sweet, sweet solaire | gojo satoru ✔

a painting of fear

The sky was particularly beautiful that day.

She caught herself staring at it, head tilted upwards at the vast, limitless, blue-crisp sky. The clouds were scattered, splotched and etched out like a painting, a luxurious piece of art. Her mind was not having any thoughts in that particular moment—she didn't think. She just observed, thoughtless and mind empty.

Clouds. Blue. Sky. Beautiful. Those were the exception—she thought those. Only those.

"Hina- chan! Hurry up, or we won't get good seats!"

Hina easily pulled herself out of her lack of thoughts. "Sorry," she put simply as an immediate reaction to the name.

Hina calmly walked herself over to her two friends, a small, familiar smile on her lips.

One of her friends, a rounded-faced girl with black, short hair crossed her arms, smirking. She leaned towards her with a mischievous grin, "What're you spacing out about now? Oh, let me guess—a boy?"

Hina blinked, thinking for a moment.

"Aka- chan, you broke her." Another friend said, as a-matter-of-factly.

Fukuda Akane, or 'Aka- chan', as most people called her, (Hina was the exception) fumed, "Did not!"

Hina opened her lips, "Yes."

Her two friends paused.

"Eh?"

"Wait, what now?"

Hina stared at a random spot on the ground. "Yes," She repeated simply.

"Yes to . . what , exactly?" Ogawa, Ogawa Fusae, a brown-haired, glasses-girl questioned, eyes squinting. Fukuda blinked in realization.

"No way —"

"Come on, let's go." Hina interrupted smoothly, walking past them. Her brown school shoes clicked as she stepped each step, a monotonous rhythm.

"H-Hina-chan!"

"Nakano-chan—?!"

Hina ignored their confused retorts and protests, idly continuing her movements. Perhaps she was thinking about a boy. Perhaps she did think about a boy.

Perhaps she thought about this boy everyday.

Each time she would look at the sky, she thought of his eyes. Each time she ate something sweet, she thought of their interactions. She wondered simple things like, 'How have you been doing, Young master?' and 'Have you been eating well?' 'How is your training?' 'Have you been sleeping well? Do you have any troubling dreams?'

Have you become stronger?

A bird chirped.

Hina blinked at the contents of her school bag. "Oh. How unfortunate."

"How unfortunate that you now have to tell us who it is, right?" Fukuda beckoned, grasping Hina's arm with a pout. "Come on, Hina- chan, please—"

"Wrong. It seems I have forgotten my wallet at home." Hina corrected, zipping her school bag up again. She slung it over her shoulder, then turned herself around to face the two girls. "I need to get groceries, or else we won't eat."

Actually, one girl—Ogawa. Fukuda was still tugging at her arm, nagging her.

"You two can go on without me." Hina offered, smiling smally at her two schoolmates. "I wouldn't want either of you to sacrifice your fun."

I'm just repaying you.

Fukuda grimaced. "Well, we can, if you agree to tell us who stole your stone-cold-yet-soft heart—!"