Fate. A predetermined supernatural power. The will of the universe. Fate is order. It writes, and rewrites, gives and takes. It spins vibrant red strings that flow into the world and connect people who are destined to meet, to love, to share a story...
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"We just go over and say hi," I announce with finality, peering at Ren, who's standing out on the schoolyard from behind a narrow pillar that does little to conceal us. Akito is right behind me, looking at Ren with his chin nearly propped on my head. His strikingly blue sweater is screaming for attention, but Ren is too busy kicking dry leaves into the air to notice.
"You want me to greet him?" Akito asks doubtfully from overhead.
"Uh, yes," I clarify.
"But I already saw him this morning. It seems a bit unnecessary."
"That doesn't matter! People say hi when they bump into each other all the time; it's normal," I insist. I peek up at him. "This is weird; we should go out there. Are you ready?"
He looks unsure but nods, and a growing heaviness in my chest dissipates. I've been worried. Worried that my words hadn't gotten through to him, that they hadn't left much of an impression, that he hadn't received them for the promise I intended them to be. You won't be alone anymore, and you'll love it.
I know this only started off as a promise to a friend, and if bringing Akito someone to hold onto can permanently fix that sun-lit smile on Kurumi-senpai's face, I'll do anything. But now, it's about more than that. Akito is suffering. He blames Ren. I don't want him to end up like me. I want to show him how different things can be. How colourful. How a single smile from the right person can topple lives.
I'm aware that I'm an outsider and that he has no reason to go along with my whims. But he's still willing to give this a shot. He's willing to give Ren a shot, and it's all the encouragement that I need.
I grab a couple garden rakes off the stand beside me and walk into the open, stopping beside Ren. He ceases the pointless kicking that has only served to further scatter the dry leaves and petals on the ground, thereby increasing our work load, and turns to glare at me. "Finally," he rasps, snatching an outdoor broom from my hands. "Learn to read the fucking clock." I grin. "Hey."
Classroom cleaning is handled in rotation by the respective students on a daily basis, but the rest of campus is taken care of by the school committee. Which is why we're out here today, armed with the right equipment to sweep the dirt away.
Akito is still lingering by the broom stand, lips pursed together. I encouragingly wave him over. He starts towards us, clutching the wooden rake to his chest. Ren watches him approach, suddenly alert; the shift in his temper almost palpable, the causal displeasure on his face solidifying into concrete and silent rage. The metal teeth of his rake sink into the soil as Akito stops before him, and an uneasy feeling settles into my stomach.
"Hi," Akito tries, but it comes out sounding forced and weak.
Ren fails to hide the surprise that pushes its way into his face. His eyes flit to me, then back to Akito, as if to ensure that the greeting had been meant for him. Then he abruptly turns his face away, visibly at a loss for words. "F-Fuck off," he tells the ground.
