But it could not be.

Shinobu died a world away from me, a world away from that day I promised her otherwise.

Because God's in his drawing-room, and all's set with the world.

And even if I tried to fight him –

And believe me when I say I have tried –

It simply could not be.


Giyuu's POV

She did not ask me for it, and I had no reason to, but I told my story to this girl. I propped her against a tree and fetched my sheets from my room and wrapped it around her. All the while, her face would oscillate between red and porcelain while I recited my heartbreak tale to her, and her lip would occasionally tremble as if something was going to be said, but nothing every time, and I would pay no mind.

Because again, I will say it.

She did not ask me.

I had no reason to.

Yet I told her everything, anyway.


"What happened?" I asked her, when done. "You're all swollen and red."

She didn't answer.

"Beat up?" I inferred, and she nodded. "You… gonna get better? No, what am I asking…" My head fell in my hands.

"A travesty," it was said, and when I realised it came from neither of our mouths I turned around and saw Kanae Kochou for the first time. She had eyes pink as quartz, like wet stones, and was clearly of the refined sort, even among this private school atop private schools. Back then she was still taller than me, and was palpably the more open one. She slammed a fist in her hand.

"That boy! I'll kill him for what he did!"

…Also the more emotional one. She filled her jaws with air and puffed for anger.

"What's your name?" she asked, eventually.

"Giyuu."

She didn't do anything with the information, and went on complaining. She whipped her hair and I noticed the two iconic butterfly clips banded to it: I put piece and piece together and deduced these girls were sisters, from the way the older one fawned over the injured younger.

…Say, she was quite pretty.

"I'm Kanae," the older girl would finally say, a bit calmer. "This here's Shinobu."

'Shinobu's' eyes were already puffy and shut. She breathed like a rusted windmill that struggled to turn in the wind, and did not respond to her sister besides the occasional pained grunt. Should I have called Mr Açores? I spent so much time debating this that I ended up not doing anything at all. And there was the impending end of break, the impending eventuality that we were going to be found, the impending want to go back and do… nothing. Kanae spoke.

"By the way, I heard your story."

"You did?" I replied. I thought she would be sadder saying it, more empathetic. A part of me wanted her to be.

"I'm sorry, or… my condolences," Kanae said, and her noble side shone through. "But what're you gonna do now? After your sister…" She didn't finish.

I glanced around, to think. "Stay here…" I reckoned.

"Really? I thought you were just giving Shinobu a story when you told her the principal – or 'Mr Açores', now – took you in. But it looks like you were genuine."

…Deciding to ask her later, or never at all, why she ever thought I'd lied, I put aside the thought and turned away.

"Well, I've gotta go now."

"Wait–"

Kanae tried to come to me, but her kimono got snagged on some brambles, and she nearly tripped.

"Why don't you–"

She freed herself, and closed the distance fully.

"Now this may not seem the greatest of ideas," she said. "But I'm thinking it's expected that you'll get lonely here."

"You don't know that."

"It's expected. I'm thinking…" Kanae adjusted the clips in her hair. "We become friends."

"…What?"

"You ain't the social type, I can tell. So we'll help you. Get you on the good path again. Camaraderie, or something. Like we're fellow soldiers in some army."

"I don't need no friends," I replied.

"Talking shi–" Kanae stopped herself. "…Nonsense. Nobody can get along with life alone… nobody ought to. That's what my ma says."

I frowned, and retorted. "Your ma's square." In retrospect, it was an abhorrent thing to say, especially to Kanae – just because it was Kanae – and especially to someone who was offering me something worth more than just material gratification. But she wasn't hurt. She wasn't listening.

"Why don't you – join us for the day? To get the ball rolling."

…Neither was I particularly invested. But when the question did come across to me, I began to suspect.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"A… 'sleep-over', or 'play-date', some of the kids call it. We'll have a sleep-over or play-date. We'll spend the day together, and stay the night at either of our houses. Since you don't want to go back to yours… there's only mine."

"Naw." I saw where this was going. "I ain't doing that."

"Well, why not?"

"…It's bad manners. It ain't safe. My sister tells… told me..." – I had to search my memory with uncanny scrutiny – "…not to go to stranger's houses without her."

Kanae gave me a ridiculous, wonderfully childish answer. "Your sister's in your heart. You ain't apart. So you can go. We aren't strangers."

"Who says? We haven't even known each other a day."

"Science says," Kanae beamed, proudly. "An encyclopedia. A big name for a big book with science in it. And it says, 'talk with a person for more than ten minutes, learn their name, and you aren't strangers anymore'. It's a fact."

"I don't believe in science," I mandated. "I'm an atheist."

"Who gives a shi…damn! Be flexible, man! Be water, not ice." Kanae raised her voice, for show. "Do you wanna come with us or not?"

"I don't know," I said. "I have to think about it." The bell rang then, and it was back to class for Kanae. She made a derisive noise.

"I've got a history test now… and I haven't studied… so maybe, even if it's cruel-sounding, I'll accompany Shinobu home and use it as an excuse to ditch. I've got money. I can get a taxi."

"…Report the bullying, too," I said.

"And that, yeah." Kanae waved. "Well, have a nice life until you make your decision."

I bid her the same farewell, and she departed, older sister lugging little sister behind her. Watching them disappear behind the crook of the exist, I felt a soft influx of gloom wash through me. I remember there was this one subtle, incumbent notion I held to myself: that I would never see them again, even though I probably would. I was that kind of dreading person. And it proved a snowball effect. After a while of standing there, ambling, thinking, I had one thought, then this thought lent itself to another, so on, so go, and I came to this travesty of a conclusion:

I did not know when I would see her again.

Did not know if ever I would see her again –

So now –

Rather than later –

I ought to give Kanae my answer.


On the outskirts, I saw the carriage skidding away from the school grounds, and I sped over and jumped on the little embossed footstep and held flat against the edge with a devil's vigour. Cheek planted on the glass, I rapped on the door. I held my body out of the way and Kanae opened it and pulled me inside. Bent over the interior carpet, I looked up.

"…If you went away now, when were you planning to hear my answer?" I asked.

"I don't know… I wasn't thinking," she replied. I stood up and sat next to

"See, that's the thing. Someone said to me… that the young don't need to think too it's not their place to be overthinking. And maybe, maybe –"

And maybe, maybe…

"He was right, ya dig?"

…maybe I'd already made my decision long before the choice was proposed.


Like this, side-by-side with the greener half of my soul, I gave my hand to Kanae, and accepted the offer of accompaniment for the day.


Am currently rewriting my starting chapters... so beware of the writing if you decide to read further than this. Also, there might be some inconsistencies as you go on... but I'll smooth them out simultaneously.