Alia's POV

I thoroughly washed my hands under the gushing faucet in the luxurious washroom of the girls dormitory. Guilt bloomed inside when I added another squirt of Very Berry Mepphy Hand Soap to my fingers.

What kind of chairman has their own hygienic product line...I wonder if he uses it, too...

The kindness in Rin's expression as he extended a hand to me echoed in my mind while I lathered the bubbles between my fingers more thoroughly. I was only taking necessary precautions. He identified as a half demon, after all, and yet, this unpleasant sensation in my gut refused to leave me alone. He was just doing a good deed for me, but I reminded myself safety was essential. I knew next to nothing of Rin Okumura.

I finished rinsing, and shut the faucet off. I looked in the mirror through my damp bangs clinging to my eyes, which then widened at his uniform jacket that remained on my shoulders.

Damn it.

I groaned before slipping it off, and draping it across a counter top. Well, I needed to shower later, as it was. Fluffy, pink towels were already provided on set of gold trimmed shelves lining a sector on a wall. It seemed Mephisto also made sure the showers were always stocked with every type of Mepphy product anyone could think of. I sighed, stripping my clothes off in the open of the vacant room, then hung my wet crop top, along with my damp shorts, to dry over a door to a random shower stall. I snatched a readied towel, and entered the stall beside it, turning on the hot water.

As I let myself soak in the soothing heat, I remembered I would have to dry clean Rin's jacket if I wanted to properly sterilize it, being it belonged to a prestigious academy's student issued uniform. Certainly, there was a laundry area somewhere in this dormitory? My best bet was hopefully the first floor.

When I was clean, and finished wringing out my hair, I retrieved my towel that hung from over the shower door, drying my hair before wrapping it around me like a dress. Then I used the next twenty minutes to thoroughly wash my crop top in the sink with the Very Berry Mepphy Hand Soap, and dry it under the automatic hand drier. After dressing myself in my previous outfit, I sent a side glance toward Rin's jacket.

I exited the washroom, carrying the garment tightly folded with my pink towel carefully wrapped around it. I would have to make a quick stop at my dorm, or else my bangs would dry to shit. My legs swiftly paced down the high ceiling corridor. There were two washrooms per floor, so thankfully the distance wasn't too great. As I my hand touched the ornate, bronze handle to the dorm, I heard a deafening crash and shatter echo from the other side of the door. Wildly swinging it open, my jaw dropped at the alarming sight.

One of the three, heavy, bronze curtain rods had somehow caved at the end of the pole from the wall, resulting in it absolutely demolishing a two meter, glass shaded floor lamp that once stood directly beneath it. Only its twin was remaining to the right of the center bay window.

Izumo was definitely going to kick me out.

Dust from the torn dry wall had clouded the air, causing me to cough, and swat away the residue. A shadow darted past the corner of my eye. I spun on my heel toward the rapid movement. My eyes flicked back and forth across the room. Bewilderment crease my eyebrows.

"Kamiki?" I called out, uncertainty hanging in my voice. I carefully walked to my dresser to set the towel on the surface, keeping my eyes peeled over my shoulder.

No answer.

I was alone...right?

I sharply inhaled when the hasty, pattering sound of steps lightly dashed behind me. My body whirled around as a compulsive gasp forced itself into me. Whatever it was, it sounded miniature—like an animal.

I held my heaving chest. Izumo probably had a cat, or some other domesticated pet. Unquestionably. An emotional support pet. Undoubtedly.

Yeah...

Something like a rats' tail slithered past my ankle. I shrieked, immediately removing that leg from the floor, but nothing was there. My pulse skyrocketed while I frantically yanked my head around every which way. Perhaps, it was merely a pet lizard, or simply a pest that somehow found a way in, like a rodent, or a—

A demon...?

I froze with terror when a chill ran down my spine. My heart was about to beat itself right out of my ribcage. Where is it? Why is it here?? What do I do who do I call when will it show itsel—? I leapt a meter off of the ground when something cracked with ear splitting shatter behind me. I did a one eighty. The second stand up lamp was now knocked over as well, where it had smashed into smithereens from the fall. My hand shakily tugged my phone from my back pocket. It took several tries to get the passcode correct, on account of my outstretched eyes hurriedly scanning my surroundings. I glanced at the screen every few seconds to open the keypad. I willed to quell trembling fingers as I carefully dialed one digit at a time.

0...7...0...0...5...5...7...

Sheets and covers were rustling on Kamiki's side of the dorm, but I was too desperate to finish entering the number to bother checking.

"Rrraaghh!!"

I released a blood curdling scream at the foreign creature that did a jump scare into my face, my phone flying out of my hands before smacking the hardwood. I instantly tripped on my own feet due to attempting to back away. I stumbled onto my rear, scuffling in the opposite direction of the ugly faced demon glaring menacingly at me. It's skin was a deep vomit green with a giant, merlot nose, limbs, and tail. Its arms were over grown like a monkey's, whereas its feet were stubby, and its tail was pointed on the end like an arrow. It also possessed three sharp horns on its crown, and sharper looking teeth that reminded me very much of a Great White Shark.

I covered my face with my forearm, and shrieked shrilly at the fiend closing in on me.

"I humbly appeal to the O Goddess Inari. Grant my request: Leave not my prayers to thee unfulfilled!"

My eyebrows shot up at the entryway, where Izumo Kamiki confidently stood with her legs apart. White trails of smoke swirled out of a slots of paper in each of her hands extended—the same papers with preprinted pentagrams, not unlike the type I saw in one of Rin's exorcism books. The symmetrical essences transformed into two physical beings in a flash.

White...foxes...?

Their long tails remained in smoke form. They looked exactly like the lore that came out of a storybook. The pair was identical, except for one having a short, black stripe between its eyebrows, whole the other's strip traveled from between its ears down to nose. The only other thing that really distinguished them was the little accessories they wore aside from the matching scarlet bibs. The long striped fox was decked out in a blue rice hat, for instance.

I guess she did have pets.

Izumo raised an arm upward before steadily lowering it until she was pointing toward the hideous creature about to pounce on me. The foxes did not hesitate to charge at it, snarling as they gnashed it apart with their teeth. I blocked my face, so that blood, or flesh, or some other goo flying, ended up on my palm, instead.

And I just showered...

A spotty, gutted mess stained the floor from whatever the foxes hadn't finished lapping up before they vanished into thin air.

I watched Izumo wordlessly as she casually tucked her sheets of paper into the hemline of her bright, pink mini skirt as if it was no big deal. I would have never taken her for the kind of girl to dress like that. It was mismatched with her usual, ugly, lemon creamed, sweater vest. It had a True Cross Academy icon over her heart, so it was another uniformed garment, but she obviously didn't know shit about style. Wasn't she hot in that? It was August, for crying out loud. Then, again, satan doesn't get hot. "I mean, seriously," she laughed. "Have you never seen a goblin before? Those things are so weak. Only thing to be scared of is having your hair pulled on. Pathetic."

My panting wouldn't cease as I tried to comprehend the mythical foxes.

The longer I stared at her, the straighter her posture became. She puffed up her chest, and proudly tossed a plum pigtail over her shoulder.

"Oh, by the way, those were my familiars. I come from a long line of shrine maidens, you know. I have priestess blood in my veins, too. Not to mention, I'm also a descendent of a kami. So, I even have a little bit of demon blood."

Her last statement was the first thing that hadn't shocked me, all week.

"A thank you would be nice right about now, you know."

Izumo proudly positioned herself in front of me, arms crossing expectantly as her smirk went smug.

I'd rather slap it off, but I bit my lip as I glowered at her from my spot of the floor. "Thanks," I muttered while dipping my head. The kinked, air dried bangs on my face messily obstructed my eyes. "And an apology would also be nice right about now, you know."

"Excuse me?"

I shot up to my natural height, suddenly hovering over her as my arms mirrored her own. "You know what." I pointed to the covers torn from her once neatly made bedding, also the clothes ripped out of her half open drawers, not taking my firm gaze off of her expression for a single second. My facet stayed straight, aside from my eyebrows slightly lifting with expectancy.

Once Izumo turned her head back to me, she visibly deflated. She sweated somewhat, averting my hardened eyes prior to huffing. "Look, demons never get in here with the barriers up, and even with how high maintenance this side of the academy is, how was I supposed to know it was a low level demon breaking into my dorm, right when I get a new roommate without notice, that's been nothing but an inconvenience??" She snapped as she uncrossed her arms to put a single fist on her hip. "You're lucky I saw the proof with my own eyes, otherwise I would have never believed you. You're off the hook—this time...But I'll still be watching you." Izumo's eyes closed, holding her palm up with a half shrug. And with that, she confidently strutted out the open door.

I twirled my wrist, gracefully holding up my finger at the empty walkway.

Speaking of taking out the trash...ugh...

My focus landed on the blood, and guts, on the floor next to me, following both of the busted floor lamps, the hanging curtain rod, following the chunks of drywall, and laundry everywhere. Figures that she didn't stick around to help clean anything. I examined my own clothes more thoroughly. Specks and blots of gummy flesh, black juice, and other unidentifiable DNA soiled my outfit. No way was I bothering with bleach, because I would never wear it again. A heavy breath escaped me, despite that I wasn't holding it.

I peered over my shoulder with dread at the jacket bundled up in the towel on my dresser. After kicking the door shut, I used a face wipe, shortly peeling all of my clothes off. I pinched the garments with my thumb and forefinger, cringing as I extended my arm away as far as humanly possibly before dropping them in the trash bin. Everything I had on.

I slipped on a sports bra with a fluffy, hot pink Armani pajama set of crop tank with draw string, mini shorts. It's six pm, what the hell. My day is over. I aggressively yanked the drapes shut on two of the bay window sets. The broken curtain rod persisted to hang with all of the drapes slung from the end that was imprinted through the hardwood, spilling about the vast room. I was unable to do anything about all the sun pouring in through that wall. Thankfully, it was on Izumo's side of the room, but it was still a considerable amount. I climbed the fancy staircase in the end of the bunk I was to share with this 'Noriko Paku' when the school year was to continue after summer break. Once I flopped onto my high bed in exhaustion, I shoved my lmfao emoji pillow into my face to block the partial light leak.

It was the longest, and shittiest, nap ever.

...

Rin's POV

I dropped my katana bag on my desk in our dorm.

"We need to discuss something."

I started sweating, carefully turning around to where Yukio was in the doorway. His glasses were reflecting the light, so I couldn't see his eyes. He adjusted them, for a second. A million things went through my head.

Does he know Alia knows? Does he also know about the deal? Is this about him still being pissed about his class? My grades? The handle to the kitchen sprayer I accidentally snapped—

I held my breath, trying to prepare myself. I came up with as many excuses as I could in those five seconds.

I wasn't there.

It just happened.

Kuro was hungry.

The noises wouldn't stop.

Mephisto did it.

Yukio walked toward me with a serious look, until he stopped right in front of me.

"Stop leaving all the lights on."

"Eh-the noises wouldn't stop!" I blurted.

My brother opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he squinted. "Wha...?" I suddenly scratched the back of my head. "Oh, uh-heheh, I mean...won't happen, again? I was just saying—"

"No, thanks...I'd rather not know," he replied, pressing his lips together while holding a palm out. I breathed out, then plopped into my chair, letting my tail unravel out of my shirt as I slung my arm over the back of the seat. At least, I was in the clear. For now. "Mephisto decided to start sending us the monthly bill for electricity, so we need to be more conservative." My mouth fell open while I shot him a glare, sitting up straight. "EHH—?!"

"Especially with autumn right around the corner. Normally, it wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice with my teaching salary as a student, but I'm already paying for groceries among other things, like supplies and arsenal for lessons and missions. So, expect some cutbacks."

This is such BULLSHIT! When I get my hands on that damn clown, I swear I'll make him pay for, for...for that shit bill!! YEAH!!

"What the hell for?!" I shouted as I flung out my wrist.

Yukio sighed, and removed his exorcist uniform before carefully hanging it back up in his closet on his side of the room. "He claimed it was something about a series of unanimous board decisions for new programs and projects that are leading to budget cuts."

"Budget cuts, my ass! The guy is filthy rich!" I spat with my arms crossed. "What's one measly, old fee from two people??"

"It's still a big building, Rin. We may only be two people living here, but costs add up when you run the furnace for a place large enough for one hundred people. There's not much we can do about it, but figure out a plan ahead of time, before we need to use the heater. We may be in luck, though, it's supposed to be a warmer autumn."

"Psh! This totally blows, man!" I complained. "What's the point of going to a rich kid school if you can't have air OR heat?! Even that crappy church was nicer than this—at the least the guys there took the time to maintenance it." I remembered every day, someone on the clergy was always cleaning or repairing something busted. It was a bit of a fixer upper, but...it was home.

My eyes fell on whatever Yukio went back to scribbling. The file he was filing out something in had a student photo of Alia in the top left. It must have been used from her old school. Her brown bangs had a slight curl inwards, with a braided crown on her head behind them, and the rest of her long hair parted down on each of her shoulders. She had makeup on as usual, but she wasn't smiling. Not her polite smile, or anything. Her eyes were completely empty. I've seen her hard to read expressions before, but this was a whole new level. I wondered what was going through her mind when it was taken.

"What's that?"

I pointed to what Yukio was doing. His eyes met mine before continuing to write. "This is a record of Ms. Tanaki's first week. Mephisto wanted a full report on how well she is doing. No one has ever enrolled into a term this late at the cram school before, so it's understandable. Her grades are exceptional, so I presumed she would do fine," he explained. "But after today, I'm not so confident..." I frowned. The scene between us before Yukio kicked everyone out after class was bothering me, all day.

I leaned back into my chair, and crossed my arms. "You never answered me, you know." The way my brother fixed his glasses, then stared down at his report showed me he knew what I was talking about. "Why did you call her up in front of everybody like that?"

"Her reaction confused me."

I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head. "Okay...?" I trailed, pushing him to go on. He released a breath. "She's been enrolled into a school for exorcists, and she already had her temptaint, yet she was clueless to was a coal tar was. Her reaction was even more off putting. You don't find that the least bit strange?" I opened my mouth, but changed my mind as my eyes flicked away. I could probably answer some of that, but it would sound suspicious. Guilt was building up in me, again. I knew I shouldn't hide anything from Yukio, but how could I tell him?? There's no way he'd let Alia get that up and close experimenting on me, then the deal would be off, and she would tell everybody.

"So, I decided to test my suspicions by seeing if she knew was a temptaint was, at all. Her oblivion proved me correct. I'm supposing she had no consent in what she's really dealing with, and including her lack of experience, well...that's like having someone like you enroll, this late. Actually, worse. She may be a bright student, but that will get her nowhere without any resilience on the field."

I didn't know what to say. Even I could realize everything he said was true. My shoulders began to sag. It made me worry about Alia. I've been through worse, but...that was exactly it. I had my mind set to became an exorcist, and face everything head on. That was all that was keeping me going, but unlike me, she didn't make that choice. It was that same reason that was wearing her down, but she made it clear she needed to test me to understand everything better. I realized then, that in a weird way, I was the only thing keeping her going.

The situation made me sigh. If that's what it meant to help her feel more grounded here, I guess I could be more willing to cooperate. Even if I didn't like the idea of someone I barely knew sticking me with syringes, or doing other invasive things.

The next Saturday morning, I slept in until noon, since I was up late reading a new manga I found in a library around the corner, Friday evening. Libraries have never been my kind of scene, but Yukio banned me from borrowing any more of his manga after he found more tear stains streaking the ink. Look, it's not my fault they get so moving! But I couldn't find the series my brother had there, so that pissed me off. I settled for a different one about a homeless girl that accidentally inherits a shrine, becomes a deity, eventually falling for her familiar. I only picked up the first two volumes, so I was very upset when I finished them at almost two am, already.

I woke up to my phone buzzing. When I flipped it open, there was a missed call from a half hour ago, another missed call ten minutes ago, and a new text. It was all from a number that wasn't in my contacts. I squinted at the bright screen, yawning as I sleepily read the message:

090-7546-1042:

Hi, it's Alia. I'll be there in five minutes.

Oh, so that was her number. Hold up, five minutes?! I gasped as I threw off my covers on the floor, which pulled the Koma sword down with them. I stumbled around the room, trying to dress into a white t-shirt, and pulled on some black jeans from the floor that I forgot to put away. The chain to my wallet that was still attached got tangled around my fingers. I shook it off before buttoning my pants, then tossed my blankets back on the unmade bed, the katana next, but I accidentally knocked the mangas on the floor with it.

"Should I come back later, or...?"

I jumped, and spun around. "GAH!! H-how long have you been standing there?!" I sputtered at Alia, who was in the open doorway. She shrugged. "I just got here. I called." Her tired eyes examined my outfit, the dorm, and my bed, the floor—oh, SHIT. "You just woke up, didn't you?" She concluded, giving me a deadpan look. I waved a hand, innocently dodging her stare. "Pshh, whaaa?? Nooo, I was just, um, picking up, and—hey, wait—" When I looked at her again, she was bending over to pick up the scattered books. I gaped as she started to read the covers, and nervously turned my head away.

"You read Shōjo?"

I stiffened, feeling my ears burn at her statement. I didn't know what she was thinking with that flat tone, dammit! She opened the pages.

"My friends used to read this in middle school."

"G-give it back, dammit!" I snapped, ripping the mangas out of her hands before I could stop myself. My face grew hotter as I jammed them in my desk drawer. Alia's hands remained held out where they were, her eyes widening a little. I wanted her to drop the whole damn thing, and get this all over with, already. "D-didn't you want blood, or something??" I pressed, rubbing the back of my neck. Alia stood to her feet. "Oh...yeah." She seemed a bit distracted, today. Until now, she was always eager to start.

That's when I noticed she left a grocery bag by her shoes, and my jacket I lent her was slung over her arm. Her eyes were sleepy, and lifeless, having mild dark circles below her eyeliner. Alia's hair was pulled back in a ballerina bun, except for her bangs. She wore a pair of black, low rise shorts with matching, black, gladiator sandals. She had a tight, baby blue shirt that had cut outs over her shoulders. Black gothic font was printed, 'Not Today Satan.'

I'm having second thoughts about this...

She handed me my jacket.

"I dry cleaned it."

"Th-thanks," I muttered before snatching it. I wasn't able to directly meet her eyes, yet. Even though there wasn't class today, I automatically slid it on just to keep my hands occupied. My eyebrows wrinkled when it got stuck. I bent my head over my shoulder at the tight fabric that wouldn't budge on my back. I couldn't finish putting my arms in. "I...think you shrank it..." I trailed off. Alia raised her eyebrows, attempting to see for herself as I shifted the other way. "Oh, no, I'm really sorry...I didn't mean to, but they don't have anyone on staff for laundry in the summer, so I had to do it myself, but I never washed anything before—"

"You never did laundry?!" I exclaimed, whirling around to face her while struggling to get the jacket back off. She winced at my volume, then stared at the floor. "No...someone else always did it for us..." Alia had the same hesitant, quiet voice she used when she asked what a temptaint was. My voice lightened up. "Hey, I'm not mad. It was only an accident. Besides, I have a ton them," I reassured. I finally slipped it off, tossing it on my desk, then paced to my closet, scraping open the door to show her four spares hanging up. "It's all good."

"If you say so..." She responded. Her head stayed down with her hands behind her back, her right foot rubbing up and down the back of her left calf. "I'm...kind of new to this lifestyle." I had a feeling she wasn't talking about the laundry, anymore. I didn't like to stand by while watching someone go through something difficult. "Everything is incredibly different, here. It's not a thing like Niigata, and I don't—"

Alia's POV

I silenced myself, taking a beat to blink a couple of times. Why I was rambling about this? It's not as if it was relevant, and I doubted Rin cared. But...somehow he was easier to converse with than most people.

"Niigata? Is...that your hometown?" He suddenly inquired, sitting down at his desk as his bright, blue eyes fixated on me with newfound interest. I nodded before I stared out of the window into the clear sky. "Wow, really? You guys have the best rice in Japan!" Rin exclaimed in astonishment. "The food must taste awesome there!"

I made eye contact with him, and my lips barely parted. Not the response I was expecting, but I supposed it was nice he was interested. "Yeah, it is. The beaches are great too...Many are not crowded if you go to the right places," I sighed, reminiscing over the private cliffside beach behind my home. I wouldn't be able to swim there, anymore. "Sounds like a lot of fun," Rin replied as the end of his tail curled inward on itself. It almost reminded me of a monkey's tail. "Did you go a lot?"

I breathed in for a moment until the bag I left on the floor was in my sight.

"Almost every day."

I didn't want to talk about it, anymore. I was becoming more homesick by the second. My hands retrieved the bag before I placed it in front of Rin on his desk. He automatically brushed some notebooks and pencils out of the way for me as I unloaded some of contents inside. I placed down a little, white box I went back to the pharmacy for.

"What's that? I thought you were drawing blood?"

I sighed, leaning against his desk. "I...changed my mind. It's not necessary, yet, so I planned something easier," I admitted, folding my arms as I averted his gaze. "So, there won't be any syringes...yet." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rin run his fingers through his unkept hair when he exhaled. "That's good to know." He laid his chin on his palm, his eyelids slitting at the small box.

Actually, my microscope shipment was delayed.

"I'm having you take a blood test, instead."

He lifted his head up to sit up straight, raising his eyebrow. "What? How the hell am I supposed to do that?? You didn't even give me a heads up, and I never studied." My shoulders sagged as I rolled my eyes. "It only takes five minutes, so it's—" Wait. Did he say study? My eyes narrowed with my mouth falling open at him while my eyebrows wrinkled together. Are you shitting me, right now? I inhaled sharply, keeping all of the various words and thoughts flowing through my brain locked inside.

"Do not worry. It's very easy," I eventually answered, a ladylike smile spreading across my lips. I applied fresh pair of latex gloves to my hands, releasing the material prior to it meeting my wrist with a loud snap. Rin cringed at the sound. "W-what's with the gloves?"

"Sanitation."

From you.

"First, you simply open the box."

I tore off the seal, scattering the contents on the table.

"Get the alcohol wipe."

My nails shred it open, then I seized Rin's ring finger, causing his blue orbs to enlarge. I applied the wipe to the tip of his fingerprint. With my gasp fixed firmly around his hand, I tossed the wipe on the desk. Next, I swiped the lancet, popping the cap off the end with my free hand to reveal a tiny needlepoint.

"Um, wait, what are you—!"

"Then you do this:"

I held it over his fingertip, clicking the button.

"Ow!"

On instinct, Rin tried to put his finger in his mouth, but I instantly jerked it back with a tight squeeze to prevent him from doing so. I swapped the lancet for a white stick.

"Dab the blood."

After acquiring some from the spot on him I pricked, I hovered it over the first hole on one of the rows in the mini tray that was included in the box.

"Repeat."

I repeated with a new stick three more times, getting separate samples in the rest of the dots except for the control. When they were ready, I released Rin so I could uncap a small bottle.

"Then, you add the buffer solution..." I hissed with gritted teeth, my smiling tensing as my tone sounded snippier.

I applied a couple of drops in each of the spaces below the row of blood, smacking the bottle back on the desktop. I frowned at the tray, rapping my fingers on the wood beside it, and a hand on my hip while I waited impatiently until some of the dots of blood turned clear. I flipped the package of the kit over to review the chart on it until I was able to find what blood type matched Rin's result. I heard him stand up next to me in order to lean over, and scan it as well.

"Oh, you're right. That was easy," Rin stated. He abruptly gasped. "Hey, look! I got an A minus!" His voice raised with childlike wonder, his finger pointing to a row labeled on the chart. "What does that mean?"

My face spun to him so suddenly that my neck cracked several times.

The HELL did he just say?!!

My right eye twitched. There was no way in infinity and beyond that this space cadet was serious. Rin's eyes were lit with excitement while he awaited for my explanation.

No...

I didn't believe it. On what moronic planet would someone actually think—

Wait, he's TYPE A?!?

My wide orbs shot back to the box as I shoved it into my face to where he had pointed. As a matter of fact, Rin Okumura's blood type was indeed A negative. I may have never been superstitious, or checked my horoscope, or even read up on blood type personalities, which was huge here in Asia, but...but...the ODDS! To even think Rin was supposedly a rational, punctual perfectionist was absurd. I didn't know him well, but his disarrayed bed, hair, and brain were a clue.

Out of all the insanity that happened this week, somehow the irony of this baffled me far more than it should have, or possibly I was finally at my wit's end. The ridiculousness of everything had me grasping at straws, and I was about to lose my mind.

"So? I passed, right?"

Is he really this dumb—

My back trembled as I hunched over, distributing my weight to my palms that I rested on the desktop. I harshly squeezed my lips in a fine line, trying my damnedest to keep it together.

"Are you okay...?" Rin questioned cautiously.

Without warning, a muffled giggle slipped out as my mouth remained shut. My titters pushed harder to break free, until I was nearly outright wheezing. I collapsed into Yukio's desk chair, my diaphragm violently heaving itself into my chest with each giggle. I clasped my mouth with my hand. My skin was heated so intensely from containment, that I was certain my face was cherry red. My breaths slowed down, then I stole a glance at Rin, who awkwardly stood there with the most bizarre facet as if I had lost my sanity. Well, probably because I had.

I opened my mouth to suck in a larger amount of air after I attempted to calm myself. I detected a serene smile tugging on the corner of Rin's lips as his gaze upon me went amiable. His following sentence stunned me.

"I'm not gonna lie...it's good to see you laugh, Ali."

Omfg my head has NOT been in the game this month I've been so illiterate messing up every text msg and spacing out after every sentence on this I swear my anemia is a bitch this time, I haven't dealt with it in forever so apologize if this part is rambling or dragged out or weak with plot I'm not sure I really can't tell & the switching POVs made me dizzy and confused as hell. I wanted to upload it on Halloween but yeah no so here it is y'all

Also WTF FF. Net you cancelled your right body paragraph option???????

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~ Sapphire out