Tournaments, The Day That Changed Our Lives

Chapter 4

        Nozomu tore out of the room in the blink of an eye, her hand gripping the edge of the door frame as she swung into the hallway to prevent herself from going flying into the wall across from where Hakai and Naomi stood beside their beds, rigid as they observed the bubbly octoling speeding off. She is way too excited to get food, Hakai thought glumly, severely dreading the long hours she knew were ahead, already cringing as she imagined the migraines that would be the result of Nozomu's ear-splitting, rapid talking.

I wonder if she ever shuts up. Heh, I'll probably have to make her. But I wouldn't mind that. As this thought went through her mind, and she twisted her wrist, popping out the stiffness formed over the past few hours, she imagined herself holding her squiffer, and another scenario, one she knew she shouldn't be having, started to form in her vision.

No. Even I shouldn't think like that. Sometimes I tend to fall back into the moments of the past, if only to remember to stay vigilant and never forget, but I...I'm not that evil. I hope. In a quick rush of guilt she shook her head, scattering the disturbing thoughts and pressing them to the depths of her brain, hoping that they would never resurface again. Suddenly back in the miserable concept she referred to as reality, she remembered what was happening and turned to Naomi, feeling an instant rush of relief as she realized that she wouldn't be the only one with her ears talked off that night.

The inkling girl-I'm so glad there is another inkling on our team. I would literally self-combust if I was stuck with two octolings-was also in the same horrible situation as her, forced to choke down her normal comfort food while an eccentric octoling ripped into their ability to hear.

She felt a small pinch of tension and anxiety-she didn't let it show, though. She never let's any of her emotions be visible enough for anyone to notice them-when she realized that Naomi had resigned from where she had previously been standing as she watched Nozomu launch herself out of the room, and was now back on her bed, twiddling her thumbs as she stared out the window, the glass reflecting a very uncertain and nervous expression that was peering down at her boots.

Hakai turned to glance at the practice stage-she had to admit, the silver stars being reflected on the pooling water licking at the edges of the hotel's elaborate design as the moon cast an ominous shimmer over the eerily quiet map was mesmerizing, but she didn't understand why Naomi kept turning back to it. There is definitely something up with her. I mean, she's smart enough that she's already noticed that I'm keeping secrets, and in that case, I can be suspicious of her.

Just as she was about to finally confront the thoughtfully quiet, obviously secret keeping inkling, Naomi ended up turning back to her instead, refusing to meet her gaze as she rubbed her wrist, her fingers evidently tensed.

"I'm...gonna stay here for a minute. You guys go on ahead." Before Hakai could even begin to register and dread the words that had just come out of Naomi's mouth, she jumped as a sharp creaking sound came from the door, and she slowly turned, half expecting there to be an apparition standing in the middle of the frame.

She felt a rush of relief, and even a bit of stupidity at herself, when she realized that it was just Nozomu, hanging by the edge of the wood as she peered inside the room, her ponytail hanging to the side as her head cocked to the right. As the optimistic octoling smiled, Hakai couldn't help but grit her teeth underneath her pursed lips, clenching her fists as she was reminded that it wasn't just part of a nightmare or hazy scenario; she was actually stuck with the ditzy octoling for the rest of the week.

"Are you guys coming? It's already getting pretty late, and I'm starving!" Without even waiting for an answer, she ducked back into the hallway, and Hakai could hear thumping footsteps as she raced back to where she assumed the elevator was. Is she that stupid? Doesn't she understand that there are others in the building, and we can't go stomping around like we own the place?