For Kihona Hideyoshi, Lorem University is a second chance. A chance to be more than just the rich kid, more than an aspiring psychologist.
More than the girl who has a past she cannot escape.
But soon, her life is stripped away from her. Trapped a...
happy birthday to mamo!! (23rd september) i love this little soft boy so much, say happy birthday or die >:((
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— Candle in hand, I leave Aki's room. Almost as soon as I close the door, the fresh scent of normality comes flooding back to me, draining out any last hints of old wood or books. I prepare to head back to my room, or maybe go to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat, but a sudden tickling feeling sends a cold chill up my spine. I shriek, looking down at my thumb to see a sizeable spider, still attached to its web Hastily, I brush the thing off, almost leaping away from it as it hits the ground. As it crawls away, I breathe a deep sigh of relief.
"Scared of spiders, then?" A low, raspy voice calls to me, and I jump in fright again. Mitsuharu stands only a few metres away, watching me closely with his sharp emerald eyes. His arms are folded, in his typical careless look as he sweeps his hair from his eyes. "Were you watching me?" I bite my lip furiously, "Dude, how long have you been there?" He throws his hands up, "Woah, we just happened to walk in the same direction. Don't jump to conclusions." I nod to myself, as if to end the conversation right there and then. Don't argue with someone smarter than you, Kihona. "What's that?" He asks, pointing to the candle in my hand, "Aki gave it to you?" Glancing back at Aki's door, I notice her nameplate again. A golden plaque nailed to the door, engraved with her names in intricate lettering, "Kinda. We made candles together." Something close to a chuckle escapes his lips, though it sounds more like an amused exhale. "How adorable." Sarcastic prick. My grip on the candle intensifies. "Are you on your way anywhere?" I ask, trying to brush off my previous anger, "What're you doing around here?" He shrugs, face wrinkling slightly, "Dunno, just idling really. Why?" "Can I join?" I grin eagerly, "I'll just drop this off in my room, and maybe we can hang out?" He grins, rolling his eyes, "Sure, I'll be waiting here." Scuttling towards my room, I click the door open, practically dashing inside and throwing the candle on my bed. Making Mitsuharu wait doesn't seem particularly thrilling, likely not just to me. I re-emerge from my room with a warm smile as I close the door behind me.
When I turn back to him, he appears to be trying to peer around the door. "What's up?" I tilt my head, "Something bothering you?" He shrugs, "Hm. Probably nothing. Your room is personalised, right?" I nod, "Looks like it. Basically identical to my room at home." Mitsuharu narrows his eyes, rubbing his chin in thought, "Interesting." "Is that a problem?" "No, let's just keep walking." A brief silence falls over us as I shuffle my feet on the ground, looking for something to say. "So," I say, blinking to avoid staring at him, "Where do you wanna go?" Again, he shrugs, "Dunno. Outside, maybe?" I grin, "Sounds great. It'll be nice to get some fresh air."
As I run along beside him, we walk out of the building together. His slow-paced walk leaves me more relaxed than I could ever be around Aki, being pulled around the campus like some kind of toy horse. Once again, the fresh air hits my face. The sky is still a gloomy grey colour, wrapping around the campus like a sheet of iron. Like a messenger of weather, the darkest of clouds warn us of upcoming rainfall as if to deter us from being outside. "There," Mitsuharu almost demands, pointing to a patch of grass towards the edge of campus, surrounded by small hills and inclines, the towering mountains behind them. Quite pretty, but again, so out of place for such an urban area. I nod again, running alongside him to keep up. "So," I utter, trying my best to think of something to say, "Y-you're an electrician?" He stops walking, turning to me with a raised eyebrow, "Yes? You forgot?" Laughing nervously, I wave my hands in front of me as some sort of denial, "N-no! I'm just curious. How did that come about?" "Why do you ask?" He asks, continuing to walk. "Well, look at you. You don't strike me as the electrician type," I hide my hands behind my bank. Mitsuharu laughs. A genuine laugh, as if it's the funniest thing he's ever heard, "Trust me, I was more emo as a kid." How is that even possible? "Oh, damn. Why did you tone it down." Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders and I feel my heart skip a beat. Or ten.
