Why All The Choices That I Make Leave Me With Scars?

You Know What It Means I Had Low Self-Esteem

Lloyd looked at the slip of paper in his hands. It had dropped out of his bag, and had been there a few days but he never bothered to look at it. It was just a number. No name, No reason, just a simple number, and he had no idea where it came from. Why would someone randomly slip him their number? Lloyd didn't think he was attractive enough for that despite what Kai would tell him previously.

"I got a stalker and that's weird." He mumbled to himself. He wanted to call the number, but what if it was just a scam, or someone trying to sell him something. Or... Lloyd shuddered at the thought... Claire.

But what if it was someone threatening Harumi? Then what would he do? He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she got hurt and it was all his fault for not taking a precaution. Speaking of Harumi, she was in the bathroom putting on her costume. Today was the Day of the Departed and he was NOT going to ruin this for her.

"Better safe than sorry, I guess." Lloyd punched the number into his phone and let it ring for a moment. The phone picked up and he heard a familiar voice in the background.

"I'm on the phone! Mind your business!" The voice yelled to someone as they came closer to the phone. It sounded like a woman's voice. "Hello?"

"Uh yes Hi, I found this number in my bag and I'm wondering who it is," Lloyd spoke. "Oh my goodness! You called! Took you long enough..." The girl muttered. "It's me, Akita, from the store!"

Lloyd raised his brows and looked towards the wall as if he was reacting to an audience. He hesitated for a moment and then began to speak again through the phone.

"You're that girl Harumi doesn't like right?" Lloyd asked, getting a scoff from the other end. "Who cares what Harumi likes, this is about me talking to you!" Akita said. "I care what Harumi likes..." Lloyd thought to himself. "Why'd you put your number in my bag?"

"I assumed you were single. You guys did say you were just roommates after all." Akita said casually, which hit Lloyd with whiplash. He did say they were roommates, but they had been friends, and right now, well... friends was just a label because they were a LOT more at this point.

"Uh hello? You there?" Akita yelled through the phone. "Yeah I'm here. Uh, well, I'm not exactly single, because I'm kind of in a..." Lloyd couldn't think of a word. "Friendlationship." Was what spwed out of the Blonde's mouth.

"A what."

"Doesn't matter, I'm not on the market, uh bye!" Lloyd hung up the phone before the girl had any chance to respond and wiped his forehead. What were him and Harumi? And as if right on cue, she burst through the door in her costume.

"I think I actually did it!" Harumi yelled from the door, turning and showing off her costume to Lloyd, very happy with the outcome.

Lloyd leaned backwards off his bed to look at her, His mouth almost dropping off his face. "I can see that!"

Harumi bounced on her heels, twirling. Her hair seemed to float around her airily as she spun, giggling to herself. "This is definitely the best one I've done."

"What are you again?" Lloyd wiped his mouth, restraining himself from drooling. "One of my favorite characters from this TV show I used to watch! She was an adopted princess, who's parents were killed by a giant snake, and she blamed it on a team of heroes, specifically the green ninja, where she played with his heart, and became the quiet one to revive his father, who she always saw as the true hero." Harumi explained as Lloyd stared at her with a shocked expression.

Harumi had gone all-out for this day of the departed, it seemed. She put together the whole outfit herself, save for the sword that she'd gotten Kai to forge and polish for her. It was a skintight black suit with Blue markings and a bit of spikes on one of the collars. She also had two belts around her waist and some nice black boots with straps on them. She'd lightly done her makeup, just with a bit of mascara and a glossy lip balm that didn't add as much color as it did a shiny surface. Her hair was down again, and she had this red face paint across her eyes.