"And do I dream again?
For now I find,
The Phantom of the Opera is there,
inside my mind."
-Andrew Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart

The first three days of the fall semester had flown by in a swift haze for Shuichi Minamino—he had already acquired a paper with a two week deadline for his organic chemistry class, and wanted to have it completed sooner rather than later. It was now Thursday, just after lunch, and the only class that remained on his roster for the day was microbiology—once it ended, he had plans to hit up the library and get a solid start. He wasn't due for his evening shift at the Koeda Café until five, and with his course ending at two, that allotted him about two hours or so before he had to head home to get ready for work. He hurried his way over to the main hall, pausing to hit the restroom before making his way into the classroom that hosted his final course. He arrived nearly fifteen minutes before class was set to begin, and the room was still rather empty, with only a handful of fellow early birds like himself having claimed their seats.

Shuichi got to work setting up his space, withdrawing a spiral notebook and a pen in preparation to take notes—it had been plainly stated in the syllabus that the major bi-weekly examinations would be largely based off of the lectures provided, and he preferred to have an in-depth record of the material in which to review and study from. While he waited, his cell phone vibrated within the pocket of his slacks, and he withdrew the device, seeing a notification from Kazuma appear across the tiny screen. He tapped on the message and saw the request from his friend to join up with him in the library if time allowed—seeing as he already planned to do so following the conclusion of his class, Shuichi readily agreed. He had yet to see Kuwabara since the semester had officially begun due to their difference in schedules—unlike the previous semester, their free periods unfortunately did not align, so they were unable to meet and catch up.

They had made tentative plans to hang out and grab a bite to eat that Friday evening, but Kazuma had been made to cancel after being asked to pick up a shift he hadn't been scheduled for at his job—working as a bouncer for the only dance club in all of Kaiden was a simple occupation, and one Kuwabara actively enjoyed, but many of the fellow employees who shared his duties were unreliable—it wasn't uncommon that he would get a request from his boss to cover for one of them when they called out. Kazuma would always agree, even at the cost of his own social life. The extra money was something he could always use, and Shuichi couldn't blame him for taking the opportunity when it was presented to him.

The few minutes of freedom quickly ticked by, and class swiftly commenced upon the professor's arrival to the classroom—the lecture given wasn't a particularly interesting one, focusing on cell physiology, but Shuichi took sufficient notes all the same. He was pleased when the period finally came to an end, making his way to the exit the moment the professor had given the green light for dismissal. On eager legs, he made his way across the quad and over to the library, which was bustling with people. Kazuma's message had informed him to meet up near the back of the domicile in their usual spot, which was located alongside the not-so-expansive periodicals section. Shuichi weaved his way through the mass of students, spotting Kuwabara's distinct head of bright orange hair from a distance. As he approached, he quickly realized that his friend did not sit alone—his companion sat in a chair just across from Kazuma, with her back pointed in his direction. He saw the telltale glint of vivid copper hair and felt his breath suddenly catch in his throat—no, it couldn't be…but could it?

Anxious, but masking it well, Shuichi made his way over to the table in question. Kuwabara saw him approaching and waved him over with a wide smile, which prompted his unnamed companion to turn around in her chair to investigate. Hazel eyes bore into him, growing wide with subtle recognition as mild surprise blanketed her endearing, freckle adorned face.

It was her, there was no mistaking it. The girl from that dreary gray day while crossing the empty quad. He had begun to truly doubt that he would ever lay eyes on her again—school had been in session for nearly a week, and he had yet to spot her among the masses, in spite of his causal searching whenever he was moving from one class to another, his hopes high but tainted by realism. A mild desperation had befallen him each time he walked the courtyard and failed to see her, for reasons he didn't fully understand. But now here she sat, in stark reality—she fixed him with that same warm smile as she had done during their first encounter, and without warning, his mouth and throat had gone dry. It was obvious from her reaction, although restrained, that she had recognized him as well. He hesitated in his approach, but only for the briefest of seconds—was that a twinkle of appreciation in her eye, or was that simply a product of his imagination?

"Hey, Shuichi!" Kazuma offered in greeting as he neared the gathering, a wide smile plastered across his face. "Glad you could make it, buddy." Shuichi flashed a small smile at his friend, but found himself unable to fully drop his focus from the girl entirely. Ever intuitive, Kuwabara picked up on his friend's curiosity and pointed towards his cohort. "This is Davina—she's new around here. We have physics together, and she's my lab partner."

Davina. An odd name, not one he had ever heard before, but lovely—it suited her.

"Davi, this is my friend, Shuichi," Kazuma continued, gesturing towards him with a wave of his hand.

Before anything further could be said, Davina rose from her chair and turned to face him, nonchalantly tucking some stray strands of her soft looking hair behind the curve of her ear before holding out her other hand for him to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Shuichi," she offered softly, her smile inviting and her eyes firmly holding his gaze. Her Japanese was near perfect, which came as a pleasant discovery.

The sound of her voice speaking his name sent a strange shudder of anticipation racing down the curve of his spine, gentle and sweet. A sudden rush of heat bubbled within his loins as his mind wandered to just what she would sound like crying out in the throes of ecstasy.

Forcing such salacious thoughts aside, he glanced down at her presented hand for a brief second, taking in her lithe fingers and neatly manicured nails, which were painted a shade of dark, iridescent green. He then reached out and engulfed it with his own, her appendage minute and warm against his flesh. Something within his body jolted at the harmless contact—it was as if a sudden shockwave arched between them, connecting them on a level that was beyond physical. Her eyes abruptly widened, as if she had experienced a similar sensation.

"Pleasure to meet you," he replied quietly, slowly releasing his firm grip on her hand even as their eyes continued to hold for a moment longer. He broke the gaze and moved to claim the seat besides Kazuma as she slipped back into her chair. The table before them was littered with textbooks and notebooks, a small collection of pens and highlighters sitting beside them.

"So, how are you're classes going so far?" Kazuma asked curiously as Davina returned her attention to the physics textbook in front of her and began to read.

"Rather well," Shuichi replied, but he found it difficult to pull his attention away from her, taking in the minute details of her face as her eyes swiftly darted over the text. The smattering of freckles crossed the bridge of her nose, pouring down the sides of her cheeks and kissing her temples. She wore almost no make-up, her lengthy lashes darkened by mascara, and the scent of her perfume danced around his sensitive nose, flooding his nostrils with a delicious aroma of sweet vanilla and spicy clove. He felt his mouth begin to water involuntarily at the delectable aroma, even as he did his best to ignore the reaction and focus on Kazuma as he completed his explanation. "I've already received my first research paper for the semester—Professor Takahashi surely didn't waste any time."

"What subject are you pursuing your degree in?" Davina suddenly questioned, the sound of her voice swiftly regaining Shuichi's attention—his eyes locked with hers, and he could see the curiosity playing across her demure visage.

"Biochemistry," he replied, and witnessed a small smile of approval form upon her lips. "And yourself?" He had to admit, he was curious. She was obviously quite intelligent—she wouldn't have been accepted to Chishiki No Eda if she wasn't. It was one of the best schools in the country, with a rigorous criteria for students who wished to attend. Not to mention the fact that it was costly—he had managed to earn a substantial scholarship that took care of many of his expenses, but there were always additional costs to consider. So either she too had received a similar benefit, or her family was well off. She definitely did not mirror that snotty, superior attitude he had often witnessed from others who were financially privileged.

"Engineering…electrical engineering, to be specific," she offered casually, but Shuichi swore he could hear a subtle hint of discontentment behind her words. "It's the preferred occupation of the MacKenna Family—both of my parents and my two older brothers are engineers."

"Wow, that's kind of crazy," Kuwabara commented, his interjection suddenly pulling Davina's attention away from Shuichi, if only for a brief second. The loss made something within him snarl with a sense of inexplicable annoyance, but he kept his face stoic. "A family full of engineers. You must be super smart, Davi."

"Trust me, Kazuma, it wasn't exactly a choice," she replied with a halfhearted chuckle. "Growing up, I actually wanted to be a journalist, but my mother would never have approved of that as a career option. She grew up around here, and Chishiki No Eda is actually her alma mater, hence why she insisted on me attending here. But it's all fine—engineering is a very interesting field, although I'm sure biochemistry is far more interesting," she continued, her gaze once again meeting Shuichi's. Whatever had balked within him before immediately calmed, and he fixed her with a small smile of appreciation.

"It certainly is interesting. Do you still enjoy writing? Or have you discontinued those efforts in your pursuit of your family's career choice?" he asked, his words peppered with genuine interest.

His question appeared to catch her off guard, if only for a second. She seemed absolutely surprised by his inquiry, as if she had expected for him to disregard her words. Such a thing was a learned behavior, and for it to have been so deeply ingrained within her, such ignorance must have been occurring for years. The thought of her being treated so poorly displeased him, although why it mattered to him was a true mystery. She was a stranger to him still, but she was proving to have a unique effect upon him, one that he couldn't recall a female ever before inspiring. It was both intriguing and bothersome, and he was eager to understand why he was experiencing such a thing.

True, it had been a fair amount of time since his last carnal encounter—perhaps these odd desires stemmed forth from his more base urges failing to be taken care of. He had ended things with his previous girlfriend just about three months ago, and typically, he would already have secured a replacement to warm his bed. But other obligations had required his attention, and he had opted to focus his energy on them instead of his own physical needs. It was a satisfactory explanation, all things considered. Perhaps he would test out his theory with a willing female soon and see if his interest in Davina was a passing desire fueled by his lack of intimate attentions. He certainly had a list of enthusiastic candidates vying for the chance.

"Well, yes, I still love writing," she replied, after a short pause, the sound of her voice snapping Shuichi back into the gripe of reality. "I actually was working on a full length novel before I graduated high school back in Denver."

Denver—so, he had been correct in his thinking. She was American, and from what she had mentioned previously, her mother was a Japanese native. A rather interesting combination, if he did say so himself.

"Well, if you still enjoy the art, you should continue your efforts," he offered, feeling a pang at the sight of those bright hazel eyes growing soft with what he believed was admiration born of his encouragement. "The university paper is always looking for student submissions and staff volunteers. Perhaps it's something you'd care to look into."

"It's a good idea, Shuichi," Kazuma chimed in, nearly startling him—in the presence of their conversation and his own mental tirade, Shuchi had nearly forgotten about his friend. "I know someone on the literary committee—I could always introduce you to him, if you want." Davina's eyes once again shifted to Kuwabara's, and Shuichi experienced that internal gripe of irritation once more at the loss of her consideration.

"I'll keep that in mind, Kazuma. Thank you," she said quietly, then met Shuichi's stare once again. "And thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate it. It would be a nice departure from my studies." Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she gasped. "Is it really a quarter after two already? I should be heading out, my next class is set to start in fifteen minutes." Davina rose to her feet and gathered up her supplies in silence, quickly pushing everything into the confines of her backpack.

"Well, thanks for the invite, Kazuma. I'll see you in physics on Monday—and Shuichi, it was wonderful meeting you. Hopefully, I'll see you around again," she offered with a shy smile, then waved a goodbye as she took her leave, heading for the library's exit. Both men watched her as she walked away, with Shuichi quietly admiring her backside, quite liking the way those dark gray jeans hugged her ample curves.

"Sorry to just spring that on ya, buddy," Kazuma said the moment Davina had disappeared. He looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head in mild embarrassment. "She's really nice, and doesn't really know anyone around here yet. I just thought it would be a good thing to invite her."

"No need for concern, Kazuma," Shuichi replied casually. "That was kind of you to invite her. In fact, I don't mind if you'd like to invite her to join us in the future."

"Really? Cool. I think she'd like that. Thanks, man. You gonna get started on your paper? I've got some homework I need to knock out. I'm working the whole weekend, and Shizuru will kick my butt if I fall behind." The mental image of Kazuma's older sister threatening him with physical violence caused Shuichi to chuckle softly—it wasn't the first time she had made such a warning, and they both knew full well she would deliver on it.

"Let's get to it, then."

. . .

Davina's final class of the day seemed to crawl by, and she was having significant difficulty in paying attention to her instructor's sociology lecture. The page of the notebook in front of her barely held two paragraphs worth of notes—considering her typical method of writing nearly every damn thing down during such discussion, her utter lack of concentration was worrisome, to say the least. Her physical form was perched in the Social Sciences Hall, but her mind was back in the library—she couldn't stop thinking about her earlier interactions with him.

'Shuichi' she reminded herself, now that she knew his name. His sudden appearance had come as a complete surprise to her—she never would have believed the coincidence that he and Kazuma were friends. It had been rather nice of Kazuma to invite her to join him in the library to study—he sat next to her in physics, and had been friendly with her since their first day of class. When the instructor named them as lab partners, she had been relieved—he had responded to the appointment positively, and for that, Davina had been grateful. She had been attending university for nearly a week, and had yet to make a single friend. She did receive a great many curious looks, but hadn't really spoken with anyone, her anxiety at being thrust into a new environment and surrounded by strangers vibrating painfully within her. But Kuwabara hadn't seem to notice her apprehension, and had been exceedingly kind to her.

During their time in the library, prior to Shuichi's arrival, they had talked more about their personal lives rather than school, and learned that they had a fair amount in common—they both loved videogames, rock music, and cats. He had spoken in length about his girlfriend, Yukina, and Davina had felt a deep fondness for her newfound companion. There was nothing about Kazuma that she found physically attractive, but he had a beautiful soul, and the way he talked about his love made her admire him. He had even offered to take her to the local arcade in Kaiden one day and meet some of his friends, and she was both nervous and excited at the idea.

When Shuichi had appeared, Davina had felt her breath catch suddenly in her throat—when she realized that it was their table that he was fast approaching, she had nearly fallen into shock. But she had smiled at him, and could tell that he recognized her from that gray day while crossing the quad. He was even more attractive in close proximity, and when he had reached out to envelope her offered hand in his own, she had felt this strange electric pulse race up the curve of her arm. His voice was calm and pleasant to the ear, and while she had done her best not to appear affected by his presence, Davina knew nearly for certain that he was aware of his influence upon her.

But their conversation was enjoyable, and when he had responded to her comment about writing, she had been rather surprised at his interest. Her mother had always responded negatively when she brought up such a desire, and had inspired such self doubt that Davina truly believed the idea to be a frivolous one. Yet, Shuichi had listened attentively, and had even provided encouragement. She found herself feeling somewhat ashamed at the predetermined conception her mind had painted for him—he didn't come across as conceited in the least. She had been rather disappointed when the time had come for her to leave—she certainly hadn't wanted to.

And now, here she sat, her mind entangled in thoughts of him, praying to some unseen power that she would get to see him again, and soon. There was an unanticipated longing she felt, and Davina was hesitant to acknowledge it—he was still more or less a stranger, but she was desperate to know him better. She could only hope that the chance to do so would present itself.

What seemed like a small eternity later, her class finally came to an end, and Davina eagerly left the lecture hall, following the mass exodus from the classroom with a small smile on her face. Twenty minutes and a short train ride later found her back home at her apartment, sitting down at her desk to finish up a homework assignment. She was nearly done when her stomach growled loudly, announcing its hunger to the world—considering she had skipped lunch, not wanting to eat alone with in the meal hall for the fourth day in a row, it didn't come as a surprise. Forcing herself to focus on her work, Davina finished up the last of her task and then headed towards the refrigerator to scope out dinner options.

Nothing she had in her stores appealed to her—Davina considered venturing out to grab some food, and after a quick debate with herself, decided to take the plunge. It was still fairly early in the evening—the sun still hung in the sky, and a quick glance at the clock perched in the corner of her laptop's screen announced that it was just after six. She'd run out, grab a bite, and then settle in for the night, maybe do a little reading or even draw. She hadn't done any art since her move, since her time had been consumed by other things. To say that she missed the outlet was a vast understatement—there was something wholly therapeutic about drawing, and it usually helped her to relax.

Davina slipped into her sneakers, grabbed her purse, and headed outside, making the short walk into the downtown shopping district and eyeing the small collection of restaurants peppered among the stores. For a brief moment, she considered going to the Koeda Café, but then a sign advertising a noodle shop caught her attention. Her stomach roared at the thought, and she considered that the decision on where to eat had been decided for her. So she quickly crossed the street and ventured inside, eager to calm her ravenous belly.

"Welcome to the Yukimura Noodle Shop!" a friendly female voice called out in greeting as she entered the small restaurant, which was fairly empty. Davina made her way over to counter, where a petite, dark haired girl with big brown eyes was perched, smiling politely over at her. Davina mirrored her façade, and took a second to consider the menu that hung overhead.

"I'll have the shoyu ramen, please," she asked, digging into her purse to locate her wallet. The girl rang her order in, and Davina handed her the payment needed to satisfy their transaction. She couldn't help but study the cashier closely as she worked, feeling as if she somehow looked familiar—but Davina couldn't easily place her. She was certain she had seen her somewhere around Kaiden before, but for the moment, was unable to pin point where that had been.

Davina selected a table and claimed a chair for herself, withdrawing her current novel, Red Dragon by author Thomas Harris, from the depths of her purse and picked up from her previously bookmarked page. While she awaited the arrival of her food, the girl brought her a small pot of freshly brewed black tea and a single cup, carefully placing the tray that held the items upon the surface in front of her.

"Thank you," Davina offered, placing her book down for a brief second. "Miss, if you don't mind, I have a question—do you happen to know of a good place around here to get art supplies? I'm new to town and still learning my way around."

"There's a shop about two blocks over, on Ame Street," her companion replied after a moment of thoughtful hesitation. "It's called Aura Inks—they have a decent selection. If that doesn't work for you, there's Art House, but it's over in Osaka, about a mile away from the train station. It's much bigger, and even has a little gallery attached to the shop."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Davina replied, fixing her with a grateful smile. She made a mental note to stop in at the first shop that had been suggested—she'd save the one in Osaka for a later time, perhaps for an after class venture.

"No problem—your food should be up in just another minute or so."

Davina nodded and quickly fixed herself a cup of the hot beverage, giving it a chance to cool some as she returned to her book and returned to her reading. The girl stepped away to go back to her perch behind the counter, her attention quickly being occupied by her cell phone, which she had tucked away alongside the register. True to her word, the food she had ordered was placed in the small window that linked the kitchen to the front end almost exactly a full sixty seconds later. "Order up!" a gruff voiced barked from beyond the construct, which prompted the girl serving to return her phone to its unseen hiding spot and approach the window to collect the food. With balance born of many years of constant practice, she carried the circular tray bearing Davina's meal over to where she sat, and arranged the bowls before her.

"Enjoy!" the girl offered, wearing a gracious smile once more. As she returned to her station, Davina surveyed the meal before her with an appreciative eye—everything looked delicious, and her stomach was eager with anticipation for that first bite. She ate slowly, enjoying her food as she continued to read. The broth was delightfully salty and the noodles were accompanied by bits of tender braised beef. It was even better than Davina had expected, her belly quite full and extremely content by the time she was finished. She would undoubtedly be returning here in the future.

"We should go on a date this weekend," she overheard the girl who had served her say as she placed her marker to hold her current page and slipped her book back into her bag, presumably speaking to the chef who was hidden beyond the window. "There's that new pizza place over in Osaka that I've been dying to try. How about Saturday afternoon?"

A loud groan of protest followed her suggestion. "Another date? You know I'm supposed to hang out with Kuwabara on Saturday!"

The mention of her classmate immediately caught Davina's attention, and she paused in her preparations to take her leave, her interest roused. Perhaps these were some of the friends Kazuma had previously mentioned.

His less than enthusiastic response prompted the girl to huff in annoyance. "I know that, Yusuke, but you don't have to spend the whole day with him! Besides, we really need to start getting some planning done for the wedding—mom thinks we should set the date for March of next year."

"Why the rush? We have plenty of time to plan for it."

"You can't really get any planning done if you don't even have a date in mind! We've been engaged for almost a year already, and yet no real plans have been made!"

Davina kept her face stoic, but then something clicked in her mind—although she could not see her companion, she recognized his voice, and hearing him openly argue with the girl helped her place where she knew them from. These two were the couple from the clothing shop from the week prior, when she had purchased her new dress. From the sound of things, there was quite a bit of trouble in paradise. Despite her apparent curiosity, it was not her business, but she could feel it in her bones that this was a relationship that was doomed to have a less than pleasant outcome. The occasional disagreement in any relationship was expected, but this seemingly disgruntled union was on a level all its own.

"Nothing's wrong with a long engagement, Keiko. Why are you in such a rush to get married, anyway? It's not like it's gonna change anything."

His retort caused Keiko's face to turn bright red with anger, and Davina took that as a sign from a higher power that now was a good time to make her exit. She stood up, slipped her purse on her shoulder, and headed for the door, keeping her gaze trained directly ahead.

Once back out on the street, a deep sigh of relief escaped Davina's lips. Witnessing the couple's heated spat made her feel grateful that she was unattached—in truth, she hadn't dated much in her high school years, as she was always busy with school, family, or friends. Her one serious relationship, which had lasted for nearly two years, hadn't ended well, and she had opted to not get involved with anyone new ever since—it seemed to be far more hassle than it was worth. She had been on a handful of dates following that epic crash and burn, but none of them had warranted a second venture. Like most young women, Davina desired to find the perfect mate, but she was also wise enough to realize that perfection did not exist. She was a firm believer in fate—the right person would come along when the time was right, probably when she least expected it. She wasn't sure if she was thrilled by the idea or terrified by it.

Going on Keiko's previous suggestion, Davina made her way over to Ame Street, and quickly located the art shop. After only ten minutes or so, she had gathered the supplies she would need, among them a new sketchbook, graphite pencils, and a box of pastels. The sun was close to setting as she left the store, her purchases neatly packaged in a small canvas bag. She made the short walk home, and swiftly unloaded her materials at her desk. For background noise, she opened her laptop and played some music—her taste in such a thing was quite varied, with the first song being a recent hit from one of her favorite metal bands, only to transition into an instrumental version of the theme from The Phantom of the Opera musical. It was that second song that inspired the subject matter for her drawing, and while quietly humming along with the melody, Davina began to sketch, loosing herself in the process, her mind floating off into a world unknown as her hand skillfully danced across the page.

Several hours later, she had finished with the line work, having sketched out a fairly detailed drawing of the infamous Phantom who haunted the Palais Garnier opera house, a slender hand holding his half mask in place to shield the ruined half of his otherwise beautiful visage. She had originally planned to base the drawing off of Gerard Butler's portrayal of the Phantom from the film, but instead had gone in her own direction, giving him longer hair and providing distinct features to his face. By the time she paused in her efforts to study her work, Davina nearly choked as she realized the face she had sketched—it certainly wasn't that of Gerard Butler, but looked eerily close to Shuichi. She considered erasing it, but couldn't bring herself to do so, quite liking the end result. Why she had sketched Shuichi's visage was a mystery to her—she hadn't been thinking about him as she had worked, and yet there was his likeness, plain as day, staring piercingly up at her from the paper that sat in front of her.

Realizing that it had become rather late, Davina decided it was best she cleaned up and headed to bed. She showered and made her preparations for the day ahead, happy to know that it was Friday that awaited her when she awoke. As she crawled into her bed, she found herself wondering when she would see him next, and drifted off to sleep, encompassed by thoughts that she was afraid to give a name to.