Heart-Less

Chapter 10

As soon as Amiko woke up, she went to check on the heart. She took out a ruler and laid it against the tank. After doing a few calculations, she frowned. Even accounting for parallax error, her heart was shrinking. Or rather, it was not inflating as it should.

When she had just recovered from the heart-less procedure, her heart inflated to its full size every night. As she resumed her daily routine and flattened the heart for longer periods every day, it had inflated less and less. She had assumed it was due to the lack of time, but she could no longer deny it. Her heart was shrinking.

Worried blue filled her vision and she heard the chattering of a thousand busy bees in her ears. Amiko shook her head, trying to clear the emotions. It was strange how these superstitious actions still stayed with her.

Making her way to the kitchen, Amiko drank a cup of calming tea and walked over to her discipline area. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind.

What should she be doing?

Was this a cause for worry?

From the way her heart reacted to Hiroto and Ada, it seemed like it was still functioning well enough. In fact, she would prefer it for her emotions to be turned down even more. Perhaps she did not need to bother the Head Wizard about this. After all, if she had to talk to the Head Wizard about this ridiculous prank that Hiroto and the boys were planning, this would make her seem like an inept, needy student. Not the self-sufficient and independent image she wanted to project.

No, it was better not to talk to the Head Wizard about it.

Her decision made, Amiko opened her eyes and got up. She had exactly forty minutes to have breakfast and flatten her heart before leaving for school.

******

"I'm sorry, Sir," Ada said as she looked up from the note, "but I must excuse myself now."

The teacher just sighed and waved his hand in dismissal. He had probably expected that when he handed her the note, which came all the way from the Head Wizard's office. It even had his official seal on it.

"I hope you reflect on what the Head Wizard says," he said.

"Sir?"

The teacher frowned. "It is not good to cause trouble, Miss Lim. As I am sure the Head Wizard will explain to you. Now go, I have a class to teach."

Ada left, looking suitably chastised. She could hear the teacher huff in satisfaction at her expression. That teacher was probably unaware that she was now on the council, and assumed that his complaint about her paid off. Pendragon really was keeping her status as protege private.

As she entered the Main Office, Ada spied Hiroto walking ahead of her. He was slightly ahead, and probably didn't notice her. There was no one around either — all the secretaries were probably preparing the morning tea. So very quietly, Ada snuck up to him, reached out a finger and...

... poked him in the side.

Hiroto screamed. There was no other word for it. He screamed like a little girl, and Ada knew giggling was the right response. Not outright laughter, but gentle, good-natured giggling.

His eyes flared as he spun around, but then he softened them as he looked at Ada. He was acting, Ada was sure of it.

"Oh, Ada," Hiroto said, trying his best to sound lighthearted, "I didn't know it was you. You really shouldn't do this."

"Sorry," Ada said as cutely as she could manage. "I couldn't help it. I promise not to do it again."

Hiroto just looked away. "Good," he muttered. "I mean, it's ok if it's just you and me, I guess."