Who wrote it?

Chapter 16: Date disasters.

''So, uh,'' Hajime started, ''Do you know how to play pool?''

Chiaki shrugged. ''You take turns shooting the white ball into the coloured balls and try to get them into the sockets. Depending on which one you hit into a socket first, you either have to socket all the striped balls or the coloured balls. The 8-ball goes into the sockets last. I guess the one to socket that ball is the winner. I think.''

Teruteru happened to pass through the common room as Chiaki explained the rules to Hajime and chuckled. ''You're a lucky man, Hajime. I haven't heard a girl say the word 'balls' that often!''

Hajime pinched the bridge of his nose. ''Could you just leave us alone?''

''Oui, oui. Au revoir!'' The cook waved as he walked out the door of the hotel. Hajime and Chiaki were left all alone in the common room. All alone.

''Who should start?'' Chiaki asked as she rubbed blue chalk on her billiard stick.

''I- I think you should start.''

Chiaki nodded and placed herself in front of the white ball. Then, she hit it into the triangle of coloured balls. It barely dispersed. ''Your turn.''

Hajime placed himself in front of the white ball and hit it into a cluster of coloured balls. A yellow coloured ball rolled into the socket.

''I guess I have to do the striped balls,'' Chiaki commented. She hit another cluster of balls and dispersed them a little bit more.

Hajime sighed as he took his turn. What was he going to talk about with her? What happened during the party a few days ago weighed heavily on his mind, but there was nothing more he could say about that. All he could do was stand by her side and support her, whatever happened. There was no real talk to be done about the weather, as it was always sunny on Jabberwock Island and there was also no news. ''What... about your family?''

''My family?'' Chiaki hit the white ball against a blue striped ball and nearly socketed it.

''Ah, too bad. Better luck next time.''

''I don't really know much about my dad,'' she sighed, ''I don't see him often.''

''That's a shame,'' Hajime said as he placed himself in front of the white ball and shot it into a red ball. It clashed into a nearby blue ball and rolled off a little bit. ''But if he doesn't take the time to visit you, then maybe it's for the better.''

''He's... really busy. And it's an important job he has to do,'' Chiaki elaborated as she walked around the pool table, ''He can't just quit. So I don't see him often.''

''So it's not his fault? That also sucks. What does he do?''

Chiaki bent over the pool table. Hajime tried not to look at her chest or her legs. ''He works in... rehabilitation.'' The words came out as a murmur. She hit the white ball. It shot into a green striped ball, which bounced against the sides of the table and hit into an orange ball and a yellow ball. ''Very... intensive rehabilitation.''

''With twenty-four-seven surveillance?''

''I guess you could say that.''

Hajime went in front of the white ball. ''Like, addiction rehabilitation?'' He shot the ball into a blue striped ball, which bounced off of the rims of the table.

''Hm... more like criminal rehabilitation. People whose souls are ill.''

Hajime looked up at Chiaki. ''That's a very important job your father does,'' he said, ''Tell him I said that, the next time you see him.''

Kazuichi had opted to carry the teddy bear for Marihu, but she insisted on carrying it herself. They stopped in front of an entrance that said: 'The Land of Lords and Fairies.' It had beautiful rose bushes growing around the darkwood sign that showed the entrance, and a dark wooden staircase lead down into the underground. ''That looks... magical.'' Marihu sighed.