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— 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— 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— 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— 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?」

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 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.

“——!”

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—”

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— 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— 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— 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— 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— 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—

“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—

“—NO!” 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.

“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 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— 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—

“—but 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— 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.

“—!———!!”

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?」

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— 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— 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—

“Huh?”

—finding 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—”

—Hana 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.

“—!—!!——!!!”

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—”

————I WANT TO DIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

* * * * *

She took a deep breath and peeked through the side of the shelf— 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— 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?!」

“Oh, no no no! I’m sorry, no, not like that— I mean, it’s like a……a personal project! To work on, in my spare time, I guess…”

「Oh!」Hana’s eyes remained wide, but the anxiety in them became replaced with curiosity.

「That’s amazing! What are you working on?」

“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?」

“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…」

“Oh…” he said, reading the text with intrigue. “Camera installations, like for computers?”

Hana shook her head.

「For buildings, like security cameras…」

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…」

“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!」

“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?」

“Ye-Yeah, I mean, we kind of had to since the horses would sometimes roam around and—”

「HORSES?!」

He could feel himself getting red in the face.

“Ahaha, yeah— 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…」

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— 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?」

“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—

「……it would be nice to be around his happiness a little more……」

—before 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— 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—

She traced the lines of her palm, recalling the feeling.

—why 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— 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—”

“—I’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~!”