Show me those eyes, too…

"I love you Shion, more than anyone else."

It sounded alright on the phone just now. The phone call he was supposed to have made to me, and not me to him because he forgot. But, no matter. Of course I'll wait two years for you, Shion. And yet… I already want to see you now.

I'm sure appealing to the male reproductive instinct earlier on didn't hurt, but it wasn't as effective as I'd hoped for focusing his attention. It's still divided between what's in front of him here and now, and… sometime or someplace else.

Shion noticed me first, back when we were little. He was the only one who liked how I dressed. We spent more time together than with anyone else. I thought our eyes were focused on each other. But now, when we're out in public, it isn't long before those eyes of his are searching the crowd. When I come back from the restroom, I catch him sighing into his mug of cocoa. I tried to surprise him that time, but Karan-obaasama said he isn't in the mood for company on rainy nights. But as I walked away, I looked back, and saw Shion in the open window upstairs, his forlorn gaze sent off into the distance.

You used to love going out in rainstorms, Shion! What's happened to you?

I had a feeling you would take a different path from the rest of us. And then there you were in Lost Town. You're not jealous of me at all… maybe you didn't even realise it yourself. I'm glad you don't have negative feelings toward me, but we all had hopes and dreams. You still love ecology. Yet now you're flunking out of simple government-paid work training courses… and it doesn't bother you one bit? I don't get it.

If you had no hopes for the future, you'd show signs of that hopelessness. You'd speak of regrets; you'd despair. But… you're not. You're happy with how things are. You've just… It's like you've lost something. You're seeking something I can't help you find.

Is it Nezumi? You say you're not lovers, and of course I believe you, but I wish you'd look at me like that. Your eyes were so intense and hopeful as you ran away… from our last moments together. You were surprised on the phone just now that I noticed the look on your face. But I'm always noticing things about you, Shion.

I wish you'd at least noticed the way I was looking at you.