When Shadows Intertwine with the Heart

Ch 24: Shopping

Setting: The Mall

N: Aika continued to wait outside the restroom but she decided to walk to the railing and she looked down at the people on the lower level. She rested her arms on the railing and continued to look at everyone who was down there. Tokoyami stayed in the bathroom still trying to clean his pants a little. He threw away the paper towels and leaned against the sink and looked in the mirror. He shook his head and sighed, he turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face. Then he turned it off and looked at his reflection again only to see his serious expression with his piercing glare looking back at him.

(Tokoyami's POV)
'Why must I let this continue? Why am I doing this to myself? I'll never be seen with her the way they all said I'd be.'

Aika: "Yes I know him! He goes to my school, he's in my class."

'As much I hate it, this strange feeling I have in my stomach finally died out after hearing her say that. But why do I hate it? No matter how hard I try to ignore it, what she said keeps bothering me for some reason. Why do I feel this way? I'm just leading myself on to believe something that doesn't exist..something that will never be.'

N: Tokoyami left the restroom and he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked up to see Aika was gone he took a look around then he saw her against the railing. He walked over to her then he froze, he stood a few feet behind her just staring at her. He noticed her just looking down at the floor beneath them then he walked up beside her.

Tokoyami: "Are you alright?"

Aika: "Yeah. I'm just losing myself in my thoughts. So. Did you get that stain out a little?"

Tokoyami: "No, I think I may have made it worse." He said grabbing his pant leg.

Aika: "Okay, well let's go into some stores and see what we can find."

N: He nodded in response and Aika smiled then they walked on through the top level looking for the right store. They went into a store and took a look around, there were some pretty good clothes but Tokoyami wasn't sure if these were his style.

Tokoyami: "Maybe we should go somewhere else."

Aika: "Oh come on, just take another look around. This is one of my favorite stores and I always find something. Hey! This could look good with this, go try this on."

N: Aika handed him a pile of clothes she threw over her arm but he was hesitant to take the clothes. Tokoyami took the clothes and looked at them then looked at Aika who was going through the rack. He went to the dressing room to try on the clothes then Aika went to the counter and found something to go with the clothes.

Aika: "Tokoyami?"

Tokoyami: "Yes?"

Aika: "I found something that might be the finishing touch to the clothes. Do you want to put it on?"

Tokoyami: "Alright."

N: Aika opened the door a crack and handed him a necklace. After he shut the door he opened his hand and looked at the necklace, he was hesitant about the necklace too when he saw it.

Tokoyami: "Mmm. Well she did find these things for me to wear, I guess I'll give this a try."

N: Aika kept going through the clothes a few minutes later Tokoyami stepped out of the dressing room in the clothes Aika picked out. He walked over to a mirror and studied his reflection then he looked down at his feet and one of his shoes was untied. He kneeled down to tie it then once his shoe was tied he stood up and leaned against the wall and sat down on the floor thinking about what to say.