A few painfully long days pass by. Or, at least, what I'm assuming to be a day and night cycle. It's hard to tell exactly how time works on this warped planet, but at the very least there is indeed nightfall and sunrise. Nothing of interest happens, much to my immense displeasure. I think sooner or later, if no significant progress is made, I may very well lose my mind.
Xingchen and the other girls have invested themselves in hardcore studying, trying their absolute damn best to unlock the secrets of the scrolls. Honestly, even with all the experience they have with their pendants – even though they know their way around magic – the pessimist within me believes it impossible for them to find a solution.
I mean, just how likely is it that four teenage girls can understand the depths and nuances of supposedly ancient magic?
Regardless, they're certainly trying. I don't think I've seen them get much sleep over the past few nights, though. Honestly, if they don't take a break within the next hour, I may just have to enlist the help of Miku to stage an intervention. After all, those scrolls will still be here once they've rested up for a while.
On the somewhat bright side, at least I've been given plenty of time to recover from all that's happened lately. My neck is no longer as sore, and my limbs aren't as achy, at last. My mental state, however? Eh… I'm processing that one. At least I've been able to dig into some of the food we found. The apples here are refreshingly crisp, delightfully sweet, and just what I need for my physical recovery.
As for the scrolls themselves… I can't take my mind off them. I want to believe that they'll work, but… How can we be sure? What if they… I dunno, ran out of magic or something? Would that even be possible?
I want to go home, but… What if we can't? It's funny, in a way… When we first arrived here, the most prominent wish in my heart was that we could all be together and just… wait for the inevitable, enjoying each other's company until the time came. However, now that so much more has gone down since then… I'm… scared. I don't want to die here. The chances of Xingchen discovering a way out of here, though… are so hopelessly slim.
I draw the blankets closer over myself, a light shudder running down my back. Sitting around with nothing to do, relegated to watching over the others as they sleep or lose themselves in one of the many books… sure isn't helping. I don't want to leave the library and go for yet another walk, either. I mean, I could go exploring some more and try to uncover the mystery of this abandoned palace, but… It won't be a good enough distraction. Plus it's dangerous out there. I don't want to get ambushed by some unknown monster again.
Instead, I just trail my glance across the room once more, eyes landing on Gumi and… Gakupo. They're fast asleep together, snuggled up close, truly seeming at peace. At least for now. Something twinges within me, so I tear my eyes from them. Idiot…
Miku, a voice in my head scolds me. Focus on Miku. I look over at her; she currently has her nose dug in a book. Oh… Setting my sights upon that book… We've been so preoccupied with, well, literally everything else, that I almost forgot to mention the fact that I can somehow understand their contents.
Just as I open my mouth to blurt it out, the rational part of my mind kicks in and stops me. Wait, wait. I need to slow down for a second. Miku and the others may very well think I've lost it if I tell them I can perfectly read those books. Shit, maybe I have lost it. I don't suppose my mind just… filled in the blanks or something?
I stick my lower lip out into a pout, contemplating if I should bring it up or not. Reluctantly, I glance at Miku again. What are the odds these books weren't written in some ancient Wispia language? What if a language similar to ours existed back when life still thrived here? Ugh… I highly doubt that.
Coughing lightly, I decide to start by gathering information. "Hey, uh… Anything interesting in that book, Mi-chan?"
"Hmm…?" Appearing to have been snapped out of deep thought, she blinks a few times, dazed for a moment or so, before turning to face me. "Oh… Kind of? At least to me…" She lets out a sheepish giggle.
I peer over at the pages, a little hesitant to do so, just in case I'm able to make sense of the scribbles on them again. I really don't know how I'd be able to explain this strange ability of mine without coming off as crazy. Gulping lightly, I scan over the illustrations first, doing my best to keep my nervous eyes off the lines of text.
Each corner has a small symbol etched into it, reminiscent of the elemental markings present on the other books. A flame, a water droplet, a leaf and trails of air… Is this Wispia's 'thing'? Was this planet's magic based on the elements, however long ago? Mmh, it kinda hurts my head to think about. Although, it makes sense, given what Xingchen told us all a little while ago.
Wispia's magic is linked to the girls' pendants. Yet, if those pendants were crafted on this planet… Just how did they wind up on Earth, in the possession of four teenage girls? Are they some sort of distant ancestors of magical beings? And if we really were destined to cross paths with them, does that mean we're all related to magicians?! Ahhh, it's too much to process!
They didn't even delve into the specifics of how they came into possession of such powerful things. A lot of other crap has taken priority – I'm itching to ask them more about their background later.
Shoving aside that internal meltdown, knowing it'll do no good to obsess over it, I instead re-focus on the book that Miku's holding.
"This is all so… fascinating, don't you think?" Miku softly pipes up, taking care not to startle me. She must be able to recognise when I'm losing myself in thought. We've known each other for a long time, so… Of course she can pick up on stuff like that.
It's weird. It's something so simple. That one small gesture causes guilt to strike my heart once more. I need to make sure I never hurt this sweet, caring, amazing girl ever again.
With a nod, I answer. "Yeah…" Putting aside how confusing and messy most of this Wispia stuff is, it genuinely is interesting. Or rather, surreal. Or… How about unbelievable? "To think, magic has existed potentially for hundreds of years… Not just on Wispia, but back home, too…" I voice my thoughts out-loud this time, with a light sigh.
Miku turns the page at last, revealing more scribbles of text. I wonder if this is some kinda storybook, or if it details more about the secrets and inner workings of magic. "You think fantasy authors knew the truth about magic all along?" She poses that silly question, with a playful giggle.
At last, a smile pulls at my lips. "I mean, sure. They had to get their inspiration from somewhere, right?" I decide to go along with it, although… It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if that turned out to be reality, as opposed to a dumb joke of ours. Anything's possible at this point. "That'd make one hell of a conspiracy theory video. Does magic exist, and are fantasy authors hiding the truth from us?" I put on my best commentary-type voice. I can picture it now.
"Mm, people would be all over it," Miku says, with a nod in affirmation.
"What the general public wouldn't know is that our little group here is hiding the truth," I add, with a devious grin. That fact almost makes me feel special. Keyword, almost. The crushing pressure and responsibility that this whole saviour business comes with is enough to kill any positive aspects, unfortunately. It's more of a burden than something special, but whatever.
Having unintentionally brought the mood down with that terrible choice of isolating words, I swiftly change the topic. Geez, I should really use my brain more often. "So, uh… Don't suppose you can understand this ancient language?"
It's about time I stop beating around the bush, anyway. I pose it as an innocent enough question, hoping it comes out as another light-hearted joke.
There's a flicker of something in her eyes when I ask – hesitation? It's subtle and brief, gone by the time I blink, replaced with a more gentle expression. "No, of course not, silly. I'm just admiring the illustrations here."
This page in particular doesn't have many illustrations on it. Hmm. I guess it's no big deal. Maybe my tired mind is still over-analysing stuff.
"How about you?" Without tearing her gaze from the page, she flips the question onto me, a hint of mischief taking over her features.
I can't help but playfully roll my eyes. I sure hope not. Guess now is a better time than ever to find out if I had just been imagining things all along. Drawing in a mostly silent, shaky breath, I lean in to observe the book closer.
My eyes land on a chunk of text in the middle of the page, which is surrounded by a border of stars and other small symbols. Much to my relief, as I read over it, none of it makes a damn bit of sense. Phew… I suppose my mind merely filled in the blanks earlier.
That revelation takes a lot of the tension off, allowing me to crack a joke. "Says here… You're a cutie." With a wide, possibly unflattering grin, I prop my elbow up onto the blankets and squish my cheek against my palm.
She raises a brow, pulling her glance up to meet my eyes, clearly unimpressed. Her silent judgement tears into me.
Huh. I know she's just messing around and all, but… Isn't this supposed to be the part where she flushes bright red and sheepishly giggles, like she's done a million times before now? Unless she's simply refusing to appease my ego and admit she loves my terrible flirting. Or… Ehh… Wispia has changed us already, hasn't it?
With a soft sigh, I figure it's time to buckle down and be a little more serious, at least until we're back home. "Nah, but for real, it's all gibberish to me."
"Mmh…" she mumbles in agreement. She snaps the book shut. Apparently her boredom has been satiated for now. She stretches her arms out, a little yawn passing her lips.
"How are you holding up…?" I feel like I've asked that same thing about a hundred times over the past few days. I'm sure she must be fed up with me constantly checking up on her, but I can't help it. Maybe I'm being too obviously clingy. I don't know. I just have to make sure she's handling everything well enough, or… or that she doesn't suspect anything. Ugh, I'm such a scumbag…
"Could be better," she says, although in a nonchalant manner, with a light shrug. She leans back against the bookcase, pulling the blankets closer over her frame. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep."
Ahh… Don't leave me to my thoughts…! Suppressing a whimper, I simply nod. Maybe I could take a nap, too. Then again, I'm not exactly tired enough… I shuffle myself closer to Miku, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her close.
She lets loose a soft, satisfied little laugh, resting her head against my shoulder and snuggling up to me. At least my embrace still brings her comfort; my presence able to take away any negative thoughts she may have.
"Sleep well, Mi-chan…" I whisper, pressing a kiss into her hair. I wish I could say I feel the same. I wish her warmth against mine could rid this horrible guilt plaguing my chest. Ignoring the aching in my heart, I lean against her in turn, squeezing her ever so slightly tighter.
She should be the only one I'm focusing on. However, now that silence has cloaked the underground library once more, and I have no other way to block the stream of thoughts in my mind… It wanders back to Gakupo, a short distance across from us, sound asleep with Gumi.
Infuriated at myself for being such a moron, I screw my eyes shut. Perhaps taking a nap isn't a bad idea after all.
…
"Ah! I think I finally get it!"
I jolt awake at the sound of… someone shouting out in joy? Ugh… My brain is all foggy, after an unsatisfactory nap. Not sure if that was just my imagination or if a discovery has been made.
"Huh- Wha-? Got what?" Neru slurs. Ah, so she's been woken up, too. Guess it's real, and not just a dream.
I let out a soft sigh, rubbing at my poor, tired eyes. I don't think it's possible to get a decent amount of sleep here. I can kiss that blissful, well-rested feeling goodbye for the time being. I really had taken a good nap for granted up until now, huh?
"Mmmh…" Miku stirs in her sleep beside me, letting out a small, cute mumble.
I don't have the heart to disturb her. Carefully shifting off our shared blanket, I reluctantly rise to my feet. Damn it, looks like it's up to me to keep the peace and quiet. "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it," I tell Neru. "Just get some more sleep, oka–... Oh." I turn to glance at her near the end of that, only to see she's out cold once more already. Uh. Sure, that's fine, I guess.
Slowly shaking my head, I follow the direction of that excited yelp, or at least to where I think it came from. I make my way toward the back end of the library, and discover Xingchen all by herself, hidden away behind a bookshelf, surrounded by a bunch of old-looking paper.
"Yes, yes… Ah, of course…! How did I not connect the dots sooner?" She's just… rambling to herself, hunched over and deeply invested in whatever she's doing.
"Um… Xingchen-san…?" I cough lightly, speaking as softly as I can, so I don't startle her.
"Ahhh!" Much to my surprise, she lets out another loud yell, this time of utter shock. She whips her head around, looking for the culprit who dares to scare her, and our eyes lock.
"Uhhhh…" I stare, wide-eyed and honestly, perplexed to the point of momentarily losing the ability to speak.
"O-Oh…!" It takes a good few seconds of blankly staring at each other, but she finally registers that it's me, and is the first to snap out of it. "Y-You… You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." She stammers, seeming to slap the 'serious' act back on.
I blink rapidly, still kind of at a loss for words. This girl… I misjudged her pretty hard, huh? She's not as uptight as she likes to paint herself as. Makes sense she does that, though, I suppose. She barely knows me or the others; it's probably hard for her to fully open up to us. "What exactly are you doing…?" I ask, treading carefully. Can't go offending her or coming off as rude.
She averts her glance, turning back to face her pile of… Oh? They're not just any old bits of paper. They're the scrolls from earlier. "I'm, uh…" She trails off, taking a moment to clear her throat, and apparently shedding the prior scare. "Experimenting, of course."
Ah. Of course. "Without the, um, others?" I figured it would take the collective brain power of all four girls to make significant progress, honestly. Apparently not?
"They need their rest," she says, whilst sorting through one of the piles of scrolls.
It's then I finally notice that they've been separated further into… groups? Just how much progress has she made all by herself? "You do, too…" I'm not sure what kind of approach to take here. I don't want it to seem like I'm lecturing her or pitying her. I settle for a gentle-ish tone, reminding her that her own health is important, as well.
She flicks her glance back to me, brow raised. "And what about you?"
Heh. Clever way of avoiding my concern. As for me… Too many unpleasant things running through my mind. Can't tell her, though. Heh. She and I aren't too dissimilar after all. "I'm not really tired," I say, with a shrug.
She narrows her eyes, some type of stern expression crossing her features. "After all you've been through?"
Oh, boy… Never mind, we're not that similar. "Well," I start, rubbing at the back of my neck.
I could probably handle her display of… uh, concern…? If only she wasn't so scary… I haven't had a whole lot of time to process everything, anyway. I'm not even entirely sure how long it's been since that happened. It's easy to lose track of time here. All I know is I'm not as sore any more, and…
"Everyone else has been through a lot, too," I say. Do my struggles even compare? Sure, I got scratched up a bit. What about the effect this place has had on the others' minds?
She blinks, falling momentarily silent, as though contemplating something. "Hmm… How interesting."
Huh? Suddenly I feel the urge to squirm. I really wish she wouldn't judge me. Or rather, I really wish everything about her wasn't so… vague… Leaving me to guess what she's thinking… Gah.
"A-Anyway…" I divert the conversation, unable to stop myself from stuttering under pressure, shifting it back to what I originally came over here for. "You figured out the secrets of these scrolls?"
"Ah… Yes," she nods. Straight to the point as ever. She reaches into one of her pockets, retrieving the miniature version of her staff; with a light click of its gem, it pops back to full size.
"Wow," I give a breathy laugh. I will never not be impressed by that.
"Observe." Xingchen pretty much ignores my amazement, though a subtle smile pulls at her lips. She lightly presses the tip of her staff against the first pile of scrolls. Nothing happens.
"Umm…" I mumble, 'observing' carefully as she asked. Did I blink and miss something? "Was that–"
"Of course that was supposed to happen!" She cuts me off, a lot more offended than I ever pictured her being. Seems she doesn't appreciate my confusion that borders on stupidity. She huffs quietly. "I have sorted these magical scrolls into three categories. This here–" She taps them again, just in case I forgot where to look already, I guess. "Is the pile that does not respond to any type of input."
"Oh?" Okay, I gotta admit, now I'm actually interested. She understands magic so well, it's pretty impressive. I mean, I'd hope she does anyway, considering she's devoted so much time to studying it. "Are they drained? No more magic in them?"
"Hmm…" Xingchen thoughtfully hums, tapping at her chin with her free hand, before shrugging. "They require further testing. That doesn't matter right now, though. This pile here," she continues, taking a step aside and pointing her staff toward it.
"Woah…" I let out a hushed gasp; her pendant radiates a weak, red glow, indicating there's some sort of reaction. "This is the pile that does respond?"
"Barely," she says, with a light sigh. "The flow is weak. I'm pretty sure they contain a specific type of spell, rather than something more lenient and open to wishes."
I draw my glance over to the final pile. Ah… "So that means…" Hey, wait a minute. I'm kinda shocked that I've caught on.
Xingchen offers me an actual, sincere grin. Wow. Emotion. "You truly are interesting, Kaito-san," she reiterates, seemingly proud of me or something. She turns to the final pile. "I think these scrolls grant the user pretty much anything they want." Awe seeps through her words, eyes twinkling in wonder.
Heh… So, even she is fascinated by all of this. I mean, of course she is. This must be her first real experience with magical experimentation. She only has to hover her staff near the pile, and immediately, her pendant sparkles far brighter than before.
"In my mind…" she softly says. "I'm thinking of home. How I long to bring everyone back, safe and sound."
I watch as her eyelids slip shut. As she expresses her desires… Somehow, that magical light intensifies more. Holy… This is truly incredible. This girl is so filled to the brim with determination. So driven. Sure wish I could have some of her motivation, honestly.
A small smile pulls at Xingchen's lips. She slowly opens her eyes, and the ruby's glow fades. "I think if the girls and I really focus on getting home, and project our hopes onto one of the scrolls…"
We'll be home. Away from here. The mere thought overwhelms me, leaving me kind of breathless. Shit… Just how long have we been gone? How have I only just considered this? Did… Did we all mysteriously disappear that night, and everyone is searching for us? With so much crap piling on top of me – of us – I never even thought… Mom… Dad…
"Kaito-san?" Xingchen's voice derails my messy thoughts, snapping me out of an apparent daze.
I blink rapidly, re-focusing on her. She's lightly pouting at me. Maybe… Maybe no time passed at all…? Ugh. No point in thinking about it. We'll be back soon. We can deal with it then. "I'm okay," I say, though I wonder how convincing that sounds.
"Good," she replies. I don't know if she believes me or not… Best not to dwell on it. "I'm going to wake the others. Time to test this out."
So soon? Hmm… I guess there isn't much point in waiting. She wanders off, and that leaves me idly standing by the scrolls. I release a heavy sigh. I don't wanna be left to my thoughts again…
All of this magic stuff is so confusing. I wish we could be free of it as soon as we're back home… But we can't be. This is our 'destiny'. Ah, shit… That's another thing I haven't disclosed yet. That stuff at the school library. God, what is wrong with me? I really need to bring that up.
I swiftly shake my head. One thing at a time. Get home. Recover. Then talk about it.
Growing antsy, I decide to distract myself. I turn to look at the non-responsive scrolls. I'm actually a little curious – why is it there aren't any sparks of life in them? Is it actually possible for them to lose their magic? I zone in on a random scroll, the one at the top of the pile.
What starts as a passing, mildly curious glance… turns into a full on, wide-eyed stare. I… I thought I couldn't… I wrote it off as being tired. My mind is just playing tricks on me. Isn't it? But… But I'm awake. Aware of my surroundings. So… How? What is happening?
My blood runs cold as I realise I really can understand this world's ancient language. One word stands out to me in particular.
Rebirth.
…
As always, I don't get an opportunity to tell anyone about my supposed 'understanding' of an ancient language. I mean, I think I understand it. Maybe I'm still just filling in the blanks? Any other option terrifies me. I can't be some kind of alien, right?
Xingchen has us all gathered around the scrolls – she takes the forefront, of course, alongside Una, Merli and Aoki.
I have to fold my arms over my chest in order to conceal my still trembling hands. Having Miku standing beside me helps ease my nerves a little, but not much, considering I may not have her comfort for much longer once we're back home. Ugh.
Even if we weren't potentially about to go home right now, I wouldn't be able to tell them. They'd think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy. Maybe I just need actual sleep?
Xingchen briefly runs through everything she told me, albeit in a more condensed way. Everyone is paying full attention, their reactions a mix between curiosity and cautious.
"You could've waited until we were awake," Merli grumbles, forehead creased as she inspects the scrolls.
"Una-san needed to recover," Xingchen promptly answers, a tiny bit snippy in her delivery. "She still needs to recover. But I just had to inform everyone of my breakthrough."
"Don't worry about me…" Una says, with a soft yet tired smile. Poor girl has been through a lot, too. We all have. "This is a lot of progress. You did great."
"I can barely believe it," Dell says, releasing a breathy laugh.
I can barely believe I'm able to understand the shit on those scrolls, my mind uncontrollably quips. Gah…! My brain refuses to shut up. Even now, when I look at the exact same scroll as earlier, that word is as clear as day. Rebirth. It's been nagging away at me this whole time. What could it mean? I can barely hear Xingchen any more. I'm losing myself again.
"Are you girls ready to try?" Xingchen spins around to face her three friends. They respond with diligent nods, raring to go.
I let out a quiet sigh. I need to… stop. Just shut my brain off. Think of home. I can figure this out after a good, long rest. Hopefully.
The girls pull out their wands, each of them letting their eyes slip shut… And a particularly bright red light emanates from their pendants, as expected, instantly.
"Woah…" comes a little gasp. Neru… She sounds a lot less exhausted now, at least. Or maybe the shock of such a sight snapped her out of zombie mode?
The room falls silent as the girls pour all of their energy into channeling their… inner magic, I suppose. It's strange to really think about. The only thing that can be heard… A faint humming of sorts; it must be from their gems.
The silence is uncomfortable, to say the least. It puts me on edge. Wondering if it'll actually work or just be another dead-end failure.
"Please…" Xingchen huffs out, screwing her eyes shut tighter. Her eyebrows furrow further, indicating she's giving this her all.
Just when it feels like hope is lost… Like it's slipping through my fingers… Something changes. Of course it would. A soft, white light wraps itself around the scroll of paper. My eyes widen all on their own as I realise that small glow is… expanding…? Spilling out of the edges, intensifying until it's near blinding.
"Ah…!" It happens in the blink of an eye, and shocked gasps echo out, as one by one, we all register what's happening.
That light is now wrapping around us, enveloping us all in its tight, constricting embrace. "Fuck…!" I can't help but hiss, throwing an arm up to shield my face. It's getting brighter and brighter, unrelenting, and it's like it's choking me somehow. It's painful.
"What's happening?!" Rin cries out, in distress.
"Stay calm," Merli says, her firm leadership shining through. "It's okay. It's… nngh… working…!"
"Help us, by thinking of home!" Aoki adds, through strained breathing.
Even covering my face isn't enough to keep that burning light out. It's too much – my head is starting to ache.
I'm trying my absolute best to block it out; to think of home, as they asked. Going back to normality. Back to school. Hah…! Yes, school. It's absurd, but I miss going to class. Yet, if they succeed… Please… Please, succeed! I want to go home already!
That's the only thought that crosses my mind– No, dominates it, right up until the light consumes me, and everything goes black.
…
I'm finally, slowly coaxed out of a sleep that felt as though it lasted forever. Okay, maybe not forever. At least a week, though. I'm aching like crazy. While that should be the norm for me now, it's more like intense fatigue is plaguing my entire body.
Jesus, just how long was I out…? I think, eyelids twitching. And where am I? Still on…?
I push through the fog in my mind, forcing myself to properly wake up and start paying attention to my surroundings. I realise that I'm… warm. Cloaked in the warmth of my blankets… Lying on something soft. My heart skips a beat. I'm… home?
Adrenaline rushes through me, evicting the fuzzy sensation in my head, and I immediately open my eyes. I'm met with the sight of my plain old bedroom wall, and what a wonderful sight it is. Oh my god, I'm really back at school! I thought we'd never escape.
Wait. If I'm here… I swiftly roll over, intending to make sure Dell is here with me. However, as I do so, I'm met with yet another shocking sight – not a pleasant one. Something is blocking my view. No, not something.
"Holy–!" I slap a palm over my mouth, cutting my gasp short and reeling back. Gakupo Kamui is right in front of me. In my bed. What the fuck?! I spring back as quickly as I can, but that doesn't change the fact our faces were just inches apart, and–
"Mmh…" The male groans softly in his sleep, and the sudden noise grinds my panicked thoughts to a halt.
A quiet, muffled squeak escapes me. My heart is racing, no longer thanks to adrenaline, but utter embarrassment. I back up against the wall; despite there being a good amount of distance between us now, it's not enough. I stare at him, eyes all wide, wondering what on earth to do. Hah, I can at least say 'on earth' now… I think, with an internal snort.
Ugh… How? How did this idiot end up in my bed? What happened between being stuck on Wispia and now? Any time I try to recall what might have happened… All I come up with is a blinding white light. Great. Just great.
I peer over Gakupo's shoulder the best I can, to the other side of the room. Dell's silver hair pokes out from under the covers. Okay, good. He's here, too. Knowing everyone is safe puts my mind at ease, and calms my erratic heartbeat – a little, anyway.
Reluctant, I glance back at Gakupo. Damn it. I wonder how I should go about waking him up. As soon as I do so, it'll probably be unbearably awkward. I can't believe I got myself into this mess. I can't believe I keep getting stuck in these ridiculous situations with him! Seriously, does the universe hate me?
"Mmm…" Again, a grunt of sorts comes from him, which startles me once more. It's louder this time, and he stirs, stretching out his limbs and appearing to be waking up.
My stomach turns, mild nausea washing over me. Ahhh, fuck… What should I say? I'm going to humiliate myself so badly…! All I can do, in the end, is helplessly gawk at him whilst he opens his eyes.
"Hm…" A quizzical expression meshes in with his sleepiness, as our glances lock. "Kai…?"
My cheeks uncontrollably burn upon hearing that nickname. "Th-That's not my name," I sternly remind him, intending to scold him for being so personal. But of course, I stammer. Seriously, though? No one has ever called me just 'Kai'. What the hell is this guy's deal?
Confusion passes his features… Then it's his turn to flare up in embarrassment. "I…" he starts, but trails off. He's only silent for about a moment, though it drags on for far too long. "Sorry," he softly says at last, shuffling back to create some more distance between us. With a huff, he sits up after yet another long moment of silence; much to my dismay, the blankets slip down with him, partly revealing his bare chest.
"Seriously?!" Without any input from my brain, I explode, out of sheer– It's not even humiliation any more. It's some kind of horrible step above that. I just want to cover my face and hide. Maybe let the earth swallow me whole.
Gakupo's cheeks visibly darken. Honestly, I expected him to mock me, like he would've before. I thought he'd revert to his old ways after all that's happened, but… No. He's meek, and he draws the blankets closer to cover himself. That kind of reaction is worse than if he'd become an asshole again. "I'm… ah… sorry…!"
Besides all that, we literally just got off a frozen wasteland. Why the hell would he feel the need to remove any of his clothes?! What is the thought process? I'm left baffled, irritated at my own embarrassment, and speechless.
He scrambles out of my bed, dashing toward the bathroom without another word or looking back.
God, this is… I release a shaky breath. Don't think about it, Kaito. I don't have time for this. Even though we've been freed from the clutches of what should've been our demise, this is still only the beginning of our 'saviour' duties.
My memory is still a little fuzzy, but that unfair reality is slowly coming back to me. Well… Unfair or not, I have to suck it up and try to salvage my friendships if we want a chance at succeeding… And Miku.
I run a hand down my face, sighing heavily. I just want to sleep all day… Day… Wait! How long have we been missing? I jolt upright, darting my glance over to my bedside table. Ah… So that's where my phone has been the whole time.
I make a grab for it, flicking the screen on and checking the time first. 8AM…? Wah… Before I even begin to worry about classes, I then look at the day. Thursday. "Huh…?" I give a breathy laugh, in disbelief.
All that time we spent on Wispia… Am I actually losing my mind? It seemed like we were there for… I don't even know. Yet we've supposedly only been gone for a single night? I begin to internally freak out, heart rate spiking all over again. How? Just how?
God, my head hurts. Did it even look like we disappeared from school grounds? Did anyone notice? Or did we just head off to bed early during the music event? But… But the others were supposed to perform…!
In that moment, a particularly chilling thought isolates itself in my mind, amidst the swarm of panic. Was it… all just a twisted nightmare…? It can't be. I trail my eyes down to my free hand, turning it over to idly stare at my palm. Crimson flashes before me. I… I definitely…
I swiftly shake my head to clear those horrible thoughts away. Can't let my mind go there any more. I set my phone back onto my bedside table, dragging myself out of bed. I'm in desperate need of a shower, but Gakupo is locked away in there, presumably hiding.
With a quiet sigh, I look over at Dell. He's still out like a light. Dude sure needs the rest, after everything… We'll have classes, though – or at least, I think so. I honestly can't remember what Mr. Hiyama told us in regards to today's schedule. It'll be there somewhere, in the dusty depths of my mind, filed under 'unimportant shit'. Honestly though, it's absurd to think this all started on Monday.
I lower myself back down onto my bed, waiting for Gakupo to emerge from the bathroom. Hopefully he won't be in there all morning.
I decide to grab my phone again, wondering if I should text someone. But who? Miku? Can't talk to Neru. Don't have anyone else's number; we're not on great terms, anyway. No luck. I can't even outright speak to Dell, at least not in the same manner as I did before. And Gakupo? No.
I'm… alone. It stings, but I remind myself to stay positive. Even though, right now, the thought of being positive nauseates me. We can fix everything with time, can't we…? My chest tightens. I should at least try with Miku. She should be awake. I hope she's awake.
[Me] – 'Hey. Can't believe we made it out alright. Are you okay? Wanna grab breakfast in the cafe?'
Fingers trembling, I read over those words a few times. I'm hesitant to press send. Normally, I'd never second guess myself… But… Am I coming across as too stiff? Will she know I fucked up? Will she notice a change in tone?
Jesus, I'm so overwhelmed. My head is pounding. I huff quietly to myself, pressing send.
I'm left to almost drown in my anxious thoughts for a little while longer, until my phone vibrates in my hands.
[Miku] – 'I'm okay, I think. Not really hungry though. Meet you in the assembly hall?'
My heart sinks, worry resurfacing. She… She didn't reject me because she knows I screwed up, right? Gahhh, I'm on the verge of tearing my hair out here…!
I guess now that she mentions it, I'm really not hungry, either. If I tried to eat something, the odds of me bringing it back up are disgustingly high. I should keep my strength up, regardless, or at least attempt to. To help heal my injuries more efficiently or whatever.
[Me] – 'Of course. Is Neru-chan alright?'
I haven't spoken to Neru properly in… quite some time. I wonder how we'll salvage… uh, everything. My phone buzzes, derailing my instinctive gloomy thoughts once more.
[Miku] – 'She's still asleep, but I think so.'
Oh… She's being… unusually blunt. Or am I overreacting? I'm doing that a lot lately. I send one last text, essentially affirming that I'll see her later.
So, there's an assembly, huh…? I had no idea. I'm sure the principal mentioned it, but my brain is rather cluttered right now. It's most likely going to start the same time it does every Monday, though. That leaves barely any time to shower and eat… Guess I'm eating later.
As I rise to my feet, preparing myself to interact with Gakupo and ask him to hurry up… The bathroom door swings open. I raise my brows, briefly looking over.
Gakupo emerges, fully dressed this time. He keeps his eyes low, taking a few small steps away from the bathroom.
Sucking in a breath, doing my best to ignore the tension, I move to my chest of drawers and pick out some clean clothes. "Wake Dell-kun for me," I sort of order him, keeping my tone neutral, though I'm sure it borders on snappy. Whatever. I don't make any sort of eye contact, and hurry to the bathroom.
Time to block out all thoughts for a while. I intend to crank the heat all the way up, so the only thing I can feel and focus on is the steaming hot bullets of water hitting my skin. It's the only way to shut my mind up.