Recto: Minako

Capitulum I: Semota

"Can you do this?" Uttered the boy, as he brought the gun to his head and pointed it at his temple.

'Why? Why would I be thinking of something like this right now?' Shaking my head, I aimed the pistol at the glob of darkness and blades that quivered frenetically before me.

"Stop! That... That's not a weapon!" Said Yukari, trying to rise from the floor, unsuccessfully.

The boy reappeared in my mind, and in innocent grin, he repeated the motion of pointing the gun to his own temple. His eyes sparkled in daring delight.

My hands were shaking. I gritted my teeth as I felt a distressed feeling overtaking me. The strange creature before me halted its quivering and flipped the mask it carried in one of its hands. Previously the mask showed a neutral expression, now it smiled deviously. The remaining of its multiple arms dropped down to the ground simultaneously, the figure seemed to sink into the ground when suddenly, propelled by its hands, it leapt into the air, approaching me at incredible speed. Powerless, Yukari screamed.

I felt a cold, hard circle pressing on my head. Unconsciously, I had brought the gun to my temple. Despair commanded my body and I pulled the trigger expecting the end.

-/-

"You saw those creatures. It's our job to defeat them." His face glowed with excitement.

"What about the police?"

"They don't have the potential." Replied The Chairman.

"We've prepared an Evoker for you, we'd like you to lend us your strength." Said Mitsuru, as she opened a case with a gun inside.

A smile in her face, no, more like a smirk, of someone who knows they won, someone who always wins. The Chairman had a serious expression, but one that seemed gentle and ease-hearted. Yukari looked distressed, as though in a hurry to leave, clearly bothered by something.

"No." Said I. 'I don't want this.' Thought I.

A startled look on Mitsuru's face. On all their faces.

The Chairman was the first to recover, and subsequently said: "It's alright, you'll have plenty of time to think about it during the course of this year."

Looking him in the eye, I announced: "I said no." Acknowledging that, his expression quickly turned into one of disappointment.

Akihiko turned around briskly and walked away. Mitsuru bit her lip and looked angry, although her eyes were fixed at the wall to her left. Yukari stared at me, her face, neutral, as though she was trying to read my thoughts.

"I'm going back to my room." Said I, lowly, as I stood up and left. Behind me there was only silence.

-/-

"Why did you? Haven't you ever thought about being a hero?"

I glared at him.

"Leave her." Said Yukari, sternly.

Junpei turned towards her and started: "But, Yuka-"

"If she can sleep soundly every night knowing that people are dying because of Shadows..." She paused for dramatic effect and continued in an even more accusing tone, staring me down: "There's no way someone like that could ever be a hero."

Her contempt was almost palpable. "Indeed." Uttered I. "I could never think of myself so highly, unlike you guys."

"Tch."

"Whatever."

-/-

Where would there be a place as noiseless as possible?

Where would there be a place as noiseless as possible in a school?

'Of course.' Thought I.

"Of course." Whispered I.

'The library, of course.'

I gathered my material and stored them in my bag. With it, I made my way through the labyrinthine halls towards the library. Once inside, I noticed it wasn't empty, but it also wasn't full. Just a handful of people, but at last, quietude. I'd never been here before, so I decided to peruse its shelves for a moment. There there were every kind of didactic category imaginable. 'Science.' Read I. 'No.' Onto the next. 'History.' 'Interesting. But I haven't got the time.' 'Kanji.' 'Ugh.' 'Literature.' 'Aha! I could spend days here!' I take a peek at my wristwatch. Time, as always isn't on my side.

I sat in front of an unoccupied table with a book in hand. The simple act of opening it and reading it, flipping through every page, somehow, to me, it's magical, 'surely there is no greater feeling than this.' Thought I. 'Surely, like this, I can forget whatever happenings that transpired in the parallel world, surely, I can, surely, I hope.'

-/-

"Hey, Minako, are you in any clubs?" Asked he.

"Yes." Replied I.

Kenji narrowed his eyes suspiciously. After thirty long seconds, he uttered, somberly: "...You're a really bad liar."

"I'm not, you just had foreknowledge of the situation and you made use of it." Explained I.

"Fore-what? A-Anyways, I know you're not in any clubs because I see you all the time in the library."

"The library? You go there a lot?"

"'Course! Best place for a nap!"

I sighed and didn't even bother hiding my disappointment. "I should've known."

"Hey, don't look so glum, you're making me feel bad!"

"Well, I'm going there right now to actually read something, so..." I looked away.

"Wait, I got kind of a favour to ask." Said he, slowly.

"Kind of a favour?"

"You see, my friend's on the volley team, and they're just one girl short, can you please...?" He didn't even complete the request, he just joined his hands and lowered his head in mock begging.

"Why, Kenji, I thought we were kindred spirits, you know how much I despise extraneous activity."

He raised his head quicker than lightning and his eyes sparkled in fiery glee. Smirking, he said: "You know I got your back, Minako, because actually, you don't have to play a single game!"

My surprise overtook my facial features. I arched my head back and repeated in hurried breath: "Don't have to play a single game?"

He added in quick succession: "And you won't have to train a single pass!"

I proceeded to repeat it, similarly mannered: "I won't have to train a single pass?"

"You'll be a bench warmer! You can take a book and read all day! It's great! It's sensational!" By now Kenji was foaming at the mouth and screeching like a depraved lunatic. "It-It-It-It's bonus points in your extracurricular activities for free! Free! FREE!" He then fell on his desk, exhausted, tears, snot, and saliva dripping from its edges. Then he snored loudly. The poor guy fainted from all his overexcitement.

'Gross!' Thought I. 'But... Genius!'

I stood up and made my way towards the volleyball court, determined to get this once in a lifetime opportunity of being a bench warmer, and never worry about my PE grades ever again!

"I wish to enter this team. Is there any qualification?" All the players stared dumbfounded at me. I tilted my head slightly to the side. "Am I too late?"

Almost at the same time they all recovered from whatever shock they were in, and approached me, smiling, one of them saying: "Great! Now we finally have all the required members! You're welcome! Very much welcome! And thank you!"

"O-Okay..." Uttered I, a tad discomposed. 'Hopefully they won't rely on me that much.' Hoped I.

"Hey, call the captain! Let's play a celebratory game!" One of the players said, excitedly.

"All right!" The others responded in unison.

"I'll just watch for today, is that all right?" Asked I, nervously.

"Sure."

They all scrambled to their places, some performed stretches, while I made my way to the bench. As I sat down, I deeply exhaled. 'My new favourite place.' Mulled I. 'Just you and me, bench-y, hopefully for a long time...' I was starting to calm down when two girls entered the court abruptly. 'I guess they brought their captain back, I should later take the time to explain to her the situation and let her know I won't be playing much, hopefully ever.'

When I looked up again, she stood right in front of me. The Captain of the Volleyball Team. And she introduced herself. And she thanked me for joining, and she welcomed me to the team, and she smiled to me, sweetly, and her lips continued to move, hypnotically, and her lashes continued to bat, charmingly, and her eyes continued to pierce me, deeply, her warm expression, soothing, her imponent disposition, striking, her glow... wait, she glowed? A light outlining her body, with every hand motion, an iris of colours blinking in and out of focus. Someone called her, she heeded it. She stepped in line and served, then defended every attack elegantly, passed every ball beautifully, moved ever so perfectly. The zone of yells and cheers didn't reach my mind, the only point my eyes were fixed in was her. The only figure I registered was hers, and the only voice I heard was hers.

A sharp inhale and I'm back to reality, my ears are flooded with the sounds from the game, the other girl's figures are shining lights obstructing my vision, so much it gives me a headache, I'm sweating and hyperventilating as if I was playing myself. After a minute, my breathing is stabilised and my brain makes sense of what just occurred.

The Captain... Rio Iwasaki... entranced me.

The most afflicting sensation I'd ever felt in my life.

I was excited. I was shaking with adrenaline.

I needed physical stimuli. My brain demanded it.

Without thought, I stressed my vocal chords: "Hey!" Yelled I. They stopped. All at once they interrupted their movements and looked my way. The only sound I could hear was my heart's. "Anyone wanna swap?"