*Aito POV*

"Here~! say aahh~!"

Kiroi took some food from her lunch box and feed spoon me.

"W-wait, you don't need to..!"

I distance myself away from her spoon.

"Why? you don't want to share food?"

Kiroi lowers her spoon and looks confused.

"I-it's not that..! it just.. umm.."

I look left and right, trying to find a better word on how to express my feeling.

As much as I like to be fed by Kiroi, I am not ready yet to do it with her..! it's too embarrassing!

Especially what happened today in the classroom..! I don't even know if I can go back there..!

"I don't really get it, but I did it a lot with my friends so I think there's nothing weird about it.." "Ah, could it be that you didn't like my food and to an extension, me..!?"

Tears form on the sides of Kiroi eyes and she looks like she's about to break down and cry.

"N-no! it's nothing like that at all, Kiroi!" "Alright, alright! let's share food, ok!?"

I shout and try to calm her down and quickly changes one of my nugget for her vegetables with my chopsticks.

"Oh, thank you~!"

Kiroi expression took a 180° turn and she returns to her usual cheerful and sweet self.

Fiuh.. I manage to avoid triggering the death flag..

I never knew Kiroi has a side like this underneath her usual lady-like persona.

But that's hardly a bad thing for me, instead, she looks incredibly cute..!

Her cuteness parameters went off the chart!!

I can feel my heartbeat really fast and blood pumped into all parts of my body.

I must look really ridiculous right now if I can somehow watch how I played out from the sidelines.

"Speaking of which, Aito."

Kiroi called me out.

"Yes?"

I excitingly listen to Kiroi.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, right? feeling like hanging out?"

Kiroi flashes an angelic smile and asks me out.

"Of course!!"

I instantaneously answer.

There's no need for a second thought, my answer is clear as day!

"Y-you really surprise me on how fast you answer that its kinda creepy, but thanks!" "Any idea on where we're going?" "To be honest, I haven't really gone anywhere ever since I arrive here, I hardly know much about my surroundings."

Kiroi giggled and share with me a little bit of her story.

".. Speaking of which, you're from Russia right? what kind of country is it?"

I curiously ask.

"A cold country, we get snows for almost the entire year due to our geography location far north into the pole." "I have to wear thick clothes and a scarf every time I plan to go out."

Kiroi giggled while moving her legs back and forth like a child.

Well her story just now explains how she can have those pale white and smooth skins of hers.

Wait, can I use this opportunity to...

"Then do you want to go to the amusement park with me this Sunday?"

I asked her out.

"Amusement park? like Disney Land on Russia? of course! I would love to!!"

Kiroi smiles and accepts in excitement.

"Then it's settled!"

I return her smiles and get just as excited as her or even possibly more.

This hang-out won't be a regular hanging out for me.

This is a date!

I am going to use these chances to know her more and planned my move.

And when I gather enough info, I am going to confess my feelings to her!

Alright! solid enough plan!

"You know the Ryugu amusement park, right?"

I curiously ask Kiroi.

"Ryugu.. you mean the one near here?"

Kiroi tilts her head a little to left, sounding not very sure.

"Yeah, that one, do you ever go there?"

I ask.

"Sorry, I only know that it's nearby, not much else."

Kiroi looks apologetic and confused.

"It's alright! I will share the location with you later!" "We're going to meet in front of the park at nine in the morning, how is that sound?"

I wink my left eye with confidence and asks.

"..Nine in the morning.. Alright, fine by me!"

Kiroi mummers to herself before raising her head and agree while looking at me in the eyes with a wide smile on her face.

Then, suddenly, the raindrops from the sky.

One small rain after another, fell into the rooftop, ruining all of the fun and sweet moment the two of us currently shares.

"Ah..!"

Kiroi was startled by the tiny droplet raining down on her bit by bit.

"This is bad..!"

I instinctively took my school mantle off and use it to shield Kiroi from the rain.

"I cover you, run!"

"Y-yes!"

I order Kiroi to make a move and she obediently follows.

I shield her from the rain and guide her back inside the school building where it's safe from the rain, leaving my lunchbox behind.

I succeeded in my endeavor and brought Kiroi back inside the building at the cost of my lunch box and getting wet myself.

"You're alright? are you wet, Kiroi?"

I ask while checking on her.

"I-I am fine, thank you, but more importantly, you..!"

Kiroi looks at me worriedly, I was wet from head to toe.

"It's alright, I am used to getting wet like this."

I lied to ease her worry.

"But..!"

"Don't worry, this kind of thing is-"

The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the ending of the first break before I can finish my sentence.

Talk about timing...

"Well, that's the bell.. go on and return to the class."

I told Kiroi and ask her to go.

"But..!"

Kiroi still hesitates to left.

"I get myself dry and return before you know, promise."

I lied yet again and asks her to go.

I can't let her keep on seeing me like this nor can I allow her to skip class.

"... Alright, I see you back in the classroom.. see you soon, Aito..."

Kiroi looks hesitant, but slowly moving away.

Good girl.

"Yeah, see you soon."

I wave at her and watch her until she climbs down the stairs and left.

"..Now then.. I better fetch my lunch box back before the rain ate all of it.."

I shift my gaze back outside where I left my lunchbox.

There's no need for me to really look at it anymore, the rain must have "ate" them all by this point.

I made my way back outside to fetch my lunchbox and return to the school building.

It feels hard for me, but I throw the leftover food insides into the trash can, the food has become really wet with rainwater mixed in.

It's no longer edible for me to eat.

I sigh and shut my lunch box shut.

"I better take these clothes off and wait until it's dry before I can return to class." "There's no helping it... I have to skip the class."

With that plan in mind, I climbed down the stairs and head into a toilet.

Once inside, I take off my school uniform and wait it out, alone and all by myself.

...

.....

.......

While I am waiting in the toilet, the thunder roar again and again.

The wind went wild and shakes the toilet windows.

The rain rains down much more furiously than before.

It was as if the sky itself is angry, furious even.

I hope the weather won't be as bad as it is right now.

I do not know for how long have I waited it all out, but the school bell has yet to rang.

The bell rang for each portion of the class, meaning I can still made it back to class if I hurry right now.

I grab and check if my uniform has dried or not, thankfully it has, a little, which is good enough for me.

I can't afford to skip the class anymore than this, and I do promise to Kiroi to return as soon as possible.

I slowly wear my half-dry uniform and mantle back and walked out of the toilet.

"Took you a while to finish your business..."

Aoi voices suddenly ring in my ears and caught me by surprise.

"Yuiga Aito."

She raises her head and glares at me.

She's lean against the window in front of the toilet with her arms crossed.

"Aoi...!?"

I took a step back from the surprise.

"How is it? did you have a sweet time with Kiroi?"

Aoi moves from the wall and slowly walks at me.

I instinctively walk to the sides and keep my distance from her.

I cannot really explain why, but the "Aoi" in front of me feels completely different... it is as if I am being approached by a wild and savage beast...

The thunders roar again and again behind her as she approaches me.

"Tomorrow at Ryugu park, huh... so sweet..."

Aoi steps came to a halt, her eyes are sharps like a blade.

Wait.. she knew..? she knew what we talk about at the rooftop?

"You... were eavesdropping on us!?"

I shout and accuse Aoi, feeling offended by her actions.

"...I only say this once, so listen carefully."

Aoi crosses her arms in front of her chest, ignoring my question.

"Don't go and meet Kiroi tomorrow."

"Huh?"

Aoi warned me.

"Obey my command and you will be spared."

Scratch that, it was an ultimatum, she has no intention to "warn" me.

I cannot really explain it, but I can feel something ominous and dark coming from her.

Something that a human shouldn't possess.

Something that's beyond what a mere human can understand.

I am scared, I am sweating nonstop, and my legs are shaking, and feels like jelly.

I feel like collapsing on my own two feet.

But, I still feel offended by the fact that she's eavesdropping on us and now she wants me to "obey" her while she refuses to listen to me?

"Don't screw with me! you think I will just say obey when you-"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP, WORM!!"

Aoi angrily shouts and grabs me by my shirt and lifts me into the air with only one hand.

The lightning strikes the tree near the windows at the exact moment she shouts as if responding to her anger.

"I am the only one who's talking right now, not you, understand!?"

She furiously shakes me while keeping me up in the air, few meters from the ground.

Her eyes are empty and filled with anger, the usually bright Aoi is nowhere to be seen.

It was as if she was someone else.

And she lifts me with nothing but one arm..!?

What in the world...!?

"If you have a death wish, then go and say it! either way, you will end up rotting on the side of the streets!"

"Say it! I dare you to say it!"

Aoi violently shakes me over and over.

Dammit, she keeps on talking nonsense over and over and pissed me off.

I am scared and surprised, but my anger against her rude action is greater than my fear of her.

"Don't you joke with me...!" "First you intervene in my privacy and then demand me to obey you without any context with such rough behavior...!"

I slowly voice my dismay.

"This a crime no matter how you look at it!" "If you're going to kill me, then I dare you!!"

I shout in retaliation and resistance.

No matter how loud I shout for help, the furious rain and thunder will simply overwhelm and render my shouts useless.

The only choice I have is this and only this.

Aoi paused for a brief moment and it seems to have worked a little.

Until she suddenly tosses me to the wall like a ragdoll.

My back hit the wall and I immediately collapse to the ground and cough.

"..Father and sis are right... lower life form like all of you are dumb beyond saving." "Only at the cost of billions of lives that you guys finally decide to act." "That's how things always happen, over and over again." "Fine.. have it your way, I am basically done with what I am tasked with." "I see you again as you rot on the side of the street."

Aoi keeps on mumbling over and over by herself before she's left.

Thankfully, I suffer no real injury, so I quickly get up and look for her.

She's no longer around, I guess it safe to assume that she left.

I do not know what she was saying nor do I am in any position to listen well to everything she said while I grovel on the ground.

What I know for certain right now is that I must watch out for my back... from Aoi.