[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/V7oGvYL.png[/img] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [img]https://i.imgur.com/yt0zZ3m.png[/img] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 𝔇𝔦𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢 𝓒𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔯 || [color=#FF741D]#FF741D[/color] ||| 𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝓒𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔯 || [color=#DFD989]#DFD989[/color] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/center] By the time she'd gotten to the end of her little spiel and had begun smiling and nodding cheerfully at Kasuke-san's generous offer to help her out, Asuka was fairly confident she'd done a pretty good job of acting natural. To be sure, it wasn't exactly easy to just casually introduce something so heavy - especially not after the very loud, very awkward, and very public yelling match she'd unfortunately been privy to - but nevertheless, she'd done it, and, if she dared flatter herself with her own judgement on the matter, she'd done it very well. She had been cordial, tactful, and most importantly, irresistibly cute. Even if they resented being put on the spot, there was no way that they'd- Unfortunately, Asuka's moment of self-congratulation came to an abrupt and very rude end at that exact moment, as the menacing, cloak-wearing girl dismissed her with the utmost rudeness. It was obvious, then, that at least one of her prospective dupes had seen through her, and realized that her cheerfulness was just an act to conceal a much deeper awkwardness at the sensitivity of the subject she had so suddenly broached. Nevertheless, she couldn't lend any credence to her words. Were it a matter so simple as just "saying it to his face," then Haruka wouldn't have sent her here. Didn't these idiots get it? It was precisely because she knew she'd been selfish and needed to make amends that she most certainly [i]couldn't[/i] say it to his face! Asuka didn't know what kind of relationship they had, but that much was obvious! Had Harukaze herself simply walked up and demanded their attention, no doubt, they'd have been chastising her for her rudeness and impropriety by now. But, since she'd chosen to convey her message by means of an intermediary, she was being scorned and derided for being indirect and rude. It was stupid, but that was just the way things worked, so of course, Asuka could have let all their hypocrisies slide. Better that she herself was the one to be called out for it than Harukaze, since, after all, that'd no doubt just make her even more depressed. But the cloaked lady just had to say one more thing - one more thing that all but set Asuka's hair on end as she couldn't, for a moment, conceal a look first of shock and disbelief at what she was hearing, and then a momentary glimmer of unbridled outrage. [i][color=#548b54]"This"[/color][/i] - and here she gestured dismissively to Asuka herself with a scorn she didn't even bother trying to conceal - [i][color=#548b54]"is going to cause a lot of problems."[/color][/i] Asuka could swear she saw her eyes narrowing with a knowing sort of hatred, and she pronounced one final, totally unnecessary judgement on the matter before walking away. [i][color=#548b54]"Especially if this is how you talk to Fumika-san."[/color][/i] Asuka's breath stopped in her throat, and she realized that her hands had, at some point, clenched themselves into fists against her will. She took a deep breath, and tried to stretch as naturally as she could to pass off the momentary lapse in her composure. [color=#FF741D]"Geez, that was rude. I mean, I tried asking Harukaze-san to apologize herself, but she didn't want to bother you guys. Really, I don't know where she gets off telling her what to do! She was just trying to be considerate,"[/color] She declared with feigned disinterestedness and absolutely genuine frustration. But, although she managed to pass it off by nodding along with Jett's apology and pretending to forgive the one who'd spoken against her on the spot, in reality, her thoughts were elsewhere. [color=#DFD989][i]She said that like it was common knowledge. And the others didn't react at all. Just what does she... what do they know about my sis? What did she tell them? They were all acting suspiciously friendly towards her... And there was that boy, too, who came running the moment he heard her calling! And when that fight broke out, the way she jumped it and made it all about her... So, that's how she did it. I always knew she could be petty, but...[/i][/color] As all the visible probabilities converged towards one conclusion, Asuka found it hard to contain her anger and disbelief at being so underhandedly used, even by someone who she knew disliked her immensely. But it all made sense - too much sense. The only way Fumika had managed to get people to pay attention to her was through pity. She must have surely learned that from her experiences with Harukaze-san. Then... she'd just made herself out to be so pathetic, so innocent, and so mistreated that they couldn't help but like her! And the one on whom she must have pinned all the blame... [i][color=#548b54]"Especially if this is how you talk to Fumika-san."[/color][/i] [color=#F50A83][i]"Sister... Do you hate me?"[/i][/color] [color=#FF741D][i]"Yeah! I do! You're stupid and annoying and you keep getting in the way! Why don't you just leave me alone?"[/i][/color] Really, who else could it be but her mean, inconsiderate bully of a sister, who had treated her so disingenuously, and then disabused her with so much spite? It was all so laughably transparent that Asuka couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't seen it before. To be sure, it wasn't what she'd have done herself, but the plan nevertheless made perfect sense, and the lie, if you squinted at it a bit, held up to a casual sort of scrutiny. In a twisted sort of way, she was almost proud of her sister's ingenuity - was grateful that, even if it meant being her own personal scapegoat, in some way, she'd helped Fumika establish herself, had helped her sister not to be alone. ...So then why did it hurt so much to know that this was what her sister must have truly thought of her? She'd always known that Fumika disliked her. She just hadn't known that she could be so rational and clever about it. This was best for everyone, so they why, exactly, did she feel so angry? Her composure was thus already in shambles when, one by one, a series of utterly bizarre events served to completely demolish it. First, the boy to whom she had been sent to apologize vanished into thin air in the middle of asking where he could find Haruka, thus making the entire venture completely pointless since, to her knowledge, she wouldn't be able to engineer a private conversation between them. But then on top of that... [color=#FF741D]"What."[/color] Asuka blinked. The undeathly pallor of the shaggy, lanky boy in front of her hadn't changed, nor had the dull, lifeless expression in the one of his eyes that she could actually see, which roughly resembled the languid stare of a fish washed up on the beach. And, most importantly, he was still rather noticeably missing an arm, which, if she was to understand his meaning correctly, he had... eaten? It was probably insensitive of her to think this way, but Asuka couldn't help but be grateful that the past few weeks had inured her to the sight of people lacking somewhere in the appendage department, or else she'd probably have screamed. ...But wait, wasn't she supposed to scream? After all, this was a perfect chance to look cute and timid, in need of protection. Her Gal-Mode instincts demanded it! ...So then why was it that the only male in the area who wasn't a bloody - heh, puns - zombie had just vanished into a puff of smoke? She sighed. Just like that, the facade crumbled - or rather, she let it crumble. No amount of cuteness points were worth this nonsense. Thankfully, her excuse for entering the conversation proved to be an equally good one for leaving it, as before she had to inquire as to why a zombie was walking the campus demanding to know the time, Kasuke-san smoothed things over, left the issue in the hands of the rude woman - a choice of words which, had she been able to see under Dulga's cloak, no doubt would have amused her greatly despite her present state of discombobulation - and had rushed them both off towards the dorms. Of course, once they were clear of the conversation, she would have to object in order to retrieve Harukaze, but... No, wait, actually, judging by the rather loud squeak of surprise and shock she'd just heard coming from behind the hedge where she'd left her, and by the rather prominent wisps of black smoke rising from behind it, it didn't seem like that would be a problem at all. She smiled slightly despite herself, and decided to let them be, herself following after her unexpected rescuer. [i][color=#ffff99]"Are you tired of that act yet? If not, you've got to teach me how to keep it going. Anyway, shall we?"[/color][/i] Asuka couldn't help but sigh at this. She'd had a feeling that of the three, the one who had appeared most convinced by her display was in fact, the least swayed by it, but this confirmed those suspicions completely. And, considering what she now had a feeling was almost inevitably true, she supposed there was no point in making herself look worse by continuing to feign a persona that must have been utterly contrary to all reports and conceptions that her sister's so-called friends would have of her. As such, she merely exhaled, all but deflating like a balloon as her smile vanished and her eyes narrowed into an irritated sort of frown, like the expression one might have upon waking up to find the sun shining entirely too brightly in one's eyes. [color=#FF741D]"Oh, believe me, I'm exhausted,"[/color] She responded with a shrug of disappointment. [color=#FF741D]"If I had realized beforehand how generally aware the students here were of my 'true character,' then I assure you, I wouldn't have troubled myself with making the effort."[/color] She here paused, stealing a slight glance at the face of her conversational partner to see if it would betray any reaction to her statement. She sincerely doubted that someone as composed as Kasuke would give away surprise so easily, but if she really had heard the sorts of stories she imagined her sister to be telling, then maybe she'd at least be taken aback by their seeming confirmation. After all, this was all for Fumika's sake. If this was what it took for someone as dense as her to have friends, then Asuka didn't mind playing a part in her little lie, even if it was at her own expense. ...She just wished that her sister hadn't gone behind her back like this. Nevertheless, she forged ahead. [color=#FF741D]"Perhaps I should have just made that stupidly earnest girl blunder through this herself without my help, after all,"[/color] She gave a wry smile, glancing back at where she had left the no-doubt surprised Harukaze in a rather undesirable situation. But it was for her own good, and better than anything that someone so universally reviled as herself could have done for her. [color=#FF741D]"Given my reception, I can't help but wonder if I just made matters worse for her."[/color] [@Silver Carrot][@FamishedPants][@Norschtalen] [hr] [center][img]https://s31.postimg.cc/bni49m3d7/image.png[/img] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [img]https://i.imgur.com/FciBpgl.png[/img] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 𝔇𝔦𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢 𝓒𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔯 || [color=#c9c916]#c9c916[/color] ||| 𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝓒𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔯 || [color=#3F9CB1]#3F9CB1[/color] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/center] It had been taking Asuka a very long time. Haruka waited anxiously, wondering what had happened. She heard multiple voices coming from beyond the hedge, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Unconsciously, she winced slightly, feeling in her heart the utterly contrary urges to hide herself away as completely as possible and to rush out and apologize herself. She wanted to see him. She knew it would hurt, knew it would make her feel even more pathetic than she already did. Seeing him so struck by her deformity, witnessing the full condescension of his compassion once again, without denying it or running away, she had no doubt would break what little remained of her pride. But what, really, was there left for her to be proud of? What had she done, beyond fail to uphold her promise? What did she have to look forward to, beyond a burdensome existence which would no doubt cause trouble for the very people who she had wanted to praise her? The only answer she could find to this incessant question came in the form of his face. It had seemed to float before her eyes in every waking moment since the day he'd finally found out her deception, had hidden behind her eyelids when she tried to sleep, had been, in short, both everywhere to be expected, and nowhere to be found, and as for herself, Haruka had not the slightest explanation for that. There was nothing left for her to expect from him but his pity, and yet, even that seemed preferable to his scorn. And so, even if it meant destroying the last bit of her pride, and exposing herself for the fraud she really was... if he would just come back, perhaps this time, she wouldn't object if he tried to hold her like before. So she listened, and she waited, desperately longing to see him again, and filling her aching heart with such similar consolations and desires which, she felt, would never be satisfied unless- [center][i][b][color=#007236]"...Really?!"[/color][/b][/i][/center] And so our romantic heroine gave a very undignified, very distressed squeak. Her crutch, propped against her leg, fell to the ground as her hands flailed wildly. Her face went redder than a beet, and her entire body shot off from the bench, only to almost immediately topple forward in an exceedingly undignified sprawl as she frantically scrambled away, practically flinging herself into the hedge at the irrational thought that, somehow, that question had been directed at the distinctly shameful thoughts she had been entertaining. Had it been that obvious that she was pining over him? Had she been blushing? While she didn't know the answer to the first, the second was entirely irrelevant, as, if nothing else, she sure as hell was blushing now! She turned slowly, raising her head and tossing herself down upon the grass and staring up at him. He was so much taller now. He'd only used to be only slightly above her own height, but now he seemed almost to tower over her. Of course, she was sitting down and standing up, so maybe it was just the perspective... or the shadows? The setting sun had just gone beneath the building behind him... Like a halo through the fringes of his hair, or, or... or something. And those amber eyes seemed to strike right through her, and... and... And perhaps all of this was just in her own delusions, after all. He was Jett. She was Haruka. There wasn't anything more than that, and she wasn't good with this sort of thing, so why did her heart insist on making the picture before her eyes so complicated?! Her head fell, a curtain of messy black fringe casting a shadow over her eyes as her cheeks flared outward in a shamed pout. [color=#c9c916]"...Jerk,"[/color] She managed to force out, the word barely more than a whisper. No, no, she wouldn't... she couldn't just sit here acting so pathetic and small. She couldn't let him see her like this. He could pity her for her leg all he wanted, but at least, this emotion was still sacred! Forcing herself to look up, she met his gaze once again, fighting with all her might to hide her childish embarrassment from at least him. [color=#c9c916]"How many times do I have to tell you not to scare me like that? It's creepy."[/color] It was no good. Her words didn't want to come out. She had no idea what to say to him. She needed time, much, much more time to prepare, to think, to come up with something, anything. There had to be some magical phrase to make things right again, but all she could think of was what Asuka had no doubt already said - so she said it again, for lack of anything better. [color=#c9c916]"I'm sorry,"[/color] She whispered, hiding her face as best she could. Now what? What would he say to her? Would he be angry? Resentful? Distant? She had just wanted to see him again, and she'd gotten her wish, but now that she had everything right in front of her, she had no idea how to respond. She still couldn't even find the strength to be happy to see him again, even though she desperately wanted to... wanted to... wanted to what? Where was there to go from here? That path had long since closed to her. At that moment, Harukaze Haruka couldn't help but feel herself to be the very picture of a fool. As usual, even when everything went exactly in her favor, she, in her infinite fallibility, would find some way to ruin it all - even if it was the only "real" thing she had ever had. [@Aerandir]