I cry? Like seriously. Best first review ever? Like? Why would you expose me like this?

Another chapter

A month had passed since he and Garnet started being friends again and Shigeo was content. He was more than content. He was… happy.

Garnet was still very quiet but she was a solid force by his side with gentle thoughts and bright smiles. Shigeo often marveled at how she just seemed to float along in life, adjusting her steps just a bit this way or that way to avoid pitfalls that no one else seemed to consider then continuing to breeze through the rest. It was amazing to him.

As their friendship developed more and more, Shigeo realized that his earlier assumption that Garnet was as blank as he was had been completely incorrect. Garnett laughed when she wanted to laugh, usually loud and full bodied and filled with absolute joy which usually made everyone else laugh as well. She got excited at new prospects, at visions only she could see but she would smile so big and wide and sometimes she'd jump up and down and encourage him to join her even when he didn't know why. She got sad enough for tears to pour down her face like rain from clouds. She would sob so hard that her shoulders shook and her tears would soak his shirt. And she got angry. She could get so angry that the air around them would become stiff and suffocating or cold and unwelcoming.

Yet, through all of those emotions, Garnet never actually hurt anyone. She punched a hole in a wall after a classmate said something really rude but she hadn't hurt him.

That's how Shigeo wanted to be, how he thought that he could be. A lot of the time Shigeo felt heavy, weighed down with the task as being as even and emotionless as possible. He hated it but it was a necessary evil that he had assumed he would have to shoulder for the rest of his life because his power was too great, too evil. But there was Garnet and her sisters with powers alien and just like his and none of them were weighed down.

In fact, being close to Garnet brought him close to Pearl and Amethyst as well. Pearl was often emotional, so, so emotional but nothing like Amethyst. Not even the time Shigeo saw Pearl shift through five facial expressions in the span of one second could compare to the whirlwind that was Amethyst. Shigeo has never, in his short life, ever met someone so boisterous who shouted every emotion she felt exactly when she felt it. She was a completely open book and she didn't try to close up at all. Maybe that was what drew Ritsu to her.

"Did Amethyst run off with your brother again?" Pearl asked as she approached. Shigeo pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked about them. It had been the four of them on this bench, working through some study material. Well, it was more like Garnet was trying to make math make any sort of sense to his nonsense brain but he had got caught up in the soothing, smooth sound of her voice… so sometime when Garnet started teaching him and now his brother and their sister had slipped away. Well, they were always slipping away to be alone. He wasn't sure what they did but he supposed it involved a lot of psychic work because Ritsu was often sleepy and red eyed when they returned.

"Would you like for me to look for them?" Garnet tilted her head. In the last month, Garnet had shed the horrible accent and now almost sounded like a native. Almost. Shigeo thought that he might have had something to do with that as they spent their time physically apart in mind speech and he would deliberately think in his native language instead of the vague understanding between two minds.

"No, no. She's always with him… I just hope she doesn't get too attached," Pearl worried, chewing on her bottom lip. Shigeo tried to ignore the flutter in his stomach as he thought that the girls being there wasn't permanent. There was always, always a chance that one day Garnet would just not be there.

Progress towards Mob's explosion: 45%

A cool palm slid against his and fingers gently fit their ways between his until he felt the cold press of Garnet's gem. He blinked up at her and was greeted by a soft, gentle look. Oh yeah, he was supposed to enjoy the time they had together as much as possible.

"She will be fine," Garnet finally answered when she was satisfied with his new expression. Pearl looked as though she wanted to say more, her mouth open and a finger held up but clammed up very suddenly. A very light red crept up her neck and colored her cheeks and she awkwardly ducked under the table then sort of changed her mind to grab a book instead which lead to her being twisted all weird to read an upside down book. Shigeo was sure this was odd behavior but a look to Garnet just gained a small grin.

"Hello Garnet-chan and Mob-kun… is that Pearl?" Shigeo turned in his chair to see the beautiful Tsubumi. She stood on tiptoe, squinting to see the twisted up body. Pearl jerked hard as though shocked and sat up with a big, big smile stretching her face and her eyes definitely too big.

"Haa-haa! Yes, it is I! Pearl! Hellooooo!" Pearl boomed much louder than necessary. Shigeo was very sure that this was odd behavior. The Indian girl waved hard enough to possibly dislocate her shoulder.

"You are so funny, Pearl-kun," Tsubomi giggled then she placed a hand on Garnet's shoulder and leaned a little closer to her, "Are you ready to go?" Oh yes, Garnet did tell him that she had a girl day trip with Tsubomi today. He was so wrapped up in their studying and being together that he completely forgot. He also forgot that Garnet said that there was a good chance that he would have a session with his sensei today. He wondered just how good her future seeing abilities were.

"G-go? Where are you guys going?" Pearl jumped to her feet.

"I invited Garnet-chan on a girls' day. We're going to have so much fun!" The pale girl clapped excitedly. Garnet nodded in agreement and stood, hiking her bag over her shoulder. Mob stood as well and was prepared for the hug that Garnet pulled him into enough to not blush too hard. He rather enjoyed them for their warmth and the tight press of their bodies together. It was nice. He could almost feel her heart beating between them and he wondered if she could feel his do that weird double beat.

"See you later, Shigeo-san. Pearl-nii-chan," Garnet linked arms with her companion.

"Goodbye," Shigeo waved, giving a nod to Tsubomi and, just like that, they were off, already giggling and talking with their heads bent towards each other. Which left Shigeo with Pearl. It wasn't a problem, it really wasn't. He's been around Pearl before and he's been around people before. So it wasn't a problem but… Shigeo cast a look at the girl. Pearl was strange. Very strange. Like she was still staring in the direction that Garnet and Tsubomi had gone in even though there was no way she could still see them and she was biting down on her lip too hard to feel great. Her face was also twisted up in some kind of expression he couldn't readily identify but it didn't do her any favors beauty wise. He wondered if he should maybe ask some questions…

Ding!

Oh, saved by the bell. Well, the cell phone. His cell phone. Shigeo dug his phone from his pocket and discovered it to be his sensei. Of course. Garnet was so amazing. He shot the man a quick text in affirmation of his newest lesson and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Are you going somewhere?" Pearl whispered. Shigeo startled just a bit. He thought that he could just sneak away while she was distracted but she was obviously not that distracted.

"Yes, I have to meet up with Reigen-sensei to get rid of some spirits," he explained.

"Oh, really? Do you think…?" Pearl trailed off, blinking up at him with big, blue eyes. Okay. Shigeo hasn't exactly been waiting or practicing for a moment like this but he also sort of had. This was a moment that someone socially competent could easily navigate and if Shigeo wanted to be popular one had to be socially competent. So, Pearl wanted to ask him something but was embarrassed. It probably wasn't something outrageous but also something she normally wouldn't ask him which begged the question of what she would normally be doing. He didn't know much about either Pearl or Amethyst outside of little snippets Garnet told him. Speaking of Amethyst…

"Oh!" Shigeo's eyes widened as he figured it out. It was so obvious, "You're lonely!"

Pearl nearly tripped in her effort to jump to her feet. She stammered and sputtered jumbled strings of sentences, some of which didn't make sense but Shigeo didn't need to hear them to know he was correct. Pearl was usually always with two other people but now they were both off doing other stuff. Amethyst was practically glued to Ritsu and Garnet was usually with him and now she was with Tsubomi. He knew what it felt like to be lonely like when Ritsu had started to avoid him and be not good. That wasn't a good feeling at all.

"Would you like to join me?" Shigeo offered. Pearl jerked away as though he had physically touched her but he hadn't moved from his spot and he wouldn't until she came with him. Garnet told him that Pearl sometimes didn't go along with invitations despite wanting to which he didn't quite understand but was sure he had a good idea why.

"Um… no I couldn't. Wait. I mean yes. Yes, I appreciate your courtesy," Pearl gave him a hesitant, half smile. She packed up her thing and off they went in an okay silence. It wasn't the comfortable, warm silence interrupted by humming and swaying that he shared with Garnet or the easy silence that occurred when he was simply lounging around with Ritsu or even the not silence filled with active but frivolous chatter that one time he was alone with Amethyst. But, all the same, it was okay.

RRREEEEIIGGGGEEEENNNN

"Another girl?" Reigen raised a brow. He had expected Mob to come alone or Garnet but no, he was with yet another girl. This had to be some kind of record for any teenage boy. This one was definitely different from the other one, a nervous skinny thing who flinched when he leaned in for a closer inspection but she didn't step back and simply stared back at him with defiant blue eyes. She had guts, he thought and she didn't give off those 'not natural' vibes that the other one did.

"This is Pearl-kun. She's an esper as well and a sister to Garnet," Shigeo explained as he placed his bag in a corner. Ugh, Garrrnet. Reigen tried not to roll his eyes because he was a mature adult but that girl was just pure trouble. He could tell just by how she accused him of being a fraud. Only suspicious, pure trouble girls would do such a thing.

"Where is that one at?" He asked, pulling away from the girl and turning to his faithful student. Of course he was being the polite boy he was and starting up a pot of tea. How he cried at the thought of his student being in the presence of that evil Garnet girl.

"My sister is out with Tsubomi," Pearl—what's with the jewelry names?—sniffed delicately. Tsubomi… Tsubomi… hold up a second! Tsubomi as in the girl Mob loved!? Reigen's eyes widened at the mere implication that Garnet, the girl trying to steal Mob, was handing out with Tsubomi, the girl… well, just the pretty and popular girl. It meant that she was trying to take out the competition. No doubt about it. With Tsubomi out of the way she'd wrap Mob and his gentle heart right about her brown finger. Oh yes she would. Poor, gullible Tsubomi and Mob. True love that never fully blossomed. All ruined by some foreigner.

"Yes, I hope that they are having fun," Mob served their tea and took one for himself. Reigen almost opened his mouth to expose the deadly plan he believed unraveling but there was this… tingling feeling. Like the eyes of a deadly monster was watching him. He glanced over his shoulder but there was no one, not even a wayward spirit. He looked to Shigeo who seemed to be sending a text and then, he landed on blue eyes staring big and wide at him. But behind that pretty color was that same oddness that just gave him the creeps. The creeping creeps. Reigen shuddered and took a long sip of his hot tea, swallowing the words.

Of course the sister was just as crazy.

But she was still coming along with them and Reigen had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to convince Mob to reconsider.

The train ride felt much longer by the silence that stretched between the three of them. It gave him a sense of restlessness as though something bad was going to happen but it didn't and they were soon trekking to the cave they had been summoned to. According to three couples there was a ghost terrorizing residents that lived not too far from it all throughout the night. It hadn't hurt anyone so far but it had killed at least one pet and that's how they ended up on his step offering him a pretty good amount to have it removed posthaste. As soon as the little chest was opened, Reigen agreed.

However, now standing in the cavern… surrounded by at least a hundred very missed off looking ghosts from various eras (but all toting some surprisingly well kept weapons) he felt that he maybe should have charged more.

"Well then, this doesn't look so bad. Pearl? Would you like to join me outside while Mob takes care of these lightweights?" Just because he thought that she and her sister were complete odd balls didn't mean that he'd just let a little girl get beat up.

"No, I would like to stay and help. I need the practice," Pearl said as she began to stretch and shake out her limbs. She did a prayer pose at her forehead and, suddenly, she held a very real looking, fancy white spear. Where did that thing just come from? He looked to Mob to see if he saw what just happened but the boy was in his phone. Reigen resisted the urge to facepalm even though he was absolutely positive that the teenager was texting Garnet.

"My sisters and I typically divide amongst ourselves. I'll start…"

Reigen shook his head as he slowly walked out of the cave, past the honorable ghosts who wouldn't attack someone so easy when they had bigger fish to fry. At least he hoped Pearl was a bigger fish, she had made her choice and seemed confident but he doubted she could keep up with his protege. Even if she couldn't, it was the ghosts who he had to wish luck to because it would take at least twenty of them going down before they'd wipe those cock grins off their faces. Poor, poor idiots.

GARRRRBOOOOMMMIIII

"Who are you texting?" Tsubomi leaned forward to take a peek at Garnet's phone around her ice cream. She was both surprised and not surprised that Garnet was sending a message to Mob. She took a nibble of her mochi ball, humming at the sweet treat inside the dough and at just how cute Garnet and Mob messages were. So awkward. But cute.

"Shigeo decided to invite Pearl with him to work," Garnet said around the ball she had shoved into her mouth. Even with the giant glasses Tsubomi could tell that she really, really liked her sweet treat… actually, she seemed to like all the sweet treats that Tsubomi giddily convinced her to try.

"I think you have a sweet—did you say Pearl?" Tsubomi blinked. Garnet nodded as she finally sent her reply. It was just a simple warning that Pearl was quite competitive and quite formidable so if there turned out to be more than five ghosts, he would have to move fast to not lose to a game he didn't sign up for. She smiled at his simple 'thank you' and turned her full attention to the kind Japanese girl. There was a light dusting to her cheeks and Garnet wasn't an expert on the human face but she thought that the other girl might have formed her face just a little too casual.

"Yes, my sister is an esper as well and she does not make friends quickly. You should spend a day with her—she would enjoy the cafes we passed," Garnet revealed.

"O-oh. I don't know. She seems to not like me very much," Tsubomi punctured the bright pink ball with her nail and lick the resulting ice cream from her finger. Tsubomi could not prove it but she was sure that the skinny girl would spot her down the hall and turn the other way and she was sure she saw a head of short peach hair duck under desks and tables just as she entered a room or walked by. She wasn't sure what she had done to make the girl act like that but it sort of hurt her feelings.

"Pearl likes you as much as you like her. She's very pretty, isn't she?" Garnet leaned forward just a bit. Tsubomi, being a cool and collected teenage girl, did not jerk and flail around with her shock. Nor did she start to stutter and stammer out denials. Instead, her face turned an absolutely fascinating shade of red and she suddenly found the bows holding Garnet's hair up very interesting.

"I suppose she is," Tsubomi murmured. Garnet nodded.

"She thinks you're very pretty as well. I can text you her number if you'd like…?" She raised her phone in only a bit of a teasing gesture. She felt as mischievous as Amethyst but this was fun, so much fun that she finally understood why Amethyst pulled so many pranks.

"You… don't mind?" Tsubomi shifted only a bit in her seat but her face was still stiff and cold and her attention focused solely on her bows. Garnet frowned now, all amusement gone as she reached forward to place a hand on the other girl's shoulder. She waited until dark eyes finally turned down and looked her in the visors. The girl looked so… guarded and wary as though she expected Garnet to spit on her and walk away which she would never, ever do. She'd personally break the nose of any person who would ever hurt anyone just because who they loved.

"Of course I don't. I would never mind and those who matter will not mind either," Garnet said with all the seriousness available inside her. Tsubomi blinked rapidly, obviously pushing back her tears then she launched forward. It was awkward hugging sitting side by side as they were but it felt right all the same with the girl wrapping her arms as tightly as she could and Garnet hugging back just as hard. After a few moments the arms loosened but Tsubomi didn't pull away so Garnet did not let go.

"We should go shopping. I know a really great store with killer dresses," Tsubomi's voice was muffled against her clothes but Garnet heard her loud and clear.

"Let's go," Garnet chuckled, finally releasing the girl.

TBC