The hug took her by surprise, mostly because she could barely see at the time. And yet, despite being touched when she had no wish o be touched, despite her pounding headache, and despite it being Arashi Hayato, Aoi felt that she didn't mind. Instead of fighting back she just allowed herself to be squeezed tightly, face burning, and then it was over and Hayato was being pulled forcefully away. Aoi let out a small sigh and slumped back against the pillow, listening to Nanase scold Hayato about flirting before kicking him out fully, and then it was quiet again. Aoi glanced around the office one last time, wincing at the mid-day light that filtered in through the half closed blinds, scoffing at the cat calls of sport players, and then she shut her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into a light nap. Thoughts turned to white noise easily, and the pounding began to subside as her consciousness faded. The last thing Aoi thought about was the green eyes of Hayato, filled with sparking energy.

Arashi Hayato. Would he be another trouble child?

---

The school day ended without another problem. Aoi had missed all of the meeting thanks to her extended nap, and had not managed to find any of the council to see what the verdict was, so she simply began her trek home. While her head ache had subsided, Nanase had warned her to take it easy for the rest of the day, and so she would. The outside air was thick and warm, a warning of late spring rain approaching, and the town of Yakumo was bustling. She passed plenty of shops, filled to the brim with house wives and students, yet kept her attention drawn forward, towards the department and workplace streets, where the stairs that led to her home sat. Shops turned into offices, trees into lamp posts, and eventually Aoi was surrounded by men and women in suits, chatting like robots into their phones and other devices.

The sun had been swallowed by the clouds then, darkening the town landscape, and Aoi allowed her emotionless eyes wander across the sea of suits and skirts, as if she were looking for someone in particular. No matter how hard she looked though, it always seemed that she was left with only a feeling of abandonment, and then she was on the stairs that lead up to her apartment building, head bowed. Then, one final time, she turned and stared off at the town below, blue eyes once again searching the landscape for someone or something. The clouds had faded, blowing far off into the distance, and sunlight dotted the homes and shops and buildings of the town below. And no one appeared. S, finally, Aoi turned back and glared up at her apartment complex.

The building itself looked rather... Old. Old and dirty. The bricks were worn from endless days of rain, snow, hail, wind, or whatever else nature decided to pelt down. Some windows were broken and patched hastily with tape or wood, and the front door was covered in graffiti and scratches. It wasn't much, but to Aoi, it was home, so she pushed through the door and greeted the empty lobby with a nod before heading to the closest hall. The florescent lights glared down upon the ugly carpeted hall floor, flickering ever so slightly, and Aoi shook her head slightly before turning to the final door at the end of the hall. A list was tapped to the wood, and Aoi ripped it off without mercy and entered the room.

The apartment was, for the most part, clean, save for the pile of books just next to the closet and the slowly growing dirty dishes in the sink. It was a two room apartment, with only a conjoined kitchen and living/bedroom and a bathroom to act as a home. She moved comfortably into the room, sighing as she finally settled down onto the tatami-mat floor. Her mind was blank, save for the materials she had recently learned in classes today, and her eyes were narrowed and tired, yet she couldn't relax yet. The owner of this dump had left her a list of choirs to attend to, mostly cleaning and tending to the empty rooms. While it was hard work, Aoi couldn't just skip it, simply because these choirs were the only reason she was still able to live here. And so, with a final sigh, Aoi stood back and began to prepare herself for the rest of the day.