My heart skips a beat.
The president turns to the side, fixing the ribbon in her hair.
The same precious smile flashes in my mind, and I blank on the memory as fast it had appeared, I want to remember, but I can't. ...What is it I'm trying to remember?
I shake my head out of its stupor, thinking I had just a few too many last night.
"...How about I treat you to some dessert? Come on, consider it a courtesy of mine," Her hand tugs on mine, pulling me with her as she moves.
Startled, I was pulled along by the hand, unable to refuse.
We end up on a bench under a pair of sakura trees, their petals gracing the sight as they drift through the air.
A crepe in my hand, I tentatively take a bite, the cream melts in my mouth, the fruit adding to the taste as I take another, the flavor both sweet and savory.
Minuet, with a crepe of her own in her hands, a soft smile on her face, seemed to take in the serene atmosphere, watching as a couple of your neighborhood birds landed near our feet, pecking at the ground for food.
"Hm, how is it? Good, I hope?" She asks me, glancing over.
"Mm, yeah..." I replied, mumbling.
She giggles, laughing behind her hand.
"...What?" I wipe at my mouth, smearing some whipped cream across the side of my face. I attempt to clean it away with a napkin, not sure if I got it all.
"You still have a little..." She swipes a place on my cheek with her finger, a little bit of cream I missed, "...here."
I flush, surprised, "A..ah..." I look away, occupying myself with finishing my crepe, hoping the president doesn't notice the blush creeping onto my face.
The sound of cheery laughter fills the silence as we quietly sit under the branches, watching the children run around with glee, as young couples also rested in the shade of the trees, taking advantage of the romantic scenery and fine weather.
Feeling out of place as we were surrounded by lovers with their partners, I shift in my seat, finally realizing what we might have seemed like from an outside view. I stand abruptly, face still a little hot.
"I...I think we have stayed here long enough. Let's go somewhere else."
Minuet raises her eyebrows slightly in surprise, before glancing around, noticing the few people staring and talking, no doubt have gotten the wrong impression.
She coughs into her hand, "Ahem...I..I suppose so..."
Just because people treat those relationships like an act of treason, there are reasons why a demon and a human can't be seen together romantically. Either it is a dishonor to your blood or just socially frowned upon, if you were to be in love, you were to be treading a minefield. Like oil and water, the two fractions were never meant to mix, at least not peacefully.
The war proved that.
We both move to a place with a lesser crowd, walking along a weathered bridge, the boards creaking underneath our feet.
I lean over the wooden railing, looking down at the water of the stream going beneath the bridge itself. I watch as my form shimmers on the surface, kicked up by some passing fish as they swim by.
Minuet stands nearby, overlooking the water with me as the distant sound of bells rings in the distance.
"It is your first time here?" She asks.
"Hmn...yes," I answered, "Traveling, for...family business."
Family business as in mopping up my father's mess that he so rudely dropped for us.
"I see," She thinks for a moment, before speaking again, "Did you travel far? It's a rare sight to see someone like yourself this much inland."
"...No."
"Do you plan to stay at the academy?"
I pause, watching as my reflection furrows its brows, thinking, "...I will stay, for as long as I will need to." I glance sideways at her, wondering what this girl is trying to get at with this sudden questionnaire.
The corner of her mouth turns in a small smile as if hearing something pleasant, the president slightly turns her head to the side, as if trying to hide it.
"I'm sure the headmaster would be glad to hear that," She said.
"If it's not too much to ask, where did you come from?" I said, deciding to hand her question to answer as well.
"Oh, me?" She said, eyebrows lifting in slight surprise, "I...I came from a village by the sea, which was my childhood home before it..." Her eyes suddenly cast down in sadness, then she fixes her expression of complete neutrality, a hidden melancholy behind that smile, "Before I was pulled into a life of extravagance. But that's just the past, the present is what matters." She glances towards me.
"Oh..."I look away guiltily, feeling bad that I might have brought up some unwanted memories. I would know after all, what it feels to be shrouded in the past. Always painted in a dark light, courtesy of my father's infamous reputation. I shove that thought back into the depths of my mind, not wanting to ponder on it any further. If only life's troubles can be pushed away so easily.
"Ah, how about one last stop before we call it a day?" Minuet said, after a moment of awkward silence, "I have one particular place in mind."
The sun had already started to dip from its peak in the sky, waning into the late afternoon.
"I guess time flies when you are having fun," I said as I stared up at the sky, squinting.
The president looked surprised, but a pleased gleam in her eyes tells me she's happy about it, much to my surprise.
She turns, clasping her hands behind her back, and flashes an absolutely mischievous grin over her shoulder.
"Well this is only the beginning of the end to our little adventure, so let's bring this to an interesting end hm?"