This Girl Is A Delinquent!, Vol. 1

Chapter 3: A Parting More Bitter Than Sweet

Thick breaths of muggy air filled Ken's lungs as he opened his eyes to complete darkness. As his memories of the previous night slowly returned, he noticed the faint smell of soap mixed with an almost fruity sweetness. Reaching to touch his face, he felt damp fabric and quickly realized that something was amiss. As he sat up on his sleeping bag, a blanket fell from his head and the morning rays of sunlight caused him to wince and retrieve his glasses from the nearby table. The familiar cloth was unmistakably from his own bed and he reached out once more to confirm the dampness before turning his attention to the slender frame sprawled out behind him. Proving undoubtedly that events from yesterday were no dream, Sonya's arms and legs were splayed across the bed as her chest heaved slowly in apparent slumber. The gym shirt that fit her loosely was now riding up, revealing the alabaster skin of her midsection with every inhale. A rosyness crossed Ken's cheeks and he quickly diverted his attention. Looking towards her face, he saw that she was softly snoring as a small amount of drool fell from the corner of her mouth. At the very least, she looked comfortable, he thought as he wondered if this was really the girl that caused such a disruption back at school. Her hair was a tangled mess that she had placed across a pillow that was also saturated with wetness. The blonde strands seemed to curl and glisten in the morning sun and almost made him absentmindedly reach out. Catching himself, Ken spoke under his breath.

"She went to bed with wet hair... I guess that explains the blanket."

With a defeated exhale, Ken accepted that he would be adding laundry to his list of chores today. While he debated whether or not to try and wake the sleeping girl, a rushed knock at the door seemed to arrive to decide for him. He turned his head towards the door just in time to see Sonya jolt sideways in surprise with a small yelp. Her extended limbs flailed as she rolled off the bed and onto the sleeping bag below and directly into Ken's chest with a loud thud. The boy fell back against the floor as his guest stirred from her slumber. Bringing her hands to her eyes, Sonya rubbed the sleep from her face before noticing her position. With a confused expression, she glanced down to see Ken rubbing the back of his head as she sat atop his chest. Before the boy could try to respond, Sonya's cheeks turned a deep crimson as she contorted her lips into a domineering scowl.

Right when Ken was sure that a scream was about to explode from the girl, the sound of the door opening caught both of the room's inhabitants off guard. They turned towards the sound and froze as a sing-songy voice filled the air.

"Oh big brooother! You can't sleep in today, so wake-"

The playful tone belonged to Lyra who was wearing her school uniform and skipping into the room. The scene before her cut her declaration short and she came to a halt. After a few seconds, Lyra closed her eyes and smiled widely as she spoke in a nervous tone.

"Oh... Um... Sorry! Er... En-Enjoy your breakfast!"

With that, she turned and sprinted out of the room without shutting the door behind her. Ken instinctively rose to follow her, but the weight on his chest caused him to lean back onto the floor. His face was now inches from Sonya's and he became aware of how close they were to each other. The beating of his heart filled his throat and his voice felt too small to come forward. With tears forming in the corners, a pair of green eyes met him with a furious stare. Without uttering a sound, Sonya thrusted her fists forward and slammed them against Ken as she stood and ran to the bathroom. A loud slam of the door followed as Ken still sat on the floor in shock. A whirlwind of thoughts ran through his head, but the foremost one being that he needed to rectify this situation. Concerned for Sonya, but knowing that his presence would only make things worse, he sprinted to the door and donned his shoes before dashing after Lyra.

The island wind hit his face as he exited the dorm and saw his sister jogging ahead of him, prompting him to call out.

"Lyra! Lyra, stop! Let me explain!"