Suddenly, Seiko got up. Her eyes were still watering, and she looked really frail. Her patient clothes are all wrinkled and wet. This Seiko looked like it hadn't eaten in days. But, the first thing Aichi noticed were her eyes. The pupils, they were wider than before. He recognized the state of Seiko as of the moment.
"Drowsy..." he mumbled, "Seiko's drowsy... She should be sleeping.. If she stays awake for too long in this state, she will act like a drunk person.."
"Ai..."
"Good evening, Seiko.." he gently raised his voice before she could finish her sentence.
"..."
"Lie down.."
"H-huh?.. What's with the dirty request?"
"It's not dirty, just lie down.."
"Okay..."
Seiko complied and Aichi pulled the blankets over her..
"Alright.. I'll be leaving now..I'm gonna ask some nurses to watch over your ward-"
Seiko grabs Aichi's hand and yanks him over right next to her. The bed trembles as Aichi lands on the foam, facing Seiko,"What the- Seiko? What are you doing?"
"Shhhh.. As if I could let you go..." She whispered.
"I really should be going, now.. and I can't be on your bed... so let me stand up.."Aichi attempts to move but Seiko tightly pulls on his jacket.
"Seiko.. your thought process right now is below average.. you don't know what you're doing, let me go."
She places her palm at his cheek.
"If you're enjoying this than I'm not.."
Seiko pulls Aichi towards her and she tips her head forward. As their foreheads are touching, she whispers, "Can you stay for a little longer? I'm feeling lonely..."
Aichi, of course, is thrown back by this. Despite only their foreheads being in contact, with one move, he can literally kiss her, right now. But he won't do that, instead he placed her head around his torso and then wrapped both of his arms around it. There was one thing stuck in is head during that time,
"Seiko Sekininsha, the star of the second years. Ever since she came to Kagushiro, I was the only person she actively talked to. To other people, she's unsociable and very closed. But when she's with me, she's cheerful and likes to taunt me about romance. She's smart and responsible, she has a kind heart and has a pretty face, well when it's not covered by her bangs. Whenever someone is drowsy, they can't hide themselves. Except for the pretty face, this girl I'm holding in my hands has nothing in common with Seiko. Could this be her true colors?"
Suddenly, his eye twitched. "If so.. then.." He loosened his arms.
"Huh? Aikun?"
"I seriously have to go, Seiko.." He stands up grabs his things.
"But.. You can't go yet-"
"Listen to me for a second!"
"..."
"..."
"A-"
"Seiko Sekininsha, you're almost perfect. Beauty, Smarts, Talant.. but you're too clingy to me.. Learn to leave me alone!" He headed for the door and opened it.
"Aikun, are you angry?"
"No.. I'm just.."
"..."
"I'm not angry.. Soon, you will realize that.." He closed the door behind him.
"..meanie.."
Seiko had the time to sober up. By that time, she just covered her face with a pillow in embarrassment.
The door creaked open. Seiko, hearing this, jumped up. It was Taka.
"Miss Shinsuki! Are you here to attack me, again!?"
"Hm? Your memories weren't wiped?"
"A-are you not surprised?"
"Nope. As expected of the strongest Seijo Gendaishi."
"Heh.."
"But please tell me, how did you did it?"
"I knew you were interested.."
"I'm not Aichi, don't ridicule me.."
"Alright, I'll tell you. But first, I need to activate my Figure."
"I'll handle that.."
Suddenly a sword appeared in Seiko's hand. It was silver and there was a green line going between the tip of the blade onto its handle.
"What did you do?"
"I tried wiping your memories.."
"Oh."
"So.. an idiom, huh?"
*
Aichi's phone rings. He answers it.
"Hello?"
"Yoho! What's up Aichi?"
"Senpai? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I sleep at 2 am.."
"Oh. Why did you call?"
"I wanted to know what Idioms are.."
"Okay.."
"Alright, I'm listening.."
"As you know, Hyperbole strikes are two unstable to use and they might overheat and damage your Figures. So Gendaishi use special Simile Containers called Idioms. Idioms are physical manifestations of a Figure and each one can take the form of any handheld object, from rings and necklaces, to swords and spears. There are many ways to get your Idiom but in my case, I condense my Figure into my hand and then the springback shapes it."
"I'll try that right now.."
"You're supposed to use them only when necessa-"
"It worked! I have a dagger with a glowing and zigzagging blade as my Idiom!"
"Uhhh.. Great?"
"What am I supposed to call it?"
"Well, there's a trend with Gendaishi where they name they're Idioms after weapons in mythology."
"Hmm, alright! I'll name this, MASTERBOLT! Like the strongest weapon in the Greek chief god, Zeus's arsenal."
"Uhh, yeah.. Hey Senpai, can you get Konechan on the phone?"
"Sure. We're finishing a project in Seiko's house right now. So yeah.. I'll get her on the phone."
*
"I'm guessing it can manipulate the wind?"Taka inquired.
"Yeah, its name is Kusanagi. Legend says that it was given by the storm god Susanoo-no-Mikoto to his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu."
"So that's how you.."
"Yeah, basically.."
"..."
"Hey, you two knew each other before, right?"
"Who? Aichi? Yeah.."
"Can you tell why he's angry?"
"Oh, that's the question that I can answer perfectly every single time!"
"So, why?"
"First, I gotta tell you a story. Aichi used to be an outgoing, narcissistic prodigy. But after becoming a Gendaishi. He despised himself, and wanted to change. Now, he's a slightly timid loner with an inferiority complex. But all that is a facade. Deep down, his old self is still there, and with enough pressure, it can poke out. I'm pretty sure you've experienced it before."
"Actually, yeah. If he gets too irritated, his tongue sharpens."
"Yeah, and he hates it when he does that."
"Yeah."
"Yeah..."
"....yeah.."
"So basically, he is angry because... well... When he saw you drowsy, he saw your true self and he was reminded.. What you should do is appologize.. You should tell him that he shouldn't let his past ruin your relationship.."
"Question.. How did you know about the drowsy thing?"
"Oh. I was spying on you two!"
"Oh-WAIT WHAT!?"
*
August 10, 2021
7:30 am
Seiko saw Kokoshi and Raigi as she was put on a wheel chair, ready for discharge.
"Hey..uhh..Konechan, have you seen Aichi?"
Kokoshi smirked a bit, but she stayed silent. Seiko immediately realized that they were playing something on her. When they got home, Seiko felt something wrong when she glanced at her room.
She went towards the door and creaked it open. Her eyes widen.
On her bed, was Aichi, sleeping.
"Huh?"
"Aichi talked to me last night, if he can stay here for a while." Kokoshi explained.
"Why?"
"Something about feeling lonely in his apartment.."
"Oh."
"Right, that happened.." she thought.
"Hey! Wake up, Aichi! Seiko's here!"Kokoshi screamed.
"Ehh?! Konechan, no!"
He did wake up, "Oh. Sorry for using your room, Seiko.. I'll fix the bed for you.."
"N-No.."
"What?"
"uhh..problem! No problem! You're gonna be late. I'll fix it.."
"...alright.."
He stands up and walks his way out of the room. Seiko swings to the side to make way for him. Just before he passes the door, he stops, "You going to school in the afternoon, right?"
"Huh?"
"Meet me on the rooftop,"
And he continues.
*
"Good. I almost lost hope that you would ever come."
Aichi was sitting down cross legged, staring at the horizon past the guard rail.Seiko joins in and sits right next to him.
"So.. uhh.. what did you want to talk about, Aichi?"
"..."
"Um, hello?"
"..."
"If you're not talking, then I am.."
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry for last night..."
"..."
The two tried to not make eye contact.
"I did something that humiliated both of us. And because of that we saw our real sides. We let go of our secrets and we took in hurtful realizations. All because I couldn't control myself. If you really say so, I can leave you alone, I can end our ties. But all I'm asking for is forgiveness."
"...Seiko, I forgive you..."
"Hm, that's a relief.." She stands up and turns to walk away. But then she collapses to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Aichi stands up and hurries towards her.
"Yeah, my legs are still kind of weak," She turns around. Aichi sees her, her eyes were watering. He lets his hand down. Seiko grabs his hand and Aichi pulls her up.
"Thank y-" Aichi suddenly yanks her arm. Pulling her towards him. And then he wraps his other arm around her head.
"but.. as if I could let you go," he whispers.
Seiko freely cries in Aichi's arms.
"Seiko.."
"Huh?"
"...go out with me.."
"W-what?"
"I like you.. please be my girlfriend."