Hi. Sorry for the... holy hell, one year delay. I lost the inspiration for a while, but finally decided to write the next, and last before final, chapter.
The goal of this fic is to be canon-possible, which I tried in the previous chapters. For this one, I was inspired by a scene of Shizune's path when Kenji said Rin tried to draw him once. I loved it and since it's canon, well... Here it is. Worth mentioning that since the encounter with "Honeymuffin" happens in Rin's route, it didn't happen there.
Sheep. There are sheep running around me. They're all fluffy, like walking clouds. It's nice. A big sheep rises and comes to me. I want to paint it. Not on it, but paint it. It's the fluffiest thing ever.
The king of sheep looks at me and talks with a weirdly high voice.
"Hey, wake up!"
I shrug. I would've expected him to tell me something more interesting. He starts getting closer and shakes me with one of his legs.
"Rin! You there?"
The sheep starts morphing into something else that I can't recognize. The world goes to a blur and the other sheep disappear. All of this is replaced by a face. A half worried, half amused, half serious face. I feel a hand on my shoulder instead of the sheep's leg, and the face talks again, with that high and noisy voice.
"Wake up! I can't believe you fell asleep here."
Her twin tails waving around, Emi frowns. Given how it's dark outside, I guess my meditation went a bit too far. Maybe I should answer.
"Was meditating. Clouds were nice."
She removes her hand and giggles.
"Oh boy... I always have to watch over you, don't I? At least you were nice enough to fall asleep near the track!"
She stands back up, and I follow, slowly. I feel like jelly. Emi looks at me again. She's wearing her running outfit.
"Look, I've gotta run for a bit. Will you be fine getting back to your room?"
I nod. "I believe so. Unless something happens."
She gives me a sheepish look, and giggles again. Her super happy attitude makes my head hurts in the mornings sometimes. Well it isn't morning now, but a bit since I just woke up. I should find a word for that. It's almost unusual for her to run this late. So I ask.
"Why are you going to run? It's almost nightime. You could bump into something."
She dismisses my question with her hand, smiling. Not a very Emi smile though.
"I need the practice. The season is almost over but I can't rest on my victory from last week!"
She keeps that weird smile. I know her enough to know that that's not it. I think.
"You're not smiling like usual."
She makes a confused face. "What, Rin?"
"There's something, right?"
She frowns. "Not at all. I just... I just need to run, okay? It's weird that you inquire so much Rin. Hell, you just woke up! It's your brain acting up."
She giggles a bit. I guess she wants to reassure me. That bores me and I don't like Emi like this, so I shrug, not knowing what to say next. I'll just walk away.
"Okay."
I turn around and start walking to the dorms. The sun has set, but it's not exactly night. It's the most boring part of the day. Nothing to see. No sun, no stars. I don't like it much.
I think about Emi. I know that she's always a bit weird at this period of the year. It's been like this every month of June for the three years we've known each other. She'd wake up at night and cry, and I'd try to reassure her, but it was kinda hard. So I don't try much anymore. I think that's why she wanted to run. Ah, I'm thinking too much again. I shake my head.
I stop to look at the mural I painted a couple of weeks ago. It can't be seen very well under the almost night sky. I should ask the art shop for glistening paint, if that exists. Could be nice. But it really look different in the dark too, like a new perspective. I'm still not entirely satisfied. The middle could look better than butterfly's vomit. That reminds me... Nomiya asked me to draw someone for the next meeting. If I could. Maybe I'll ask Emi, but I doubt she can stay still for more than two minutes.
I remember that person who helped. What was his name? Heartbroken guy. Hisao. Haven't seen him, guess he was creeped out by me. I think I saw him with those president thing girls. He's more boring than I thought if he hangs out with them. Or he's just different. I guess I won't see him again.
I frown. I'm thinking too much again. I hear a voice coming from my right. It's a nosy, a bit high but not too much, voice.
"Hey man."
... Man? I turn and see a guy with a scarf. He's looking around franctically, like he's being followed. I don't see his eyes because he's wearing very thick glasses. He stops a couple of meters from me.
"Any of THEM around?" he asks, very fast.
I shrug.
"Hello. Probably."
He yelps and starts looking around again.
"Where? Tell me man!"
I look around too. "No idea. But there are many things around so I guessed. What's them?"
He looks at me and gets a bit closer. "You know, man. The biggest threat to this world. To us. Don't act like you don't know."
"Weekends?"
That's the thing that comes to my mind, but I don't see many weekends floating around.
He straightens himself and frowns. "No, worse! Feminists!"
... Oh. I guess I'm not. I don't really care about all that. I close my eyes, hoping he calms down a bit.
"There aren't."
That makes him brighten, and he gets a bit closer.
"Good. What are you doing? On a night mission like I am?"
His smile is conspiratory. What's up with this guy?
"No. I went meditating and suddenly it was night, so I started walking back. Who are you?"
He frowns. "Meditating? That's some weird shit man. You start with all that yoga bullshit and you end up with THEM."
He adjusts his glasses in a dramatic manner for some reason and extends his hand. Again a not really observant person uh?
"The name's Kenji."
I don't shake his hand. "The name's Rin."
He looks at me from feet to head and retreats his hand rapidly. "Okay, Rin. Damn, you ended up with a pretty feminine name. Or is it just a cover to infiltrate them better? You can tell me your real name. I'm trustworthy! I mean even if it's cool to be secret and all that shit, we've gotta stick together and-"
"I'm a girl."
He freezes entirely and looks at me again, making a very tense face.
"You WHAT?!"
I feel like I should explain. Why, I still don't know, but I guess I should.
"I'm a girl, I wear boys' uniform because it's better."
He seems on the verge of bursting into... whatever, but he gets closer and bows to look at my face. It's uncomfortable. He suddenly extends a hand again, to check if I'm real, maybe? But his finger ends up on my left boob.
I kick him. Why did he do that? He yelps in pain and steps back. I can kick hard, so I guess I hurt him.
"Ow! Man, uh... girl, whatever, that was a hard kick." He hisses like a cat.
"Don't touch my boobs if you don't want a kick, Kenji."
Maybe I kicked too hard? After a pause between us, I ask. "Are you okay?"
He looks at me funnily again and stands upright. "Of course I am! I'm a manly man! Nothing can hurt me much. I can surely endure a weak-ass woman's kick!"
His uneven breath doesn't really get along his last sentence. "I can kick hard, so I figured I asked."
I think he's gonna leave, but he keeps on talking. "Whatever. Damn I thought females were terrible at direct fighting, but you impressed me there. Quick reactions. If there are more like you, the incoming war is going to be hard."
He seems very concerned. "A war?"
A snort. "Well yes, the women taking power war! Slowly they're growing, their influence is everywhere, sneaky. And soon, they will reveal it. And this world will go to hell. That's why I'm always prepared. Feminists are dangerous. Shit, I shouldn't be telling you this."
He realizes that he's talking to a woman again and seems restless. His rambling was crazy and I kinda want to finish my night, so I try to reassure him.
"I'm not a feminist. I don't really care, really."
He seems surprised. "You're a non feminist woman? Nonsense! I know your tricks, you're just getting away with useful information! Damn, what have I done?"
He takes his head in his hands. As if I were going to tell this to anyone. People find me weird enough already.
"Kenji, I'm not."
Hearing that I'm serious, I guess, he gives me an analytic look. Targetted a meter to my right, but I guess it's analytical.
"Hmm, maybe you aren't. I mean, you'd have finished me off after kicking me if you were."
I nod. That makes sense, in his logic. He talks again.
"Think ya could spy for me? I don't trust you women, but you could gather intel to prove me that you're trustworthy."
"No."
He stops, obviously disappointed. "Why?"
"Because I'm too thoughtless to be a spy. It'd be like a butterfly hovering around and listening to conversations. If I could turn into one, I would've considered your offer, but I can't do that for you."
I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. He nods.
"I see. You sure there's nothing you can't do? I mean, taking a few pics of the women's dormitories should be easy enough..."
Taking pics? That'd be hard for me, but I guess he hasn't noticed. Maybe that's why he wears those glasses.
"Nope. Can't do much except painting."
He gives me a weird look again. "Painting?"
I nod. "Yes, painting. I paint."
"You mean, you're in the art club or some shit?"
He's smart, I guess. "Yes."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Maaan... I mean, uh... whatever. You shouldn't go there. You'll be enrolled before you know it. You seem to have avoided it 'til now, but you should quit that place as soon as you can. Clubs are organizations, and organizations are ruled by, guess what? Feminists!"
"But the teacher is a man."
He dismisses my counter with his hand. "Ha! In surface, sure. But you've gotta see the bigger picture."
As he rambles a bit more, I look at the sky. I'm tired. This guy is kind of boring and interesting at the same time. Maybe...
"Can I paint you?"
"... and then the rents flew higher and higher and... what?"
I look at him. "Painting you. Can I?"
He steps back. "Of course not! I can't let people know my face. I'm one of the most influential agents, you think I want to leave something behind?"
I shouldn't have asked. He calms down and mutters for himself.
"Then again... if I burn every document about me... when, I mean... and after I save the world... they'll need it to make the statue and..."
He looks at me again. "Can it be kept locked in a safe for a few decades?"
Not really. "No, it's for the art club. Teacher asked me if I could."
I shrug as he waves his hand. "Ah, Rin, no way! If they see my picture before I save the world, this makes absolutely no sense! Your timing is off. Come back in ten years or some shit."
I'm pretty sure I won't. "That'd be hard. But okay, I won't paint you."
"Good man." he says, then frowns but doesn't add anything.
"I may leave now. Tired."
He shrugs and thinks for a bit before getting closer again, with a funny look.
"Hey, I know you're a girl and everything, but if you want to be enlighted, drop by my room, SECRETLY! Sometime."
He pulls out a piece of paper and writes something on the back. "Here's the password. Make sure to destroy it as soon as you read it, or soon after."
I can't take the paper, so he stays here with his extended hand for a bit, before frowning and taking it back.
"Pft. Whatever, I knew I couldn't trust woman. I didn't meet you, you didn't meet me. Don't tell anyone or you'll blow my cover."
I nod silently. That's a thing I can do, forgetting. He walks away to the guys' dorms. As I start walking towards mine, I think I hear Emi coming back.
... What's wrong with this guy?