Static. Not this again. I'm exhausted. Leave me be, please.
Piercing blue eyes. No, not just blue. A calming ice blue. They stared up at her, clearly concerned. The owner's face was dripping from sweat, strewn about his face as if he had just run a mile.
What… is this? He looks like... But I've never seen anything. They've always been voices.
"You'rX… What are XxX doXXx in XXere…?" She still refused to accept the memories. But maybe now that she could view them… no. She pushed the voices and visions away. They ruined her. Even as she did so, it felt like her eyes were fixated on the boy standing just below her. His speech was covered by that irritating static, so she couldn't make out what he was trying to say.
Another voice. It was… so extremely familiar, almost the same as her own.
"I'm going monXXxX huXxXXx, of course." Damn static.
She couldn't make out the strange surroundings past the boy's head. It was almost as if whoever the memory belonged to was focusing solely on the face of the innocent, worried face of the boy below her. Why did this boy resemble him so much? Not exactly, he seemed a bit slimmer and younger perhaps, but still, they could practically be twins.
In the distance was a large figure. It stood still and seemed to pulsate with neon blue color. Black and neon blue was all she could gather though. The sight was almost hazy. All around the looming dark shape was a barren landscape. No grass, no trees, no life. A desert? The hell?! WHERE IS THIS?! The scene was nothing she had ever experienced before. The lack of greenery or urban structures unsettled the viewer, it frightened her.
The next few words out of the teenager below her shook her to her very core. It was entirely unblemished by the static that shrouded most of the voices in her head. Somewhere, deep in the pink haired girl's very heart, her very soul, she knew what he meant.
"You're going to pilot this robot alone?" The boy raised his head as he took a step forward, clenching his fists. His voice seemed almost frightened by the assumption he had made. Pilot a robot? What the hell do you mean by that? TELL ME!
It was there, on the tip of her tongue. The word that she sought. That single word that would bring about so many emotions. What was - wait, why did she care all of a sudden? These weren't her memories. She didn't care. She never had and never will. No matter what emotions the visions caused to arise in the pink haired punk, she couldn't give in. The girl turned a blind eye to the scene presented to her.
I want nothing to do with these. Please, go haunt someone else. I'm begging you.
(Slight edit to the dialogue below, in case anyone is interested. I believed the interaction of the character in the mirror to be a bit too aggressive and forceful, which did not fit her. Hopefully this should solve that.)
"I can't do that. You're my only chance. I need to be with him. Please, I need him." The voice that resembled her own echoed in her mind suddenly. The scene from before was shattered, and in its place, a mirror was placed. The rose gold mirror's frame was made up of well crafted, sculptured shapes of birds in flight. With… two heads?
As she peered into the mirror occupying the space ahead of her, all she saw was herself. An exact replica, just like a mirror should show. A reflection. So why then, was this reflection acting like its own person?
Wait a moment. I've never seen any clothes that resemble that uniform. That can't be me.
The girl in the mirror indeed had the same hair, eyes, and face as herself. That was clear. But her uniform, it was a dark red color, featuring a zipper from the collar, down to the skirt on the left hand side. The top resembled a somewhat formal dress, decorated with two columns of three black, shiny buttons on the torso. Just beneath the lowest two buttons, was a black belt, with a sharp, arrow like pattern that only made it just past the reflection's waist, but only seemed to wrap around two-thirds of her frame. The collar seemed to stand out, almost out place from the rest of the top piece. Instead of red, the collar was white, and the separate coloration extended down to about her collarbone, and just above the ivory collar lied an orange tie. The shoulders of the long sleeved dress seemed to be covered by two large silver and ebony epaulettes, sporting the same arrow like design as the belt. Underneath the strange military-like uniform, the look alike wore black tights, and for footwear, a pair of white boots.
Well, whoever she was, the doppelganger had a strange taste in clothing. Although she didn't seem to look bad, per se. In fact, the outfit quite complimented her, showing off her curves and long, thin legs in a very modest manner.
Who are you? And what are you talking about? I'm not about to give in to anything.
"I'm you," the reflection resumed, her mouth moving all on its own. "Or rather, you are me. And I made a promise a long time ago. I need to return to his side. And you're going to bring me to him."
THE HELL ARE YOU ON ABOUT?! WHAT PROMISE?! She was getting fed up with these damn cryptic voices and visions. As much as she wanted them to go away, there was a small piece of her that wanted some answers, and it had risen to the surface. TELL ME RIGHT THIS FUCKING INSTANT!
"We made a promise that if we were ever torn apart, we would come get one another. And currently, you're the only one that can deliver me to him. You and I… we are the same. Right down to those." The reflection raised her hand and pointed at the top of the punk's head, where her beanie was. That's right. It was clear now, she had ignored them up to this point. Those ugly, repulsive, inhuman things. Yet there they were, bright and shining a sinister red on her reflection.
"It took me a long time to accept them, too. If you would stop pushing me away and accept me, you'd know that. Yet, you keep resisting. I will have my way, so just let me in." The being in the mirror almost snarled, she could sense the hostility from her reflection.
Like hell you will. This is my body, my life. You're just some ridiculous voice in my head trying to scare me. This all is just in my head. It's just a dream.
The figure had enough.
"A dream? You're just like one of them from back then. Getting in my way and tearing us apart."
She felt her heart almost stop. Everything became black. She was swallowed by a void, and it was freezing cold. Wait, cold? You can't feel in a dream. The looming entity on the other side of the mirror decided to make its presence known.
Its eyes became a fierce, determined crimson, radiating the hue across the void. The glow was the only source of light, two blood red lights amidst the deep darkness. The strong, fearless mask that the homeless girl had worn for years could not protect her here.
Teeth were bared, she could just make them out thanks to the vermilion flares. The girl was experiencing true fear. She was frozen where she was, there was no escape. She was a bug trapped in a spider's web. Prey for the predator.
"If you're going to hold me back from seeing him, I'll have to force you to surrender... I didn't want it to come to this, but you're starting to really frustrate me. For years, I've been gentle and passive about my influence. But you just keep turning a blind eye," the figure almost monologued. "I've just had enough. I want to see my darling."
Thump. Thump. Thumpthump thumpthump thumpthumpthump.
Her heart rate increased at an exponential rate. For once in her life, she was frightened.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. The hostile doppelganger began its approach, the impact of its boots echoing in the void.
Glass came crashing down to the floor. The look alike no longer resided on the opposite side.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
It came closer. Closer still. Her breath wouldn't steady. She felt her body quiver and wanted to run, but she was a deer in headlights.
Just inches away, the apparition lifted her hands to the girl's throat.
Is this where I die…?
She could feel the hands grip her neck. She could feel them. This was definitely not a dream.
Kill me then.
The gasps for breath she experienced were not of her own volition. Just a fight or flight response. Her body wanted to live, but she was ready to give up.
Nobody will miss me. I've lived alone, I'll die alone.
"You really are me. You're not afraid of death, huh?" The voice pierced her soul as she felt the life draining from her body. It wasn't really pain. It felt more like… relief. She didn't have to fight anymore. It was over. The scarlet strangler seemed solemn as it stared straight forward at its prey. The deed was just about done. "I never wanted to do this... but... I'm sorry. I have a promise to fulfill."
Vision began to fade. Her eyes began to roll back into her head. She embraced the deep, dark solitude of death.
"SAKURA! SAKURA WAKE UP! PLEASE!" She knew that voice. It was so familiar. Who was it calling for? Her? No, she was dead. Just one more memory to send me off, huh? Damn bitch.
"SAKUra…! Please…!" The voice cracked. Were they… crying? Why did they sound… nearby? Am I not dead? She began to feel her body being forcefully jerked around. Wait. She felt something again. She wasn't dead?! WHAT A FUCKING RIP OFF!
The girl inhaled sharply, her eyes shot open with a start. It was a chore just to breathe. She whipped her whole body into an upwards position, hand on her pounding heart. Her eyes searched the unfamiliar surroundings for an answer. Who had brought her back to life?
There was her answer. Aihiko stood just an arm's length away from her, his eyes welled up with tears, with even more pouring down his innocent face. What was going on? The last thing she remembered was passing out in the alleyway. Had he found her? Shit. Shitshitshit.
She opened her mouth to assault the boy with reprimands and the like. Just as breathing had become restricted, so too had her speech. She wanted to demand what the FUCKING HELL was going on, but only a few small whines and squeaks escaped her lips. The recoil was immediate. She felt like she was about to choke on the drought that plagued her mouth and throat. The pink haired girl swiftly pointed to her neck repeatedly, begging for relief.
The teenage boy's eyes went wide with fear and he took off, sprinting away to who-knows-where just as her body was forced to hack and cough on the air around her.
Ah, so he understood. Aihiko returned as quick as he had left, with a glass filled with water.
"Here! Do you need help drinking it?" It was an innocent question, but it was quickly met with a sudden, rude response. She quickly shook her head, indicating she wasn't in need of such treatment. She could take care of herself.
With another grunt, this time of displeasure, she swiped the glass from the boy and downed it. The ice cooled liquid returned life and moisture to her mouth and throat, but she needed more.
"Eugh!" the girl managed another grunt as she thrust the glass back at the boy, demanding a refill.
"Sure, no problem!" Aihiko responded promptly, as the worry on his face transitioned to that of relief. He retrieved the glass from his pink haired friend and set off to refill the glass in another room.
Fantastic. I guess not eating or drinking anything finally took its toll on me. Speaking isn't gonna work, huh? Remembering the last vision she had, the girl reached up to confirm the presence of the black beanie she always wore. Well at least this didn't fall off.
If it had, he wouldn't just be pitying her, he would be afraid. That was the last thing she needed from the kind boy. After all, this was the boy she was searching for all these years. She hadn't wanted him to see her in such a miserable state, but what was done, was done. The very least she could do is keep her secret, just that - a secret.
Her eyes swept across the foreign room, taking in all the details as she awaited his return. The small room was painted a bland beige with a few comfortable looking seats of a matching color in a semi circle, and there weren't many decorations besides a few family photos hanging from the wall. A particular one caught her attention, to her left.
It looked like a beloved family photo. A young Aihiko was getting a piggyback ride from what seemed to be his father, and his mother appeared to be laughing in the background. It was a really sweet looking photo, and it brought back memories of her mother.
She recalled something her mother used to say to her. She couldn't help but sob, her stomach and heart tightened as the memory burst forth from its cage in her heart.
"You are so special. No one will shine as bright, my dear."
You couldn't be more wrong, Mother. I'm a failure. I'm… a monster. The proof is right -
"Here." The girl lost in her thoughts snapped her head to the sudden voice that interrupted her. "I'm also making some okayu so you can eat. I can tell you're not getting enough nourishment."
(Author's Note: Okayu is japanese rice porridge, generally consisting of rice, water, and sometimes light toppings. It's easily digestible and commonly eaten when someone is recovering from an illness, or doesn't have much of an appetite.)
The boy with the fluffy black hair handed the glass back to her, with a bright, loving smile on his face. She reluctantly took the glass, her hands shaking from her sudden indulgence in the caged section of her mind. Her unsteady hands were cupped by another pair, offering assistance.
"You're crying. Did you have another bad dream? Anything I can do to ease the burden?" His voice was soft and caring as he lowered his head to match her gaze. He took great care in making sure not to startle her again.
Could she trust him? Could he be the key to opening those locked gates in her heart?
He seemed so pure and innocent, his eyes gentle and welcoming. She felt as if her cares melted away just by being in his view. Those icy blue orbs held her captive for several moments, she didn't dare move or blink.
How could a single being hold this much power over her, just by looking into her eyes?
What the girl did next shocked them both. As if to express her thanks for caring for her, she tilted her head ever-so-slightly to the side, closed her eyes…
...and smiled.
The strong, dominant female punk facade melted before Aihiko's eyes. Just like an angel, her face shone brightly, beckoning the blood to rise to the surface of the teenage boy's face, and it did just that. Hiko's face became flush as he savored the beautiful moment that nature had bestowed upon him.
"Y-y-you should p-probably drink the uh water… y-you need it," he interrupted the sweet smile suddenly, his pupils flashing back and forth from the girl and a random section of the wall.
That precious smile faded. The now renewed feelings of trust for the gentle boy caused the green eyed sweetheart to accept the offers of help. She needed to let her pride slip, at least long enough for her to recover. She contemplated running off that night, but just as she had predicted earlier, he was a persistent one. She wouldn't be able to escape forever.
How bad could it be to not be alone for once? For someone to give a damn about her?
The girl sighed and nodded to the suggestion, her hands now steady once again. She managed a gentle, grateful grunt as she began to sip on the water in the glass.
"I'm so glad you're alright. You were sleeping quite well until just a few minutes ago…" That protective, concerned face revealed itself on her caretaker, causing that irritating discomfort to form in her chest again. "You just suddenly started choking on something. I honestly thought you were dying."
Dying? Oh, you don't know the half of it. I thought that dream was real, but it makes more sense that candy got lodged in my throat or something.
"By the way, it'll take some time until your food is ready. So uh…" the boy trailed off, his thoughts obviously derailing. He shook his head suddenly and cleared his throat as if to distract her from his increasingly red face. "Y-you're bloody and dirty. So is your uniform. My Momma set aside some spare clothes for you so you could shower, and I'll clean your uniform in the meantime. How's that sound? By the time you are done cleaning up, your food should be ready."
A shower? I haven't showered in how long…? I guess long enough that I can't even remember. Being gross and filthy isn't exactly attractive either. I suppose it would do me some good. Wait. Why exactly do I care about being attractive?
Was this boy causing her to act this way? Did he drug her somehow? No, he wouldn't, that's not the boy she knew. Was she…
Pfft. As if I'd have feelings for this private school nerd.
Back to reality. As she downed the remaining half glass of water, the girl replied to the shower offer with a pleased nod. She actually wanted to thank him. She finally felt as if she wasn't alone anymore.
Strange, how a single person can change your perspective on life.
"Just leave your uniform on the washer outside the bathing room. I'll swap it with the fresh clothes Momma left out and a clean towel for you. Take as long as you like, really. You seem tense and stressed so just relax for me, okay? Momma and I will take care of everything."
The girl wasn't so sure what he meant by that. 'Take care of everything'? Was he expecting her to live here, with him?
I don't think it would be bad for my health, she reckoned as she tried to stand. Bad move. She winced in agony as her left foot gave out underneath her. She had forgotten about her injured ankle up until now.
Luckily, her caretaker had lightning fast reflexes. His class though… could use some work.
His right arm had wrapped around her back, supporting her weight with little effort. His left hand though, had been firmly placed in a place most teenage boys could only dream of. Instead of wrapping around her body, it had instead planted itself onto his pink haired friend's right breast. She could feel the shamefaced Aihiko begin to tremble as he stumbled over whatever words he was trying to say. His mouth agape and his face cherry red, she couldn't help but find his reaction insanely cute.
She on the other hand, couldn't care less about the haphazard placement of his hand and was very nonchalant about the ordeal. She groaned as she lifted herself away from the careless teenager, and put most of her weight on her right foot, which was significantly less painful.
Upon acquiring her balance once again, she turned to the still stunned boy, his left hand still expanding and contracting as if groping her.
Must have left a good impression. How about one more?
The high-schooler cleared her throat to gain his attention. He snapped from his trance and turned his head to face her, his cheeks still stained red. She thought he was incredibly adorable when embarrassed, and decided to lay the charm on even thicker.
Her mouth open slightly, she raised her right index finger and placed it gently on her lower, luscious lip, and began gradually tracing it, and as she did so, gave the already sheepish boy a sexy, flirtatious wink.
Bam! Direct hit. She could sense his emotional state struggle to stay grounded. Her small gesture rendered him dumbstruck as his hands changed forms rapidly, trying to somehow form a proper articulate response, but she knew all too well that it would take some time for Aihiko to recover.
Being extremely careful not to force her left ankle, the girl limped to the bathroom, a devious grin plastered across her face. This would be fun. Maybe hanging around him would provide her some entertainment in her otherwise boring life.
In the entrance to the bathroom, she removed her green plaid skirt by lowering the zipper on her right hip, and letting the cloth flop to the ground. Her black leather school shoes had already been removed, she noted. It was proper manners to leave one's shoes at the entrance to the household, and as such, she determined they were removed upon arrival. Her knee-high black socks, however had not been.
She delicately slipped each one off of her legs, making sure to sit herself on the floor to not lose balance again. Dried blood had already stained the sock that was unfortunate enough to be placed below her wounded knee. Each sock was tossed uncaringly onto the skirt on the tiled floor. Next, a silky, gray tie found itself undone and tossed aside with the same lack of concern as the other pieces of clothing.
After removing the thin red scarf and pale brown blazer from her body, and tossing them into the growing pile, the girl turned her attention to the surprisingly unstained, smoky, collared button-up covering her torso. That too, was soon removed after undoing the buttons that kept the shirt fastened around her body. Slipped off her arms and shoulders, and tossed into the pile of filthy garments it went, followed soon after by the remaining pair of matching colorless underwear.
The girl pulled herself to her feet once again and bent down - making sure to put her weight on her right foot - and scooped up the garbled mess of colors and materials.
On the washer, he said. This thing? Her attention turned to a large, steel box behind her. Guess so. Whatever. Without even folding her uniform, she placed it on top of the metal contraption.
Something had caught her attention as she limped gently to the sink and mirror, tossing her beanie onto the washer as well. She hadn't heard any static in some time. No voices. Everything had been crystal clear, she was finally able to hear her own thoughts without issue.
Was it him? Had he removed the curse placed upon her? The one that tortured her daily?
...
No.
Why would she ever believe she was free?
Her heart skipped a beat. She became weak in her knees. The mirror proved she was still shackled to that other version of herself.
She swallowed hard. Her throat was dry.
Her hands weakly raised themselves to her throat. It held all the evidence she needed. The deep red bruises stained her neck, in the pattern of two feminine hands that had attempted to strangle the life from her.
Th-that - that little devil! She knew what she w-was doing the whole d-damn time!
Aihiko struggled with composing himself after the pink seductress had left the room. He had a hard time breathing or forming thoughts, and he felt feverish.
Not once had he interacted with a person - let alone a girl - like that! He certainly hadn't meant to grope her, but… it excited him. The sensation had filled him to the brim with arousal and curiosity, some instinct deep inside him wanted to do it again.
Stop thinking about them! Try as he might, the thought would not give him such freedom. His teenage mind began to imagine something he honestly never thought he would - her naked body. Girls had never interested him to that extent, so why was she any different?
The discomfort in his trousers grew as he bit his lip, wondering how her pale white skin would look, dripping wet in the shower. Sure, she was malnourished and thin, but she was blessed with a relatively well-shaped body, and her long, thin legs were nothing to scoff at either. He wouldn't exactly call her voluptuous, but sexy? Without a doubt.
Aghhh! Stop thinking about it! Don't be a pervert, Hiko! She's just another friend, she deserves your respect! But I can't stop thinking about her round, soft… No! Bad!
To snap himself from his thoughts, the boy wound his hand back and whipped his hand into his cheek, causing a loud, audible slap.
Get a grip! As if to ease the pain, the same hand massaged the skin where it had impacted. The mark left from the slap was hardly noticeable, as the boy was still quite flush.
Hiko began to take some deep breaths and focused himself once again, adjusting his somewhat tight shorts to relieve a bit of the tension. As much as he tried, the image of a nude Sakura in the shower still lingered within his mind, but he now paid it little attention. He approached the first bathroom door and listened, only to make sure the girl had entered the other room, and was showering. The symphony of water droplets flowing from the shower head confirmed that she was already in the bathing room.
Carefully, and cautiously, the boy slid open the wooden door leading to the initial washroom, featuring a sink, a mirror just above it, and the washer and dryer taking up the opposing wall. Steam was rising from the space underneath the other slide-open wooden door, which separated the washroom from the bathing room.
He opened his mouth to say something to the girl on the other side of the door but determined that now was not the best time to say anything. He didn't want to be seen as some sort of sexual deviant. Best to just swap out her clothes and leave. Without a word, he proceeded over to the mess of a uniform laying on the top of the metal washer.
Opening the washer door was a simple task, he only had to tug on the handle like hatch securing the interior of the contraption from the exterior. The process was relatively silent, and he doubted it would bother the bathing girl. He reached up and began to toss the outfit into the washer, piece by piece, as something had piqued his teenage curiosity. The feeling of her soft handfuls of flesh came to mind as he stared inside the machine.
She wouldn't mind right…? It's not like it'll hurt anything if I know… I just wanna know what I'm dealing with.
After making sure nobody was watching, Hiko snatched the white bra from the mess in the washer. He swallowed nervously, his adam's apple bouncing upwards on his neck as he wondered if he should give in to the inquisitiveness. He turned the under garment around a few times, searching for something. Bingo.
D60? Blessed, indeed. For being malnourished, she's developed quite well. I wonder if it's even the right size? She probably wouldn't know how to measure herself unless someone else did it. Oh well.
(D60 is a Japanese bra measurement. It is roughly a 28C in the United States.)
The black haired boy tossed the bra back into the machine and closed the small window, which was also the hatch dividing the in from the out. After pouring in the proper detergent, Hiko pressed a few buttons on the sort of dashboard rising from the back of the washer, prompting it to begin the cleaning cycle. He nodded as it did so relatively silently, making a mental note that due to the small load, it wouldn't take all too long.
After placing a white bath towel in her clothes' place, Hiko then also laid out a temporary outfit for the girl to wear. It wasn't much, just a casual, white dress, with a red stripe running diagonally from the left shoulder down to the waist, and then reversing on the back side to create a sort of band. For lack of any underwear for a teenage girl, Hiko had left a clean pair of black shorts, hoping dearly she wouldn't mind.
A short trip back to the quaint family room reminded Hiko of something he had planned on doing earlier that evening. His eyes were locked on the girl's black school bag. The plan was only to find out her name and identity, to confirm his suspicions, and nothing more. However, he hadn't gotten the chance since she had almost choked to death on seemingly nothing.
He was not keen on the idea of going through someone else's belongings, especially a girl's, but some part of him felt it was necessary to confirm her identity. Perhaps he did have doubts, even though he convinced himself otherwise.
A single zipper lining the length of the bag was all that stopped the boy from putting his mind at ease. He knelt down beside the couch where the shoulder bag was positioned, took a deep breath, and without further hesitation, pulled the zipper from one side to the other.
A few items were contained in the bag, some more out of place than others. As Aihiko explored the container, he began placing the contents on the floor around him.
A large wrap of gauze, almost all used up. Guess she was aware that she'd always have injuries…
An empty bottle of pain meds? Makes sense too, I suppose. A generic, no name brand. She probably stole it from a store…
A metal nail file? She doesn't seem the type to need to maintain appearances.. And why does it have red flakes on it? Blood, maybe?
Hiko sighed. Dammit… I really had hoped I was wrong… He pulled out a butterfly knife, its blade clearly crusted with dried blood. It didn't look like it was used recently. That's good at least. I think.
He lifted the next item from the bottom of the bag, a college ruled notebook. It's cover was a red, flimsy plastic with scuffs all about, from being thrown around inside the bag, no doubt. Written on the cover with comically childish handwriting was the girl's name: Zakura.
That's actually… really cute. She doesn't even know how to spell her own name. She used a Z instead of an S, and her handwriting could really be improved upon. I wonder if her notes are as bad as this?
Upon opening the notebook to its very first page, Aihiko was made blatantly aware of what 'Zakura' often did in class. His eyes widened, not from fear, but from pure shock of the view of what was contained on the page.
What…
The sketch on the page was mindblowingly detailed. It was even colored by pencils. Photorealistic, a tall, shining blue and white, woman-like mech stood, taking up the entirety of the page.
Is…
A large majority of the mech's frame was an ivory color, accented by a soft periwinkle blue. Around its waist were thruster-like cubical structures, forming a sort of skirt, the half closest to the body of the mech, white, while the half facing from the robot's frame were the same periwinkle as the rest of the accents. The leg section and torso section of the mech was separated with a thin gray crease line, tracing where a human's stomach muscles would be. The majority of the torso was that same iconic blue, and the 'outfit' the bot seemed to wear resembled a school sailor uniform, down to the sharp red and yellow tie-like structure just below its neck.
This…
In its hands were two spear-like swords, white with blue accents, of course, but the spear tips forming the blades, a brilliant tangerine orange. The eyes of the robot seemed displayed on its face electronically, and were a sky blue hue. Its wide, fan shaped head was decorated with a light blue trident shape on its forehead, and covering its right eye was a pinkish red blade that resembled a strand of hair.
Feeling…?
Hiko's breaths became unstable as he stared at the robot sketched on the page. His heart became heavy and his lungs seemed to tighten, straining his breathing even more. He felt something deep within his soul start to surface.
I know what this is…
A name came to mind, along with a destructive wave of emotions that had no right to burst forth from his heart at that moment. Hiko hunched his back and placed the open notebook on the ground at his knees, clutching his chest with enough force to shatter a rock. Teeth firmly clenched, he managed to just barely utter the name with what little breath he had.
"Delphinium…"
Too focused on the swirling, consuming emotions that had taken over his body, he hadn't even noticed the school ID laying in the bottom of the bag. Printed clearly on its laminated surface was a picture of the pink haired girl that currently occupied his shower, and her name.
Zakura Tenshi.
Chapter Two - Shackled / His Curiosity
(I apologize for the fairly short Aihiko half of this chapter. This chapter was mostly centered on our pink haired protagonist, and as such, I didn't want to do too much with him.)