"A secret spoken finds wings"- Robert Jordan

I left my door that morning to find Hisao having ran into Kenji "How'd you sleep?" The legally blind boy asked me when he heard me coming "Sleep well?"

"Um," I wasn't sure how to answer. I was paranoid I'd make him start ranting "Okay, I guess"

"Yeah. Like a baby" Hisao said as well.

"Damn, why do people say that?" Kenji wondered aloud "Have you ever heard a baby sleep? They scream. All night. Every night. Babies don't sleep well, ever"

Hisao sighed. I got the impression he had been in this kind of situation before "All right, I get your point. It was a figure of speech"

"Yeah, sure, whatever" Kenji continued to speak unabated "Where were you guys last night? I had a favour to ask but you weren't around"

"We were-" I began to explain before Hisao silenced me with an elbow to the ribs. "We were out" he says instead "Checking the local area and stuff. You know...recon"

"Recon" seemed like a funny word to use, but it seemed to make Kenji smile "Good man, good. I knew you were the type to plan ahead..."

"So what was the favour you wanted?" Hisao asked

"I was going to get some take-out, but I needed change" he explained

"What?" Hisao frowned "I gave you money last week and you still haven't paid me back!"

Kenji scoffed "And I was starting to think you were cool" He reaches into his pocket and pulled out a wallet and handed him 400 yen. Not sure why he'd ask for money, there was a lot more money than that in there.

Hisao seemed to notice as well, and we was not happy "Hey, what the hell? Why are you borrowing money off me when you've got that much cash?"

The legally blind boy hissed "Get off my case man. It's bad luck to break a big note for anything less than half its value. It's the tycoon rule. Last night's dinner is going to cost me seven years of bad luck. Seven years!"

Hisao sighed "I guess you're right" I personally didn't think he was, but Hisao had a tired look on his face, as if he were simply going along with it for ease "Maybe you should plan these things a little better?" Hisao suggested to the boy.

"Yeah man, I know" Kenji shrugged "But I've just got so much stiff to do, it's hard. And you guys are never around any more. Brothers in arm, remember?"

"What?" I was confused.

"Yeah, yeah" Hisao was visibly losing his will to live "Global conspiracy and such. We'll keep our ears to the ground. Don't worry"

"You guys better" Kenji said, his face close enough to Hisao's that they could touch noses "They'll split us up. Divide and conquer. Sun Tzu said that"

Did Sun Tzu actually say that? I'll admit I wasn't very well read on old philosophers, but I didn't think the sleep-deprived paranoid blind boy was a reliable source.

Hisao placed a hand on my shoulder and gave a look. A look that screamed "Get out of here!" "We've got to go" he told Kenji "We've got classes. You coming?"

I didn't really want to go anywhere with Kenji. He stressed me out. Fortunately, he didn't want to come along. He said he was tired, that he stayed up all night out of fear of something. With nothing further to add to the conversation, he slammed the door shut and locked it behind him.

"Weird guy" I said aloud.

"You have no idea" Hisao sighed.

Mutou was teaching Biology today. He was talking about recessive genes, like the ability to roll your tongue and stuff like that (I could roll my tongue). Unfortunately, it seemed like I was the only one enjoying the class. Upon seeing this, Mutou just sighed a defeated sigh and left some questions on his blackboard, slumping into his chair.

Hanako left almost immediately after. I got me thinking, does she leave because she doesn't want to talk to anyone, or is it just because of the noise?

The bells rang not long after, so maybe she was just leaving early. She didn't like the crowds after all.

Hisao and I left for the tea room, where we found Lilly setting out her lunch by herself.

"Hey, Lilly" Hisao greeted her

"Where's Hanako?" I asked. I had expected to find Hanako at the tea room.

"I haven't seen Hanako since this morning I'm afraid" Lilly said to me.

"She left early" I was confused "She should be here, it's lunchtime"

"Has she been leaving class often?" Lilly asked us

"Every day or so" Hisao responded

Lilly sighed, looking sad. "I was so sure that she'd stop doing that once you became friends. Everyone has their own pace, I suppose"

"Why does she leave?" Hisao voiced the question I had always wondered, but was always afraid to ask.

"I'm not entirely sure myself" Lilly admitted "I personally think it's because she doesn't want to be put in a situation where she has to answer someone"

That made me think back to the time we first met, and how she'd ran when I tried to talk to her. So I guess that made sense "But she seems...I mean she seems okay with us though"

"It's a little more complex than that" Lilly said "I imagine that the first thing most people ask her about is her scars, and what happened. She rarely talks about it with me, but I can tell that she doesn't like to remember whatever happened back then. Leaving class and running away from discussions is her pre-emptive strike, if you will"

"That doesn't make sense" Hisao stated. Personally, I thought it made perfect sense. She was afraid to talk to people because she knew that any conversation would eventually lead to one regarding her burns, so she avoids any conversation altogether. What I couldn't understand was: If she didn't want to talk...

"Why does she talk to me then?" I asked

"Well, you said yesterday that you see her as a normal person. You look beyond her scars" Lilly suggested by way of explanation "Once she saw that you weren't going to ask her about that, she opened herself up to you"

But I did want to ask her. More than I think Lilly realised. I would have asked immediately if I didn't know that Hanako would run from me, and I was afraid that question would drive me mad in time.

"I wouldn't worry man" Hisao tried to give me an assuring pat on the back

"I'm sure you'll come to know her as well as I do soon enough" Lilly smiled

"I..." I wanted to say more, but my mind and mouth would not work together "I suppose"

Lilly continued to speak "I welcome the prospect of her having another close friend, and the two of you have such similar interests"

But did we? We both liked to read and play chess, but as far as I knew that was it. Was that enough?

"I'd hardly count reading as a team sport" Hisao said (was that a joke?) "But I suppose it's good to have company, right?"

I gave a hesitant nod.

"That's my point" Lilly added "Hanako is still an average person at heart. She also wants company at time like that"

I could see her point, although I still had some kind of irrational doubt that I was doing something wrong "People are...confusing"

"Ain't that the truth" Hisao muttered with a smile.

"It's only natural, Kaito" Lilly said "We've only known each other for a little while; it's unreasonable to expect you to understand any of us, just as we can't understand you. But isn't half the fun of making friends?"

I never had any friends, so I could only shrug "I...I guess so"

"Although..." Lilly continued with a coy smile "I suppose there is the matter of you two being the opposite gender. Men and women do tend to find each other even more confusing"

With a giggle, she returned to her lunch "If it's alright, I'd like to return to my lunch"

"Oh yeah, right" Hisao seemed to forget why we were there, and sat down across from her, drawing his own lunch.

"Wait!" I blurted out, memories of what I had forgotten to do flooding back to me "Books!"

Hisao gave me a funny look, while Lilly had a concerned look on hers "Books?" Hisao repeated

"I need to return books" I explained, turning to leave "Bye"

"If you find Hanako there" Lilly called to me "Can you tell her to stop by my room later tonight?"

I had left by then, the request in my head sitting there alongside the words that berated me for forgetting. How did I forget?

Hanako, I realised. I had been thinking about Hanako and where she went, so I went looking for her instead of doing what I actually needed done. I was confused by that. Why would Hanako override everything in my head?

I made it to the library in record time, dropping my books into the return box with a thud. Yuuko jumped out from underneath the counter. I guess she didn't like loud noises either.

"K-Kaito!" she said "You scared me!"

"S-Sorry" I apologised "I was just...um..." I vaguely pointed at my books.

"Returning books" Yuuko noted "I see"

"Hanako?" I asked

"What?"

"Have you seen Hanako?" I rephrased my question

"Oh!" Yuuko nodded in understanding "I think I saw her sneak in before lunch...Oh! But I'm not supposed to tell anyone that!"

"Why not?" I asked her

Yuuko didn't answer, a visible bead of sweat rolling down the side of her head "No reason. She's probably in the back"

Nodding, I made my way into the labyrinth, following the familiar route to Hanako's hiding spot. Occasionally I would check the shelves for a book. Eventually I found a couple, a old favourite and one I had never seen before.

Hanako was there as expected, buried in a book.

"Hi" I said brightly. Seeing Hanako always made me feel a little better.

Hanako looked up at me. Her smile was nervous and shaky, but at least it was nothing like the terror she used to show "Hello K-Kaito"

Wait...She was smiling, that was great! It's like she was happy to see me! That made me smile as well.

"What're you reading?" I asked her

"Um...'Dance, Dance, Dance'" Hanako answered

"Is it any good?"

"I-It's good...I think. I've only j-just started it, so I d-don't really know"

I nodded "Okay. Can you tell what it's like when you're done? I might borrow it after"

"S-Sure" she smiled

So I started reading, looking up every now and then to look at Hanako. Every time I did, I found her looking at me, only to return to her book. Why? Was there something on my face? Did she want to tell me something?

"Are you okay?" I asked her at last

"N-...It's nothing" she said.

I wasn't really convinced "Are you sure?"

She squirmed a little in her beanbag, a scarred hand absentmindedly playing with her fringe.

"I...I was in an accident"

What? "When?" I asked "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head "No-No. When I was y-younger. When I...when I was..."

"Are...Are you talking about the...your..." I rubbed the back of my right hand, where one of Hanako's burns where on her own hand, silently hoping she'd understand the question.

She nodded. It was small and jerky, but it was a nod "When I was young...I was in a fire. M-My house b-burned down, and I nearly...I nearly didn't make it. A-After that...I was alone..."

Her eyes glistened in the light with as of yet unformed tears. I reached a hand out to comfort her. My real hand, my flesh and blood hand. I didn't want to scare her. She reminded me of a deer, or a porcelain doll; one sudden movement away from breaking "You...You don't have to say anything..."

"B-But...I have to..." she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Why?"

"Y-You told L-Lilly you were in an accident..." she said "I was there. I didn't think it was f-fair"

My face scrunched up in a confused expression "What do you mean?"

"T-That I knew about you b-but you didn't know about me"

I laid my hand on her wrist, giving it a squeeze. I wished my hand would stop shaking "I...I didn't tell her everything" She met my gaze, her eyes asking an unspoken question "Car crash" I said "On a mountain road. I went down the side. Doctors said I was dead for a bit"

Her eyes widened at that "R-Really?"

"Yeah" I sighed. I hadn't told anyone else that. It felt strange to say it aloud. It was almost as if a small weight had fallen of my back "I guess...now we know a bit more. About each other, I mean"

My memories were resurfacing: The smell of the hospital, the physiotherapy, my therapists silly inspirational quotes. I wondered if Hanako was feeling the same way.

She said she was alone. Did that mean no friends? No parents? I would have lost my mind without my parents visits.

She moved her arm out of my grasp "T-Thank you, Kaito. I...I haven't told many people about this"

"Neither have I" I admitted

"T-Then I won't tell a-anyone either"

I smiled at that "Thank you" before hurriedly adding "I won't tell anyone either. About you, I mean"

"Okay"

The bells rang. Lunchtime was over.

"Class?" I asked her,

"S-Sure"