A lone tawny-haired figure walked through the deserted streets slowly, oblivious to all but the piece of paper she reread again and again. The note was crumpled and little tears started forming in places where the paper had been repeatedly creased. It was empty save for one line of ink that marred the white void.
Goodbye.
The word was hastily written, almost unintelligible, but Ritsu knew the hand that wrote it all too well to pretend that it was something else. Still, reading it and hearing it were two very different things. Her visit to the Akiyama residence was long overdue, anyway.
Before long, the Akiyama residence came into view. A blue car was parked in the garage, which meant that the Akiyamas were probably home - two more Akiyamas than Ritsu wanted to see. She took a deep breath and trudged towards the porch. The doorbell looked broken, so she knocked at the door, albeit a little louder than she should have. Five seconds of inactivity passed by. She hurriedly turned to leave.
Just as she reached the concrete driveway, the door opened with a creak. It was Mrs. Akiyama. She had a faint smile on her face, which soon faded once she recognized the girl standing in front of her. Their eyes met.
"What do you want?"
"I just-" Ritsu willed herself to stay calm.
"Look, I already told you once. Please stay away from my daughter." The woman turned towads the door, as if there was nothing left to be said.
"I came here to apologize."
"Don't waste your time. She left yesterday." Her hand pushed the door shut; before it closed she glared coldly at Ritsu.
"She's better off there. Far away, from people like you." The door shut with a sharp click.
"People like me, huh."
Everything started fading into a wavering blur as Ritsu ran hard, not knowing where to go. A light drizzle started to fall, but she didn't notice the rain until she slipped on a puddle. Drenched in rain, sweat, tears, and mud, a glimpse at her reflection made her cringe.
"Fucking rain."
Ritsu slowly stood up and squeezed the water out of her jacket. Then she examined the contents of her pockets. All the paper bills were drenched, but the note remained defiantly dry. She managed to crack a smile, and headed home.
"Satoshi would freak if he saw me like this."
Pity was the last thing she needed right now, but there was nowhere else to go.
"Turn your books to page number 335. I want you to read about the feudal era while I get some maps. When I get back, we'll discuss the social and economic aspects of this time period."
Not long after the teacher left, students were stretching and talking, ridding themselves of the boredom that tends to come with lecture marathons. Books lay unopened, forgotten in the excitement.
"Hey, Tainaka. Get over here! We want to show you something."
A couple of students hustled around a magazine, and waved enthusiastically to Ritsu. Judging by the excited flush on their faces, it was an H-magazine. She shook her head and smiled at them.
"Maybe some other time. I don't feel so good. Didn't get much sleep last night."
Normally, the amber-eyed girl would have eagerly accepted their proposition. At the moment the only thing she wanted was some quiet; hanging out with a bunch of girls squealing over some half-naked man did not sound fun at all. Ritsu grabbed the hall pass. A quick nap on the rooftop should do some good.
A heavy chain blocked the door to the rooftop. On the side, someone put up a no smoking sign. Ritsu struggled to untangle the rusty mass of iron, but the door refused to budge. Flakes of rust mixed with the dusty air. Ritsu sniffed her hands and grimaced. It smelled like old blood. The scent stuck to the back of her throat, making her nauseous. Gasping for air, she ran to the nearest restroom. In her haste, she pushed the door open with such force that it banged against the wall. A startled gasp brought her back to her senses.
There, beside the sink, stood a blue-eyed girl watching her closely. Ritsu mumbled a quick apology. She felt bad for startling the girl.
"I-I'm sorry... Are you alright?"
No response came. Ritsu opened her mouth to repeat the question, but the girl suddenly spoke, as if she just remembered how to use her mouth.
"I'm fine, thanks. Sorry for worrying you. I was just a little dizzy." The girl shook her head, She had a warm smile but her voice was shaky with fatigue. Her hands grasped the corners of the sink tightly.
"Are you sure? You don't look so good." Ritsu approached her slowly. All of a sudden, the girl's blue eyes widened and she screamed.
"Please, stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"
"I'm not going to-"
A sharp noise startled Ritsu. Jagged pieces of glass lay scattered on the bathroom floor.
'The mirror broke...'
She turned to the girl. Long blonde hair concealed her eyes; clearly, the girl was no longer herself. The air crackled with heavy energy, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Pieces of glass from the broken mirror vibrated with a low hum. Ritsu took a step back. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but a morbid fascination rooted her to the spot.
"Who...what are...you?"
The girl stretched out a hand and made a crushing motion with her fist. Ritsu gasped as an unseen force closed around her rib cage. Flecks of black danced around her vision as the hold on her grew tighter still. She fought to stay conscious, but it would only be a matter of time before she passed out. A sudden twinge of pain shot through her body as the pressure fractured something within her.
The last thing she saw were a pair of cold blue eyes.
Manabe Nodoka set her books aside with a sigh. There was a strange new girl sleeping on the lower bunk of her bed. Apparently, this was her new roommate. She would have woken the girl up, but she noticed that her torso was covered in swathes of bandages. Tawny bangs covered her face; Nodoka brushed them away to get a closer look. Her fingers felt the heat radiating from the girl's forehead.
'A fever? She's injured too...'
The girl shuddered at the contact and opened her eyes; bright amber glistening in the dark room. They closed before Nodoka could say anything.
Dozens of questions tickled her mind, but she decided to let her new roomate sleep.
"Get all the rest you need... After all, the first day is always the hardest."