It's lunch time at last. Hanako slipped out about ten minutes before the bell rang. She's probably gone to the library to relax. Maybe this is my chance to go talk to her. I rush out as fast as that wound on my back would let me and head up towards the library.

(Am I, maybe, taking this a bit too fast?)

I enter the library and up to the opening in between the two bookshelves. This time I stop. I knock on the wood of the bookshelf and I hear the quiet squeal come from the other side. I show my face and muster the friendliest face I can manage. She looks less frightened than she did yesterday but she still looks tense.

"Hey, mind if I just come in and look for a book?" I ask with a happy tone. She glances at me then averts her eyes back to her own book but I can tell she's not reading it.

"S-sure..." she timidly says with a stutter. Her face blushes slightly but that's most likely because of the tension she feels at the minute. Why is it that this face she's pulling now is so cute? I quickly walk towards to bookshelf on the other side of the small clearing.

(What should I say now? How do I get a conversation going with this girl?)

I aimlessly run my finger along the different books in the shelf and try to think of a way to start an interaction. Finally I settle on something.

"Sorry I startled you yesterday. I'm new here so I don't know much of the school yet. I just got lost and wandered in here" it's just a white lie but I can't exactly tell her I was only looking for a napping spot. She doesn't say anything for a while. "And sorry about chasing after you, my body just moved on its own"

"Y-you chased m-me?" She asks in that timid manner again. Didn't she realise she was being chased? She must have blocked everything out then. "W-why didn't you c-catch me?" Ah... that's a little embarrassing to say.

"I fell over because the wound I have on my back opened up again... it's a little embarrassing though" I turn around and she's repeatedly glancing at me then averting her eyes elsewhere. She's still too nervous for eye contact. She's hiding behind her book too... cute...

"I-I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to c-cause trouble"

"You don't have to be sorry, you haven't done anything wrong" I plop myself on a beanbag facing Hanako and smile. "I'm Tomoya Okazaki, nice to meet you" I introduce myself. I don't go for a handshake because she strikes me as the kind of girl who doesn't like physical contact with strangers. She's silent for another few moments as she looks down into her book.

"H-Hanako Ikezawa, it's n-nice to meet y-you too" she says. I catch a glimpse at a small and sweet smile. I think I might find myself falling for this girl... she's just too cute for her own good!

"Hanako... do you mind if I call you Hanako?"

"N-no I d-don't mind"

"It's a beautiful name, I like it" I stick my thump up and give her a wink. I'm being a little out of character here but I have to be careful around people like this. People with social anxiety can break down at any given moment when they come into contact with strangers. A big blush comes over her cheeks.

"I-it's n-n-not that b-beautiful!" She flusters. She reacts well to being teased playfully like that? I was actually serious though... I think her name is beautiful. I might as well make small talk, I can't just introduce myself then leave.

"What kinds of books do you like?" I ask. She seems to put in deep thought to this question.

"I l-like fantasy a-and r-romance novels" she quietly replies. That's a pretty big range. "W-what about y-you?"

"Shounen Manga... I'm not a big novel reader" she's a little disheartened at that. She must love reading. I'm not that big of a fan of Manga, I just read it to pass the time. She shuffles in her beanbag and looks a little uncomfortable. "Do you want me to leave?"

"N-no, it's f-fine. It d-doesn't have a-anything to d-do with you"

(Must be the scars... they'd be pretty uncomfortable to live with I'm sure)

I nod in an understanding manner. Should I tell her about my dream? She probably won't react well if I did. It's hard to talk to someone like this but for some odd reason… I feel at peace, I feel like she has accepted me and trust me to at least not be inconsiderate and inappropriate around her.

Through all the people I've met over the last few days, only Hanako truly stands out at me. Beautiful but fragile… just like a violet. She's innocent and from what I can tell, she's very sweet, also just like a violet. Just thinking like that makes me feel hot inside…

(I am taking this a bit too fast. I should slow down)

We spend the rest of lunch exchanging small banter but it was me who was doing most of the talking. She's a listener and that's probably by nature and not her anxiety. She's still nervous but at least she's talking and not running away. I take comfort in that fact.

*Scene Break*

[Remind me, why am I having dinner with you?] I type onto the laptop for Shizune to read. We're sat in the school cafeteria munching on our meals. I've had to have my steak cut up for me and most of my steamed vegetables as well. Shizune shoves her glasses up her nose and pouts slightly.

[Have you thought about joining a club?]

[The only club I'm interested in is basketball… can't do that though]

[There's a whole range of different clubs. It's good to get into one]

I wonder why she cares. I know she's class rep but there isn't a school rule that states club activities are compulsory. It's an optional thing. What is there for me to do? I sigh… useless…

[You seem depressed, what's wrong?]

[Something from yesterday night, I'd rather not talk about it]

[Oh… that's too bad. It's fine. Back on topic though, are you sure there's no club you want to try?]

A thought pops into my mind

[What about sign language classes? I'm pretty sure using my laptop to talk to me or writing on paper to talk to anyone else has got to be annoying]

She shakes her head at this. Odd, I'd thought she would have jumped on that spark of interest…

[I wouldn't bother. Sign language classes are never very popular so I don't think they're holding them this year]

Oh, well that sucks. I thought it'd be pretty high in demand… being a specialist school after all. I sigh again. Shizune shoots me an analytical look.

[I can read you like a book Tomoya. What's really going on?]

I may as well tell her. She's not going to let it go if I don't, I've pegged her as the persistent type and she's certainly upheld with that assumption.

[I helped a friend with her shopping last night and on the way back we ran into a delinquent asshole who tried to mug us]

This shocks Shizune and she remains inactive for a while. She's mulling something over, I can tell because her eyes are zipping from side to side like she's reading text.

[And you're feeling depressed because you weren't able to do anything to help?]

Wow, she thinks fast

[Yeah… I guess. I'm useless with my dead arm. I'm useless for protecting my friends from stuff like that… it's really frustrating too…]

[Your arm maybe dead but you still have your legs, why not join the kick boxing club? You can learn how to defend yourself and your friends. I think their club meetings are every Thursday. I can take you down to their meeting place if you'd like?]

That's not actually a bad idea… but I'm not sure. Learning a martial arts form from scratch is pretty gruelling. Maybe I should take a taster session just to see what it's about.

(Perhaps I will…)

[I'll think about it. It seems like a good idea but I don't really want to jump into anything to fast]

I think that's a little contradictory though… oh well, maybe I can be of use if I learn how to kick box. I don't know why I didn't think of it before… a lot has happened in the past few days… that's for sure.

She seems satisfied and resumes her eating. I like the feeling of this school. It's so laid back and refreshing. It also seems lenient towards attendance as well. I give a grin to that, it seems like it won't matter if I miss one or two classes every now and then…

(I think I may be turning into a delinquent…)

*Scene Break*

As I fall into the darkness, I look behind me. The figure of the one I love, Icarus Fried, grabs at nothing. She tried to kill me, now she wants to save me. A love twisted by warped minds of the powerful. I knew the pressure was sending Icarus into the depths of insanity but I couldn't do anything to save her. This is my punishment, oblivion.

The darkness consumes me. Soon I'll no longer be amongst the living. I hear her scream my name. Over and over again, she screams it, Zephyr…

"Gah! Why is this so hard?!" I yell and smack my left hand on to the back of my head. We're supposed to write a small draft of an original story for Japanese Literature. I'm having some trouble though. It's taken me two hours just to come up with the first paragraph.

I have no drive for this kind of thing. Writing an original story for me is like Bill Cosby starring in a horror movie; it just doesn't fit. Yeah, what I've come up with is ok but it's no Moby Dick or Brothers Grimm.

I save my work and shut the lid of the laptop. I guess I'll try again tomorrow at some point. I look at my watch, it's 10:34pm. I groan, it's getting late so I think I'll call it a night.

I get changed into my PJ's and then brush my teeth in my room's sink. I look at myself in the small round mirror. I've got a bruise? That damn mugger hit me pretty hard, I'd be surprised if it didn't leave a mark of some description. I take a Codeine tablet and get under the covers of the bed after switching off the lights.

It takes me a while but I soon drift off into a deep slumber.

*Scene Break*

Maybe I should ask for some sleeping pills because this is just getting ridiculous. I've had this kind of dream none stop since I got here, it's really starting to freak me out. It's always so vivid and abstract, it's different scenarios each time but they weigh heavily on me.

It's 4:00am now and my most recent nightmare has kept me awake since 3:30am. I think I'm developing insomnia, just another problem to the list I guess. I sit up on my bed and rub my eye to get rid of some gunk. These nightmares are getting me up way to early…

"Damn it…" I say to myself. There's no way I'll get back to sleep… I'll give that writing assignment another shot. Maybe writing something will make me feel tired again… that or wake me up completely and I'll lose track of time.

The assignment is meant to be handed in on Friday and it is Wednesday now. I have plenty of time but I'll try to get it over and done with as soon as possible. I get off my bed and switch on my desk lamp. I open up the laptop and get to work.

Over and over again, she screams it, Zephyr. Zephyr, the name my mother gave me. The lonely maid to my farther, the man that caused all this turmoil. The woman I love, Icarus Fried, has been arranged to marry my farther.

It grows hard to breathe and my vision blurs. I see the crimson liquid pool around my body. Death awaits me. Then a bright light shines and I'm no longer in that accursed darkness. Wings, that of an angel, spread themselves out before me. What is this? Is this my escort? No, this is different from the tales of old… these wings are changing; they're growing black as the night sky.

"Become a Shinigami, Zephyr, reap the souls of the wicked and smite the evil that plagues Bazeil" A voice that comes across as a hiss filled with whispers of the damned. This black winged figure is one of the fabled lords of death… the Shinigami…

It's coming up for 7:00am. I guess I should get ready for school… I've spent three hours on this draft and I'm nowhere near completing it. I think I'll ask Hanako if she can help, she reads a lot, she might be a good writer too. It gives me an opportunity to talk to her as well. Perhaps I can even get a look at what she has written.

*Scene Break*

"Y-you want m-my help?" I've managed to catch Hanako just before the class starts to leave for the day. She has stayed in lesson through the entire day so she must be in a good mood.

I nod and bring out my laptop. She said she likes fantasy and romance so I can only hope she likes my measly attempt at it. I open up the word document "I was just wondering if you could tell me what you think, I'm no author so it's not exactly a work of art" she thinks the situation through a while then agrees.

She takes a few minutes to read my work in progress and her face grows more and more emotional as her eyes move further and further down the page.

(Is it that bad?)

"T-this is very g-good, Tomoya. Y-you're very c-creative"

(She… likes it?)

"You like it?" she nods and shows that sweet smile that could knock any man out. I feel relieved, at least it's not a complete blow out. "How do you suggest I continue it?" Every time she shows me that smile, I feel like I've won first place in a contest. We spend a little while inside the classroom and she manages to get a full page of writing out of my literature deaf mind. What we have managed to write is probably one of the most enjoyable pieces of school work I've ever done. It's all thanks to Hanako too!

She even showed me some of her assignment. It's about a detective and a dark secret that Hanako refuses to let me know. It's a pretty thrilling read too, it's a shame we weren't set the task of writing a full short story. We may have had a lot more fun.

A/N

If my chapters are a little short for liking I'll try to lengthen them. Tomoya seemed a little OOC in this chapter and I apologise for that. I'm also planning something called "Shrinking Violet Shorts" which is a collection of short stories in the Shrinking Violet world, they're probably going to focus on comedy and maybe a little action depending on the story's subject matter. Keep your eyes out. Thanks for reading!