Epilogue: Crystal
Crystal. Cold, seemingly. Protective. Very protective. In gesture? Literally? Figuratively? All of the above?
No…
No longer cold.
Crystal.
Warm. Ever encompassing. An evolution of sorts, in the middle of a thriving, believing city.
Colors add to the vibrancy: orange, red, blue, and green respectively. And just like the crystal, protective.
Night falls. Too soon. Too unrealistically, and therefore, unnaturally.
It blankets over the city—chokes it. Searches for every nook and cranny and those same colors…They’re strong enough to push the darkness out aren’t they?
Aren’t they?
“They have to be…”
“Kaioh-san, please answer the question.”
My gaze focuses to my desk, my peripherals catching at a mechanical pencil my hand is inadvertently clutching. I let it go, as if burned, the utensil making a rolling noise as it descends to the tiled floor.
“Positive one.”
A familiar voice in a hushed whisper reaches my ears…would make me smile outwardly, but that would just give both of us away.
“Positive one, sensei,” I answer and look up to the none-too-pleased Trigonometry teacher.
“Shiraishi-san, unless you want to join Kaioh-san in detention next time, I’d advise you let her answer the question herself. Kaioh-san, pay attention.”
He turns his back to the familiar snickers the class makes and begins writing another problem on the board. Heat crawls to my face and after a discreet glance to my right, I see the same has plagued my long time best friend. I sigh and try to make an effort to pay attention this time, but again, my vision is filled with walls, cities made of crystal, that same protective light, and again, without fail, darkness. I don’t realize I’m grabbing a fist full of my short aqua hair until the pain comes out agonizingly from strained roots, and I wish, upon unanswered wishes, that my brain would just shut up.
O-----O
“What the hell’s been wrong with you?”
Tact has never been Toshi’s strong point, so I answer just as I have through all the years.
A blank look up and cocked eyebrow later and he sighs loudly, his face showing how unimpressed he must be feeling. His brown eyes roll heavenward and he grunts resignedly, not taking a seat as he normally would. He sees the question in my eyes and heads toward the roof door.
“Gonna have lunch with Aiko-chan…see you guys in class.”
“What was the point in coming up to the rooftop then?” I call, somewhat annoyed, but mostly relieved.
“Well I was hoping you two would stop me, but seeing as you’d rather play Romeo and Juliet, I’ll leave you two at it.”
He stuck his tongue out at us and smirked before twisting the doorknob and disappearing out of sight.
I process his words, and give a slightly confused, but smiling Tsubasa a look of askance. “Has he even read Romeo and Juliet?”
She laughs, untying her bento while shaking her hair, midnight tresses dancing merrily into the spring air. Her familiar smell dances around us at the action, and I feel myself breathing deeper in tandem.
