THE WORLD IN MY ROOM

(Note: I don't own Shakugan no Shana. I am just a fan.)

Piece 1: At the end of the day…

Shana ended the training sessions with Sakai Yuji early that night. They entered the window, and Shana flopped on the bed contentedly. Yuji looked at his friend in content and sat down on the floor.

"Hey Shana, do you want anything to eat?" Yuji asked while removing his socks.

Shana was pissed off that someone even bothered to care. Of course, she wanted to grab a snack, but she wasn't willing to admit to Yuji that she was hungry. Her stomach was honest; it grumbled very loudly that Shana had to blush in embarrassment.

"I only want melon bread, that's all," she replied curtly.

Yuji smiled, since his friend only seemed to live for melon bread. Even the toughest of warriors had a soft spot at least, and melon bread was Shana's soft spot.

"I'd check out if Mom bought some melon bread," Yuji said.

"Of course she did," Shana replied. "I went shopping with her this morning."

Ah, how well Shana knew! And so, Yuji went downstairs to grab a midnight snack for both of them.

As they were silently eating, Yuji's cell phone rang. The number registered on the screen belonged to their classmate, Yoshida Kazumi. Yuji answered the phone, not minding that Shana was listening to the conversation.

"Urusai, urusai, urusai (Shut up, shut up, shut up)!" Shana shouted to Yuji in her thoughts. She didn't like the idea that Yuji and Kazumi had gone closer by the day.

Earlier that day, Yuji expressed his excitement and pleasure when Kazumi brought bentou for him. She had done that for the last few weeks already, and Shana knew that Kazumi had expressed her love for Yuji. She, meanwhile, hadn't had the chance to say anything even if she and Yuji had been together for the rest of the day. Sigh! Kazumi had the advantages. She knew how to cook, be it viand or any sweet treats. Yuji seemed to enjoy those fine cooking. Meanwhile, Shana couldn't even leave the kitchen without any exploding ovens at all. No matter how much Chigusa-san teaches her how to cook, she never learned. Not even her "helper" and fellow Flame Haze Wilhelmina could cook well.

Lately, Yuji and Kazumi went to the library together, ate together, did things together, and went home together. Yuji only was with Shana everytime they went to practice and in battles, and lately, no Tomogara had been disturbing them. Shana couldn't even give the excuse of having those battle exercises since she knew that she and Yuji had already made an agreement as to the time and place and she knew she couldn't break it.

The teachers had their meetings that afternoon, so the students went off earlier than usual. Eita, Yuji, Shana, and Kazumi went to Satou Keisaku's house, for the latter was rich and had food most of the time. There, the whole gang save Shana feasted on the snacks as well as enjoyed the videoke prepared by Keisaku's household helpers. Later, the femme fatale Margery Daw came in drunk again, and bypassed the high school students having revelry at the common room. Keisaku, trying his best to be a good host to a guest, accompanied the drunk Flame Haze, and to his amazement, Shana offered to help. As they were helping the blonde bombshell to her room, Keisaku noticed that Shana seemed a bit annoyed and deep in thought. After making Margery comfortable in bed, the two students went out.

"You're quite disturbed today, aren't you, Hirai-san?"

Shana looked at the bad-boy-looking guy beside him. She was used to his formal ways, as she was used to being called Yukari-chan by the other students. Of course, she was simply using Hirai Yukari's existence. Yet, she didn't answer Keisaku.

"Is it about Sakai and Yoshida?" he asked.

Shana didn't answer him. She didn't want anybody to guess that she was hopelessly in love with Yuji. Keisaku couldn't be fooled. Although Shana didn't tell anybody of her crushes, but he was able to tell. It was totally obvious that she was avoiding the two people since last week. And only he noticed.

"What is it to you, then?" Shana threatened him.

"Nanimo…," Keisaku lied. "Although you aren't willing to admit it, but I know."

"Urusai!" Shana said to him in his thoughts. How dare he pry to her private emotions! He didn't know! Of course, he didn't know. He was simply pretending to know.

"Don't worry Shana, I won't tell him," Keisaku said to her without looking at her in the eye.

Shana looked at the tall guy beside her. Of course, Keisaku was always trustworthy. Even if he may seem the I-don't-care-about-anything type, he doesn't mind who you are and simply listens to you anyway. He also thinks his way through and finds a way to solve his problems, which is why Margery trusted him so much to find unrestricted spells for her. Shana, however, wasn't willing to trust her secret to him. Even if Chigusa-san likes her a lot for a daughter, she didn't tell Yuji's mom that she had a special feeling for her son. She simply cannot tell her.

"Shana, daijoubu?" Yuji asked.

Shana's thoughts vanished into thin air. She gave a startled but stupid look at him.

"You seem to be in deep thought," Yuji asked her. "Are you really okay?"

"Urusai! Shut up!" Shana yelled. "Urusai, urusai, urusai!"

Something really bothered her, he thought. She wouldn't be throwing out curses if nothing upsets her. He never knew that everytime Shana became conscious of him and gets irritated by his meddlesome but irritatingly sweet behavior, she would always curse him.

"Nande, Shana?" Yuji softened his voice in query. Shana liked it when Yuji got concerned for her, but at the same time, irritated. What does he want?

"Nothing, Yuji…it's just, I am pissed off," she admitted.

"Pissed off? Of what?" he asked.

"Kinishinai de…(never mind)," Shana said as she turned his back on him and hid her tears.

Yuji didn't hear her cry, but it was obvious that she did for she was shaking a bit.

"You are not okay, Shana. I am your friend. Please tell me what is bothering you," Yuji offered.

Her heart ached again. She was a Flame Haze, and she had chosen that destiny. She had to fight and fight all the time. She had no time, however, to fall in love. And here it goes again. Yuji was simply a Mystes who would die someday if the treasure in him would get into the wrong hands. In short, he was just a special torch with a special gift. And for her, it was not right for the two of them to be together.

-tsuzuku