Chapter 11 :: Here Comes Trouble
Look out, here comes trouble
Nothing comes so easy as a dream
But it seems real to me now...
The room went silent as the five members of the SOS-dan tried to process that blithe statement.
"A slider?" Kyon spluttered. "What the hell is that?"
Kazuya tilted his head, thinking.
"Well. You know how time travellers move up and down-forwards and backwards, I suppose. Well, sliders move sideways."
He stared at them, as if this were common knowledge, gesturing with his hands. After a long moment of quiet, he rubbed his ear.
"I guess this is one of those worlds," he said in bemusement. "Have you ever heard of the infinite parallel universe theory?"
Itsuki nodded as Kyon and Kamiko looked blank.
"Any event or action causes a split in the world," Ituski explained, but the two's stares remained blank.
"Oh!" Kamiko said, thumping her hand. "It's like the flag events in games. Depending on what choices you make, it affects the route and the ending."
Kazuya nodded, pleased. "Although some sliders have actually mastered going to certain parallels, I only get tugged whenever another me decides I need to know something." He paused. "My mind moves from me to me, and I keep whatever information I learned there in here." The blue-eyed boy tapped his head. "Although there are some very specific circumstances, it seems. Like it has to be the same time of day, or I have to be wearing the same shirt, or whatnot."
Mikuru stared at him, and the boy turned his attention towards her.
"I'm not like you guys," he explained. "I, myself, can't jump around. Either way, I can only go forwards, not backwards. So if a future me sees something that can be avoided, they pull me there, tell me what not to do, and then I get pulled back. This is the main me."
Kazuya thought about this for a moment.
"I hope so, anyway. I'd feel bad if there was more than one me that had those kind of headaches. Judging by the fact that I haven't had anyone slide into me, I'm making the assumption this is the main thread."
"So you've got vast amounts of information from various universes?" Itsuki said, eyes narrowed.
"Indeed," Kazuya said cheerfully.
"How are you not insane?" Kyon asked suspiciously.
"Who said I'm not?" Kazuya murmured, flashing a lazy grin. "I feel bad, since he always ends up having to carry me around when I slide."
"Carry you?" Kamiko asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, sliding requires me to temporarily remove my consciousness so I can slide," he said, tapping his head. "I fall asleep during it." Kazuya grinned. "I wear a hat so I can inform whoever's near me that I'm about to sleep."
"So it's ability-based narcolepsy," Kyon said, heaving a sigh. "Just when I thought this entire thing couldn't get any weirder."
Kazuya laughed. "That's one of the things that never changes," he said with a grin. "You're always grumbling about Haruhi."
Kyon frowned. "This is creeping me out. What do you know?"
"A lot. I shouldn't say a lot of it right now, though." Kazuya shrugged. "I guess I'll find out when I should. I think."
"How long have you been a slider?" Kamiko asked curiously.
"Long enough to know that's a question I shouldn't answer," the redhead said with a mischevious grin. Kamiko chuckled as Itsuki gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
Kazuya's face turned serious as he looked at the group of people in the room.
"However, since both Nagato-san and Asahina-san are here, it means dire things indeed," he murmured. "Apparently things aren't going as well as I had hoped."
The blue-eyed boy suddenly grinned, as if that cryptic statement was just fluff on the wind.
Kamiko stared intently at him, realizing she couldn't read his expressions, either. However, it wasn't like Yuki-he seemed to be thinking too fast for Kamiko to see what was going on in his head.
This, coupled with his laid-back speech and nonchalant attitude, confused the twin-braided girl immensely. She had absolutely no idea what to make of this second-year.
As if sensing her confusion, Kazuya turned and winked at the girl, causing her to flush.
A cheery tune came from Itsuki's pocket, and he pulled out his cellphone. Staring at it with irritation, he sighed and rose.
"I've got something I need to take care of," the amber-eyed boy said, leaving the room without another word. Kamiko watched him leave worriedly, unsure of if the cause of his bad mood was her.
Kyon also stood, gathering his stuff. "I'll tell Haruhi that we adjourned the meeting early because of Koizumi," he said with a wry grin. "I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Bye, Kyon-san," Kamiko said with a small wave. After a few moments, Mikuru and Yuki also quietly left the clubroom, leaving Kamiko and Kazuya alone.
Kamiko shuffled her feet nervously, trying to think of something to say.
"So you're Kamiko Shizuki? Can I call you Shizuki-chan?" Kazuya asked suddenly, startling the girl. She looked at him, dark blue eyes meeting sapphire.
"S-sure," Kamiko stuttered.
"You can call me Kanai-senpai. Or Kazuya. Actually, now that I think about it, no one ever calls me senpai," the redhead said wistfully. "You can call me Kazuya-senpai. I like the sounds of that. I've never actually had a kouhai, either." Kazuya paused for a moment, tilting his head as he thought. "New plan. Call me Kazuya-senpai." He grinned, and Kamiko gave a hesitant smile. "So, Shizuki-chan, what kind of things are going on in the SOS-dan?"
Kamiko blinked, unsure of how to arrange her facial expressions to match Kazuya's shifting moods.
"Well, we've started investigating a bracelet with mysterious engravings on it," Kamiko said, thinking. "That's keeping the Chief occupied for the moment."
"Good, good," Kazuya said, pleased. "And has Suzumiya-san given out any positions yet?"
"Positions?" Kamiko asked, confused.
"Vice president, secretary, you know." Kazuya waved a hand as he laid his head on the table. "Has it gotten that far yet?"
"I don't think so?" the twin-braided girl said hesitantly. "I'm the Spiritual Investigator, though."
"That's a first," Kazuya murmured, staring at Kamiko through his bangs. "This is so interesting." He sat up, leaning on his elbows as his eyes sparkled with curiousity. "You're so interesting. This is like opening a present on Christmas and having no idea what you're getting. Normally it's like I've seen the receipts, so I know what to expect, but this...this is new."
Kamiko furrowed her eyebrows, trying to keep up, but failed and simply sat down.
"So, you're a slider, ~desho?" she asked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. She'd wanted to keep her verbal tic in check, at least around a new member. "What does that mean? Your explanation didn't make much sense."
"I don't suppose it did, did it?" Kazuya said ponderously. "It made sense to me, but then again, I've had to explain it many times. Plus, I'm not sure how I explained it, so I just took a stab at it. Apparently it wasn't a very good stab, though. But I'm pretty good at fencing, so one would think I would be able to do something as simple as that."
Kamiko opened her mouth, and then closed it as she waited for the redhead to finish his thought. A few moments later, when Kazuya stopped, he looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"I forgot the question was," he said with a sheepish grin. Kamiko let out a laugh that echoed around the empty room, and it subsided into giggles as she repeated her query.
"Ah. Yes. Sliding." Kazuya rubbed his ear, trying to get his thoughts in order. "It's like...if this world-I call it the main parallel-is a web. As I slide, I learn how the parallels connect, and things to avoid or change." He paused, eyes serious. "There are some very disturbed parallels, that's for sure. Also a lot of sad ones. But since I can only slide at most three years ahead, it takes a bit of time for me to figure out what has to happen-or shouldn't happen."
Kamiko considered this, trying to make sense of it. "So you've been involved from the beginning?"
"I can't say yet," Kazuya said wistfully. "I don't want to remove my whole reason for being in the SOS-dan, after all. It'd be rather silly for me to reveal my mysterious secrets already." He looked at Kamiko contemplatively. "What about you?"
Kamiko considered what to tell him; she hadn't told anyone other than Itsuki. After carefully looking at his face, trying to judge his character, she realized there was both wisdom and sadness in his eyes-like one that had seen far too much.
"I can enter Closed Space," she said, trying to figure out how much she should say. "There are new Celestials-ones that Koizumi-san and the Agency are having troubles with."
Kazuya's eyes widened with surprise, and he tried unsuccessfully to tuck his bangs back. "That's also a first. They usually don't have any problem with it."
The redhead went silent, clearly mulling this information over. Kamiko waited patiently for him to finish, and was rewarded by Kazuya shaking his head and looking at her.
"I've also got some...weird abilities in Closed Space," she admitted. "Even I'm not sure of what it all means."
Kazuya raised an eyebrow. "You certainly are making this an interesting parallel...I like it." He grinned. "So, Shizuki-chan, can I walk you home?"
Kamiko paused, taken aback by the blue-eyed boy's sudden question.
"I've got some more inquiries, and it's getting late."
As if on cue, the bell and announcement of the school closing rang through the clubroom.
"A-all right, I guess," Kamiko said. As they walked through the hallway, she tried to look casual but simply made it appear more awkward. Kazuya, however, was totally unconcerned and kept up a chatter of inane observations occasionally punctuated by random questions.
He reminded her of Saki, albeit a bit more spacey. She giggled, causing Kazuya to peer at her inquisitively.
"May I inquire as to what tickled your fancy?"
"You just...remind me of a friend," Kamiko said, pointing. "I live down this way."
"Oh, that's rather fortuitous. I live this way as well," the redhead said in mild surprise. "Do you have any questions for me? It seems rather unfair for me to interrogate you like this."
Kamiko considered this as they walked.
"These parallels you talk about," she said hesitantly, "are they good?"
"Good?" Kazuya stopped, tilting his head as he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Define good. Good as in world peace, or a good school environment, or a good me."
The twin-braided girl frowned.
"A world where Suzumiya-san is...content."
Kazuya's eyes flickered momentarily with...sadness? It was quickly replaced by cheeriness.
"There are certainly some interesting parallels," he said with satisfaction, as if that completely answered Kamiko's questions.
"How much have you had to do with this?" she asked, sweeping her arms out.
"A lot," Kazuya said, but that was the end of his statement. Kamiko sighed, realizing she had to phrase her questions rather carefully-and specifically-to get answers out of the spacey second-year.
They had arrived at her block, though, and she bade goodbye to Kazuya. He walked off, deep in thought, nearly running into a pole. Kamiko laughed as she jogged to her house, wondering if she could talk to him about the weird...demon things.
Maybe he'd seen it before, in a parallel universe.
Kamiko awoke the next morning in high spirits. Maro, st
aring into his cup of coffee, glanced up at her as she skipped down the stairs.
"Aren't you cheery," he said, raising an eyebrow. Kamiko gave him a small smile as she explained the club-hunting and the initiation of her senpai. Maro frowned as she described Kazuya.
"He seems like trouble," he said.
Protective.
"It's okay, Maro-nii," Kamiko reassured him. "He seems like a nice person. A bit...odd, but then again, our whole club is a little off sometimes."
Maro sighed as he resumed staring into his cup. "All right. I trust your judgement, Kami-chan."
Kamiko gave Maro a tentative hug as she glanced at the clock. She squawked as she realized she was going to be late.
"I'll see you later," she called, hastily pulling her bag over her shoulders while she shuffled into her shoes. Her braids fell into her eyes, poking them and causing them to water.
With a good-natured curse, Kamiko flipped them over her shoulders and ran out the door.
As she rounded the corner, she nearly smashed into a flash of red. Kamiko tried to stop, and ended up stumbling; she tried to cushion her fall when she suddenly stopped moving. Trying to get her bearings, she glanced up and saw the brown eyes that had put a halt to her previous stumble.
"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her stand straight. "You were moving pretty fast."
"I-I'm fine, ~desho," Kamiko stuttered. "Thank you."
A head popped out from behind the tall senior, and Kamiko was quite startled to see Kazuya peering at her with curiousity.
"Well, Shizuki-chan, how nice to meet you here," he said with a smile. "Your appearances seem to be rather hasty when it comes to Keiji, or so he said."
Kamiko squeaked, bowing. "I'm sorry for bumping into you," she apologized, and heard a chuckle. Looking up tentatively, she saw his eyes sparkling with laughter.
"You seem to have a lot of force for someone so small." He gave a half-bow, then turned and thumped Kazuya on the head. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't slept in. The term's just started, and you're already 'Muishiki'."
Kamiko glanced at Kazuya, confused. The redhead simply smiled and pointed at his watch, and the three hustled to school.
As they got to the gates, Kazuya slowed down and yawned mightily.
"Go on ahead, Keiji," he said, flapping a hand at the tall, brown-haired senior. "I just remembered I left my book on the bench."
With a sigh, Keiji turned and looked at Kamiko. "Sorry about him," he said, shaking his head. "My name is Keiji Umetsu. I'm in the same class as Kazuya."
Kamiko nodded. "Kamiko Shizuki. I'm in the same club as Kazuya-senpai."
Keiji laughed, and Kamiko stared at him.
"He successfully completed one of his goals for the term," Keiji said after he recovered. "He wanted to be called senpai."
Kamiko flushed as Keiji looked her up and down.
Consideration.
"You seem like a level-headed girl. Can I entrust that idiot to you during your club?"
His brown eyes were serious, and Kamiko nodded emphatically.
"I will do my best."
Keiji nodded in satisfaction as the two parted ways, Kamiko trotting into the classroom just as the bell rang. She saw Saki staring at her curiously, and Itsuki was staring blankly at his textbook.
At least he wasn't in such a bad mood today.
Saki was eyeing her with obvious curiousity; as Kamiko expected, a small piece of paper was soon tossed onto her desk.
So? You found who you were looking for? I was interviewing the Student Council about the 'club hunt' when Suzumiya-san barged in and waved a form around.
Kamiko paused thoughtfully, pencil hovering over the paper.
I did. Thanks for the information. Yes, Suzumiya-san was quite excited when Kanai-san joined the SOS-dan.
That's kind of an odd coincidence.
Saki stared suspiciously at Kamiko, who had an innocent look on her face.
We were simply following our Chief's instructions.
I heard you were wandering around the second-year floor. Is that why?
Yeah. We were told to patrol.
Suzumiya-san...she's a bit eccentric.
Indeed.
The teacher was staring at Saki, and the reporter quickly hid the note in her textbook. Kamiko let out a quiet giggle, imagining a textbook stuffed full of hidden notes.
The people around her jumped, then glared at her. Kamiko sighed quietly and sank back into her seat, paying attention to the lesson.
As such, she missed Itsuki's frown, but Saki didn't. The green-eyed girl watched the two of them, then shook her head and copied down the notes on the blackboard.
The bell rang for lunch, and Kamiko was staring at her lunch in contemplation when Saki slammed her hands down on Kamiko's desk.
The twin-braided girl looked up, not startled in the least. Saki sighed dramatically and leaned in close.
Serious.
"Kami-chan," Saki began, then trailed off.
Hesitant.
Kamiko's heart nearly stopped, her mind racing as to why her normally spastic friend would be so subdued. She saw Saki staring woefully at her lunchbox, and Kamiko raised an eyebrow.
"Kami-chan! Please share your lunch with me!" Saki said, clapping her hands together pleadingly. "I forgot mine, and I'm so hungry!"
Kamiko laughed and nodded, and the two girls went outside to eat. As Saki settled comfortably under a tree, she turned and stared at Kamiko with her 'reporter' eyes. Kamiko looked away as she got out the containers, spreading them out between the two of them.
"So, Kami-chan," Saki said, staring at the food. "How do you know how to make such delicious food?"
"I used to...cook for Maro-nii a lot," Kamiko said after a moment's thought.
"Speaking of, how is Inugami-san related to you?" Saki clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! That's totally rude. Take backsies!"
Kamiko gave her friend a small smile. "It's okay," she reassured. "He's my guardian, that's all."
"He seems like an interesting guy," Saki said thoughtfully. "You seem to attract interesting people."
"I'm a [Coincidence Magnet]," Kamiko said wryly. Saki glanced sharply at Kamiko, but her words were interrupted by her screeching.
A face had appeared above Saki, upside-down, and the green-eyed girl scrambled to get away in a panic. Kamiko stared bemusedly at the red hair.
"Hello, K-Kazuya-senpai," Kamiko said, stuttering over the honourific. "Um, why are you in that tree?"
"I think the better question is, why are you on the ground?" The head disappeared back up into the branches, and Kamiko saw him clinging like a sloth. His blue eyes stared at her expectantly, and Kamiko struggled to find an answer.
"Because gravity is a powerful force," Saki said, recovering from her fright. Standing with her hands on her hips, she glared at the senior. "May I ask what you're doing, scaring me like that?"
"I was here first," Kazuya pointed out without a hint of sarcasm. "You came and interrupted my train of thought." He paused, then motioned for the two girls to stand back. With a gymnast's grace, he dropped from the tree and bowed. "My train of thought has been efficiently derailed, so I must now go try to find the tracks."
He wandered away, and Saki stared at him with a baffled expression on her face.
"What the heck was that?"
"Kazuya-senpai," Kamiko said with a small giggle. "He certainly does things at his own pace."
"At one point, I'll need to interview the SOS-dan," Saki said, raising an eyebrow at Kamiko. "You all seem like you'll have plenty to say."
Kamiko waved her hand, then pointed to the food. "We'd best eat before it gets cold."
Saki paused, then sighed and nodded. The two girls quickly devoured the lunch and packed up just as the bell rang.
As the final class ended, Saki leapt up with her notebook in hand.
"What's up, Saki-chan?" Kamiko inquired, and saw her friend's eyes sparkle.
"I get to go interview the art club about the upcoming gallery event," Saki said with a wide smile. Kamiko paused, trying to figure out why Saki was so excited.
Her curiousity must have shown on her face, because Saki leaned in.
"Morino-san is in the art club," she whispered, and Kamiko blinked in surprise.
Excitement.
She hadn't realized Saki had a crush.
The green-eyed girl waved as she dashed out of the room, and Kamiko stayed seated as she watched the last of her classmates trickle out the door. They were chatting, laughing, enjoying life.
What was she doing...?
Itsuki was also leaving, and Kamiko considered calling out to him. With a small sigh, she put her head on her desk, trying to figure out feelings and how to deal with them.
After about ten minutes of the twin-braided girl feeling sorry for herself, she rose and trotted to the clubroom. Opening the door quietly, she peered inside and saw Haruhi barking orders.
"...the libraries! We'll draw lots," their Chief added. Looking around, Itsuki appeared beside her holding seven sticks, numbered.
Apparently, this happened a lot.
"Where's Kanai-san?" Kamiko asked, startling everyone but Yuki. Haruhi glanced over at her, tilting her head.
"He said he left his notes in the classroom." Haruhi shrugged, brown eyes impatient. "If he doesn't hurry-"
"I'm back," the redhead announced cheerfully, slamming the door open. "I got lost in thought, which led to temporarily getting lost in the corridors."
"Shouldn't you know the school by now?" Itsuki asked blandly.
"Generally, Keiji ensures I know where I'm going because, more often than not, I don't," Kazuya said, eyes sparkling with mischief. "So there are times when I find myself where I'm not supposed to be at the moment."
Kyon stared at the second-year as if the blue-eyed boy had come from a different dimension, causing Kazuya to turn and grin at him.
"So what's the plan, Suzumiya-san?" Kamiko inquired, and the brown-eyed girl whipped around.
"We're drawing lots to see who goes to what library. There'll be two groups of two and one group of three." Haruhi paused, eyes narrowing at Kyon.
Prayer.
Kamiko chuckled softly at Kyon's expression as Haruhi drew up the lots on the chalkboard.
"We're starting out with nearby libraries in case we find something," their Chief announced. "The school, the one on Nodoka Ave, and the one just off of Haku St."
The twin-braided girl furrowed her brow, trying to map the locations in her mind. After a moment, she shrugged and hoped her partner knew where they were going.
"Mikuru-chan, Koizumi-kun, and me," Haruhi said, and Mikuru's downcast expression said it all. "Nagato-chan and Kyon, and Shizuki-chan and Kanai-san." Haruhi paused, staring at the board. "Group one will take Nodoka, two Haku, and three the school."
One more draw, and the locations were decided. The five set off, leaving Kazuya and Kamiko in the clubroom.
"That was lucky," Kazuya said cheerfully. "I had no idea where any of those other places were."
Kamiko laughed nervously. "Me either," she admitted. "How long is the library open, anyway?"
Kazuya shrugged. "I've never needed to know." He paused, rubbing his ear. "I just realized I have no idea what we're looking for."
The twin-braided girl dug around in her bag, pulling out the hastily-drawn symbols. "We're trying to decipher this."
The redhead stared at the paper with interest. "I've never seen these before."
"Neither have we." Kamiko paused, trying to determine if she should mention the circumstances involving the aquisition of the bracelet, then figured he'd find out anyway. A quick discussion later, Kazuya trotted thoughtfully down the stairs, his eyes covered by his bangs.
That made Kamiko a tad nervous, as she couldn't tell what the second-year was thinking about.
Eventually, they made it to the library. Kamiko paused, lightly tapping the leg of a table as she went up to the desk. The librarian glanced up at her with a small frown.
"Can I help you?"
"We're looking for books on...symbols, I guess." Kamiko shrugged helplessly. "How long are you open until?"
"Five o'clock," the librarian said briskly. "What kind of symbols?"
Kazuya paused, then pulled out his notebook and a pen. A few scribbles later, Kazuya held them up to the librarian. "These. We're trying out cryptography, and we're stuck."
"Codes? We've got some books on deciphering down that aisle, on the far left," the librarian said, gesturing. Kamiko and Kazuya thanked her, and wandered down the rows.
"It always amazes me how much knowledge there is," the redhead said in awe. "No matter where I go, there's always so much to learn." He tried to sweep his bangs out of his eyes, peering at some of the book jackets. "Every once in a while, what I know tosses me for a loop."
Kamiko stared at him curiously. "Have there been any fantastical worlds?"
"Parallels," Kazuya corrected. "If there are worlds, then we've got bigger problems than we thought. Define fantastical," he added, pulling a book out.
Kamiko considered her words, then shrugged. "A world where monsters run rampant."
"Not that I know of...yet." Kazuya sighed as he returned the book to its place. "Suzumiya-san generally keeps it within reason. There are a few parallels, though..."
He stopped moving, deep in thought. Kamiko walked a ways away before realizing he wasn't following.
"Kazuya-senpai?" she inquired, startling the redhead.
"Sorry," he apologized. "A little twitch there." He frowned, a rare expression. "There's going to be...actually, you know what? I'm not bothering this time." Kazuya paused, then sighed. "Koizumi will have it covered."
"So you can see into the future, then?" Kamiko asked excitedly.
"Nope," the second-year said cheerfully. "Generally, it's only big events. This is just something that caused concern to that parallel, that's all," he said cryptically.
Kamiko sighed, then turned and glanced at a book. "This one seems interesting," she said, pulling it out.
"Deciphering Codes: A Guide to Puzzles, Mysteries, and Hidden Messages," Kazuya read aloud. "Good choice, Shizuki-chan. I'll grab a few as well." He cruised along the aisle, grabbing some books seemingly at random. Satisfied, he sheparded the girl to the desk and they quickly checked their literary guides out.
"Should we meet at the clubroom?" Kazuya inquired, glancing at his watch. "We still have time before the school closes."
Kamiko considered this, then shook her head. "Suzumiya-san won't come back until she finds something," the twin-braided girl said wisely. "Since she's with Asahina-san, it might take a while."
Kazuya paused, considering this, then nodded. "Fair enough. She has the determination of an elephant and the power to back it up." He sighed, then looked at Kamiko quizically. "So what brought you into the SOS-dan, anyway? Spiritual Investigator, Suzumiya-san said?"
"I saw a ghost," Kamiko said with a shrug. "I've had some interesting experiences with odd phenomena."
Kazuya raised an eyebrow, but stayed in thoughtful silence as they walked outside. At the gate, he stopped and grinned.
"Your escort is here," he said with a grandiose bow as Itsuki came around the corner.
The amber-eyed boy stared at Kazuya with a frown, and the redhead glanced at Kamiko.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Shizuki-chan," he chirped as he walked away. He whispered something to Itsuki that made the boy jump, then trotted down the street.
Itsuki glared at Kazuya's back, then turned to Kamiko.
"What are you doing?" he asked abruptly. Kamiko stared at him; she'd never seen him like this.
Anger.
Suspicion.
Annoyance.
"I-I was just doing what Suzumiya-san asked, ~desho," she said, a bit defensively. "What does it matter to you?"
"I just...there's something about that guy that rubs me the wrong way," Itsuki said, glancing down the street that Kazuya had taken. "Something doesn't seem right."
"He's willing to talk to me, unlike some people," Kamiko said, and was a bit surprised at her icy tone. "You seem to be avoiding me."
Itsuki opened his mouth, then closed it with a frown, then sighed and rubbed his face.
"I'm sorry," he said after a long moment. The bell chimed, and Kamiko began walking briskly down the street. Itsuki's footsteps trailed after hers, and after a bit she stopped and turned.
"Sorry about what? The fact that I creeped you out? The fact that my problems are actually too much for you to consider? The fact that I don't know what's going on?"
Kamiko paused, wiping her eyes with frustration, and Itsuki reached out hesitantly before pulling back.
"I just...I'm struggling," he said quietly. Kamiko looked away, not wanting to see what he was feeling.
She didn't know what she was feeling.
"The fact that you can enter Closed Space means it's dangerous for you, all of the time!" Itsuki said, frustration and anger in his voice. "It can happen any time, anywhere! What happens if it's when I'm not around?!"
"I managed fine without you, thanks," Kamiko said coldly. "I'm pretty sure it'll be okay."
"No, it won't," Itsuki said, grabbing her arm. "Shizuki-san. Please. Don't run into danger. I just...don't know what to do to protect you."
"Don't do anything," the twin-braided girl said simply, tugging her arm away. "I understand if I make you uncomfortable. I'll only speak to you when necessary during class, and in the club."
Kamiko turned and stalked away, leaving Itsuki standing there. She turned and glanced back.
Regret.
Sorrow.
Kamiko steeled her resolve, and kept walking.
She didn't hear any more footsteps.