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— 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— 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— 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— 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—”

“—to 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—”

“Yui—”

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— 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—”

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— 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— 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?

He liked her of course.

So why not date?

Because if what happened the previous summer— no— 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— 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— 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— 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 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— 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—”

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— behind that beguiling, innocent smile— 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— 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—

“—are 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—

“—AND 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—”

“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— 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— 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— 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—

“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—GLEuUUgHh!

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—

“—but 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—

“You’re awfully chipper for a girl who hasn’t slept!” observed a voice behind her.

“Wha—Rea!” 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—!”

“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— 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—”

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—

“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t need the money then.”

—perhaps that’s why those words carried so much weight.

“That’s not—” 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— 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— 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?」

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~」

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.