"Ishikawa-san. Please break up with Shouichi-kun." The serene voice of a jet-black-haired girl reverberated as she confronted a pretty junior. Two girls met in the fire escape stairway of an old building, an ideal spot to discuss a private matter.
Ishikawa Misaki scowled, dumbfounded by how cold and candid Ayane's request was.
Mentally steeling herself, "M~Morimura-senpai, you must be joking, right!?" Misaki asked incredulously.
"No. I am serious. Please break up with him." Ayane repeated her demand, her tone authoritative, and her gaze unfazed.
"Huh? So that you can have him all to yourself?" She bared her teeth with anger as if someone reached out to steal her priceless possessions.
"Only if Shouichi wants to. You know I'd never do anything to hurt him." Ayane spoke matter-of-factly, glancing away to the distant cloud painting the pastel blue horizon. "Would you?" She asked in a condescending tone, turning partly to Misaki.
"Of course not, I'd never harm Shouichi-senpai. He is my one and only!" Misaki raised her voice to convey her true feelings.
Ayane offered no rebuttal but a glare, the violet-purple eyes pierced Misaki's soul, something in those eyes was unconvinced.
"I'm…, I, um,..." Misaki stammered, her blood ran cold as she found it difficult to utter another word.
Suddenly, Ayane was chuckling deviously.
"What?! What's so funny?" Misaki's voice hardened, her innocent face distorted.
"I'm done talking to you." The senior turned away, but before she left, she turned her to gaze at Misaki once last time, "Just think about what I asked." Ayane coldly stated.
"Oh... And I almost forgot... Here, take a look at this..." It appeared that Ayane had shown Misaki something on her phone before parting altogether.
Grinding her teeth in pure exasperation, Misaki mustered a last ouch of her strength, "Wait! Morimura-senpai, I won't give up! Even that, I won't break up with Shouichi-senpai!" she cried out at the top of her lungs, with both hands held on her heart. Her delicate body trembled with flooding emotions.
"I can't lose him…" Her voice faltered and trailed off into almost a whisper, terrifying for her life and her relationship with her boyfriend.
***
"There, you are. Ayane-chan." Shouichi greeted his female best friend as she appeared at the spacious accessway at the main building. Like any school in Japan, it consisted of several rows of shoe lockers, arranged from class 1 to class 3. Shouichi casually put down his sneakers on the ground.
"Do you have some time?" Ayane directly asked, her hand anxiously rubbing her upper arm.
"Huh? What chu need?" He asked, raising a brow.
"It's important. But I can't tell you right now," Ayane replied, her tone carried a pang of something serious.
"Oh, okay. I guess I should be somewhat free. After all, the school just finished and the club is not on today," Shouichi responded with eagerness. "Nothing weird happens right?" He wanted to make sure, judging from his friend's reactions.
"I can't tell. So can we go, right now?" Ayane urged, reaching her hand to grab his wrist and forcefully tucking him.
"Uh, okay. If you say so." Shouichi uttered, obediant yet puzzled.
"Man… Is this what I think it is?" He muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the chaos around them. They shuffled their feet away from the main building, heading to destinations only the gods could fathom.