[center][h1][color=9f2b68][b]Kyouka[/b][/color][/h1][/center]
Beep-beep. Beep-Beep! BEEP-BEEP!!

Drowsily, Kyouka got her phone to shut up. 

A new day…

But why did it always feel the same?

Wake up, get washed, make breakfast, do chores while she still gave enough of a shit for it.

Her work would start in the evening, and she still had several hours until then.

As she often did when she had nothing better to do, she went out for a walk. She wandered the city, going by the river, crossing a bridge, and stopped somewhere with a decent view.

After an undetermined time of staring out into nowhere, she fetched a boba tea somewhere, and sipped on her drink while fiddling with her phone. She checked her social media, the news, and upcoming classical music events or competitions.

Yeah, so she had a schedule for where [i]he[/i] would appear, so what? She smirked, and wondered if he was at home right now. Maybe she’d go see.

And so, she did. Standing on the other side of the street from his apartment building, she sent a short message.

	Hey. You home?

Nothing. 

A few minutes.

Still nothing.

She sighed. Fine, then, not today.

Well, whatever.

She was able to catch up with one of her friends for a quick coffee – but it really was quick, not even an hour.

Disappointed she’d not been able to see [i]him[/i] instead, Kyouka visited her brother – unannounced.

Ring-ring. RING-RING.

“Yeah, yeah, coming!”

Ayato’s attempts at being polite – shoddy as they were – cut short when he saw her. “What the hell are you doing here.”

[color=9f2b68]“What, can’t your sister come see her lonely little brother?”[/color] She gave him that smirk she knew drove him up the wall.

He grimaced. “What the hell, get lost,” he muttered. However, she weaseled her way in. They both knew she wouldn’t stick around for long, so as much as he was annoyed by it, he didn’t put up much of a fight.

[color=9f2b68]“Sheesh, your place screams single guy, you know that, right?”[/color] She wrinkled her nose at the disarray, but she wasn’t about to go and [i]touch[/i] any of it. Instead, she snagged a pillow and found a clean-ish place on the floor to sit on.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Ayato threw himself onto a floor sofa in front of his TV, and went onto gaming – and ignoring her.

[color=9f2b68]“Still into that, huh?”[/color] She asked, as she watched idly. There was only a grunt for an answer. For some time after, there was only silence. Her brother was absorbed, she was bored.

[color=9f2b68]“Hey. HEY!”[/color] She stretched a leg to kick his side.

That was enough to get his attention. “Ow, fuck,” he hissed. “What?”

She rolled her eyes. [color=9f2b68]“Just checking to see if you’re still alive there. Sooo...got any dates? Anyone you'd want one with?”[/color]

He was about to go back to his game, but facing the threat of more prodding from Kyouka, he gave in.

Ayato sighed, and paused his game. “Fine. I’ll give you your five minutes. But after that, you’re getting out of here.” He gave her that ‘I have enough of your shit’ look she was so familiar with. “Yeah, there’s some girls I’ve noticed. No, I haven’t really talked to any. The hell am I supposed to say to them, huh? ‘Hi, I game, please date me?’ Even if I find a gamer, that could have its own share of hassles, you know? And do you really think I care enough to do the whole ‘proper romance’ thing? I don’t have that kinda time to waste.”

Kyouka gave a pointed glance to his gaming setup. 

“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. Now, [i]shoo[/i]. Go back to stalking, or fucking old men, or whatever it is you do in your free time.”

This time, Kyouka was the one to get enraged. In quick fury, she grabbed the nearest object – an empty can of energy drink – and hurled it at him. Ayato dodged, just barely. “What the fuck??!”

[color=9f2b68]“You know what,”[/color] she growled. They had a stare-off, but stubborn as they were, neither was going to relent. She exhaled quickly, still angry, and stood up. However, before leaving, she did say, [color=9f2b68]“Later, you fucking nerd.”[/color]

“Don’t come here uninvited again!” he called after her. She slammed the door with a thud.

All in all, this visit had just served to aggravate her.

However, not all was bad. Moments after leaving, she got a message from [i]him.[/i]

He’d sent her an address and time, asking if she could make it.

She sent him a quick confirmation, and made her way to the location he'd sent.

She managed to get there before him, and stood there, facing the winds, hands in the pockets of her coat.

“Hey.” [i]That voice.[/i] “What’re you doing there looking all fierce, mm?” he said in that goadingly joking tone of his he had.

[color=9f2b68]“F-fierce? Y-you’re not comparing me to something strange again, are you?”[/color] She suddenly felt warmth creep up her cheeks and knew she was blushing. Gods, why did she always act like this in front of him?

He smirked. “How d’ya know? C’mon, [i]demoness[/i].”

She gasped, but even as outrage blazed within her chest, she went up to him, and took up his arm as he silently offered to escort her.

He invited her out for a late lunch! 

Kyouka was on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

In fact, she was so happy, she wasn’t as careful managing her alcohol intake at the club as she should have been. Her overseers did much of that for her, but still. She kept inviting customers to drink and chat with her, spending mindless hours in easy, casual, pointless conversations.

On her way home, she was past buzzed, but had decided to walk for some reason. To enjoy the evening, she’d said.

She was crossing a remote walkway high above. She didn’t notice the sectioned-off roadwork part in time. She stumbled into a glaring orange cone, and suddenly, the railing that had been supporting her was gone.

She fell.

[i]Crack.[/i]

[color=9f2b68][i]H-huh?[/i][/color] Her thoughts were sluggish, and her body felt even number. For some reason, the sky was suddenly in front of her. [color=9f2b68][i]W-what?[/i][/color]

In her state, it took her some time to realize what had happened.

She tried to pick herself up, but she couldn’t quite move.

[color=9f2b68][i]W-wait. No. NO![/i][/color]

She couldn’t be – couldn’t be [i]dying[/i], could she?

Sudden fear gripped her.

No, she didn’t want to go like this. She still had so many things to do!

God, what kind of universe was it to kill a beautiful maiden in love like her?

As life seeped from her, she felt various regrets.

She’d never get to figure out what it was that she’d wanted. Love? Passion? A purpose?

She hadn’t had enough of life, not even close. Sure, it was downright miserable at times. It felt like others had that ‘special something’ that she couldn’t quite get a grasp on.

Oh, and she just knew they’d say what a ‘waste’ her life had been. How she could have been ‘so much more’. Trying to decide how she should live even after her death.

Ha! 

This, after being called a witch so many times? How often it was said that she was an evil devil of a beuty...

If she were some mystical creature, or had any powers like that, would she end up like this? [i]No, she wouldn't.[/i]

Fuck. Dead because of a stupid accident.

And now they’d find her body all mangled and ugly, and cry over her pitiful state. Goddammit, she couldn’t fucking handle that.

Well, she’d not be around to see it. On account of being [i]dead.[/i]

[color=9f2b68][i]A-ah, so I’m dying before that terminal ill wife of his. What kind of luck is this?[/i][/color]