'Anyways, we should try and come up with a plan for you to apologise to Kiriyama.'
Shiki said. Regulus found something weird.
'Hey, Shiki. Why're you so intent on helping me?'
'Why? That's what friends are for.'
'Yeah, I guess. But I feel like you're also doing this for your gain too.'
Shiki shivered for a second. Seemed like Regulus had hit the arrow directly into the bullseye. Regulus wasn't bothered by the fact that Shiki was helping him for personal gain too since it's only natural. Only the innocent would help others with nothing they can gain for themselves.
'It's fine. I don't particularly mind. So, about the plan. Do you have one?'
Regulus asked while spinning the pencil between his fingers. The boy sitting opposite him smirked. It looked extremely unpleasant and weird on his face. Regulus just noticed that he was way different compared to when he first talked to him.
'Of course.'
'Let's hear it.'
The pen stopped directly on the paper.
'Well, the first choice is that you can apologise honestly.'
'Straight no.'
Shiki gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head nervously. He kept on repeating "joking" in a low tone. Then, saying his thoughts once again.
'Well, apologising straight actually may be an option. From what I know about Kiriyama, she's a nice girl and wouldn't hold a grudge or care about her reputation worsening though, you've known her for longer, so what do you have to comment on the personality of Yumi Kiriyama.'
«Personality of Yumi Kiriyama... I... haven't ever thought of that.»
The boy tried to think back to middle school and thought about how Kiriyama acted. It was hazy since he attempted to forget those times, but he could scramble a few memories together and got a brief idea of her personality.
'Her personality... From what I can remember, she was kind, similar to now, generous and she hated being teased.'
'Wait, you teased her?'
'Yeah.'
'Seriously can't imagine you doing that.'
«Yeah, remembering that I wonder how my parents ruining my life could completely change my life entirely.»
Regulus wrote down the personality of Yumi Kiriyama, from both how he and Shiki explained it. He put Shiki's description in a "NOW" section and his one in a "THEN" section. For the descriptions, he wrote in Japanese.
'The first plan will be to straight up apologise?'
'Yup. It may sound dumb, but it's simpler than you think. Kiriyama told me that she had duty on Monday, meaning that she'll probably be alone after school.'
'Why? I thought two people were supposed to do duty.'
'Let's just say that the girls neglect her and are jealous of her because of how pretty and innocent she is. Either way, it's a perfect time for you and just apologise to her.'
He listed down what he would do on Monday.
'Okay, but if that doesn't work, we still need some contingency plans. We need a couple more, just in case.'
Shiki thought up some more.
'Well, I guess we can create a scenario where you slowly get closer to her.'
'She'll just edge away eventually.'
'Then how about we make her rely on you?'
'Mega no.'
The thoughts that Shiki was coming up with wasn't very good, or at least Regulus thought. He saw Shiki's ideas as more of a hindrance than anything. There wasn't any productivity in Shiki's ideas and they were getting nowhere.
Shiki got up from the table and stretched his limbs. Regulus could hear faint cracks as the other boy stretched.
'I'll go make some tea. How would you like yours? Chai, maybe?'
'You have Earl Grey, right? Then I'll have that.'
Regulus said the latter after seeing a nod from Shiki. And so, Shiki left the room, leaving Regulus all alone in another's room. Regulus didn't know how or what he should do now. Alone in his friend's room without anything to do.
Black mist shrouded the side of Regulus and a woman appeared. Pale silver hair and scarlet-red eyes. A demon. Astoria. She crossed her arms and stared at the door.
'He's not a black exorcist.'
'Eh? How'd you know? He never stripped or anything.'
Astoria pointed to her eye. Regulus noticed that her fingernails were black–it was the same for her toenails. He was sure they weren't like it before, but, instead of focusing on that, he focused on her eye.
'My eye works similar to an x-ray. And I can say, for sure, that he isn't a black exorcist. Maybe he's an idiot with good luck. If he became a magus, then he would be loved by the mother of holy mana.'
'Magus?'
'It's the term we use for a mage. People who can see demons, or use magic are magi.'
Regulus looked at Astoria and then to her nails; his expression was apathetic. Astoria noticed his stares and she flashed her nails around in flamboyant poses. Regulus ignored her and waited for the tea.
«What's this unpleasant feeling I'm getting?»
He thought indifferently. Staring outside of the window, rain pelted down. The day suddenly became worse. It almost felt like a bad omen. Regulus could sense it.
[x]
The two were standing in front of each other, face to face. One was a male, he had green hair and flaxen eyes. There was a black chain on his ear, with went from the earlobe to the helix. The other was a girl. She wore a light blue hoodie. The girl had china-blue hair and yellow eyes, similar to the green-haired man.
The girl looked bloody and beaten, but, somehow, she was smiling. The landscape changed and it wasn't normal or urban. It was a grass plain. The grass was emerald and shining while the sky was a pure blue, with no clouds at all. It was different from the rainy day.
'You... You bitch.'
The girl raised her arms out–a few drops of blood fell as she did so–and looked up to the sky.
'How do you like my Territory? Nice, isn't it?'
The man attempted to do something with his hands, but nothing happened. This annoyed him.
'What?! Why can't I use my hereditary ability?!'
'Because the condition for this Territory being activated is that it "denies the power of desires." You get your power from your desire, right? Then it won't work here. Not when you have fused with your demon.'
'I'll get you. For sure...'
He gritted his teeth. She didn't mind at all, her smile became larger and more of a sneer.
'I'd like to see you try. You can't defeat me, not as long as I'm in Freedom's Day, my Territory.'