numb your heart's desire

ii

numb your heart's desire

;;

ii

;;

Keeping her promise to Satoshi might be harder than Chitanda thinks, and she believes she is nowhere close to mastering her spellcasting just yet.

"Let's take a break," Mayaka says, patting Chitanda on the arm.

Chitanda does not argue; shutting her notebook close and inhaling deeply, it's a much-needed breather. She's quite drained, magic is a frustrating and tricky process.

"So, how's it been? Living at Oreki's place?" Mayaka asks casually as she gathers large books into her small arms.

Chitanda takes a moment, pausing from storing away potion vials to watch Mayaka step onto a stool to tuck away her books.

"Well," Chitanda drawls, "Oreki-san is barely around, I've learned to skip making lunch for him. Sometimes I'm not even sure if he eats his dinner. Maybe he just takes a few bites and then tosses the rest into the fireplace? I've noticed crumbs around the hearth,"

Mayaka hums in response, finally stepping off the stool, then suggesting they have afternoon tea together.

Chitanda nods in agreement before getting to work. Then as her hands begin busying themselves — washing away the remains of powders and leftover ingredients under the tap; grabbing a near-by kettle and filling it with water — her mind floats around.

Chitanda wonders if there's a way for her to speed up the process of her current situation. Right now, the main reason Chitanda doesn't know how to move forward is because there's a large gap in her knowledge of the contract Satoshi oh-so desperately wants to break.

That, and the fact that she doesn't understand Houtarou, Satoshi or the history they have together. Houtarou is formal, if not distant. And Satoshi is friendly but also devious. No matter how Chitanda looks at it, the two men seem to be keeping themselves at arm's length away from her. It's troubling.

But, Satoshi himself said there were clues she could find, didn't he? Maybe Chitanda can find a way to drop a few curious hints here and there and get Mayaka to tell her something valuable?

It's lucky that Chitanda's inquisitive nature has shown itself during the past few classes, if not, her sudden curiosity on things would have blown her cover.

As Chitanda moves the kettle to a stove, she asks, "Mayaka-san, what do you know about Oreki-san?"

Mayaka turns away from the cookie tin in her hands. "No comment,"

There's a hint of irritation behind Mayaka's words, making Chitanda think it's best not to prod about Oreki any further. So Chitanda moves on.

Twiddling her thumbs, Chitanda is hesitant but still curious. "And what about Fukube-san?" She asks.

Mayaka pauses, eyebrows knitting together.

Chitanda, in response, freezes too. Oh no, did she ask the wrong question? Chitanda can't help herself! It doesn't add up. Satoshi claims he can't leave the house, but more often than not, he's out of sight and Chitanda can't help but wonder if he's playing a game of hide and seek with her, or if he's stepped outside for a bit.

The small silence almost makes Chitanda want to retract what she said, when Mayaka drops her serious gaze.

"He's mischievous; he jokes around too much and doesn't give anyone a clear answer. He fills his head with useless knowledge and devours whatever he can get his hands on — just about anything and everything, but I don't know what good it serves. He's fascinated by a lot of things on this earth, but it all comes out as trivial."