SOUL MEETS BODY

And I cannot guess what we'll discover

When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels

But I know our filthy hands can wash one another's

And not one speck will remain

It wasn't hard to fall prey under those red tinted eyes that always seemed to reflect him in a foreign light, as if her looks could pry him open and expose what kind of "more" there was to him, other than the forced pieces of expectations, which were supposed to turn him into a bigger picture; as if their play of stares were that of hide and seek, and as much as he tries to duck in secluded shelters, there always came a sense of relief with her gazes, that may be too inquisitive for comfort, but never failed to say I found you.

"We were always at a time limit,

you and I,

a toy for fate,

a slave for chance..."

The soft song that held itself opposite from the ringing in his ears drew to a halt when he opened the school clinic's door, revealing a girl with auburn hair, sitting on the bed, swinging her feet back and forth.

"Uhh.." He started, feeling apprehensive. He had no problem being thrown inside a ring, with an opponent ready to swing at his face the minute he steps in, but girls, girls were a different matter entirely.

"Mr. Edogawa isn't here. I can patch you up if you want." The ruby-eyed stranger offered, standing up, and heading to the first aid kit atop the table near where she was just sitting at.

Before he could reject what he deemed was an unnecessary suggestion, she already had his arm in her grip, leading him to a chair, and fussing over antiseptics.

It was during club practice for an upcoming boxing match, where he was just a second too careless, and his sparring partner's punch a little too hard, which led him with a busted lip, a broken nose, and in the hands of an unknown girl that apparently had complete disregard for personal space.

"So... what's got you looking like shit, senpai?" She asked nonchalantly, as if the honorific was meant to make up for her cursing. Dabbing a cotton swab in the disinfectant, she then proceeded to treat his still bleeding wound.

It was probably too late to still be taken aback by her familiarity, but still, he wondered if she were like this with everyone that she meets. Deciding to brush it off, he explained his momentary lapse of caution, which painted an amused look on her face.

"Well, when you clean up the blood it doesn't look too bad. No make out sessions for you for a while, though," casually referring to the split on his lip. He swatted her hand away, surprised with her uncalled for remark, feeling his face burn from embarrassment. Does this girl know no social boundaries at all? He thought to himself, refusing to meet the gaze of the intrusive culprit that was to blame for the consecutive bursts of unease he felt since stepping inside the infirmary.

A light chuckle escaped her lips, not bothering to hide her blatant pleasure from his discomfort. "Now, now. Don't be a baby." She proceeded, mindlessly dabbing on his injury, causing him to wince.

"Do you even know that you're doing?" He scoffed. Pursing her lips to hide a grin, it was safe to say that she probably didn't. "You'd think being in the health committee, you'd at least know how to apply basic first aid."

"I never said I was in the health committee." She clasped her hands together, and looked at him proudly. "There, all done!" His mouth still stung, and whether the dizziness he was feeling was from the sudden loss of blood, or because the peculiar being in front of him was too much to handle all at once without even so much as a warning, but his shoulders sagged in defeat, thinking that engaging her with pointless banters would never result in a win.

"What are you even here for?" He asked as he examined the result of her work in the small mirror hanging on the wall across him.

"I actually just got back from a fever. We had a quiz today, and you know Mr. Ekoda never lets anyone get a retake so I couldn't recover fully. It's a good thing Ms. Toriumi is a different story, so I told her I still felt a bit sick, and I've been here for about an hour until you came in." She narrated in one breath. Huh. Well, at least she takes school seriously. He wordlessly mused.

"So.. uhh.. I gotta go. Thanks for..." He knew he wasn't a pro, but he liked to think he wasn't so socially incapacitated that he can't utter a simple thank you, though words never seem to place themselves properly on his tongue whenever he came across the opposite gender, especially when they were as eccentric as her.

She grinned, letting him know that she acknowledged his gratitude, awkward as it may be.

"What's your name?" He realized that after forcefully jabbing improvised treatment on his damaged face, and making indelicate comments that made him uncertain whether she was just too laid back or dense, she never even bothered to give him an introduction.

"Oh, right. Minako Arisato. I'm from 2-F" She let out a soft laugh, amused by her own forgetfulness.

"I'm Akihiko Sanada, by the way." He introduced himself in return. Before heading out the door, he gave her another look, and she says "Yes, I know you." with a tender smile as if saying that she really did.

She directed her stare to where Akihiko was sitting at a while ago. She rarely had the flair for the dramatics, but she couldn't help but welcome the sudden wave of nostalgia that hit her, the way she hoped he someday would. She hummed softly to herself.

"But still, I'm always yours to keep,

A body, a soul, whatever you need,

Because when the lost takes hold,

And the end draws near,

Believe when I say,

I'll be back for you, my dear."