𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝘿 on the 𝙎𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙎𝙆𝙔 - 𝚔𝚎𝚒 𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚊

24 - The Night Blooms

He sighed.

The volleyball practice was over and it was the time to go home. Kei Tsukishima was just sighing as he walked his way down the pavement.

How many day had it been, though? Three? Four? Right, four days—as long as he could remember.

The news flared quickly as expected, enough for him to hear that Shea Hiou got beaten by someone. It also happened that Lorraine Yukizome was the one who did it.

And after that, he never saw her again.

Another sigh was withdrawn, creating a steam of condensation from his warm breath.

The sky was painted with black, few stars appeared, and the weather had gotten so cold that Kei had to wear thick clothing with his bluish-violet scarf.

It must have a reason why Yukizome did it. For as long as he knew, she would choose to hide instead of getting involved.

He had no real idea why, but her disappearance concerned him much. Adding up the things he had heard that her studies were on the edge of zero. He even got ordered by his teacher to hand her some of printed hand-outs to Yukizome, in case she would take the upcoming final exams. But rumors also said that she was about to be expelled for hurting the school director's daughter. Talk about being unfortunate.

He sighed once again. His mind had been in trouble lately—for thinking about her often, actually. Ah, damn this, he thought.

It only made him so annoyed more than anyone who could imagine.

He then wrapped his scarf tight to his neck, because the autumn blew its breath up to the extent it could.

He was about to reach his home when he noticed a car parked in front of Yukizome's house. Thinking logically, Lorraine would never have a car, thus it answered that it was her mother's.

He walked closer, and coincidentally, if he wasn't mistaken, Glaciel—her mother's name—was about to get in the car. She wore corporate attire with black buttoned shirt tucked in a semi-fitted slacks, and paired with a black coat along the tops.

The Ashford lady sighted him. Being all civil, she gave him a casual smile for becoming one of her daughter's acquaintances.

Kei watched her being so elegant, as if she was clothed with sophistication and dignity. Unlike her daughter who wore the complete opposite.

When she was almost entering the car, he approached her, saying with a hesistant voice, "Excuse me."

The Ashford panned her head towards his direction, answering, "Yes?"

Kei hurriedly unzipped his bag open and searched for the hand-outs. He would like to hand it to her, because he thought that she would be the closest person to know where Lorraine was.

"This was came from the school," he politely told her, "and asked me to give it to your daughter, but it has been a while since the last time I saw her."

Glaciel Ashford grinned sideways and gladly took the papers. She read some of its content and it only made her laugh in a low tone.

"You're a friend of Lorraine, I presume?"

Kei got that indifferent expression, but exchanged it with a nod. He remembered the day that she became a friend to him when he gave her a nickname. L. Loser.

"Yes," he admitted. "The name's Kei Tsukishima."

"I see." A form of sneer created from her voice. "Because to me, you're not."