Matchmaker

Chapter 8

Dear Y,

Believe it or not, I appreciate your honesty. Though my response may mean nothing to you, I will give my advice nonetheless. I know well the feeling you described about the tide. Though the sources of our frustrations are dissimilar, I can say I understand how you feel. I don't know your heart or your convictions, so I will give you what are, in my opinion, your two best options.

The first is to separate yourself from this person for a time. That doesn't necessarily mean avoiding seeing them altogether around others, but try to avoid intimate contact. Ask yourself why you're attracted to begin with. Ask yourself if you can really envision the two of you in a happy relationship. If you find yourself disillusioned or if you can't bring yourself to act, moving on is the best choice, no matter how impossible it may seem. The second is to go for it. This may take time. Try to talk with the person one-on-one. Go to the movies. Get food from somewhere. You don't have to call it a date, and you can invite common friends as well, as to not give that impression. Eventually, you will have to come out and say it. By then, you will either be rejected, from which point you will be resigned to move on, or you will be accepted.

What seems most distressing, however, is your focus on appearances. You say you degrade yourself by flirting with boys you have no interest in. I think this tide you speak of quite largely stems from that. Maybe that's why you didn't confess when you had the chance in middle school. If you're not attracted to someone, leading them on is not only dangerous for you but can break their hearts as well. Or ruin their reputation.

I hope Fate favors you,

Matchmaker.

******

The next Thursday after class, Hana pulled her thick hair back, a rare occasion, as a defense against the turbulent wind that buffeted through the Sapporo streets. She fiddled with her bag strap restlessly and took small steps as to prolong our journey to the occult shop Misami recommended a half mile down the road from my apartment complex. Truth be told, I hadn't thought my day would go this way either.

"I'm going to file a restraining order," I snapped at Rokuro, who for some incomprehensible reason decided to tag along (or rather, to stalk us). He had popped out from behind a wall like a gremlin, pestering us to know where we were headed. Of course, Hana told him immediately.

"I thought you enjoyed my company," Rokuro replied, a few steps behind us with his arms behind his head as he walked.

I eyed him with contempt. "Has anyone ever enjoyed your company?"

"I've never seen Akane-chan angry before Rokuro-kun showed up," Hana wondered aloud, as if it were a delightful treat to see the full range of my emotions.

"You've never seen me angry at all. If I were really angry, I'd..." I trailed off, disliking the taste of this conversation. "Anyway, I just hope this one doesn't interfere with our important task."

"I promise I won't sabotage your decoration shopping," Rokuro vowed. "I'm not so filled with Class 2-A pride to mess with your haunted house." The feeling was mutual, though I didn't express it. I couldn't care less about the culture festival or our class's victory in the day's events. However, Misami lobbied hard for a haunted house, despite her lukewarm emotions toward the terrifying. I suspected a prime motivator had been my own love for horror, as she seemed to want to repay me for staying on as Matchmaker and replying to Fukui's letter.

"Of all the things, it had to be a haunted house." Hana shuddered. Occasionally, Katsu and I forced our friends to watch horror movies with us. These precious Saturday nights left Hana somewhat scarred, to say the least.