•My Father | JJK

12

19 YEARS PRIOR

"Sanae, are you alright?" Asked Nanami as he looked at his best friend with a tint of concern swirling in his brown eyes at the sight of the girl being on the verge of falling asleep and struggling to keep her eyes open. He had noticed how her eyes were red from fatigue and how she seemed to lack any focus, which was worrisome for the young sorcerer as it was unusual to see Sanae in such a tired state. There would be some days when she would be more tired than others, but it was very unusual. The girl glanced up at him, her dark eyes straining themselves to remain open and confusion on her face as she notice the worry in the eyes of Nanami. She slightly shifts on her chair before answering her friend.

"Yeah, why?" Nanami sighed at her answer and leaned forward so his face could be only a few inches away from Sanae and narrowed his eyes slightly. Before Sanae could utter something and ask him what he was doing, she could feel the fingers of her best friend on her eyelids, spreading apart her two pairs of heavy eyelids in the opposite direction, widening her eyes, making her eyes forcefully look bigger. Sanae fell backward on her chair in surprise and shock with a small shout of shock, attracting attention from others around them in the library. She quickly got up and rubbed her eyes with a slight groan as she sat back down in her chair.

"What was that for?" She asked in a whisper to not bother any further the people around them, sitting back down in her chair next to Nanami who still stared at her with narrowed eyes and a slight frown. Nanami leaned back in his chair and kept his eyes on her as he answered, his voice slightly louder, not minding the few looks they got from people around them for being so loud in a library.

"I figured I could help you keep your eyes open, seeing you struggle so much to do so by yourself." He stated in an accusatory tone, watching Sanae still rubbing her eyes while mumbling to herself, half-listening to what the young sorcerer said. Nanami stayed silent, watching his best friend for a few more seconds before sighing.

"You look tired."

"Oh, I didn't know"

"Ha ha, really funny. Why are you so tired anyway? Did you study all night or something?" Sanae rested her head on the table the wood feeling cold on her cheek, sending a faint shiver through her body and closing her eyes as she sighed almost as if her remaining energy had left her body. Nanami kept silent and kept his eyes on his best friend, waiting for an answer, the silence of the library talking while the duo remained mute, the yellowish light of the lamps offering some warmth to the cold and silent atmosphere of the library. After a few minutes of long silence, Sanae answered, her voice in a mumble.

"I didn't sleep well, that's all." The blond sorcerer sighed and looked down at the table for a brief moment before looking up at his friend once more, his worry slightly eased by her answer, but it was obvious that he still felt concerned.

"Try to sleep more tonight, it's not healthy for you." Sanae only mindlessly hummed in answer to her friend, her head still down on the table with her eyes closed, thinking back to the previous night and to the other person who stayed at her side the whole night.

A FEW HOURS PRIOR

"What a pleasant surprise! We meet once again!" Sanae's eyes flew open at the sound of this familiar voice, and instead of the sight of the dark night sky, she gazed at her reflection given by the round black shades of the white-haired sorcerer, showing herself her shocked expression. Even if it was dark, the light of the lamp post nearby offered enough light for her to see clearly the features of the one she's been trying to avoid for weeks. She could recognize his nose, on which rested a pair of round sunglasses that seemed glued to his face, his lips always stretched into an arrogant smile, and his strange short white hair. She recognized it all, and she couldn't help but feel her annoyance growing even stronger.