¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed into that sultry gaze. Only this time, there was no smile. ¡°You don¡¯t know hmm¡­¡­but maybe I do need saving.¡± she said, reaching for her back. The faint sound of a zipper turned deafening in the deep silence of the room. ¡°If it¡¯s with you¡­I might be able to feel it again.¡± ¡°Ai, you¡¯re making a mistake! I¡ª!¡± Her blouse, the pink shade of cloth that defined and hid her body so well, dropped to the floor. What lay beneath it was now in full view to Yuuko¡ª a light pink, floral lace bra that covered the deceptively large bust. ¡°Oh? No comment~?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the right. Her bangs slipped forward from place, covering one of her hazel eyes. ¡°Most men would offer a compliment, it makes a girl feel better about herself you know~¡± Yuuko tore his eyes away from the sight while a playful laugh reached his ears. ¡°Ai, put your clothes¡ª¡± ¡°Aww, but you never answered my question Yuu~¡± Yuuko¡¯s eyes were glued to the small desk beside his bed, but that didn¡¯t stop him from hearing the sounds of a buckle being undone, and the soft *thump* that came shortly after. He dared move his eyes from the desk to the floor, and saw a dark black skirt crumpled alongside light and dark shades of pink. ¡°Oh my oh my oh my~!¡± she giggled, ¡°you have the mind of a boy after all~!¡± He closed his eyes, furrowing his brow while quickly standing up to tear his attention away from it once more. ¡°Ai, I¡¯m telling you¡ª fuaH!¡± A sharp force to his chest suddenly pushed him back, causing him to land uncomfortably on the sheets and pillow behind him. He hurriedly shook off the daze, only to make eye contact with the girl who was now a breath away. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re so tempted because you¡¯ve already felt them~?¡± Goosebumps covered Yuuko¡¯s arm at remembering the sensation, but more so because she lifted her neck up and to the side slowly after having spoken, giving him an uncensored view of the fullness of her body. She traced a finger across her milky white skin, up the side of her ample hips, her thin and delicate stomach, purposefully circling her belly button, before finally¡ª ¡°Ahh~~A-aAAhHH~~!!¡± ¡°Ai¡ªah, s-stop! That¡¯s-!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be nervous at first, Yuuko!¡± she said, gripping the hand she moved up and down, forcefully fondling her chest. Beneath his palms was the feeling of lacey fabric and plush, warm softness. Flashes of pink danced across his vision; he didn¡¯t know if it was the bra. ¡°You¡¯re nervous because you don¡¯t want me to have a child, right? Don¡¯t worry!¡± Yuuko ripped his hand away with all his strength, unsteadily pushing himself off the mattress in a rush to escape. But he didn¡¯t have enough momentum. He found himself nearly thrown back down by the girl who threw her body at him, knocking them both onto the bed as she gripped the sides of his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about a thing Yuuko! I take contraception pills¡ª it¡¯s why I earn as much as I do!¡± she pushed her bust further into Yuuko¡¯s body¡ª her pheromones forcing their way into him, ¡°so feel free to use me as much as you want~! There¡¯s no risk to either of us!¡± ¡°Ye-s, there¡ªis!¡± The entirety of her body weight made it difficult for him to move¡ª even so, he managed to retrieve a small device buried deep inside his right pocket. And as a consequence, pushed against a very warm¡ª and very wet¡ª part of her body. ¡°aa..aHAaHH~!¡± The smile on her face dissolved, replaced with an expression Yuuko wasn¡¯t familiar with; her eyes shut tight, teeth grit together in an attempt to suppress her voice as her fingers turned into fists atop of his chest.It was at that second, for a single moment, her strength faded¡ª pants and breaths of hot air tickled his skin¡ª and her grip loosened. His mind rushed a thousand miles a minute, only registering he had mere seconds to take this chance; he violently tapped the screen on his phone before a sweet scent thrust its way into his body. And the girl on top of him looked at him with a smile. ¡°Cl¡­Close¡­but that was my thigh~¡± Bangs messily decorated the front of her eyes as she huffed through her words. It reminded him of a girl whose dark black hair was sprinkled with sand last month¡ª a girl whose hair also covered her eyes. Because she¡¯d tried to catch him and fell. ¡°Move your hand a little to your left next time and you¡¯ll hit the spot Mr. Stalker~~¡± strength returned to her limbs as she gripped the wrist holding the phone. ¡°Oh~? I didn¡¯t know you were so lewd, wanting to record a girl when she makes such a sound~¡± With sloppy, yet surprisingly accurate, movements, she scooped the phone away from his hand, tossing it over her shoulder as it crashed onto the ground. ¡°Make me do it again and I might reconsider~¡± ¡°Ai, enough.¡± ¡°Hm~?¡± She covered her lips with the back of her hand as she dangled herself above him. He could feel curly strands of hair tickling his skin; in a way he was thankful for it, the sharp sensation helped ground his thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t feel the same way about you. I¡¯m sorry if I caused a misunderstanding but I¡­I already have feelings for someone.¡± He sat there, unmoving as the hair continually brushed against his skin. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t avoid the scent of flowers and thick pheromones assaulting his sense of smell. It smelled¡­good. ¡°Is that so?¡± she said, eyes narrowing. ¡°She must be very lucky.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°But that¡¯s okay~¡± Yuuko couldn''t hide the surprise reflected in his vision. ¡°What¡­do you mean¡­?¡± He felt warm, gentle hands wrap themselves around his head, fingers running through his scalp as she gently adjusted his head, forcing him to look at her. ¡°Yuuko I¡­¡­¡± Her lips were parted¡ª ready to speak¡­or at the distance they were, something much different. And to his surprise, she broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m no stranger to the men I see, my clients, having another girl in their lives.¡± ¡°Is that really the reason..?¡± ¡°No.¡± she nearly whispered, holding her smile. ¡°Why is it that you¡¯ve been watching me so closely? Do you want to know what I think?¡± She asked, placing a finger to his lips to prevent an answer. ¡°I think it¡¯s because you must¡¯ve felt something. Whether you know it or not.¡± ¡°That¡­isn¡¯t why I made notes about you.¡± ¡°You made notes to study me,¡± she said, returning her grip on him while running her fingers through his hair once more, ¡°in the same way I studied everybody in our class. I even started studying people in our grade, the entire first year building.¡± ¡°Why¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for something¡­was, looking for something.¡± Bright, reflective brown eyes scanned him up and down. Her tongue slowly, tenderly, moistened the pink of her lips, wanting to continue. ¡°Do you believe in fate, Yuuko?¡± ¡°I¡­do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. At least, I didn¡¯t. But I¡¯m starting to question that now.¡± her grip on his head slowly tightened with every word she spoke. ¡°Why is it we¡¯re more alike than we would''ve ever thought? Why did you pursue me so relentlessly, and I you? Why is it¡­¡­that you showed me that book?¡± He registered those last words, and Yuuko could feel the electricity coursing through his nerves. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­feel loved?¡± he asked in a tight voice. ¡°You feel like a toy?¡± ¡°Love¡­love is a strong word, Yuu~¡± she teased. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re wrong, it isn¡¯t love.¡± She brought herself closer to him, brushing past his cheek and blowing into the inside of his ear. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like a toy¡­but it¡¯s also true I don¡¯t feel real, just like the toy.¡± ¡°Then¡ªhnng!¡± Hot air slipped into his ear, a way for Ai to tell him he wasn¡¯t permitted to speak. Not yet. ¡°The Velveteen Rabbit had something with that boy,¡± she said, moving her head to speak softly into his other ear. ¡°And I think, just like the two in the story, we¡¯re meant for one another!¡± ¡°Ai, I already told you¡­I have somebody!¡± ¡°Then could you tell me why you¡¯re so red in the face~?¡± she said, running a finger across his neck before slowly tracing it down his body. ¡°¡­¡­or why I feel something incredibly hard beneath the place you brushed moments ago?¡± ¡°That doesn''t have anything to do with it, I like this girl!¡± ¡°Feelings, love, can change, Yuuko~!¡± ¡°I disagree!¡± ¡°Then let me prove it to you.¡± she said, parting her lips¡ª but this time, her smile wasn¡¯t there. A rabid look overcame her as she moved from place, a small, damp circle darkening the pants of Yuuko¡¯s thigh. Ai ignored it, however, as her hands worked to remove Yuuko¡¯s belt¡ª before he could even protest, her expert movements had already flung it to the side, causing a loud *crash* as it hit against the bookshelf. ¡°Ai, wait¡ª!¡± ¡°Love can change Yuuko, I¡¯ll prove it to you!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prove that there can exist something between us, I¡¯ll show you a place you can go to together!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± It was in that exact moment, when Yuuko pushed against her shoulders with all his might, pushed her away from him, that a loud crash came from the front of his dorm. Small chips of wood could be seen flying into the kitchen, as something that sounded like metal dropped to the wooden floor; and sure enough, a shining piece of silver slid across the floor into sight. ¡°Is that¡­a hinge?¡± asked the girl whose grip was tight to Yuuko¡¯s clothes. Footsteps echoed from the doorway and into the room both were in. They belonged to a girl with incredibly long, black hair, shining turquoise-green eyes, and a red ribbon tied around her wrist. ¡°You have until the count of three to let him go¡ª¡± She spoke eerily calm...but her eyes. Her eyes were everything but. ¡°¡ªor I¡¯ll put you down like the rabid dog you are.¡± Chapter 5 - Birds of a Feather Part 1 ¡°My my. If I recall correctly, your name is¡­¡­¡®Yui,¡¯ right?¡± She didn¡¯t respond, opting to stare at the girl lazily exposed on top of Yuuko, who returned her gaze with an almost silent sense of satisfaction. It was only after neither girl broke eye contact that Yui finally spoke. ¡°Stand up.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll take that as a yes~. I remember you from your introduction on our second day of class.¡± Ai relaxingly smiled. ¡°I believe Miss Wakako said you were to attend class One-Two; the boys made quite an uproar when you left that day, you made quite the impression Yui-chan~¡± In response, Yui held up a single finger beside her face. ¡°One.¡± ¡°Oh my, what a serious tint~! You gave off such an elegant one during your introduction a month ago, to think you¡¯d be like me in that others don¡¯t get a chance to see it¡ª¡± Ai put her index and middle fingers together over her lips in a growing smile that didn¡¯t hide her words. ¡°¡ªnot to mention our shared affection for this boy; we¡¯re birds of a feather~!¡± ¡°Two!¡± It had been years since Yuuko had seen her teeth grit into that all too familiar face. At this rate¡­ ¡°Ai, please get off me.¡± ¡°Oh but Yuu~¡± she said, tugging at his clothes while staring directly at Yui, ¡°you were the one who made me this way, you need to take responsibility~¡± ¡°Ai, I didn¡¯t make you this way. Please stop saying things that¡¯ll cause misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Ask any girl, Yuuko; we don¡¯t get this way on our own~¡± While gazing directly at the girl holding two fingers in the air, Ai laid her chest against Yuuko¡¯s head. ¡°Do you hate me~?¡± Yui never raised her third finger¡ª with blinding speed she marched towards the near-naked girl, her bag and spare key in one hand dropping to the floor with a frighteningly loud *clang*. But none of them registered the noise. In fact, it was Yui who stopped dead in her tracks almost as soon as she began, shock draining the color from her face. It was an expression she shared with Ai, who held her palm against her temple to steady herself from the blood rushing through her body from standing too fast. ¡­¡­she¡­¡­¡­was standing? A hand clamped over her upper arm like iron¡ª steadying her body, but dizzying her all the more. No. She was dizzy because of the look tinting the boy¡¯s face right now. It was dark. ¡°I¡¯ve been lenient with you,¡± he said, almost shoving her back onto the bed while standing, ¡°but I won¡¯t forgive you if you make Yui cry.¡± Cry? Ai looked to the girl who still appeared to be processing what happened, and for less than a second, their eyes met. But it was all the time she needed. Yui, the girl with beautiful long black hair, the girl who tore her eyes away the moment that made contact¡ª the whites of her eyes had nearly matched the color of her ribbon; in the corner of the room, she was furiously rubbing her face with her sleeve. Though on the verge, Ai hadn¡¯t seen any actual tears. She hoped to remain correct about that. It wasn¡¯t soon after Yuuko pushed her down that he gave Yui a few tissues¡ª she took them reluctantly. The room grew silent as she finished. And Ai knew it was because of her. She smiled. ¡°Do you hate me?¡± Of course the girl couldn''t give an immediate answer, though Ai was almost expecting an immediate ¡°yes¡±. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She stood with her back against the wall, her arms folded behind her back. Was it really possible to regain such elegance so soon after having nearly broken down? Birds of a feather. ¡°Why were you doing what you were doing?¡± Ai brushed a long strand of hair behind her ear before suddenly changing her mind. Separating it into three strands, before long, a small braid could be seen forming on the side of her hair; loosening the ribbon around her wrist with a small tug of her teeth, she used it to secure the braid. ¡°How do I look~?¡± Yui narrowed her eyes, though in frustration at her dodging the question, or at the fact she asked one in return, she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Yuuko gave you that ribbon, right?¡± ¡°Oh my, was it that obvious?¡± she asked, tilting her head upwards and to the right, showcasing long, wavy brown hair that intermingled with the peach-pink ribbon. ¡°Does it look good~?¡± Ai took her silence for an answer. ¡°To answer your question,¡± she said, as she picked up various articles of clothing, slowly putting them back on. Yuuko avoided the sight, out of either guilt or respect. ¡°I did receive it from him, as a gift.¡± ¡°Yui was actually the one who helped me pick it out.¡± he said, talking to the other end of the room since Ai was still putting on her clothes. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get it.¡± ¡°Oh my~! In that case I really should be thanking you Yui; you have a real sense for fashion!¡± Ai ran up to her, hand outstretched, with a skirt only halfway zipped below a nearly open top. Yui looked at it, before meeting Ai¡¯s eyes with much more calm than she anticipated. ¡°Ai, please tell me what exactly it was that you were trying to do with Yuuko.¡± ¡°Ahhaha, I guess we can¡¯t really move on from that, can we~?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Yui stated calmly while taking a seat by his study table. Ai mimicked her actions, taking a seat near her on the edge of the bed; Yuuko, however, didn¡¯t move from place, remaining standing by the entrance with his shoulder against the wall. ¡°You two must have a very close relationship, to care for each other so deeply¡­¡± Yui turned her head to the side, a small blush creeping through her nose and cheeks. ¡°Um, by the way, I¡¯m sorry about being so rough with you Ai¡­¡± spoke the boy from across the room. ¡°I shouldn''t have been so rough.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had rougher~¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered the question!¡± ¡°Hmm~? But I already have.¡± Yui looked at her in absolute befuddlement, her blush was a deeper shade after having heard her comment on Yuuko¡¯s roughness; it only added to the distraught expression on her face. ¡°Like I just told you,¡± Ai teased, holding a finger to her lips in a silent gesture, ¡°you two must have a very close relationship.¡± ¡°We¡­We¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it so wrong for me to want something like that as well?¡± ¡°It is when you act like that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what two people do when they''re in love, no?¡± ¡°But Ai¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel that way towards you¡­¡± A smile stretched across her lips¡ª she knew that already. Ai Hirawa knew that already. So why was she approaching him? ¡°Maybe not, no.¡± she said, standing before him, arms behind her back. Her eyes were locked onto his; he was taller than she was. ¡°But that doesn''t mean I don¡¯t feel that way about you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just¡ª!¡± ¡°¡ªare you two dating?¡± The question caught them both off guard, as they fidgeted around the room with their eyes. ¡°Us two¡­we are¡­but we¡¯re not¡­¡­but¡­¡± ¡°¡­at the moment¡­we¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm~? I see I see~¡± ¡°W-Well what does that have anything to do with anything?!¡± Ai turned on her heel, marching back to Yui who had stood up from the anxiety coursing through her body, brought about by the question. ¡°Miss Yui, it has everything to do with everything~¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, her body coming to a halt. ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that you came here tonight, you¡¯re both very close to one another, yet aren¡¯t in a romantic relationship.¡± She raised her head while tapping her chin with a finger. ¡°Come to think of it, you probably haven¡¯t even done anything¡­intimate, with each other yet. Even though by the look on your face I can tell you want to~¡± ¡°Where are you going with this, Ai!?¡± Yui¡¯s blush had returned, a mix of anger, embarrassment, and admittance. ¡°So, in the same way you were kind enough to gift me a ribbon through Yuuko, I want you to let him go on a date with me.¡± It was as if someone had dropped a boulder into the room, directly onto Yuuko and Yui. They''re faces were a mixture of confusion, bewilderment, disbelief, and for Yui¡ª ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡ªviolent indignation. Ai held up a single finger by her head. ¡°One week.¡± she said, tilting her gaze towards the girl. ¡°I¡¯ll go on dates with Yuuko for one week. In that time, if he doesn''t feel the same way I do towards him, I¡¯ll give up on him, return the ribbon, and never speak to him again.¡± Yui¡¯s eyes narrowed at the audacity of the request the girl was asking. ¡°Ai, I can¡¯t do that, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Ai held a finger to the lips of the boy behind her, not having removed her gaze from Yui for even a moment. ¡°But if it turns out we do have the connection I think we do, if we really are compatible, then I¡¯ll be his girlfriend¡ª¡± Yuuko could physically feel the emotions resonating from Yui at hearing Ai mention the word ¡°girlfriend¡±. ¡°¡ªand if he comes to feel something towards me, you¡¯ll accept it by turning in your ribbon.¡± Ai held out her hand. ¡°What do you say, Miss Yui~?¡±