"Onee-sama?" The sound of my friend's concerned voice pulled me from my thoughts. Glancing around, I was met with the concerned faces of the people I called my friends. Other than my mother, they were really all I had to keep me going through this life. Each person was someone I had opened up to, someone I could trust with a variety of tasks. Yet, this time -this time- even they couldn't be of use. Not to say that their concern wasn't appreciated. It was quite the opposite. Just having them near made me feel ten times better than I would feel were I to be left alone. They just couldn't fathom what it was I was going through at the moment. If I were to tell them the whole truth, what would they think of me then? Would they see me as a horrible person? Those rumors that were circulating would surely give them such an opinion. I inwardly smiled an empty but pitiful smile at the thought. Telling them everything wasn't an option for me. My future plans regarding the matter could not be shared either.
Blinking my eyes, I slowly parted my lips. "Huh? Did I miss something?" A look was shared among the group and I tried my best to leave my thoughts behind. It was time to focus on keeping up appearances. Kuroko was more likely than any of them to figure out that something was deeply bothering me. That didn't mean that she would find out what exactly was plaguing my mind. Finally, one of my friends spoke up. This time it was Saten, a level zero, but one of the best people that I had met. We had much in common. From our similar height to our love for arcade games. The raven haired girl's emerald eyes carried a recognizable emotion. Concern was as clear as day in those eyes. It brought a smile to my face. One that wasn't full hearted, but not entirely forced either. A nod of my head was given to encourage her to continue.
"We were just talking about going on a day trip next weekend. Somewhere fun and relaxing was what I had in mind. Uiharu wants to go somewhere that has a cake shop." I forced a small laugh and quickly glanced over at the mentioned girl. Seeing me smile caused the corners of her lips to lift into a smile as well. It was just like the younger girl to want to visit that type of a shop. Everyone in our small group was aware of the girl's love for sweets, especially cake. My gaze was drawn towards my roommate when she spoke up again. "I told them that we would have to check our schedules and we'd have to request a day off Judgement duties." A brighter smile came to the teleporter's face. It was the smile that she wore each time she had something perverted on her mind. "If we go somewhere, I'd want to spend time with you and shared desserts. It could be a long awaited date!" There was no doubt that her idea of a date differed from mine. Besides, she already knew I was likely to just bring my fist to her head or electrocute her and decline the request.
However, I couldn't bring myself to give her the usual punishment. My spirits weren't as high as they had been mere weeks ago. Instead, I simply let out a small sigh and shook my head. "Rejected." While a disappointed pout made its way to her face, there was also a hint of surprise in her eyes. Being hit or electrocuted was exactly what she had been expecting. The change might have been welcomed, but she knew something was still wrong with me. Moving my gaze away from her questioning eyes, I looked at Saten once more and smiled. "Going on a day trip sounds like a good idea. Next weekend will work fine. Let's decide on Saturday for now. I've already got a place in mind. We'll just meet at Tokiwadai's gates at noon." My words brought smiles to everyone's faces. Erii seemed to be particularly happy with my words. Sliding out of my seat, I stood up and stretched. Not even a second after that, the curfew announcement sounded throughout the city. It caused a collection of groans to be emitted by my friends. "Come on, let's all start walking back. We can plan more later."
"I'm glad that we got to spend time together. Thank you for inviting me." Erii smiled at me and gave a respectful bow. I gave a dismissive wave of my hand. "Don't worry about it. We're all glad you were able to come." Standing by my side, Kuroko tried to grab my hand. This time, I managed to give her a cold glare. Just like a cowering puppy, she immediately frowned and took a step back before parting her lips to whine. "Onee-sama!" The others laughed and I found myself wanting to laugh with them. "We'll see you all later. The dorm supervisor is strict, so we can't be late." Erii blinked her eyes before curiously voicing a question. "With Shirai-san's ability, can't you just teleport back to the room?" I shook my head from side to side. Before I could voice an answer, my roommate took on the task. "Abilities aren't supposed to be used in the dorm hall. If we're caught, we'll have to clean the pool." The thought made me feel the need to part ways faster. "See you all later." After giving a wave and smiling, I exited the restaurant with Kuroko by my side.
"Is something bothering you? You know that you can always count on me, right?" We both knew the answers to her questions. Something was indeed ailing me and we both knew that I knew she would forever be my support. I smiled at the younger teen before giving a nod of my head. "I know you are, Kuroko. Thanks for always helping out." A pink tint came to her cheeks and she found herself smiling. Just as quickly as they came, the tint departed from her cheeks and the smile vanished. Confusion came to my own eyes as I tilted my head. "What? What's wrong?" The pinkette released a long and drawn out sigh. "Something is still bothering you, isn't it? It has something to do with where you've been going. You were extremely late last night." My mind quickly flashed to last night's events. The tiresome battles that had been fought all for a cause that seemed to be so far gone. I forced a smile and spoke assuring words. "It's nothing. You're just being too paranoid. I went to study for a few exams last night." It was another excuse and another lie. Would the cycle ever come to a halt? The look she gave me was one of skepticism. She clearly didn't believe me. Releasing a sigh of my own, I continued walking. "Just, drop it. We've got to focus on getting back." Even though she was disappointed, she nodded and followed. I hated lying to her, but what choice did I have? I couldn't pull her down into the darkness. Forced smiles and voiced lies were necessary to keep her from falling to the bottomless pits that I had fallen into.