Aren't I missing something?

Er...

Ah, damnit.

After going back inside and getting directions from Mutou as to where the art room is, I go down the hallway and carefully push open the furthest door, peeking in.

It's a classroom, but messy. Desks and chairs are scattered everywhere, though many seem to have a thin layer of dust coating them. Looking closer, there are a few art supplies scattered mindlessly, so this is the right place.

The room is flushed in sunlight from the big windows, shadows creeping all over the desks. Specks of dust are dancing in the stagnant air, making the beams of light almost visible.

"Anyone the-" Something catches my eye and I pause.

Sitting on one of the desks is a girl with short red hair, wearing a boy's uniform. What made me pause, though, is the observation that she has a fork between her toes, food stuck firmly on the end.

This is probably because she has no hands, or really much of her arms, from what I can tell. The long sleeves of her shirt are tied off midway down, clearly empty and resting very lonely against her sides.

Also, I know this girl.

"Hello." Rin says, before stuffing the forkful in her mouth.

"Umm...hello. I was told to pick up some supplies from here. I didn't think there would be someone here, though." In retrospect, I should have expected something, but the stillness of the room made me suspect it was abandoned.

"There isn't. That's why I came here, too." She picks up another forkful, completely at ease. I can see what she's trying to say, but it's an odd and straightforward way of doing so.

"I see."

I study her out of the corner of my eye. Her hair is a burnt auburn, almost orange, and cropped short. There does not seem to be any order to it. The boy's uniform makes her look very thin. She is not particularly pretty, except for her murky green eyes which flicker endlessly, studying everything. The shadows make it seem like they don't reflect sunlight at all, but instead absorb.

As I pick up items, I start up another conversation, carefully carrying a small paint bucket.

"So, do you always eat alone and this late?" I ask.

"No. Sometimes I eat with a certain person on the roof, if she's not horsing around." Rin replies.

"Horsing?"

"She likes to do sports."

"Oh." That's a very apt metaphor, in my opinion.

"I think I have everything I need." I announce, though I'm not particularly sure why. I suppose that I'm seeking closure to this odd encounter.

"That's very nice." Rin says, sincerely. "Don't feel obliged to stay. I was about to take a nap anyways. You need to do whatever you are going to do with that stuff anyways, right?"

She pauses.

"Or perhaps you like to watch girls sleeping?"

I almost take it as a joke, but she looks serious.

"Even if I did, I think I have to be going. I'll...catch you around...Rin?"

Rin considers this, staring at me. Or in my general direction. The vacancy of her eyes makes it feel like she isn't looking at all.

"I like you. You're straightforward. See you later, Hisao." There is something like a tiny smile there in her face, maybe. I nod and back out of the room, shutting the door.

"What an intriguing person..." I mutter to myself. From inside, I hear a muffled, sing-song voice.

"I heard that!"

She got me there.

"What did she hear?" A voice calls out, bright and familiar. I jump at Misha's sudden appearance. I hadn't heard her sneaking closer, despite the empty hallway.

Shizune, standing slightly behind Misha, looks aloof as she couldn't have heard the remark that drew Misha's attention, but the pinkette herself is obviously excited.

"Wait, more importantly, who is in there? There's no club meetings today." She tries to curiously peek past me, even though the door prevents her from seeing anyways.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, shifting to block her from the doorknob.

"You took so long that we had to come check on you. That's no good, Hicchan." She wags her finger at me scoldingly.

"I found plywood, but everything else is still missing because you are tardy."

"Oh, sorry. Er...I have the things here, was just going to bring them." I kick the paint bucket next to me to try and get Misha's attention. She ignores it.

"I think you were up to some mischief, Hicchan! Who was in there with you, I wonder..." Misha signs something to Shizune, pointing at her own ear a couple of times. Shizune immediately pushes her way past me and opens the door into the classroom I just left.

"Oh, this is going to be good..." I say, sing-songy. Misha doesn't translate, engrossed in staring into the room as Shizune shakes in what must be suppressed rage.

Instead of blowing up, Shizune just takes a few deep breaths, adjusts her glasses, and slams the door shut, turning to sign furiously at Misha.

I guess she did just blow up. She shoots a loaded stare at me too, as if it is somehow my fault that Rin is sleeping on one of the tables.

"Hello." A familiar voice says, coming from the other side of the door. Blinking in realization, I open the door to find Rin directly behind it, looking at us with a half-interested, half-sleepy face.

When no one answers her, she repeats herself. This seems to snap Shizune into action, a flurry of gestures following. Misha quickly jumps into the role, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

"Tezuka, what do you think you were doing? You absolutely are not permitted to use school property for such...err, disgraceful...? Activity!"

Rin looks down, though not because she's being chastised.

"It sure is suddenly very crowded in here. I didn't know I was this popular." It's hard to say whether she's happy or unhappy about this turn of events. At any rate, she completely ignores the scolding so the Student Council duo have no choice but to drop the issue.

Shizune taps Misha's shoulder, points at Rin, and makes some quick signs.

"Popularity aside, please don't do that any more." Rin blinks in acknowledgement.

"Anyways, how is your project going?" Misha translates. "Will it be done for the festival?" Rin looks at them blankly, apparently at ease under the pressure Shizune's cold stare is putting on her.

"I keep wondering about that myself too." I crack a smile.

"And...?" Misha asks.

"Will think about it harder." She says, deadpan. Misha can't help but grin, even as Shizune frowns.

"Miss Tezuka, please try to take this seriously. It'll be a disaster if the wall looks like someone threw up their lunch onto it."

Rin nods assertively.

"Will think about it more seriously." Misha giggles at this. Shizune opens her mouth as if to press the point further before thinking about it. Eventually, she just shakes her heads, takes the materials from me, and leaves with Misha in tow.

Rin frowns thoughtfully as she looks after the retreating duo.

"How rude." I snicker. She ignores the sound.

"It's true, though. I must finish my project before the weekend. There will be dire consequences if I don't. The end of the world as we know it. Like weekends usually are, but more dire. Much more dire."

She pauses in thought.

"Maybe I'll postpone my nap. To unforeseen future." I am about to ask what project she has and what are these apocalyptic consequences, but she walks back into the art room.

"Since you have nothing to do, would you give me a hand? This paint can doesn't fit into my bag, but I need it." Rin kicks lightly at a huge can of paint that's lying on the floor next to the table she was sitting and sleeping on. It lets out a dull clang. I can't help but briefly wonder how long she's been waiting for someone to come here so she could ask them for help.

She could have gone searching for someone to, but I somehow think this hasn't occurred to her.

This one seems quite heavy, based off of how long it takes for me to actually get it off the ground. I don't feel the strain, though. I never do.

"Where do you need to take this?" I ask, not expecting a concrete answer.

"Away." And I am not disappointed. She takes off to the hallway, leaving me to walk after her.