Summary: Rise is used to being stared at, but there's one person that just won't fall into that routine with her.
The Way You Look At Me
Part II.
To A Look
She had always been able to tell if someone had their eyes on her. It was strange, almost like a sixth sense, but it never failed.
The first time she had actually become more curious over an incident instead of outright disgusted or fueled from her ego being boosted was when an intriguing individual had set their eyes on her.
Mostly it had always been guys making lame attempts to go out with her. Even a few girls had tried to get a word in. As much as Rise enjoyed the attention, she really was growing tired of it.
Having taken to the age old traditional cliché of dating one of the most popular boys in school, Yosuke Hanamura, she'd fallen into the trap of using her looks and seemingly cute personality to keep up her image.
However, one day in class, that occurrence took place. She could feel eyes on her from across the room. When she looked over her shoulder, she found the person in question to be Naoto Shirogane.
She didn't know much about her aside from how she dressed as a boy sometimes with ties, but she was still clearly a girl from her feminine facial features. Not much else was known since she came from a lineage of detectives, so most of her image and personality was mysterious.
From what Rise could tell, she mostly kept to herself unless a girl or two approached her. Some girls even had with romantic intentions according to rumors.
The idea that someone like Naoto had been looking at her gave her a momentary feeling that she hadn't felt before. Sure, it gave her a bit of a charge to her ego, but the resounding question of why always made her spare a glance at the other girl now and again.
But after that moment of their gazes meeting, Naoto hadn't looked at her since.
Rise couldn't understand it. It was almost starting to drive her a little crazy even. She found herself longing for that gaze again, even just a glance would've sufficed. For some reason she found that small moment to be different in a good way. It didn't fall into the normal routine she had abided where she was the airhead cliché that would be a bitch if necessary. Just that look had revealed herself in a vulnerable state somehow, and Rise began to wonder if Naoto had seen something then that she didn't like.
But even still Rise persisted with trying to get the girl's attention in any way she could. Purposefully passing her in the hall, almost running into her on occasion while going up or down the stairs. She even took it as far as to teasingly undress after P.E. and slip into the shower before anything could be seen.
None of it worked. Naoto was either oblivious or really didn't care. Rise knew the first wasn't likely since she payed attention in class and seemed to be at the head of the class itself. It was starting to bother her to the point that she shrugged away any sort of attention from her supposed boyfriend as well. Anything concerning gaining Naoto's attention somehow took over all her priorities. She was obsessed in the weirded and worst of ways, never having someone that she hardly even knew control her.
As she finished refixing her hair, she heard her phone ring with a notification of a new text. Checking it she sighed upon seeing it was from Yosuke. He wanted to meet in the library before lunch.
Already feeling annoyed with not getting her way, she shoved her phone into her pink tote bag, exiting out into the hallway. Her heels echoed as the sound of a few other students could also be heard in the connecting hallway. Rounding the corner, she headed for the stairs, moving onto the first floor and heading to the right. Just as she went to reach for one of the large, double doors that led to the library, the door flew open, causing her to jump back a little in response.
The suddenness of the reflex made her stumble on her heel as two students ran out of the library. She'd hardly regained her balance and could already feel herself falling, feeling utterly powerless in that split second.
A firm warmth was felt behind her. He peeked opened her eyes, she noticed a pair of arms wrapped around her frame with hands resting at the top of her stomach. Leaning up somewhat, she didn't move from the hold just yet, turning her head to see the sapphire-blue eyes that she had been wanting to have on her for nearly two weeks now.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up completely, moving from her hold reluctantly. "Thanks." Flashing a quick smile and cute laugh, she saw the rather emotionless look given in return.
"Not a problem."
Rise felt an odd tension then, standing in the awkward silence as Naoto had a hand in her pocket now.
"Well, see you around." She turned and headed into the library as she felt herself becoming flustered and then annoyed all over again.
Naoto wasn't receptive to her cuteness. If anyone else had caught her, they would've been a puddle at her feet. The lack of control and attention made her feel fed up with everything.
As she approached the familiar face further in the library, she walked by him, letting him take the silent hint to follow her. When they walked near the bookshelves to a more isolated area, Rise leaned against the books as Yosuke looked at her.
"What'd you want?"
"I needed to talk to you." Yosuke whispered, giving her a look of slight annoyance as if that had been the most obvious thing in the world.
"About what? What was so important that you couldn't just text me?" The agitation became more apparent in her voice as she gave off an impatient vibe by tugging her bag more over her shoulder.
"Fuck, what's your problem?"
"Too much." Rise replied hastily, crossing her arms as she felt frustration seeping into the conversation. Before she knew it, she was saying what her inner thoughts had been thinking for a while. "This isn't working anymore."
"Yeah it fucking isn't."
The brunette glared, starting to push past him as she muttered in a lower tone than normal for her. "Then we're done."
She headed for the exit, well-aware that the other participant of the conversation was following after her. Even if he made an attempt to get her to stay, she had already made up her mind before the anger had set in.
The obsession and want for someone she barely knew to notice and want her in more ways than one was developing into an emotional burden. Moving down the hallway, she heard the bell ring signaling it was lunch time. Hardly feeling hungry, she ended up heading to another area of that floor to where it was more deserted.
As she went to the bathroom nearby, she heard the sound of running water as she pushed the door open. Inwardly wishing no one had been in there, she moved around the small wall only to see the very person that had thrown her into such a state of confusion.
Naoto had merely glanced to the side before turning to get some paper towels to dry her hands.
Rise shifted her weight from one foot to the other, grasping at the handles of her tote resting on her shoulder as she was unsure of what to do.
She could already sense how Naoto was about to silently leave without any other interaction. Deciding on a whim to use the advantage of everyone being distracted at lunch, she went for this rare chance and took bold steps forward.
Naoto had turned and was about to start past the row of sinks when the brunette now stood in front of her, staring at her. "I saw you looking at me before."
"Before?"
"When we were in class."
"How far back was that?"
"Come on. It's okay you know, you can have a crush on me." Rise let her coy smile start to form on her lips; it was the one she usually used to get her way with something or someone.
"I assure you that look was not what you think or what you are wanting it to be."
"Oh? Then what was it?"
Naoto stared at her with a serious look now as Rise had moved in closer to stare at her.
"If you really want to know I'll tell you." She paused for a moment, seeing how the girl's hand had started inching forward towards her tie. "I was observing you."
"Observing me? If that's some sort of metaphor for undressing me with your eyes…"
"I was observing you, and I came to the conclusion that you are fake."
Rise dropped her hand back to her side instantly. The words stung harshly, more than she ever imaged. Sure she had thought to herself once or twice that with the way she acted sometimes it might seen anything but genuine, but to hear it so bluntly hurt her. Moving away, she made a turn to head to leave.
"Screw you."
She'd hardly made it two steps forward when she felt a hand grasp at her forearm, making her stop in her tracks.
"I also figured you would have the tendency of jumping to conclusions."
Rise said nothing.
"What I meant was that, the you that is here every day at school, the you that I see in class every day, I don't believe that's the real you."
The arm that was being held onto flinched a little.
"No one sees the real you…do they?"
There was silence after that. Naoto stared forward, feeling how the arm she had ahold of was trembling somewhat gradually. With a forceful tug, she turned the other girl's body around, bringing her in close as she saw the line of tears running down her delicate cheeks.
"You shouldn't hide your true self…" Moving her free hand up to gently cup underneath the girl's chin, she spoke softly before pressing her lips onto hers in a reassuring kiss.
…Because you are so beautiful.
~ fin.
