Hmmm...
Tsugumi was at a stop sign when Hare called. The cheerful chirp interrupted Tsugumi's plaintive thoughts and when she saw that the caller was Shu's school friend she was half inclined to ignore it. She had just dropped off Ayase and was tired of comforting other.
But she answered.
"How'd the appointment go?" Hare asked immediately, in the background was the sound of children laughing. She must still be at work.
"Fine." Tsugumi did not mention her strange run in. Hare was only concerned about Shu. "I just dropped Shu off; he should be at his apartment now.
"I tried calling, but his cellphone is off."
Tsugumi's hand tightened on the wheel. "He's probably tired."
"Yeah…" But her voice was uncertain. In the background someone called her name, a little child's whine. "Well, I'll be going now. Tomorrow's my day; do you want to go along?"
"No," Tsugumi pulled into the apartment parking lot, searching over the rows of dull colored cars for a space. "I have some job interviews tomorrow."
"All right… goodbye."
"Bye." Dropping the phone to the seat Tsugumi pulled the car into a spot then turned the engine off, the heat cutting and allowing the autumn cold from outside to slip inside. For a moment she just sat there, looking up at the tan building where she lived.
There was no one there. She had avoided coming back, preferring the company of her friends than the solitude the building offered. But now she sat with no one to speak to, no one to laugh with, alone.
She rested her forehead against the wheel and sighed.
A loud bang echoed through the small square room. Segai lifted an eyebrow, but did not look up from his phone.
"Now, now." He tutted. "Don't be so angry. You've never been able to escape before."
"Shut up creep!" Daryl snapped, and banged his foot once more against the walls of his prison. He glared up at the ceiling as he lay on the cot, arms crossed over his chest. "You played dirty. I could take you if you didn't have that gun!"
"Which was why I brought it." Segai chuckled. "You are so violent!"
"Shut up!" Daryl shouted, voice reverberating against the metal of the walls. "If it weren't for that stupid girl…"
"Ah…" Segai finally looked up, a glint in his slightly mismatched eyes. "Who was that girl?"
"How should I know?" Daryl growled, a frown dragging at his lips. "Some freak… she was weird…"
"Oh Daryl, don't be so harsh." Segai stepped forward and shoving the screen of his orange phone into Daryl's face. "She's pretty cute!"
"Get that away from me! Pervert!" Daryl shoved away the phone, but not before he got a look at the strange girls wide eyed face, black hair flowing gracefully down her shoulders and pushed back by a strange cat ear headband.
"Ah, so boring." Segai shrugged and made his way to the door, his mission of returning Daryl to his room complete. "You're not very cute Daryl."
"I don't want to hear that from you!" Daryl shot back, but Segai gave no reply, only closed the door and left Daryl alone in the silence that followed his departure. Daryl continued to glare up at the ceiling, biting the inside of his lip when he recalled how close he had been to escape.
Then that girl got into his way. That strange girl, who had dared touch him, then had been horribly rude. Then offered that white candy.
A strange girl.
He slammed his foot against the wall one more time.
Yeeep...