The Mirror Girl - 鏡の少女

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Chocolates, Math and a Near Miss

Friday Evening, 7:00 PM // TEZUKA RESIDENCE

It had been a short while since the sun set fifteen minutes ago, but that didn't deter Keizo and Mika on their walk home from their not-so-unexpected detour at the local FamilyMart. They were still full of energy and still taking shots at one another. Their playful banter bounced off the walls of buildings they aimlessly frolicked by. It seemed like every other word they exchanged was about to turn into a fight.

"Boy am I glad to be home again," Keizo says opening the front gate. "If only it didn't take you forever to pick which chocolates you were gonna stuff your face with after you eventually give up on tonight's homework crunch."

"Who said anything about giving up? I'll have you know I intend on getting it right this time!" Mika said, sticking out her tongue. She followed him in through the gate, then through the door at the house.

"Are we alone again?" she asked while slipping her shoes off.

"Yet again, it seems like we are." Keizo huffed as he sat down at the couch.

"Eh? They're still gone on that vacation?" Mika asks, with her hand pushing on her cheek.

"Apparently, yes." Keizo replied, emptying his bookbag. "The last message I got from them was 'Don't fret... Touchdown: Italy.'"

"Sounds like something from one of those spy movies, are you sure they aren't on some secret mission they've been hiding from you? It definitely seems like that." Mika says a bit snarky as she plops down beside him.

"I highly doubt that, my father is a software engineer and my mother is a flight attendant, he just follows where she goes." Keizo replies. "I'm pretty sure their plane touched down safely on the tarmac over there, and they're now soaking up the sun or whatever while I'm stuck here teaching you math..."

"Hey! I actually learned something new in class today; I think I did alright!" Mika exclaims defensively, throwing a piece of paper at him in retaliation.

He catches it and reads it to himself. "Uh... let's see here..." He says skimming through paragraphs of bad handwriting.

"Aha! What's a polynomial?" He takes a moment to pause.

"Mika..?" He calls out with no reply.

Keizo looks up from the notebook to see Mika, who is adamantly fishing for chocolates from a FamilyMart tote bag.

"Really? We were just getting started!" Keizo spurs, looking back at the page to look through more definitions.

"It's... a little something... called... comfort food." Mika manages while scarfing down an unhealthy amount of liqueur-filled chocolates.

"Again, we were only just getting started..." Keizo sits back folding his hands behind his head. "I can already imagine this night playing out with you passed out on my couch from too many chocolates. Why on earth would you start with those?"

"Nearest food is best food." Mika pouts.

"I need a drink..." Keizo says reaching for a chocolate.

Friday Evening, 7:45 PM // MIRROR REALM

Izumi had been walking for just fifteen minutes shy of an hour. Though she couldn't really feel any difference, it seemed as if the air was growing colder, causing shivers to run down her spine as she drew nearer towards the pane of glass.