Rin's POV

I didn't get much sleep last night and that never happens. I found out what it was like to be restless all night long. Man, I wish I had some NyQuil or something—I would've guzzled the entire bottle down. I was up for hours thinking about what happened yesterday. Is she okay? Would she tell anyone? Would she ever speak to me again?

It was probably almost six in the morning by the time I sat down for breakfast. I had so much on my mind I didn't even notice when Yukio entered the kitchen.

"—acting unusually quiet."

I lifted my head from my hand it was resting on. "Huh?" I yawned loudly as I stretched out my arms. Yukio took a seat across from me. "I said you're acting unusually quiet. I would ask if you went to bed late, but if that were the case, you would still be sound asleep," he noted before taking a sip of some tea.

"I couldn't. It was too hot," I lied as I tried rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I mean, it was a little hot, but that was nowhere near the reason. I hoped he'd drop the subject, so I stuffed my face with oatmeal to avoid any more questions. "Hm. Just make you don't fall asleep later and miss my class at two. I have something to discuss with everyone, and it's also an ideal opportunity to introduce Ms. Tanaki to the other students and show her how things work," Yukio reminded. I don't think I will even be able to sleep for the rest of the day anyway. At least not until I know that everything is cool between me and Alia—if they ever will be.

The rest of the day dragged on. Time always seems slow when you're ready to drop dead from no sleep. I normally would've been grateful for a late session, but it didn't even matter with how tired I was. At least I won't be late since I didn't go back to bed, so I guess there's a bright side to everything.

I was actually the second one who got there—Yukio being the first. I sat in my usual spot up front and laid my head down, but yesterday's events only filled my head with more stress. I couldn't stop wondering about it, and it really bugged me. Suguro, Shima, and Konekomaru all entered the classroom together followed by Izumo. Some of them remarked on my punctuality or something—I was only half listening. I decided to get out my textbook and distract myself, but I might as well have just read the same sentence over and over again because I didn't take in a single thing I read on that page.

"What are you reading, Rin?"

I jumped in my seat, it was only Shiemi. She pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. "Ah, nothing," I brushed off, slapping the textbook shut. My eyes moved to the clock on the wall. There was one minute until class started and still no sign of Yamada or Alia.

What if she was scared?

I shook my head. Nah, she was really exhausted the last time I saw her, she probably just slept in or something. I mentally told myself I was overthinking it. I shouldn't sweat it...right?

The door swung wide open and slammed into the wall. Yukio paused mid-lecture as everyone faced the doorway.

Damn...

Alia stood there soaking wet in yesterday's outfit, clutching a Red Bull in one hand. Her brown hair was dripping water on her shoulders and was falling out, leaving a half-bun half-ponytail. Her eyes were extremely heavy with a thick glaze over them as if she was the literal walking dead. She dragged her feet to the back of the room and clumsily dropped herself on a chair, but I don't think she realized she was facing backwards.

"Miss Tanaki, may you please turn around?" Yukio requested after clearing his throat. No response. "Miss-"

"Oui, oui, je tourne dans l'air !" She suddenly blurted as she lifted her head, still facing the wall. Alia spun herself around, but she slipped off her chair in the process and face planted the floor in the aisle. Oh, god, I think I broke her. And was she speaking German or something just now??

I heard Bon mutter something from behind. "Great, a drunk is just what we need." I turned my focus back to Alia. She was completely motionless with her damp hair spilled around her face.

"I don't know, wet is kinda hot."

"You're disgusting, Shima."

I furrowed my brow with worry. What happened to her last night? Did she get wasted? "Miss Tanaki, if you're still not feeling well, you may return to your dorm," Yukio informed as he stacked some papers together. Izumo rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Can't believe I have to live with her," she hissed to herself before crossing her arms with a pouty face.

Alia didn't answer. Her breathing became steady as she remained perfectly still. Is she...sleeping? ON THE FLOOR?! Footsteps echoed in the room, drawing everyone's attention back to the door. Yamada finally arrived in his usual black hoodie that concealed a good portion of his face. With the others' heads turned, I took the chance to chuck a pencil at Alia's head. It wasn't until after I did so, I realized it was my only pencil. Whoops.

She jolted awake a little, and sluggishly peeled herself from the floor tiles before absentmindedly rubbing her eyes. I'm guessing she didn't remember she was wearing make up, because now she looked like a crazy ass zombie raccoon ready to attack. Shiemi was still staring at her in surprise. I could've sworn she just shuddered. "Is this what happens when they intake the poppy plant incorrectly?" She whispered uneasily. I gave her a funny look. Poppy plant? What the hell is that??

I heard the noisy screeching of chair legs scraping the tiles and twisted in my seat. Alia was suddenly leaning back in her chair lazily. My eyes widened a little when I noticed Yamada was silently standing next to his usual spot at the back of the room— which was right next to where Alia plopped herself. He said nothing as usual and pulled back the chair before sitting down beside her. Okay...

Alia's POV

What's going on...

Ew, my clothes were all wet. Am I in school? Shit, why did I go... My mind was so heavy I couldn't think straight. All my thoughts were jumbled in three languages or more so I couldn't really understand them. If my mind had legs, they'd be trudging through mud waist deep right now. I realized some dude was sitting next to me. He was wearing dark pants with a black hoodie covering his eyes.

Creeperrrrr.

Best I introduce myself. When did he get here anyway? "Hi, I'm tired, call me hangry," I slurred, drowsily extending a hand towards him. We gwine da be buddies. Couldn't tell if he was looking at me, I couldn't see his creeper eyes. "Yamada," he lowly replied, ignoring my hand. Strangely, his voice sounded superrrr feminine. "Are you trans?" I mumbled sleepily, resting my face onto a palm.

"Are you drunk?"

Fair enough.

I loudly yawned, earning a frown from Yuki-bro up front. I need sleep. I need it. I just do. I've always dreamed of dying in my sleep...hahaha

punzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZ—

I gasped when someone slapped the back of my head. I yanked myself up from the table as my head fell back. My vision darkened until my skull banged against something. All eyes were turned onto me as I groaned and grabbed my head. I think I fell asleep in midair again until I slammed my cranium into the wall. Damn. My consciousness kept drifting in and out like waves constantly washing ashore at the beach beside my home.

I seized the opportunity while I was awake to grab my Red Bull I left on the table. When my phalanges popped the can open, Yuki-bro glared at me. "Miss Tanaki, I do not allow food or beverages in my class." I help up a finger. "Sorry not sorry, I'll get rid of it, one sec," I called. He crossed his arms and watched. I swung my head back and took a hella swig from that sucker. In a few seconds, the empty can clattered on my desk space. "There, all gone," I yawned. I had three of those bitches right before I entered class. They never kicked in, so hopefully this one will do something.

The can rolled off onto the floor and made its way by some pink haired dude's foot. "Miss Tanaki, if you don't mind, please throw away your waste," Yuki-bro added after clearing his throat. My feet dragged me up front where the waste bin was, but my foot caught around the leg of Rin's table.

I couldn't even tell that I tripped—it was nice to get off my feet for that split second. Before I knew it, I was spun around into someone's arms. As my eyelids started to sag shut, I caught a glimpse of a concerned Rin. He ruined my beauty sleep.

How dare.

"Satan, you bitch..." I mumbled, my eyelashes fluttering shut in his hold.

Judging by the sudden expansion of his chest, I concur Rin gasped. I couldn't even tell he stood me up until my hazy self flopped over again. Wtf??? My mental state—someone help. I was pulled up a second time, hearing murmurs of sorts all around me. My fingers twitched. A jittery sensation began to make its way through me to the extremities. Ugh, how annoying. There's something dreadful about the feeling of fifty pounds of sludge in your skull while being mildly tased. It's like my body was demanding two things at once: to run a marathon while getting a century's worth of sleep.

Too exhausted to understand, and too dazed to wonder, I simply pinched my eyes shut with a shiver. The shaking intensified, but not like a convulsion, I guess more like a quiver? My heart was pounding, my small breaths concurrently picking up speed. Why the hell am I in class anyway? I wanna go home...

The trembling didn't make me any less sleepy. What the hell. What's funny about being super drowsy is when you doze off, you don't even know you were sleeping until you wake up. And if you're dreaming, you don't even realize it's fake even if it's totally random crap. You just...really don't realize anything at all. It's pretty crazy, right?

Haha, well, that's what just happened to me for the millionth time, but instead of waking up in the shower again, thankfully I was in a bed— a good six hours later.

...

I suddenly inhaled with a stir before opening my eyes. I took in the polished hardwood floors, dark-cinnamon mahogany furniture, the scent of jasmine candles, and the soft, white Egyptian cotton sheets that were laid upon me.

I was in my new dorm...? How did I get here? One thing is for sure, I do NOT have a history of sleepwalking, and I don't think I could've even if I wanted to. I must've been heavy to carry for whoever brought me back. I mean, yeah, I have quite a slim figure, but I am five foot nine, or 176 cm.

The windows were wide open, letting in a lukewarm breeze to blow the curtains about. It was still humid, but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

Yesterday...

Whoa. I just remembered it all at once in a flash once I thought of it. Did it really happen? I slowly sat up, this time, carefully minding my head so not to bang it. I slept over twenty four hours including this "nap." I can't believe I actually went to Yukio's session today. Of course, first impressions were everything and I didn't want to be late, but on half a bottle of NyQuil? Really? What was I thinking?? I could've destroyed my liver! And that would result in death rather soon... I sighed and reached for a piece of my hair, only to feel the messiest, most knotty ponytail.

God, I must've made a fool of myself earlier. I kind of remembered my first day of "school" here, but being so worn out, it was a small challenge. I rubbed my forehead and grimaced. Ugh, it felt like a migraine was attacking me. Since the pain was killing me and the memories were unpleasant, I preferred not to think about everything.

Then it just occurred to me I was on the bottom bunk. My bed is on the top, isn't it—

"Oh, good. You're finally awake," Izumo huffed. "I don't know what you were on, but you've been enough trouble as it is." She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. "Look, I have to share a room and a class with you, so if you're going to run around on crack or whatever you do, forget about staying here. This is an exclusive academy, so I shouldn't have to put up, especially live, with people like you." I frowned before rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, I don't drink drugs," I scoffed, waving a hand at her.

.

.

.

Shit.

Izumo gave me a look of disbelief. "Yeah, I can see that," she snapped sarcastically. Damn it, I'm still a little out of it. I threw off the sheets and stood in front of her to meet her gaze. "Listen, I don't drink or do drugs, and this is a one time thing, so it won't happen again," I smiled while gritting my teeth. This girl was starting to get under my skin. "So stop flipping out."

She tossed her long, purple ponytail. "Hmph, it better not," she coldly answered. "And show some gratitude. I had to miss the rest of class because of you since Mr. Okumura made me drag you back here." So she was the one who took me? Still, even so, she didn't have to be such a brat about it. Does she ever do anything aside from complaining? Seriously, it's getting annoying.

And Mr. Okumura??

Right, with all the craziness going on, I never got to process that Rin's brother is a teacher? He's like the same age as me! Like how did he even get that position? Wtf! And the principal of here is the same creep that hits on my mom?? Can this place get any weirder?!

"Oh, right, and get a mirror. You look like the walking dead," Izumo briefly added before turning on her heel for her bed. You don't have to sound so rude about it. Oh, my god. I must've looked like shit today. Especially from waking up at the bottom of a faulty shower in the washroom this afternoon by being drenched with water. The vending machine rings a bell...that's probably where I bought four Red Bull's and chugged three of them. Those must've made my sugar levels spike, which is most likely why I was shaking like a chihuahua. Lesson learned: Caffeine and doxylamine succinate are a bad combination.

When I returned to my room after drinking all those, that's where I found Izumo ready to head out. She told me I was going to miss my first day or something like and I must have not been thinking straight if I thought I could survive an entire class there and then in my state.

I'm never doing this again.

First things first, I should buy painkillers before all the shops close. Still too tired to look for all the stuff I never packed. I'll try to do it tomorrow if I feel better. I moved my focus out the window. The sunset warned me that time was running out, so I hunted all over the room for my cellphone. Where in the world was it? (It ended up being in my back pocket smh) Thank goodness it was waterproof, or there's no way it would've lived through that shower. I turned on my front facing camera and jESUS CHRIST I AM TERRIFYING!!

My mascara was smudged all around my eyes, creating a nasty zombie effect, and whatever was left had crumbled off to leave bits and chunks everywhere. Ack. My eyebrows stayed just fine, but I couldn't say the same for my liquid liner, which cracked and peeled. My chestnut colored hair was a tangled rat's nest. Lovely. So tell me something. How am I supposed to go and fix my ugly self up without being seen when the nearest washroom is on the top floor and there's no mirror or sink in this dorm for some dumb reason?

You know what? Screw it, I don't even care anymore. Everybody's already seen this crap side to me, so what do I have to lose?

Ultimately, I just ended up shoving black yoga shorts with a purple halter top, some flip flops, and other basic crap that'll get the job done on my ugly ass face into a Gucci pastel pink tote. It didn't matter when I wandered through the corridors of the extravagant interior anyway, because it was still summer for crying out loud, so I already forgot I was basically the only one there. Other than that she-wolf of a roommate, anyway.

It only took like ten minutes to clean myself up. There really wasn't as much to do as I thought, besides, it wasn't like I was getting ready for school, or church, or a ballet recital or anything. All I did was smear off the black from my face with fresh makeup wipes, touch up my eyebrows, change my outfit, and tuck the crazy hair in a dark grey baseball cap I threw on backwards that read "Niigata Beaches" in black cursive. All it took was some trendy Dolce & Gabbana shades to conceal my bare eyes.

I was too lazy to bring my purse out and about with me (that happens sometimes), but my yoga shorts didn't have any pockets, so I had to tuck my phone into the waistband and let my halter cover it. As for my wallet, I just carried that by hand. It was only a clutch, so it's doable.

I used the same subway Rin and I took yesterday. Uptown of the campus was pretty nice, and since I was actually looking into shopping at the moment, I observed the stores more closely. My stomach suddenly rumbled. Wow, I didn't realize how hungry I was until now. Now that I think about it, I haven't eaten in over twenty four hours. I've so busy with my snooze fest, I was a bit too occupied to notice. I can't believe it. Moi, the snack queen, has forgotten to eat for over a day.

It was already nearly eight thirty, so maybe an hour or so until it'd be pitch black? Dang, the sun was practically being swallowed by the horizon now, and it didn't help with Mephisto's "tip" echoing through my head at the moment.

'Oh, and by the way, you might want to be careful on the streets around here. Especially at night...they can be dangerous.'

I shook the thought off. It didn't matter. I was a big girl, and I knew how to protect myself. All I'd have to do is stay out of the alleys and nothing could go wrong. I'll have you know, I'm quite handy with a fork. It's helpful in restaurants, at least. As for my bare hands, let's just say I know some moves. I am not one to go overboard, so self control has always been key for me. In most cases.

In the end, I really didn't care about potential danger, because without food, what is life? With perfect timing, I approached a cafe to my right on the sidewalk. A lit neon sign hung above the display window, reading,' Moka Mochi,' in bright red letters. I scanned the hours on the glass door. The closing time was in an hour, so I was good.

The interior was a quaint little place—definitely vintage, in a way. I immediately approved. There were three booths off to the side with faded leather cushion from years of sunlight through the large glass window, and four tables in the center of the cafe—each with two chairs. Four empty, elegant iron stools stood in a row pushed in against a counter, in front of where a barista was busy pouring a coffee. The scent of expresso and warm French vanilla wafted through the room.

The smell of anything was making my mouth water at this point. In whatever spare space they had in the shop, a black, polished, baby grande piano sat in a corner. I gasped at the sight. It was a spitting image of the one back at home. This place might have been small, but it had class. I immediately longed to play it, but I didn't want to stay out so late. In fact, I could fall asleep right now with no problem.

It was tempting to order a double shot expresso, but no way in hell did I need any more caffeine. Besides, if it kept me awake longer, my sleep schedule would get all jacked up.

Actually, never mind, I think the NyQuil did a marvelous job at that.

After ordering two danishes from their selection of pastries, I took off back into the street. Street lamps were starting to light up along the sidewalk, so I didn't have much time to shop. I doubt I'd be able to buy anything useful tonight. I pulled out my phone to find it was already eight forty-five. Ugh. Maybe I'll just wander around a bit and clear my head some. I could definitely use it.

With perfect timing, I located a bookstore just beyond as the corner of the block. The answer to all of my problems. If there's anything other than sleep that can pull you from reality, it's definitely a good book. A bell jingled as I pushed the glass door open to see rows and rows of brand new books. While aimlessly wandering down the aisles, I studied each and every row I passed, but none caught my attention.

Read that...read that...and that, and that-that-that—

Most of these books I already owned back at home. I heavily sighed, slumping my shoulders. None of these novels appealed to me which was strange. Not a second goes by where I can't find something to read. A display case stood near the register with wordless covers. Curious, I approached the set of strange books. One in particular caught my attention. It was propped up to the side on the upper shelf, bound it a deep purple leather carved with beautiful floral engravings etched in—my favorite color.

I observed these books more closely. They were journals. I've never been one to keep juicy topics in a sappy diary, but the design was stunning. According to the paper tag, it was handmade in Italy. Dang, it must be some high quality stuff. What would I ever use it for? I may like to spend money, but I don't particularly enjoy buying useless junk.

Maybe...I could take notes in it for class?

Nah, it seemed too nice for such a trivial use. I wasn't going to ruin it with useless facts of fantasies. Hmm...fantasies. It got me thinking about Rin. I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. I didn't like it. Not one bit. I hated the thought of it. It made me so bewildered and clueless, those emotions turned into helplessness. It left me with an unfamiliar sensation of vulnerability. My hands balled up into fists. How could I get rid of this feeling? How could I fix this?

'I thought you said you wanted answers—'

'I do!'

I slammed the journal on the counter with a hand, credit card ready in the other. If I want answers, I'll get them myself. All it will take is a little research on him...so I better start studying. After all, knowledge is power.

...

Ugh, that was a doozy to write, I'm struggling to keep my eyes open as it is and I need to work on my writing (I feel like it's going downhill...?) So, yeah, hope you liked!

~ Sapphire out