Sumire does not know when she stopped breathing. But she noticed when it started to get better. No she found a method to deal with the emptiness. Whenever she read books she felt calmer. Ah, so there are other people who feel this way too.

'I am not the only weird one. If others feel like this too, does that make me normal?

Back then people often told me to behave normally. But I did not understand that. What did they mean by normal? I am alive aren't I?'

Sometimes Sumire felt like a dead person walking. She could no longer breathe and her emotions slowly became numb. She could cry and shout for hours but nobody would care, nobody would come to her. Who else would come to her? She is already all alone. The people who cared all left because they got tired.

Maybe its time to go? Maybe it is time to end this all. To the very end there was nothing she could do, she will die as a useless, and wretched person. Did death frighten her?

Yes it did, she was scared to die. Scared to die with such negativity, scared to die as a piece of trash.

"I was always on your side."

Is that so? Ha, then..then if that was the case.

'Where were you when I was in so much pain? Where we you when I felt alienated from those close to me? Where were you when I was bullied? Where were you when I felt so hopeless, lost and depressed? When I felt so useless, weak and unwanted? Did you even notice? The reason why I turned out this way, the reason I cannot move forward, do you know?'

People are liars, there is nobody out there who is sincere and genuine. Everybody thinks what they are doing is normal, they assume they are the right ones, they are the normal ones. It is the other person at fault. But the reality is? Those words and actions can severely hurt another person. It could break them.

If something like that can break another person, then what about somebody who is already broken?

Her thoughts broke off when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from the back. Yuhi brushed his lips against her neck and muttered something softly before pulling away.

"You alright?"

"Mm, I just thought it was too noisy."

Also, she noticed the looks they gave her. It seems like many people do not approve of her relationship with Yuhi. She does not have to listen to their bullshit, but if it will affect Yuhi, then it is better to remain distant. At least when they are around other people.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yuhi-san, let me do something bad to you."

Yuhi chuckled. "Well, I don't mind if you do. But I think people can see us from here."

"I don't care."

"You know, back when I was in the underworld, you frustrated me a lot."

She raised her eyebrows at his words. "Are you complaining now?"

"Just a bit of discussion. I always wondered why I could not do things as well as you. Even though I had more experience and skill, you still managed to succeed in many places that I couldn't."

"I wonder about that. I always thought I was a failure who could not do anything right. Whenever I watched you, Yuhi-san, I thought ah this person is amazing. Whether it is the underworld society, music, or art world, your amazing."

Yuhi chuckled softly. "You respect me that much?"

"Is it unusual?"

"Well, a little since your the girl I like."

The girl he likes, huh? She still found it weird that he loved her. No, what she found strange was how long Yuhi liked her for. Why did he like her for so long? Sumire thought back to that snowy night several years ago and paused. Did she do something back then? She was only a child, though.

Yuhi kissed the temple of her forehead. "I wanted to ask you about those documents Shin told me to give you. Do you mind if I keep them for a while?"

Sumire sighed. It seems like she cannot persuade him there. If Yuhi-san helps, though, then this investigation could run a lot smoother. When he worked in the underworld as her subordinate, Sumire recalled how helpful Yuhi was. He can grasp things so quickly, and his understanding of the criminal's methods is amazing. Indeed, it would help more if Yuhi was on their side.

"Then, okay. But you have to tell me everything."

"Got it. It seems like we will be working together again. I look forward to seeing how much you have improved."

"For now, I would like to go to a larger library. I know the school has one of the largest ones in the city. But there is another one, right?"

Yuhi nodded. "You need a special membership, which I have." He trailed off. "I guess I could bring you with me; you can get a membership too since Hino owns the library."

Sumire blinked when she heard those words. She understood that Hino was rich. But this amount of influence is indeed incredible. Maybe she should tease him less and start to treat him with respect.

"That sounds good."

"Also since were on his subject. What do you feel about individuals with supernatural powers?"

"If you ask me whether they exist or not, then yes. After all, anything is possible in this world. A more scientific explanation would be the Red Queen evolution theory. If humans evolve, something unnatural will occur in their bodies. It would not be peculiar for people to manifest strange abilities due to gene mutation."

That's right; it isn't unusual. It was the same for that person too. Sumire always found it strange how quickly Mamoru could get to her. No matter how far apart they were from one another. It did not take long for her to realize why she formed a hypothesis in her head. But she still could not grasp everything.

So she confronted him directly about it one day.